James Armstrong - Sleeping With A Stranger (1995/2020)

One listen to his Sleeping with a Stranger and one might be inclined to compare James Armstrong with Robert Cray, but the similarities end after the obvious comparison: young, talented black songwriters who believe in incorporating elements of soul and R&B into their blues playing. The truth is, Armstrong is a supremely talented songwriter, a guitarist who has no need to be overly flashy, and a more than adequate singer. As Sleeping with a Stranger shows, Armstrong has a bright future, and he'll continue to broaden the parameters of modern blues for some time to come.