Canadian Blues

If you like your blues to bear the mark of the maple leaf, this fizzing Essentials list may very well transport you to a state of sonic nirvana. All the great names are here, including Toronto-born Jeff Healey ("See the Light"), who has been blind since the age of one and has mastered the art of playing his guitar on his lap. Genius.

No Canadian blues list would be complete without Dutch Mason, a pioneer of the genre who has a blues festival named in his honor, and was christened "The Prime Minister of the Blues" by B.B. King. Here he delivers a brassy version of Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues." Saskatchewan's Colin James drives it hard with "Travelin'."

Frank Marino is best known for his contributions to rock as leader of Mahogany Rush, but as "Down, Down, Down" makes crystal clear his solo blues work is up there with the very best. Blues with a twist of folk, on the other hand, is delivered impeccably by finger-pickin' maestro Mose Scarlett on "Bye, Bye Blues."

The lights have been dimmed, more drinks have been ordered, and it's way past midnight: welcome to Blues Central, straight from the heart of Canada, where we've gathered a host of legends for your listening pleasure. Kick back and feel the power of the Downchild Blues Band (a key outfit that inspired the Blues Brothers), Long John Baldry (who lived in Canada from the '70s until his death in 2005), Kevin Breit (a session guitarist who plays with the likes of Norah Jones), and many more. From the early pioneers to the most recent innovators, these artists are blues heroes all.