10 Criminally Underrated Blues Rock Guitarists
Blues rock is known as a genre with great guitar players. It’s also a genre appreciated by guitar lovers. However, most artists in the genre don’t receive the attention they deserve on a wider scale. They aren’t getting mainstream attention, and generally aren’t being recognized on major award shows.
These are 10 criminally underrated blues rock guitarists deserving of a wider audience.
Philip Sayce
Few guitarists on the planet can match the passion and intensity of Philip Sayce. Sayce was mentored by the great Jeff Healey and has been a mainstay on the blues rock scene for the past 15 years. Sayce has incredible tone and puts on an explosive live show full of energy. Philip is extremely respected on the scene, but deserves more recognition. He’s one of the modern guitar greats.
Dan Patlansky
Hailing from South Africa, Dan Patlansky remains somewhat of a hidden gem in North America. Patlansky has been voted Blues Rock Review’s #1 album of the year twice and has broken into the European market over the past decade. However, he remains less known in the U.S. and North America. Not only is Dan an incredible player, but his songwriting ability takes him to the next level.
Eric Steckel
Eric Steckel has been performing for live audiences for over 20 years. He opened for John Mayall when he was just 12 years old. Steckel came up in the blues scene but has an innovative style of playing he refers to as “blues metal.” Eric has chosen not to go the label route, instead carving his own path as an independent artist. Steckel has incredible tone with a turbo-charged sound that more people need to hear.
Alan Nimmo
Alan Nimmo fronts the blues rock band, King King, which formed in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2008, and Nimmo may be one of the most underrated guitarists on the planet. King King has done most of its touring in the UK and Europe, and played its first show on U.S. soil in 2024. Nimmo is a very melodic player and has a knack for writing big hooks, catchy riffs, and memorable solos. Since King King hasn’t toured in the United States, Nimmo is still a bit unknown to many in North America, but he should be a household name.
Aynsley Lister
Aynsley Lister has been a staple of the blues rock scene in the UK and Europe for two decades now. Lister has impeccable tone and is one of the most tasteful players you’ll ever hear. He’s also a great songwriter and draws comparisons to artists like John Mayer, but he’s only played a few times in North America. Aynsley is definitely a guitarist more people need to hear on this side of the pond.
Hannah Wicklund
Hannah Wicklund is one of the more talented guitarists to come through the scene in the past decade. She started performing live full-time when she was just 16 and formed her first band, the Steppin Stones, when she was 8. Wicklund puts on an explosive live show and can play with the best of them. Coupled with the ability to write great songs, Wicklund is a name people will hear more and more in the coming years.
Joanna Connor
Joanna Connor has been a consistent force in guitar and blues rock for 40 years. She’s been a staple of the Chicago blues scene, known for her performances at the Legendary Kingston Mines. Connor is most of the most talented slide guitarists around, and it’s only been in recent years that she’s started receiving the attention she deserves on a bit of a wider scale. Her 2021 album, produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, 4801 South Indiana Avenue, was her first album to reach #1 on the Billboard Blues chart. Still, more people need to hear the queen of the slide.
Anthony Gomes
Anthony Gomes has been on the blues rock scene for over two decades. He’s played countless shows, but it’s really been in the past few years that Gomes has started to see his audience really build. His album High Voltage Blues hit #1 on the Billboard Blues chart and charted for over a year. His 2018, Peace Love and Loud Guitars, was voted Blues Rock Review’s #1 album of 2018. Despite the accolades, Gomes still flies somewhat under the radar with wider audiences, but his fan base is definitely growing quickly. While Gomes is a great guitarist, it’s his songwriting ability and how his guitar complements his music that really separates him.
Davy Knowles
Davy Knowles came onto the scene with his band Back Door Slam in the late 2000s. Hailing from the Isle of Man and now based out of Chicago, Davy is a versatile player influenced by the likes of Rory Gallagher and Peter Green. Now in his 30s, Knowles is releasing some of the strongest material of his career, including The Invisible Man, which was voted #4 on Blues Rock Review’s Top 20 Albums of 2024.
Simon McBride
In recent years, Simon McBride has become known as the guitarist for Deep Purple, joining the band in 2022. McBride has been putting out top level blues rock albums for over 15 years, though. The Irish born McBride is a very melodic player and has drawn comparisons to blues rock greats Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher. His solo career is seriously underrated, and there’s few artists that can match his skills as both a guitar player and songwriter.
Some excellent choices. Big Anthony Gomes and Eric Steckel fan here.
Alan Nimmo is a quality musician. I would also add Danny Bryant to this list
Alan and his brother stevie together..pure magic 👍
Couldn’t agree more
Absolutely
Lynnwood Taylor
Linwood Taylor, based in metro DC.
Eric Johansen
All good rock players, but this has nothing to do with the Blues.
Dom Martin. One of the best blues guitarist out there at the moment.
Seen him half a dozen times.always delivers and a real nice bloke to boot 👍
Totally agree with the inclusion of Davy Knowles.
I saw him perform at the Ram’s Head, about 7 years ago, as guitarist/vocalist for “Band Of Friends”, which included Gerry McAvoy and Ted McKenna, both whom played in Rory Gallagher’s bands, in a touring tribute to Rory Gallagher.
Davy Knowles is a phenomenal musician, and is certainly underappreciated, and deserves great deal more notoriety.
His solo work, and with the earlier Back Door Slam , is terrific as well.
Check out his catalog; I believe it will be well worth your listening time.
I second the guy who proposed Dom Martin. Also although he only joined King King relatively recently and largely seems happy to take a back seat there, Stevie Nimmo’s solo work and work with The Nimmo Brothers demonstrate he is as good a guitarist (and singer) as his younger brother Alan. If Alan is underrated in America, Stevie is even more so.
Pete, BRR should start a BLUESAPALOOSA
Festival with the above artists and tour the US. It may take a bit to take off, but I live Ohio and just went to the Tampabay Bluesfest couple weeks ago and I met folks from all over the country that had traveled there year after year as well as other festivals and get the folks the recognition they deserve!
Starting a festival is definitely on the radar at some point.
The sooner the better says 67 yr old
Dear Pete Francis!
I wrote you an email last summer, (I quote it below) and I’ve been waiting for your reply ever since. 🙂 Now I remembered it in connection with this article of yours!
“I’m a 74-year-old retired Hungarian music journalist who has been one of the biggest fans and supporters of the blues-rock genre here for decades. I have written several books about the genre in my native language and do my bit to promote concerts in Budapest.
My latest book was published by Amazon last December:
The future’s guitar gods of blues-rock https://www.amazon.com/futures-guitar-gods-blues-rock-guitarists-ebook/dp/B0CQHTTG3B/ref=sr_1_915?qid=1704879764&refinements=p_n_date%3A1249100011&s=digital-text&sr=1-915,
Your website, Blues Rock Review, is a great favourite of mine, I have got a lot of inspiration from it, for which I am grateful and thank you in the “Acknowledgements” section of my book.
I hope you won’t take this as an intrusion, but I would like you to review and recommend my work on your website, which would mean a lot to me and I would thank you very much, as I am completely unknown in the English-speaking market and it would probably make it easier to reach those who are interested.
I have been meaning to write to you for some time, but the final push came when I saw that Chris Buck was featured on your website. He is one of the 55 guitarists in my book, and rightly so.”
I look forward to your reply, respectfully:
László Géczi
And add Jake Andrew’s, Ryan McGarvey, Lance Lopez, Matthew Curry, Stoney Curtis,& The Mighty Orq and make it a weekend. 😃😃😃😃
Dude how do you know about the Mighty Orq? I used to watch them perform on the front lawn of Pearland (TX) City Hall back when they were all in high school.
Lived in Houston for 10 yrs
I agree with all the above! Throwing in Ty Curtis, Marcus Malone, Keith Patterson.
Great list. I’ve heard all of them, except for one. I purchased music from their catalogs on five of them and been to their shows/concerts on three of them!
Chris Buck, Larry McCray, Craig Ross, Eric Johansson, Wille Edwards, John Butler, Marcus King, Chris Voss, Quinn Sullivan, Vlatko Stefanovski and please check out any riffs by Nebojša Antonijević Anton [ Partibrejkers]
Ever hear of Jimmy Thackery, Deborah Coleman, Michael Burke, Guitar Shorty, and the list goes on.
Bobby radcliff, Tom principato
Great list. I’m familiar with 8 of them and play them on my radio show. I’m particularly blown away by Philip Sayce’s playing, and I was so happy to finally see him in concert!
We must never forget the great Larry Miller, so cruelly struck down by a stroke about 10 years ago.
“Underrated” is the most overused, misused, overrated word in the English Language in 2025. Anyone who has hit #1 on ANY Billboard chart is not underrated. Likewise for most of the others on the list who’ve had enough commercial success to get your and many other blues lovers attention. They may be unknown to a large number of people, but they are highly rated by those who are aware of their work
Almost all of them are featured in my book https://www.amazon.com/futures-guitar-gods-blues-rock-guitarists-ebook/dp/B0CQHTTG3B
which will be available on Amazon in late 2023.
The future’s guitar gods of blues-rock: 55 portraits of the world’s best young blues-rock guitarists with reviews
Almost all of them are featured in my book https://www.amazon.com/futures-guitar-gods-blues-rock-guitarists-ebook/dp/B0CQHTTG3B
which is available on Amazon in late 2023.
The future’s guitar gods of blues-rock: 55 portraits of the world’s best young blues-rock guitarists with reviews
Definitely Larry Miller. saw him close up many times and he was brilliant.
What about Joanne Shaw-Taylor and Samantha Fish??
Roy Buchanan is one of my favorite guitar players of all time. He is never mentioned on any list.
Aussie Guitarists Jeff Lang and Geoff Achison need some more love globally. Thankfully there are some clips on You Tube that showcase their talents.
A few favorites in my collection that are underrated, in my opinion, include:
-Chris Buck (as mentioned above)
-Ben Poole
-Craig Erickson
-Jimmy D. Lane
-Matt Schofield
-Ronnie Baker Brooks
-Tony Spinner
-Melvin Taylor