By Nick Loss-Eaton

This Friday will be the last “Bandcamp Friday,” a day when Bandcamp takes no cut for sales of music on its platform, so Music Maker has decided to blow it out. In addition to my usual recommendations (and see social media for more), we are offering 20 percent off of the entire catalog, except the subscription service. Here are three must-listen albums from Music Maker that will enrich any collection:

Robert Lee Coleman: “One More Mile”

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I’m totally obsessed with track 7 here, “Kinfolk.” It’s one of the funkiest things in the Music Maker catalog, and I’ve often played it on repeat. It isn’t surprising given that Coleman played with the Isley Brothers and James Brown & the JBs. I did a deeper dive into Coleman music over the winter, when Music Maker was working on getting Coleman a new car. Suffice it to say that fans of funky music or blues guitar fireworks will find themselves digging Coleman. Bonus: this album is not available via streaming services.

Alabama Slim & Little Freddie King: “The Mighty Flood”

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A New Orleans blues summit! Alabama Slim and Little Freddie King are cousins and best friends. Slim rescued Freddie during Hurricane Katrina, a tale he tells during the title track. Interestingly, both Slim and King came to New Orleans at young ages, King from southern Mississippi and Slim from, well, you know. The latter has seen a ton of media attention of late for his new album “The Parlor” (via Cornelius Chapel Records and highly recommended), including MOJO Magazine, Offbeat, American Songwriter, PopMatters, Living Blues, The Vinyl District, and Vintage Guitar Magazine. But this pick is a look back at Slim’s earlier career. “The Mighty Flood” reminds me of John Lee Hooker with his longtime second guitarist Eddie Kirkland.

“Music Makers With Taj Mahal”

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A great introduction to the Music Maker oeuvre. Taj joins Etta Baker, John Dee Holeman, Neal Pattman, Cootie Stark, Cool John Ferguson, Algia Mae Hinton, Mr. Frank Edwards, and others. Taj also delivers two solo tracks of his own. The chemistry and mutual admiration are apparent in this 16-track set of largely Carolina-style blues with plenty of bounce. ThIs album marked the start of Taj’s long partnership and support of Music Maker and what a kickoff it was.