John Clifton In The Middle of Nowhere Rip Cat Records Harmonica player John Clifton and his brother Bill founded the MoFo Party Band in the late 1980’s. Their 1999 debut recording “Call the Doctor!” made numerous “Best” lists and they followed up with three more albums. As a result Clifton was often featured with Mark […]
Bad Influence Got What You Need Bad Blues Records The Bad Influence band was formed in 1988 by Michael “Jr.” Tash. They recorded their debut album “Where You Been” in 1997. The bands 2001 follow-up recording, had my favorite album title, “Tastes Like Chicken”. Their last, self produced, recording 2011’s “Under The Influence” helped to […]
Willie Buck Willie Buck Way Delmark Records William Crawford a.k.a. Willie Buck was born in Houston, Mississippi. Buck relocated to Chicago in 1953. Though still a teenager an older relative snuck him in to see Muddy Waters when Waters was in his prime. The sound of that classic band had such an impact on Buck […]
Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith & The House Bumpers Drop The Hammer Big Eye Records Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith is a native Chicagoan who learned the drums from his father the late Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. His father was the drummer for Muddy Waters for over eighteen years. Other drummers who inspired him were Odie Payne, […]
Kerry Kearney Smokehouse Serenade Highlander Records Kerry Kearney is a slide guitarist deserving additional recognition. Although not as well known as Sonny Landreth or Roy Rogers his fretwork at times has been compared to theirs. Long Island’s Kearney has been performing for over forty years as this is his seventeenth recording. A review of his […]
Henry Townsend and Roosevelt Sykes Blues Piano and Guitar: Washington University 1973 Omnivore Recordings Roosevelt Sykes spent his formidable years in his home state of Arkansas and in St. Louis. Sykes learned the rudiments of the keyboard on his grandfather’s organ. When he would return home to visit relatives in West Helena he would be […]
Tim Gartland Satisfied Taste Good Music Ohio born Tim Gartland saw Muddy Waters in concert when he was fourteen and it proved to be a life changing experience. He studied the harmonica, began playing in bands and started writing his own songs. After graduation from college Tim relocated to Chicago where he studied with Jerry […]
Big Daddy Wilson Deep in My Soul Ruf Records Big Daddy Wilson was born Wilson Blount in the small town of Edenton, North Carolina. He recalls “Me and my sisters were raised by mom and grandma. We lived a simple life, we went to church every Sunday, school on weekdays. I also worked back then […]
Mitch Woods A Tip of the Hat To Fats Blind Pig Records Brooklyn born Mitch Woods fell in love with boogie-woogie when he was eight years old. His stepfather purchased him a piano and he began classical training at eleven. In his mid-teens Woods was already moonlighting in Greenwich Village night clubs. He attended the […]
Meg Williams Take Me As I Am: The Muscle Shoals Sessions Nola Blue Records Meg Williams hails from the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. She formed the Meg Williams Band a.k.a. MWB and her debut recording was released in 2014 when she was compared to Sheryl Crow. She came to national attention with the […]
Shane Dwight No One Loves Me Better Red Parlor Records Shane Dwight was born in California. As a youngster he was diagnosed with a debilitating bone disease. He began playing guitar in high school as his early influences were mostly rock acts such as Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones. As a late bloomer he […]
Manx Marriner Mainline Hell Bound For Heaven Stony Plain Records Harry Manx is a Canadian musician best known for blending slide-guitar blues, gospel music and the Mohan veena. The latter is a Hindu stringed instrument learned by him while living in India. Manx recorded his debut in 2001. His fourteen previous albums include three recorded […]
Rosie Flores Simple Case of the Blues The Last Music Company Rosie Flores was born in San Antonio, lived in San Diego and now resides in Austin. The guitarist/vocalist is an artist who blends rockabilly, honky-tonk, Western swing and blues. Flores released her self titled debut recording in 1987 on the Reprise Record label. In […]
Madison Violet Everything’s Shifting Big Lake/Passenger Sounds Madison Violet is Brenley MacEachern and Lisa MacIssac. The duo first met in Toronto in 1999 only to discover that their fathers were high school classmates. They are genre crossing instrumentalists with flawless harmonies. Hailing from small Scottish towns, in close proximity to Nova Scotia, their sound has […]
Rick Vito Soulshaker Vizztone Label Group Rick Vito is best known as being a member of Fleetwood Mac from 1987 until 1991 when he took over for Lindsey Buckingham. Vito’s first solo album was 1992’s “King of Hearts” on Atlantic Records. In 2001 Vito won a Blues Music Award for writing the Song of the […]
Mighty Mike Schermer Bad Tattoo Firedog Records/Vizztone Label Group As a youngster Mike Schermer played guitar, trumpet and clarinet. He played in school and in various bands. Then one night in 1984 he saw Albert Collins and it was a life changer. Schermer soon expanded his influences to include T-Bone Walker, Howlin’ Wolf, Ray Charles, […]
Arlen Roth Tele Masters Aquinnah Records Arlen Roth released his first album “Guitarist” in 1978 and it won the Montreux Critics’ Award for “Best Instrumental Album”. He recorded “Foolin’ Around” in 1993 with Danny Gatton and Duke Robillard, and a documentary commemorating the event. In 2008 he recorded the sequel “Foolin’ Around Woodstock”, with Levon […]
Kenny Parker Hellfire Rock-a-while Michigan born Kenny Parker began playing guitar in a local band when he was fourteen. While still in high school he discovered blues guitarists Albert and B.B. King. After graduating college he worked in a General Motors auto factory and began to moonlight at night. He worked with Detroit’s Louis “Mr. […]
Michael Jerome Browne That’s Where It’s At Borealis Records Michael Jerome Browne was born in South Bend, Indiana. His family moved to Montreal when Browne was still in his teens. Browne had mastered the guitar and harmonica and toured Europe as a one man band before returning to join the Stephen Barry Band. He released […]
Murali Coryell Made In Texas Shake-It-Sugar Records Murali Coryell is the son of jazz fusion guitarist Larry Coryell. As a youngster he started playing drums but soon switched to the guitar. Wanting to forge his own musical path Murali released his recording debut, the soul-blues “Eyes Wide Open”, in 1995. Four years later he formed […]
Matt Andersen Halfway Home By Morning High Romance Music/True North Records Matt Andersen is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from New Brunswick, Canada. In 2010 Andersen finished first in the solo/duo category at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. He is a seven time Maple Blues Award winner; and winner of two European Blues Awards. “Halfway […]
John Primer The Soul of A Blues Man Blues House Productions Alonso “John” Primer was born in Mississippi but moved to Chicago where he played the blues clubs on Chicago’s south side; he was a regular at Theresa’s Lounge at 48th and South Indiana Avenue. He was also a member of Willie Dixon’s Chicago Blues […]
Brandon Santini The Longshot American Showplace Music Brandon Santini hails from the Piedmont region of North Carolina. He relocated to Memphis in 2003 and began fronting the Delta Highway Band. In 2009 they received a Blues Music Award nomination as Best New Artist. Santini released his own debut recording “Songs of Love, Money and Misery” […]
Rockin’ Johnny & Quique Gomez Dos Hombres Wanted Vizztone Label Group Rockin’ Johnny Burgin went to The University of Chicago to become a writer but fell into the Chicago Blues scene. He found work as a guitarist with Taildragger, Pinetop Perkins, Mary Lane and Sam Lay, and recorded six albums under his own name for […]
Big Al and The Heavyweights World Full Of Trouble Eller Soul Records Big Al Lauro, who is from The Big Easy, started recording his original Louisiana based roots music around 2001 with the release of both Big Al and The Heavyweights “Hey, Hey Mardi Gras” and “Ultimate Mardi Gras”; and followed up with 2002’s “Late […]
Vegas Strip Kings Jackpot! GutBukit Records Two of the founding members of the Vegas Strip Kings were part of the band “Contino” who recorded “Back Porch Dogma” on Blind Pig Records in 2012. That band morphed into the Vegas Strip Kings and they recorded their “(Live)” album in 2015. The live album was mostly covers […]
Nick Schnebelen Crazy All By Myself Vizztone Label Group Nick Schnebelen is from Kansas City where he grew up in a household surrounded by music. “Music’s been in my blood for generations” as both of his parents were professional musicians, as were his grandparents and great grandfather. Schnebelen is a founding member of the band […]
Sugaray Rayford Somebody Save Me Forty Below Records Sugaray Rayford is the ex-Mannish Boys front man. This is the fifth album under his own name; the last being 2017’s “The World We Live In”. Rayford also has fourteen Blues Music Award nominations including two for 2019. He has received a BMA nomination as “B.B. King […]
Tommy Castro and the Painkillers Killin’ It Live Alligator Records Tommy Castro has been playing rockin’ blues for the last thirty years. He has released fifteen albums and been nominated for twelve Blues Music Awards winning six times. Two of those BMA trophies are for the “B.B. King Entertainer of The Year” award, the highest […]
Augie Meyers I Know I Could Be Happy If Myself Wasn’t Here El Sendero Records In 1965 Doug Sahm formed “The Sir Douglas Quintet” with childhood friend Augie Meyers. The band had a top twenty hit with “She’s About a Mover”. They were busted for pot in Texas, moved to San Francisco and re-formed with […]
Tony Holiday Porch Sessions Vizztone Label Group Tony Holiday used to play guitar and front the Salt Lake City based Tony Holiday and the Velvetones. When he switched to harmonica he recruited the then young prodigy Landon Stone as the band’s guitarist. The band won the Salt Lake City Weekly Music Awards and was named […]
Eric Jerardi Occupied Niche Records Guitarist Eric Jerardi won the Ohio University battle of the bands in 1989. He won again two years later as the Midwest’s “Best Unsigned College Band”. He recorded his debut album in 1995. Since then he has shared the stage with Little Feat, toured with Robin Trower, and has been […]
Atomic Road Kings Clean Up The Blood Big Tone Records This is the Atomic Road Kings debut recording but the individual members are not new to lovers of the blues. The core band includes Big Jon Atkinson, lead, rhythm guitar and vocals, who came to prominence with his third album, 2016’s “House Party at Big […]
Tedeschi Trucks Band Signs Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group Susan Tedeschi was born in Boston, Ma. She released her debut album in 1995 but came to national attention with the release of “Just Won’t Burn” on Tone Cool Records in 1998. At the same time the Jacksonville Fl. guitarist Derek Trucks was achieving fame with his […]
Katarina Pejak Roads That Cross Ruf Records Katarina Pejak hails from the Serbian city of Belgrade, where her father ran the local jazz and blues nightclub. Listening to her father’s record collection she became inspired by Tom Waits, Norah Jones, Bessie Smith, Otis Spann and others. She decided she should stretch her classical piano […]
Aaron Lack’s Vibetet Lovely Night Millard Street Music Aaron Lack is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Concordia University in Austin, Texas. He currently teaches Drumset, Applied Music and the history of Jazz. Lack plays drums, classical percussion, Vibraphone and traditional steel pan music. He has shared the stage and performed with Benny Green, Roy […]
Tiffany Pollack/Eric Johanson Blues In My Blood Nola Blue Records Tiffany Ann Pollack is a product of the musical mecca known as New Orleans. At an earlier age Pollack began to write songs and sing. Her first professional gig was singing background vocals for Russell Batiste & Friends. She eventually formed her own band Beaucoup […]
The Trevor B. Power Band Everyday Angel Independent The Trevor B. Power Band is based in northwest New Jersey. Power grew up in a household with parents that loved all kinds of music. He received his first guitar when he was fifteen and began playing the rock n’ roll of the sixties and seventies. He […]
Bloodest Saxophone Texas Queens 5 Dialtone Records/Vizztone Label Group Bloodest Saxophone; is a horn driven R n’ B band, from Tokyo Japan. They were formed in 1998 by Koda Shintaro, who formed the band “to rule the world with the saxophone”. They have played with the great sax icon Big Jay McNeely and also with […]
JP Williams Blues Band Everblue Gizzifter Records JP Williams was born in New York City. He attended Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. where he began moonlighting at college coffee houses and local night spots. His acoustic music included folk, blues, and soul. He returned to NYC and performed at many famous venues, open mikes and […]
Glen Clark You Tell Me Glenco Records In the early nineteen seventies Glen Clark formed a duo with fellow Texan Delbert McClinton. They released the album “Delbert & Glen” and a year later followed up with “Subject To Change”. The duo blended blues with country, soul and rock. The two albums helped established both of […]
Watermelon Slim Church of The Blues Northern Blues Music William P. Homans III was born in Boston but raised in North Carolina where he first heard the blues. He rejected his family’s career aspirations and served in Vietnam. When he returned home in 1973 he became involved in “Vietnam Veterans Against the War” and recorded […]
Walter Trout Survivor Blues Provogue/Mascot Label Group After a residence in Los Angeles where guitarist Walter Trout found work with Big Mama Thornton, John Lee Hooker, and Joe Tex he became the lead guitarist in “Canned Heat”. He left them in 1985 only to join “John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers”. In 1989 he formed his […]
Ina Forsman Been Meaning To Tell You Ruf Records Nine years ago when vocalist Ina Forsman was only 17 she performed Etta James’ “All I Could Do Was Cry” on a Finnish TV talent show. Since then she began touring with Helsinki’s harp master Helge Tallqvist and Belgian guitarist Guy Verlinde, all the while honing […]
Santana In Search of Mona Lisa Concord Records Carlos Santana is a musical icon who has performed for three generations of listeners. To date he has sold 100 million records and won ten Grammy Awards. Among his other awards are being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; receiving the Billboard Latin Music […]
Vin Mott Rogue Hunter Independent While still a teen Vin Mott got bitten by the blues bug. It was the sound of the harmonica as played by Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and James Cotton. Mott studied at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and graduated with a degree in songwriting in 2011. He returned to NJ […]
Chris O’Leary 7 Minutes Late American Showplace Music Soon after Chris O’Leary was honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps he joined Levon Helm and The Barnburners. As lead singer and front man he toured with Levon for six years. He eventually left the Barnburners to form his own band. He released his Chris O’Leary […]
Tomislav Goluban Chicago Rambler Spona Records Tomislav Goluban was inspired by harp masters Sonny Boy Williamson, Paul Butterfield, Gary Primich and others. The Croatian musician, whose surname translates to Pigeon in English, formed Little Pigeon’s Forhill Blues Band in 1997. His debut recording Pigeon’s Flight was released in 2005, and followed up in 2007 with […]
Gaye Adegbalola The Griot Vizztone Label Group Gaye Adegbalola, born Gaye Todd, was given the name Adegbalola by a Yoruba (African) priest. She was a founding member of the group Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women and was with them for twenty-five years; they recorded nine albums before they ended their run in 2009. In 1990 Gaye […]
Music Maker Relief Foundation Blue Muse Big Legal Mess Records/Music Maker In 1989 Tim Duffy was a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill completing his master’s degree in Folklore. Duffy was documenting blues musicians including James “Guitar Slim” Stephens for the Southern Folklife Collection. Shortly before Stephen’s passing he urged Duffy […]
