Interviews and Features on Indie Blues Artists
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE In 1961, Donald was introduced to high school band director Waymond Webster, who taught him to play traps on the drumset. By age 14, Donald Ray began his professional career with blues piano legend Nat Dove. Throughout his teens, Donald played with the two local bluesmen: organist Joe Daniels and guitarist […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Featuring funky blues harmonica, whiskey stained vocals, slick guitar work and a solid rhythm section, Corey Lueck & The Smoke Wagon Blues Band has been performing in clubs and on festival stages for over a decade. Started in 1996, The Smoke Wagon Blues Band became crowd favourites in Hamilton, Ontario’s famous […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Yonrico Scott’s professional career began at age seven. With the encouragement of his late mother Ruth Scott, a talented gospel vocalist, he began performing with several gospel groups in Detroit Michigan. When he was 14, Yonrico began private study with Motown drummer George Hamilton. During his freshman year at Kentucky State […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE The beat is supplied by Adam Hagerman. A pro drummer in every sense of the word, skilled in a wide variety of rhythmic styles he has honed his craft on the road and in the studio, bringing a fresh energy to the bandstand each and every night! Jacque Garoutte multi-instrumentalist arranger […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE EPK RAY FULLER from New Albany Ohio, was given his first guitar at the age of 8, a Gibson Melody Maker. At an early age, Fuller was inspired by the British Invasion; Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and the Animals bands. Fuller’s first Blues album he ever heard was John Mayall and the Blues […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE The King Brothers’ passion and visceral interpretation of the blues attracts fans from all walks of life! Rather than relying solely on the tried and true blues stylings, which they inherited naturally from blues legends like their second cousin “Freddie King” and their Adopted Uncle “Albert King”, Sam and Lee King […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Having spent time in New Orleans during 1992-3, Dennis came back home to the Garden State of NJ and quickly gained a reputation as a young rising star on the local scene, working in a couple different local blues bands. In addition to studying the classic harmonica & Chicago Blues records […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Stoni Taylor has been dubbed as being one of the MOST unique vocalist, singer-songwriter and performer to navigate the business. Having had his share of label run-ins, Stoni has opened for major artists and events, backing up spectacular artists vocally as well as toured with other super cool artists. It was […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Eight years ago, at the age of 57, Tom was a corporate Vice President of Cox Communications Group, who quit it all to pursue a full time music career. He had just paid the last college tuition bill for his four children, and that was the day Thomas Forst put the […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Frank “Bang” Blinkal former Buddy Guy Guitarist and Leader of Frank Bang & the Secret Stash has been waiting to make this record. The disc “The Blues Don’t Care” is scheduled for summer 2016 release. This marks Frank Bang’s first true “Blues” recording in the Blues journey man’s 25 year career. “I have […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE On the dawn of their sophomore album release Heavy Days, Katy Guillen and the Girls have established themselves as an authentic, authoritative rock band. They are known to pack in crowds at blues roadhouses and prominent concert venues alike, supporting major touring acts or headlining festivals and bills of their own. […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Northern PA’s rock trio, the Charlie Wheeler Band, delivers rippin’ guitar jams that make their bad-ass live shows a high energy experience where fans party hard all night long. The band’s hard-driving, blue-collar soul music is reminiscent of the Black Crowes and The Allman Brothers Band, coupled with the blunt force of […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Based out of Dallas-TX, “Jason Elmore & Hoodoo Witch” is a high-energy trio that blends jump blues, hard-hitting rock, vintage soul/r&b, and traces of 60’s country into a unique-but-familiar sound that always maintains the essence of the blues while simultaneously offering a fresh take on the genre. The band is comprised […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Raised on a turpentine farm among nine brothers and three sisters, Gitlo Lee’s passion for the blues as a youngster was repressed by his devout Christian parents. Nonetheless, he sneaked around juke joints to listen to what some called the “devilish” sound of the blues. He even built himself a primitive […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Hard Swimmin’ Fish is an ensemble deeply rooted in the traditions of American music. Our down home roots sound pilfers from the best that early American music has to offer including blues, jazz, funk and swing, and churn it all up into a spicy brew that is familiar yet uniquely our […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE 2015 BLUES BLAST MUSIC AWARD NOMINEE SEAN COSTELLO RISING STAR AWARD! LET IT RAIN – 2016 GRAMMY BALLOT FOR BEST BLUES ALBUM! Born outside Chicago, Deb began appearing on stage as a young teen at her step father’s famous nightclub The Topanga Corral, where she opened for such blues legends as […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Considered a true rising star in the blues world ever since her debut album, Allow Me to Confess, brought her world-wide acclaim in 2007, Gina manages to raise the bar even further with The Alabama Sessions, which she recorded and produced in legendary Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and where she throws down […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE The roots of the McKee Bros. project go back to 70s Ann Arbor and Detroit, where Ralph McKee, inspired by his college roommate, guitarist Bob Doezema (now a Berklee professor who tours with Al Kooper), bought a cheap bass and a Silvertone amp and started to teach himself to play. After […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Lex Grey has mesmerized music lovers since she came thundering onto the scene like Mae West on a motorcycle. Rising to the status of a cult rock diva, this multiple ASCAP Songwriting Award-winner delivers a repertoire that blends the tortured soul of the blues with bawdy burlesque and Brooklyn attitude. Born in the back room […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Originally from Houston, Texas, Teresa is based in Los Angeles where she has assembled a group of some of the top LA based touring and session musicians in her band, The Rhythm Tramps. They have been working in the LA area and at blues festivals and clubs throughout the US and […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE They were a hit at the Kaslo Jazz Fest in 04, where they played as a duo and shared the bill with Juno award winners Colin James and Jeff Healey, The Brubreck Brothers and Ruthie Foster and were also the opening guests for the legendary songwriter, session man, producer, piano man, […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Well-established as a top Blues sax sideman for more than 30 years, Nancy Wright released a new blues/roots CD in early 2015, adding vocal and songwriting dimensions to her artistry. “Putting Down Roots” consists of twelve blues/roots originals (six instrumentals and six vocals) spanning blues, R&B, New Orleans, funk, and gospel […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Mary Jo Curry is an electrifying, engaging, entertaining, powerhouse blues vocalist based in Central Illinois. Legendary, BMA nominated, international recording artist, James Armstrong, said that “Mary Jo has a voice, confidence, and stage presence that is hard to find these days.” Mary Jo has just completed recording her first CD, simply […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Most musicians can proudly recall their age and stage in life when they received their introduction to blues music. It is a coming of age in a sense – before the blues and after the blues. For Vancouver’s James ‘Buddy’ Rogers, life as he knew it was inherently different after discovering […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Queens native Little Mike grew up on the very competitive New York City music scene. He started playing harp at age 14 and took up piano two years later. His first brush with the blues came while hearing John Lee Hooker at Carnegie Hall and later listening to a Paul Butterfield […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE “If there’s a place for musical perfection, it’s wherever you’ll find Eric Sommer – A blistering acoustic style plus a variety of slide and open tuning formats will knock you for a loop…” wrote Studdie Burns, Melody Hut UK in 2013. “How one guy can do this so well is remarkable, […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Vaneese is the daughter of Rufus Thomas, whose legendary career as a musician and entertainer began in Vaudeville and spanned more than half a century in rhythm-and-blues recording and radio. Her older siblings are the hit recording artist “Memphis Queen” Carla Thomas and the highly respected keyboardist […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Jeffrey Lynn Fulks Jr. now known as JL Fulks was born in Greenville, South Carolina in 1990. At age 13, he began playing guitar, after being inspired by his father’s love for the blues. JL’s immediate prowess with the instrument led to him joining The Praise Band at a local Christian […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Singer, songwriter and guitarist Bob Lanza from the wilds of north New Jersey leaves no doubt as to motivation with a scorching second release following his debut Things Ain’t So Bad (2009). Years with Floyd Phillips and the Mudflaps and backing legends like James Cotton prepared his audition as a new […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE For Immediate Release! Liz Mandeville has been named to the List “40 Great Indie Musicians To Watch!” by the Alternative Root Magazine! After a record year in 2015 that saw Liz set personal bests for CD sales and festival performances (despite having a broken right foot!) Liz has spent every spare moment […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Mississippi-based, Grammy Award winning songwriter, entertainer/musician, Grady Champion has been captivating audiences for more than two decades. The singer/harp player/guitarist/songwriter/producer signed to Malaco Records, headquartered in nearby Jackson, MS, in 2013; his first full-length release with the legendary blues label was released the following year. His album, Bootleg Whiskey, named for […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE The beautiful and talented Annika Chambers hails from Houston, Texas. As a child, she always wanted to sing, but her dreams of enlisting in the Army and attaining a degree in radio and TV broadcasting took her on a slight detour.Since completing her 7 1/2 year term with the US Army, […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Harpdog Brown is a gifted singer and an imaginative harmonica player that has been a strong force in Canada’s Blues scene since 1982. Born in Edmonton, Alberta and based in Vancouver, British Columbia, he’s crossed tens of thousands of miles playing club dates and festivals in Canada, North Western United States […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Bruce Katz is a four time (2008, 2009, 2010, 2015) Nominee for the Blues Music Award (W.C. Handy Award) for “Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year”, selected by the Blues Foundation of Memphis, TN. While Blues is a very important part of his music, Bruce’s music has more angles and […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Born in South Florida and raised in N.Y.C., Lee’s earliest influence to be a musician was when his dad took him to see a Pete Seeger Concert on a pier on Staten Island. Shortly thereafter Delray saw Elvis Presley for the first time. It was a broadcast of his “69 Comeback” […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK Smoky Greenwell was born in Michigan on the 4th of July 1951, reared in Delaware, and schooled in Spain and Tennessee. Greenwell learned harmonica in earnest in the mid-1970’s by sitting in with the venerable blues masters Furry Lewis, Piano Red and Mose Vincent. Greenwell’s career as a first-call sessions player began […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Mixing R&B, funk, Motown, and soul with strong blues and gospel vocals, and tossing in ska and reggae rhythms for occasional seasoning, JJ Thames has a powerful stage presence, and more than enough talent to back it up as a songwriter and as a performer. Her story reads like a classic […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE In January 2015 legendary producer Mike Vernon (Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Blue Horizon) was invited to receive a ‘Keeping The Blues Alive’ award at the prestigious International Blues Challenge in Memphis USA. This award, was not the only highlight of the weekend for Mike, the second was witnessing the performance of […]
Sometimes when you are working an event you miss a small act that, in the simplest way, has the ability to have a profound impact on someone’s life. This is exactly what happened recently at the Atlanta Blues Society Blues Challenge that was held at the Hard Rock Cafe in downtown Atlanta. Let me start by setting things up […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE In 1994, Lew Jetton began playing guitar with the Blues band 61 South, based in Paducah, Kentucky, which featured, among others, Col. J.D. Wilkes, now of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers and The Dirt Daubers. Upon the departure of “Fast” Layne Hendrickson, the lead singer of the band, Lew was recruited to become […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Atlanta, GA based multi-award-winning Little G Weevil is one of the most deeply moving entertainers on the American music scene today. International Blues Challenge Winner, US Blues Music Award Nominee, Blues Blast Music Award Nominee guitarist, singer and songwriter has three highly acclaimed solo albums under his belt and he featured […]
Home Page Facebook Page Kat Riggins was born Katriva Tabitha Riggins in Miami, Florida on February 7, 1980. She grew up in a household where there was always background music. Because of the wide range of genres in her parents collection, Kat developed a love for all types of music from gospel and soul to […]
Home Page Facebook Page Dan Bubien is a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. With a career that spans over two decades, Dan is constantly refining and redefining his craft with a wide palette of tones and textures, sounds and styles, to express his songwriting through an open, honest and wide catalog of real songs. Rooted in […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE BETTE STUY is among the most genuine female voices to come out of Blues in a long while. Elmore Magazine calls Bette “The real, raw deal just like Etta James and Koko Taylor before her.” The fact is Bette’s got the grit and the growl, the strut and the swagger that is […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Meet R.D.Olson, Arizona Blues Hall Of Fame inductee, born and raised on a small 140 acre farm in Zumbrota Minnesota.One of seven children born To Harris and Joan Olson.As a young boy working in the fields and at night in the barn he would hear the sounds of Nashville, Hank Williams,Johnny […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Critics an peers alike agree that Tullie Brae has the praiseworthy vocal distinction and stage charisma that creates an unforgettable show. The soulful blues singer and multi-instrumentalist credits her gift to her roots in gospel music, like so many great and soul singers before her. Her musical journey started when she […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Brian Langlinais has a calling: to bring great songs to life. Whether he’s on a festival stage, in a bar or in the studio, Langlinais’ vibrant singing puts flesh and blood on the lyrical and melodic bones of every number he performs. His dust-dappled voice rings with the truth of experience […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE A powerhouse from the Lone Star State, the Ally Venable Band has ignited excitement on the blues and rock scene. Lead vocalists and guitarist, Ally Venable, starting singing at an early age in church and then in recent years picked up the guitar and found her passion. Being a protégé […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Born and raised in St. Louis, Jeremiah Johnson is the voice of Mississippi River blues blending with the struggles of everyday life. He began learning guitar at age 6, drawing inspiration from his rich St. Louis blues heritage and legendary guitarists, like Alvin Lee, Eric Clapton and Hank Williams Sr. and […]
HOME PAGE FACEBOOK PAGE Stacy Jones is the winner of the 2015 IMEA (International Music and Entertainment Association) award for Best Blues Song “Can’t Do Nothin’ Right” off her newest album Whiskey, Wine, & Water. She is continually nominated for “Best of the Blues” awards in songwriting, performance, harmonica, guitar and winning vocalist of the […]