Month: December 2014

Joe Cocker, the famed singer/songwriter whose hits included “You Are So Beautiful” and the renown Beatles cover “With A Little Help from my Friends”, has passed away.

“That’s what attracted me to Magic Sam. His style. Then with Otis Rush, his tone was just outstanding. I would sit there and watch him all night.”

Until August 10, 1920, record companies didn’t even try to sell music to—or by—black people. But on that day Mamie Smith, a 37-year-old medicine show singer from Cincinnati, barreled into a New York studio.

Hear Mississippi Heat call up the “La Cucaracha” ghost of Big Walter Horton on this highly-danceable, brand new track!

Though fifty years have passed since Cooke’s shocking death, the music he crafted and the legacy he built remains a powerful cultural staple. His life was filled with a rare destiny, creating music with an extraordinarily unusual staying power that reflected his true genius

The Blues Music Awards nominations have been announced. With six nominations each, Elvin Bishop, John Németh and Sugar Ray Norcia are leading…

Chicago Blues All Stars Are creating a bold new vision for the blues, breathing new life into it, and bringing the blues to audiences that might not have even paid attention to it before.

LeniStern_BluesSoulAfricanHeart_DebraDevi The blues is a universal language, and electric guitarist Leni Stern’s fluency has lured her into African adventures…

Claudia Carawan blows away this album with her full and powerful voice!

This week in blues features a hard, hard week for soul music, a busy day for Jimi Hendrix, a powerful recording session with Sonny Boy Williamson, as well as Walter Horton and Junior Wells milestones, among others! Read on!