Author: JD Nash

“We brought together these extraordinary band leaders to honor the past, celebrate the present and to help guarantee the future of the Chicago Blues tradition.”

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”

There are dozens of blues/rock bands in the current musical landscape, but hearing Dudley Taft is akin to one’s first sighting of Mt. Ranier above his hometown of Seattle.

The Story of Ike Dupree is told in a way that crosses musical lines, time and again, but won’t soon be forgotten.

Once you take a shot from Bottle Full of Blues, you’ll be quick to order another round.

Kansas City blues guitarist/singer, Samantha Fish, has been working diligently on her third studio album, and that work has paid off in spades. Wild Heart began with a trip to Nashville, Tennessee to work with Grammy winning songwriter, Jim McCormick. This was the first hint that something about this new album was going to be different from the hard-edged blues for which Fish is already famous. The first track, “Road Runner”, reminiscent of Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar” but with a more roots feel, will make fans sit up and immediately take notice. Fish then enlisted Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi…

This Week in Blues Past: Two Mississippi Tragedies that produced famous songs, the naming of a Blues Award and much, much more…

1. Big Walter April 6th, 1918: Blues harmonica player, “Big Walter” Horton was born in Horn Lake, Mississippi. Also known as “Shakey” and “Mumbles”, he was playing with several artists in the Delta by the 1930s. In 1939, he was first recorded backing Little Buddy Doyle for the Vocalion and Okeh labels. Due to poor health he dropped out of the music scene for a time, reappearing as one of the first artists to record for Sun Records in Memphis in the early 1950s. During his long career, Horton was primarily a session musician and sideman, backing artists such as…

A history of Jeff Healy, the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, and the “Bonanza All Star Blues LP” by Spivey Records all in This Week in Blues Past!

T-Bone Walker 1. T-Bone Walker March 16th, 1975: One of the most influential pioneers of Jump and Electric Blues, Aaron Thibeaux “T-Bone” Walker died of bronchial pneumonia in Los Angeles, California at the age of 64. Born in Linden, Texas, Walker learned guitar from his parents and family friend, Blind Lemon Jefferson. His step-father also taught him to play ukulele, banjo, violin, mandolin, and piano. He left school at age 10 and by the age of 15 he was playing professionally on the Blues circuit. His first recordings were in 1929 and he didn’t record again until 1942. It was…