Long Tall Deb & Colin John reimagine the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” as a tough-edged Texas blues shuffle—setting the stage for their new album ‘Light It Up,’ out July 11 via VizzTone!

The 11 Guys Quartet return with “All The Things He Did To You”—a stark, soul-stirring new single that turns heartbreak into testimony, with drummer Chuck Purro’s vocals delivering both lament and reckoning.

With unflinching honesty and poetic force, Ruth Lyon’s debut album, ‘Poems & Non-Fiction’ is a soul-searching odyssey through heartbreak, disability, identity, and resilience. Set to haunting strings, jazz-tinged brass, and intimate piano, Lyon weaves personal pain into songs that confront silence, celebrate survival, and find fierce beauty in imperfection.

Blues lifer Larry McCray has walked through Heartbreak City and come out with songs that carry both scars and soul. Produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, his new album draws from a lifetime of hard knocks and the fire first lit by his sister Clara. With ‘Heartbreak City,’ out June 13 via KTBA Records, McCray proves once again that he’s singing the blues like he means it.

Brian Wilson’s genius turned dreams into music—layered, haunted, and full of quiet power. At 82, his songs remain a refuge for those who hear the world differently.

Jorma Kaukonen brought his quietly profound presence to Rochester, offering an evening of stripped-down, soul-deep music with longtime friend and collaborator John Hurlbut. Together, they summoned the spirit of Fur Peace Ranch—storytelling through strings, memory through melody.

Sly Stone broke down barriers with his revolutionary sound and inclusive vision, leaving a permanent mark on funk, soul, and beyond.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, Debra Devi breaks down the gritty origins of “axe” as slang for a guitar—tracing it from gangster slang to streetwise blues swagger, and spotlighting fierce players like Frank “Son” Seals who lived up to the name.

This free, family-friendly event transforms the Pike into a vibrant celebration of music, culture, and community—featuring everything from soulful guitar and harmonica-driven blues to zydeco, funk, and jazz. With standout performances by Rick Franklin, Sol Roots, Anthony “Swamp Dog” Clark, Everyday Everybody, and Little Red & The Renegades, this year’s festival is a heartfelt tribute to the artists and sounds that keep the blues alive and thriving in the nation’s capital.

Queenie is part heartache, part heat, and all her own. From growing up under mixing desks to her charting debut and a ten-year breakup that fueled it, the Australian rocker opened up at Blues on Broadbeach about the journey so far—and what’s next.