Trailblazing gospel icon Sister Rosetta Tharpe — dubbed the Godmother of Rock ‘n’ Roll — electrified audiences with her powerful voice, fierce guitar skills, and groundbreaking partnership with Marie Knight. From 1940s gospel hits to a legendary rainy UK train station performance that inspired rock legends, her story now shines on stage in the acclaimed musical Marie and Rosetta, starring soul queen Beverley Knight.
Brooklyn-based bluesman Reed Turchi premieres “Walk With Me,” a lulling, soul-baring track featured on his forthcoming album ‘World On Fire.’
From drummer with Holy Moly & The Crackers to solo troubadour, Tommy Arch emerges with “Mercy On Me.”
‘Doing Things Right’ releases April 25 via Jalopy Records, featuring the exclusive track ‘Mardi Gras Mambo.” Joined by Cindy Cashdollar, Samoa Wilson, Racky Thomas, and more, Kweskin redefines the spirit of the folk revival with The Berlin Hall Saturday Night Revue.
Eli Paperboy Reed revisits his raw, spirited 2005 debut with a reissue of ‘Sings Walkin’ and Talkin’ and Other Smash Hits!’ arriving June 6 via Yep Roc Records! To celebrate, American Blues Scene premieres his transportive cover of “You’re Gonna Make Me Cry,” channeling the late Willie “Rip” Butler.
Lauren and Tracee explore life’s seasons with honesty, heart, and soaring harmony—offering comfort, strength, and a reminder that light always returns.
ICYMI: This double vinyl captures the historic American Folk Blues Festival performances in 1962 and 1963, showcasing artists like John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson II, T-Bone Walker, and Willie Dixon at their peak. Restored to impeccable quality, these recordings offer a front-row experience of the blues’ transformative impact on European audiences, forever influencing the global music landscape.
Chambers DesLauriers, the soulful duo of Annika Chambers & Paul DesLauriers, release a feel-good anthem celebrating enduring love through every high and low. Produced by Eric Corne for Forty Below Records!
“There should be more experimentation. That is how other roots genres, country, folk (singer-songwriter), jazz, etc have evolved. We can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting different results. There are ways and methods to collaborate and experiment without sacrificing the quality, or history, for that matter, of the blues.”
Listen exclusively to the single “Mud” from ‘Hollywood Forever’ out May 9!
In this week’s installment of The Language of the Blues, barrelhouse blues fuels dance floors with raw piano rhythms, where the energy of the music stirs passion and sets the pace for the boogie-woogie evolution.