Three guitars, three voices; that’s the 18th edition of Ruf’s Blues Caravan which will take off in mid-February 2023. Thus carrying on a tradition which was established in 2005 when Thomas Ruf, founder of internationally operating German record company Ruf Records, came up with the idea for this kind of package tour and with Sue [...]
Hailing from Southwest Missouri and deeply inspired by the musical legacy of Memphis, Sister Lucille has turned the worlds of blues, roots, and soul on their collective head and created their own genre – Memphunk! On March 17th, their sophomore offering Tell the World hits the streets via Blue Heart Records. Produced by Bluff City [...]
Throughout her career, internationally renowned guitarist Ana Popovic has found different ways to highlight themes of female empowerment – everything from juggle-struggles as a working mom to challenging and confronting male dominance, to acknowledging the men who actually support women in these efforts. Notably, she was the only female guitarist to be included in the [...]
“Your initial thing when you get around someone that’s so singular or so amazing at what they do is to try and do what they do. That’s the worst thing you can do because there’s already that person. The best thing to do when you get in those situations is to try and say, ‘Ok, [...]
It’s the 50th year for legendary blues and roots band The Nighthawks, and they’re finally back on tour! They recorded a fine 50th Anniversary album, ESTABLISHED 1972, in the dark days of isolation, and once things got rolling again, new songs brought them back into the studio – not originals but great compositions from classic [...]
Magnolia Smoke, the first full-length album from Ralph Beeby & The Elephant Collective, has been a long time coming. After a slew of EPs and singles over the past few years, the UK-based guitarist/songwriter has finally debuted his first definitive collection, self-described as “where the blues gets weird.” And while Magnolia Smoke isn’t necessarily that [...]
Singer-songwriter Tony Holiday is following up 2020’s Soul Service with a strong sophomore effort, Motel Mississippi. A collaboration between Holiday, guitarist/songwriter A.J. Fullerton, and guitarist/producer Dave Gross (who shared production duties with Fullerton), the album is at once Delta blues, Memphis soul, North Mississippi hill country, and juke joint stomper. It is only reasonable that [...]
Just off the North Branch of the Chicago River in the Rockwell on the River complex sits an old brick and timber warehouse. Originally a leather tannery in the early 1900s, the location now houses a small batch, family-run, craft distillery known as Judson & Moore. Inside, the warehouse’s brickwork extends roughly 30-feet to ceilings [...]
The Hold Steady’s Steve Selvidge, North Mississippi Allstars’ Luther Dickinson, and Memphis multi-instrumentalist Paul Taylor are childhood friends who have reunited in the spirit of curiosity. The result is an amalgamation of Memphis sounds of different periods, replete with funk, groove, keys, and at times hip-hop and jazz. The three grew up playing music together [...]
In a first for Mick Flannery, he and Irish newcomer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Susan O’Neill have come together on a collaboration album In the Game. Mick Flannery is one of Ireland’s most acclaimed songwriters and singers. The award-winning, double-platinum selling artist has released six studio albums, three of which reaching No. 1 status. In the [...]