Author: Matt Marshall

Mike Zito has been a hot act on the blues circuit the past few years. The smokin’ Saint Louis blues rocker is chock full of energy and great at what he does, which is rockin’ the house down with the blues. As far as this author is concerned, he’s the embodiment of modern blues; from the “blues” tattooed on the back of his hand, to the reverential homages to greats like Chuck Berry and Muddy to the way he integrates early rock influences into his sound and style. Check this out: Mike playing Mud’s classic “She’s Nineteen Years Old” down…

On the heels of achieving its all-time high membership (quickly approaching 4,000 total), The Blues Foundation will honor 21 individuals and organizations with its 2011 Keeping the Blues Alive (KBA) Award during a recognition brunch on Saturday, February 5, 2011, in Memphis, Tennessee.

This is a big week for Arkansas Blues, with the King Biscuit Festival rapidly approaching, and blues fans from all over the world converging on little Helena, Arkansas!

This year marked the prestigious 25th anniversary of the widely loved Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival in Helena, Arkansas, colloquially known as “King Biscuit Festival”.

From the great New York City blues player Chaz DePaolo comes “Bluestopia”

Jack White, of the White Stripes, is a deeply rooted bluesman. He dedicated his first White Stripes album to his biggest influence; Son House. Check out this video from the excellent documentary “It Might Get Loud.”

Let’s get to the gravy: buy Albert King with Stevie Ray Vaughan “In Session” if you love the blues.

Lee Pons is an up-jumped-the-devil rockin’, rollickin’ New Orleans blues piano player. His latest CD, Big Boogie Voodoo from Mind Balm Records is piano-filled bliss.

“I hope they don’t mistake us for one of those rock n’ roll bands.” – Mick Jagger The Rolling Stones could easily be called one of the biggest acts in Rock n’ Roll; pioneers who carved out much of what we define as rock music to date. And, like most music, the Stones were built in the blues. In 1960, before the birth of the stones, Mick Jagger happened to run into Keith Richards at a train station. He noticed Keith had Muddy Waters albums under his arm and the two quickly struck up what would be one of the…

Today, we were able to interview the owner of Sipsey River Steels, a company that creates custom lap steel guitars from scratch! “Lap Steel” doesn’t refer to the instrument itself being steel; in fact, these are made from the roots of cypress trees. Rather, they’re meant to be played in one’s lap with a steel bar (or a medicine bottle, beer bottle, bone, or whatever else works as a slide!) I first found and played with a Sipsey River Steel at Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and I’ve been eagerly watching the company ever since. Jack, you custom make…