
Blues Foundation Board On The Move / 2017 International Blues Challenge Read more
New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Back when Keb' Mo' shot up to number one on the Americana chart I thought man this guy is on to something. Equally when the Grammy membership supported celebrating the blues by opening a museum in Mississippi I thought there could be synergy between the Foundation and the Grammy folks. Enter Barbara Newman and the 2016 Board. Man have things moved forward folks. I noticed a marked difference in external communications when a Grammy meeting was host

John Mayall talks about getting older, performing as a trio, the future of the blues and more
Eighty-two is not an age when most musicians feel like trying something completely new. Not John Mayall. Earlier this spring, his guitarist couldn’t make it to a gig. So for the first time in a career that spans more than half a century, the legendary British bluesman led his band through a full show as a trio. “I’d never even thought about it until I did it,” he said in a recent call from his home in Los Angeles. “My god, looking back, I can’t remember any instance where I’

Laith Al-Saadi on the upside of not winning 'The Voice'
The odds were always stacked against him. Ann Arbor's Laith Al-Saadi was one of tens of thousands of singers who applied during the open call for "The Voice" season 10. He made the cut, guaranteeing a blind audition in front of coaches Adam Levine, Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams and Blake Shelton. He made it through the battle rounds, the knockouts, and finally to the live performance shows. He made it through week after week of popular voting, as the field narrowed fr

Twin Cities Soul Veteran Wee Willie Walker makes his overdue Chicago debut
His newest album, If Nothing Ever Changes, has finally earned him the acclaim to match his talent. As he nears the 50th anniversary of his first recording session, Wee Willie Walker is hotter than ever. Long the top soul singer in the Twin Cities, Walker is basking in the acclaim that greeted his 2015 album, If Nothing Ever Changes (Little Village Foundation), which was nominated for a Blues Music Award. On Saturday he and his band We "R" will heat up the stage at Petrillo. P

Confessing the Blues Radio Top 25 Blues Albums 2015
1. Buddy Guy – Born to Play Guitar 2. Mike Zito & the Wheel – Keep Coming Back 3. Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters – Father's Day 4. Samantha Fish – Wild Heart 5. The Bey - Paule Band – Not Goin' Away 6. Tommy Castro – Method to My Madness 7. Andy T – Nick Nixon Band – Numbers Man 8. Shaun Murphy – Loretta 9. Billy the Kid & the Regulators – I Can't Change 10. Shemekia Copeland – Outskirts of Love 11. Sugaray Rayford – Southside 12. Albert Cummings – Someone Like Yo

Rosa's Lounge Honored for Keeping the Blues Alive in Logan Square - Chicago, IL
LOGAN SQUARE — Rosa’s Lounge is keeping the blues alive in Chicago, according to a prestigious award set up to honor promoters and documentarians of the classic music genre. The Keeping the Blues Alive award was given to the Logan Square blues lounge Jan. 23 at a recognition ceremony in Memphis, Tenn., where a variety of 14 global blues outlets, from festivals to journalists and radio DJs, were honored. “This is a great honor and a privilege, so I would like to give thanks to

Confessing the Blues Named Best Radio Show
The Blues Matters Magazine "Writer's Poll" has named "Confessing the Blues" Radio 2014 Best International Blues Radio Show .... I'm so humbled and at the same time thrilled by this honor. The popularity of our efforts are a reflection of the love of Blues Music from fans and enthusiasts around the planet. It is quite the accolade for me and confirmation that what we do is indeed recognized as fine Blues radio programming. Hard work, dedication and the drive of doing things