Laura Chavez: A Stunning New Force in Blues Guitar

Laura Chavez walked into JJ’s Blues in San Jose at eighteen years old. She was too young to legally be there. She didn’t know anyone, and she barely knew the blues. However, something clicked that night between the smoky walls and the twelve-bar shuffle. Chavez kept coming back every week until she became the house band guitarist.

Fast forward two decades. That teenager from a Bay Area blues jam now holds one of the biggest honors in American roots music. In May 2023, Laura Chavez became the first woman in the 44-year history of the Blues Music Awards to win the Instrumentalist – Guitar category. Furthermore, she earned that prize after five straight nominations — proof that her win was no fluke.

Now, with her debut solo album My Voice on Ruf Records, Laura Chavez finally steps into the spotlight on her own terms. The guitar speaks for itself. Every note on this all-instrumental record proves her right.

Early Life

Laura Catherine Chavez was born on April 3, 1982, in Mountain View, California. Her mother played piano around the house for fun. Meanwhile, her older brother blasted Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix records loud enough to rattle the walls. Those sounds hit young Laura hard. As a result, at six or seven years old, she asked her mom for guitar lessons.

The first attempt didn’t stick. Chavez disliked her teacher so much that she would hide when he showed up. Her mother canceled the lessons, and Laura didn’t touch a guitar again for years. However, her teenage years brought new drive. She found a better teacher in Palo Alto, and her parents bought her an Ibanez electric guitar.

Chavez threw herself into learning with total focus. She spent hours with her records, rewinding solos and playing along until her fingers ached. She soaked up the phrasing of players who put feel over flash. The Hendrix influence never faded. But she also dug deeper into the blues canon — finding Freddie King’s attack, Albert King’s bends, and the restraint of players like Ronnie Earl.

Additionally, her Mexican-American heritage would shape her musical identity in major ways. That influence shows up clearly in the Latin-flavored songs that color her solo work today. In fact, Chavez has said that growing up between two cultures gave her a wider sound than most blues players carry.

Growing up in Silicon Valley meant she didn’t have the usual blues origin story. There was no Mississippi juke joint or South Side Chicago club in her background. Instead, she built her blues education through records, teachers, and sheer grit.

That outsider angle — coming to the blues by choice rather than geography — gave her playing a quality that refuses to fit neatly in any one box. As a result, Chavez built an approach that pulls freely from multiple traditions without being locked into any single one.

Career Development

The San Jose Blues Scene

That first night at JJ’s Blues changed everything. Chavez met vocalist Lara Price at the jam, and they clicked right away. Despite her nerves, she came back week after week. She quickly earned the house band guitar chair and started playing pro gigs with Price on the Northern California circuit.

In other words, Laura Chavez went from hiding from her guitar teacher to holding down a weekly blues gig in less than five years. That kind of leap says a lot about her drive.

The Bay Area blues scene in the early 2000s was a tough proving ground. Laura Chavez took every gig she could find. She steadily built a name as a guitarist who mixed Texas blues muscle with Chicago blues precision. Her tone was fat but clear, her phrasing patient but explosive when the moment called for it. Notably, word spread fast among Bay Area musicians that Chavez could hold down any gig thrown at her.

The Candye Kane Years (2008–2016)

In 2008, singer Candye Kane needed a new lead guitarist. She asked Canadian blues guitarist Sue Foley for a name. Foley pointed at Chavez — and Kane hired her without even hearing her play. That leap of faith sparked one of the best partnerships in modern blues. Interestingly, Foley’s recommendation proved to be one of the most important phone calls in Chavez’s career.

Chavez became Kane’s lead guitarist and musical director. The role demanded far more than just playing. She arranged setlists, ran the band, and co-produced records. The job was equal parts music and management. Furthermore, the partnership pushed Chavez into deeper creative ground than she had ever walked before.

Their first album together, Superhero (2009), showed Chavez as both a strong guitarist and a capable producer. Subsequently, Sister Vagabond (2011) and Come Out Swingin’ (2013) locked in the partnership as one of the most dynamic in the blues world.

Candye Kane died of cancer in May 2016. The loss hit Chavez hard. Kane had been more than a bandleader — she was a mentor and friend who believed in Chavez before anyone else on the national stage.

However, those eight years together had changed Chavez from a talented local player into a road-tested pro with real production skills. Kane’s influence still echoes through her approach: fearless, generous, and always connecting with the crowd.

Expanding the Resume

Even during the Kane years, Chavez built a deep catalog of guest credits. In 2014, she appeared on The Mannish Boys’ Wrapped Up and Ready. She also toured and recorded with Deborah Coleman, Dani Wilde, Monster Mike Welch, Mike Ledbetter, and Vanessa Collier.

In particular, her work with so many bandleaders sharpened her ability to adapt on stage. Each new gig demanded a different tone and feel. Every stage brought a new challenge. Consequently, Chavez became the kind of player that bandleaders trust the moment she plugs in.

One key credit stands out. Right Place, Right Time, the album by Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter, won the Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Album. Chavez played on it, giving her an early taste of BMA glory. In hindsight, that credit helped set the stage for the nominations and milestone that would later define her career.

San Diego and Independence

Laura Chavez moved to San Diego in 2019 and dove into the city’s blues scene. She quickly became a go-to collaborator in the local scene. She produced and played guitar on Casey Hensley’s 2020 album Good as Gone. Before that, she had served as featured guitarist on Hensley’s 2017 live record. Additionally, she wrote songs for and played on Whitney Shay’s album Stand Up (2020).

Then COVID-19 shut everything down. For someone who had been playing 250 shows a year, the silence hit like a wall. Consequently, Chavez did something brand new — she busked on the streets of Little Italy in San Diego. For an award-nominated guitarist, it was a humbling turn.

Nevertheless, busking kept the music alive during the worst of the pandemic. In many ways, that quiet period also forced Chavez to think about what she wanted her own music to sound like. Those thoughts would later grow into My Voice.

She also toured with The Lucky Losers, the San Francisco blues band led by Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz. The band’s high-energy mix of blues, soul, and R&B fit Laura Chavez perfectly. That run earned an Independent Blues Awards nomination for Best R&B/Soul Song with “Take The Long Road.” Importantly, it also brought her back to Northern California, where her career had started years before.

Musical Style and Technique

Laura Chavez draws from the deep wells of Texas blues and Chicago blues. She blends classic and modern sounds into a style all her own. Her tone runs fat and warm with a Strat bite that can turn mean without warning. She favors vocal phrasing over rapid shredding. Every bend means something. Every pause carries weight.

Her key influences show the depth of her taste. Ronnie Earl’s restraint and Monster Mike Welch’s raw punch both surface in her playing. However, Chavez filters these through her own lens. She adds rhythmic elements from her Mexican-American roots.

As a result, her sound carries flavors that most blues players simply don’t have access to. Tracks like “El Cascabel” and “La Llorona” on My Voice show how naturally she weaves Latin sounds into the blues.

Furthermore, Laura Chavez shifts between styles with ease. She can deliver stinging Texas shuffles, moody slow blues, and funky R&B grooves in the same set. Her years running Candye Kane’s band sharpened this range. In fact, leading a band every night forced her to read the room and adjust fast. That experience shows in every set she plays today.

What sets Chavez apart is her dynamic control. She knows that volume and intensity are different things. A quiet phrase at the edge of feedback can hit harder than a full blast. Similarly, a well-placed rest can be more powerful than a flurry of notes.

Her solos tell stories — they build, peak, and land like good songs do. This style owes a lot to the vocal school of blues guitar, where the guitar aims to sing rather than scream. It’s an old idea, but Chavez makes it feel fresh.

Gear

Laura Chavez’s main guitar is a Fender 1960 Relic Strat, one of the first Relic models made in 1996. Her favorite remains her reddish-orange Strat, which gives her that bright, punchy tone. For thicker work in soul and R&B settings — like her gigs with Nikki Hill — she grabs a Gibson ’56 Les Paul Goldtop reissue.

On the amp side, Chavez started with a 1964 Fender Super Reverb. These days, she runs a Fender Bassman for big stages and a tweed Blues Junior for smaller rooms. At home, she plays through a Vero amp built by the Fazio brothers.

Regardless of the setup, two pedals never leave her board: a Boss/Fender ’63 Reverb and an Xotic RC Boost that stays on at all times. Together, these give Chavez the warm, slightly pushed tone that fans know her by.

Key Recordings

Superhero (2009) — Candye Kane

Laura Chavez’s first major studio credit announced her arrival on the national scene. She co-produced Superhero alongside Kane, handling guitar with a poise beyond her years. Notably, the album paired Kane’s big vocals with Chavez’s sharp ideas. It also showed that she could shape a record from both sides of the glass. Not many blues players can play and produce at the same time. Chavez made it look easy.

Sister Vagabond (2011) — Candye Kane

This follow-up deepened the Kane-Chavez partnership. The guitar work showed a player who had grown into her role as arranger and bandleader. Indeed, the album stands as one of the best documents of their creative bond.

Right Place, Right Time (2014) — Monster Mike Welch & Mike Ledbetter

Chavez’s appearance placed her alongside two top players in traditional blues. The record won the BMA for Traditional Blues Album. Laura Chavez’s playing proved she belonged in elite company. Moreover, this credit helped build the run toward her own BMA nominations.

Good as Gone (2020) — Casey Hensley

Chavez served as both producer and guitarist on Hensley’s studio album. Accordingly, it marked a big step in her work behind the console. The project also reinforced her place in the San Diego blues scene.

Stand Up (2020) — Whitney Shay

Another San Diego team-up, Stand Up featured Laura Chavez as songwriter and guitarist. She wrote several of the songs, showing creative range far beyond her solo work on stage. In addition, the album proved once more that San Diego’s blues scene runs deep. The city keeps turning out strong records, and Chavez sits right at the center of that.

My Voice (2026) — Laura Chavez

After twenty years of powering other artists, Laura Chavez finally released her debut solo album on Ruf Records{target=”_blank”} in March 2026. My Voice is all instrumental — ten tracks, five originals and five covers. She recorded it at Studio St. Annen in Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany in November 2025. Thomas Ruf co-produced.

The album opens with a driving take on “Born On The Bayou” and closes with the haunting “La Llorona.” That track — a Mexican folk song about a weeping woman — ties the record straight to Chavez’s roots.

Her five originals — “Mind Your Step,” “Shot-Zee,” “Wanderer,” “Mamba Negra,” and “Napa Street” — show a composer who thinks in moods and textures. Notably, she plays all guitars on the record, including an electric nylon-string that adds a warm, Latin flavor to several tracks.

The backing band features Lea Worms on organ and piano, Tomek Germann on bass, Marty Dodson and Denis Palatin on drums, and Antonio Econom on percussion. Ultimately, My Voice works as both an artistic statement and a declaration of independence. Covers like “Chinese Checkers” (the Booker T. & the MG’s classic) show Chavez can reinterpret familiar tunes through a fresh, personal lens.

Legacy and Impact

Laura Chavez’s 2023 Blues Music Award{target=”_blank”} victory means far more than a trophy on a shelf. By winning the Instrumentalist – Guitar category as the first woman in 44 years of the award, she broke a barrier that many had taken for granted. The history of women in blues features plenty of great vocalists and pianists. However, female guitarists have always faced an uphill fight for recognition.

That BMA win didn’t come easy. Laura Chavez earned five straight nominations before claiming the prize. Each year she got passed over only made her tougher. Moreover, the nominations alone put her name in front of the entire blues world year after year. Furthermore, her persistence sent a clear message to the next wave of female blues guitarists: keep showing up and the recognition will come.

Chavez joins a line of barrier-breaking women that runs from Memphis Minnie through Sister Rosetta Tharpe to artists like Samantha Fish and Ally Venable. However, what sets Laura Chavez apart is her range. She isn’t just a guitarist. She is also a producer, arranger, musical director, songwriter, and bandleader. Over two decades, she has shaped the sound of dozens of records.

Guitar Player magazine named her one of the “Top 50 Sensational Female Guitarists.” Additionally, her 2025 nomination for Electric Guitarist of the Year at the Blues Blast Music Awards — alongside Chris Cain and eventual winner Tab Benoit — confirmed her place among the elite in modern blues.

At 43, Laura Chavez may be entering her strongest creative stretch yet. My Voice puts her on the world stage as a solo artist on a top label. She brings over twenty years of road grit and studio skill to back it up.

The blues world is paying close attention — and so should you. After all, the girl who hid from her guitar teacher grew into the woman who made blues history. She did it one gig, one session, and one nomination at a time.