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Southern Roots Rock band Robert Jon & The Wreck have announced further UK dates for 2026, extending their touring plans with additional shows in June and October. The new dates follow the band’s previously announced April 2026 UK tour, which features Sam Morrow as special guest. With demand continuing to grow, the band will return […]

Johan Borgh – Island Blues  Self-Release – 2025 www.facebook.com/johanborghmusic 10 tracks; 40 minutes With his debut album “Island Blues”, Johan Borgh conjures electric blues, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and New Orleans style grooves, with a variety of instrumental songs that share excellent instrumentation. Borgh, a Stockholm native and guitar prodigy, has won guitar contests and played with

Cover photo © 2026 Arnie Goodman Eric Bibb may be the greatest blues artist who is not a household name in the United States. His songwriting and records over the past fifty years have few peers. Some of this may be due to the fact that Bibb, a New York City native, has lived in

Randy Lee Riviere – Farmhand Blues Wilderness Records www.randyleeriviere.com 15 songs time – 65:39 Singer-songwriter-guitarist Randy Lee Riviere combines noisy rock sounds and elements of Americana. His songs and his gruff vocalizations are hardly memorable. He is one of four guitarists here, so you don’t know who is playing what where, as their track contributions

Canadian roots, rock and soul collective Bywater Call open 2026 with the release of their brand-new studio single “Only”, out Friday 9 January 2026. Available now on all streaming platforms, “Only” marks the band’s first new studio release of the year and continues a remarkable run of momentum that has seen Bywater Call firmly establish

Following the release of her latest album Some Kind of Feeling, Orianthi will return to the UK for a run of headline dates in January 2026. With Leeds already sold out and demand rising elsewhere, fans are being urged to move quickly. The tour begins at Manchester’s Band on the Wall on January 24, followed

JUNO-nominated and Maple Blues Award winner Spencer Mackenzie has released his fourth single, Don’t Know Where I’m Going, taken from his upcoming studio album Empty Chairs. The track is out on Friday 16 January and is available across all streaming platforms and on YouTube. Mackenzie turns up the heat with a fast, driven take on

Now in its 33rd year, the festival is the world’s largest winter celebration of traditional and roots music. Delivered by Glasgow Life in partnership with Innis & Gunn, the 2026 edition features more than 300 events across 25 venues, with over 1,200 performers from Europe, the Americas and Africa. New economic figures underline the festival’s

Gulf Coast Records will begin 2026 with an intensive nine day run of new single releases, setting the pace for what is shaping up to be the label’s busiest and most ambitious year to date. From 20 to 30 January, the label will release one new single per day, each track drawn from a different

Blues-rock guitarist and singer Jared James Nichols will release his fourth studio album, Louder Than Fate, on June 5 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album is available to pre-order now. Alongside the album announcement, Nichols has shared the new single “Pretend”, which is out now on all streaming platforms. Louder Than Fate is Nichols’ most

Joanne Shaw Taylor has released her new single “Hell Or High Water”, out now via Journeyman Records. The track is a stripped-back, emotionally direct blues-gospel song that centres on resilience, belief, and facing inner conflict head-on. Described by Joanne as “a defiant, soul-bearing blues gospel anthem”, “Hell Or High Water” addresses the mental battles that

Solomon Hicks has released his new album How Did I Ever Get This Blue? today via Artone / Provogue. The record is available now on all streaming platforms, with physical formats also on sale. To mark the release, Hicks has shared a video for “Flyin’ High (Yesterday)”, his take on a song originally recorded by

Following her triumphant UK tour in October 2025, Texas-based blues-rock guitarist and singer Ally Venable will return to the UK for a ten-date headline tour in September 2026. Special guest on all shows is celebrated Canadian blues-rock artist Garret T. Willie. Tickets for all concerts, except Glasgow and Faversham, are available via altickets.com. Tickets for

Award-winning blues artist Selwyn Birchwood will release his sixth studio album, Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues, on Friday 27 March 2026 via Alligator Records. The album will be available on CD, translucent yellow vinyl, and all digital platforms. Widely recognised for forging his own path in modern blues, Birchwood once again writes, performs, and shapes the

Dear Blues Foundation Members,Passion. Devotion. Welcoming. Embracing. This is what I feel as I get to know everyone here. As the newcomer to the family, I thank you for the tremendous opportunity to serve as The Blues Foundation’s CEO.In my short time here, I have learned your love for The […] The post Important Update: Blues

Click here to purchase BMA and BHOF tickets CLICK HERE TO BOOK HOTEL ROOM KEB’ MO’, TOMMY CASTRO, TOM HAMBRIDGE, CHRIS CAIN, SUGARAY RAYFORD, ERIC GALES, ARE AMONG THE  DISTINGUISHED, DIVERSE GROUP OF NOMINEES  TO BE CELEBRATED AT THE 43RD ANNUAL BLUES MUSIC AWARDS The Blues Foundation will reveal the winners […] The post The Blues Foundation Announces the

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 17, 2022 LUCILLE BOGAN, LITTLE WILLIE JOHN, JOHNNIE TAYLOR, OTIS BLACKWELL, AND MARY KATHERINE ALDIN WILL BE CELEBRATED  AS NEW BLUES HALL OF FAMERS ON MAY 4, 2022 Landmark recordings by:  Bobby “Blue” Bland, Roy Brown, Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Baby Face Leroy Trio, and Sonny […] The post 2022 Blues

BLUES MUSIC AWARDS 2022 WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT FIRST IN-PERSON BMA EVENT SINCE 2019 Tommy Castro is the big winner with three awards with multiple honors going to Sue Foley & Christone “Kingfish” Ingram MEMPHIS, Tenn. —The Renasant Convention Center was packed with blues musicians, fans, and music-world luminaries on May 5th, anxious to […] The post 2022

French Band The Wacky Jugs Win the IBCs Band Division Phoenix Artist Eric Ramsey Triumphs in the Solo/Duo Division THE WACKY JUGS ©Roger Stephenson MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One act came from France and the other from Phoenix, but they both proved to be outstanding at this year’s International Blues […] The post IBC 2022 Winners

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE’S TOP SELECTIONS FOR 2026! BAND DIVISION Winner: Derrick Dove & The Peacekeepers 2nd Place Band: MAMA 3rd Place Band: Big Mike & The R&B Kings SOLO/DUO DIVISION Winner: Weary Ramblers 2nd Place: Devin C. Williams BEST GUITAR AWARD Winner: Derrick Dove MEMPHIS CIGAR BOX GUITAR […] The post IBC

The 2023 Blues Music Awards schedule of events is now available! The post 2023 Blues Music Awards Week Events Schedule appeared first on Blues Foundation.

(Memphis TN) – The Blues Foundation has announced the winners at the 45th Annual Blues Music Awards that took place May 9 in Memphis. Guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram was the night’s biggest winner, taking home four awards, including “Album of the Year” for Live In London. Mike Zito, Bobby Rush, Ruthie […] The post 2025

BMA Week Events Wednesday, May 7, 2025 11:30am – 1pm Movie Screening: A Robert Mugge Film, “Deep Roots” The Art and Music of Bill Steber and Friends Noon – 4pm Will Call and Merchandise Sales Renasant Convention Center Lobby 2:00pm – 3:30pm Celebrating 10 years of The Blues Foundation Hall of Fame Museum421 S. Main

(Memphis TN) – The Blues Foundation has announced the winners at the 46th Annual Blues Music Awards that took place May 9 in Memphis. Congratulations to all this year’s winners! Ronnie Baker Brooks during the 46th annual Blues Music Awards 2025 Blues Music Awards Winners Acoustic Blues Album WinnerOne Guitar Woman, Sue […] The post

Pavlov’s Dog – Wonderlust RUF Records – 2025 www.davidsurkamp.com  11 tracks; 50 minutes Pavlov’s Dog has always existed at the intersection of rock, classical, and folk reflection. On Wonderlust (2025) — their first album of original material in years and their most stable lineup yet, anchored by David and Sara Surkamp alongside Abbie and Rick

Cover photo © 2026 Peter Hurley Rumor had it that the harmonica virtuoso of John Primer’s Real Deal Band, Steve Bell, was a man of few words. “He speaks through his instrument,” it was said. “If you want to know Steve, listen to him play.” Though there might be no finer endorsement of a musician’s

Gina Coleman – Unequivocally Blue Guitar One Records www.ginacolemanmusic.com 11 tracks, 39 minutes 14 seconds Gina Coleman has one of the most interesting back stories in the contemporary blues world.  Through a series of serendipitous events, she changed her life’s direction in 1999 and became the leader of Misty Blues, a band that has gained

Terry Robb – Howlin’ Waters New Folk Records www.terryrobb.com 13 Tracks – 31 minutes Vancouver born and now Portland, Oregon based Terry Robb is a well-recognized acoustic guitar player. His finger-picking style has drawn attention on national and international stages, but across his decades of playing, he has demonstrated a capability for most blues guitar techniques.

The Joel Dupuis Band – Very Best Fool Self Released www.thejoeldupuisband.com 10 tracks This London, Ontario band, that was awarded London blues band of the year in 2024, is an electrifying three piece band. They are led by the 2024 London guitar player of the Joel Dupuis and offer up a no-holds barred rocking set

Cover photo © 2026 Arnie Goodman  In This Issue  Dave Popkin has our feature interview with Eric Bibb. We have six Blues reviews for you this week including a blues photo book by award winning photographer Joseph A. Rosen plus new music from Pops Fletcher & The Hucksters, The Zac Schulze Gang, Misty Blues, Randy

Joseph A. Rosen – Inside the Moment Schiffer Publishing www.josepharosen.com 216 pages There are few photographers in the world who possess the innate ability to capture subjects in such a way that the pictures they produce capture for posterity the essence of the person they see through the camera lens. Simply put, it’s magic. As

Pops Fletcher & The Hucksters – Almost Live Self-Release -2025 www.popsfletcher.com 11 tracks; 51 minutes Wisconsin-based Matthew (Pops) Fletcher Goodwin has been playing in bands since the mid-60’s. In the beginning he was the main vocalist but over the years became accustomed to a supporting role. When he set up this band it was with

The Zac Schulze Gang – Straight To It Ruf Records www.zacschulzegang.rocks 11 songs – 39 minutes The Zac Schulze Gang has been making waves in the UK for a few years now as a raucous blues-rock experience and Straight To It is their debut album, released on the German Ruf label. Comprising Zac Schulze on

Misty Blues – Other Side Of Blue Guitar One Records www.MistyBluesBand.com 11 songs time – 45:07 This is my third go-round with Misty Blues featuring the powerhouse vocals of Gina Coleman and her band that serve up a mélange of R&B, blues and roots music in fine form. All the songs are written or co-written

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi decodes the conjure bag, or mojo hand, exploring how root doctors use flannel colors, ingredients, and ritual feeding to cast spells, protect love, bring money, bless babies, and shape fortune in blues-rooted folk magic.

A conversation with Corey Ledet about his long-awaited album ‘Live in Alaska,’ the magic of improvisation, and how a black accordion gave new life to his band.

The award-winning trio delivers New Orleans–influenced funk, deep blues, and soul-driven rock in an intimate coastal setting.

Two cornerstone albums from Chess Records — Etta James’ At Last! and Chuck Berry’s Berry Is On Top — are brought back into focus, with Bo Diddley and Muddy Waters set to follow, reminding listeners why these recordings still matter.

G. Love has always lived at the intersections—between blues and hip-hop, porch and pavement, tradition and instinct. Here, Garrett Dutton talks about the harmonica that opened the door, the records that stayed with him, and the sound that emerged when he stopped trying to belong to any one place.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi follows the deep blue current of “cool” from African philosophy into the blues, where character, composure, silence, and generosity become the language of soul.