Jontavious Willis is resolved in his mission: to reinvigorate today’s Blues with the spirit of the past. Inspired by a time when the Blues were plentiful and rhythm reigned supreme, Jontavious leverages his unique sound—a synthesis of his Georgia heritage and reverence for traditional Blues—to get the world dancing again. A Grammy-nominated musician and songwriter, Jontavious performs original, toe-tapping tunes in the style of Delta, Piedmont, Texas, and Gospel Blues. Dynamic vocals, technical prowess, and an abundance of Southern charm keep Jontavious sending jolts of vitality through the Blues community.
Jontavious was born and raised in rural Georgia, an environment with deep cultural roots that provides the inspiration he has continuously drawn upon to create his unique sound. He spent much of his childhood singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather, which provided him his first setting to perform for an audience. An early phenom, his passion for the Blues was sparked at age 14 when he came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man.” He achieved widespread acclaim when living legend Taj Mahal invited Jontavious to accompany him onstage in 2015, with Taj describing him as his “Wonderboy.” Jontavious was invited to open for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ during their joint TajMo tour in 2018, giving him an opportunity to present his work on a national stage.
Blue Metamorphosis, his acoustic debut album released in 2016, garnered rave reviews in Living Blues and Blues & Rhythm and won the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge 2018 Award for Best Self-Produced CD. His Grammy-nominated sophomore album, Spectacular Class, sees Jontavious survey an array of Blues styles with lively ensemble performances. Jontavious features prominently in solo shows and festivals across the world, sharing his unique blend of time-honored yet modern, intellectual yet danceable Blues with all.
Willis has truly come into his own in the past five years, during which he finished his education at Columbus State University in his West Georgia homeland and hit the heights by serving as the opening act for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ when they toured to promote their Grammy-winning Keb/Mo’ CD after his debut album, Blue Metamorphosis, was a finalist at the International Blues Challenge for best self-produced disc of the year.
In the years since, Jontavious earned five Blues Music Awards nominations – one for rising star, three for traditional male blues artist of the year and another for the 2019 album, Spectacular Class, for which Taj served as executive producer and Keb’ produced. he’s at the absolute top of his game with this welcome return to the studio with this long-awaited follow-up, a self-produced winner that delivers a masterclass of stylings, including Piedmont, ragtime, Delta juke-joint, old-school folk and more performed in solo, duo and in full-band settings and contemporary timeless but contemporary themes. Although loaded with old-sounding riffs and lyrics, everything on the disc – is 100-percent Willis’ own. The title cut “West Georgia Blues” kicks off the action with an a cappella/handclap as Willis invites listeners along for a “ride through Georgia on the Alabama side,”
Jontavious Willis became Artistic Director for Centrum’s Port Townsend Acoustic Blues workshop in 2020. He brings his deep appreciation for the significance of American Black culture and history along with the art form as well as a profound connection to his instruments both voice and guitar that breathing new life into the 100-year old tradition.

“Jontavious Willis. That’s my Wonderboy, the Wunderkind. He’s a great new voice of the 21st Century in the acoustic blues. I just love the way he plays. He has really just delightful timing and a real voice for the music because he was raised in the tradition and the culture. It’s just wonderful to hear him sing. The way he tunes his guitar is just amazing. There’s not a bluesman alive that could pick his instrument up and play it. You’d have to sit there for a good while to figure those tunings out…
I had an opportunity to have him grace my stage when I came to Atlanta. He had a thunderous response from the audience. It was just so great. I’m very, very particular and very private about my stage so – and if somebody is on it giving the full run to go, you know that they must be able do whatever it is that they say they can do, and I say that he can do it and more. So I’m just excited that he has a wonderful and amazing future and he’s got a great sound, and we are all lucky to be at this point when this man is starting to launch is going to be an incredible and long career.” -Taj Mahal