Blues - Faculty

Centrum Faculty

This skilled creative collective could wrap their arms around the globe. Much respect, big hugs.

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Photo of George  Aschmann

George  Aschmann

Violin

Among other musical endeavors, George plays violin and sings with the collective Frog and Henry, who’ve played the streets of New Orleans since 2013. They revive the music first made popular in the 1920’s and 1930’s in New Orleans, Chicago, and across the U.S., a mixture of jazz, jugband, stringband, blues, and popular songs. Most of the instruments are from the same time period.

Photo of Andrew Alli

Andrew Alli

Harmonica

This Richmond, Virginia native was always passionate about music and stumbled upon the blues while taking up his first instrument, the harmonica. He instantly fell in love with the blues and the history that comes with the harp.

Photo of Bruce Sunpie Barnes

Bruce Sunpie Barnes

Accordion

Bruce Sunpie Barnes is a veteran New Orleans musician, former Park Ranger with the National Park Service for 30 years, actor, photographer, book author, former high school biology teacher, former college football All-American, and former NFL player (Kansas City Chiefs). Sunpie Barnes’ many careers have taken him far and wide. He has traveled to over 50 countries playing his own style of what he calls Afro-Louisiana music incorporating Blues, Zydeco, Gospel, Caribbean and African influenced rhythms and melodies.…

Photo of Eden Brendt

Eden Brendt

Piano

Blues lady Eden Brent is a modern-day piano-pounding, juke-joint hollering powerhouse of American roots music. A legendary performer and southern songwriter, she spent the first two decades of her career under the tutelage of Abie “Boogaloo” Ames, before winning The Blues Foundation’s Challenge and bouncing onto the international scene. Since then she lands steady honors, three Blues Music Awards among them.…

Photo of Lloyd Buchanan

Lloyd Buchanan

Gospel Choir

Lloyd Buchanan is rooted in Gospel and the Blues. His connection to the Hammond organ began at a very early age in church accompanying his mother.

Photo of Conrad Cayman

Conrad Cayman

Ukulele

Conrad Cayman is a Los Angeles-based multi-instrumentalist who teaches and plays ukulele (tenor, baritone, and U-bass), and also performs on guitar, plectrum banjo, and bass (upright and electric). An artist for Ohana Ukuleles, Conrad has performed at the Los Angeles Ukulele Festival and UkeCon San Diego, and taught and performed at the Reno Ukulele Festival and the Centrum Foundation’s Acoustic Blues Festival in Port Townsend, WA.…

Photo of Trey Hensley

Trey Hensley

Guitar

Trey Hensley is a GRAMMY®-nominated musician and singer/songwriter who was voted the 2023 Guitar Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. He has been referred to as “Nashville’s hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine. In addition to a storied solo career and a duo career with award-winning resophonic guitarist Rob Ickes (NPR has called them “two musical phenoms”), Trey has worked with a diverse list of artists including Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Marty Stuart, Earl Scruggs, Dolly Parton, Taj Mahal, Tommy Emmanuel, Rodney Crowell, Old Crow Medicine Show, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Little Feat, Leftover Salmon and REO Speedwagon.…

Photo of Jayy Hopp

Jayy Hopp

Guitar, Percussion

Jayy Hopp was born in Lagrange and started playing music with Gospel (drumming at first, until his cousin formally introduced him to the guitar). Gospel and R&B music was very influential in his formative years. The guitar grooves and distinctive sounds always caught his ear. As he aged, Jayy Hopp expanded his musical vocabulary. He started listening closely to Jimi Hendrix playing style, which led him to Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Jimmy Dawkins, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, Son Seals, Hubert Sumlin, Robert Ward (his uncle) and Ike Turner.…

Photo of Stephen Hull

Stephen Hull

Support Guitar

Born in 1999, a native of Racine, Wisconsin, Stephen Hull started playing blues at age 14 and never stopped, taking cues from Albert King and B.B. King as he developed his sweet, soulful guitar sound. Balancing that with his absolutely stellar lead vocals and infectiously buoyant personality, Stephen has been rising fast in the blues clubs of Chicago and venues across southeastern Wisconsin.…

Photo of Benjamin Hunter

Benjamin Hunter

Mandolin

Benjamin Hunter is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, community activist, social entrepreneur, and educator. Benjamin’s work explores the intersections of music & art, community, policy, and culture.

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