Experience Traditional Blues
Artistic Director
Jontavious Willis
Jontavious Willis is a Grammy-nominated blues musician hailed as one of the most promising acoustic blues artists of his generation. With a deep respect for the traditions of Delta and Piedmont blues, Jontavious also brings a fresh, contemporary energy to his performances. As Artistic Director of the Traditional Blues program, he curates a diverse faculty to guide students in mastering traditional styles while encouraging them to find their unique voices.
Artist Faculty
2026 Artist Faculty
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.
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.
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.…
Clinton Davis
Banjo
Clinton Davis is an old-time folk musician based in Southern California. A fifth-generation Kentuckian, Davis grew up in rural Carroll County. His repertoire spans fiddle and banjo music native to his family home, the exuberant ragtime piano and guitar of early 20th-century New Orleans, and ballad songs and dance music of the Southwest.
Davis’ prowess across instruments and traditional American styles has gained notice from the standard-bearers of previous generations and earned him a place amongst a new generation of American folk musicians.…
Eleanor Ellis
Guitar
Eleanor Ellis, a native of Louisiana, has performed at clubs, festivals and concerts in the United States, Canada and Europe. She has also traveled and played with the late gospel street singer Flora Molton and bluesman Archie Edwards, and sometimes accompanied Delta Blues great Eugene Powell. She is a founding member of the DC Blues Society and the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation, has written about the blues for several publications, and is producer and editor of the video documentary Blues Houseparty, which features well-known Piedmont blues musicians such as John Jackson, John Cephas, and Archie Edwards.…
Billy Flynn
Guitar, Mandolin
Born in Green Bay, WI, Billy was captivated by sounds from the start. In 1970 he turned 14 and “Clark Kent’s Super Joint” opened in town. A club destined to be open only briefly, the place was booked solid with blues musicians that changed Billy’s whole idea of music. Jimmy Rogers and Johnny Littlejohn, Mighty Joe Young, Luther Allison and Johnny Young were among the talents coming through.…
Corey Harris
Guitar, History
Corey Harris, a prodigious guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and bandleader, was born in Denver, Colorado to parents from Texas and Kentucky. His musical journey began as a street singer in the vibrant city of New Orleans, and from there, he embarked on a transformative exploration of the blues throughout the southern United States.…
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.
Bobby Ingano
Steel Guitar
A protégé of the famous steel guitarist, David “Feet” Rogers (Sons of Hawaii), Bobby Ingano learned from Rogers his gentle style of guitar and humble philosophy of life. Now a highly sought after studio musician, Bobby can occasionally be seen touring on the mainland or Japan with the biggest names in Hawaiian music. His style of lap steel guitar is melodic, understated, and distinctly Hawaiian.…
Mara Kaye
Voice
Referred to by Jazz Lives as “one of New York’s great gifts to the world,” blues and jazz vocalist Mara Kaye is “like some lost pocket of the blues that had never been explored in the old days, all wrapped up in a ball of 21st-century Brooklyn-bred attitude.” For over a decade she has traveled internationally and throughout the US, sharing legendary stages with champions of the genre, singing beloved songs of the past with a deep passion and respect for its original storytellers.
Chaz Leary
Washboard
Though comfortable in all forms of our diverse American musical heritage, Washboard Chaz Leary has achieved dominance and international recognition in acoustic country blues.
Ethan Leinwand
Piano
Barrelhouse blues pianist and preservationist based in St. Louis, MO, and a student of the music’s rich history and varied regional styles, Ethan Leinwand presents personal interpretations of many of the great (and forgotten) old-time masters.
Tim McNalley
Vocal Support
Tim said he didn’t have much interest in music until he started playing it. Because his dad (bassist Joe McNalley) is a musician, he was always around it, went to concerts all the time and was “tripping over upright basses his whole life.”
Tim started playing the electric bass and guitar at the same time when he was twelve. …
Ricky Nye
Piano
Traditional blues, boogie woogie, and classic New Orleans jazz and R&B all come flying from the fingers of Cincinnati, OH pianist and vocalist Ricky Nye. The driving force behind the annual BLUES & BOOGIE PIANO SUMMIT held in Greater Cincinnati from 1999 to 2017, Ricky has been inducted into the International Boogie Woogie Hall Of Fame in 2013, voted “Blues Artist Of The Year 2019” in Cincinnati’s CEA Awards, and “Best Local Musician” by CityBeat Magazine’s “Best Of Cincinnati 2018” reader’s poll.…
Jerron Paxton
Guitar
Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Paxton’s music is steeped in the rich cultural heritage of the Great Migration. His family’s journey from Shreveport, Louisiana, to the Athens neighborhood of South LA in the 1950s laid the foundation for his appreciation of Southern Black culture. As an only child, he spent much of his upbringing absorbing the culture his family had taken with them to California from the South.…
Mark Puryear
Improv, Blues Talks
Mark Puryear is a musician, ethnomusicologist, and curator. For the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, he curated the 2011 Rhythm and Blues: Tell It Like It Is program as well as the Freedom Sounds event that celebrated the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Jason Ricci
Harmonica
Jason Ricci born in Portland Maine USA is an award winning and decorated american singer and harmonica player. In his youth, Jason’s mother brought him to many live Blues shows in his early teens to witness performances of James Cotton, Charlie Musslewhite, Eddie Clearwater, Rod Piazza, Buckwheat Zydeco, Marcia Ball and many more.
In 1995 Ricci moved to Memphis Tennessee to be near and informally study with Johnny Winter sideman, harmonica player and singer Pat Ramsey.…
Chris Wallace
Gospel Choir
Chris Wallace, hailing from the small town of West Point, Georgia, has been immersed in music for as long as he can remember. Starting out at just 11 years old, Chris began playing music for churches, and it’s been his passion ever since. Currently, he serves as the Minister of Music at The Friendship Baptist Church in Columbus, GA, with past roles at Spirit Filled Ministries, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Asbury United Methodist Church, and Sightseeing Road Chapel at Fort Benning.…
Lightnin’ Wells
Ukulele, Guitar
Mike “Lightnin'” Wells breathes new life into the vintage tunes of the 1920s and depression era America employing various appropriate stringed instruments in a dynamic style which he has developed in over 50 years of performing experience. Raised in eastern North Carolina, Wells learned to play harmonica as a young child and taught himself to play the guitar as he developed a strong interest in traditional blues and folk music.…
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Guitar
The cosmic American love child of Howlin’ Wolf and Link Wray… Known as a “musician’s musician,” Alvin Youngblood Hart’s praises have been sung by everyone from Bob Dylan to guitar gods Gary Moore & Mick Taylor. “Alvin Youngblood Hart is as good as you’ll ever hear ” – Bob Dylan 2022 from his book The Philosophy of Modern Song.…
Workshop
Participants learn “knee-to-knee,” in intimate sessions with diverse instruments and artist faculty. Daily classroom instruction covers traditional blues, performance, history, songs, and styles, as well as technical skills and how to play well with others. Afternoons include discussions on relative topics. Each evening, participants enjoy faculty concerts, chats, jam sessions, and house parties.
Most artist faculty teach two one-hour instrument sessions daily. Sessions are in various styles and techniques and focus on certain traditional methods. Instrumentation includes guitar, harmonica, piano, mandolin, violin, bass, banjo, ukulele, washboard, voice, steel guitar and accordion. Classes are also offered in performance, improv, ensembles, and a gospel choir that gathers in the afternoon.
FIRST DAY:
4–5:30pm – Check-in, Centrum office
6–8pm – Dinner
8pm – Orientation
TUESDAY-FRIDAY:
Most artist faculty teach two one-hour instrument sessions daily, Tuesday through Friday. Sessions in various styles and techniques focus on certain styles and tradition bearers. Instrumentation includes guitar, harmonica, piano, mandolin, violin, bass, banjo, ukulele, washboard, voice, and accordion. The Gospel Choir gathers late afternoons. Evenings include events and performances, planned and spontaneous jams.
FESTIVAL
At the end of the week, the artist faculty take to the stages and share in performance a festive celebration of the traditions they carry as well as their own music and style. Friday and Saturday nights, our legendary Blues in the Clubs series hosts a variety of intimate stages, where each artist gives their own unique performance. We’ll host a show or two in McCurdy Pavilion, a former blimp hanger turned performance space, break bread together, and have a really good time basking in and soaking up the traditions passed along at the gathering.
Gospel Choir
CENTRUM Traditional Blues GOSPEL CHOIR
Chris Wallace returns to direct Centrum's Gospel Choir along with, new to Centrum, Khalil Ransom. Both gentlemen are musical directors of their respective Baptist churches in Georgia, USA. We were very honored to host these gentlemen and thrilled to hear the sounds of your voices in concert after a week under their direction!
You can take the Gospel Choir track exclusively and receive admission to the gospel class Tuesday through Friday, and all evenings in Building 204, through Thursday. The choir performs on Saturday at the USO Hall. Gospel tuition includes admission to the Saturday afternoon mainstage concert and Wednesday dance at the McCurdy Pavilion. Gospel tuition does NOT include Blues in the Clubs or other public events.
Gospel Choir is available for youth however, anyone under the age of 18 must attend with a registered participant or registered guardian over the age of 21. Registered Traditional Blues participants can participate in the Gospel Choir at no additional fee.
In 2026, the Gospel Choir will meet daily starting Tuesday, July 28 through Friday, July 31 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm in the USO Hall and perform at 11:00am on Saturday, August 1 at 11:00am in the USO Hall.
Join us and lift your voices on high!
CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
2025 Classes
Andrew Alli - Harmonica
Beginning Blues Harmonica: Getting going with the basics. This class focuses on establishing good harp habits and approaches without being overwhelming. Key of C and A harp
Intermediate Blues Harmonica: Meat and Potatoes: Thickening up your sound with layers and technique. Key of A harp
Rodrigo Mantovani - Upright Bass
Rhythm and Groove: Developing a strong sense of rhythm and learning to play in different Blues grooves.
How to make a bass line: Exploring and discussing the different techniques and the importance of the intervals to create a bass line.
Ear Training: Developing the ability to hear and identify the differences between lines, techniques and the importance of the tone on the upright bass.
Repertoire: Exploring the classics Blues standards most played in bands, discussing the different aspects and structures.
Historical Context: Learning about the history of the tradition double bass Blues bassists and its role in different periods and groups.
Teeny Tucker - Vocals
Women In Blues: Introducing the importance of some of the most influential classic women of the Blues and their significant and important contribution to the Blues genre. There are illustrations of how women of the blues sang about life as they experienced through songwriting and vocal expression. For singers of all genders.
Blues Vocal Workshop: discussing and illustrating Blues vocal techniques to include; vocal music phrasing, vocal range, vocal expression and dynamics. The workshop introduces the ability to enhance one’s energy and stage presence to affectively draw an audience into your performance.
Lightnin Malcolm - Guitar, etc.
Workshop themes: (rough flexible ideas)
1) One-Man Band Foot Drums
2) Keeping Droning Bass Throughout
3) Hill Country Percussive Guitar Style
4) Guitar and Singing Unison Melodies
5) Keeping Repetitive Riffs Exciting
6) Slide Guitar
7) Famous Hill Country standards/anthems
8) Variety of Blues styles, and incorporating them into writing original songs
George Aschmann - Violin
The blues violin course will be a three part workshop focusing on blues fiddle tunes, song melody playing, and improvisation. We will be flexible in how much time we spend on each of these subjects depending on the interests and levels of participants.
Blues fiddle tunes: Learn one or several tunes that fall into the “blues” style of fiddling, focus on styles, technique, note choice, and variations-introducing the idea of micro improvisation
Song and melody playing: Learn the melody to a song from the 1920s/30s, learn to back up a vocalist, solo around the melody-also micro improvisation. Think Mississippi Sheiks style…
Improvisation: If there is time at the end of the week and students are interested, we will continue to build on the idea of micro improvisation and move toward improvising in a blues oriented style over songs that allow more freedom…a blues progression or simple jazz tune in the 1920/30s style.
Washboard Chaz Leary - Washboard
Washboard Percussion for Folks of All Levels: Whether you play at jams, add another percussive instrument to your skills or just want to check it out, I will help you get there. Class is always fun, with emphasis on playing with others, soloing and exploring polyrhythms to create engaging, complex grooves.
Eden Brent - Piano
Blues Piano: Come discover the many delightful elements that make up blues piano! The class will tickle all 88 keys, exploring varying left-hand bass lines and techniques. The right hand will get busy learning blues scales, melodies, chords and accompaniment styles. 8-bar, 12-bar, AND 16-bar blues progressions will be demonstrated and improvised! Yes! That’s right! You will be making it up as you go along! Aspects of musicality will also be explored, such as using dynamics and expression. Good practice habits will be encouraged. Solo piano blues playing compared with band approaches will be explained. Each day will be focused on adding one new element to your blues piano style. At the week’s end, you will have learned at least one new blues and four new stylistic techniques with which to enrich your blues piano performances! Repetition builds success! Join us for this piano playing party!
Students will learn the traditional elements of blues piano: varying bass lines and techniques; blues melodies, the blues scale; blues chords and the dominant seventh chord, dominant ninth and altered chords; blues progressions, eight bar blues, twelve bar blues, sixteen bar blues; left-hand three-note chord comping (accompanying) for band stylings; blues piano standards “After Hours”, “Pine Top’s Boogie-Woogie”, “St Louis Blues”; major and minor blues; different blues rhythms, swing, slow blues, shuffle, New Orleans swamp pop, rhumba, second-line, rock.
Johnny Nicholas - Vocals & Bluestime
Singin’ The Blues with Johnny Nicholas
I’m a self taught musician and hope to convey to you aspiring blues singers and shouters how to tap into the joy and power that reside in your very own unique vocal chords(mis spelled on purpose) and how to sing the Blues. I will share some simple tips and techniques that will help you to tap into your God given gifts and talents. Every class will be fun as well as educational and I will use my voice and my experience growing up as a musician and an apprentice to some of the greatest blues singers and artists of all time to tell stories and sing their songs as I learned them. I will also spend part of our time talking about how we learn as a self-taught, 'play by ear' artist. This starts with listening and copying and practicing the songs and sounds of the masters. Then we will focus on how to find your own voice and tell your own story.
Requirements: Please leave all pre-conceived notions at the door and bring the following to class: a note pad and pencil, an open mind, a smile, curiosity and questions.
Johnny Nicholas - Bluestime
Bluestime with Johnny Nicholas
If you can learn by listening, and have fun doing it, then I guess you can call this a class. Stories and music will abound each day with finger style acoustic guitar, bottleneck guitar (on my magical 1934 National ‘Don’ German silver resonator), harmonica and piano. I will share stories and songs from my history on the road and at home with some of the most influential blues and roots music artists of the 20th century and songs I learned with and from them. I will offer instruction and examples on all of the above instruments, but the focus will not be on technical instruction but on the soul of the music and those who I learned from.
Requirements: Please leave all pre-conceived notions at the door and bring the following to class: a note pad and pencil, an open mind, a smile, curiosity and questions.
Ethan Leinwand - Piano
Low Down Blues Piano - Learn about the feels, melodies, and tricks for capturing the essential pre-war piano blues sound. Great for solo, accompanying blues guitar or vocals.
All classes can be done on GCEA or DGBE tuned ukuleles, and can apply for guitar players who would like to work on getting familiar with their high strings and chords above the 5th fret.
Bar chords and inversions - build familiarity, strength, stamina with bar chords and inversions up the neck, This will serve as a foundation for the soloing classes.
Improvisation and solos - we’ll start with 3 and 4 string chord soloing concepts using the aforementioned bar chords, inversions, and some pinky finger magic. Then on to 2 string soloing concepts and then 1 string / single note concepts around arpeggios and chord tones. By the end of the week we’ll work on trading solos or collective soloing with other players.
There will also be a one-off class on starting and ending songs with vamps, turnarounds, tags, and other common endings. Class will be for any instrument. Depending on time or interest we can also go into any other topics that participants would like to explore.
Trey Hensley - Guitar
Flatpicking 101 - Learn about acoustic flatpicking - diving in to basics of right hand technique, rhythm approaches, speed licks, intricacies and dynamics within acoustic flatpicking music, vocabulary as pertaining to bluegrass and blues, and lots more!
Damon and Kelsy Stone - Blues Dance
Good Time Tonight
Blues music was the party music of its time, and the idiom and freestyle dances were the accompanying party dances. We'll work on how to channel that party vibe in our dancing and learn how to get out of heads and let the music move us.
The Slow Drag
The first known and most versatile social partnered dance to Blues music, the Slow Drag, was done from New Orleans to Chicago, from New York to Los Angeles, from the late 19th century to nightclubs and bars today. We'll go over the most basic elements that define the dance and explore how it changes from place to place and from decade to decade.
The Dances of the Jook Joints: Knees and Hips
Jook Joints were Black social centers originating in the rural South. The place to be for filling food, cheap drinks, a card or dice game, camaraderie, companionship, and music; jook joints were also a hotbed of innovation for dancing. In this class we'll look specifically to the hip and knee centric dances like, the Mooche, Grind, Fish Tail, and Knee Rock.
The Dances of the Jook Joints: Fancy Feet
Jook Joints were Black social centers originating in the rural South. The place to be for filling food, cheap drinks, a card or dice game, camaraderie, companionship, and music; jook joints were also a hotbed of innovation for dancing. In this class we'll look specifically to the foot centric dances like, Tick-Tocks, Heel-Toe, Shuffle, Camel Walk, and Sand.
Barrelhouse, Stride and Boogie
Rolling rhythms, light-hearted playfulness, and thunderous jams- this class will focus on footwork, internal rhythms and always staying cool as we dance to Pinetop's piano blues.
Cross Road: Blues Fundamentals
Blues dances as an improvisational folk art form depend on a shared set of value based rules that define the grammar and vocabulary of the language of Blues movement. In this class we'll teach the rules that will give you a foundation to build your Blues dances upon.
Memphis Movement
This class will focus heavily on the dances popular on and off Beale St. We'll cover how the Black urban residents of Memphis and the Black rural residents of its outlying areas shared music and movement from jook joints to backroom clubs and some of the styles of dances that came out of this cross-pollination.
Beginners
There is no age or skill restriction, however, to get the most out of the workshop, one should be familiar with your instrument and be able to move about on it.
Kids & Teens
Most of our workshops are family events, and we welcome musicians of all ages and abilities to participate.
Info for Parents of Under-18 Participants
If under 18 and participating in the workshop, a parent or guardian over 21 years old must register and accompany the minor. Blues participants under 18 years of age are required to review a Centrum Student Contract. If staying in the dorm a parent or guardian must also stay in the dorm.
Costs
Centrum has a variety of ways to be able to attend our workshops even if you’re on a budget. If you need financial assistance, Centrum has a robust tuition scholarship program awarded on a first-come, first-served; and as-needed basis.
Workshop tuition includes admission to everything including great seats at all public performances.
We have room and board choices to keep your costs as affordable as possible.
A full meal ticket is good for three meals per day starting with dinner on Monday, July 27 and ending with breakfast on Sunday, August 2, 2026.
Tuition, Adult: $675. ($100. non-refundable deposit to hold your place)
Tuition, Youth (Under-18): $575. ($100. non-refundable deposit to hold your place)
Tuition, Gospel Choir: $175.
Room & Board: $870.
Meals Only: $450.
Our new food service provider is locally based Planted. Planted offers nourishing plant-based meals and ingredients that are locally sourced from the Olympic Peninsula. For more info on Planted, visit plantedporttownsend.com.
Those who stay on the Fort Worden campus are provided with private-locking dorm rooms in Buildings 203 and 225 with shared bathrooms. There is late night jamming in Building 204 and all-night jamming in Dorm 203. Dorm 225 will remain quiet, so folks can rest anytime. Choose the jam or quiet designation when signing up for a dorm room.
FAQ
TRADITIONAL BLUES - FAQ
Scholarships
Apply online as you register. Please note that except in rare cases, scholarships are available for tuition only. Centrum requires a $50 deposit of scholarship applicants, which is fully refundable if you are unable to attend.
If you are interested in a work trade position, please contact Mary Hilts at mhilts@centrum (dot) org.
Cancellation/Refund Policy
Full payment is due June 22, 2026. If your full payment is not made at this time, your registration could be canceled; $100 of your deposit is nonrefundable.
Any fee that includes a room: no refunds available after June 22, 2026.
Tuition, meals and/or airport shuttle: no refunds available after June 22, 2026.
Meals
Meals are served at Fort Worden Commons. The first meal is dinner on Monday, July 27; the last meal is breakfast on Sunday, August 2, 2026.
Our new food service provider is locally based Planted. Planted offers nourishing plant-based meals and ingredients that are locally sourced from the Olympic Peninsula. For more info on Planted, visit plantedporttownsend.com.
Blues Travel Tips
Book flights so you:
Arrive at Sea/Tac airport Monday July 27, 2026 - by 1pm Pacific Time, and
Depart Sea/Tac no earlier than 1pm on Sunday August 2, 2026. (Port Townsend is two hours from Sea/Tac on a good day.)
If you’re interested in transportation from SeaTac Airport to Fort Worden, choose the shuttle option for when you register.
The shuttle costs: $120 round-trip or $60 one-way.
Traditional Blues shuttle schedule:
Arrive – Monday, July 27, 2026, pick-up at SEA/TAC airport, 2pm, Pacific Time.
Depart – Sunday, August 2, 2026, depart Centrum at Port Townsend, 9am sharp, Pacific Time.
If you have any more questions about Centrum’s Traditional Blues, please contact Mary Hilts at 360-385-3102, x116, or mhilts@centrum (dot) org.
PERFORMANCES
Workshop tuition includes admission to everything, including the public performances listed below.
CENTRUM TRADITIONAL BLUES FESTIVAL
Traditional Blues Dance
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
McCurdy Pavilion with the big doors open to Littlefield Green.
Bring a lawn chair to put your sweater on while you dance.
Traditional Blues - Gospel Choir Performance
Saturday, August 1, 2026 11:00 a.m., USO Hall
Traditional Blues Showcase
Saturday, August 1, 2026
1:30 p.m., McCurdy Pavilion
Blues in the Clubs
Friday, July 31, 2026
Saturday, August 1, 2026
Various Fort Worden Venues
7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
PAST ARTIST FACULTY
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.
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.
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.…
Eden Brent
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.…
Mark Brooks
Bass
Mark Brooks is one of New Orleans’ premiere bassist. He is noted for his versatility vocally as well as instrumentally. Mark is a protégée of the late great Jazz Master, Alvin Batiste along with several of his close friends Branford Marsalis, Donald Harrison, and Henry Butler. Mark has toured and performed with an array of artists across genres such as Jazz, Blues, R&B, and Gospel.…
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.
Pamela English
Gospel Choir
Pam English’s musical journey began at age three, when Pam began singing in the youth choir at Unity Baptist Church Detroit. Private piano lessons began at age 7 and she recorded her first album with the youth choir at age 9. Pam began playing for churches, directing and teaching choirs at the age of 10. This continued throughout high school, college, and well into her adult musical career.…
Leroy Etienne
Percussion
Leroy Etienne is a drummer, percussionist, washboard player, and vocalist, based in Lafayette, Louisiana. His critically album released in 2018 features original compositions by Etienne composed in Louisiana Creole. Featured song writer on the album and book ‘Le Kér Creole’ (Creole Compositions and Stories from Louisiana) native Creole speaker Leroy Etienne said in the 1950s, he was told by teachers not to speak “French” in school.…
Mary Flower
Guitar
Mary Flower’s immense finger picking guitar and lap-slide prowess is soulful and meter-perfect, a deft blend of the inventive, the dexterous and the mesmerizing. Her supple honey-and-whiskey voice provides the perfect melodic accompaniment to each song’s story.
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.…
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.…
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.…
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.
Hubby Jenkins
Banjo
Hubby Jenkins is a talented multi-instrumentalist who endeavors to share his love and knowledge of old-time American music.
Lakota John
Slide Guitar
Lakota John is a musician, producer and songwriter from Southeastern, North Carolina. Influenced by his dads music collection, he picked up the guitar at 7 years old and learned to play left-handed as well as slide guitar in standard tuning. Lakota John blends styles of Folk, Blues, Rock & Jazz with various instruments while mixing in part of his Indigenous heritage with sounds of the Native American flute.…
Reverend Robert Jones
Guitar
Rev. Robert Jones, Sr. is a native Detroiter and an inspirational storyteller and musician celebrating the history, humor and power of American Roots music. His deep love for traditional African American and American traditional music is shared in live performances that interweave timeless stories with original and traditional songs.
Shari Kane
Guitar
Shari started playing guitar at the age of five. By the early 1970’s she had become a devoted blues fan, and learned how to play fingerstyle blues on the acoustic guitar.
Valerie Kirchhoff
Voice
Valerie Kirchhoff (aka “Miss Jubilee”) is a vocalist and bandleader born and raised in St. Louis. Valerie grew up singing in church and school choirs, and discovered a passion for early jazz and blues while in her teens. She formed her first band in 2007 and has been a staple of the St. Louis music scene ever since.…
Judy LaPrade
Piano
Judy LaPrade is a life-long musician and teacher. She grew up in West Virginia where she played and sang in church. By junior high school she led and accompanied the patient choir at the local state mental hospital, then as an adult took the Blues into schools and music therapy groups for people with developmental challenges.…
Chaz Leary
Washboard
Though comfortable in all forms of our diverse American musical heritage, Washboard Chaz Leary has achieved dominance and international recognition in acoustic country blues.
Ethan Leinwand
Piano
Barrelhouse blues pianist and preservationist based in St. Louis, MO, and a student of the music’s rich history and varied regional styles, Ethan Leinwand presents personal interpretations of many of the great (and forgotten) old-time masters.
Lightnin Malcolm
Guitar
Cutting edge Mississippi Bluesman Lightnin’ Malcolm, a charismatic and energetic guitarslinger with a deep soulful voice, has taken his irresistible dance grooves from Juke Joint teen years to World Stages with mainstream artists such as Robert Plant, Jimmy Buffett, Robert Cray, The Black Keys, Widespread Panic, Big Head Todd, North Mississippi Allstars, Lucero and Gary Clark Jr.…
Rodrigo Mantovani
Bass
Born and raised in Brazil, Rodrigo has always had a deep love for American blues and roots music from a very young age. Rodrigo has been a member of some of the first ground breaking Blues bands in Brazil and because of his deep knowledge regarding the Traditional Blues, expertise and feel for the Blues, he has also been a first call bassist for many of the premier American Blues acts touring and recording with heavy weights of the Blues scene
John “Greyhound” Maxwell
Slide Guitar
John “Greyhound” Maxwell brings his singular approach to slide guitar and mandolin, paying homage to the craft and tradition of the masters, while infusing the music with fresh energy. David Lindley is quoted as saying, “John is the best bottleneck player I’ve heard in a long time.” With an approach that is authentic and understated, Maxwell plays with the warmth and dexterity of someone who has loved the blues over a lifetime.…
Tom Mitchell
Guitar
Tom Mitchell is a guitar player and singer rooted in the styles of the 1920’s and 30’s jazz, western swing, country blues and old-time music; he’s happily been both sideman and leader for a great variety of musical endeavors. In addition to singing and playing guitar, he’s played mandolin, banjo, tenor guitar or tiple when the need arose.…
Dean Mueller
Band Lab
Dean’s journey from bass player to front man was an unexpected but powerful transformation. After years of performing with renowned bands and blues legends, he stepped into the spotlight with his debut solo album, Life Ain’t All Roses (2023). The album showcased his storytelling abilities and the rich blend of his blues roots with folk-inspired melodies. Based in Oregon since 1998, Dean has become a key figure in the state’s music scene, both as a performer and a promoter.…
Johnny Nicholas
Blues Songs
Time is a river and you can never step in the same river twice. It’s all gonna change, but what came before shapes what comes after. There are certain people who seem to be in both places at once. Johnny Nicholas has played music and rambled with some of the most original and artistically powerful individuals of the American 20th century.
Jerron Paxton
Guitar
Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Paxton’s music is steeped in the rich cultural heritage of the Great Migration. His family’s journey from Shreveport, Louisiana, to the Athens neighborhood of South LA in the 1950s laid the foundation for his appreciation of Southern Black culture. As an only child, he spent much of his upbringing absorbing the culture his family had taken with them to California from the South.…
Nick Pence
Guitar
Nick Pence is a well-known guitar player from St. Louis. Nick plays with The Bottlesnakes, The Dust Covers or The New Missouri Fox Hunters. These two have worked together in the past, including forming a gospel group The Houndsteeth.
Mark Puryear
Improv, Blues Talks
Mark Puryear is a musician, ethnomusicologist, and curator. For the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, he curated the 2011 Rhythm and Blues: Tell It Like It Is program as well as the Freedom Sounds event that celebrated the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Jason Ricci
Harmonica
Jason Ricci born in Portland Maine USA is an award winning and decorated american singer and harmonica player. In his youth, Jason’s mother brought him to many live Blues shows in his early teens to witness performances of James Cotton, Charlie Musslewhite, Eddie Clearwater, Rod Piazza, Buckwheat Zydeco, Marcia Ball and many more.
In 1995 Ricci moved to Memphis Tennessee to be near and informally study with Johnny Winter sideman, harmonica player and singer Pat Ramsey.…
Lauren Sheehan
Band Lab
Lauren Sheehan brings her down-home music uptown, mixing old blues, early jazz and roots of country for a bluesbilly-good-time sound. Dubbed “Portland String Queen” by The Oregonian for her multi-instrumental prowess, Lauren is also known for her unforgettable voice and sings like “an angel with horns”, (Charlie Rowley, fan). She tours, teaches at Pacific University, and has recorded 5 CDs played on radio world-wide, including BBC, NPR, and BB King’s Bluesville.…
Shirley Smith
Gospel Choir
Shirley Smith is a Detroit native who studied under the tutelage of one of Detroit’s premier harpists and vocal instructors, Patricia Terry-Ross, who was her teacher at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School. Shirley studied voice, piano, and harp under Mrs. Ross.
David Steele
Guitar
Dave began performing as a barroom acoustic solo guitarist and singer while attending Allegheny College in Northwest Pennsylvania in the 1970’s. During the 80’s, Steele expanded his interest to electric blues, as a founding member of the Zipper City Blues Band.
Damon Stone
Blues Dance
Damon has been dancing his entire life, starting with vernacular Jazz/Blues first taught to him at the tender age of six by his grandmother. After nearly a decade of learning at the heels of his elders, he went on and eventually studied numerous dance forms until coming full circle in 1995 to focus primarily on the history and styles of partner dances as his family danced them with a special focus on the Southern Blues styles from the Mississippi Delta region.…
Kelsy Lynn Stone
Blues Dance
Kelsy brings her lifetime of dance training, a passion for vernacular dance, and a sharp eye for technique to the Blues dance world. She has brought her joy and knowledge of Blues idiom dances to some of the most important and high-profile events in the USA and across five continents, including but not limited to: bluesSHOUT!, The Experiment, Muse, Hearken the Blues, and Seoul Blues Dance Festival-serving as faculty, mentor, competition coordinator, and judge.…
Clay Swafford
Piano
Firmly rooted in the blues tradition, Clay Swafford was raised in the small rural community of Providence, Alabama. Born into a musical family; he was immersed in the sounds of Baptist Hymnals, Country and Bluegrass. He took interest in the piano at an early age and, after hearing the music of B.B King and Bobby Blue Bland at age 15, Clay was hooked on the blues.…
Teeny Tucker
Voice
Although Teeny was born into blues royalty, (daughter of Tommy “Hi-Heel Sneakers” Tucker), one need only to hear Teeny to know that she has cultivated and developed her “gifts” into her very own uniquely compelling world-class package. As a child, this Dayton Ohio native began singing in the church choir. This experience, like so many other soulful success stories, undoubtedly began to chart the course of Teeny’s music career.…
Chris Wallace
Gospel Choir
Chris Wallace, hailing from the small town of West Point, Georgia, has been immersed in music for as long as he can remember. Starting out at just 11 years old, Chris began playing music for churches, and it’s been his passion ever since. Currently, he serves as the Minister of Music at The Friendship Baptist Church in Columbus, GA, with past roles at Spirit Filled Ministries, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Asbury United Methodist Church, and Sightseeing Road Chapel at Fort Benning.…
