"The tradition is so big and the history so long, there is so much honesty and connection within the songs and stories, the blues holds it all. It's really a kind of gift. A means by which we can recognize and acknowledge whatever is happening and find the way forward."

Rob Lutes: Journey Into The Unknown

Since the release of his first album…

"Music has always been a place for people to find common ground. And to also point out where things aren’t going so well. We still have so far to go, and yet music is a fantastic bridge that brings people together. Think of protest songs, sea shanty’s, certainly gospel songs that preach unity. It has and always will be part of our culture."

Cathy Grier: Buried Alive In…

"Roots music was the original protest music. While it spoke on an individual level about the challenges faced by everyday people, it also spoke on a societal level about injustice in all areas."

Clint Morgan: Under The Blues Law

Americana singer/songwriter and Blues Pianist Clint Morgan, a charter member of the International Blues Foundation, has…

"I think blues brings people of all backgrounds together as everyone can relate and honestly, I believe that it's a very open accepting genre. I've seen where other traditionally rooted African-American music has remained in the black community where as in blues it's become a wonderful blend of all people."

Alex Lopez: Alter Blues/Rock Mixology…

"The message is immediately accessible in heart and soul. So, I think the music that was being created that addressed these issues was had a huge impact on the thinking of that generation and deeply motivated activism and getting involved to go down and go on civil rights marches in the south and protest the Vietnam War and everything since."

Maria Muldaur: Let’s Get Happy…

"The similarities are easy because everybody around the world is looking for the same things in life, like happiness, health and joy for their family and friends and their community, that is universal."

Mark Johnson: Playing For Change

Mark Johnson is a Grammy award-winning producer/engineer and award-winning film director. For the past 20 years,…

"Gospel and Blues will forever generate a core based following because of what they mean emotionally from a race of people."

Dexter Allen: The Blues Stronghold 

Mixture of Blues, Soul, R&B and Funk with blues being the stronghold. Dexter Allen born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, and raised on a farm and grew up understanding that life can…

"I think Jazz is a non-term. Like the term Love, which inherently encapsulates the best and worst of us. Can Jazz be a state of mind? I guess in a popular culture way, it can. Jazz being freedom of expression and lessons of the past, together in a mindset of understanding."

Lewis Achenbach: Jazz Occurrence

Chicago artist Lewis Achenbach is a…

“Before fans used to come to concerts to listen to the music, to enjoy themselves, to spend time with friends and to have a memorable experience. Nowadays more and more people are coming to hang out with their smartphones, to just take pictures and videos of artists as a token, “look I was there, “instead of enjoying the live performance; especially the younger fans.”

Tomislav Goluban: Express…

"The cultural history of the Blues is a microcosm of American history. So many great things about this country have come about as a result of the voices and actions of the underprivileged or disenfranchised."

Shakin' Woods: The Blues Sessions

Shakin’ Woods is a blues band from the Washington, DC region, formed in 2019. The band consists of…