"But the fact is that musicians have always been at the front of social and political issues. Because of the nature of our creativity we are sensitive to racial and social issues, and I believe it is up to us to speak out for what we believe: for me it is Equality, Respect, and Social Justice."

Jimmy Carpenter: Soul Doctor & His Sax

Jimmy…

"I miss hearing music on the radio that was performed 100% by humans.  I personally get excited by new music that makes you question if it was recorded in the 60’s or 70’s.  There is a warmth, an ease, a human approach to that sound."

Moonshine Society: Sweet Thing

Locally in Washington, DC, the band of Moonshine Society gives a big nod to Aesop’s…

"The Memphis sound continues to generate fans today because it is authentic. It is original. It is a combination of blues, folk and gospel and comes from the tribulations of African Americans through the years. People feel the real deal when they hear it."

Vaneese Thomas: Rootsy & Gospely …

"Blues doesn’t have many boundaries. There are common forms but also other ways to express the sound and feeling.  The irony is that most blue music make people happy when they hear it. The music is always evolving but the roots of the sound are simplicity and emotion."

Altered Five Blues Band:

Blues Power, Ten Thousand…

"The blues is in fact a state of mind. Otherwise you just play music."

Al Cook: Nothing But The Blues Roots

Al Cook (born Alois Koch) grew up in Vienna, Austria. The visit of the Elvis movie Gold from a hot throat at the age of fifteen awoke in him the desire to make music. He started teaching himself guitar, piano and singing. After first…

"Poetry’s roots are lyrical and this continues to expand and illuminate as can be seen in the cultural preeminence of hip-hop. Music is the blood flow of our cosmic existence on terrestrial earth."

Todd Swindell: Harold Norse Blues

Todd Swindell is writer and archivist based in Sonoma County, California. As a close friend of Beat poet Harold…

"Destroy all egos and attain emptiness."

Tate Swindell: The Sūtra of The Beats

Archivist, Poet and Photographer, Tate Swindell is the founder of Unrequited Records, which specializes in poetry records released on the vinyl format. The latest release was an album of rare Gregory Corso readings from the late 1970s that included previously…

"Jazz is a black artist music. There are monumental messages in the history of the music. The artists behind these sounds stand tall over the history of the world. Jazz always has reaction and perspective on the days events. Jazz is always going to be an important part of the changing world we live in."

Martel Chapman: The Art of Jazz

Heavily…

"I think it’s an indispensable part of our lives. We couldn’t be here, if it wasn’t for all of the music that came out of the south, the music that came into this country through Louisiana to the North Coast. That’s where the blues music came in."

Delbert McClinton: Ulysses Of American Roots Music

Tall, Dark, & Handsome (2019, Thirty…