“Be honest and be yourself. I think that shines through. Following trends or being all about style over substance is lame, and most folks know it. If you're good and can play from your heart, people pick up on that—especially live! Music is universal. Especially the Blues!”

Chris O'Leary:…

“It is important that we preserve and grow the Blues, because of its musical and cultural importance. Compared to other genres of music the legacy of Blues outweighs all of them by leaps and bounds. This is not to say that other genres don’t have importance, because they do. But Blues is in a class by itself! This music has influenced people all over the world. In every corner of the planet people know the Blues.”…

“New Orleans is ALWAYS an inspiration: the culture, Black culture, the history, the people, the music, the food, the architecture, the animals, and the average of 167 live shows A DAY here. The way musicians feel time here is different—more relaxed and advanced than anywhere else I've ever been.”

Jason Ricci: 13 Hours…

“Blues is American history told from the inside. Preserving it means honoring the roots while letting it grow. Musicians are storytellers and healers. In divided times, music reminds people of shared humanity.”

Omar Colemam: Chicago Windy Blues

Living Blues…

“I think the role of musicians in society today is no different than it has been throughout history: people need the comfort and pleasure that art brings them, and  musicians (and all other artists) satisfy that craving. I am really fortunate that the thing that brings me pleasure - the act of playing music - can also bring satisfaction to others.”…

“The blues isn’t just a genre of music; it is a collaboration of a variety of cultures and lived experiences, including, but not limited to, moments of trauma and celebration. Preserving and spreading this music is essential in preserving American history, acknowledging and giving a voice to the stories and lives of those before us, who were often silenced.”…

“We aim to honour the blues masters whose shoulders we stand on, and to help preserve their legacy. At the same time, as we are part of the evolution and expansion of the art form in contemporary blues and blues rock, in our small way we are broadening and diversifying the audiences who come to appreciate blues-based music. Even if they don’t know it yet, everyone needs blues music in their lives eventually, for reflection,…

“I’m not really sure what blues means to me. I mean it’s EVERYTHING to me. Almost every major decision I’ve made from the age to 16 to the present, like careers, relationships, moving places, etc. I’ve factored how it would impact my music.”

Ryan Hartt: Be About …The Blues!…

"The blues means everything to me. I have grown up loving this music and making friends with some of the greatest of blues musicians. Most of life’s lessons have been learned in the context of this music. The greatest life lesson I have learned is to follow your heart and to believe in yourself."

Bob Corritore: Nothin' But The Blues…

"The blues is not just music; it is a point of view, a friend, a source of humor.  In the day-to-day world it can be a constant companion. It brings with it a relationship for the self, and the ability to make the best of things, whatever, come what may."

Mark Adams: Blues Breaths

Mark Adams was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and it…

“Not everybody have the Blues, everybody can play the Blues, if they you don't learn how to play it, but I was having you know …but then again everybody can encounter some Blues and depend on how you feeling…And if you can feel.”

JW Gilmore: All About The Blues

Experience the master…

“The Blues is considered the foundational form for most modern American popular music, giving rise to genres such as jazz, soul, rhythm and blues (R&B), and rock and roll. Blues is an emotional style of music that relates to people for what they are going through. This is the way I try to approach playing.”

Jeff Stone-Skolnikas: Rolling Blues Stone…

“Blues music is an American institution and should never be forgotten or tossed aside.  It is important to preserve the genre because it is really the root of all music today.”

Ernie Pinata: Delta Wires Play Chess

The Delta Wires band was created out of a love of the…

“I would like music to affect people in the sense that they can see and feel what happened to them. For example, that night when they listened to blues, did they feel that the music touched their soul? Or did they feel what the musicians were conveying while they played? Things like that.”

César Valdomir: Harp Attack Blues…

“Music of the past had soul...not after 1976...It's all production now...so it seems the AI may have a future with people that don't know anything about music...most of the music coming out seems to be more like Broadway musical theatre type of music...who knows? Maybe Robots will be the future singers and people will LOVE them!!”…

“Most of what is called the blues today has much more to do with the legacy of rock and roll than it does with the history of the blues. I'm not bitter about that. It just makes me appreciate the real blues I grew up with all the more.”

Kim Field: The Perfect Blues Gentleman…

“We need blues music! We need county music! We need Jazz music! We need Soul music! We can communicate through the above… It’s a sense of the inner being excited of something beyond what we can explain.”

Mark Feltham: Harmonica Gentleman

Mark Feltham is an English professional musician, best known for…

“The Blues helped create, Jazz, Be bop, Soul, RnB & gospel (maybe a disagreement there) ….plus the Blues had a Baby & they named that Baby Rock & Roll. I’m still spreading the news around, through my music today. It’s like I say, it’s not just music but a way of life, a whole history lesson.”

Paul Lamb: All About The…

“blues poet is there to reflect what they observe and comment on the situation. They can offer a viewpoint expressed in a musical way that can make people really feel deeply about life.”

Larry Kurtz: Take A (Blues) Ride…

“I think the role of blues music in today’s society is to remind America of its roots—of a slower time. A time when phones and social media didn’t exist. If you want to feel a piece of that, go down and stay in Clarksdale, Mississippi. That will put it all into perspective.”

Brandon Santini: Let’s Take the Blues…