"Blues is a very direct and raw music. Something that kicks you in the guts. It shoots you right in the heart. It makes you lose your mind. But it still makes you feel good and lets you know you're not alone. We all have the blues. It's only human. When the groove hits you, it makes you forget your troubles, takes you to another world. That's blues to me, and maybe that's why people still like…

"The blues music has power and can reach the people. Sometimes the parents who listen to the blues pass the music to their children’s. Also thanks to the new generation of blues artists whose music was inspired by old blues music."

Petra Börnerová Trio: The Blues Is Alright!

Petra Börnerová Trio is a project of Czech vocalist Petra…

"Blues was the foundation of rock music, but the more rock sound took over. music has to come from the heart, you must have music knowledge, but playing from the heart is the key."

Delta Wires: Rocking Big Band Blues

The DELTA WIRES is a big, high-energy harmonica and horns blues band from the Oakland/San Francisco Bay Area. They were Finalists…

"If you are true to yourself and really know yourself as an artist and know what you’re laying down is the real deal, then you rise above all the noise and the crap that’s involved."

Buddy Reed: The Real Blues Deal

Ivan Elmo "Buddy" Reed got his start playing the blues in San Bernardino,…

"The spirit is our soul, music is spiritual and the meaning of life, mission."

Johnny Mars: The Spiritual Music of Blues

Johnny Mars is an electric blues harmonica player, singer, and songwriter. Over a long career, he has worked with Magic Sam, Earl Hooker, B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Jesse Fuller, Spencer Davis, Ian Gillan, Do-Re-Mi, Bananarama and…

"If my music brings happiness and joy, or touches someone, gives them what they need…then I’ve succeeded. I don’t understand any of the spirit, music, or the meaning of life! I look for the joy in things. I’m pretty simple in my happiness."

Libby Rae Watson:

Mississippi Blues Woman…

"Some music genres are joyful when young and get heavier and harder during the time. I think that Blues is fresh as it was at the beginning. Every generation transfers a part of older music styles to the next generation. No fear for the Blues!"

Bok Blues: Original Blues Experience

Bok Blues presents original blues music inspired by love and many…

"Blues & Jazz are at the root of all popular music today. They are the foundations of American Music, and are a few of the threads that bind our country and generations of people together over time. I saw how music affected those who were locked down during the Pandemic of '20/'21. Folks danced, smiled, and sometimes had tears in their eyes at being able to enjoy something that they once took for granted."…

"Music used to be regional. A place had a defining sound that was unique in and of itself. It came from the struggles and stories of the people there. The rhythms came from what was in nature in that area. The stories came from the experiences- the work, the struggle, the joy- of life there. That still exists a tiny bit, but the immediate access to everything homogenizes culture. And I don’t think you can turn back the clock on…

"Everything affects everything around it, I think that's the nature of physics. A great piece of music will have a specific, if initially intangible, effect on anyone who hears it and it stands a chance to affect that individual's future actions for the greater good. Sometimes, it actually does this."

Mike Keneally: The Thing That Knowledge Can’t Eat…

"Follow your instincts, when it comes to creating music keep the outside sources at bay and listen to your inner voice."

Ruth Wyand: Guitar Routes, US Roots

Being diversified is Ruth Wyand’s specialty. Demonstrating guitar virtuosity with powerful fingerpicking, bottleneck slide and a warm alto voice Ruth plays a mix of Americana, jazz, blues,…

"As far as "what is key to a music life well lived"? I think if you're true to yourself personally and musically and have a good work ethic, are kind to those you work & travel with, and give your all to the ones close to you when you're home, that's a pretty decent way to try and go about it!"

Cindy Cashdollar: A Musical Slide Touch

Cindy…

"Blues is a very wide-ranging genre, much more than the general public might imagine."

Fiona Boyes: Blues in Her Heart

Fiona Boyes plays deep Blues, influenced by a myriad of traditional regional styles. She has carved an international reputation as a blues guitarist, bandleader, vocalist and songwriter. International reviewers have described her…

"Music is life -there is music everywhere, not just in the concert halls with instruments, but on the street corners, and certainly in nature - but you just have to listen for it...With that said, not everyone is cut out to be in the music business as a profession and doing your 'artistic thing' -AND- trying to make money, which is not easy and not for everyone (no matter how talented you are!). Whatever you do--enjoy the music above…

"Well, I just go with the flow. However I'm feeling at the moment when I'm playing."

Gail Ceasar: Guitar Woman Blues

Gail Ceasar is a self-taught Piedmont blues and bluegrass singer/guitarist, who through the help of the Music Maker Foundation is releasing an authentic blues album titled Guitar Woman Blues (2023). Floating…

"New Orleans is unlike any other place. It’s always growing in some way, shape, or form. When music is in any new age, New Orleans stands the test. It’s a place where the music lives in the streets, in the buildings, on the rooftops, and anywhere you can find people. That has always been the case. Now, people know that if the whole world dried up of its musical well, New Orleans would be the one place guaranteed to fulfill that thirst. They’ll always know…

"New Orleans music is a big label that covers many styles and that is because there are so many influences in our city. Check out our Los Hombres Calientes. In one album it can take you from Brazil to Haiti to the Dominican Republic to Cuba to Jamaica and to New Orleans. There is Funk, Rumba, Salsa, Jazz, Blues annd more all in one album."

Mark Samuels: Dance on The Basin…

"When I first saw Marcel Marceau perform and then met him personally, I was deeply touched by his humanity. His “art of silence” speaks across all languages, all ethnicities, more eloquently than words. He has profound understanding of human nature and the human condition, surprising and delighting us while implanting powerful insight into who we are and how we relate to each other and the world around us. He’s a storyteller in the most fundamental way that…

"Being part of the blues and rock counterculture has given me a more relaxed approach to life and a better understanding of people, their beliefs and cultures."

Gary Kendall: Maple Groove & Soul

Gary Kendall is one of the best-known bassists in Canadian Blues, having toured and recorded with the legendary Downchild Blues Band, 1979-83 and…

"I miss the meaningful lyrics, strong melody, and bass lines with stimulating chord progressions. I also miss reading the liner notes of an album to get a feel of the artist better. My hope is today’s artists would create great music that will have longevity and meaning. My fear is that the music of the past will get lost and not resurface. 

Quisha Wint: Eclectic Emotions &…