"I see music in general as a common denominator, the thread that ties us together, regardless of race, culture, politics, or socio-cultural status. Certainly, some genres of music are preferred by cultures because of their environment and heritage, but if you look out at the crowd at a rock or blues festival, you see young, old, white, black, Latin, etc."

Georgia Randall: Peace, Love &…

"All modern music after the 1800s has been heavily influenced and shaped by American Blues. Blues is the parent genre to almost everything we hear these days, everything from Jazz, to electronica, to Hip Hop, it all started at the blues. It has bridged many gaps socially, at least in the US, and has always been a champion for diversity and inclusion."

Jackie Venson: The Girl & The…

"In many ways the impact of the blues and (maybe even more) the gospel music can't be overestimated in modern day culture."

Bror Gunnar Jansson:

Eclecticism, Creativity & Originality

Bror Gunnar Jansson is a Swedish one-person band who unleashes a garage-style hybrid of blues, rock…

"People have been getting the blues for years and will continue to get them. The blues of the past is the blues of the future."

Chris Rodriques:

Roots & Blooms of American Music

Chris Rodrigues plays the guitar, blows the harmonica, stomps on a suitcase with his right foot, taps on…

"Blues music reflects the feelings of the people who create it, and the feelings and conditions and situations shared by other people of the same culture. Making blues music and listening to it is a way for people to process the challenges they face."

Katy Hobgood Ray: The Dream Of Music

The duo of Katy Hobgood Ray and Dave Ray reminds us there is…

"Music reflects very much the culture of a place, like the language, the way people speak."

Anton Mühlhofer: Cubanton

Austrian musician/bandleader Anton (Toni) Mühlhofer, studied Classical Percussion at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Drums (Jazz) at the Conservatory of Vienna and further studies at the Berklee College of…

"Blake was a great visionary English poet. His line rang true for me, as I’ve indulged in plenty of excess in my time, and I feel now that I’ve been relieved of a hopeless state of mind and body, I should have learned something from the fun and games-and suffering!"

Tom Hyslop: A True Blues Knight

Blues Foundation “Keeping The Blues…

"Music can uplift and heal. What a breath of fresh air this grassroots music is, especially in today's modern, fast-paced, upside-down, plastic, digital world. But music (if we can even call it that) can also harm."

Tom Shaka: Mr. Delta Thunder

Tom Shaka, an American Bluesman of Sicilian ancestory, began singing and playing the guitar at the age…

"Gospel is most certainly an identifier for a specific genre of music with specific stylistic differences, but you could say it’s also a state of mind. More than any other kind of music, gospel music contains the answers to life’s problems—if someone chooses to listen."

Bob Marovich: The Enlighten of Gospel

Robert M. Marovich is the founder and…

"Blues is a way of life...Blues artists just want to have fun."

Robert Jr Whitall: Big City Blues Colors

Robert Jr. Whitall is publisher and editor-in-chief of Big City Rhythm & Blues magazine. His interest in art was discouraged by his parents but his creative talents would flourish through four decades of photography and music promotion and…

"Jazz is fun and exciting music, and the literature about it should be the same. Some of the people writing dense, academic books nowadays on jazz have lost touch with the fun in the music—maybe that’s required for them to get credentials and tenure. But it’s said to see boring writing on such enjoyable music."

Ted Gioia: All About The Jazz…

"The blues is a long, hard road and nobody said it would be easy, make you a lot of money, super stardom or anything else. Therefore I've never expected that from this music."

Mark Hummel: A True Blues Survivor

Grammy-nominted Harmonica man, singer, songwriter, bandleader, author, and impresario MARK HUMMEL was born in New Haven, CT but moved to…

"Blues is changing in many ways, yet is wonderfully stubborn as well. It needs to evolve to survive, but respecting the roots is paramount. It will be a balance between new and old from now on, since most of the inventors and pioneers have inevitably passed."

Jimmy Voegeli: The Gumbo of The Jimmys

The Jimmys are a Kick Ass Blues/R&B band from…

"Music is a great connector of humans and famously has always brought people together who mightn’t have otherwise found themselves bridging these divides."

Paula Henderson: The Expression Of Life

“Moist” Paula Henderson a/k/a Secretary is one of the world’s most distinctive and highly sought-after baritone saxophonists. She got her nickname as the…

"I really wish that music got as much emphasis in our schools as math and language do. When I was in elementary school, music class really grabbed my attention and I enjoyed it so much, but then the school decided to discontinue the music program and I was so disappointed."

Rae Gordon: Blues & Soul Experiences

The multi-award-winning Rae…

"Some may argue the 50's and 60's were the hay day, however, I think there's always going to be players, singers and bands that love Soul and Blues. Los Angeles is a melting pot of characters that come from around the world to seek success in music, film, arts and all the creative fields. Soul and Blues is timeless and will always be represented."

Jack Mack & The Heart…

"Well, Blues just like rap has always been the news of the streets and neighborhoods it is the CNN of life in the ghetto or poor!"

Sugaray Rayford: Southern Soul Blues

Texas-born soul blues singer and songwriter, “Sugaray” Rayford has released six albums to date and was awarded “BMA soul blues artist of the year” in 2019. Sugaray Rayford,…

"I'll probably be showing my age but I miss a great songs and great albums the most. I'm particularly drawn to the 70s in terms of everything driven from a black perspective. The great musicians, movies, fashion and sports stars that came out of that period… whether that's the Afro hairstyle, Muhammad Ali, Stevie Wonder or Viv Richards."

Andrew John: Music From The Soul…

"Blues was an expression of community and solidarity. And it was the beginnings of all western popular music. From jazz to Rock and Roll. Motown, Soul, R n' B, Hip-Hop and even Rap can all be traced back to it."

Dawn Tyler Watson: Lady Sings The Blues

With more than two decades of performing arts in her playbook and five albums to her credit,…

"I hope music is a release from those exact things that divide us. All music. I want to get as far away from that division as I can, personally. Many acts I love have had political statements, lyrics, causes, platforms and so on. That doesn’t have anything to do with what I love about their art, whether I agree with them or not."

Brian Mullins: Southern Rock Blues Ways…