"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…

"The blues is a music of sharing that we play with our guts or that we listen to with this feeling that touches us deep inside. The blues creates emotions and therefore when you feel them with several people, it inevitably creates strong links. Obviously, blues is a music that brings people together."

Same Player Shoot Again: King Blues

In 2018,…

"It can give a troubled heart words of solace, and if one is attentive, a way to give voice to one’s feelings.  It can become a journey of friendships, appreciation of great skill in one of the oldest arts, and if one is persistent, perhaps to be humble and kind.  No wants on this poet’s part—float your boat with poem down the stream, and be content with wherever it goes."

David Cope: Big Scream…

"Music is the greatest way that people can connect in a way that is irrespective of their prejudices or biases about politics or religion or culture or race or economics. The language of Music is more capable of bringing people and ideas together than the words and fictions that make up society. Those once useful tools have become inadequate to reach agreements and understanding with each other."…

"Blues music is a release and sharing of pain, similar to grief, you get through it with others and this form of music does that for me, and so many others. It is similar to prayer in a way."

Sunday Wilde: Peace, Blues, and Trouble

Sunday Wilde is from the wilds of a northern Ontario small town, and has been found singing everywhere from small…

"As with any facet of that goes, I think it’s (Cactus music) in the quality and consistency of the songs. Incendiary performances also seal the deal!"

Jimmy Kunes: Rockin' Blues Acrobat

'70s classic rock legends CACTUS released their new album, "Tightrope" (2021) by Cleopatra Records. CACTUS came to be known as "the American LED ZEPPELIN," a…

"The most important lessons I have learned in my music path is perservance. Some believe you get an agent and everything will fall into place. Wrong. It’s hard work and one must practice their craft, write, connect with like-minded musicians and start creating your own success. It’s not an easy path as many do not understand the hard work that it takes."

Laura Tate: Beauty, Heart &…

"Honestly, I don't know much about jazz specifically but about music in general, I would say creating happiness, a feeling of human closeness, a positive and generous energy, a certain form of spirituality ..."

Renaud Garcia-Fons: Music Visions

Renaud Garcia-Fons was born in 1962 near Paris to parents from the Catalonia region of northeastern…

"I don’t miss anything from the music of the past - I believe that all music exists in the present. Folk, Roots and Blues music should evolve to reflect the times we live in, right?"

Bob Bradshaw: The Ghost Light Tales

Singer/songwriter Bob Bradshaw will be released his new CD,…

"I think that the impact of blues rock is year after year less powerful, because it’s been mainly a man type of music. It even became a white man type of music through the years. I think that society has a craving for new types of models and if the blues rock genre isn’t able to reinvent itself, people will look someplace else."

Endrick & The Sandwiches:…

"I miss the ubiquity of live music. Seven nights a week there were little combos in bars, concert bands in the park, community marching bands, jazz groups at weddings and parties. Most of the music we consume now is recorded, so I worry the traditions of playing live will be forgotten or lost. I remain hopeful that humanity’s need for music will keep it all alive, though perhaps much different than before."…

"I think the impact of music on the world is understated, undeniable, and incalculable. All peoples find joy from making and listening to music. I want my music to make people happy and deeply think."

Chris St. John: The Soundtrack of Dreams

Over the last quarter century, Long Island singer/songwriter Chris St. John has truly led a diverse and…

"Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, and Joe Morello, they were probably my major idols. Just to keep things going like we do in a band. It is harder for drummers to make things work in this business as you are always in the back so you have to constantly keep moving to get the train moving… Drummers are many times those most organized in the band!"

Carmine Appice:…

"The blues are under represented by the bloodline they came from and that makes the blues misunderstood and not viewed as a powerful tool to promote change. We have work to do to if we want to be seen as movers and shakers in the music industry. Movers and shakers have resources to get things done outside of the music industry."

Tia Carroll: You Gotta Have It!…