"Blues offers insight into the daily struggles and highlights of everyday hard-working people. It is raw and authentic at its essence. I want people to listen to our music and take a break, lose themselves, and find some momentary relief from the weight of their daily lives."

Gina Coleman: Blues Roots and Beyond

Misty Blues' founder and lead singer, Gina Coleman, is a graduate of Williams College. She began singing in 1990 on a dare by her co-workers and hasn’t turned back since. She began performing in a duet, The Siblings. Gina shortly started her own duet, Cole-Connection, which blossomed to a five-piece band that allowed her to showcase some of her original music. Gina has performed in the Williamstown Theater Festival as the lead gospel singer in “A Raisin in the Sun.” She also made several appearances at NYC’s famed Bitter End. Misty Blues was a featured group at Mass MoCa’s blues festival. Gina and the band have had the pleasure of performing with Charles Neville from the legendary Neville Brothers at several venues in Western, MA and opening for blues staples. Musical influences include Janis Joplin, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, and Tuck & Patti. In 2019 the band became a finalist in the International Blues Challenge and released a music video directed by documentary filmmaker, Dave Simonds. In fact, their original recordings have hit the airwaves on blues radio stations across the globe.

(Gina Coleman / Photo © by Rick Pauline)

In 2020 album titled Weed 'Em & Reap. Misty Blues' released the first live, first acoustic, and first tribute album to the late great Odetta "Tell Me Who You Are: A Live Tribute To Odetta" (2023). Misty Blues and lead singer, Gina Coleman, celebrate 25 years of composing and performing original blues with hints of jazz, funk, soul and tent revival gospel. Misty Blues has recorded with Charles Neville, Joe Louis Walker, Eric Gales, Justin Johnson, Kat Riggins, Early Times and Matt Cusson. They have also opened for traditional & contemporary blues artists like Tab Benoit, Mike Zito, Albert Castiglia, Shemekia Copeland, John Primer, Michael Powers, Roomful Of Blues, Albert Cummings, James Montgomery and Gray Clark Jr. "Carry On This Way" marks the first single from their 17th album, "Other Side Of Blue," which will be released in 2025.

Interview by Michael Limnios

How has the Blues music (and culture of) influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

I’m not sure that blues music has influenced my views of the world, but it has certainly been the soundtrack of my life. My struggles and my unwillingness to relent in the face of those struggles are the themes most prevalent in my music.

How do you describe your sound, music philosophy and songbook? Where does your creative drive come from?

I’ve never achieved anything in my life with ease. My creative outpourings come from my resilience; a thematic thread throughout the music I write. I would say that my music squarely falls in the contemporary blues sub-genre. Misty Blues' music is rooted in the blues, but heavily infused with jazz, funk, soul and tent revival gospel.

What moment changed your music life the most?

Misty Blues making it to the finals of the 2019 International Blues Challenge. Everything started to change for us in terms of our rapid expansion of followers outside of the Northeastern United States.      

”The blues has taught me how to better express my emotions. I channel my deepest feelings in the delivery of the music in ways I was incapable of doing prior to becoming a blues artist. The blues is a vessel that allows me to convey my authentic self. To me, the blues means freedom.” (Misty Blues and lead singer, Gina Coleman, celebrate 25 years of composing and performing original blues with hints of jazz, funk, soul and tent revival gospel / Photo © by Roman Jones)

What do you learn about yourself from the blues and what does the blues mean to you?

The blues has taught me how to better express my emotions. I channel my deepest feelings in the delivery of the music in ways I was incapable of doing prior to becoming a blues artist. The blues is a vessel that allows me to convey my authentic self. To me, the blues means freedom.

What musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What's the balance in music between technique (skills) and soul/emotions?

I am an insatiable student of the female roots of the genre — the Queens of the Blues. It was their music that inspired me to start Misty Blues 25 years ago. But I find the most musical inspiration in the musicians I surround myself with daily. That blues vessel holds the deep emotions, but it’s the musicians that give it voice, provide the release — without those proficient skills, the blues would not connect with the audience.

How did that idea of new release “Other Side of Blue” (2025)  come about and how do you describe album’s sound and songbook?

On our upcoming 17th album, we continue to explore the outer reaches of the blues, integrating other derivative genres into the music. Where Other Side of Blue differs from our last few albums is that we hope to serve our Blues fusion pieces with our take on more traditionally rooted original compositions on the same plate. A smorgasbord.

”I’m not sure that blues music has influenced my views of the world, but it has certainly been the soundtrack of my life. My struggles and my unwillingness to relent in the face of those struggles are the themes most prevalent in my music.” (Gina Coleman has recorded with Charles Neville, Joe Louis Walker, Eric Gales, Justin Johnson, Kat Riggins, Early Times and Matt Cusson / Photo © by Rick Pauline)

Do you have any interesting stories about the making of the new album Other Side of Blue?

This is one of the few albums where we road-tested the songs to audiences before we entered the studio. I generally like to maintain some mystery with our new music, but I was finding that our recordings were starting to greatly diverge from our live performances of the same songs. Except for one show, we have slyly performed these new compositions to audiences without their knowledge in an attempt to produce an album that sounds more like our live performances.

What are you doing to keep your music relevant today, to develop it and present it to the new generation?

I’ve purposely included younger artists into the inner workings of the band. My son Diego Mongue and his cadre of talented musicians — Cameron Bencivenga, Joel Nicholas and Liam Giszter — have invigorated our delivery, offering us new ways to interpret the music and piquing the interest of younger audiences.

What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome as a person and as artist and has this helped you become a better blues musician?

The most difficult obstacle for me to deal with has been the blues industry. After 25 years and 17 albums, we have devoted supporters from across the globe, but have not garnered the more formal recognitions that would sweeten the pot. It’s that quest for a seat at the table that fuels my creativity and drive. I am exceptionally fortunate to be surrounded by a core of musicians with a similar vision and passion.

"The dichotomy of her (Odeta's) musical leanings is certainly enticing to this devoted follower. She sang from a place of great conviction, and irreverent humor. She also had an undeniably distinctive voice; she made folks truly listen to the lyrical content of her music." (Gina Coleman / Photo © by Roger Stephenson)

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music? What has remained the same about your music-making process?

I am much more confident in my artistry, and I’ve grown to trust my instincts regarding the musicians I’ve surrounded myself with to create music. My writing process has and remains a non-process; songs just come to me, and I capture them and then send them on to the band for their personal contributions.

Currently you’ve one release (Live) tribute to Odetta. How did that idea come about?

I had the honor and privilege of spending an evening with Odetta in the mid-90’s at the Bottom Line club in NYC. Ever since that meeting, I’ve longed to pay her tribute. We had a unique opportunity to do a live recording at Studio 9 Porches in North Adams, MA this past May, so I used that fortune to finally pay my respects to the Queen Of Folk.

Why do you think that Odetta’s music and life continues to generate such a devoted following?

The dichotomy of her musical leanings is certainly enticing to this devoted follower. She sang from a place of great conviction, and irreverent humor. She also had an undeniably distinctive voice; she made folks truly listen to the lyrical content of her music.

Do you think there is an audience for Blues/Roots/Folk music in its current state? or at least a potential for young people to become future audiences and fans?

Audiences will be drawn to Blues/ Roots/ Folk as long as there are foundations/organizations created to provide opportunities for young artists to greatly develop their musicianship. For example, The Blues Foundation hosts a youth showcase during their annual International Blues Challenge held in Memphis, Tennessee. Additionally, their Generation Blues scholarship provides young musicians with the funding to attend blues instructional camps across the country and Canada.

"I’ve never achieved anything in my life with ease. My creative outpourings come from my resilience; a thematic thread throughout the music I write. I would say that my music squarely falls in the contemporary blues sub-genre. Misty Blues' music is rooted in the blues, but heavily infused with jazz, funk, soul and tent revival gospel." (Gina Coleman / Photo © by Claude Swayer)

Are there any memories from gigs, jams, open acts and studio sessions which you’d like to share with us?

During our last tour to AL and MS, I surprised the band with a late-night recording session at Fame Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL. We recorded three tracks from our last album during that session and it was a magical experience to create music in a space that has produced some of the most iconic songs of our lifetime.

What do you miss most nowadays from the blues of the past? What are your hopes and fears for the future of?

Blues was performed by lifelong blues musicians who spent their entire careers grinding out their music on the road; their struggles were audibly palpable and authentic. My fear for the blues of the future is that there is a trend where great musicians of yesteryears from other genres are finding their second wind creating blues music and taking up precious radio airplay and awards away from musicians who have dedicated their entire lives to creating and performing the blues.

What does to be a female artist in a Man’s World as James Brown says? What is the status of women in music?

Blues music was first brought to the masses by African American female artists. Mamie Smith was the first African American artist to make a vocal blues recording. The Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, was the highest paid Black performer of the 20’s & 30’s. I think female blues artists are fairly represented on the blues airways of today, but I can’t quantitatively speak on the gender equity of their financial compensation.

What would you say characterizes Massachusetts blues scene in comparison to other US local scenes and circuits?

Where we call our home base in Berkshire County Massachusetts, has been historically aligned with folk music; being home of Arlo Guthrie. Outside of Albert Cummings, I’m hard pressed to name any other chart-topping blues artists from Massachusetts.

"I would love to see a landscape where being a non-labeled artist didn’t prevent the most prominent promotional outlets from widely sharing that music." (Gina Coleman / Photo © by Anthony Earl)

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

Not everyone will appreciate or find value in what you do, but it’s important to fuel what makes you whole. I know that I am a better people person to the people around me because of the centering afforded to me through my music.

If you could change one thing in the musical world and it would become a reality, what would that be?

I would love to see a landscape where being a non-labeled artist didn’t prevent the most prominent promotional outlets from widely sharing that music.

What is the impact of Blues on the racial, political and socio-cultural implications? How do you want it to affect people?

Blues offers insight into the daily struggles and highlights of everyday hard-working people. It is raw and authentic at its essence. I want people to listen to our music and take a break, lose themselves, and find some momentary relief from the weight of their daily lives.

Let’s take a trip with a time machine, so where and why would you really want to go for a whole day?

It would love to go to Merryville, Louisiana in 1935 to hear my grandmother sing. Family members often compared her to the legendary opera and spiritual singer, Marion Anderson. I was never fortunate enough to ever hear my grandmother sing, so it would be thrilling to hear where my voice was genetically derived.

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(Misty Blues and lead singer, Gina Coleman /Photo © by Chris Griffiths)