“ B.B. King: Live In Africa captures the legendary blues guitarist's 1974 performance in Kinshasa, Zaire. This concert was part of a three-day celebration of black sports and music that also featured the "Rumble in the Jungle" heavyweight championship fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali…his performances of "The Thrill Is Gone," "Sweet Sixteen," "I Like to Live the Love," and "Why I Sing the Blues" rank among his best .” Heather Pares I’ve pulled together a cracking show for the last ne...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 33 min•Season 4Ep. 49
"Up-to-date, raw-edged blues…unassailable musicianship, passion and conviction." —Chicago Reader "Jumping, rocking blues…Peterson is a triple-threat player, excelling on guitar, piano and especially Hammond organ." —Washington Post Another classic blues release from 1994 this week, featuring Lucky Petersons 2nd Verve records release “Beyond Cool” Plus new releases from Shemekia Copeland, Eric Bibb, Ruthie Foster, Eli “Paper Boy” Reed, Jimmy Carpenterand Tab Benoit. #blueswithafeelingpodcast #sha...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 4Ep. 48
“Hellbent for blues, the red-hot Red Devils have cranked out the year's most electrifying live album, a stunning debut. Even a band this sharp and spirited will be hard-pressed to top it. The raw and rootsy King King, produced by sonic sharpshooter Rick Rubin, was recorded at L.A.'s King King club, where the Devils served as house band for six years. Whether blasting their own Goin' to the Church or breathing new fire into Sonny Boy Williamson's loping Cross Your Heart, the band outshines any co...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 4Ep. 47
“As the milestone tenth studio album from blues luminary Ruthie Foster, Mileage finds the singer-songwriter reflecting on a life full of professional triumphs, personal loss, and a musical journey that took a self-described “little Black girl with a guitar” from singing at churches in rural Texas to chalking up multiple Grammy nominations and collaborating with fellow greats such as Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks.” I’m joined on the show by Ruthie Foster this week as we chat about her latest al...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 4Ep. 46
“After many years this is the debut of one of the living legends of Texas blues, drummer/singer and songwriter Bramhall. Since his early days back in 1964, Doyle has been a constant figure on the scene in Dallas with the Chessmen and (Texas) Storm, working together with the young Vaughan brothers. He moved to New Orleans to play with Mason Ruffner, joined Rocky Hill and backed Marcia Ball out of Austin. In 1973 he wrote 'Dirty Pool' together with S.R.V., they joined forces again during the late ...
Nov 25, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Season 4Ep. 45
“I’m real proud of it… This is the album where I finally found my ‘voice’ thanks to my dear friend Greg Leisz, who produced and played on the album while guiding me to some of the best performances I had done to that point in my career.” － Dave Alvin I’m featuring Davin Alvins 1994 Hightone Records classic King Of California this week, Plus new releases from Ruthie Foster, Shemekia Copeland, Eric Bibb, Duke Robillard, Eddie 9V, Vanessa Carpenter and Jimmy Carpenter. #blueswithafeelingpodcast #bl...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Swingin’ Live at the Church in Tulsa is a snapshot of a vibrant octogenarian artist who is still moving forward. Taj Mahal picks through his vast catalog to reexamine a handful of gems and uses his ever-deepening mastery of American roots music to put a new shine on songs that in some cases he has been playing since the start of his career in the ’60s. Scott McLennan Celebrating the announcement of Taj Mahals latest Grammy award nomination by featuring Taj Mahals Swinging Sextet Live At The Chur...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 4Ep. 43
"This album is dedicated to my teachers and inspirations, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, B.B. King and Robert Jr. Lockwood and to the memories of Francis Snyder, Wilma Lieberman, Beth Christensen, and Arnold Hanson." Ronnie Earl Continuing my celebration of Blues With A Feelings 30 years on air in 2024 by reaching back to this classic Bullseye Blues release by Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters this week. Plus new releases from Eric Bibb, Ruthie Foster, JD Simo Luther Dickinson, Jimmy Carpenter and Vanes...
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr 28 min
“A legendary guitarist whose playing is impeccable and spirited… a distinguished American player.” ~ Rolling Stone Ever since Rock & Roll and Blues Hall Of Famer Elvin Bishop first hit the scene with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band back in 1965, he’s blazed his own musical trail. Whether he was playing raw, eye-popping blues, or penning the evergreen radio hit Fooled Around And Fell In Love , or touring the world for decades delivering his original, good-time countrified blues, Bishop has al...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 4Ep. 41
“One of a handful of truly inventive blues artists...slashing, incendiary guitar” – Chicago Tribune Kenny Neal stands tall among the younger generation of blues players. His trademark brand of blues, featuring a combination of Louisiana swamp blues, funky rhythms and soul-deep vocals, powered by his slashing guitar playing and--on his solo albums--loping harmonica, puts him at the forefront of contemporary blues players. I’m featuring a modern blues classic from Kenny Neal this week, by going ba...
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 4Ep. 40
“Everything that makes Otis a unique master of his form is here to savor, from his passionate vocals to the shimmering finger vibrato he applies to the liquid tones of his Fender Stratocaster.” Reeling in the years to 1994 this week with this classic, Otis Rush 1994 release “Ain’t Enough Comin In” Plus a dozen of the hottest new releases in stores this week with tracks from Jontavious Willis, Ruthie Foster , Duke Robillard, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Eddie 9V, Sonny Gullage, Shemekia Copeland and Jovi...
Oct 14, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Season 4Ep. 39
“Like no other electric blues guitarist of his generation, Albert Collins illuminated a stage with incandescent energy whenever he plugged his lethal Telecaster into an amp and let fly with his frigid, minor-key-laced licks.” Remembering Albert Collins birthday this week, by featuring his cracking 1991 Pointblank Records release Iceman. Plus new releases from Shemekia Copeland, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Southern Avenue, Mitch Woods, Eddie 9v, Greg Nagy, Jimmy Carpenter, Vanessa Collier, Jd Simo Luthe...
Oct 07, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 38
"nobody has released more consistently excellent blues albums than Atlanta's Tinsley Ellis. He sings like a man possessed and wields a mean lead guitar." Billboard Diving back into 1994 again this week, as part of my ongoing celebration of the programs 30 years on air, to feature Tinsley Ellis Alligator Records classic “Storm Warning” Plus new releases from Shemekia Copeland , Southern Avenue, Duke Robillard, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Tab Benoit, Greg Nagy, Vaneese Thomas and Zac Harmon. #blueswithaf...
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 4Ep. 37
“Shemekia Copeland is the greatest blues singer of her generation.” –The Washington Post I’m taking a good hard listen to just some of the very best of the new releases taking up space on my hard drive this month. Featuring songs from the latest releases by Shemekia Copeland, Canned Heat, Duke Robillard, Chris Cain, Curtis Salgado, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Frank Sultana, Jontavious Willis, Vaneese Thomas, Jovin Webb, Colin James, Albert Castiglia, Guy Davis, Sonny Gullage, Zac Harmon, Tab Benoit, Gr...
Sep 23, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 36
"Rambler's Blues," the shuffling hip-shaker that opens Charlie Musselwhite's The Well, is the most autobiographical statement he's ever made -- until you listen to the rest of the record... The most compelling thing about The Well is its lack of pretension; Musselwhite has risen to the task of recording a completely autobiographical album that refuses easy clichés, or resting on laurels; its energy is infectious… The Well is different from any recording Musselwhite's done before, but it also rep...
Sep 16, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 4Ep. 35
“The Paladins are a renowned American roots rock and rockabilly band that has been captivating audiences with their electrifying performances for over three decades. Formed in 1980 in San Diego, California, the group consists of Dave Gonzalez on guitar and vocals, Thomas Yearsley on bass guitar and vocals, and Brian Fahey on drums. Known for their unique blend of rockabilly, blues, and country, The Paladins have carved out a distinct sound that sets them apart from their contemporaries… the band...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 4Ep. 34
“For much of Kim Wilson's musical career he was the original harmonica player for the legendary Texas band, The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Some say it was Jimmie Vaughn's work at the heart of that group, but l'm convinced that it was Wilson's harp that set the tone and muscle for that group. It was his wailing yet controlled playing that set that group apart from most blues band throughout the '70s and '80s. This second solo offering clearly shows him to have the feel and energy, plus the musical ac...
Sep 02, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Season 4Ep. 33
"A burn-down-the-house live performer. The multi-talented Allison is a soulful singer, an excellent, original songwriter, and a powerful guitarist, equally capable of playing screaming slide, scratchy soul rhythm and stabbing single-note solos, all with overflowing energy, abundant confidence and a deft touch...high-intensity. Allison delivers dancing-on-a-razor's-edge West Side guitar. He comes on like a guitar-slinging Otis Redding, delivering the sweet and sour r&b ballads with heart-stop...
Aug 26, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Season 4Ep. 32
A fire-breathing live set from one of the greatest and most celebrated Chicago bluesmen. "Searing and expressive...he strikes with no-holds-barred ferocity"--DOWN BEAT The great Son Seals would have celebrated a birthday last week and I wanted to mark the occasion by featuring this explosive show. Recorded at Buddy Guys Legends over three nights, it’s Son Seals in smoking form out front of his incredible band. Plus new releases from Shemekia Copeland and Guy Davis and Australian tour previews an...
Aug 19, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 4Ep. 31
“ Chris Cain is one of the most brilliant and vital figures making music of any kind ...He’s near legendary on the blues scene...an extraordinarily talented, consummate musician delivering passionate, heartfelt vocals, potent, superb playing and marvelous songs.” –Blues Music Magazine With Chris Cains imminent arrival in Australia and the recent release of his latest Alligator Records release Good Intentions Gone Bad, I couldn’t resist the urge to sit down with Chris and chat about the record, a...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 35 min•Season 4Ep. 30
Since 1974, The Robert Cray Band has been touring and recording their unique groove, born from a love of Soul, R&B, Gospel, Blues and Rock n Roll. The five-time Grammy winner has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and earned the Americana Music Awards Lifetime Achievement for Performance. The Robert Cray Band has released over twenty acclaimed albums and has sold millions worldwide. “The Band continues with the same enthusiasm and joy in what we do, and no matter the accolades,” says ...
Aug 05, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Season 4Ep. 29
“In 1965, British blues artist John Mayall enlisted Eric Clapton – then a rising guitar virtuoso – to join his band, the Bluesbreakers. While their musical partnership would only last for one album, the guitarist’s imprint was mighty. Affectionately known as “ the Beano album ” (as it features Clapton reading the British comic on its jacket cover), 1966’s Bluesbreakers forever changed the landscape of rock music.” Following the sad passing of the legend John Mayall last week, I’m paying tribute ...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 28
New on CD, The Dead Reckoning Years ! A retrospective of Kevin’s Dead Reckoning Records releases, it includes some of his finest work, and was first out as a vinyl-only release in 2017. “There’s always been a squabble between art and commerce. Around 1995 the Dead Reckoning crew just kinda bowed out. We decided to do what nobody in town (except Prine and Al) were doing. We had no money, and we didn’t have a business guy like Al, but we had each other, and together we were a real good band. We’d ...
Jul 22, 2024•1 hr 45 min•Season 4Ep. 27
“Harmonica virtuoso Musselwhite raises the level of emotional expression on his instrument beyond even the masters he learned from…the grizzled veteran richly decorates his music with telling nuance and chiseled detail.” – San Francisco Chronicle With Charlie Musselwhite and his sensational band heading to Australia in September, I’ve dug deep into the Blues With A Feeling record library to revisit this 1993 Alligator Records classic “In My Time” Plus new releases from Chris Cain, Shemekia Copel...
Jul 15, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 4Ep. 26
“Deep in the Blues is a fascinating jam session between James Cotton, guitarist Joe Louis Walker , and jazz bassist Charlie Haden . The trio runs through a number of classic blues songs written by Muddy Waters , Percy Mayfield , and Sonny Boy Williamson and a few originals by Walker and Cotton.” Celebrating the remarkable life in music this week of James Cotton, by featuring his Grammy winning 1996 release Deep In The Blues. Plus some wonderful new releases from The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mondo ...
Jul 08, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 25
“Blues Summit is the thirty-third studio album by B.B. King released in 1993 through the MCA label. The album won a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best Traditional Blues Album . It is the first of three duet albums in King's studio album discography. Unlike Deuces Wild and 80 , all the guests come from the blues and R&B scene. The only song which is not a duet is the original "I Gotta Move Out Of This Neighborhood", which segues into "Nobody Loves Me But My Mother" (originally from Indianola Missi...
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 24 min•Season 4Ep. 4
“The Fabulous Thunderbirds is a familiar name for anyone into contemporary blues and blues rock. This is the band that created classic albums like T-Bird Rhythm and Tuff Enuff , powered by hits like the title track and “Wrap It Up,” Tuff Enuff went platinum, selling more than one million copies. Led by founding member Kim Wilson, the Fabulous Thunderbirds have been nominated for Grammy Awards six times and for Blues Music Awards more than 20 times.” I’ve pulled together a show packed full of the...
Jun 24, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Season 4Ep. 23
John Hammond Jr. made the leap to the Virgin blues division Pointblank with Got Love If You Want It in 1992, but he truly made an artistic comeback with its follow-up, Trouble No More, an excellent collection split between solo acoustic numbers and storming electric blues. For the electric numbers, he's supported by Little Charlie & the Nightcats who give Hammond a surprisingly gritty and flexible support. But the heart of the album is in the acoustic cuts, where he proves that he has absorb...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 22
“I always felt that Buddy Guy’s two Grammy award–winning ’90s releases— Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues and Feels Like Rain —were fine examples of the legendary guitarist’s crossover blues, but when I wanted to hear him at his raw, sweaty, string-strangling best I found myself going back to his fierce 1981 Alligator release, Stone Crazy . That’s not a requirement anymore, though, because the man largely responsible for inspiring the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton found real magic in ...
Jun 10, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 4Ep. 21
Jimmie Vaughan’s first solo album includes a subdued country gospel blues eulogy for his late brother Stevie Ray in the form of “Six Strings Down,” Written by Art and Cyril Neville. The bulk of the recording though, comes in the form of the relentless, Texas blues rave ups that made Jimmie the solid rock of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Dr John gives a New Orleans Shufftle to two songs he co-wrote with Jimmie, but more typical is the first single Boom-Bappa-Boom, which boasts a hypnotic rhythm perf...
Jun 03, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 4Ep. 20
