Since the Blues Music Awards happened last Thursday night in Memphis…I'll start with the Blues Music Award Winners. We've written about these folks 'afore! Not to mention a bunch of the nominees!

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Marquise Knox seemed to discover early what musical direction he wanted his life to take. The bigger challenge was how to make it happen. Growing up, the blues tradition flowed directly through the family roots and Marquise credits his grandmother Lillie, and his Uncle Clifford for his introduction to the guitar. But it was while living in St. Louis and …

When you dig into the musical background of Nick Moss you notice immediately his appreciation and understanding of the blues comes directly from the artists and players that helped create them. Born and raised in Chicago Moss grew up in a city known for its electrified and amplified urban style of blues. You know the ones; those gritty, 50s era …

Forget Kevin Bacon; let’s play six degrees of Kenny Neal. As a 21st Century performing artist, Neal is your direct connect with all things blues; starting with family, friends and the early masters through juke joints, bars and clubs from Moscow to Madagascar…oh, and let’s not forget his award-winning theater debut on Broadway. Kenny Neal is a proven, renewable energy …

Story by Sarah Wyatt. Photographs by Darrell Scattergood. Two unlikely contenders enter the ring: Gaylord Opryland in Nashville and Gaylord Palms in Orlando, Florida. Who will prevail in the smackdown of holiday awesomeness this year? Freezing in Florida Representing the Sunshine State is Gaylord Palms in Orlando. The resort honors its ice artisans every November with a standing ovation and …

When you think of the blues; Fresno, California isn’t usually the first place that comes to mind. But after attending just one soul-stirring, high-energy John Clifton show, I can assure you your perspective will change. Clifton grew up in the San Joaquin Valley, which is sometimes known as the food basket of the world. He spent his formative years working …

Director Lara Slife on “Our City Tonight” TV Lara Slife made her directing debut with “Born To Lead: The Sal Aunese Story: ”The First Samoan quarterback, who enters a down and out football team and takes it to the National Championship.” CLICK ON IMAGE TO PLAY VIDEO CLICK HERE for the website.

Left to right: Billy Preston, Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Photograph courtesy of Emperor of Oldies. The Rolling Stones’ Tour of the Americas ’75 was originally intended to reach both North and South America. The plans for concerts in Central and South America never solidified however, and the tour covered only the United States and Canada. After the …

His musical journey began through chords from his father’s guitar and soon after from a friend’s cassette of Metallica and Ozzy Osborne. When he began playing professionally it was during the age of grunge rock and metal music and some of his earliest bands had names like Burner, Human Plague, Divine Empire and Raped Ape. So, how does a young person transition from thrash and death metal to become an award-winning, blues multi-instrumentalist, who incidentally is well-versed in gypsy jazz and two-stringed cigar box guitars, get to where he is today? J.P. tells me he just got lucky.