The Roadhouse

The hour ahead is a "thank you," seventeen years in the making. It's an hour chock full of artists who have helped define the sound of the show. Sean Costello, Boo Boo Davis, Duke Robillard, Janiva Magness, Mavis Staples - it feels like there's an awful lot of primary colors in this edition, but mostly primary blue. It's not an hour of the finest blues you've never heard, but an hour of the finest blues you have heard right here in The Roadhouse.

This hour contains a record-setting number of Roadhouse debuts, with many artists closer to the beginning of the careers than the end. That fact alone makes this a pretty optimistic and hopeful edition. Rome Yamilov & Henry Kaiser, Brad Absher & The Superials, John Paul Keith, Sven Zetterberg, and Strongman Blues Remedy step out front and center to welcome the future. It's a bright one, and it definitely makes for another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

The next edition of The Roadhouse is pretty upbeat, full of shuffles, and probably another chair-dancing edition. Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames, Ian Siegal, G. Love & Special Sauce, Deitrick Haddon, and Janiva Magness provide details in one of the most compelling pictures of the blues today. It's an hour I'm pretty proud to be a part of. And, it's made all the better by being yet another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In the next hour of The Roadhouse, the full range of blues is on display. I have some tracks that are clearly unadulterated blues, some with roots rock leanings, some that are blues-rock, and one or two that just mark their own path. Bonham-Bullick, Eliza Neals, Duke Robillard, The Nighthawks, and Rory Block. Aside from that broad range, it's all about sending you down the path of another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

Like the bear claws at the donut shop, the hour ahead is from a variety of sources and includes tracks that were not included in previous shows. Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames, Ian Siegal, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Danielle Ponder, and Kenny Neal provide the waypoints through the hour. And, they help ten other great artists make up The Bear Claw Edition. It's all in the spirit of another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

A cloudy afternoon brings a savory hour this week, to offset the occasional technicolor explosion from The Roadhouse Studios. Mavis Staples & Levon Helm, The Meltdown, Paul Thorn, Marcus King, and Albert Cummings are all ahead. And, a track that will have you singing along before it's over. It's the savory to the usual sweet, the spice of life, and another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's an hour of firsts in the next hour of The Roadhouse. I have a full set of Roadhouse debuts, five debuts in total. And, almost half of the music in the show is self-released. Duke Robillard, Julian Sas, Arthur Gunn & Dibesh Pokharel, Justin Golden, and The Wildroots provide all the variety you'd ever need in the hour. And, of course, they help provide another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In the next hour of The Roadhouse, I'll just try to stay out of the way of an hour of great blues tracks, providing just a little arrangement to help it along. John Hammond, Josh Smith, Hurricane Ruth, Mighty Mike Schermer, and The Nighthawks are all ahead. If we just let the music do the talking, this might be a pretty great conversation - and a pretty great hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In the next hour of The Roadhouse, a pool of 30 tracks fell together into 12 that fit together perfectly. Bob Stroger & The Headcutters, Altered Five Blues Band, Edgar Winter, Dana Fuchs, and Larry McCray are ahead. Putting the hour together is an easy task when it all falls together like this. And you know what? It really does make for another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

The next hour of The Roadhouse fulfills the need for the familiar, the comfortable, the predictably reliable. Larry McCray, David Lumsden, Leyla McCalla, Luke Winslow-King, and Keb' Mo. Even with a Next Generation set in the back half of the hour, I think this edition of The Roadhouse is a great example of the ease of the blues. And, of course, I think it's also a great example of another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In the next hour of The Roadhouse, I've got a full set of Roadhouse debuts, a track from a deluxe edition follow-up to a first-of-its-kind release, and a surprising Roadhouse debut from a guitarist who's been around since the early 1960s. Balta Bordoy & the Bad Boys, Gov't Mule, Delbert McClinton, Bonham-Bullick, and Mindi Abair lead the hour. We're pretty much right on par with 14 tracks in the hour and that those tracks definitely comprise another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's all about the professionals in the next hour of The Roadhouse. There's not an artist in the hour who doesn't labor full-time in the blues. Trudy Lynn, Seth Walker, Oliver Wood, The Nighthawks, and Larry McCray - they're just five of the thirteen blues professionals in this edition. Let's tip our hats to the musicians who dedicate their lives to the blues, and who make for another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In the next hour of The Roadhouse, I follow up a week with a lot of Roadhouse debuts with a week with a lot of Roadhouse debuts. Just short of a third of the hour is folks who have never been featured and they get the support of some great artists who are, more or less, regulars in the show. John Mayall, Ferris & Sylvester, Larkin Poe, Robben Ford & the Blue Line, and Kirby make up the hour. That all just helps prove the point that we're headed directly for another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

There's an anniversary celebration in the next edition of The Roadhouse, commemorating 17 years of the show. As is our tradition, the hour is filled with opening tracks from the shows of the previous year. Johnny Tucker & The Allstars, Tia Carroll, Dave Specter, Curtis Salgado, and Sass Jordan help us celebrate another year of The Roadhouse and another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

There's an anniversary celebration in the next edition of The Roadhouse, commemorating 17 years of the show. As is our tradition, the hour is filled with opening tracks from the shows of the previous year. Johnny Tucker & The Allstars, Tia Carroll, Dave Specter, Curtis Salgado, and Sass Jordan help us celebrate another year of The Roadhouse and another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In the next hour of The Roadhouse, I'll put together the puzzle pieces to deliver a coherent hour of music - great blues all of it. The hour includes a set of loud blues rock, some smooth contemporary blues, three Roadhouse debuts, and some of the biggest names ever in blues. Zoom with Shawn Kellerman, Bernard Allison, John Mayall, Sam Moss, and Tinsley Ellis. That's a taste - a taste of another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's hard to imagine a better Roadhouse hour to end the year. In with the usual assortment of holiday tracks, I've got some outstanding blues artists and their wares. Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, The Old No. 5s, Danielle Nicole, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, and Tony Holiday set the stage for the hour. Let's end the year with a bang - the kind of bang that can only be another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

Three-quarters of the way through the holiday season for 2021, and I think the mood could be described as festive. Buffalo Nichols, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Samantha Fish, Jools Holland, and Big Maybelle help provide the soundtrack for our holiday festival. It doesn't really matter whether it's an intimate holiday gathering or a raucous Christmas party - it's all another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

The next hour of The Roadhouse is full of new artists and blue cheer. It's the first edition of the holiday season and it features four Roadhouse debuts, as well. Stratcat Willie & The Strays, The Immediate Family, Kemp Harris, Memphissippi Sounds, and Lauren Anderson deliver straight-up blues and holiday blues to help put you in the holiday mood. It's an hour of cheer and another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's an hour of contemporary blues this week, even though some veers off toward blues rock. I've got some excellent female blues artists, a good mix of regions, and a track from a very interesting tribute album. Ricci/Krown, Hitman Blues Band, Beth Hart, Sue Foley, and Johnny Tucker will keep you moving for the hour. Sitting or standing, I think you'll be dancing through another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

This hour is a little heavier on blues rock, but there's still a pretty interesting mix of artists and styles. I've also got a set of great covers of the grandaddy of all of this - Robert Johnson. The Black Keys, The Kentucky Headhunters, The Blues Preachers, Charlie Hunter & Lucy Woodward, and Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials help make up the hour. It's an hour of blues with an edge, and - well, you know it - another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

I've got lots of great blues in the next hour of The Roadhouse, organized, I think, in a way that'll make sense to you. Witout a any special sets or focus this week, there's just a flow from the first minute to the sixtieth. Tito Jackson, Danny Bryant, Ben Levin, Joanne Shaw Taylor, and Robert Cray are all ahead. It's an hour organized quite sensibly and another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

I've got a Roadhouse Rewind this week, but will return next week with a new edition.

I've got another broad hour of blues with a pretty big variety of styles. There's some contemporary blues, a little blues rock, an acoustic set, and a set of soul blues that'll definitely have you moving. Gary Hoey, Fiona Boyes, Bobby Rush, Wee Willie Walker, and The David Bromberg Band all help to take us away from the rest of the world for awhile. Let's hope it's a comfortable, if temporary, shelter. Nonetheless, we know it'll be another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 608th Roadhouse.

The next hour of The Roadhouse has some real standout sets. I've got a next generation set focused on the future of the blues, and a set of smokin' Freddie King covers. Rod Gator, Popa Chubby, Buffalo Nichols, Neal Black, and Malted Milk & Toni Green are all ahead. It's a pretty big variety, as usual, with a couple of sets leading the way for another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

Live and Misissippi could be the theme of the next hour of The Roadhouse. I've got a fully live set, and a set with a couple of Mississippi Hill Country blues, along with a ton of other great blues all around those features. With Connor Selby, Mick Fleetwood, Jean-Jacques Milteau, The Black Keys, and Zac Harmon, I really do think it's an hour you'll enjoy. I'm also pretty certain you'll find it to be another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In this edition, we'll roll through another upbeat hour of The Roadhouse. It's a perfect use of the little stage in the corner, the sawdust on the dance floor, and the lighting in our little dive that leaves a lot to the imagination. Terry Hanck, Lindsay Beaver & Brad Stivers, Chris Jagger, Hector Anchondo, and Gabe Stillman help deliver a mood that will leave you lifted. And, of course, they help deliver another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

The next hour of The Roadhouse is a great variety of blues styles from traditional to contemporary, next generation to soul blues, and a huge live track. It includes Kirk Fletcher, Sugaray Rayford, The Cold Stares, Eric Bibb, and Amos Lee making his Roadhouse debut. It's the type of hour that's definitely right in our wheelhouse, and, without question, another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

Roadhouse 860 is a rewind of Roadhouse 555 from October 2015. I'll be back next week with a new show.

This edition of The Roadhouse takes some twists and turns that, if you're not a regular listener, might give you a little musical vertigo. Chicago Blues All Stars, Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, Taj Mahal, Mitch Woods, and Karen Lovely fill the hour, but it's not a straight shot from here to there. It's a twisty winding trip through another hour of the finest blues you've never heard: the 555th Roadhouse.

I've got an hour as big as Texas itself - an hour full of Texas blues. ZuZu Bolin, Lightnin' Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb, Big Mama Thornton, Freddie King. My best advice? Sit back and let musical history from the 1920s right up the present just roll over youI've got an hour as big as Texas itself - an hour full of Texas blues. ZuZu Bollin, Lightnin' Hopkins, Mance Lipscomb, Big Mama Thornton, Freddie King. My best advice? Sit back and let musical history from the 1920s right up the present just roll over you in another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the Texas edition of The Roadhouse.

The next hour of The Roadhouse is an interesting one, with a couple of blues tracks from great rock artists, and a classic rock track from a contemporary blues band. Blues Traveler, The Georgia Thunderbolts, Minnie Wallace and Her Night Hawks, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Kim Wilson fill out the hour. It's the usual - a broad range of blues, and another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

I've got an hour ahead with a special focus on a couple of great blues collectiona - one from Alligator, one from Vanguard. If you throw in the three Roadhouse debuts in the hour, it starts to feel pretty chock full. AJ Fullerton, B.B. King, The Black Keys, Jim Quick and Coastline, and Davell Crawford are front and center in this edition with nine other great blues artists to help deliver another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In the next hour of The Roadhouse, I've got the usual variety of styles, but all the tracks are pretty upbeat. And, i slide in three Roadhouse debuts in this hour, as well. Mark Cameron, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Adam Schultz, Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band, and Bobby Rush take you through another hour of upbeat blues. Oh yeah. It's also an hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's been a goal of The Roadhouse from the very beginning to keep it uptempo. It's a goal that's accomplished in this hour, along with the longtime goal of introducing you to artists you might not hear anywhere else. New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers, Wilburt Lee Reliford, Yola, Pokey LaFarge, and Big Daddy Wilson just go to show that you're right at the front edge of another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

The US Independence Day holiday brings a Roadhouse Rewind. I'll be back next week with a new edition.

The 500th Roadhouse is a celebration. It's filled with music from artists who have come into their own in the past nine years - artists I was unfamiliar with before starting the show. Big Hammer, Jarekus Singleton, Boo Boo Davis, Carlos Del Junco, and Sean Costello help us celebrate a milestone edition: 500 shows of the finest blues you've never heard.

I might just have a record number of debuts in the next hour of The Roadhouse, with six artist in the show for the first time. I've got Brigitte Demeyer, Alabama Slim, Big Creek Slim, Otis Kane, and Clarence Spady along with ten other great blues artists. I like to think it's the freshest sound of blues you'll hear this week, and I know it's another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

Not to overstate the case, but I think you'll enjoy this hour of The Roadhouse. A.J. Croce, Steve Cropper, Deb Ryder, The Freaky Buds, and Etta James fill out the hour. With a big variety of tempos, three artists making their Roadhouse debuts, and a mix of famous names and artists not necessarily known for blues, there's no doubt you'll find it to be another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's a real good time in the next hour of The Roadhouse. I've got three artists who are new to The Roadhouse, a couple more tracks from the Alligator 50th anniversary collection, and some folks who make fairly regular appearances in the show. GA-20, Jamiah Rogers, Tom Feldmann & Noah Levy, William Clarke, and Johnny Nicholas all take the little bandstand in the corner. I'm sure you'll agree that it's 15 great tracks to fill another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's the special little things that make up the next hour of The Roadhouse. Three great tracks from Alligator Records, four Roadhouse debuts, and a set of all-female blues artists. Eddie 9V, Quinn Sullivan, Queen Esther, Cristina Vane, and Screamin' John & TD Lind are all ahead. It's an hour that'll pass quickly for all the special touches, and it's absolutely another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

Blues it is in the next edition of The Roadhouse. In a way, it's a quiet return to the uptempo mood of years gone by. The Record Company, Robben Ford, The Blues Quarantinos, Hip Lankchan, and Chris Cain fill the hour. I think this is an hour that might just lift you out of your seat a few times. And, that's mostly because it is another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 847th Roadhouse.

Circumstance drives a Roadhouse Rewind this week. I'll be back next week with a new edition of the finest blues you've never heard.

This edition of The Roadhouse features some old friends, some new one, some quick little ditties, and some of the longest tracks ever played in the show. Tommy Malone, Little Mike & The Tornadoes, Lurrie Bell, Harpdog Brown, and Janiva Magness help make this a well-rounded hour of the finest blues you’ve never heard - the 481st Roadhouse.

An hour of diversity and introduction brings many styles of blues and some artists who are new to The Roadhouse. Steve Strongman, Michael Kaeshammer, Alastair Greene, Selwyn Birchwood, and Dave Keller help make up the hour. From St. Louis to Toronto, California to Belgium, Tampa to Providence, you're sitting just at the very front edge of another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

In this hour, we put another year behind us and hold tight to a long-standing tradition. It's the sixteenth anniversary of the show, and it features a full hour of opening tracks from the previous twelve months. Vintage Dixon, Eric Johanson, Scoundrels, Lil' Ronnie & The Grand Dukes, and Kim Wilson help us celebrate another year of the finest blues you've never heard in the 833rd Roadhouse.

The next hour of The Roadhouse is another hour of fitting together puzzle pieces to make a beautiful whole. Chickenbone Slim, Johnny Nicholas, Harmonica Shah & Howard Glazer, Kirk Fletcher, and Indigenous fill out the edition. While it's hard to tell how those artists all fit together, let's give it a shot in the hope that it really will turn out to be another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 827th Roadhouse.

The next hour of The Roadhouse leans toward blues rock. There are also three Roadhouse debuts and a pretty nice mix of male and female artists. Albert Cummings, Greg Sover Band, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Grainne Duffy, and Chicken Shack are all out there just waiting to entertain you. And, there are nine other great artists and tracks to help push us through the hour. Fourteen tracks, a bit heavier than normal and, as always, another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

The crowd, the bandstand, and the bar. We've got all the elements of The Roadhouse covered in this edition. The bandstand is full with Mary Lane, John Blues Boyd, Jimmy Johnson, Lurrie Bell, and Biscuit Miller & The Mix. The crowd is virtual. And, the bar is serving up blues, neat, with nothing in between that's even on the edge. It's all squarely down the middle and unquestionably another hour of the finest blues you've never heard, the 825th Roadhouse.

A Roadhouse Rewind from ten years ago comes your way for the US Thanksgiving weekend. I'll be back next week with a new edition.

The 301st Roadhouse stays true to the tagline. Independent artists and a listener request make up the bulk of this edition. Darren Watson, Marshall Lawrence, Phantom Blues Band, Patrice Moncell, and Wes Jeans round out the show. It really is another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

It's an interesting hour in The Roadhouse, with a set of Chicago blues, a set from Southern Asia, and a mix you won't find anywhere else. Willie Dixon & Memphis Slim, Harry Manx, Jackie Venson, Larkin Poe, and Mojo Morganfield take the bandstand in the hour. It's exactly what we do - grab a big pile of blues, stir it all together and serve it up as another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

If there's one reason to keep hanging around The Roadhouse, it's for the variety of blues you get in every hour. In the next edition, I've got John Nemeth, Vanessa Collier, GA-20, Bette Smith, and Kevin Burt, among many others. That's a range of blues you might not find anywhere else. But, I think, you're gonna find some tracks to love in another hour of the finest blues you've never heard.

As happens occasionally, the next hour of The Roadhouse focuses on the feeling. Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Jai Malano, Lynwood Slim & Kid Ramos, and The Juke Joint Rockers & Willie "Big Eyes" Smith made the final cut along with a load of other great blues artists. Sometimes it's worthwhile to just follow that feeling - the feeling that this will be another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 812th Roadhouse.

With fall just around the corner, the new blues releases are coming fast and heavy. This week, I've got Ronnie Earl, Selwyn Birchwood, The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Anthony Gomes, and the New Moon Jelly Roll Freedom Rockers. Every last one of those artists features brand new music. It's definitely the season for another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 810th Roadhouse.

If ever there was an edition of The Roadhouse that's packed to the rafters, this is the one. I've got 17 tracks, including Josh Teskey & Ash Grunwald, Bettye LaVette, Lucinda Williams, Fantastic Negrito, and Soulmate are all ahead. As if that wasn't enough, there's also an all-female set in the hour. It's definitely the biggest hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 809th Roadhouse.

I've got a bunch of new music in this hour. 15 tracks, 11 of which are brand new. This is about as fresh an hour of blues as you're going to find anywhere. JW-Jones, Kirsten Thien, Curtis Salgado, Bernie Barlow, and Dave Fields set the stage, with ten other great artists helping to fill things out. It's really just the epitome of what we've been doing for more than 15 years: laying out another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 808th Roadhouse.`

The next hour of The Roadhouse goes straight to upbeat, without much of a break until last call. I've got Shirley King, Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, Paul Rishell & Annie Raines, Johnny Iguana, and Boo Boo Davis. I've also got a set of regional blues, and a set of live blues-harp-focused tracks. The ultimate fact about this edition - that it is, indeed, another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 807th Roadhouse.

A Roadhouse Rewind fills the hour this week. I'll be bacck next week with a new edition.

Wire and wood fills this edition of The Roadhouse with guitar masters from many spots on the blues spectrum. Albert Cummings, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters, Canned Heat, Otis Rush, Sonny Landreth - they all bring a guitar to the table in The Roadhouse. With all these guitar greats, it's a clear-cut case of the finest blues you've never heard - the 544th Roadhouse.

In the next hour of The Roadhouse, the tracks all stick together. Rather than focusing on the age of the music, I pulled it together just by feel. Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues, Jontavious Willis, Too Slim and the Taildraggers, Mississippi Heat, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds make for an hour that makes musical sense. And, for all of that, it really may still be another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 803rd Roadhouse.

I've got two Roadhouse debuts and five strong female artists in the hour ahead. Grant Dermody, Casey Hensley, CD Woodbury, John Strahl Band, and a great track from James Cotton propel the hour. But, all this is really just doing what we do every week - lean back in a comfy chair, take a load off, open a nice cool beverage, and take in another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 801st Roadhouse.

It's another sunny summer edition of The Roadhouse and another pretty bright hour of blues. Anthony Geraci, The Marcus King Band, Jose Ramirez, Lucinda Williams, and the Mark May Band make for an hour that's right out at the edge of the blues. But it's a cool sharp edge that should have you moving for the full 60 minutes. And, as always, it's absolutely another hour of the finest blues you've never heard - the 800th Roadhouse.