"As long as you don’t feel that you know it all, there’s still plenty of room to grow." By Eric Schelkopf Photo: Tommy Castro and The Painkillers Not many musicians can say they have received the coveted B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award three times in their career. Tommy Castro can. He took home the award last year for a third time following previous wins in 2010 and 2008. Along with receiving the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award during last year’s Blues Foundation ceremony, he also received album of the year for his album “Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came to Town” as well ..read more

Subscribe to our mailing list and be entered to win this fabulous prize package from Blues Hall of Fame inductee John Primer and Blues House Productions! YOU CAN WIN: 5 CDs from Blues House Productions ,Live at Rosa's Lounge: Teardrops for Magic Slim ​ Hard Times ,The Soul of a Blues Man ,Blues on Solid Ground ,All Original Winner will be chosen at the end of June and notified by email ENTER NOW ENTER NOW ..read more

Chicago Theater (Chicago) TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND ROLLS INTO CHICAGO FOR 4 NIGHT SPRING TOUR Showtime: 8 p.m. Doors: 7 p.m. Tickets: Chicago Theater Tedeschi Trucks Band is a Grammy Award-winning 12-piece powerhouse ensemble led by the husband/wife duo of guitarist Derek Trucks and singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi, “two of the best roots rock musicians of their generation” (NPR). With their own potent original songwriting alongside an extensive canon of influences, the dynamic all-star band owns a reputation for world-class musical expression bolstered by each album and every performance. Since f ..read more

Release date: March 17, 2023 Alligator Records By Curt Brown Joe Nosek & Oscar Wilson/ Photo: by Janet Mami Takayama Just when the protracted grey dreariness of the upper Midwest couldn’t get any less tolerable, the clouds mercifully parted, the sun shone joyously bright, and trodden spirits were lifted when the latest release from The Cash Box Kings, Oscar’s Motel, arrived in this reviewer’s hands! Alligator Records couldn’t have delivered a more ideal cure for the winter blues! The Cash Box Kings, the tried-and-true blues aggregation comprised of charismatic front man and vocalist Osca ..read more

City Winery Photo: Dianne Bruce Dunklau Ruthie Foster at City Winery, Chicago, IL Thursday, March 9, 2023 Show: 8 p.m. Tickets: $28-$42 Find ticket information HERE. ABOUT THE ARTIST Ruthie Foster’s ninth studio album represents a new high water mark for the veteran blues artist—a collection of songs possessing pure power, like a tidal wave of musical generosity. Healing Time finds Foster pushing her boundaries as a singer and songwriter more than ever before, creating a truly live-sounding atmosphere with the help of her band, who sound refreshingly loose and lived-in throughout these 12 son ..read more

By Marty Gunther Red Hot ‘n Blues Reviews for March 2023 Joe Louis Walker – Weight of the World Forty Below Records FBR 030 www.joelouiswalker.com San Francisco native Joe Louis Walker has released plenty of outstanding albums in his 50-year career, but he outdoes himself on his latest effort, a deeply personal, all-original effort that bears his soul and touches on problems that all of us endure while living in a post-COVID world. Produced by BMA nominee/tunesmith Eric Corne at The Building in Marlboro, N.Y., not far from Joe’s adopted home in the Hudson River Valley, Walker alternates betwe ..read more

Des Plaines Theater Photo: Dianne Bruce Dunklau Eric Gales at The Venue, Des Plaines, IL Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 Show: 7 p.m. Tickets: $29-$59 Find ticket information HERE. ABOUT THE ARTIST Eric Gales is a blues firebrand. Over 30 years and 18 albums, his passion for the music and his boundless desire to keep it vital has never waned, even when his own light dimmed due to his substance struggles. Throughout it all, he continued to reinvigorate the art form with personal revelation in his lyrics and bold stylistic twists in his guitar playing and songwriting. Gales picked up the guitar at age fo ..read more

By Marty Gunther Eddie 9V – Capricorn Ruf Records RUF 1301 www.eddie9volt.com As a youth growing up in Atlanta, Brooks Mason – aka Eddie 9V – loved the music emanating from the Capricorn Records studios 80 miles to the south in Macon and dreamed about recording there one day. He finally lives out his dream with this sensationally soulful CD, his second release on Germany’s Ruf imprint. A vocalist/guitarist with old-school sensibilities, Eddie’s only 26 years old but already proving himself to be a giant in the soul-blues world. One listen to this passionate 11-track set and you’ll understand ..read more

By Marty Gunther Buddy Guy – The Blues Don’t Lie RCA Records www.buddyguy.com Buddy Guy’s been striking gold consistently since teaming with producer/percussionist Tom Hambridge for the first time in 2008, winning three Grammys and a fourth nomination. And the 86-year-old treasure should strike the motherload again and add another statuette to his trophy case with this hourlong, 16-song pleaser. Recorded in Nashville and backed by several Music City talents, Buddy’s at the absolute top of the game on guitar and vocals throughout this intimate, soothing stunner, which features guest appearance ..read more

Buddy Guy's Legends Photo: Jennifer Noble ,VIEW ALL EVENTS Find ticket information HERE. Tickets $75 - $125 Welcome to January 2023 at Buddy Guy's Legends, the only month of the year when you can find the legend himself - Buddy Guy - performing in his namesake blues club. Tickets for Buddy Guy's annual residency are on sale now. The legendary club is offering a choice of reserved seating OR standing room only tickets (SRO will be limited) for January's Buddy Shows. Reserved seating means that patrons will NOT need to line up early in freezing temperatures for “first-come, first-served” seatin ..read more