Blues

Paul Nelson was playing guitar behind his friend and musical hero, Johnny Winter, when a friendship developed.  The two became musical partners, wrote songs and gigged together over the years.  When Johnny had difficulty getting sober, it was Paul who stepped up to help his friend during a difficult time.  In 2004, Johnny and Paul wrote and recorded the album I’m A Bluesman, which was nominated for a Grammy.  Paul later won that award for an album with Johnny called Step Back, released in 2014, just months after Johnny death.

Tony Newton was nicknamed “Baby Funk Brother” by the original studio musicians at Motown Records where he began working in 1964. His first session with the Funk Brothers was the song “Baby Love” by the Supremes, which was released on the album Where Did Our Love Go. Tony’s long career in music took off when he played bass for iconic blues performers such as T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. Those gigs gained the attention of Motown and soon Tony found himself working with such artists as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and young Michael Jackson. He toured with many of the label’s

Nick Nixon and Andy Talamantez formed The Andy-T-Nick Nixon Band, which was based in Nashville. Nick teamed up with guitarist Andy to return to music, which he had left for many years. He was a part of the Jefferson Street blues scene in the 1960’s although his background was in Opera and Classical Music.  The Blues came easy to Nick, although he found it was best to forget about most of his classical training before hitting the clubs.  Nick passed away in early 2018 at the age of 76.

Alan Peters is a trumpeter and guitarist who was brought up on blues and R&B and formed the group Almost Blues in the 1960s. Alan backed many artists in the famous club, the Cavern, including Junior Walker, Lee Dorsey and Stevie Wonder. While playing on a session with Frank Zappa and the Mothers, he was asked to join the group. Alan later formed 29th & Dearborn who were signed to EMI just before punk hit the UK in the late 1970s. In the 1980s, Alan ran SOS Studios in Liverpool City Centre where he recorded many UK chart topping bands including OMD, Flock of Seagulls and Mi

Chris Pierce is a California-born singer-songwriter, educator, and storyteller whose lifelong love of words and music has shaped a remarkable artistic journey. Raised in Pasadena by an English-teacher mother who nurtured his appreciation for language, Pierce discovered early on that songs could hold stories with honesty, hope, and emotional truth. His first instrument — a harmonica brought home by his grandfather after World War II — ignited his fascination with musical traditions, especially the blues, and set him on a path of personal expression and cultural respect.

Paul Pigat is a Canadian guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, educator, and instrument builder whose versatile style embraces rockabilly, western swing, jazz, blues, country, and classical music. A Toronto native, Paul began playing professionally as a young teenager before studying classical guitar, theory, and composition at the University of Toronto. After moving to British Columbia in 1994, he became a presence in the West Coast roots-music community. As the leader of Cousin Harley, Paul earned an international following through energetic performances and recordings that honor roc

John Primer was born in Camden, Mississippi, where he learned to play the guitar before moving to Chicago to play an important role in the city's blues culture. While recording Magic Slim, John was able to contribute several songs to the album.  The success of his early recordings led to gigs with Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. 

Jerry Puckett was a studio musician for Malaco Records in Jackson, Mississippi who played guitar on the hits “Groove Me” by King Floyd and “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jewel Bass, among many others. Jerry also performed on several historic albums over his long career including Remember Me by Willie Nelson and There Goes Rhymin' Simon by Paul Simon. Like so many musicians, in the early part of his career, Jerry worked for a local music store between gigs, including for Army Brown the founder of Brown Music in Jackson where he bought his first Les Paul and Stratocaster.

Mickey Raphael grew up with a passion for music and was recruited to play sousaphone and tuba in his high-school marching band. While this was his excuse to get out of gym class, Mickey realized his love for music and gravitated towards playing the harmonica. He was deep into the folk scene in Dallas, TX and drew great inspiration from Canned Heat, The Lovin' Spoonful and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band just to name a few. Since the harmonica was a prominent instrument in folk music, Mickey had no problem getting gigs and playing many shows. He started playing with Willie Nelson i

Baron Raymonde’s lifelong passion for music began in New York City where he started piano lessons at age six under Dr. Emile Del Terzo at Carnegie Hall Studios before discovering the saxophone a few years later. He continued his musical studies at the University of North Texas, earning both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music while developing the versatility that would define his career. Following college, Baron toured for more than a decade with Matt “Guitar” Murphy of the Blues Brothers and recorded on Murphy’s album The Blues Don’t Bother Me.

Howard Reitzes was brought up on classical piano but found a true passion for playing when he discovered the Blues.

Del Rey lives and breathes musical passion! Since she was a child she had the skills and desire to communicate through music and soon realized her playing brought happiness to others. The bonus is that music brings her great joy too! Early in her career she played guitar in rock bands and thanks to record shop owner and music historian Lou Curtiss she was introduced to the blues. Lou suggested she listen to Memphis Minnie and the experience changed her musical direction. Del soon learned all she could about the music of the 1920s, to the point of writing songs (such as “Old Boy”)

Jesse Robinson grew up in Benton, Mississippi, the son of a Holiness Preacher. His father was always very encouraging of Jesse and his music, which was a major source of empowerment for the young bluesman. While still a teenager, Jesse was playing in and around Jackson for Sam Myers and Jimmy King. In 1965, he moved to Chicago and began performing live and recording with Magic Sam and Junior Wells, as well as serving as the bandleader for Bobby Rush’s smash blues album Sue in 1983. A longtime friend of BB King, Jesse was humbled and honored when he was asked to lead the BB King Bl

Freddie Roulette pioneered the use of the slide guitar in the blues style.  When he began playing slide guitar he was emulating country and western music and felt the instrument would fit nicely in old blues traditions, which he adapted to great success. In fact, his playing has been a strong influence on a new generation of blues musicians both for his strumming style and the emotion he has brought to the instrument.

Bobby Rush won his first GRAMMY at the age of 83 in 2017, some sixty years after his first professional gig as a bluesman. Beginning in the 1950s, Bobby performed live and recorded in Chicago with such artists as Bo Diddley, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Little Walter and Muddy Waters. Moving to Jackson, Mississippi, Bobby recorded on the Malaco label for other artists as well as several of his own albums. His Porcupine Meat album won the 2017 Best Blues GRAMMY and featured the song “Funk O’De Funk.”

Jimi Schutte first played drums as a teenager and went on to perform and record with a host of blues legends such as Luther Allison, Jimmy Dawkins and Lonnie Brooks. He toured with The South Side All Stars in the late 1970s and early 80s, which featured Junior Wells, Jimmy Dawkins, Eddie Shaw and the great Hubert Sumlin. 

Raphael Semmes (pronounced Raf-yul) has fond memories of his mother singing as he was growing up. The feeling of her music became an inspiration for him and when he was given a Silvertone guitar, and he soon discovered that he could express himself with music as well. Switching to bass, Raphael performed with blues and jazz artists such as John Lee Hooker, Vasti Jackson, Milt Hinton, Mose Allison, Katie Webster and Jewel Bass. Among his touring highlights were playing behind the Iron Curtain and for Tiny Tim (after all, who wouldn’t take the opportunity to play with Tiny Tim!).

Martin Shore began playing drums at the age of six and always found great comfort in music.  When the idea of a documentary about Memphis music came up, Martin ran with the idea, which has become the award winning film Take Me To The River.  The film was shown at the NAMM Foundation’s Museum of Making Music in September 2016, among many other venues as it grows in popularity.  Martin's passion for music is the cornerstone to the film and its message that music makes a difference!

Guitar Shorty was born in Houston with the name David Kearney, but found fame with his nickname in the blues world beginning in the 1950s.  He grew up in Florida, where he began playing gigs as a teenager.  After working with the Ray Charles band and Walter Johnson, Shorty released his first recording in 1957 with a song called “You Don’t Treat Me Right.”  A large part of his education as a musician came when he worked at the Dew Drop Inn in New Orleans as he played a wide variety of musical styles for artists such as Little Richard and T-Bone Walker.  Later in his career Shorty b

Corky Siegel often mentions he had three LP records as a kid that changed his life. The three Blues artists were Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Jimmy Reed. Growing up in the southside of Chicago, Corky formed a trio and began playing in coffee houses and for parties when he was 19 years old. The trio included his longtime friend and musical partner, Jim Schwall. Each Thursday night the group had a standing gig at the club Peppers, where Chicago Blues icons would often join the young men on stage, performers such as Little Walter and Muddy Waters.

Jodi Siegel grew up in a musical family and developed a passion for music at a young age. Jodi started playing the ukulele because of its size but quickly moved onto the guitar. A big influence for her was Duane Allman, whom she would try to figure out how to replicate the sound of without realizing he was playing the slide guitar. Jodi released a solo recording called Stepping Stone in 2007 produced by Tony Braunagel and Terry Wilson.

Preston Smith is immensely proud of his vibrant musical journey as a versatile musician and songwriter. Born in Texas and raised in the culturally rich landscapes of Arizona, he was exposed to a vast array of musical styles, which may explain his remarkable ability to adapt—whether writing or performing—for artists ranging from the soulful Chaka Khan to the electrifying Eddie Van Halen. A defining element of Preston’s approach to music is sheer joy—no one grins wider at a jam session than him! As a songwriter, he crafted the heartfelt “Oh I Love You So” for the Cocktail movie soun

Henry Stone wanted to record musical artists that were not able to sign deals with the large record labels of the late 1940s.  As a result, Henry found a string of artists and provided the setting to be recorded.  This list includes Ray Charles and James Brown.  As his own company grew, both as a label and publisher, Henry became a pioneer in the distribution of records in musical instrument stores around the country both in the late 1940s and the 50s.  His record label, TK, went on to play a big role in both funk and disco.

Bob Stroger found himself on stage at a blues club as a teenager not sure exactly what to do. He had an electric bass in his hand and laid down the bass parts he heard on his Jimmy Reed records. The club owner told Bob there was much more to playing the blues than copying a riff. As he felt the music and learned changes, Bob began forming his own style. Over his 60 year plus career, Bob contributing his own style of playing bass to hundreds of live performances and recordings, most often being down as a sideman on Delmark Records out of Chicago.

Andy Talamantez fronts The Andy T-Nick Nixon Band out of Nashville. Andy’s guitar playing style is heavily influenced by T-Bone Walker and B.B. King, but at the same time, is something totally new and creative. He worked in the aerospace industry for twenty-three years before quitting his day job to pursue music completely. He teamed with Nick Nixon to form a club band, which has toured all around the world. Their debut album, Drink Drank Drunk, was released in 2013. 

Otis Taylor can remember saving long and hard to purchase his first banjo from a small store in Denver, Colorado as a child.  The instrument led him on a career path of playing blues and roots music that has supported him most of his life.  He picked up the guitar and harmonica and toured the United States and Europe before trying his hand as an antique dealer.  He returned to music full time in 1995 and has recorded several notable albums.  Many NAMM Show attendees remember the performances he has given over the years including at the NAMM Breakfast Session in 2011.

Crazy Tomes grew up in Israel, where his love for music blossomed, particularly his fascination with vintage American rock and roll. When his family moved to the United States at age 14, they attended an electrifying oldies rock show featuring the legendary Little Richard. During the concert, Richard invited a few audience members onstage — Tomes among them. When asked his name, he replied “Tomes,” to which Richard shouted, “You are Crazy Tomes, wooooo!” — a nickname that stuck and defined his musical identity ever since.

Allen Toussaint represented one of the quintessential New Orleans sounds. Toussaint’s compositions and songs seamlessly blend blues, jazz, ragtime, R&B, and funk to create an amalgam that is unique and readily identifiable to New Orleans. Starting on piano in the 1940s and initially influenced by Professor Longhair, Toussaint went on to develop a unique style all his own. The 1950s had Toussaint fronting and recording under his own name including the album The Wild Side of New Orleans featuring the tune “Java”. This continued into the 1960s and 70s, while in the 1980s Toussain

Jim Trageser is a writer, journalist, and San Diego jazz historian whose appreciation for musicians and their stories has been a hallmark of his career. Growing up in Ohio, Jim took music lessons at an early age, playing cornet in the third grade before studying piano and, by fifth grade, guitar. While he realized that becoming a professional musician might not be his path, those early experiences gave him an enduring appreciation for the dedication, discipline, and artistry required to master an instrument.

Ed Tree enjoyed his touring days with the Spencer Davis Group, which led to a series of bands and special gigs throughout his career.  Ed played lead guitar for Rita Coolidge, Juice Newton, Al Stewart and his band, The Bum Steers, among others.  Along the way Ed began endorsing the Big Joe Stompbox pedals, having first heard the Saturated Tube model and putting it to good use both on the road and in the studio.  In addition to his playing, Ed has produced and engineered over 120 CDs in his Los Angeles area studio.  

Benny Turner grew up in a music family and after his brother, Freddie King, took him to a session with Howlin’ Wolf and Willie Dixon, he was hooked. While Benny played guitar with the Kindly Shepherds in the 1950s, he also spent time playing bass with Freddie and touring with R&B singer Dee Clark. Following the devastating loss of his brother, Benny took a break from music until he was pulled back into playing by Mighty Joe Young. After his return, Benny went on to serve as bandleader and bass player for Marva Wright for 20 years.

Phil Upchurch was a teenager when he joined the solid studio musicians at Chess Records in Chicago. The seasoned veterans took Phil under their wings, showed him the ropes, and embraced the unique style he brought to the studio’s distinctive sound. He later played on hundreds of recordings for artists including Quincy Jones, Donny Hathaway, and Curtis Mayfield. Phil also landed his own instrumental hit with his band, “You Can’t Sit Down.” In addition to his extensive studio work, Phil helped design a signature D’Angelico-style guitar, which he often played during recordings and li