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While on the way to Jackson, MS for Cathead Vodka’s Distillery Grand Opening Tim and I decided to stop and visit David Bryant. David’s mother, Cora Mae Bryant was a Music Maker artist [...]
Early in Music Maker’s history, blues legend Taj Mahal traveled to visit. My wife Denise and I were renting an old farmhouse in Pinnacle, NC that was both our home and Music Maker’s headquarters. [...]
This is by far my favorite version of “Old Time Religion.” The song itself has managed to stay popular since the mid 1800s. It’s been featured in a handful of movies, television [...]
Music Maker’s new exhibit, Our Living Past: A Platinum Portrait of Music Maker is on display at the Atlanta International Airport until January, 21st 2016. Atlanta’s local NPR [...]
“If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again” by Elder Anderson Johnson is a song that packs a full punch. For fans of musicians that let it all out, this one is right up your alley. As the [...]
Never underestimate the depths of the Music Maker catalog. I had the JukeBox on the homepage running in the background this morning, when all of a sudden I heard this eerie shriek come out of my [...]
Guitar Gabriel loved to celebrate and I always loved to see him at holidays. When the Christmas season came around I would always run into Gabe dressed in his wonderful green and red plaid suit, [...]
Dom Flemons’ versatility is undeniable and traversing musical mountains is second nature to the American Songster. The What Got Over EP is a musical journey and that takes you from ancient [...]
With the holiday season upon us I have decided to do the most ultimate Diggin’ that’s ever been done. I will Dig on the entire Music Maker catalog because that is what you get when [...]
Eddie Tigner was working in a school cafeteria in Atlanta, GA, when I first heard about him in 1995. He had toured the country running an Inkspots group for 35 years. He had played every Holiday [...]
Algia Mae Hinton has a voice like no one else. It’s rough around the edges, but so smooth and flowing at the core as she jumps around her wide vocal range. Her music exudes love, care, and an [...]
Made famous by Hank Williams, a sad song of unrequited love. Wedding bells are ringing in the chapel/ but wedding bells with never ring for me. These lyrics fit right into the canon of country [...]
Captain Luke and Cool John Ferguson created Outsider Lounge Music, a unique blend of deep baritone singing and smooth electric guitar that is a style reserved for it’s originators alone. [...]
While we were driving to western Virginia to meet Spencer Branch, new next Next Generation Artists, members of the band, Martha Spencer and Kelley Breiding, were texting us pictures of possible [...]
A couple of weeks ago I got the chance to work an event in Pembroke at the Givens Performing Arts Center at an event funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. This grant has helped us bring [...]
TIME LightBox recently featured Music Maker’s new exhibit, Our Living Past: A Platinum Portrait of Music Maker. These Portraits of Southern Blues Musicians Prove That Blues Is Not Dead Oct. [...]
Macavine Hayes’ “Just a Little Bit,” is my favorite song off of his album Drink House on the Music Maker label. The album title is inspired from his years running a drink house on Claremont [...]
One of the best parts about working with Music Maker is being able to put faces to songs after meeting artists in person for the first time. I’ve seen Little Pink Anderson perform here and there, [...]
David Bryant is a towering man. He must be 6’ 5”, with arms like braided steel cabling. A more tender and sensitive man you will never meet, however. He lives in Covington, GA in the home where [...]
Last night the MM team went to the Durham Performing Arts Center to see Jackson Browne’s show. Jackson Browne has been on the Music Maker Advisory Board since 2007. In late 2006 Tim (MMRF [...]
Last week I packed my car to move to North Carolina and start my internship with Music Maker. The drive from New Jersey is about seven and a half hours long. I filled up the glove compartment [...]
On Monday I arrived at Music Maker to start my internship. I got right to work helping Aaron coordinate an upcoming concert. We spent the morning on the phone with artists and I got a chance to [...]
This month Robert Lee Coleman’s truck needed an expensive repair; it was not something his gig income could cover on top of rent, food and medication. Music Maker was able to step in and [...]
Looking at Preston Fulp’s photograph you would assume that his sound would be rough and mean, but that is not the case. In fact, his sound is the exact opposite. Preston’s sweet, high [...]
This was one of Taj Mahal’s picks last Fall during our 20th Anniversary, which it is hard to believe was a year ago! I was reminiscing about the very special time for Music Maker and happened [...]
Sometimes at Music Maker, you go down into the music archive, close your eyes, spin around three times, point to the shelf and grab the first thing in front of you. Music Maker CD [...]
All Music gives preview feature for Ironing Board Sam’s new record, Super Spirit out October 2nd on Big Legal Mess. Check out the feature here.
When longtime Music Maker supporter and Advisory Board member Taj Mahal heard about Jontavious, he wanted to meet the extremely talented young artist in person. We sent Jontavious to a Taj Mahal [...]
Lakota John Locklear’s take on the blues classic “Crossroads” shows that he’s not the new kid on the block- he’s a talent that is here to stay. His proficiency is proven on tracks like this- [...]
This week marks the 10 year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the storm that shook a nation and changed the lives of New Orleanians forever. It’s hard to believe that 10 years have passed, [...]
Earlier this year I traveled to New Orleans and got to see Ernie Vincent at the legendary Bourbon Street club, Chris Owens. Ernie is a force. This great tune – Dap Walk from his early days [...]
Jontavious struck the last note of “Big Road Blues” and both Boo Hanks and Jontavious burst out laughing. A musical connection has a beautiful way of closing an age gap of 70+ years. [...]
It’s getting so hot, I believe the cotton is high. The heat feels like being wrapped in a hot wash cloth. At this point, it can only be taken in spurts. The nights are hot, the mornings [...]
I found out today that my long time beloved car is dying. Her trip to the mechanic this week would turn out to be her last. She was my first car, and we’ve had some great memories on the road [...]
Slewfoot was a legendary New Orleans street musician that could blend genres effortlessly. Give Your Love’s slinky sound is reminiscent of someone wobbling their way down [...]
Pop Matters wrote a fantastic piece covering some great shows at the Newport Folk Festival and our set at the Museum Stage got a great mention: “When I ducked into the Museum stage [...]
We were so pleased that our photo exhibit We Are the Music Makers! was at the Catherine J Smith Gallery in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts at Appalachian State University from June 1, [...]
I recently was able travel with the Music Maker crew to Southern Pines, NC for the 15th annual Sunrise Theater Blues Crawl. After helping to coordinate the event, it was exciting to see months of [...]
It’s festival season, a very important time for fiddlers and pickers throughout the mountains of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee. From about the first weekend in June to the end of [...]
No band in recent memory has carried the torch of traditional music more than the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Under master fiddler Joe Thompson’s tutelage the Carolina Chocolate Drops learned [...]
In 2006, an unknown Piedmont Blues guitarist joined Music Maker. Now a blues legend, Boo Hanks would not have been known to Music Maker or the world without the efforts of volunteer Tony Young. [...]
Dave McGrew has spent his life following the harvest as a fruit picker; Lemons, apples, cherries, mangoes, avocados, strawberries, grapes – you name it. His hands have likely been on your [...]
With the 4th of July right around the corner it’s hard not to talk about the BLUES’ connection to this great day of independence….and BBQ! Music Maker artist Drink Small [...]
Last week Tim did an interview with WFDD in Winston-Salem, NC – the same city where Music Maker was founded. The piece deeply explores the roots and reasons as to why the Music Maker Relief [...]
Sweet Betty brings all the heart and soul of electric gospel to life on “Live and Let Live.” The song comes from her album of the same name, which she released after joining the Music Maker [...]
Music Maker Recipient Artist Drink Small has been awarded one of the most prestigious fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Music Maker Artist John Dee Holeman is also a National [...]
“Have you ever played your instrument in complete darkness?” I’ve started asking this question to Music Maker artists recently after a conversation I had with one of my friends who introduced me [...]
Music Maker Tintype photographers Tim Duffy & Aaron Greenhood were thrilled to be featured in View Camera Magazine’s January/February 2015 publication alongside some incredible [...]
Music Maker Tintype photographers Tim Duffy & Aaron Greenhood were thrilled to be featured in View Camera Magazine’s January/February 2015 publication alongside some incredible [...]
Last week Aaron, Tim, Denise and I traveled up to the Mt. Airy Fiddlers Convention. I remember first meeting Tim years ago at Mt. Airy, the same Fiddlers Convention that Benton Flippen would [...]
Sam Frazier, Jr. grew up in a humble mining town just outside of Birmingham, Alabama. His father was a coal miner and his mother ran a tavern out of the back of their house. There, laborers [...]
You might know more about the blues than you think. It’s a genre of music that seems to invite all people, all walks of life, both ups and downs. Music Maker artists often speak on what the blues [...]
We thrilled to announce that Ironing Board Sam has partnered with Faultless Spray Starch for their latest advertisement campaign. Read Artist Services Coordinator, Aaron Greenhood’s [...]
It’s 6am and Ironing Board Sam is standing in his house clothes putting some finishing touches on his pants when I come in to check on him in his hotel room in Kansas City. “Aaron, I always [...]
Big Ron Hunter was the first artist I met through Music Maker, and I was eager to get to know his music after getting a chance to meet him. We met while MMRF’s Founder, Tim Duffy, was taking a [...]
Last year, I traveled to New Orleans with Ironing Board Sam to help with his performance at JazzFest. While checking into the hotel I noticed a short man with a cane and a golfing cap standing by [...]
Shortly after the news about BB King’s passing Tim Duffy (MMRF’s Founder) spoke to Taj Mahal about this incredible Bluesman. Both Taj Mahal and BB King are Music Maker Advisory [...]
We are incredibly thrilled to announce that the Music Maker Blues Revue will be playing at Newport Folk Festival this year! The show will be hosted by the amazing Dom Flemons! Boo Hanks, The Como [...]
Tim, Guitar Gabriel, Captain Luke This is a beautiful gospel song that Guitar Gabriel composed the night his mother passed. It asks the question, Do You Know What it Means to Have a Friend? [...]
We know many of you have been asking for information on Captain’s memorial service and burial. We have posted it here and will update if there are any changes. Wednesday, May 20 3pm – [...]
Here’s a sneak peek at what Ironing Board Sam has been up to. We can’t say anything right now, but stay tuned for a big announcement, coming soon!
Luther “Captain Luke” Mayer passed away early in the morning on May 12th at the age of 87. Captain Luke was the very heart of Music Maker, and he has been with us since the beginning. [...]
Check out some photos of Major Handy and Ironing Board Sam from last week’s Jazzfest!
Byron Bay Bluesfest 2015 was a memorable trip. I gave the Revue the pet name “Guitar Heaven,” stealing from Cool John Ferguson’s record title. The show featured guitar slingers from across [...]
Tad Walters was one of the first Music Maker artists I saw perform, at a SOOTS event in 2011 in Raleigh. Tad is a Next Generation artist, and he performed his own set at that show while also [...]
Lead Belly at 125: A Tribute to an American Songster at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Saturday, April 25, 2015, 8:00 PM This special one-night-only concert in collaboration [...]
Last weekend at Shakori was about one of the best experiences I have ever had at Music Maker. As most of you know, our dear friend and mentor Captain Luke is in the final chapter of his life. [...]
I had just met Guitar Gabriel the week before in the Piedmont Housing Projects in Winston-Salem, NC. While driving down Cleveland Avenue, Guitar spotted a dapper, muscular black man coming out of [...]
Many places in the US stake claim to the blues, but none more so than the Mississippi Delta. The crossroads where Robert Johnson is fabled to have sold his soul to the Devil sits in the Delta, in [...]
If you haven’t heard already Dom Flemons is releasing What Got Over, an EP of extra cuts from his 2014 release Prospect Hill for Record Store Day. Big Head Joe’s March is the first [...]
We arrived to Mr. Drink’s house and he was happy to have us visit! We chatted for a bit and soaked up his poetic “drinkisms” and enjoyed hearing his stories. Lakota John asked [...]
Alabama Slim is one of many Music Maker artists that knows how to tell a story. Storytelling can be just as much a source of subject matter as it can be a delivery technique. The song “Mr. [...]
Tim took this photo last week, when visiting Freddie in New Orleans. Find out more about Little Freddie King here!
We were just visiting Captain Luke at hospice, and he has a TV/DVD player in his room, so we brought along Toot Blues to watch together. While Captain chatted on the phone with his many admirers [...]
Cary Morin’s “Old Guitar” is a great video to see some of the outstanding picking that goes on amongst the guitarists at Music Maker. “Old Guitar” is one of Cary’s original songs and some [...]
Anyone that has had some sort of involvement with Old-Time Fiddle Music knows the name Benton Flippen, and would also surely be familiar with his song, “Benton’s Dream“. [...]
Filmmaker Tom Ciaburri has completed his documentary short – Ironing Board Sam’s Return.
It all started last year at the North Carolina Folk Heritage Awards. John Dee Holeman and his girlfriend Joan needed a ride to the annual ceremony, and due to some last minute complications, I [...]
Cool John Ferguson grew up in the Georgia Sea Islands and has spent the majority of his life living near the salty shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Cool’s music has been described as “a [...]
Aaron writes about the trip he and Ironing Board Sam recently took to record a new album in Mississippi. On the morning of our second day in Mississippi working on Ironing Board Sam’s new [...]
Last year for Black History Month, I dubbed 2014 the year of the folksinger and spoke about the importance of Pete Seeger to music today. I’m not sure how to dub 2015; so much change has [...]
Poke Salad Annie is a song that has been sung and played so many times by so many great artists, it is almost unthinkable that a defining version of this classic southern standard could exist. [...]
Dr. Burt, from Birmingham, Al, grew up during the historic fight for Civil Rights. His mother was very involved in the movement and worked directly with Corretta Scott King; as a young man he [...]
This song from Dom Flemons (Founding Member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops) sheds light on how some of America’s older music is connected to modern day Hip-Hop. The rapid fire approach of [...]
When I think of Black History month, I often reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Riders down in Birmingham, AL. Over the years Music Maker has had the great pleasure of [...]
Music Maker supporters are often curious how we meet the artists we work with. There is a different story for every artist. This past week, we had the opportunity to begin work with Sam [...]
Listen: Well, Well Don’t You Worry About Me Chances are, if you visited the Music Maker offices any time in the last few months, a track from the Como Mamas was playing, set to loud. [...]
Often the Music Maker artists we cherish and love are not seen the same way in their own communities. This perception has an impact on the way these artists see themselves. Opportunities like the [...]
Listen: The Mighty Flood The destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina can be felt in many of the songs and stories here at Music Maker. If you’re familiar with Alabama Slim and Little Freddie [...]
EXHIBITION DATES: JANUARY 2 – MARCH 29, 2015 Programming Schedule: FREE Docent Tours every SUNDAY @ 2 pm FEBRUARY 2015: February 6, 6 – 8 pm: Opening reception – Admission is free to all [...]
I am sure many of you have heard the more recent recording of this tune on several of Guitar Gabriel’s albums and Music Maker compilations. While these versions have lyrical similarity, the [...]
Tim and Aaron have been running around all week, checking on the Captain and getting his new home ready for his arrival. We got word this week that Captain would be ready to return home from the [...]
Listen: Fred You Ought to be Dead This track by James Davis is on our 20th [...]
NOBODY PLAYS GUITAR LIKE ROBERT LEE COLEMAN. On this rippin’ track Coleman comes flying out the gate with his aggressive picking style. If you have never seen Robert Lee Coleman live you [...]
When the Music Maker Relief Foundation first started working with Ironing Board Sam he was in a pretty rough spot. He was being evicted from his trailer, had no gigs and desperately needed help. [...]
John Dee Holeman is 87. He speaks softly. When he picks up his guitar, it’s a different story. John Dee’s brand of blues swings and shuffles to where you have no choice but to stamp your feet or [...]
