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 the South, representing a great diversity of styles and attitudes. Cool John Ferguson gave them a taste of Low Country blues, George Stancell […]

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 backing up the other MM Musicians, including the late George Higgs, on harmonica. Since then, I haven’t […]

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 with the Grammy Museum celebrates American folk legend Lead Belly featuring headliners Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, and Buddy Miller with Viktor Krauss, and […]

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.  The Captain has attended every single Shakori Hills as part of the Music Maker Blues Revue and […]

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 at store with a packet of cigars. Gabe had me pull over and he introduced me to Captain Luke. They were old friends, […]