Relying on the local pawn shop seems to be a running theme in the blues. A double edged sword though, you have to drop off your instrument, your main squeeze, with the hopes that she’ll be [...]
Albert White & the Rockers by Albert White Albert White has been around the musical block. He started playing in High School, rehearsing with his uncle, the R&B legend Dr. Feelgood. When [...]
Outlaw by Harvey Dalton Arnold “Cold & Lonesome,” a hit for venerable Southern Rock pioneers, The Outlaws, is here performed by its writer, Harvey Dalton Arnold. Just Harvey, a [...]
Beaufort Blues by Big Boy Henry This tale of senseless sacrifice reveals the world through a child’s eyes. While still an innocent child, the irony of the “holy kiss” is not lost on this boy who [...]
N.O.L.A. Rhythum And Booze by Guitar Lightnin’ Lee You take one look at Guitar Lightnin’ Lee and immediately get the impression that this is one of the meanest dudes on the planet. [...]
Rainy Day by George Higgs George Higgs is one of the lesser known artists that Music Maker has partnered with. That doesn’t mean that George wasn’t an amazing artist though. His dark [...]
Sing It Louder by Cary Morin Cary Morin is one of the most amazing guitar players I have ever seen play the instrument and his songwriting is matches his playing ability. Sing It Louder is all [...]
Don’t Mess With Miss Watkins by Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Nobody can tear the house down like Beverly. If you ever been lucky enough to see her play you know how it feels to have [...]
Spencer Branch by Spencer Branch Anyone that has ever traveled knows the joy it can bring alongside the subsequent heartache of home sickness. Blown Back With the Breeze carries you across the [...]
Lee Gates and the Alabama Cotton Kings by Lee Gates Lee Gates’ insistent music is always compelling. Between his shredding guitar and pleading vocals, you know he means what he’s singing. Lee is [...]
Outlaw by Harvey Dalton Arnold Harvey Dalton Arnold is a true Southern rocker. A member of the Outlaws for many years, listening to the acoustic sounds on Harvey’s album Outlaw is [...]
Ironing Board Sam and the Sticks by Ironing Board Sam A couple years ago Music Maker had two French interns that helped out at the office for 9 months. They lived right next door to [...]
High Steppin' Momma by Clyde Langford Clyde Langford hails from town in Texas as Lightnin’ Hopkins and about an hour from where guitar legend Mance Lipscomb is from. While Clyde [...]
Born With the Blues by Cora Mae Bryant Cora Mae adorns herself with brightly colored clothes and jewelry. She shined like a bright light in the heart of the Deep South. Her music tells a personal [...]
Robert Belfour, lesser known than his fellow Mississippi Hill Country contemporaries like R. L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Jesse Mae Hemphill, was a powerful guitar player with an intense [...]
In a late Summer stupor, the heat soaking your clothes on the short trip from the office to the car, what you really need is a little more “cold.” Probably not the kind of cold [...]
Turn Off the Fear by Carl Rutherford Carl Rutherford was a coal miner from West Virginia that played deep country music and gospel. Carl’s guitar pickin’ is some of the finest around [...]
Biscuits For Your Outside Man by Sam Frazier, Jr. When we first met Sam Frazier, Jr. and recording some of his songs he told us that one of his favorite Country Music tunes he wrote is about [...]
Blue & Lonesome by Alabama Slim Alabama Slim plays Deep Blues. Originally from Vance, AL but Slim has lived in New Orleans since the late 60s. Standing tall at around 6’7″ [...]
Blues Sweet Blues by Pat Sky Last week we introduced new Music Maker Recipient artist, Pat Sky. So this week we are Diggin’ on his classic “traveling” song, Many A Mile. Many A [...]
Outlaw by Harvey Dalton Arnold Harvey Dalton Arnold is one of the musicians that we are lucky to have local to the Music Maker office, so we see him often! Harvey is a part of the Music [...]
Route 66 by Eddie Tigner If you’ve ever driven through downtown Hillsborough, NC you might’ve noticed that there are several signs reflecting the historical significance of past [...]
Hold The Rain by Pura Fé Pura Fé is one of the most mystical artists I have ever met. When you see Pura Fé perform you instantly see that her physical emotion matches her voice. A Love Like Mine [...]
Railroad Bill by Etta Baker As someone who is a “beginning blues” listener, I can’t speak much to the technical aspects of Etta Baker’s talent. If I knew better, I might [...]
The Music Maker catalog has some of the deepest grooves you can ever hope to come across. If you’re lucky, you’ve experienced these rhythms live in person at a Revue Show and know exactly what [...]
Sawmill Worker by Preston Fulp “Little Darling” is one of the sweetest songs in the Music Maker catalogue. The tale of unrequited love is a familiar one, but Preston’s tender and delicate voice [...]
We still have a few more weeks of cool mornings. In some places they follow still nights all summer long. Here in North Carolina, the summer is not that gentle. With the long days come heat, damp [...]
Route 66 by Eddie Tigner A song about traveling is more than appropriate for pianist Eddie Tigner. Eddie traveled his whole life as a US Army band member and as a member of the original [...]
A couple of weeks ago I got my hands on some footage that Tim and Abigail shot of David Bryant in his home town in Oxford, GA singing “Cold and Rainy Day,” a song David learned from [...]
Spencer Branch by Spencer Branch “Things in Life” by Don Stover, sung here in beautiful harmony by Kelley Breiding and Martha Spencer with simple accompaniment is a sentimental reflection on [...]
Now here’s a gritty yawp of angst and regret combined with a soulful rhythm of resolution and wisdom. Two Trains Runnin’ by John Dee Holeman will grab you and get you rolling to its strong and [...]
Cedar Grove by Red Rover Tim and Susan Wells, a married couple who also perform as a folk duo, released this album as part of Music Maker’s Next Generation program. Listening to Cedar [...]
One More Mile by Robert Lee Coleman Robert Lee Coleman is the distillation of the cool 70s soul style that born out of Macon, GA. Playing for James Brown and Percy Sledge for many years, Robert [...]
A Living Past by Guitar Gabriel & Lucille Lindsay Lucille Lindsay was the first artist page on the Music Maker website I clicked on. I had just been invited to interview for the [...]
A Living Past by Willa Mae Buckner As a newbie here at Music Maker, one of my first assignments was to learn the Music Maker story by watching our documentary “Toot Blues”. As I was [...]
If James Taylor could play the guitar with the virtuosity and creativity of the celebrated inventor of bossa nova, Gilberto Gil, that amalgam would be exemplified in Cary Morin. “This Train” [...]
Etta Baker’s style and grace on guitar is exemplified on Police Dog Blues. The melody bobs along like a leaf floating down the river and then progresses into the most delicate harmonics. [...]
Ironing Board Sam’s latest record, Super Spirit, brimming with energy, twists and turns with every song. “I Wanna Be There” boosts the tension up a few notches with its accelerating rhythm and [...]
As a new member of the Music Maker family, it’s been such a treat to experience all the music that has been coming my way these past few weeks. Listening to Sam Frazier Jr.’s recently released [...]
When Drink Small first released this wonderful, upbeat track, we definitely wrote a Diggin’ about it. I can’t find it, however, and I wanted to share this song again with you all [...]
“Amsterdam” is the perfect example of Lightnin’s amped up style. Lightnin’ is a NOLA man through and through. His vibrant and wild musical style not only reflects his personality, but also his [...]
Big Ron Hunter and Alabama Slim are returning to France this week. Music is My Home, the project they join in with French Jazz impresario Raphael Imbert, is celebrating its release in Europe with [...]
Adolphus Bell’s hero was Martin Luther King Jr.; during the Civil Rights movement in Birmingham, Adolphus and his young friends put their lives on the line for Freedom. When Adolphus [...]
While rehearsing in NYC for globalFEST Robert Lee Coleman showed us what is was like to work for James Brown. Having toured with Brown for many years Coleman has adopted some of the same ideas of [...]
Lil’ Joe is as cool as they come. Anyone who has seen him perform knows that he is the essence of smooth. “Mr. Magic” exemplifies his versatility and total command of the trombone. Joe’s career [...]
Last week, more than a couple of my friends started posting pictures of delicious looking King Cakes to their Facebook feeds, we reminded me that it will be Mardi Gras in less than a month! [...]
In 2011, Precious Bryant and I were steady penpals. I was working to get a new mobile home for her to replace the damaged and worn one she and her son Tony had been living in for many years. The [...]
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 [...]
“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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
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- [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
“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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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“. [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Hard Luck & Trouble exemplifies the blues with Marie Manning’s haunting vocal performance accompanied by the Bishop’s quintessential driving guitar licks. Marie Manning’s [...]
Cootie Stark was a dear friend to Music Maker. A blind blues bard who spread joy and hope, and inspired everyone he met. Not one to stay home, Cootie would often call me from the Durham, NC [...]
Leyla McCalla’s debut album, Vari-Colored Songs is one of the most well rounded a intellectually stimulating records I have heard in a long time. The elegant simplicity of the traditional [...]
I never got the chance to meet Etta Baker but was a long time fan of her music even before I started to work at the Music Maker Relief Foundation. Her style of guitar playing is the most eloquent [...]
Listen to Black Mattie Even if you are not a fan of Hip-Hop music you can still appreciate the deep grooves of this [...]
