By Nick Loss-Eaton If you love Buddy Guy (and who doesn’t?) or if you’re a new fan captivated by the PBS “American Masters” episode about Buddy that premiered last week, we thought we’d spend [...]
By Nick Loss-Eaton This Friday will be the last “Bandcamp Friday,” a day when Bandcamp takes no cut for sales of music on its platform, so Music Maker has decided to blow it out. In addition to [...]
Nick Loss-Eaton here again to offer a few of my picks from the Music Maker catalog for Bandcamp Friday. On March 5 and the first Fridays of April and May, Bandcamp will waive its cut of the [...]
If you haven’t joined Music Maker Listener’s Circle yet, perhaps No. 45 in our series will convince you that it’s finally time to do it. No. 45 in our series is called “A Geographic Cure.” Blues [...]
The music sales platform Bandcamp has announced that on the first Fridays in February, March, April, and May, it will not take its usual 15 percent cut on album sales. That means if you buy any [...]
“My great-grandparents and grandparents were not educated because state laws prohibited the education of slaves; but they developed their own language, music, and other means of communication. My [...]
Alabama Slim, a Music Maker partner artist based in New Orleans, has an upcoming album, The Parlor, that takes a rip at President Trump. Music Maker fans might know a bit already about Little [...]
New England-based music teacher Earle Pughe has recently been exploring Music Maker’s catalog and transcribing our Partner Artists’ most iconic performances. We’re putting the material together [...]
Stories To Live Up To by Harvey Dalton Arnold Slink into the Fall season with Harvey Dalton Arnold’s opening song from his most recent release – Stories to Live Up To. Mr. [...]
This is the first year I have not made my yearly pilgrimage to the Old time fiddle festivals in Galax, VA and Mount Airy, NC in my adult life. These music festivals and others peppered [...]
Ninth Wonder of the World of Music by Ironing Board Sam Ask Ironing Board Sam about how this rare demo was recorded back in 70s and he will explain to you that he hypnotized his bandmates to [...]
Hallelujah Boogaloo by Drink Small The deep baritone of longtime Music Maker Partner Artist Drink Small (that’s his legal name, no lie!) embodies the blues. Mr. Small was born in [...]
Since 2009 Music Maker has been partnered with Lakota John through our Next Generation program. This program was founded on the belief that our rich musical traditions must be embraced by younger [...]
Here’s another youtube adventure for you. This selection features a blend of Music Maker partner artists including John Dee Holeman, Algia Mae Hinton, Etta Baker, Guitar Gabriel and [...]
Amazing Grace by Cora Fluker Cora Fluker was born in Livingston, Alabama, around 1920. When Denise and I visited her in 1997 it was a deeply moving experience. She told us of a childhood growing [...]
Route 66 by Eddie Tigner Eddie Tigner was a tiny man with a big smile that could knock you down from across a room. Born in Macon, GA in 1926, Eddie cut his teeth playing for Rock n’ Roll [...]
Amazing Grace by Music Maker Recordings Every artist interprets Amazing Grace so personally and distinctively, like you are a witness to their own intimate spiritual journey. Piedmont bluesman [...]
NPR Music’s All Songs Considered featured the Dedicated Men of Zion‘s song Down Here Lord on their New Music Friday playlist. NPR Music had this to say about the song and upcoming [...]
Raw Sugar by Cootie Stark This week’s blog post touched on the social isolation that our Partner Artists are experiencing in the pandemic. On this track from blind acoustic bluesman Cootie [...]
Purchase Can’t Turn Me Around HERE! Harmony is serious business where the Dedicated Men of Zion come from. For their eldest member Anthony “Amp” Daniels, it was so serious that every day [...]
MusicMakerRelief · Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen – Grinnin’ In Your Face (A Capella) Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen takes this powerful Son House tune head on. Pat sheds [...]
The Blues was born in the South and dispersed wherever people would congregate. Shot houses, railroad depots, local bars, VFW halls and other community gathering places served as the melting pots [...]
LIVESTREAM MUSIC SERIES HONORING PIEDMONT BLUES WOMAN ELIZABETH ‘LIBBA’ COTTEN TO FEATURE N.C. ARTISTS PERFORMANCES BY MANDOLIN ORANGE, HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER, PHIL COOK, LIGHTNIN’ WELLS, AND [...]
“Little Red Rooster told little Brown Hen I ain’t had no loving since I don’t know when, I wanna boogie! yeah! The hen chews tobacco, the rooster dips snuff, the little rooster [...]
Filmed at their old homeplace in Panola County, Mississippi, the Como Mamas’ Angelia Taylor leads this powerful number. Her voice carries the familial trio through this powerful song [...]
Outsider Lounge Music by Captain Luke The power duo is a truly rare occurrence in music. Just a handful of musicians have captured the musical magic that happens when two performers come together [...]
Born in Rosa, Louisiana, Chuck Bush helped redefine Zydeco’s sound in the 80’s and 90’s for a new audience while playing bass behind Beau Jocque and then Terry Dominique. In December 2019, Chuck [...]
Youtube is a respite. Its a great place to go when you want to explore and you are stuck at home. I was on the phone with Curtis Harper, drummer for the Glorifying Vines and husband to Mattie [...]
When you’ve had enough bad news for the day and can’t be bothered to find the one movie on Netflix you haven’t watched, maybe it is time to kick back, close your eyes and hear a couple of good yarns..
Dear Listener’s Circle Members, Thank you for your support of the Music Maker Relief Foundation. It is times like these when our great American musical traditions can still bring a smile to [...]
Grasshopper Pie by Slewfoot and the Angels Recorded in a gritty, pre-Katrina New Orleans, the dissonant strains of Slewfoot and the Angels’ “Give Your Love” draws us in and reminds us of the [...]
Dear supporters, As the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise we are communicating with our partner artists on a daily basis to ensure they are aware of this rapidly developing [...]
View this post on Instagram An unbelievable second day of our Sacred Soul Sessions with Bible & Tire Recording Company in Eastern North Carolina #gospel #greenvillenc [...]
Classic Rock is alive and well on this track from Harvey Dalton Arnold‘s upcoming Music Maker release – Stories To Live Up To (out February 28th). A slew of ace studio musicians wreak [...]
The Music Maker Blues Revue feat. Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen, Robert Lee Coleman, Willie Farmer, and Alabama Slim play Jazz Fest in New Orleans on Thursday, April 30th in the Blues [...]
“Folk music is high class music, cause a lot of low class people sangin’ it. Matter of fact, most so-called folk singers don’t even look like folk. Folk songs tell true stories, [...]
Over the years Music Maker has partnered with some unbelievable female artists. From the subtle acoustic stylings of Algia Mae Hinton to the ripping electric blues of Beverly “Guitar” [...]
Ironing Board Sam embodies the spirit of New Orleans with his boogie woogie piano and fantastical performance style. This playlist is just a smattering of some of Sam’s finest recordings [...]
With our 25th anniversary upon us, we reflect on some of the musicians that have been with us since the beginning. Essie Mae Brooks has been a Music Maker partner artist since 1995. Her original, [...]
If you could credit a single place for the creation of popular American music it would most certainly be the Church. Since our founding, Music Maker has partnered with some phenomenal gospel [...]
It doesn’t always take a ripping electric guitar solo and a full band to get your body moving or have an emotional impact. Since it’s founding, Music Maker has specialized in [...]
We are pulling out all the stops with Duke Performances December 4th – 8th to celebrate 25 years of helping musicians make it. From zydeco to gospel, experimental to deep blues, Music Maker [...]
With our 25th Anniversary upon us we want to thank some of the partners that have made our work possible. Over the past couple years Big Legal Mess Records has put out a number of recordings [...]
Last Pair of Shoes by John Dee Holeman“Don’t let your doggone head go bald!” John Dee Holeman digs deep on this tune with a downright raunchy harmonica accompaniment from Tad [...]
25 years ago, Music Maker was founded on the idea of giving credit, appreciation, and financial support to those that shaped and continue to shape American culture through their music. We book [...]
Blue Muse by Taj MahalIt’s hard to imagine where Music Maker would be without the help of dedicated advisory board member and musical genius Taj Mahal. For twenty years Taj has served as a [...]
Blue Muse by Dave McGrewThe life of a fruit tramp is tough. Dave McGrew traveled with the harvests in the Great Northwest since he was young. D.O.C. Man speaks to the frustration of getting [...]
With a sound shaped by a life lived in the rural South working in tobacco fields and with heavy machinery, John Dee Holeman proves he’s still got it on his new release – Last Pair of [...]
Blue Muse by Theotis TaylorThere is a magical quality to the music of Theotis Taylor. This South Georgia natives piano playing is completely unique and was immediately recognized by Bruce Watson [...]
Blue Muse by Willie FarmerOur longtime partner and dear friend Bruce Watson produced this album for new Music Maker partner artist Willie Farmer. Hailing from Duck Hill, Mississippi, Willie plays [...]
Sadly, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins passed away the morning of October 1st, 2019 due to complications from a stroke. Though she has captured the rapt attention of audiences across the [...]
Blue Muse by Robert Finley This is the song that started it all for Robert Finley and it remains his ethos. Robert has been wowing national audiences and celebrities on America’s Got [...]
Learn more about Rufus McKenzie here – http://archive.musicmaker.orgartists/rufus-mckenzie/
Blue Muse by Cary MorinGet up and dance! That’s what Cary Morin wants you to do. There are few songs in this world that can be heard and immediately pick you up if you are feeling down and [...]
Blue Muse by Dom Flemons For the past decade Dom Flemons has educated millions through his performances of American Roots music and has become one of the great modern voices in the folk scene. [...]
Double Bang: Hot Bang! by Ironing Board SamIroning Board Sam will make another return to Jazz Fest at 2:50pm on Sunday, May 5 to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. His zany performance style has [...]
Blue Muse by Drink SmallDrink Small from Columbia, South Carolina is known as the Blues Doctor. He is legendary in the Carolina Fraternity House circuit for his extremely bawdy blues. In this [...]
Blue Muse by Theotis Taylor Theotis Taylor is from Fitzgerald, Georgia and made his living harvesting turpentine. His singing and piano playing are utterly stunning. He is among the greatest [...]
Blue Muse by Eddie Tigner Eddie Tigner began his career as a young comedian in the famous Peacock Lounge in Atlanta, GA, a vestige of the fading Vaudeville circuit. Drafted into the Army and [...]
Blue Muse by Robert Finley Robert Finley has been one of our greatest success stories, and the moment Music Maker founder Tim Duffy heard Robert playing Age Don’t Mean a Thing on the street [...]
Willie Farmer is living proof that Mississippi continues to produce deep blues. The 62-year-old guitarist is neither a soul modernist nor revivalist, but simply a small town auto mechanic who’s [...]
My Name Is Precious by Precious BryantPrecious Bryant takes to her acoustic guitar for her rendition of this classic love song. Typically performed as a sultry jazz number made famous by Peggy [...]
We love our supporters and for Valentine’s Day this year we’d like to give you a special treat – a free download of the Martha Spencer & Kelley Breiding’s [...]
Blue Muse by Dave McGrew McGrew’s lyrics speak of fragmentation and isolation. The self is in pieces and the part with a mouth is lonely. To read the song sheets is sad. To listen to the songs, [...]
The Mighty Flood by Alabama Slim & Little Freddie KingThis is easily one of the deepest tracks in the Music Maker catalog. Close your eyes and Alabama Slim‘s low raspy voice, silky [...]
The Beginning Of The Music Maker Story by Guitar Gabriel As Music Maker heads into it’s 25th Anniversary this year it seems like a good time to reflect on our founding artist, Guitar [...]
Things haven’t been easy for Ironing Board Sam over the past couple of years. After partnering with Music Maker, Sam’s career got a phenomenal rebirth and he started playing shows all [...]
Labor of Love by Taj MahalThere must be thousands of versions of this grisly narrative. One could even argue that Stagger Lee is one of the most widely adopted blues songs in mainstream music. [...]
Cool John Ferguson can play any style. But when he chooses to go real smooth with his sound he really shines. Match his silky smooth guitar with a Christmas classic and you’ve got yourself a [...]
Cookie McGee was born and raised in Dallas in the North Park neighborhood and started playing the guitar at the age of five years old. As a young girl she would visit her neighbor, blues legend [...]
Christmas With Cootie by Cootie Stark During the holidays there usually two guarantees: 1) you’ll spend some quality time with family 2) you’ll probably be drinking. It’s these two things that [...]
Sam Frazier, Jr. is a powerful vocalist, with a lilting drawl that whines, growls and whistles through a smile neatly tucked under his pristine ten gallon hat. He’s a careful study that can blow [...]
Eddie Tigner is a longtime Music Maker artist, a national treasure, and a living legend. Born in 1926, Eddie is approaching his 93rd birthday. With each passing year, this original Ink Spot and [...]
We are thrilled to announce a new release from Music Maker partner artist Patrick Sky. The album is entitled Many a Mile, one of Patrick’s most famous songs and covered by Buffy [...]
Grotto Sessions by Rufus McKenzie Rufus McKenzie’s raw style is as a precursor to soul music. The roots of Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye can be heard in his voice — and this remixed [...]
Express your care for hardworking elderly musicians today! At 79, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins is STILL one of the toughest working blues musicians around; playing for packed clubs and ripping solos [...]
The Folk Revival movement of the 1940s, 50s, and 60s played an integral role in our ability to look back at our musical traditions with reverence. Known for producing several Mississippi John [...]
Don’t Mess With Miss Watkins by Beverly “Guitar” Watkins For me, this song is the highlight of Don’t Mess with Miss Watkins. Listening to this blues guitar virtuosa assert her [...]
Simon Arcache, Rafael Evrard, and Clement Prunet are true students of American music. The latter two from Southern France and the former a Parisian, they have visited and lived in Hillsborough, [...]
ALBUM PREMIERE: EUROPEAN MUSICIANS CELEBRATE MUSIC MAKER RELIEF FOUNDATION WITH THE ‘GROTTO SESSIONS’
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“a fascinating tribute that feels like a postmodern meditation on the legacy of American blues” – Glide Magazine Get an exclusive listen of the Grotto Sessions via Glide [...]
Follow Your Heart’s Desire by Pura FéI find myself drawn to this track from Pura Fé’s debut solo album. Her soulful voice and acoustic lap steel slide are soothing, yet the solemn lyrics [...]
Last week we posted on the blog about Robert Finley’s incredible journey and his recent performance at the Beacon Theatre and just when you think things have gotten as good as they can get [...]
Earlier this year, Music Maker said goodbye to dear friend and pioneering blues woman, Algia Mae Hinton. Since 1994 Algia has been a part of the Music Maker family and although her passing [...]
Double Bang: Big Bang! by Ironing Board Sam Ironing Board Sam’s musical showmanship is unparalleled and inspiring to all who have seen or heard him perform. Sadly in late 2016, just before [...]
Outsider Lounge Music by Captain LukeWith the weekend upon us it feels appropriate to dig on Captain Luke‘s song, Waiter. With Captain’s sultry voice and smooth delivery backed by [...]
Cabbage Man by Sam Frazier, Jr. Somewhat similar to Johnny Cash’s rendition, Sam Frazier, Jr.’s pared down version of this country classic gets an even more traditional twist by using [...]
Robert Finley’s talent is undeniable. Music Maker founder Tim Duffy knew this the second he spotted him playing on the street at the King Biscuit Blues Festival. After working to address [...]
There are only a handful of artists as emblematic of New Orleans culture than Little Freddie King. It’s easy to forget that even in with his flashy zoot suits and hard driving electric [...]
For over a decade now Music Maker has been partnered with the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival in Columbia, MO which has featured many iterations of the Music Maker Blues Revue on it’s main [...]
Born in Alamo, TN, Pee Wee Hayes came up listening the great fore fathers and mothers of the blues by sneaking under the floorboards of his father’s cafe to secretly listen to the nightly [...]
Me and My Fiddle by Andy Edmonds The string-band tradition has always been carried on through master and apprentice relationships. Mt. Airy fiddler Andy Edmonds followed in that great tradition [...]
Goin’ Away by John Lee ZeiglerWe recently released a long awaited collection of John Lee Ziegler’s music and received a wonderful response from Music Maker’s fans. It feels so [...]
Soul of the Blues by Albert White Albert White’s clean rendition of the classic “Someday Baby” is a slow, bluesy, heartfelt story of accepting the loss of a love. For anyone getting over a [...]
Cabbage Man by Sam Frazier, Jr. Sam Frazier Jr.’s album, Cabbage Man, is a classic collection of blues, gospel, and country worth hunkering down and digging in for a listen. The title [...]
Music scholars such as Mike Seeger and Taj Mahal have often told me that John Lee Zeigler is the most important artists that Music Maker has ever partnered with. John was from Kathleen, [...]
Touring With Lucy by Lee Gates We all have those days – waking up with the blues, going to bed with the blues – nothing in between but more blues. Lee Gates’ says it all with his guitar and his [...]
Music Maker’s Next Generation program connects younger musicians with our elder partner artists to ensure that our musical traditions are passed on. For years our Next Generation Program has [...]
My Name Is Precious by Precious BryantThere’s something about It’s Alright by Precious Bryant that reminds me of the happiness of summertime. Maybe it’s the warmth in her voice or the depth [...]
I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I have the perfect go-to song for nearly any situation. For long summer road trips I tend to lean towards freight train blues, for rainy nights at the [...]
