Down at the Crossroads

Perhaps Willie Johnson’s most famous song is Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground. Here's what it had to do with Easter...

Good Friday with Blind Willie Johnson On Good Friday, we are thinking again about a couple of Blind Willie Johnson songs. And in case you’ve ever wondered why this day which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ could possibly b…

You may not hear a better version of White Christmas this year. Enjoy!

White Christmas - The Drifters (Cover) White Christmas - The Drifters (Cover) | Josh Turner GuitarSupport on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JoshTurnerGuitarSubscribe: http://bit.ly/subJoshTurner...

Blues Alert!! You gotta hear this young woman play Blind Blake. Remember the name - Muirrean Bradley - and check out her new album, "I kept these old blues. " Astonishing guitar work, but just listen to her voice.

Police Dog Blues Live My take on Blind Blake’s Police Dog Blues live at Osta Cafe on the banks of the Garavogue River in Sligo town on the final day of the fantastic Sligo Live Fe...

Parchman has often been associated with blues music, with artist like Bukka White, Son House and R.L. Burnside all serving time there.
Move on ninety years and another recording finds Parchman inmates still making music that has the power to move us

Parchman Prison Prayer: faith and hope in the darkness An Interview with album producer, Ian Brennan Mississippi State Penitentiary is a men’s maximum-security prison in the Mississippi Delta region. It’s the state’s oldest prison …

The nine-song Dirt Woman Blues sees Gráinne Duffy at the top of her game and surely establishes her as one of the best artists in the contemporary blues and roots scene.

Gráinne Duffy, Dirt Road Blues, Gráinne Duffy, Dirt Road Blues, Blue Heart Records Photo: Bedford Blackham Images She’s played Glastonbury, and concerts and major festivals in Europe, Africa, North America and Australia, and perf…

This is good.
Legendary rock musician and songwriter Dave Mason has unveiled a new version of the timeless Traffic hit, "Dear Mr. Fantasy," breathing new life into the classic song with the help of modern blues rock icon Joe Bonamassa.

Dave Mason & Joe Bonamassa – “Dear Mr. Fantasy” Official Music Video Legendary rock musician and songwriter Dave Mason has unveiled a new version of the timeless Traffic hit, "Dear Mr. Fantasy," breathing new life into the cla...

But lately Slim, born Milton Frazier, has had trouble standing, let alone walking, and playing guitar is currently impossible.

Sitting Still & Standing Tall - Music Maker Sitting Still & Standing Tall Stories November 2, 2023 Alabama Slim, photograph by Tim Duffy When Alabama Slim stands up, he’s nearly 7-feet tall. And for decades, he thrummed up massive blues grooves on the electric guitar. He’s a giant. But lately Slim, born Milton Frazier, has had trouble sta...

Parchman Farm, which today has beds for nearly 5,000 inmate workers, many of whom are continuing its remarkable musical legacy...In February, he travelled to Parchman Farm to record a Sunday gospel service with the blessing of the prison chaplains, which was released last week as Some Mississippi Sunday Morning.

‘It’s a charged place’: Parchman Farm, the Mississippi prison with a remarkable musical history Inmates at this bucolic but brutal prison have long been singing the blues to sustain themselves, and a new compilation of gospel songs continues the legacy

Really fine piece here -
Nanci Griffith’s Lone Star State of Mind

Nanci Griffith’s Lone Star State of Mind The late singer-songwriter rarely felt at home either in her native Texas or in the music industry, but her nostalgic ditties of girlhood captured a potent sense of place.

May happy returns to this 74 year old, pictures here a metre away from me in Dublin, 2018

Remembering singer-songwriter JIM CROCE (Jan. 10, 1943-Sept. 20, 1973) on the 50th anniversary of his death.

I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song

‘I wear black for the poor and beaten down’: The Christian faith of Johnny Cash

‘I wear black for the poor and beaten down’: The Christian faith of Johnny Cash 20 years on from the death of Country superstar Johnny Cash, Derek Walker takes a look at the complicated life, faith and struggles of the 'Man in Black'

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From Willie Nile's excellent 2021 album.
"The justice bell will not be still
Hear it ring.
Hear it in the voiceless ones as they rise up and sing
The justice bell will not be still
Hear it ring."

The Justice Bell (For John Lewis) Provided to YouTube by Virtual Label LLCThe Justice Bell (For John Lewis) · Willie NileThe Day The Earth Stood Still℗ River House RecordsReleased on: 2021-08...

Lovely article on Blind Boy of Alabama, Jimmy Carter.
"I want my legacy to be known that Jimmy Carter touched quite a few lives while he was on this earth. And he’ll be missed when he’s gone. I hope I am.”
https://www.salvationsouth.com/the-last-man-standing-blind-boys-of-alabama-chuck-reece-jimmy-carter/?fbclid=IwAR0EN-homZ8B8ed_0zjxfK0zbjyYAQub9fQ3Y7oFNuJhgZKD2YU86ARr9jg

The Last Man Standing – Salvation South The new Blind Boys of Alabama album marks the final song from Jimmy Carter, who was there eight decades ago, when it all began.

"And you money loving Christians you sure give me the blues..." R Cooder with John Vaughan's hard hitting 100 year old song

You Must Unload Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupYou Must Unload · Ry CooderThe Prodigal Son℗ 2018 Perro Verde Records, LLC., Under exclusive license to Fantasy R...

It's summer- time to hit the road, jump into the Cadillac, scoot down the highway... Twelve great blues songs to help you on your way.

Hitting the Road with the Blues Time to hit the road, jump into the Cadillac, scoot down the highway. I guess we’re all feeling like that after the last year we’ve had. We’ve got itchy feet, we need a change of scene, to get outa…

Happy Juneteenth!

Celebrating Juneteenth With songs by Gladys Bently, Eric Bibb, Shemekia Copeland and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Blind Boys of Alabama and Kirk Franklin A couple of years ago President #45 claimed he had “made Juneteenth very …

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So, a sudden and unexpected massive spike in traffic to Down at the Crossroads. Caused by a review I did after Dylan did his online Shadow Kingdom show during the pandemic. The album is released tomorrow. So, ahead of time -

Bob Dylan’s Shadow Kingdom Review I’ve seen a few shows of varying quality during the pandemic restrictions of the past year. But none comes close to Bob Dylan’s Shadow Kingdom gig. Granted, it wasn’t a live gig, although you kinda…

Rev Gary Davis was born 127 years ago yesterday. Bob Dylan called him “one of the wizards of modern music.”

Rev Gary Davis – A Great Change Bob Dylan called him “one of the wizards of modern music.” His biographer, Ian Zack, called him “one of the world’s greatest, if not the greatest, of all traditional and ragtime guitarists” And for…

So, what have the Rolling Stones to do with Easter?

Easter Sunday and the Rolling Stones? So, what have the Rolling Stones to do with Easter? Well, actually, the link is a bit tenuous – on their 1971 album Sticky Fingers, they recorded and brought to everybody’s attention a Mississippi …

The old gospel blues singer, Blind Willie Johnson, takes us into the heart of Good Friday

Good Friday with Blind Willie Johnson On Good Friday, we are thinking again about a couple of Blind Willie Johnson songs. And in case you’ve ever wondered why this day which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ could possibly b…

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was born 108 years ago. Armed with her faith, her huge talent and her charisma, she paved the way, howling and stamping and wielding a mean electric guitar, for the rock ‘n’ roll artists who would follow

The First Guitar Heroine of Rock ‘n’ Roll Sister Rosetta Tharpe was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during 2018 with an award for “Early Influence.” The Hall of Fame hailed her as one of the essential figures in the history …