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From Chuchito Valdes to The Claudettes to Huntertones: a memorable three-night run at Akron's finest music club.

Let’s revisit this post by Professor Jack, our resident expert on radiatin’ the 88s. Blues started with the voice – call and response. The next step was to add a single vibrating [...]

This winter refuses to end. Time to drink (and revisit this post). I’m guessing the first drinking song was written not long after the first alcoholic beverage was served. Something about [...]

I was exploring the vast holdings of my digital music empire and came across quite a few songs named C.C. Rider, See See Rider, Easy Rider Blues, I Know You Rider… basically, several variations [...]

When well-established musicians join forces, it’s not always for purely artistic reasons. Sometimes their managers arrange it as a promotional gimmick. Or the performers could be stuck in the [...]

Gather round boys and girls… Brother Jack is back to give us a little primer on blues piano, from Cow Cow Davenport to Art Tatum. Save your questions for the end. Blues started with the [...]

America’s greatest musical export? That’s easy – Chess blues and rock ‘n roll. New Orleans R&B might be a close second, and you can’t deny the lasting, global impact of jazz greats like Miles [...]

My wife and I just spent a week at one of these all-inclusive resorts in Mexico – the kind of place that makes you feel like an alcoholic baby in a really lush crib, constantly reaching out to [...]

A few months ago, my blogging buddy April asked me what I thought about the movie “Cadillac Records,” a glossy look back at the birth of modern electric blues at Chicago’s Chess label in the ‘50s [...]

Nephew Dan is a busy man – touring the world and all – but he wanted us to check out this awesome clip of Otis Rush in his prime, playing in front of a polite but reverent audience [...]

I’m guessing the first drinking song was written not long after the first alcoholic beverage was served. Something about draggin’ stone for the pharaoh – and my baby left me too. In other words, [...]

Newly promoted to Keyboard Correspondent for Rubber City Review, Brother Jack is back with this look at the wonderful Otis Spann – a true giant of the blues piano… If you were looking to [...]