The Blues Show with Jonny Meister airs Saturday nights
from 7PM to Midnight on WXPN.
Coming Up On The Blues Show December 28, 2019:
The Blues of 2019, highlights of the past year in blues recordings, including Toronzo Cannon, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, and Jontavious Willis.
In the midnight hour after The Blues Show, on Blue Dimensions: Program #H52 — music from bassist Buster Williams and his band Something More from their album Audacity, and saxophonist Marcus Strickland and his band Marcus Strickland Twi-Life, from their album People Of The Sun, two fine jazz albums from 2019.
Check out Jonny's picks for 2019's top blues albums and best blues songs.
The Blues Images 2020 Blues Calendar is out now, with rare old photos of the artists, art work that accompanied the original release of some of the songs in the calendar on 78 rpm records, and a CD with a reissue of 22 of these songs, with music from Blind Lemon Jefferson, B. B. King, The Mississippi Sheiks, the mysterious Blues Boy Bill, and more.
Check out new section Cool Blues Links. In Part 1 of the Ken Burns documentary Country Music the Jimmie Rodgers song "In The Jailhouse Now" is said to be "derived from African-American blues and jug band musicians." We hereby name those musicians! They are Blind Blake and Gus Cannon, who recorded the song in 1927. Hear the original recording in Cool Blues Links.
Links for Local Artists | Venues | Blues Events | Cool Blues Links
• • • Area Blues Concerts & Events • • •
For blues event listings visit:
Delta Blue's Calendar
The Blues Collaborative
Bucks County Blues Society
Diamond State Blues Society
Baltimore Blues Society
Blues Society of Central PA
Lehigh Valley Blues Network
Central Delaware Blues Society
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
• • • December • • •
Friday, December 27, 2019
Blue Bizness featuring Diane Blue @ The SoundBank
Phoenixville PA 19460 (7:30PM-11:30PM) $8
Randy Lippincott @ The Twisted Tail
Philadelphia PA 19147 (9PM)
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Deb Callahan @ Paris Bistro
Philadelphia (Chestnut Hill) PA 19118 (7PM-11PM)
Gypsy Joe Alves & The Groove Prophets @ The Twisted Tail
Philadelphia PA 19147 (9PM)
Monday, December 30, 2019
Bruce Katz Band with special guest Giles Robson
@ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 19860 (8PM) $21.50-$29.50
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Bruce Katz Band with special guest Giles Robson
@ St. Georges Country Store
St. Georges DE 19733
Mikey Jr. with burlesque performances by Cabaret Administration @ The Twisted Tail
Philadelphia PA 19147 (9PM-1AM)
Steve Guyger & The Excellos @ NFIA
Oakford PA 19053
• • • January • • •
Friday, January 3, 2020
Craig Thatcher Band with Gabe Stillman Band @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 19860 (8PM) $21.50-$29.50
Saturday, January 4, 2020
International Blues Competition Fundraiser, hosted by Phoenixville Blues Festival and The SoundBank
supporting our winning bands and helping them get to Memphis.
Performing is our winning duo of our Battle of the Blues, East Texas Tramps and the winning band Blues on the Loose
@ The SoundBank
Phoenixville PA 19460 (7PM)
Popa Chubby @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $37 advance — $45 Door
Sunday, January 5, 2020
Blues Brunch, Jam, & open mic with The Philly Blues Kings
first Sunday of each month
@ Jamey's House Of Music
Lansdowne PA 19050 (Noon-3PM) free
Open mic jam Noon-1:30PM — Philly Blues Kings set 1:30PM-3PM
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Lehigh River Blues Jam
@ Days Inn Jetport Ballroom, Allentown PA 18109
doors open at 2:30PM (advance: $15 at door: $20
3:00PM-3:30PM - Acoustic Blues Project
3:45PM-4:30PM - Jack Adams Band
4:50PM-5:35PM - Blues Collaborative Band
5:55PM-6:40PM - Dana Gaynor Band
7:00PM-7:45PM - BC Combo
8:00PM-8:40PM - Bobby Kyle & the Administers
9:00PM-10:00PM - Nate Myers & The Aces
Frank Bey @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $25 advance — $35 Door
• • • February • • •
Sunday, February 2, 2020
Blues Brunch, Jam, & open mic with The Philly Blues Kings
first Sunday of each month
@ Jamey's House Of Music
Lansdowne PA 19050 (Noon-3PM) free
Open mic jam Noon-1:30PM — Philly Blues Kings set 1:30PM-3PM
Friday, February 7, 2020
Chris O'Leary @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $25 advance — $35 Door
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Frank Bey @ La Rose Jazz Club
Philadelphia (Germantown) PA 19144
Vanessa Collier @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $32 advance — $40 Door
Saturday, February 15, 2020
Gracie Curran & The High Falutin' Band @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $25 advance — $35 Door
Friday, February 21, 2020
Frank Bey CD Release Concert @ The Barn at Stoner Commons
Lancaster PA 17601 (doors 6PM)
Blues On The Loose 7PM-8 :30PM
Frank Bey 9PM-11PM
Eric Lindell @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $27 advance — $35 Door
Saturday, February 22, 2020
Paul Nelson @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $30 advance — $35 Door
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Dave Keyes @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
Friday, February 28, 2020
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram @ XL Live
Harrisburg PA 17104
Saturday, February 29, 2020
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram @ City Winery
Philadelphia PA 19107 (doors 6PM; show at 8PM) $30-$40
• • • March • • •
Friday, March 6, 2020
The Keyes-Bergeron-Hooks Band featuring Bernard Purdie @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $27 advance — $35 Door
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Roomful of Blues @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $39 advance — $45 Door
Friday March 20, 2020
Biscuit Miller & The Mix @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $27 advance — $35 Door
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Dave Keller Band @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 7:00 PM $$20 advance — $30 Door
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Ann Kerstetter Band @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
Friday, March 27, 2020
Roomful Of Blues @ Sellersville Theater
Sellersville PA 19860 (8PM) $25-$39.50
John Mayall (with Dave Mason) @ Scottish Rite Auditorium
Collingswood NJ 08107 (8PM) $39.50-$85
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Berks Jazz Fest
Kenny Neal & The Neal Family Revue with special guest Frank Bey
@ The Inn At Reading, Wyomissing PA 19610 (1:30PM) $49
• • • April • • •
Friday, April 3, 2020
Berks Jazz Fest
Billy Price & Charm City Rhythm Band @
@ The Inn At Reading, Wyomissing PA 19610 (7:30PM) $20
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Berks Jazz Fest
Tab Benoit opening: Greg Sover
@ The Inn At Reading, Wyomissing PA 19610 (1:30PM) $49
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
JP Soars & The Red Hots @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $25 advance — $35 Door
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Bret Alexander & Nyke Van Wyck @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
• • • May • • •
Saturday, May 16, 2020
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival Day 1
@ Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis MD 21409
Blues Traveler
The Spinners
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Southern Avenue
Elektric Voodoo
Wayne Baker Brooks
Chesapeake Bay Blues Band, featuring
Patty Reese, Daryl Davis, Mark Wenner, Dave Chappell
Holiday Ticket Price sale ends December 31, 2019 — Tickets go on sale December 16, 2019
Holiday ticket prices:
One-Day Pass $55
Two-Day Pass $100
VIP Ticket Package $550
Sunday, May 17, 2020
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival Day 2
@ Sandy Point State Park, Annapolis MD 21409
Buddy Guy
Shemekia Copeland
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
Cash Box Kings
Vanessa Collier
Altered Five Blues Band
Saturday, May 23, 2020
10th Annual Black Walnut Winery Blues Fest
Sadsburyville PA 19369
Noon-3PM: (TBA)
4PM-7PM: (TBA)
Sunday, May 24, 2020
10th Annual Black Walnut Winery Blues Fest
Sadsburyville PA 19369
Noon-3PM: (TBA)
4PM-7PM: (TBA)
Wednesday, May 27, 2020
Stacia Abernatha & Ben Geise @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Chester County Blues Barbecue @ Wyndsor Farm
Elverson PA (2PM-7PM) rain or shine
• • • June • • •
Friday, June 5, 2020
Havre De Grace Jazz & Blues Fest Day 1
Havre De Grace MD 21078
Saturday, June 6, 2020
Blues, Brews & Barbecue
9th & Hamilton Streets and surrounding area
Allentown PA 18101 (Noon-10PM)
Havre De Grace Jazz & Blues Fest Day 2
Havre De Grace MD 21078
Saint Georges Blues Festival Day 1
Fort DuPont Parade Grounds
Delaware City DE 19706
11:45AM — Judy Sings The Blues
1:15PM — Studebaker John & The Delaware Destroyers
with Garry Cogdell
3:00PM — Tennessee Redemption with Brandon Santini & Jeff Jensen
4:45PM — Victor Wainwright & The Train
6:30PM — Joe Louis Walker
Garry Cogdell's Session Tent All Weekend Between Sets
Sunday, June 7, 2020
Saint Georges Blues Festival Day 2
Fort DuPont Parade Grounds
Delaware City DE 19706
11:45AM — Gracie Curren & The High Falutin' Band
1:15PM — Backtrack Blues Band with Wayne Sharp
3:00PM — Toronzo Cannon
4:45PM — Mike Zito
6:30PM — Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
Garry Cogdell's Session Tent All Weekend Between Sets
Havre De Grace Jazz & Blues Fest Day 3
Havre De Grace MD 21078
Friday, June 12, 2020
Billtown Blues Festival Day 1
Lycoming County Fairgrounds, Hughesville PA 17737 (6PM)
Trudy Lynn @ Lizzie Rose Music Room
Tuckerton NJ 08087 (7:30PM) $32 advance — $40 Door
Saturday, June 13, 2020
State Street Blues Stroll
Business district in Media PA 19063
Billtown Blues Festival Day 2
Lycoming County Fairgrounds, Hughesville PA 17737 (12 Noon)
Sunday, June 14, 2020
Billtown Blues Festival Day 3
@ Lycoming County Fairgrounds
Hughesville PA 17737 (11AM)
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Deb Callahan @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
Friday, June 26, 2020
Blast Furnace Blues Festival Day 1
@ Steel Stacks, in Bethlehem PA 18015
Saturday, June 27, 2020
Blast Furnace Blues Festival Day 2
@ Steel Stacks, in Bethlehem PA 18015
Sunday, June 28, 2020
Blast Furnace Blues Festival Day 3
@ Steel Stacks, in Bethlehem PA 18015
• • • July • • •
Thursday, July 9, 2020 through Sunday, July 12, 2020
Briggs Farm Blues Festival
88 Old Berwick Highway, Nescopeck PA 18635
570-379-3342
headliner on Friday, July10th: Ana Popovic
headliner on Saturday, July11th: Shemekia Copeland
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Norman Taylor @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
• • • August • • •
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
Kevin McCann Blues Trio @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
• • • September • • •
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Kerry Kenny Trio @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
• • • October • • •
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Jeff Anderson Project @ The Listening Room
Bloomsburg PA 17815 (7PM) $5
• • • November • • •
Friday, November 20, 2020
Reading Blues Fest (Day 1) — Ticket Information
@ DoubleTree by Hilton, Reading PA 19601
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Reading Blues Fest (Day 2) — Ticket Information
@ DoubleTree by Hilton, Reading PA 19601
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Reading Blues Fest (Day 3) — Ticket Information
@ DoubleTree by Hilton, Reading PA 19601
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
[Return To Top Of Blues Calendar]
Regularly occurring (weekly, monthly) blues jams and events
Weekly
• • • every Monday • • •
blues jam & open mic with Joe Alves Band @ The Ashburner Inn every Monday
Philadelphia (Torresdale) PA 19136 (8PM-11PM)
• • • every Tuesday • • •
Little Red Rooster hosts blues jam @ Villa Capri every Tuesday
Doylestown PA 18901 (8PM)
blues jam hosted by Paul Boddy & The Slidewinder Blues Band @ Havana every Tuesday
New Hope PA 18938 (8PM)
Ursula Ricks hosts "Cats Eye Blues Jam" @ The Cats Eye Pub
Baltimore (Fells Point) MD 21231 (9PM)
Nate Myers and The Aces @ Grotto Pub
Enola PA
• • • every Wednesday • • •
Mikey Jr. @ The Twisted Tail every Wednesday
Philadelphia PA 19147 (8PM)
Mikey Jr. @ The Twisted Tail every Wednesday
• • • every Wednesday • • •
blues jam hosted by Steve Guyger @ Temperance House every Thursday
Newtown PA 18940 (7PM)
blues jam hosted by Empty Belly Blues Band @ Brut Lounge every Thursday
Feasterville PA 19053 (7:30PM)
• • • every Sunday • • •
Mikey Jr. leads blues jam - open mic @ The Twisted Tail every Sunday
Philadelphia PA 19147 (5PM-9PM)
Blues Brunch, Jam, & open mic with The Philly Blues Kings
first Sunday of each month
@ Jamey's House Of Music
Lansdowne PA 19050 (Noon-3PM) free
Open mic jam Noon-1:30PM — Philly Blues Kings set 1:30PM-3PM
Monthly
Fred Miller Blues Band @ The Rusty Nail
Blues Jam 8PM last Sunday of each month
Ardmore PA
— Jonny's Top Blues Albums of 2019 —
It's pretty hard to precisely rank a whole bunch of great albums like these sensibly. What tiny difference makes the #17 album better than the #18 album? Catherine Russell's album is really superb throughout, though it's only partly blues songs, so it's a little lower on the list, which is a list of blues releases.
For the most part, this is just a list of some great 2019 blues albums, and they have made 2019 a good blues year. I would "stand by" the top three ranking choices. Toronzo Cannon's highly inventive songwriting and distinctive, edgy performance makes his album my #1 for the year. Jontavious Willis, still in his early twenties, has produced a really solid neo-traditional album that invokes traditional country blues while coming from a modern perspective. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram's debut album is invigorating, fun, and thought-provoking. But you can't go wrong with any of these.
The six albums at the bottom of this list (shown in green) are all "old" music, recorded several years ago (in the case of Leo Bud Welch), or decades ago (all the others), and issued or reissued this year. It was one of the best highlights of the past year that the concert albums featuring Johnny Shines, and Henry Townsend and Roosevelt Sykes, from previously unreleased 1973 concerts, came out for the first time. All of the artists on these albums are no longer living, except a few on the Cadillac Baby box set.
| Number | Artist | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronzo Cannon | The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp |
| 2 | Jontavious Willis | Spectacular Class |
| 3 | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram | Kingfish |
| 4 | Cash Box Kings | Hail To The Kings! |
| 5 | Vaneese Thomas | Down Yonder |
| 6 | Mary Lane | Travelin' Woman |
| 7 | Kenny "Beady Eyes" Smith & The House Bumpers | Drop The Hammer |
| 8 | Sugaray Rayford | Somebody Save Me |
| 9 | Fillmore Slim | Son Of The Seven Sisters |
| 10 | Bushmaster | Dancing In The Belly Of The Beast |
| 11 | Bobby Rush | Sitting On Top Of The Blues |
| 12 | Lucky Peterson | Just Warming Up! |
| 13 | Annika Chambers | Kiss My Sass |
| 14 | Fruteland Jackson | Good As Your Last Dollar |
| 15 | Benny Turner and Cash McCall | Going Back Home |
| 16 | Gaye Adegbalola | The Griot |
| 17 | Bloodest Saxophone | Texas Queens 5 |
| 18 | Eric Gales | The Bookends |
| 19 | Billy Branch & The Sons Of The Blues | Roots And Branches: The Songs Of Little Walter |
| 20 | Keb' Mo' | Oklahoma |
| 21 | Altered Five Blues Band | Ten Thousand Watts |
| 22 | North Mississippi Allstars | Up And Rolling |
| 23 | Mike Dangeroux & Inetta Visor | It's About Time |
| 24 | Big Daddy Wilson | Deep In My Soul |
| 25 | Willie Farmer | The Man From The Hill |
| 26 | Jimmy "Duck" Holmes | Cypress Grove |
| 27 | Zac Harmon | Mississippi BarBQ |
| 28 | Tad Robinson | Real Street |
| 29 | Rick Estrin & The Nightcats | Contemporary |
| 30 | 21 Blue | Live From Heartwood |
| 31 | Davell Crawford | Dear Fats, I Love You |
| 32 | Southern Avenue | Keep On |
| 33 | Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers | No Good Deed |
| 34 | Biscuit Miller And The Mix | Chicken Grease |
| 35 | Bruce Katz | Solo Ride |
| 36 | John Primer | The Soul Of A Blues Man |
| 37 | Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah | Songs Of Our Native Daughters |
| 38 | (Various Artists) | Battle Of The Blues: Chicago Vs. Oakland |
| 39 | Pack Rat's Smoke House | Men Of The Swamp Live |
| 40 | Billy Price | Dog Eat Dog |
| 41 | Grady Champion | Steppin' In: A Tribute To Z. Z. Hill |
| 42 | S. E. Willis and the Willing | Too Much Love |
| 43 | BB King Blues Band | The Soul Of The King |
| 44 | Joanna Connor | Rise |
| 45 | Alexis P. Suter Band | Be Love |
| 46 | Lee Boys | Live On The East Coast |
| 47 | The Good, The Bad And The Blues | The Good, The Bad And The Blues |
| 48 | Willie Buck | Willie Buck Way |
| 49 | GA-20 | Lonely Soul |
| 50 | Catherine Russell | Alone Together |
| 51 | Kentucky Headhunters | Live At The Ramblin' Man Fair |
| 52 | Rosie Flores | Simple Case Of The Blues |
| 53 | Big Joe & The Dynaflows | Rockhouse Party |
| 54 | Arthur Adams | Here To Make You Feel Good |
| 55 | Henry Townsend & Roosevelt Sykes | Blues Piano and Guitar |
| 56 | Johnny Shines | The Blues Came Falling Down - Live 1973 |
| 57 | (Various Artists box set) | Cadillac Baby's Bea & Baby Records: The Definitive Collection |
| 58 | Leo Bud Welch | The Angels In Heaven Done Signed My Name |
| 59 | Big Jack Reynolds | That's A Good Way To Get To Heaven |
| 60 | (Various Artists) | Blues Images Presents 22 Classic Blues Songs from the 1920s - 1950s • Volume 17 (Blues Images) |
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
— Jonny's Top Blues Songs of 2019 —
My top song picks for 2019 . . . of course, as with the albums above, the ranking of these isn't the result of some kind of perfectly precise, logical process. All of these songs added something important to the overall body of blues songs in 2019.
| Artist | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|
| Toronzo Cannon and The Chicago Way | The First 24 | The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp |
| Cash Box Kings | Bluesman Next Door | Hail To The Kings! |
| Christone "Kingfish" Ingram | Believe These Blues | Kingfish |
| Jontavious Willis | The Blues Is Dead | Spectacular Class |
| Bobby Rush | Get Out Of Here (Dog Named Bo) | Sitting On Top Of The Blues |
| Vaneese Thomas | Ebony Man | Down Yonder |
| Keb' Mo' | Don't Throw It Away | Oklahoma |
| Toronzo Cannon and The Chicago Way | The Silence Of My Friends | The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp |
| Christone "Kingfish" Ingram | Fresh Out | Kingfish |
| Bushmaster | Forty Acres And A Mule | Dancing In The Belly Of The Beast |
| Toronzo Cannon and The Chicago Way | Insurance | The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp |
| Christone "Kingfish" Ingram | Hard Times | Kingfish |
| Jontavious Willis | Daddy's Dough | Spectacular Class |
| Fillmore Slim | Emma Lou, Queen Of The Homeless | Son Of The Seven Sisters |
| Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, Allison Russell, Amythyst Kiah | Black Myself | Songs Of Our Native Daughters |
| Mike Dangeroux & Inetta Visor | Haters University | It's About Time |
| Mary Lane | Travelin' Woman | Travelin' Woman |
| North Mississippi Allstars | What You Gonna Do | Up And Rolling |
| Lucky Peterson | The Blues Is Driving Me | Just Warming Up! |
| 21 Blue | S. O. L. Blues | Live From Heartwood |
| Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling | Sanctfied, Holy And Hateful | Lucky Guy! |
| Sugar Blue | Bass Reeves | Colors |
| Fruteland Jackson | All The Dad I Had | Good As Your Last Dollar |
| Giles Robson | Fearless Leaders | Don't Give Up On The Blues |
| Tad Robinson | Real Street | Real Street |
| Rick Estrin & The Nightcats | Root Of All Evil | Contemporary |
| Altered Five Blues Band | Great Minds Drink Alike | Ten Thousand Watts |
| Billy Price | Dog Eat Dog | Dog Eat Dog |
| Annika Chambers | Brand New Day | Kiss My Sass |
| Zac Harmon | Make A Dollar Out Of Fifteen Cents | Mississippi BarBQ |
| Mindi Abair and The Boneshakers | Seven Day Fool | No Good Deed |
| Pack Rat's Smoke House | 95 South | Men Of The Swamp Live |
| Paula Harris | Nothing Good Happens After Midnight | Speakeasy |
| Albert Castiglia | Thoughts And Prayers | Masterpiece |
| Southern Avenue | The Tea I Sip | Keep On |
| Willie Farmer | Daddy Was Right | The Man From The Hill |
| Sugaray Rayford | Sometimes You Get The Bear (And Sometimes The Bear Gets You) | Somebody Save Me |
| Rosie Flores | Enemy Hands | Simple Case Of The Blues |
| S. E. Willis And The Willing | Crawl Off And Die | Too Much Love |
| Henry & Vernell Townsend | Why We Love Each Other So | Blues Piano and Guitar |
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
Cool Blues Links
• Blind Blake with Gus Cannon 1927 "He's In The Jailhouse Now"
• GoogleDoodle for B. B. King's 94th birthday, September 15, 2019
• song video Keb' Mo' with Taj Mahal Don't Throw It Away
• Christone "Kingfish" Ingram in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 13, 2019
• Annika Chambers in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival, July 12, 2019
• Southern Avenue in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival, July 12, 2019
• Cedric Burnside Project in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival, July 13, 2019
• James Armstrong in performance at Briggs Farm Blues Festival, July 12, 2019
• Shemekia Copeland "Would You Take My Blood" in performance World Cafe Live
October 3, 2018
• Shemekia Copeland "The Wrong Idea" in performance World Cafe Live
October 3, 2018
• Shemekia Copeland "In The Blood Of The Blues" in performance World Cafe Live
October 3, 2018
• Vanessa Collier "Bad News Bears" in performance Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 7, 2017
• Vanessa Collier "The Run Around" in performance Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 7, 2017
• Thornetta Davis "I'd Rather Be Alone" in performance Briggs Farm Blues Festival
July 8, 2017
• Eric Gales "Change In Me" in performance Briggs Farm Blues Festival July 8, 2017
• R. L. Boyce & The Cornlickers "One Of These Days" in performance
Briggs Farm Blues Festival July 7, 2017
• Dave Weld & The Imperial Flames "Mary Had A Little Lamb" in performance
Saint Georges Blues Festival, June 10, 2017
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
About The Blues Show and Jonny Meister
The Blues Show airs every Saturday night from 7:00 to Midnight on XPN. Host Jonny Meister explores this music and its history not only because it is the key ingredient in later rock and pop music, but also because of its own special allure and unique power as a style of music and expression of the human soul.
Jonny Meister with Catherine Russell
The Blues Show covers the entire history of the blues from 1920 to the present, from the best-known to the most obscure blues, with focus on the present-day blues, but with an eye on the rich history of this music and its large body of timeless recordings.
Host Jonny Meister has been playing the blues on WXPN since March 1977. Meister grew up with old blues records in the house. His father played boogie woogie on the piano, which Jonny learned at about the age of 12. Later he played in rock bands and did a few solo gigs as a singer-songwriter. As his interest in blues grew, he became especially interested in the history of the music, a history not always revealed by the rock musicians and their promoters who drew heavily on the blues.
Jonny spent a week with the family of the late, great blues musician J. B. Lenoir in 1979, and he was one of the consultants for the Wim Wenders film The Soul Of A Man which featured Lenoir, in the PBS film series The Blues. He won the "Keeping The Blues Alive" award for work in Public Radio for The Blues Show in 2000 and a "Best of Philly" award from Philadelphia Magazine in 1996 for "Best Local Radio Show".
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Contact the Show:
Drop Jonny an This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. about the show.
Jonny with Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, St. Georges Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with Cedric Burnside,
Briggs Farm Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with Tierinii Jackson of Southern Avenue, Briggs Farm Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with Frank Bey, house concert September 2019
Jonny with Mindi Abair, Reading Blues Fest November 2019
Jonny with Mikey Junior, live recording session Philadelphia PA, September 2019
Jonny with King Solomon Hicks,
Briggs Farm Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with the late, great James Cotton, Riverfront Blues Festival 2013
Jonny with Vanessa Collier,
Riverfront Blues Festival 2018
Jonny with Lurrie Bell, Riverfront Blues Festival 2019
Jonny with Miss Freddye,
at house concert 2018
Jonny jammin' with Samuel James, at
The Psalm Salon in Overbrook 2010
Jonny with R. L. Burnside, WXPN May 31, 1986
 |  |
 |  |
Local Blues Artists in our listening areas
A C Steel & The GalvanizersFrank Bey
Blue Jay Slim and the Tone Blasters
Blue Plate Specials
Georgie Bonds
Deb Callahan
Lisa Chavous & The Philadelphia
Blues Messengers
Vanessa Collier
Dukes Of Destiny
Roger Girke
Mike Guldin and Rollin' & Tumblin'
Judy Sings The Blues
Kitty Mayo and the Emperess Band
Mikey Jr.
Johnny Never
Philly Blues Kings
Porkroll Project
Scoville Blues
Sister Blue Band
Slim and The Perkolators
Greg Sover
Stevie and the Bluescasters
Norman Taylor
— — Venues — —
The Twisted Tail is the one place where you can hear blues in Philadelphia just about every night. They have a blues jam every Sunday starting at 5PM hosted by Mikey Jr. & Stone Cold Blues. Mikey Jr. and band also play there pretty regularly on Wednesday nights.
The Twisted Tail
509 South 2nd Street
Philadelphia PA 19147
215-558-2471 email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ardmore Music Hall
23 East Lancaster Avenue
Ardmore PA 19003
610-649-8389
Building 24 Live
1115 Bern Road
Wyomissing PA 19610
610-375-2700 7:30PM $25
The Flash
102 Sycamore Alley
Kennett Square PA 19348
484-732-8295
Jamey's House Of Music
livehouse and BYOB Café
32 South Lansdowne Avenue
Lansdowne PA 19050
tel or text 215-477-9985
fax 215-879-1457
Keswick Theatre
291 North Keswick Avenue
Glenside PA
215-572-7650
Lansdowne Folk Club
at the Twentieth Century Club
84 South Lansdowne Avenue
Lansdowne PA 19050
484-466-6213
Lizzie Rose Music Room
217 East Main Street
Tuckerton NJ 08087
609-389-0118
The Lucky Well
111 East Butler Avenue
Ambler PA 19002
215-646-4242
Mermaid Inn
7673 Germantown Avenue
Philadelphia PA 19118
215-247-9797
The Record Collector
358 Farnsworth Avenue
Bordentown NJ 08505
609-324-0880
Saint Georges Country Store
1 Delaware Street
Saint Georges DE 19733
302-836-8202
Sellersville Theater
24 West Temple Avenue
Sellersville PA
215-257-5808
The State Theatre
15 Livingston Avenue
New Brunswick NJ 08901
732-246-7469
Warmdaddy's
1400 South Columbus Boulevard (at Reed Street)
Philadelphia PA 19147
215-462-2000
World Cafe Live (Philadelphia)
3025 Walnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19104
215-222-1400
[Return To Top Of Blues Events]
The Mississippi Blues Project:From the summer of 2012 through the summer of 2013, with support from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, through the Philadelphia Music Project, we presented The Mississippi Blues Project, a series of concerts by Mississippi blues artists that are now available online, with shows from The Cedric Burnside Project, Big George Brock, Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, Robert Belfour, Big A (Anthony Sherrod) with Robert "Bilbo" Walker, Super Chikan, The Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Rory Block, and James Cotton. Check 'em out!
