The blues choices this week are plenty, from national touring acts to our local state talent; from a Night of Acoustic Blues to a harmonica showcase, everyone is sure to be entertained. Add the number ...

Most nights, you can walk into a blues club and find a harmonica player blowing their heart out onstage. The wailing, honking sound associated with Western movies and juke joints is what many harp ...

Black-Eyed Sally’s is once again bringing back the popular “Northeast Blues Harmonica Showcase” on Saturday — a gathering of regional and national blues harmonica talent. Headlining will be harmonica ...

“Classic Harmonica Blues,” out on May 21, features 20 tracks by the blues’ greatest harmonica players. Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings In the early 20th-century, southern black ...

Phillips released two singles from Cotton, “Straighten Up Baby” in 1953 and “Cotton Crop Blues” the following year. Cotton was still a teenager working as a regular on the Memphis music scene when ...

Bill Tarsha and the Rocket 88s led the 18th annual blues harmonica blowout last week at the Rhythm Room. More than 35 blues harmonica players performed. Tarsha and his band opened with a couple tunes.

Since 2005 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in ...

The harmonica just might be the Rodney Dangerfield of musical instruments, at least in the classical music world. It just doesn’t get any respect. But contrary to what you might think, it has some ...

Since 2005 Plastic Crimewave (aka Steve Krakow) has used the Secret History of Chicago Music to shine a light on worthy artists with Chicago ties who’ve been forgotten, underrated, or never noticed in ...

To broach his uncertain future, Johnny Sansone first had to relinquish his familiar past. Photo by Timothy WhiteJohnny Sansone's new CD is an early contender for one of the best local albums of the ...

Blues harmonica virtuoso and onetime Muddy Waters sideman James Cotton died on Thursday at a medical center in Austin of pneumonia. He was 81. A rep for the musician confirmed his death. Cotton, who ...

The auction is blowin‘ in the windfall! A harmonica used by music legend Bob Dylan in 1961 fetched $13,750 at auction Saturday. Billed as “an absolutely incredible piece of popular music history,” the ...