Newer kids on the block play the Blues for International Guitar Month

Yesterday we featured five of the old-school legends of the Blues guitar. Today we look at the players who have brought the genre into the present day and the future.

Buddy Guy is the figure that links the past to the current stage of Blues players. At age eighty-six he says he's on his final concert tour. His playing has influenced Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Among his accolades are The Kennedy Center Honors and a Lifetime Grammy Award.

A child prodigy, Joe Bonamassa played his first gig at age 12 opening for B. B. King. He is well-known for his extensive collection of guitars and amplifiers. Eleven of his albums have reached number one on the Billboard Blues chart. His independent record label has supported other Blues.

Another child prodigy, Derek Trucks became a member of The Allman Brothers Band at age twenty. His slide guitar playing was heavily influenced by the late Duane Allman, so it was a perfect fit for both him and the band. In 2010, Trucks and his wife, Susan Tedeschi combined their bands to form Tedeschi-Trucks Band, one of today’s greatest live acts.

Robert Cray has been a fixture on the Blues scene for four decades. Until a recent falling out, you could usually find him as an opening act at an Eric Clapton show. He was also on stage at the last performance of Stevie Ray Vaughn before he died in a helicopter crash. Robert Cray has won five Grammy Awards and was elected to the Blues Hall of Fame.

The first time I heard of Larkin Poe, a band of sisters Megan and Rebecca Lovell, was when they opened for Bob Seger in 2018. I was amazed at how loud they were, but when you listened closer, there was a more subtle roots rock and blues sound. Since then, Larkin Poe has consistently been near the top of the Billboard Blues chart. Their album, “Blood Harmony”, won the 2024 Grammy Award for Contemporary Blues Album.

Joanna Connor has been plugging away in the Chicago Blues scene since 1984. She’s performed with Buddy Guy and Junior Wells, as well as having a regular gig at Blues Club, Kingston Mines. Her latest album, “Best of Me”, was produced by Joe Bonamassa.

Next weekend we feature the legends of rock guitar.