Kansas City native Samantha Fish said her hometown was a great playground for learning her craft. “There’s such a steep tradition there. It’s a great jazz and blues town, and a jam scene,” said Fish. “You could go out every night and play with

Samantha Fish: Moving Forward By Looking Back

Aug 28th, 2017 8m 17s

Samantha Fish can shred her blues guitar with the best. So a new album with a dual focus on her voice and hits from the 1950’s and 60’s is a bit of a curve-ball. Fish calls it freeing.

Joel Da Silva Still Howlin' His Blues

Jul 15th, 2017 7m 37s

Joel Da Silva came to blues in the Chicago bars he worked in as a teenage bar-back. That’s where he bumped into legends including Junior Wells, Magic Slim, A.C. Reed and Rod Piazza. Well, he didn’t just “bump” into the them; he would pick them

Matthew Curry Finds His Groove

Jul 7th, 2017 9m 16s

Matthew Curry is in a groove. Oh he was in a groove three years ago opening for legendary names including The Doobie Brothers, Steve Miller, and Peter Frampton. It's just that that sort of exposure isn't supposed to happen right out of high sch

A 'Female, Bisexual, Vegan, Civil Rights Activist' Leads A Southern Country Band

Jun 29th, 2017 9m 3s

A woman in her early 30's embracing honky-tonk? A music genre that peaked decades ago? Sarah Shook has answered the query many times. "I had a very strange upbringing as far a music goes," explained Shook via phone from her North Carolina home.

A Country-Rock Artist Keen On Classical Music

Jun 13th, 2017 11m 41s

A conversation with country-folk-rocker Robert Earl Keen is easy and enjoyable. He'll "go on forever" about many topics, including his music, how he lobbies Congress on behalf of musicians, and his friends Lyle Lovett and Joe Ely. But he was es

For Thornetta Davis, 'The Blues' Is First-Hand Experience

Jun 8th, 2017 8m 7s

Thornetta Davis is known as "Detroit's Queen of the Blues." Her childhood was anything but royal. "My mom raised four girls with the help of my grandmother," said Davis. "It was an upbringing of turmoil .... my father was an alcoholic and quite

Reverend Peyton: Making Music & Friends

Mar 22nd, 2017 10m 34s

The line " I just want to make music and friends/Been that way since I was 12 years old " is from "Music and Friends" off Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band's recent "So Delicious" album. Hearing the words fed back to Josh"Reverend" Peyton elicits

Eric Gales Is Ready For The Accolades

Mar 7th, 2017 9m 39s

As a teen phenom growing up in a city many consider the Mecca of blues and soul music, Eric Gales didn't quite understand what he was absorbing. "Growing up in Memphis had an impact on me in ways I didn't realize until later in life," said Gale

WGLT Wins Prestigious 'Keeping The Blues Alive' Award

Feb 7th, 2017 18m 2s

WGLT picked up a coveted "Keeping The Blues Alive" award presented by the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee. GLT Morning Edition host and Music Director Jon Norton accepted the award for the station during the KBA awards luncheon February

'Hurricane' Ruth Digs Into Beardstown Characters

Dec 12th, 2016 10m 22s

"Hurricane" Ruth LeMaster came to music through her parents. Her father was a trumpet player who fell under the spell of all kinds of music, including Dixieland, blues, jazz, big band, R&B and bluegrass. As a young girl she absorbed that music,

Lil' Ed Still 'Houserockin' After All These Years

Nov 14th, 2016 9m 13s

Rocking through what is now album 10 in a 30 year career with the legendary Alligator Records, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials show no sign of slowing down. Though not as nimble as when he regularly performed back bends and toe walks, the energy

Danielle Nicole Happy Flying Solo

Nov 11th, 2016 9m 4s

Danielle Nicole said flying solo after 15 years with her sibling band "Trampled Underfoot" had her a bit nervous. But when critical raves and a Blues Blast Music Award for her debut album "Wolf Den" rolled in, she said it was validating. "There

Mississippi Heat: A Fresh Take On Blues Tradition

Nov 7th, 2016 10m 30s

Pierre Lacocque is especially geeked about Mississippi Heat's just released album "Cab Driving Man." But to be fair, he was especially geeked about the band's last recording, 2014's "Warning Shot."

'Big Head' Todd Mohr Is A 'Big Time' Blues Fan

Oct 30th, 2016 9m 8s

“Big Head Todd and the Monsters” built an audience for their rock/alt/pop/jam sound over 30+ years of touring, even landing a few songs and albums on Billboard magazine’s music charts. But blues music has always been near and dear to band leade

Legendary Chicago Blues Record Label Founder Dies At 95

Oct 22nd, 2016 12m 53s

When Chess Records co-founder Phil Chess died October 18 at age 95, it was another opportunity to wax nostalgic about a fertile era of independent U.S. record companies. From the early 1950’s through the late 1960’s, the Chicago based blues lab

Beth Hart Still Breathing Fire

Sep 21st, 2016 10m 47s

Beth Hart is teasing fans ahead of the release of her new album with the iTunes and Spotify release of the title track. "Fire On The Floor" is another smoldering blues ballad, a style that has become her calling card. "Fire On The Floor" might

Georgia Songbird Sings Her Blues

Sep 20th, 2016 29m 33s

"Georgia Songbird" E.G. Kight talks with GLT's Jon Norton.

As a Young Man, Dave Weld "Went West"

Sep 14th, 2016 13m 57s

Dave Weld is one of the founding members of the Chicago Blues Band Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials . But his Chicago Blues history dates back to his time with Ed's uncle, the now legendary bluesman J.B. Hutto. On this edition of GLT's Talkin Blue

Bob Corritore Found Friends On 'The Other Side Of The Tracks'

Sep 13th, 2016 29m 46s

As one of the top blues harmonica players in the world, Chicago area native Bob Corritore travels the world playing the music he learned to love as a teenager growing up in Wilmette. Now living in Phoenix, Corritore also owns "The Rhythm Room,"

Shaun Murphy: From Background to Foreground

Sep 9th, 2016 14m 31s

Shaun Murphy returns to central Illinois to perform at the 2016 Blues Blast Music Awards September 23 at the Fluid Events Center in Champaign. Murphy is nominated for Female Blues Artist, a category she won in 2012 when GLT Blues Radio broadcas

Walter Trout Is Back With A Vengeance

Aug 24th, 2016 15m 1s

At this time last year, Walter Trout was still re-gaining his strength following a liver transplant the year prior. Today Trout sounds strong and happy to be alive. When a 16 year old recording of a performance at the Tampa Bay Blues Festival w

Albert Castiglia Ups His Game

Jul 27th, 2016 9m 11s

Miami bluesman Albert Castiglia returns to central Illinois early next month, and this time he's touring on what critics are calling his finest album. Castiglia says he agrees with with what his critics are saying about the album titled "Big Do

Stray Cats Founder Says Rockabilly Was The Original Punk Music

Jun 10th, 2016 11m 44s

One of the founding members of the early 1980's Rockabilly revival group "The Stray Cats" will headline the GLT Summer Concert June 11. Double-bassist Lee Rocker has had a successful career of his own following the bands breakup. Despite being

Boogie-Woogie Is In Good Hands

Jun 8th, 2016 12m 7s

Boogie-woogie pianist Eden Brent will grace the GLT Summer Concert stage June 11. The Greenwood, Mississippi native has been immersed in blues music since she met the much older Aibe "Boogaloo" Ames when she was a teen. "Boogaloo was a fixture