WHAT'S INSIDE:

Norman Sylvester

Portland’s Blues Heart Beats Strong

By Jim Trageser

Portland’s King of the Blues is, without a doubt, Norman “Boogie Cat” Sylvester. For nearly 60 years Sylvester has played the blues for fans in the Pacific Northwest. 

Sierra Green

Soulful in a Bluesy Way

By Robert H. Cataliotti

New Orleans’ Seventh Ward is one of the fundamental cauldrons of American music. From Jelly Roll Morton to Allen Toussaint, its roots run deep. Soul and blues vocalist Sierra Green is the latest star to come out of the Seventh Ward.

Donnie Ray

Something ’Bout the Music

By Christopher Klug

Texas southern soul singer Donnie Ray scored his biggest hit, the smooth, grooving A Letter to My Baby. Since then, he has been a fixture on the scene, regularly touring the Deep South and East Coast.

The First Blues Guitarists on Record

Sylvester Weaver and His Contemporaries, 1923–1924

By Jas Obrecht

The earliest blues records did not feature a guitar. But within a few years the first recordings of the instrument began to appear. Writer Jas Obrecht takes a look at these earliest of the early blues guitarists.

Let It Roll!

Hound Dog Taylor, Alligator Records, Chicago, May 25 and June 2, 1971

By Jas Obrecht

Perhaps the most fun ever captured on record, Hound Dog Taylor’s first recording for Alligator Records, Hound Dog Taylor and the HouseRockers, captured lightning in a bottle. Taylor and his band, Brewer Phillips on guitar and Ted Harvey on drums, played with a wild and joyous abandon that was infectious and exhilarating. 

Sonny Boy Williamson and a Can of Corned Beef

The Blues Archive of Jim Simpson

By Stuart Constable

Jim “Big Bear” Simpson has spent over 60 years in the music business. During the 1970s he promoted a series of American Blues Legends tours in Europe. Also a gifted photographer, his access allowed him to capture some of the best blues and jazz artists of the time.

Record Reviews

• New Releases: D.K. Harrell, Bob Stroger & the Headcutters, and Maria Muldaur
• Reissues: Buddy Guy, Scrapper Blackwell, and Memphis Slim

Editorial

Blues News

Breaking Out: Memphissippi Sounds

Film Reviews

Book Reviews

Obituaries

Radio Charts

2025 Living Blues Awards Winners