Blues America

Series produced by Drew Verbis

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Blues America is an hour-long weekly syndicated public radio series that features candid conversations with blues people who share their stories and music.

Blues America is heard around the country on over 50 public radio stations and the podcast has been downloaded over 2 million times. It is a featured “station” on the Living Blues Magazine radio-charts. Past guests have included B.B. King, Bobby Rush, Elvin Bishop, Cedric Burnside, Henry Gray, Kim Wilson, Billy Boy Arnold and more. The series is independently produced at the Chico Chism Memorial Studio in Phoenix by award winning host, Drew Verbis. The former Mississippi resident produced records for R.L. Burnside, Louisiana Red and the last album released by the great Robert Jr. Lockwood. He also contributed to the last album released by Mojo Buford. He earned his Master's degrees in Communication and Museum Science from the University of Oklahoma.

Host: Drew Verbis
Audio format: Stereophonic sound
Number of episodes: 120 (2017 – 37, 2016 – 44, 2015 – 34, 2014 – 05)
Original radio release: May 2, 2015 (KFNX, 1100 AM)
Recording studio: Chico Studio, Phoenix, Arizona

Each program presents a guest interview, special features and music packed into a one-hour (58:00 minutes) program. The music is arranged around the interview and is chosen to complement the guest or theme of the show

**There are no uploads twice per year: Thanksgiving and Christmas.

For more information about the program visit the Blues America website at http://www.bluesamerica.com
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Blues America is heard around the country on over 50 public radio stations and the podcast has been downloaded over 2 million times. It is a featured “station” on the Living Blues Magazine radio-charts. Past guests have included B.B. King, Bobby Rush, Elvin Bishop, Cedric Burnside, Henry Gray, Kim Wilson, Billy Boy Arnold and more. The series is independently produced at the Chico Chism Memorial Studio in Phoenix by award winning host, Drew Verbis. The former Mississippi resident produced records for R.L. Burnside, Louisiana Red and the last album released by the great Robert Jr. Lockwood. He also contributed to the last album released by Mojo Buford. He earned his Master's degrees in Communication and Museum Science from the University of Oklahoma. Host: Drew VerbisAudio format:... Show full description


Additional Files

98 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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Billy Flynn is a Delmark recording artist who is known as one of the top guitarist on the blues and jazz scene. In addition to his own studio proje...

Bought by WLPR , Public Radio East, WART FM, Public Radio East, GCR (Global Community Radio) and more


  • Added: Mar 09, 2018
  • Length: 58:00
  • Purchases: 11
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Lurrie Bell is one of Chicago’s biggest blues stars and has now appeared on over 50 recordings either as leader or featured sideman. His elegant an...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), WLPR , WART FM, GCR (Global Community Radio), Public Radio East and more


  • Added: Mar 23, 2018
  • Length: 58:00
  • Purchases: 11
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Blues guitar ace, Bernard Allison marks his return to Ruf records with “Let It Go”, another solid studio album to his already distinguished recordi...

Bought by Public Radio East, WLPR , KMUW, WART FM, GCR (Global Community Radio) and more


  • Added: Mar 30, 2018
  • Length: 58:17
  • Purchases: 12
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With a career spanning forty years, award-winning soul, blues and R&B star, Curtis Salgado is a one-of-a-kind talent whose music is as compelling a...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), WLPR , WART FM, GCR (Global Community Radio), Public Radio East and more


  • Added: Apr 13, 2018
  • Length: 58:21
  • Purchases: 10
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Kenny Neal stands tall among the younger generation of blues players. His trademark brand of blues, featuring a combination of Louisiana swamp blue...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), Public Radio East, WLPR , KMUW, WART FM and more


  • Added: Apr 20, 2018
  • Length: 58:00
  • Purchases: 12
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Mojo Mark Cihlar has been a fixture of the Chicago blues scene for over 30 years. From the well-known to the obscure, he’s played with so many grea...

Bought by WLPR , WART FM, WEAA, RadioFreePalmer, Spokane Public Radio and more


  • Added: Apr 27, 2018
  • Length: 58:02
  • Purchases: 11
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Anson Funderburgh is a blues guitar master who is best known as the band leader for the Texas hallmarks Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets. Recently...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), WLPR , WART FM, Goat Radio, WEAA and more


  • Added: May 11, 2018
  • Length: 58:05
  • Purchases: 13
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Johnny Rawls released his latest studio effort for Cat Food Records called "Waiting for the Train." Rawls carries on the soul-blues tradition of pe...

Bought by Raven Radio, KMUW, WLPR , WART FM, RadioFreePalmer and more


  • Added: May 25, 2018
  • Length: 58:05
  • Purchases: 14
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Westcoast blues great, Johnny Tucker talks about the release of his first studio effort in over a decade called, ‘Seven Day Blues’ on the High John...

Bought by WLPR , WART FM, WSLR, WEAA, RadioFreePalmer and more


  • Added: Jun 01, 2018
  • Length: 58:05
  • Purchases: 13
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Famed sou-funk singer, Sweet Pea Atkinson of the 80's hitmakers Was (Not Was) releases his first solo studio effort in 30 years for Blue Note Recor...

Bought by WLPR , WART FM, Goat Radio, Public Radio East, WSLR and more


  • Added: Jun 08, 2018
  • Length: 58:07
  • Purchases: 13
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Known as the "Chief", the legendary blues icon performed from 1950 to 2018. He cut over 17 albums which earned him a Grammy nomination and a handfu...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), Raven Radio, WLPR , KMUW, KDLG and more


  • Added: Jun 15, 2018
  • Length: 58:30
  • Purchases: 16
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Louisiana Red is a downhome blues master who performed with an unabashed energy of raw emotion. In total, he recorded almost 50 albums during a car...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), Raven Radio, Public Radio East, WLPR , KDLG and more


  • Added: Jun 22, 2018
  • Length: 58:18
  • Purchases: 16
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Shawn Holt is an international blues star who carries on the tradition and family legacy of his father, the legendary Magic Slim.

Bought by WLPR , KDLG, WART FM, Goat Radio, Spokane Public Radio and more


  • Added: Jun 29, 2018
  • Length: 58:05
  • Purchases: 11
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Nick Moss is a Chicago blues veteran with 10 albums under his belt. In 2018, he teamed with longtime friend, harmonica ace Dennis Grueling to relea...

Bought by Public Radio East, WLPR , KDLG, WART FM, Public Radio East and more


  • Added: Jul 06, 2018
  • Length: 58:14
  • Purchases: 12
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Marcia Ball has been inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame and her latest studio effort on Chicago’s famous Alligator records is called...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), Public Radio East, WLPR , KMUW, WART FM and more


  • Added: Jul 13, 2018
  • Length: 58:09
  • Purchases: 12
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Walter “Wolfman” Washington is a living blues legend from New Orleans who has been on the scene since the late 60’s including time spent with famed...

Bought by KMUW, GCR (Global Community Radio), KMUD, WLPR , WART FM and more


  • Added: Jul 20, 2018
  • Length: 58:06
  • Purchases: 12
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George Bowman is a singing legend in his home state of Arizona. He recently collaborated with Bob Corritore on a single for the Vizztone Records re...

Bought by WLPR , WEAA, Public Radio East, RadioFreePalmer, Spokane Public Radio and more


  • Added: Jul 27, 2018
  • Length: 58:03
  • Purchases: 9
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He is best known as the downhome singer of the Cash Box Kings. The group’s latest album, Holding Court (Blind Pig Records) – has struck a favorable...

Bought by WLPR , KDLG, WLPR , Public Radio East, Spokane Public Radio and more


  • Added: Aug 03, 2018
  • Length: 58:00
  • Purchases: 9
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Dom Flemons is a multi-instrumentalist and native of Arizona who emerged onto the roots scene as the co-founder of the Grammy-Award winning folk ba...

Bought by GCR (Global Community Radio), GCR (Global Community Radio), WOUB, Spokane Public Radio, WEAA and more


  • Added: Aug 12, 2018
  • Length: 58:21
  • Purchases: 9
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Shemekia Copeland is the Grammy-nominated reigning Queen of Chicago Blues who released her 8th studio effort on Alligator records, ‘America’s Child.’

Bought by Northern Community Radio - KAXE & KBXE, Minnesota, GCR (Global Community Radio), WLPR , KMUW, Public Radio East and more


  • Added: Aug 26, 2018
  • Length: 58:21
  • Purchases: 12