No Border Blues Episode 7 features The Jelly Roll Men from Norway, a band that's a labor of love for the greatest era of Chicago blues-- the late 40s and early 50s. Singer and harp player Kent Erik Thorvaldsen and guitarist and brother Tomas Thorvaldsen tell the story of their trip to Memphis in 2019. They made it to the semi-finals of the IBCs representing the Oslo Blues Society, but their trip to the IBCs was less about their...

No Border Blues Episode 6: recorded on November 24, 2020, features Ghalia Volt, whose rock-n-roll attitude and Mississippi hill country-inspired playing makes her stand out from the crowd. In just a few short years, she's progressed from busking on the streets of her native Brussels to seeing her third CD, Ruf Record's "Mississippi Blend", hit #3 on the Billboard Blues Charts. Now living in New Orleans, she had a ve...

Adelaide based singer and harp player Snooks La Vie acquired his moniker from a friend and music colleague which started out as just a bit of fun and stuck amongst his peers for being known as an avid fan of New Orleans musician ‘Snooks Eaglin’. Snooks gained national recognition in Australia as the frontman for The Hiptones-- an Australian answer to The Fabulous Thunderbirds. The Hiptones signed with Sony Records and won the South...

No Border Blues Episode 5: For the last 25 years, Sweden's Trickbag has been playing their brand of houserockin' rhythm and blues. Trickbag has become a top European blues festival attraction by virtue of their consistently rockin' live shows, great songs (spanning eight CDs), clever band branding and of course, LOTS of hard work and persistence. Trickbag has also been in high demand as a back-up band for touring Americ...

No Border Blues Episode 4: Folkestone UK-based Katie Bradley came into the spotlight in 2012 with a nomination for a British Blues Award for her original song "I Hear the River", which was prominently featured on BBC Radio. She has booked and supported tours and concerts in the UK for artists such as Kirk Fletcher (and myself!).  Katie's got a new self-released CD coming out in November, "Soho Heart". She is a v...

No Border Blues Episode 3: In this episode we are chatting with band leader Lorenzo Albai, the singer and harp player for Jesus On a Tortilla, from the little town of Saronna, near Milan, Italy. For eleven years they have been playing their brand of hard-core, retro, 40s and 50s Chicago blues in France, Poland, Switzerland and their native Lombardia. Lorenzo and guitarist Andrea Mandelli play some low-down Chicago blues while they&...

No Border Blues Episode 2: Features Sony Music recording artist Aki Kumar. Aki left his native home in Mumbai, India for San Jose CA with the intention of working as a software engineer. Then he discovered the sounds of the blues, and his life changed dramatically. Aki worked his way from selling merch at Mark Hummel's Harmonica Blowouts (a successful revue that featured some of the very best blues harp players alive -- James C...

No Border Blues Episode 1: Features Ashesh Dangol, a guitarist and singer based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Ashesh's music reflects his love of Jimi Hendrix and Muddy Waters, as well as his immersion in the rich musical heritage of his homeland. He has done much to generate a Nepalese blues scene; growing a fan base through extensive gigging, organizing events, and starting the Blues Society of Nepal. Since the pandemic, he's been...