Johnny A. continues to stake his claim as one of the premier guitar players in popular music today, as evidenced by CD sales of over 86,000 for his two CDs, Sometime Tuesday Morning and Get Inside. Gibson’s Custom Shop designed a special Signature Edition Johnny A. Guitar, placing him in an exclusive ‘custom club’ that includes legends B.B. King, Wes Montgomery and Joe Perry. Performing instrumentals in a 3-piece electric guitar lead format, the Boston Phoenix describes Johnny A.’s sound as “winding jazz, blues, popular tunes, rock and flourishes of psychedelic improvisation into a tight, passionate ball.”

Pianist, singer and songwriter Marcia Ball is a multi Grammy nominee and seven-time Blues Music Award winner (including three for Best Piano Player of the Year). Over the course of her three-decade career, Marcia has developed a large and enthusiastic fan base with her blend of sounds from the Texas-Louisiana border with New Orleans R&B and piano boogie. Marcia's latest CD Peace Love & BBQ recently debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart.

BeauSoleil is the best known Cajun band in the world. Bandleader Michael Doucet is often credited as the key figure in popularizing Cajun music. Frequent performers on “A Prairie Home Companion,” host Garrison Keillor dubbed BeauSoleil the “world’s greatest Cajun band.” In their live show, the Grammy winners present the best of Cajun musical traditions, filling dance floors and exciting festival audiences everywhere.

Since 1939, The Blind Boys of Alabama have sung a fervent blend of traditional and contemporary Gospel music. These 4 time Grammy winners (2001-2004) and Gospel Music Hall of Fame inductees play music the Washington Post calls “Inspired and relevant...borders on the miraculous.” The Blind Boys present one of the most eclectic and rousing live concerts on tour today with their "James Brown does gospel" performances.

Booker is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Musicians Hall of Fame inductee, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and arguably the most famous Hammond B3 player in history. As leader of the legendary Booker T & The MG's, this pillar of soul music collaborated with Otis Redding, Albert King, Eddie Floyd and Sam & Dave during his tenure at the renowned STAX Records label. Since then, Booker has lent his trademark keyboard chops to artists as diverse as Ray Charles, Neil Young and Natalie Merchant and produced classic albums such as Willie Nelson's Stardust and Bill Withers' Just As I Am, featuring the hit, "Ain't No Sunshine". Booker is currently performing with his own band, with a long-awaited solo CD set for release in 2009.

A gifted lead guitarist firmly in touch with his lyrical voice, Tommy Castro was a big winner at the 2008 Blues Music Awards, taking home honors for B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and Best Contemporary Blues Album for his most recent CD, Painkiller. The soul-drenched, rocking blues CD was also named BluesWax Album of the Year, making Tommy the only artist to have won twice in the category. Castro is also a two-time winner for BluesWax Artist of the Year.

Cleary, born in England, is an adopted son of the Crescent City, who’s made good his citizenship with five soul-soaked R&B funk albums with the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. He has collaborated with a long and diverse list of artists including India.Arie, Taj Mahal, Ryan Adams, B.B. King, Irma Thomas, Keb Mo and many more and has been a longstanding member of Bonnie Raitt’s touring band. According to Bonnie Raitt, "Jon Cleary is the ninth wonder in the world."

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is world famous for their genre-bending romps and high-octane performances that blend top notch chops with their non stop party vibe. They are New Orleans' most popular and funkiest Brass Band who defy all categorization with collaborations from Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie to Dave Matthews, Modest Mouse and more bringing them a wide ranging audience.

A prodigiously gifted Texas singer/songwriter, Ruthie Foster has quickly established herself as one of the roots music world’s brightest stars drawing comparisons to Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald as well as Tracy Chapman and Joan Armatrading. The Los Angeles Times says Ruthie "will convert those hungry for some real, hot soul."

One of the world’s premier acoustic blues artists, John Hammond is a Grammy winner and seven-time Blues Music Award winning artist who has shared the stage and/or recorded with the greatest legends of the blues, including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, John Lee Hooker and Howlin' Wolf. With over thirty albums to his name, Hammond is revered by musicians of all walks, as exemplified by those who have produced some of his recent albums - Tom Waits, Duke Robillard, Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and G. Love.

Jim Lauderdale is one of the premier Americana and Bluegrass artists in music today. Patty Loveless, The Dixie Chicks, Mark Chestnut, Vince Gill, and George Strait are just a few of the artists who have recorded Jim's songs. He is a two time Grammy winner (2002, 2008), a three time Americana Artist of the Year nominee (2002, 2004, 2008) as well as a winner in that category and Song of the Year in 2002, and has appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with his Dream Players band that features James Burton and Al Perkins. Jim's most recent collaborations appear on new releases from Lucinda Williams and George Jones.

Acclaimed as the greatest unrecognized soul singer of the past forty years, Bettye has rightfully earned her reputation as a true legend of soul music. LaVette was a 2008 Grammy Award nominee and has won two Blues Music Awards. Her last two CD's (I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise and The Scene of the Crime), along with a magnificent voice and dynamic stage presence, have re-asserted Bettye as one of America’s most forceful and accomplished soul singers.

Mr. Dave performs music that redefines the word "eclectic." Well known for his many years as the featured accompanist with Jackson Browne, and leader of his own band El Rayo-X, Lindley has long championed the concept of world music and possesses an incredible mastery of all things stringed. His wide-ranging studio credits include work with Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Dolly Parton, Rod Stewart and Ben Harper, among many others.

Coco is a powerful Blues Music Award winning blues/rock guitarist who learned his chops from the legendary Albert Collins and was John Mayall's lead guitarist for 10 years (following in the steps of Mick Taylor, Peter Green and Eric Clapton). GuitarOne magazine calls Coco “the hottest southpaw in the blues” and Billboard Magazine says, “In a world of blues guitar pretenders, Coco Montoya is the real McCoy. Be prepared to get scorched."

With 22 Blues Music Awards to his credit and 8 Grammy nominations, harmonica virtuoso Charlie Musselwhite has truly earned legendary status as one of blues music’s most important artists. Charlie has performed and recorded with Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, John Lee Hooker and many more.

Meshell is a renowned bassist/singer/songwriter and 10-time Grammy Nominee (including a 2008 Grammy nod) who has spent nearly two decades as an uncompromising innovator in the worlds of rock, jazz, funk, soul and beyond. Entertainment Weekly gave her latest CD The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams its highest grade - “A”.

Duke's guitar work has seamlessly spanned the worlds of jazz, blues, and swing since founding the renowned big band, Roomful of Blues, in 1967. Since then he has recorded over twenty acclaimed solo albums and toured the world both with his own band and also as Jimmie Vaughan's replacement in The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and more recently in Tom Waits' touring band. Duke has won Best Guitarist at the Blues Music Awards four times in the last nine years and is also making his mark as a prolific producer of jazz and blues legends and up and comers alike.

Not yet 30 years old and with a critically-acclaimed solo record and several well-received duet records in her wake, Carrie Rodriguez is a classically trained fiddle-toting, mandoguitar-slinging Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter just beginning to flex her artistic muscles with a new CD, She Ain't Me (August 2008 on Manhattan/EMI). MOJO Magazine says Carrie is "hot and steamy one minute and pure Nashville the next."

Marc and Ann Savoy, along with Michael Doucet of BeauSoleil, create and interpret authentic old-time Cajun music, from popular dancehall tunes to soulful ballads, drawing upon each member’s rich historical connection to their native southern Louisiana. The Chicago Tribune says "catching this expert, unpretentious trio is about the closest most of us will ever get to hearing an authentic Cajun bash on a screened-in bayou porch."

Formed in a refugee camp in the West African nation of Guinea, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars are a group of West African musicians whose incredible story is documented in a compelling and emotionally-driven film, Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, which won a series of major awards including the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the AFI Film Festival. Now the group tours the world (having performed on 5 continents for hundreds of thousands of people) spreading their message of peace and love in a "can't help but dance" show that fans from all musical backgrounds can enjoy.

A Lifetime Grammy Award winner, National Heritage Fellowship award winner, five-time Blues Music Award winner, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and honored as one of VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock and Roll, Mavis Staples (with The Staple Singers and on her own) is responsible for blazing a rhythm & blues trail while never relinquishing her gospel roots. With Ry Cooder on board as producer, Mavis reached back to the Freedom Songs of the 60’s and new originals for her latest hit CD, We'll Never Turn Back.

Allen Toussaint is a world-class artist -- Rock & Roll Hall of Fame songwriter, producer, arranger, bandleader and all around New Orleans music legend. Allen has collaborated with, produced, or had his songs covered by artists as diverse as The Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, The Band, Paul Simon, Joe Cocker, Dr. John and many more. Allen’s most recent collaboration, with Elvis Costello on their hit CD The River In Reverse, received a Grammy nomination and coaxed Allen from the studio to what is basically a new career as a touring artist.

New Orleans native Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, a bandleader since age 6, has earned rave reviews both for his jazz artistry and as leader of a blazing funk/rock/hip-hop band (Orleans Avenue). The 22-year-old musician knocks out everyone from jazz purists to partying rockers on both trumpet and trombone and took home top honors at the 2008 Big Easy Awards for Best Male Performer.

The Weepies are the pop/folk duo of singer/songwriters Steve Tannen and Deb Talan. Their music has been licensed for over 40 films and TV shows including the film soundtrack for Sex and the City. Their latest Nettwerk CD Hideaway debuted at #31 on the Billboard Album Chart and was the #4 most downloaded album overall in its first week of release. NPR says The Weepies’ “comforting synthesis of husky vocals and springy guitar…makes any combination of words and melodies shine like gold.”