Grant Britt

Soulman Eddie 9V must have lived many past lives before this one. Otherwise, there's no way Brooks Mason's alter ego could have built up as much soul in such a short time. The voices that speak through him belong to O.V. Wright, James Carr, Al

It might not show up on astrology maps, but there's a solar system out there with Dolly Parton's name on it. Everybody knows who the star is, but who is drawn into her orbit, family-wise, has been a bit fuzzy until now. With the release of

Eric Bibb is an old smoothie. Since his debut with '72's Ain't It Grand, Bibb's flight path has been a swooping glide that has him soaring aloft with mellow, folky ruminations on the state of the world and his place in it. His

When Ronnie Baker Brooks says that blues is in his DNA, it's not an idle claim or a marketing ploy. His Grammy-nominated and Blues Hall of Famer dad Lonnie schooled him in the Chicago blues tradition. Lonnie took him on the road when Ronnie was 18, teaching him

Randall Bramblett is a dreamcatcher of sorts. He captures images from the airy vaults where they recline, waiting to be downloaded by sensitive souls like him. Of course, translating them into a musical format requires some shapeshifting, so he blends jazz, country, folk, gospel, rock, and soul. Bramblett has shared

Pair up guitarists JD Simo and Luther Dickinson, and you can expect some sludge to get splashed around. The mix of Simo's Chicago-by-way-of-Nashville licks and Dickinson's hill country fuzz whip up a muddy cauldron of stickyfoot stomp. The selections reflect a who's-who of whompers,