Time Signatures with Jim Ervin

Welcome to our long awaited episode number 1-5-0!!!!! Just about one year ago, we marked our 100th, and this week on Time Signatures, Erv is celebrating his latest milestone with a true Chicago legend and Blues historian, Dick Shurman. Dick’s pedigree is something to behold, and he and Erv dive deep into his rich history of the genre and his involvement in its evolution. Dick calls himself a Blues...

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes UK blues rock harmonicist and Vizztone artist, Will Wilde. Will’s latest album, “Blues Is Still Alive” is out and doing well, and Will dropped in to discuss his early life in music, the strong presence of a diverse music mix in the home, and his recollection of Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Help Me” as the single song that supercharged his drive...

Before Ed found his way into the world of the Blues, he worked at a car wash in the Greater Chicago area, and his uncle J.B. Hutto taught him and his half brother, Pookie to feel the music and play from the heart. That lesson was never lost on the young men, and when Alligator Records’ Bruce Iglauer invited the band to record for a song or two on an upcoming album, their off the chain performance...

It’s another ‘Women of the Blues’ episode with Lonestar Lady and Alligator Recording Artist, Carolyn Wonderland. Carolyn dropped in to talk about her early days in music, her time with legendary frontman, known as the “Godfather of the Blues” (per Walter Trout), John Mayall, and he new album, “Truth Is”. We got to see Carolyn earlier this summer in Kalamazoo for the Blues Festival, and her and the...

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes another Chicago legend, Earwig Records founder and producer, Michael Frank. Michael came to the table with lots of great stories of his early days as a music lover, his ultimate move to Chicago, and the nearly 40 years he spent with David ‘Honey Boy’ Edwards as his manager, producer, and touring partner. Season 7 is rolling along, and there...

As a young girl, today’s guest remembers her Father taking thousands of photos of her and her siblings. As she got older, she discovered the art for herself, even learning how to develop the film and print the photos as well. That passion for the art has led to her new book, “Tales From the Harp”, a 131 page tabletop book that dedicates one page to each harmonica player she is showcasing. The phot...

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, it’s time to break out the hot sauce and bourbon, as Erv welcomes American Idol Top 10 contestant, Jovin Webb back for a discussion about life in the Blues world over the past two years, what it meant to celebrate his birthday in Paris at the Eiffel Tower, and his hot new album, “Son Of A Sinner”. The new album, produced by multi-grammy winner Tom Hambr...

A chance purchase at Vintage Sound in Williamston, MI led Erv to discover a tie to Chicago Blues he had no knowledge of previously. This week on Time Signatures, Erv is joined by the son of the late, legendary Bluesman Jimmy Rogers, Jimmy D. Lane. The two discussed life as the son of a Chicago Bluesman, featuring regular visits by the top Bluesmen of the day, their sage advice to Lane as a young m...

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes celebrated editor, Bob Sarles for a chat about his early work in film, his documentary on Mike Bloomfield, and his subsequent work that landed an opportunity to take over and finish “Born in Chicago”. “Born” showcases a small handful of young white guys (Mike Bloomfield, Paul Butterfield, Corky Siegel, Charlie Musselwhite and others), who l...

On this week’s edition of Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes back 2025 Grammy winner, Ruthie Foster. This time around, she and Erv discuss her spring-time trip to Australia, but the biggest point of discussion is her accidental injury suffered late last fall as she ran to an airport gate to board for a flight. That injury slowed her down considerably, resulting in surgery in December of...

It’s another Women In Blues episode on Time Signatures, as Erv welcomes one of Chicago’s treasure’s, slide guitarist extraordinaire, Joanna Connor. Joanna dropped by to talk about her early years in Chicago, her nearly 40 year relationship with The Kingston Mines, her recent marriage and move to Jamaica, surviving Hurricane Melissa last year, and her hot new LIVE album, due for release on Friday o...

Over the next three weeks, Time Signatures with Jim Ervin is paying a special salute to the Women of the Blues, featuring three of the top names in the Blues. This week, Erv welcomes Shaun Murphy to the program. From making her first appearance on a Blues stage at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival, to working with Seger, the Moody Blues and Eric Clapton, Shaun has certainly made a solid n...

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes International musician, Zak Bekkers. Zak’s music is best described as “Blues-driven Rock with a dark Americana soul. He stopped in to talk about his journey into and through the Blues, his new life as a parent, and his position as an official endorser of Bushman Harmonicas-the company that just happens to be endorsing us! Facebook: https://...

Time Signatures is pleased to welcome a 35 year veteran of the Washington, D.C. music scene, J.P. Reali. He and host, Jim Ervin talk about his early years of being influenced by the constant diet of music he enjoyed as a young man, his 7 years with a local psychedelic band, his time working with his brother as one half of the “Reali Brothers”, and also his TWO visits to the International Blues Cha...

It’s another great conversation with the current/next generation of the Blues as host Jim Ervin welcomes Chicago’s Jamiah Rogers for a fun discussion about starting out as a VERY young drummer, his development as a multi-instrumentalist, finding himself on stage at the Chicago Theater with legendary Jimi Hendrix bassist, Billy Cox, touring with John Primer, Billy Branch, and Annika Chambers, and h...

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes another member of the Chicago music Family, Songwriter, Radio Host, and self-professed “Guy with a camera”, Terry Abrahamson. Terry brought stories of the early days in the Chicago Blues scene, how he became enamored with the camera, his passion for the Blues, and how he met and began writing for Muddy Waters all those years ago. And you sh...

Season Seven kicks off with legendary Bluesman, Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Kim talks about his early years in the music business, his early experiences with “the Originators” of the Blues, and the move that would forever change his life and lead to the foundation of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Kim and Erv also discuss the young newcomers to the genre, and the music business in general...

This week, Time Signatures with Jim Ervin celebrates another amazing season finale’ with arguably the most recognizable voice in the Blues, Big Llou Johnson. You will recognize his resonant tones if you listen to SiriusXM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville, but he also hosts events in Memphis during the BMA’s and he hosts a kickoff party in Chicago the week of Blues Fest! Llou came to visit with a bundle of...

This week on Time Signatures, host Jim Ervin welcomes the founder of Bushman Harmonicas, John Hall. The birth of the rapidly growing harmonica brand began innocently enough on a summer evening in 1990, when John strolled past the legendary Slippery Noodle in downtown Indianapolis. The line launched in 1996 and over the course of the past 30 years, Hall has worked diligently to build Bushman into t...

With only three episodes remaining on Season 6, host Jim Ervin welcomes first band runner up in the 2026 International Blues Challenge, Melissa McKinney. This woman of the Blues put an incredible band together to compete this year, and narrowly missed taking it all home with her. She has sold her successful music school, and she has come away from the IBC on a mission to bring her deep, soulful Bl...

In the world of music, many of the albums produced are backed by record labels. In the Blues, we have Alligator, Blind Pig, Delmark, Ruf, Malaco and a few others. Each of these labels depend upon the skills of their publicists and radio promoters to help get word of each new artist and their respective albums out to the masses. Kevin Johnson has worked with the Delmark label for years, and he also...

Billy Prewitt is a self-proclaimed musician in the “Artist Protection Program”, because many of you may not have heard of him. He is a guitarist, bassist, harmonicist, and the originator of the One Man Jam, and he dropped in to talk about the Blues scene of the late 1960’s and early 70’s, a chance meeting with Paul Butterfield on a New York elevator, and a move to Chicago, where he met and began w...

It’s another stellar episode of Time Signatures with Jim Ervin as Erv welcomes renowned guitarist and soulful storyteller, JP Soars. JP recently joined forces with acclaimed violinist, vocalist and songwriter, Anne Harris. Together, the two have collaborated to produce “Gypsy Blue Revue”, a 9 track masterpiece, which drops this Friday the 29th EVERYWHERE. The album flows seamlessly between Blues,...

Season 6 is rapidly winding down, and this week, join host Jim Ervin as he welcomes 5x BMA nominee, award winning singer, guitarist, producer and songwriter Erin Harpe. The two discuss Erin’s early years in music, her passion for the roots of the Blues, and old guitars. She was also here to discuss her most recent album, “Let the Mermaids Flirt With Me: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt”. It was...

On this week’s edition of Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes The Duchess Jureesa McBride. She is here to share stories that go back to her youth, writing poetry and hanging around her Daddy while he works on the family car, listening to the Blues. She also shares details of her win in the 2011 “Face the Music” competition, and event that would ultimately alter the course her life would t...