Time Signatures with Jim Ervin

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...

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes one of the new members of the next generation of the Blues, Sean “Mack” McDonald. Sean’s brand new album is called, “Have Mercy!” and is on the Little Village Foundation label-an album which has been nominated for the 2026 BMAs, by the way. Sean stopped in to discuss the album. He and Erv also talk about his early foundations in the genre,...

This week on Time Signatures, Season 6 continues its journey as Erv welcomes Guitarist Laura Chavez for a chat about her early life in music, working with the late Candye Kane, that first visit to the Chicago Blues Festival with Vanessa Collier, and her new album, entitled, “My Voice”. For the often shy young woman of the Blues, she is clearly enjoying some new found exposure, and you will enjoy t...

This week on Time Signatures, host Jim Ervin welcomes former Black Crowes guitarist and current North Mississippi Allstars guitarist and lead vocalist, Luther Dickinson. The two discuss Luther’s early years, growing up with his Father, Jim Dickinson and members of the Memphis Underground. Luther also shared stories of relocating to the Hills of North Mississippi, where he met and collaborated with...

This week, we are joined by The Queen of Avant Soul, Candice Ivory, a woman of the Blues who is simply cut from a different cloth. Raised in the south, the child of a Preacher, she came up as many in this background do, with a respect and an esteem for music and singing. That respect resulted in a very special project entitled, “When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie”, and she will tel...

On this week’s edition of Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes longtime Chicago Blues Harmonicist, Radio Host, and owner of the Rhythm Room, Bob Corritore back for another round of storytelling and discussion about Bob’s deep work in the Blues. From his 42 years as host of “Those Lowdown Blues” on Phoenix’s KJZZ, to his nearly 35 years as owner of the Rhythm Room, to his more than 40 compi...

Starting out at the age of just 8, Danny Garwood exhibited a passion for the music of Kenny Wayne Shepherd, John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Danny is based in Nashville and his self-proclaimed mission is to help keep the Blues alive and pass it along to the next generation of musicians. The teen has already had the honor of sharing the stage with the Legendary Bluesman, Buddy Guy...

In 2006, a regional favorite Blues band was formed. Founded by Mark “King Bee” Menefee, King Bee and the Stingers built a solid following, which now includes his daughter, Sarah Menefee as lead vocalist. She and bassist, Jeff Shew dropped by recently for a chat with host, Jim Ervin about their early years in music, and how their paths led to their current place with KBTS. Jeff also shared his memo...

This week in Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes ‘Steady Rollin’ Bob Margolin back for a second visit. Among other topics, Bob shared more amazing stories about his early years in the Blues, his impromptu audition for Muddy Waters’ band in his hotel room, and his final conversation with Muddy before he passed in April of 1983. Bob was pleased to celebrate the fact that he has been home of...

When Christoffer ‘Kid’ Andersen was a young man, he had dreams of coming to the United States to experience the Blues culture first-hand. As a young adult, that opportunity presented itself when Terry Hanck offered him a position in his band, and Kid never looked back. On this edition of Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, you will hear that story and others first-hand from the man himself, but he als...

Without a doubt, the music business has dramatically changed over the past 20 years. One musician is making a difference, and he has created an outlet for other musicians who might not otherwise be recorded and heard. Legendary keyboard player Jim Pugh is the founder of The Little Village Foundation, a 501c3 recording label, and many of today’s emerging artists have come from Little Village. Jim d...

As Season six rolls onward, we are pleased to welcome another member of the NEXT generation of the Blues, Grammy nominated musician, Mr. Jontavious Willis. From the time this young man heard Muddy Waters, he says it changed his life. As a 19 year old, he was invited to joining the legendary Taj Mahal on stage, and he has never looked back. This young man, in his own words, is dedicated to preservi...

The Peoples' Queen of Blues and Little Village Foundation artist, Diunna Greenleaf joins host Jim Ervin this week on Time Signatures. She dropped by to talk about her early life in music, her exposure to the Blues as a young girl, her album, 'I Ain't Playin', her three year stint as the first woman to serve as president of the Houston Blues Society, and her role as head of Blue Mercy. It's convers...

This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, join Erv as he welcomes lead vocalist, Kimberly Dill and Guitarist Jamie Holdren of the band Sister Lucille. This band has taken the worlds of the Blues, Roots, and Soul and turned them on their collective heads to form a completely unique Blues-related genre known as “Mem-Phunk”. From the famed Ryman Auditorium to Beale Street, this band has deep ties...

The late 60's developed some of the biggest names of the Blues in Chicago. Along with Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, James Cotton and others, there was a group of young white guys that learned from these future legends, and they began making a name for themselves along the way. Corky Siegel and Jim Schwall began their musical partnership simply as, "Corky and Jim". For all the details on the rest of the...

On this edition of Time Signatures, Erv welcomes another member of the next generation of the Blues, Alexandria, Louisiana native, Eric Johanson. Eric dropped by to share stories about playing hide and seek in his grandfather's piano store, his discovery and early years in music, developing his own sound through those early years, developing a musician’s relationship with Tab Benoit, and his 2016...

Iconic Rock (and Blues) Photographer, Robert M. Knight joins host Jim Ervin as he welcomes Knight to talk about his early photographic work with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Yardbirds. Knight's obsession with photography led him to London at age 16, and the rest is history. He has photographed thousands of musicians in his more than half century in the business, he is a publish...