Blues Power with Ben

Eric Clapton is bringing back his Crossroads Guitar Festival in 2026! The greatest guitar talents in rock, blues, jazz, and bluegrass will gather in Austin, TX, on September 26 & 27. I will be traveling to Austin to attend the festival this year. This will be my second time at Crossroads after the 2023 festival in Los Angeles. This episode features some of the awesome artists I'm looking forwa...

We’re halfway through 2026, and a lot of great music has been released so far this year. Join me to explore some of the highlights from the year so far in blues and blues-rock. 1. Poor Black Mattie – Samantha Fish – 7:11 2. Black Wind Howlin’ – Samantha Fish – 8:08 3. Don’t Answer the Door – Marcus King – 5:12 4. Better Not Look Down – Joe Bonamassa, Kirk Fletcher, & Friends – 8:50* 5. I Wonde...

 The 2026 Blues Music Awards will be announced May 7 in Memphis, TN. Sponsored by the Blues Foundation, the awards recognize the best artists and albums from the previous year in blues music. I discuss the nominees, talk about who I voted for on my ballot, and play music from some of the artists who stood out to me from among this year's field of nominees. All members of the Blues Foundation are e...

Sinners is one of the best movies of 2025 and one of the best movies about the blues. It follows a young blues musician and his twin cousins through a night of revelry and horror in the 1930s Mississippi Delta. In this episode, I discuss how my favorite music from the soundtrack and score ties into the blues, black history, the story of Sinners, and the themes explored within the film. 1. Filídh,...