Del Rey

"Del Reychannels the spirit of Memphis Minnie while maintaining a thoroughly hip, Left Coast sense of cool."
Bluesman Sam Chatmon inspired the teenaged, classical guitar-playing Del Rey to become a blues queen. Now, after a bunch of years of worldwide touring, her celebrated guitar and ukulele playing combines country blues, stride piano, classic jazz and hillbilly boogie through the sensibility of "an autodidact trailer-park aesthete." In addition to playing concerts Del lectures on American women musicians from the first half of the last century and is an authority on that colorful chapter in American music history. Since 2004 she has been collaborating with Maria Muldaur on tributes to Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Johnny Cash. Credentials aside, Del is just about the wittiest thinker and most colorful player we've encountered in recent years.