A love of jazz, learning and a determined passion to make a difference in other people’s lives can manifest itself in many different ways. For Drew Foxman, the choice was clear: he knew he wanted to create awareness via the world’s greatest method of connecting human beings—music. “Historically, slavery, oppression, forced migration, all played a prominent role in music’s evolution and in fact led to many of the western world’s music genres, especially jazz and reggae.

I was at this show, and it still remains the favorite of the 70 shows I saw between 1973 -1995. Was only the second night of the tour, general admission, on a rainy cool day. Civic Center was way smaller than most of the other Northeastern 'hockey rink' venues, so it always felt more intimate and with better sound. I attended the show with at least 10 of my friends, we grabbed a bunch of seats just off the floor, not too far back on the side.

Singer-songwriter and blues/roots traveler Markus James’ 2015 CD, Head for the Hills, garnered international critical acclaim, and now a song from that album, “On a Mississippi Porch,” is in the soundtrack of the new Oprah Winfrey film, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which premieres on HBO tonight, Saturday, April 22, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time.

The act, Tuck and Patti, is comprised of guitarist William Charles “Tuck” Andress and vocalist/arranger Patti Cathcart. They began garnering steam in 1981 after making the decision to perform as a duo. Their recording career was launched with the release of “Tears of Joy” (Windham Hill Records) in 1987.

Coming in early June, the Blue Ox Music Festival returns with an all-star lineup of roots, Americana, and country artists. Nestled amongst the dense, sun-speckled pine forests of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Blue Ox Music Festival welcomes thousands of roots music fans and musicians each June to the heart of Paul Bunyan country.