Doors 8pm, Show 8:30pm

Ryan Lee Crosby is currently based in Rhode Island, but his musical heart is in Mississippi. He has released numerous albums, toured internationally and is a leading practitioner of the Bentonia School of rural Delta blues, as well as a world music explorer. Smithsonian Magazine praised his ability to "bring influences from Africa and India to the Bentonia sound."

Crosby's new album "At the Blue Front" (featuring Grammy nominated bluesman Jimmy “Duck” Holmes) offers a haunting, hypnotic meld of Bentonia and Hill Country blues. Recorded on reel to reel tape over two afternoons at Holmes’ iconic Mississippi juke joint, the album was produced, recorded and mixed by Crosby, with a selection of original compositions, traditional repertoire and fully improvised songs.

Crosby finds deep inspiration and spiritual refuge in Bentonia, where he has been mentored for six years by Holmes, the man who is widely regarded as the last living master of the style. Blending reverence for tradition with a modern, trance-inducing approach, Crosby's process is informed by diverse influences that include Indian raga, ambient music and post-punk rock. For Crosby, all these seemingly disparate threads weave together through the meditative power of the blues.

With collaborators Grant Smith and Jay Scheffler, At the Blue Front captures a moving journey of self-discovery, resilience, and artistic clarity. “Playing with Jimmy,” Crosby says, “it’s the joy, it’s the learning, it’s the connection and transcendence and what feels to me like a fulfillment of life’s purpose.”

“What first intrigued me about Ryan Lee Crosby is how rare he is on paper: a former English major and post-punk rocker who can channel 1930s Mississippi.”

- Lauren Daley — WBUR/NPR

Todd Albright is a country blues, twelve-string guitar player and vocalist based in Detroit, Michigan. Grounded in the pre-war era of the blues tradition (1880-1939), Todd is a mindful purveyor of blues history. His repertoire upholds musical pillars such as Blind Willie McTell, George Carter, Blind Lemon Jefferson and Leadbelly. His life’s work continues the distinguished tradition of the very roots of American music as told by the African American musicians who created it. Todd Albright joined Jack White’s Third Man Records in 2016.

Todd's vigorous, gritty and soulful performances are accompanied by stories of the masters and a deep intuitive sense of respect for craft, providing audiences with a meaningful experience while creating a transcendent moment. One of the top blues guitarists in the world, Todd is the only contemporary twelve string player in his genre.

Todd's first full-length LP, Fourth Floor Visitor, was released by Jett Plastic Recordings out of Detroit, Michigan (2017). His latest album, Detroit Twelve String: Blues & Rags, is out now on Third Man Records (2017). His forthcoming third album is set to be released by Third Man Records.

"Many musicians can cop the notes played by blues and ragtime greats, but few contemporary guitarists are as successful at conveying the unscripted energy and driving feel of this music as Todd Albright."

- Acoustic Guitar Magazine

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