Twenty-four year old Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton just may be the leading force of the next generation of acoustic blues and roots performers. A swiftly capable multi-instrumentalist who picks banjo and guitar, plays harmonica, piano and other instruments, including the fiddle, this virtuoso is a joyous entertainer, humorous with a smooth vernacular, dazzling wit, a terrific storyteller, exuding an affable excitement. These traits were clearly on display this past summer at the Waterfront Blues Festival where Jerron Paxton was widely acclaimed as one of the surprise hits of the event. He masters multiple blues styles and picks like Blind Blake. …

From their days playing together as teenagers to their current acoustic and electric blues, probably no one has more consistently led American music for the last 50 years than Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady, the founders and continuing core members of Hot Tuna. These two began playing together while still in their teens growing up in Washington, DC and were later core members of the rock band The Jefferson Airplane. Always remaining true to their blues background, the pair formed Hot Tuna in the early 1970s, performing in both electric and acoustic combinations that have garnered them a faithful following …