There is a surprising amount of great roadhouse blues that has been coming out of the Pennsylvania over the last decade. One of the best is a guy named JP Williams I spun his 2018 album, Everblue, quite often during that year and in 2019 and now he has a new recording out that is getting extensive airplay all over the world. For the new album, JP & Ekat, he is joined by the sultry voiced Ekat Pereyra and a collection of stellar musicians that perform as the JP Williams Blues Band. The product of their effort is a first class rendition of the contemporary roadhouse blues.

JP has a great voice and he is a fantastic storyteller. All of the tunes on the album but one are from his pen and paint some great mental pictures. My favorite is the first cut on the album, Mighty Dangerous Boogie. It has an infectious beat set by the harp and drums and describes an encounter with a lady dressed to kill and bedroom eyes. Another tune that tells a story…about Slammin’ Sammy and Juke Joint Jimmy… is Regret. I love the lyric “what you did yesterday, you have to live with today.” Amen, brother! Ekat Pereyra is Russian born and came to the United States as a teenager. She has a voice tailor made for the blues and she really shines on Solid Gone, Around Midnite, and a cut that is getting plenty of airplay Need a Little Sugar.

JP has been a guest in the chat room for my BMFR Roadhouse blues shows over the last month and I have thrilled to see that the album is at the top of the charts here in North America and also getting a lot of spins in Europe. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy with a true love for the blues in all its varied forms…..including the roadhouse blues!!

JP Williams Blues Band Featuring Ekat Pereyra – JP & EKAT (2021 self release) https://jp-williams.com/

Ben Vee started out spinning songs on terrestrial radio and at nightclubs back in the 1970’s in his home state of Louisiana. After a career in the construction business, he returned to DJing in 2011. He now hosts two shows each week on http://www.bluesmusicfan.com and writes about the blues at http://www.benveeblues.com from his home in Connecticut. He also has a 24 hour stream devoted to the Roadhouse Blues… WRHB.