Guitarist, singer, and songwriter Alvin Youngblood Hart is continuing on the path laid down by acoustic blues practitioners like Taj Mahal, Guy Davis, and other '90s blues revivalists, but his roots go back much further than that, to the classic stylings of Bukka White, Charlie Patton, Leadbelly, and Blind Willie McTell.
Born in 1963 in Oakland California, he used to take summer trips to his grandparents' home in the hills of northern Mississippi, and it was there that his passion for acoustic blues was first sparked. There, people lived as they did in the 19th century, without the luxuries of indoor plumbing or phones, and often used horse-drawn wagons in place of cars.
When his parents settled in Schaumburg, IL, he began frequenting Maxwell Street in nearby Chicago, hobnobbing with the local musicians. Several years later, his parents moved back to California and Alvin began playing on the blues club scene. He soon became fed up with the politics of it and began finding his own voice, independent of any group, playing acoustic blues by himself.
Hart is known as one of the world's foremost practitioners of the country blues genre, but he’s well versed in rock, Western swing, and country, playing acoustic and electric guitar, banjo, and even mandolin.
He received the 1997 W.C Handy Award for Best New Artist, as well as two Living Blues Awards. More recently, in 2005, Hart received a Grammy Award for his contribution to Beautiful Dreamer-The Songs of Stephen Foster. So kick back and listen to the blues the way they were meant to be played.
It’s a beautiful summer evening and summer means Sauvignon Blanc in my book. So tonight I’m drinking a 2010 Domaine Vincent Ricard Potine Sauvignon Blanc Touraine. The color is a pale yellow-green. It’s almost New Zealand-like with its bouquet of grapefruit and hints of lemon and apples. The palate is vibrant with green apples, more grapefruit, and lemon. Crisp, refreshing, and excellent for a warm summer night and the music of Alvin Youngblood Hart. Ejoy!
Cheers!
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