️ Modern Blues Dispatch — Kingfish & Artur Review

“The blues isn’t dead — not even close. It’s alive, it’s strong, and it’s still pulling from its roots. But it’s not locked in amber — it’s stretching into new directions. You can hear it creeping into modern rock, alternative, even metal — those bent notes, that raw plucking, that tone that always goes back to the Delta. 

That’s what made this night so electric. Artur Menezes came out first, leaning heavy into that Texas style rock-blues. You hear flashes of Jimi Hendrix, the swagger of early ZZ Top, the fire of Stevie Ray Vaughan — but with his own modern edge. He bridges that gap between the psychedelic roots and the Southern grit, updating it without losing the soul. 

And then Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram — the heir apparent to the Delta sound. Straight out of Clarksdale, carrying the weight of Muddy, B.B., and Buddy Guy, but throwing it forward into the future. He’s not just playing the blues — he’s evolving it, bending it into something that speaks to old heads and new audiences at the same time. 

I’ll be honest — I may never have been to a true blues show until now. But when I saw Christone on that stage, I didn’t just see a young guy with a guitar. I saw the echoes of B.B. King, of Buddy Guy, of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Yeah, different skin tone, different era — but the same raw energy, the same emotion, the same level of passion pouring out through every note. 

The contrast and the connection in his playing is almost holy, almost sacred. When Kingfish bends a note, it’s not just skill — it’s a direct line back to Clarksdale’s roots, filtered through his own story and modern technique. He tells you who he is with every solo, and he does it without ever losing the core of the blues. 

Buddy Guy himself was so impressed he took Kingfish under his wing — brought him on tour, mentored him, and continues to speak his name with reverence. And here’s the truth: Buddy Guy doesn’t tap just anyone. He doesn’t hand out nods to every guitar slinger who calls themselves a blues musician. For Christone, he did. That alone says everything. 

And yes — this night was about Artur and Christone, but it makes you think: if Gary Clark Jr. gets all the hype, the magazine covers, the late-night talk show slots, then why isn’t Christone right there with him? Don’t get me wrong — Gary’s a monster player. But to me, Gary’s more rock. Kingfish? He’s the blues. Straight from Clarksdale, mentored by Buddy Guy, carrying the weight of the tradition while still pushing it forward. If we’re talking about the future of the blues, Christone deserves that same spotlight — maybe even more. Because he’s not borrowing the blues. He is the blues. 

What makes the blues so special — what makes it important — is that it’s more than music. It’s devotion. It’s almost spiritual. Every bend, every slide, every lyric, it isn’t just performance — it’s testimony. That’s why the blues endures. It isn’t just a genre — it’s a lifeline. And the artists who get it, like Christone and Artur, aren’t just playing songs. They’re carrying a tradition that feels almost holy. 

There’s a reason the blues is the longest standing style of modern music in America — because everything circles back to it. Rock, soul, funk, hip hop, even metal — the roots all trace back to the blues. But you can’t play the blues if you don’t have the blues. If you don’t carry the pain, the sacrifice, the struggle in your soul, then you’re just mimicking notes. 

That’s what separates artists like Christone and Artur. They don’t just play the blues. They feel the blues. And when they hit that stage, they make you feel it too. 

And here’s the truth — we need help to keep telling this story. For the past year I’ve been piecing together this modern blues arc, and the next step is Clarksdale. We need to walk the Blues Trail, step inside the juke joints before they’re gone, capture the roots before they vanish. These pieces of history are slipping away — whole chapters being lost because there isn’t enough support to protect them. 

I can’t remember if it was Son House’s home or Charley Patton’s, but one of their houses was lost recently to a fire — and with it, the small museum that tried to hold the story together. That’s what’s at stake. 

So if you believe in this work, if you want these stories preserved — please, join the Patreon. Drop something in the tip jar. Grab some merch. Every dollar fuels the chance to get us there, to stand in Clarksdale, and to keep the blues alive for the next generation. 

Because the blues isn’t just history. The blues is America’s soul. And if we don’t tell it now, we risk losing it forever.”