Listen to Jonell Mosser just once in concert and you’ll be an instant believer. She sings with all-out passion and heart. No frills. No games. Just a soulful intensity that makes you realize you’re in the presence of the real thing, not some manufactured, corporate-approved diva of the sort littering the landscape these days.  By STEVE MORSE, former staff writer at the Boston Globe for nearly 30 years, who has also written for Billboard and served on the nominating committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Jonell is as honest as they come, both in her personal life and in her music. Her voice is stunning in its raw power, scope, and ability to take you places where you’ve never been. In addition to her four official album releases, she will be releasing a new album this year.   Jonell's Music Journey Past Jonell started singing at a young age, rising to do jazz standards in piano bars in her childhood home of Louisville. Her dad, a retired Air Force Master Sargent, had died of a heart attack when she was 3, so she was brought up by her mother, Joy, who loved jazz. “I listened to all the big band stuff,” Jonell recalls. “I loved Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday. She bought me 45s and albums from the time I was 5 or 6. Later on, my brother had great records by Jethro Tull, Al Green and Dobie Gray.” And what about Janis Joplin, to whom she has been compared? “I didn’t like her at first. Janis seemed unattainable. And on the other side, Aretha Franklin seemed unattainable. So I was drawn more to men’s voices, like when I heard Otis Redding for the first time. And James Taylor, of course. I adored him and Jackson Browne and Dan Fogelberg. And then I found Lowell George and Little Feat.” She also loved Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt {whom she first met in Bowling Green around 1978 or ’79} and her debut album was a 1996 compilation of Townes covers called “Around Townes.” Solo Projects Her second album was “So Like Joy” in 2000, a smart, sophisticated batch of songs that Jonell wrote with John Hall (of Orleans fame) and Johanna Hall. They have been major believers in her. The disc included the high-arcing ballad “Do You Love Me” and the stylish title track, about letting go of regret. It is a connoisseur’s record. Next up was “Enough Rope,” a 2001 album that Allmusic.com proclaimed had “enough class, muscle and tough grace to stand out from the pack.” Then a lull followed as Jonell turned to raising her sons, before her “powerful “Trust Yourself” CD came out. The title track was a Dylan song given new heft by Jonell, while other stand outs were three co-writes with the Halls, and a sax-laced soul version of Harlan Howard’s “The Chokin’ Kind.” And perhaps the most intriguing project she’s been involved with in the last few years or so is being one of the Freedom Singers, who perform under the auspices of the First Amendment Center headed by former USA Today editor Ken Paulson. They feature songs that were once banned or censored, such as George M. Cohan’s “You’re a Grand Old Rag” (later changed to “Grand Old Flag”) and the controversial Billie Holiday tune, “Strange Fruit. ”It adds up to a highly unique career with no end in sight. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in this business, but I feel successful as a human being,” says Jonell. I play and sing every day” “I’ve gotten to sing with Mavis Staples. I’ve gotten to sing with Levon Helm, and with Sam Moore, Bruce Cockburn, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson. I’ve gotten to meet and play music with so many great people, most of whom I feel I can call my friends” “That means everything to me” Now it could be Jonell’s moment to grab the spotlight. “I feel a tidal wave coming,” she says hopefully. “I just don’t want to get buried by it. I want to ride it.

Guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, session-musician... in 2018 the State of Tennessee made a resolution declaring Jack an “American Musical Treasure”. He is best known as an A-list blues/rock lead and slide guitarist but Jack is also a soulful, creative songwriter and artist in his own right. Adept at many musical genres and instruments, he possesses the ability to take each to a higher level. His playing is sophisticated while full of intensity and passion, leaving audiences cheering and musicians smiling - shaking their heads in disbelief at his seemingly effortless skill and talent. Blues Revue calls him a “world-class guitarist” and Rolling Stone brags on his “light touch and fluid, jazzy style...dynamic slide playing”.  A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Jack has been influenced by many styles of music and his knowledge of the history of each allows him to deliver a “true to the tradition” performance. During his colorful career he has mastered a wide range of instruments including electric, slide, acoustic and resonator guitar, mandolin, old time banjo and Hammond organ, which he incorporates into many musical styles such as blues & roots music; jazz & bebop; pop & rock; and bluegrass & country. His versatility and musicianship keep his live shows and recordings fresh and exciting.  Jack was a member of The Allman Brothers Band from 1997-1999 and has worked with music legends from the world of jazz, rock, blues and country including The Allman Brothers Band, Gregg Allman, Vince Gill, Jimmy Buffett, Tommy Emmanuel, Joe Bonamassa, Charlie Daniels, Keb Mo’, Delbert McClinton, Earl Scruggs, Chris LeDoux, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Mac McAnally, Amy Grant, Groove Holmes, Mike Snider, Faith Hill, Ronnie Milsap, Jimmy Hall, Gov’t Mule, Buddy DeFranco, T. Graham Brown, Shelby Lynne, Jimmy Raney, Vassar Clements, Bonnie Bramlett, Mundell Lowe, The Jordanaires, Jim Horn, Lee Roy Parnell, Kirk Whalum, Martina McBride, Taj Mahal, Trace Adkins, Dr John, Sam Moore, Eric Church, John Hiatt, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and the list goes on and on.   

Nearly 70 years into his remarkable career, unsung soul hero Charles “Wigg” Walker may finally be getting his due.  “I feel more appreciated now than ever,” Walker reflects. “There’s something different about this album. It just feels right.” That unflagging faith and dedication forms the bedrock of Walker’s thrilling new record, This Love Is Gonna Last, which marks the 84-year-old journeyman’s first new release in well over a decade. Recorded with longtime organist and creative partner Charles Treadway, the collection is a masterclass in old-school R&B, shifting seamlessly between styles and eras as it bounces from Philly and Detroit to Memphis and Oakland to New York and LA with preternatural ease. Despite the record’s joyful presentation, there’s a melancholy that flows beneath the surface, a recognition of time’s inexorable march and the lessons and losses that come with it. The album is dedicated to Walker’s late wife, who passed away in 2024, and the couple’s relationship looms large here in songs about love, trust, and commitment. The result is the kind of record Walker’s been building towards for his entire career, a showcase not only for his unforgettable vocals, but also for the unparalleled sonic and emotional range that’s defined his work for more than half a century. “As a singer, ‘Wigg’ is capable of so many things,” says Treadway, who co-produced the record alongside Gary Gold (Smokey Robinson, Ivan Neville). “He can be a soul shouter with the best of them, but he can also sing ballads and jazz standards, and I wanted to make sure that versatility shines through here.”