Terry David Mulligan joins Blues lifer Robert Finley in the media tent at the Edmonton Folk Festival.

Robert spins the stories of how he went from losing most of his sight to becoming the hot new voice in the blues.

Inviting himself to do a cold walk-on at the Blues Festival in St Helena. It's quite a story he tells. The crowd loved him and that set things in motion.

The Music Maker Relief Foundation, a non-profit blues support system, heard him busking in the streets and offered to help.

Finley released his first album “Age Don’t Mean a Thing” in 2016.

Dan Auerbach

of the Black Keys heard him and they started recording together – with Dan as producer.

They’ve now done 4 albums together. Each one is bigger and better.

The latest is Black Bayou. There will be no more busking for Robert Finley. He’s 70 years old and an overnight sensation!!

I’ve been waiting for new music from Winnipeg’s Madeleine Roger for four years.

That’s how long it's been since I discovered her voice, playing and gifted songwriting.

Maddy took a solo career detour through the stellar chops of The Fretless.

They needed an exceptional vocalist who understood and was comfortable with, classical music.

Madeleine needed a different “band” to shine with. Perfect!

So here we are in early September and both artists are releasing new albums.

Madeleine has just released NERVE a new album filled with tales of lost love and found freedoms.

Produced by Josh Kaufman (Anais Mitchell, Bonnie Light Horseman) Recorded in four days. They threw away the headphones and sat 8 feet apart..making music.

There are actually four extra songs waiting to be released.

I am here to state – in my opinion - an exceptional new star has risen – her name is Madeleine Roger.

Enjoy the complete interview and the music included.

www.madeleineroger.com

The last time I had the privilege of interviewing Rhiannon Giddens it was in 2017 at Edmonton Folk Fest.

In the next five years, she became a World star.

For example:

In October 2017, Giddens was named one of the 2017 class of MacArthur "Genius" Fellows.

In 2017 and 2018, Giddens appeared in the fifth and sixth seasons of the CMT's

In January 2018, Giddens co-produced Songs of Our Native Daughters for Smithsonian Folkways.

in early 2018, the Nashville Ballet announced that Rhiannon Giddens has been commissioned to write the music for Lucy Negro, Redux. In 2019, Giddens released two studio albums: Songs of Our Native Daughters and There Is No Other with Italian musician Francesco Turrisi

Giddens earned an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for her lasting impact on the UNCG community and her work in music. In 2023, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Music from Princeton University

In other words, the last 5-6 years have been a delightful blur.

Thus my first question was …what do you remember of the last 5 years?

If anyone is going to change music in her lifetime – it's Rhiannon Giddens!!

Enjoy.