It’s another Women In Blues episode on Time Signatures, as Erv welcomes one of Chicago’s treasure’s, slide guitarist extraordinaire, Joanna Connor. Joanna dropped by to talk about her early years in Chicago, her nearly 40 year relationship with The Kingston Mines, her recent marriage and move to Jamaica, surviving Hurricane Melissa last year, and her hot new LIVE album, due for release on Friday of this week!

Website: https://joannaconnorguitar.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joanna.connor.14/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0MJGyEl8BgJbBTv3xeeFeB?si=I_1tS4jcTCWi-bKFIyMtRQ

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2cAO7D5I-f4vrEv8Dp0BdA

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Over the next three weeks, Time Signatures with Jim Ervin is paying a special salute to the Women of the Blues, featuring three of the top names in the Blues. This week, Erv welcomes Shaun Murphy to the program. From making her first appearance on a Blues stage at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival, to working with Seger, the Moody Blues and Eric Clapton, Shaun has certainly made a solid name for herself in the music business. She stopped by to share more great stories on this, her second appearance, but also to talk about her new album, “Brand New Blues”. Come help us celebrate week #1 of our salute to the Women of the Blues!

Website: https://shaunmurphyband.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2430592380485191

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1twaZYQvHBNn2eHbY4vc8m?si=h-1-yVPMShqg4SzDthit5A

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ShaunMurphyBand

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This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes International musician, Zak Bekkers. Zak’s music is best described as “Blues-driven Rock with a dark Americana soul. He stopped in to talk about his journey into and through the Blues, his new life as a parent, and his position as an official endorser of Bushman Harmonicas-the company that just happens to be endorsing us!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61574848214725

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Ws836YFczimCTFRyprYN5?si=3mON7CGJTeiXgLCBibxBXA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9mcwHPAxj57H8ii4ipNvoA

Sick Rats Video: https://youtu.be/8ovbGu8b_N4?si=mQCV1FsGFvfuGjYr

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Time Signatures is pleased to welcome a 35 year veteran of the Washington, D.C. music scene, J.P. Reali. He and host, Jim Ervin talk about his early years of being influenced by the constant diet of music he enjoyed as a young man, his 7 years with a local psychedelic band, his time working with his brother as one half of the “Reali Brothers”, and also his TWO visits to the International Blues Challenge in 2010 and 2011. J.P. is also here to promote his new EP, “Grateful Blues” a six song homage to a band he saw in concert dozens of times through his teens and into adulthood.

Website: https://www.jpreali.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jpreali

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/520STMyJtM1x5HD3Gh0Ymg?si=HiFnVE9DQ2C7n4a0boob5g

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jpreali/videos

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It’s another great conversation with the current/next generation of the Blues as host Jim Ervin welcomes Chicago’s Jamiah Rogers for a fun discussion about starting out as a VERY young drummer, his development as a multi-instrumentalist, finding himself on stage at the Chicago Theater with legendary Jimi Hendrix bassist, Billy Cox, touring with John Primer, Billy Branch, and Annika Chambers, and how he is working to make his own mark on the genre. C'mon in, and enjoy!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamiah.rogers/

Brotherhood of the Guitar: https://brotherhoodoftheguitar.com/?team=jamiah-rogers

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1OFTCHri7tRbRJw52DTxTD?si=egYoN_2yQ-uGpsMnTltSVw

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw2oD8CEcvvlhmM6pQPbc7Q

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This week on Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, Erv welcomes another member of the Chicago music Family, Songwriter, Radio Host, and self-professed “Guy with a camera”, Terry Abrahamson. Terry brought stories of the early days in the Chicago Blues scene, how he became enamored with the camera, his passion for the Blues, and how he met and began writing for Muddy Waters all those years ago. And you should also look into getting your own copy of “In the Belly of the Blues: Chicago to Boston to LA 1969 to 1983”

website: https://www.inthebellyoftheblues.com/

Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terry.abrahamson

Facebook for In the Belly of the Blues Book: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063848160989

Facebook for The Blues Parade Children’s Book: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063673714173

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Season Seven kicks off with legendary Bluesman, Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Kim talks about his early years in the music business, his early experiences with “the Originators” of the Blues, and the move that would forever change his life and lead to the foundation of The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Kim and Erv also discuss the young newcomers to the genre, and the music business in general. What a fantastic start to this new season!

website: https://fabulousthunderbirds.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fabulousthunderbirds/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6zmLTiN3NBNCDECRbbJKkT?si=Wx6Y7HCgRqyWj8JODvkm9Q

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfAXkyD5vxFXypN4ZqcF-kQ/featured

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This week, Time Signatures with Jim Ervin celebrates another amazing season finale’ with arguably the most recognizable voice in the Blues, Big Llou Johnson. You will recognize his resonant tones if you listen to SiriusXM’s B.B. King’s Bluesville, but he also hosts events in Memphis during the BMA’s and he hosts a kickoff party in Chicago the week of Blues Fest! Llou came to visit with a bundle of great stories from his early years in Chicago, including his foundation of the only black-owned business of its kind back then (the talent agency), and his conversation with Bill Wax that led him to more than 25 years serving as the voice of Bluesville. Oh….yeah…..you will also note that he is now the voice of Time Signatures with Jim Ervin, too! “Shucky Ducky!”

Website: https://www.bigllou.com/

Golden Voice Audio Foundation: https://goldenvoiceaudio.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biglloujohnson

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5O0jMfta6bIkog87GWvvi9?si=J1kISE3tRqeivKmraMrADg

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@bigllou

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This week on Time Signatures, host Jim Ervin welcomes the founder of Bushman Harmonicas, John Hall. The birth of the rapidly growing harmonica brand began innocently enough on a summer evening in 1990, when John strolled past the legendary Slippery Noodle in downtown Indianapolis. The line launched in 1996 and over the course of the past 30 years, Hall has worked diligently to build Bushman into the number one supplier of his Knittlinger line to the Amish community.

We are also pleased to announce that beginning July 1st, Time Signatures with Jim Ervin has secured an endorsement deal with the harmonica brand. We have some BIG announcements still to come.....and lots more in this episode, so come on it and enjoy!

Website: https://bushmanmusic.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bushmanharmonicas

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmanmusic/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bushmanharmonicas

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With only three episodes remaining on Season 6, host Jim Ervin welcomes first band runner up in the 2026 International Blues Challenge, Melissa McKinney. This woman of the Blues put an incredible band together to compete this year, and narrowly missed taking it all home with her. She has sold her successful music school, and she has come away from the IBC on a mission to bring her deep, soulful Blues to the masses. If you get a chance to check her and her band “Mama” out, you will not be sorry if you do.

Website: https://melissamckinneymusic.com/mama

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissamckinneymusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1A5EiKAJr86zuGUlTN2oaC?si=Lae7eZ66Qj2t5H9qk8qXgg

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissamckinneymusic

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Website: Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation