Chicago Kinfolk: The Juke Joint Blues

An immersive audio time capsule—the blues as both artifact and art—Chicago Kinfolk is conceived as a 1970s-era Chicago juke joint brought to life through sound. Terry Blade transports listeners into smoke-filled backrooms where the genre was born by seamlessly weaving archival 1977 interviews—from legends like Theresa “The Godmother of Chicago Blues” Needham, Muddy Waters Jr., Jimmy Walker, Lefty Dizz, and Willie Monroe—into his original compositions, creating a powerful dialogue between past and present.

Every note carries the grit, sweat, and soul of early blues—raw, acoustic, emotionally charged—yet reborn with Blade’s modern resonance. His vocals “testify with the weight of generations,” captivating listeners in a deeply rooted tradition. The project operates not just as music, but as a living heritage document, an ethnographic experience that captures the very essence of blues as oral history.

Critics call Chicago Kinfolk a masterful tribute and timeless blues revival, praising its authenticity, atmospheric depth, and cultural resonance.