Con Brio's songs are about love, hope, failure, and political turmoil – life itself. A deeply talented band of seven with a horn section to keep it brassy and sassy, not only does Con Brio possess the funk, but they’ve also got love and passion covered, too. “We don’t want to walk, we don’t want to drive,” band leader Ziek McCarter says. “We want to fly. We want to levitate.” So do we.
Read MoreKnown for their live shows – lively, ass-shaking, throw your hands in the air pure joy, Con Brio's sound is infused with funk-rock psychedelic soul that is reminiscent of Sly and The Family Stone. Fronted by a man some swear is the second coming of none other than James Brown, Ziek McCarter moves like his back ain’t got no bone. Paradise is the name of their 2016 release and paradise is where we’re going with this exuberant band. Watch the live version of their set opener "Paradise" live from Telluride Blues & Brews Festival.
Read MoreGary Clark Jr is a mind-blowing guitarist, diverse songwriter, and a singer with power and soul. We were honored to welcome him back to the Colorado mountains for the 23rd Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Watch the live version of "Our Love" from Saturday night at the 2016 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival.
Read MoreThere must be something in the water in Austin, Texas. It is a fertile ground for musicians and from that rich soil of tradition, legend and camaraderie arose Austin native, Gary Clark Jr. His prodigy-level skills on guitar making him welcome on Austin’s storied stages transforming the blues and R&B into rock and roll. Watch him perform "The Healing" live from Telluride Blues & Brews Festival on Saturday, September 19th, 2016.
Read More"Tomorrow Is Another Day" is a previously unreleased song from Anders Osborne that is sad, inquisitive and reassuring. This song feels like it was meant for acoustic, and we are stoked that he decided to debut it with our friends Gondola Sessions - let us know what you think of "Tomorrow Is Another Day" in the comments!
Read MoreWe just can’t get enough of Anders Osborne. He’s appeared at this festival more than any other artist and with good reason. This acoustic version of "Flower Box" is very similar to the album version, though the stripped-down style results in a track that is a minute shorter and really puts the lyrics in your face.
Read MoreOn this round of Gondola Sessions live from Telluride, A.J. Fullerton switched out his Dobrato for his old trusty acoustic guitar for "She's So Cold". The day Fullerton got this guitar he dropped it and gave it a nick. Since, he has added a pickup, 9V battery and control knobs, giving the guitar a unique look and sound.
Read MoreFestival friend, talented artist and Montrose, Colorado native A.J. Fullerton tells a bluesy and honest tale of being "Homesick." The latest ride with Gondola Sessions features A.J. on the dobrato and Nic Clark on harmonica.
Read MoreShakey Graves is the performance name of Alejandro Rose-Garcia, a one-man act that defies categorization. He mesmerizes audiences with his seductive, spare hobo folk songs; songs that tell stories and transport the listener to a world populated by unseen segments of society. Watch this live recording of "Word of Mouth" from 2016 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival and be forever changed.
Read MoreWhen Shakey Graves made his #TellurideBlues debut in 2014, to say that the gentleman from Texas was the talk of the festival would be an understatement. He was a one man band then but has since added additional musicians for both his live and recorded work. Clearly a festival favorite, Shakey's return to Blues & Brews was highly anticipated and ardent fans were treated to a intimate and powerful performance.
Read MoreGondola Sessions ride with Moreland & Arbuckle for a take on their song "Wrong I Do", which is the penultimate track on their album 1861. It is a relatively slow and easy song for often ruckus blues duo, but it fits them perfectly. What it lacks in speed it makes up for in soul and grit.
Read More[Just Announced] The Durango Blues Train will take place on June 2nd & 3rd and August 18th & 19th, 2017. Stay tuned for lineup announcements mid-Winter 2017! Set your calendar reminders! Tickets will go on sale February 15th at 10:00 a.m. (MST)
Read More"Long Did I Hide It" is a song from Moreland & Arbuckle's 2016 Alligator Records release Promised Land Or Bust. The lyrics speak of empathy, frustration and suppression, which complement the wailing harmonica on this quick blues track. Our friends Gondola Sessions captured this intimate recording live in Telluride on board the breathtaking Telluride Gondola.
Read MoreJonathon Boogie Long plays with passion on this personal take of "Dealing With The Blues." The song balances delicate guitar picking with some big open D string hits in this powerful, yet vulnerable song.
Read MoreJonathon Boogie Long held nothing back during his Gondola Sessions at the 2016 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. Jonathon Boogie Long brought his southern blues on the gondola for this take of "Pray For Me," recorded on the Gondola. Boogie Long is known for his quick fills and solos and, despite using an acoustic guitar for the session, he did not disappoint.
Read MoreSteve Itterly lost the brass slide, put a capo on his National Guitar and slowed things down to end his the last of his session with Gondola Sessions. The song "Coraline" still has a great acoustic blues feel to it, and the lyrics really cut into the feeling of heartache.
Read MoreSeasons are changing fast which means it's time to swap out those summer shorts and flip flops for new sweatshirts and hoodies from the Blues & Brews online shop!
Read MoreThe country’s hippest radio stations caught on early to Israel Nash's mesmerizing sound – you can hear the Neil Young and 1970's electric folk influences. One listen to “Rain Plans” live from Telluride Blues & Brews Festival on Friday, September 16th, 2016 and you’ll see why he’s become an indie rock favorite.
Read MoreBeautiful weather in the aesthetically charged box canyon of Telluride, Colorado made the perfect setting for an impressive showing by rising indie rock artist Israel Nash only to be made better by the guest appearance of Telluride Blues & Brews Festival veteran Jack O'Brien of The Bright Light Social Hour on bass.
Read MoreSteve Itterly takes a ride with Gondola Sessions for an original song, "Fire & Floods Blues", inspired by the Four Mile Canyon outside of Boulder, Colorado when a series of fires and floods destroyed much of the area between 2010-2013.
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