Living Blues Magazine Living Blues #234 Back Issue

This issue’s cover artist, Phil Wiggins, is a man who has gone through some very challenging times over the past five years. His longtime duo partner John Cephas died in 2009. Musical duos are special pairings, and Cephas & Wiggins were one of the tightest. Wiggins eventually paired with Piedmont guitarist Nat Reese, but Reese died in 2012. A lesser man might have tossed in the towel, but Wiggins has persevered. Rather than retreating, he has been expanding his musical horizons. He is currently playing in multiple bands and pairings, and his newest group, the Phil Wiggins House Party, is combining Piedmont blues and traditional dance.
Dallas-based soul singer Bobby Patterson has worked in almost every facet of the music industry: singer, songwriter, bandleader, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, A&R man and label owner. His legendary voice is still in top form, and his recent release on Omnivore garnered rave reviews. Patterson looks back on his nearly 60 years in the music business with a unique insiders perspective.
You may not know Baton Rouge guitarist James Johnson’s name, but you do know his lick. That “chicken scratch” in Slim Harpo’s hit Baby, Scratch My Back is Johnson’s. After decades of work outside of music, James Johnson has finally released his first album.