A Voice Built for the Blues: Big Llou Johnson

A Voice Built for the Blues: Big Llou Johnson

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/ [https://www.bigllou.com/] Golden Voice Audio Foundation: https://goldenvoiceaudio.com/ [https://goldenvoiceaudio.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biglloujohnson [https://www.facebook.com/biglloujohnson] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5O0jMfta6bIkog87GWvvi9?si=J1kISE3tRqeivKmraMrADg [https://open.spotify.com/artist/5O0jMfta6bIkog87GWvvi9?si=J1kISE3tRqeivKmraMrADg] YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@bigllou [http://www.youtube.com/@bigllou] _________________________ Facebook: Time Signatures [https://www.facebook.com/groups/152366654342733] YouTube: Time Signatures [https://www.youtube.com/@JErvinBates] Facebook: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.facebook.com/CABSblues] Website: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.capitalareablues.org/] Friends of Time Signatures _______ Website: University of Mississippi Libraries Blues Archive [https://libraries.olemiss.edu/specialcollectionspages/thebluesarchive/#] Website: Killer Blues Headstone Project [https://www.killerblues.net/] Website: Blues Society Radio Network [https://www.bluessocietyradionetwork.com/] Website: Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation [https://keepingthebluesalive.org/]

John Hall: A Harmonica in Hand, Is Worth Two in the Bush

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/ [https://bushmanmusic.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bushmanharmonicas [https://www.facebook.com/bushmanharmonicas] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bushmanmusic/ [https://www.instagram.com/bushmanmusic/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bushmanharmonicas [https://www.tiktok.com/@bushmanharmonicas] _________________________ Facebook: Time Signatures [https://www.facebook.com/groups/152366654342733] YouTube: Time Signatures [https://www.youtube.com/@JErvinBates] Facebook: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.facebook.com/CABSblues] Website: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.capitalareablues.org/] Friends of Time Signatures _______ Website: University of Mississippi Libraries Blues Archive [https://libraries.olemiss.edu/specialcollectionspages/thebluesarchive/#] Website: Killer Blues Headstone Project [https://www.killerblues.net/] Website: Blues Society Radio Network [https://www.bluessocietyradionetwork.com/] Website: Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation [https://keepingthebluesalive.org/]

The Holy Grail of Blues Bands: Melissa McKinney & MAMA

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 [https://melissamckinneymusic.com/mama] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissamckinneymusic [https://www.facebook.com/melissamckinneymusic] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1A5EiKAJr86zuGUlTN2oaC?si=Lae7eZ66Qj2t5H9qk8qXgg [https://open.spotify.com/artist/1A5EiKAJr86zuGUlTN2oaC?si=Lae7eZ66Qj2t5H9qk8qXgg] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissamckinneymusic [https://www.youtube.com/@melissamckinneymusic] _________________________ Facebook: Time Signatures [https://www.facebook.com/groups/152366654342733] YouTube: Time Signatures [https://www.youtube.com/@JErvinBates] Facebook: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.facebook.com/CABSblues] Website: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.capitalareablues.org/] Friends of Time Signatures _______ Website: University of Mississippi Libraries Blues Archive [https://libraries.olemiss.edu/specialcollectionspages/thebluesarchive/#] Website: Killer Blues Headstone Project [https://www.killerblues.net/] Website: Blues Society Radio Network [https://www.bluessocietyradionetwork.com/] Website: Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation [https://keepingthebluesalive.org/]

Kevin Johnson: Booking the Boggie-Woogie

In the world of music, many of the albums produced are backed by record labels. In the Blues, we have Alligator, Blind Pig, Delmark, Ruf, Malaco and a few others. Each of these labels depend upon the skills of their publicists and radio promoters to help get word of each new artist and their respective albums out to the masses. Kevin Johnson has worked with the Delmark label for years, and he also works with the non-profit label, Little Village Foundation. Additionally, Kevin has work of his own, via Proud Papa Promotions and Publicity, and he is our featured guest this week on Time Signatures. Were it not for PR guys like Kevin, Matt LaFollette, Amy Brat, Jon Bleicher, and a few others, Time Signatures would not be in a position to bring you many of today’s Blues Artists. Enjoy our chat! Delmark Website: https://delmark.com/ [https://delmark.com/] Little Village Foundation Website: https://littlevillagefoundation.com/ [https://littlevillagefoundation.com/] Proud Papa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProudPapaPromotionsPublicity# [https://www.facebook.com/ProudPapaPromotionsPublicity#] _________________________ Facebook: Time Signatures [https://www.facebook.com/groups/152366654342733] YouTube: Time Signatures [https://www.youtube.com/@JErvinBates] Facebook: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.facebook.com/CABSblues] Website: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.capitalareablues.org/] Friends of Time Signatures _______ Website: University of Mississippi Libraries Blues Archive [https://libraries.olemiss.edu/specialcollectionspages/thebluesarchive/#] Website: Killer Blues Headstone Project [https://www.killerblues.net/] Website: Blues Society Radio Network [https://www.bluessocietyradionetwork.com/] Website: Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation [https://keepingthebluesalive.org/]

One Stop Blues Shop: Billy Prewitt

Billy Prewitt is a self-proclaimed musician in the “Artist Protection Program”, because many of you may not have heard of him. He is a guitarist, bassist, harmonicist, and the originator of the One Man Jam, and he dropped in to talk about the Blues scene of the late 1960’s and early 70’s, a chance meeting with Paul Butterfield on a New York elevator, and a move to Chicago, where he met and began working with Otis Rush at the legendary Mother Blues in Chicago. Billy’s stories are epic, including his first appearance in front of 10,000 Blues fans at the 1969 Ann Arbor Blues Festival. You can catch some of his other stories on his podcast “Talk a Blues Streak” wherever you listen to podcasts. And be sure to catch the last known interview and performance recording of Sam Lay on the Emmy winning documentary “Talk A Blues Streak”, with Billy and host, Dick Shurman. Podcast Website: https://bestrent.podbean.com/ [https://bestrent.podbean.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billsyacht [https://www.facebook.com/billsyacht] YouTube Documentary Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXqJSllLlk0 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXqJSllLlk0] _________________________ Facebook: Time Signatures [https://www.facebook.com/groups/152366654342733] YouTube: Time Signatures [https://www.youtube.com/@JErvinBates] Facebook: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.facebook.com/CABSblues] Website: Capital Area Blues Society [https://www.capitalareablues.org/] Friends of Time Signatures _______ Website: University of Mississippi Libraries Blues Archive [https://libraries.olemiss.edu/specialcollectionspages/thebluesarchive/#] Website: Killer Blues Headstone Project [https://www.killerblues.net/] Website: Blues Society Radio Network [https://www.bluessocietyradionetwork.com/] Website: Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation [https://keepingthebluesalive.org/]