Elvin Bishop’s roots in the blues go deep. “Before Eric Clapton was old enough to shave, Elvin Bishop was hanging out in Chicago with the first generation of electric bluesmen,” says Guitar World. Born in California, raised in Iowa and Oklahoma, Elvin attended the University of Chicago and did his studying in the blues bars on the south side of town with master craftsmen like Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Otis Rush, Magic Sam, and Howlin’ Wolf. He hooked up with fellow student Paul Butterfield, and they soon added Sam Lay, Jerome Arnold, Mike Bloomfield, and Mark Naftalin to form one of the all time great blues bands. After three albums with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Elvin went on to record with such legends as Clifton Chenier, John Lee Hooker, and the Allman Brothers, and had a big hit with “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” on his classic 1976 album, Struttin’ My Stuff. Since then, he’s dived deeper and deeper into the blues, earning a Grammy nomination for his 2008 album, The Blues Rolls On, winning the award for Blues Artist of the Year from Blues Blast Magazine in 2009, and winning three Blues Music Awards this year – for best band, album, and song!

Tonight he comes to the Freight riding high on the success of his latest album, Can’t Even Do Wrong Right. “Rousing, down-home, feel-good music,” says Guitar World, praising the “spunky rhythms and razor-sharp slide” and calling Elvin “a superb guitarist of great strength and skill.” Rolling Stone describes the album as “a good time romp” and lauds its “raucous blues with high-energy soloing, mixtures of careening slide and razor-edged bursts, all delivered with unflagging enthusiasm and wit.” Elvin is bringing a stellar band with him, featuring Bob Welsh on guitar, Ed Earley on trombone and vocals, Bobby Cochran on drums and vocals, Steve Willis on keyboard, accordion, harmonica, and vocals, Ruth Davies on bass, and Elvin himself on guitar and vocals. Get your tickets early – chances are, this show will sell out!

Listen to a track from Elvin Bishop:

visit the Elvin Bishop website