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 Keb’ Mo’ - While the music of three-time Grammy winner Keb’ Mo’  - born Kevin Moore - draws heavily on the acoustic blues of Robert Johnson, his varied background imbues his music with a quality that appeals to a wide audience. An accomplished singer, guitarist and entertainer, Keb’ Mo’ has earned a reputation as a modern master of American roots music. In the early ‘90s, after playing in blues, funk and rock bands, the Los Angeles native played a Delta blueman in a production of Leslie Lee’s “The Rabbit Foot.” He then portrayed Robert Johnson in the 1998 documentary, “Can't You Hear the Wind Howl?” That experience helped shape his persona and his music. Changing his name to Keb’ Mo’, he released his self-titled debut in 1994. Both his second and third release (“Just Like You” and “Slow Down”) earned him Grammys. His songs have been recorded by B.B. King, Buddy Guy, the Dixie Chicks, Joe Cocker and Robert Palmer. He’s collaborated with artists including Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Brown, Cassandra Wilson, Buddy Guy, Amy Grant, Solomon Burke and Little Milton. He also performs the theme song for the smash sit-com “Mike & Molly,” and was music composer for the TV show “Memphis Beat.” As an actor, he’s appeared three times on the TV series “Touched By An Angel” and played the ghostly bluesman Possum in John Sayles’ 2007 movie “Honeydripper.” “The Reflection,” released in 2011, featured guest spots from India.Arie, Vince Gill, Dave Koz and Marcus Miller. His new release, “BLUESAmericana,” marks the 20th anniversary of his solo career.

 Joan Osborne - A Kentucky native, Joan Osborne’s singing career took off while she was attending NYU’s film school. Inspired by singers like Billie Holiday and Etta James, Osborne’s gutsy, passionate vocals turned “One Of Us,” a track from her major label debut, into a massive MTV and radio hit. The disc went on to sell 3 million copies and led to numerous Grammy nominations. Osborne actively supports causes like “Rock the Vote” and “Planned Parenthood” and recorded “I’m Just A Bill” as a duet with Isaac Hayes for a “Schoolhouse Rocks The Vote” benefit album. In 2003, Osborne joined forces with the surviving members of the Grateful Dead when they regrouped to tour as The Dead. She also sang with Motown's legendary Funk Brothers in the 2002 documentary “Standing in the Shadows of Motown,” and produced two albums for the legendary blues trio the Holmes Brothers. Osborne has shared stages with artists ranging from Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Emmylou Harris and Patti Smith to Melissa Etheridge, Taj Mahal, Luciano Pavarotti and the Chieftains. More recently, she toured and recorded as a member of Trigger Hippy, which also includes rising Americana star Jackie Greene and Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman. Her 2012 release, “Bring It On Home,” was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Blues Album” category. The seven-time Grammy nominee's eighth studio album is titled “Love and Hate.”

 Dirty Dozen Brass Band - This seminal New Orleans band recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. Over the years, the DDBB has shared stages with the Grateful Dead, Elvis Costello, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, 2 Live Crew and the Black Crowes. The band’s music is a cross-section of American music, and crosses the age, genre and philosophical barriers that separate those audiences. Beginning the mid-‘80s, the DDBB revitalized the brass band tradition in New Orleans and has since spread it around the world - to more than 30 countries on five continents. The DDBB has been featured guests on albums by artists including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Dr. John and the Black Crowes, and the city of New Orleans now has an official Dirty Dozen Brass Band Day. Drawing on the tradition of a city whose life’s blood is steeped in rhythm, dance and marathon bouts of unbridled fun, the band is as much at home playing funeral parades and "social and pleasure" clubs - one of which, the "Dirty Dozen Social and Pleasure Club,’‘ provided the band with its name - as it is introducing its funky, horn-fired jazz to festivals around the world. Released in 2012, the band’s latest record, “Twenty Dozen,” is the septet’s first studio release in six years. In typical DDBB style, the set blends R&B, jazz, funk, Afro-Latino grooves, some Caribbean flavor, and even a Rihanna cover. Describing the disc, founding member, trumpeter Gregory Lewis, said: “It’s got something for your mind, body, and soul. We’re gonna get you one way or another.”

 Tommy Malone - The driving force of longtime roots music faves The Subdudes, Tommy Malone has been at the epicenter of Louisiana roots music for four decades. His career began with the family band he formed with two of his brothers, Dustwoofie. He then backed New Orleans soul diva, Leigh “L’il Queenie” Harris and helped start the songwriters’ collective the Continental Drifters. Along the way, he played in the groups Tiny Town, Monkey Ranch and the duo with his older brother Dave (from the Radiators), the Malone Brothers. Now, Malone has recently released his third solo CD, “Poor Boy" on M.C. Records - a dozen years after his acclaimed “Soul Heavy.”