Fingerpickin' good: This month sees red-hot blues come to Prague

As part of the year-long Prague International Bluenight series, a lineup of top-notch blues artists will perform a soul-stirring four-concert series across multiple venues in the Czech capital starting this week.

On May 15, the British band Wille & The Bandits will take center stage at Bubeneč club Zasekávák. With a style that blends rock riffs and acoustic passages, the group has drawn comparisons to Led Zeppelin. The Bandits’ impressive instrumentation skills, including strings and steel guitars, also manage to fuze Pink Floyd with the John Butler Trio.

On May 16, the renowned British blues guitarist Matt Schofield and his trio will take the stage at Palác Akropolis. Schofield, a three-time winner of the Guitarist of the Year award at the British Blues Awards, is a true virtuoso. He has been inducted into the British Blues Hall of Fame and hailed by Guitarist magazine as one of the top ten British blues musicians, drawing comparisons to Eric Clapton and Peter Green. His discography boasts five award-winning studio albums and four electric live albums.

Later this month, on May 21, Lucerna Music Bar will host The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band. The master fingerpicking guitarist’s exceptional technique allows him to lead the bass line, construct chords, and build melodies simultaneously. The band comprises Reverend Peyton’s wife, Breezy, on the washboard and drummer Max Senteney, who plays a unique drum kit assembled from unconventional items like barrels and suitcases for a distinct sound.

Closing out the Blues May series on May 22 at Lucerna Music Bar is the talented American keyboardist and Hammond player Seattle-based Delvon Lamarr, along with his organ trio. Lamarr’s music has been described as “good-mood music,” a potent fusion of 60s soul-jazz, captivating New Orleans funk, and classic instrumental soul, with a touch of acid guitar rock.

Tickets for the Prague International Bluenight concerts can be purchased on GoOut. Tickets for the Shemekia Copeland and Beth Hart concerts can be found on Ticketmaster. For more information, visit www.livermusic.cz.

Another important blues festival, Blues Alive, takes place in the Czech city of Šumperk in the Olomouc region in November of this year. The festival, launched in 1996, brings authentic blues performed by living legends, current stars, and fresh discoveries to the Czech Republic. In 2022, a “Hall of Fame” museum devoted to the event was established.