This month we're pleased and privileged to share a conversation with one of the greatest singers of Blues and R&B music ever to walk the planet, Delbert McClinton. He's been doing it for over forty years.

Delbert's been uptown and downtown, every circuit and all the stages. Revered by his peers and certainly an icon to many, I found him a very funny and down to earth person. I've seen him sing a number of times and have always experienced him as immediately electrifying, a truly gripping and powerful presence on stage. I know from players in town that he is a very demanding bandleader and a perfectionist. His players are always the cream of the crop.

The man is really on a roll now. His last three or four CDs have been universally recognized as his absolute best, and he's assembled a team of songwriting partners and a co-producer that bring out all the best qualities of this amazing talent. Longtime friend and songwriter extraordinaire Gary Nicholson co-produced all the recent CDs, and cowrote a number of memorable tunes with the artist. Other great songwriters come up in our conversation as well.

Room to Breathe is the new CD, and it's got all the punch, humor and the release of a man who's walked the whole length of the road to hell into the promised land. It's a fantastic record. And it's hot on the heels of his Grammy winning album from 2001, Nothing Personal, which the critics and the public alike went nuts for. Room to Breathe is cut from the same cloth. The songwriting is really top shelf, and as a vocalist, you can't touch Delbert. Just get on over to the Listen page and tell me you don't agree. Although the street date on Room to Breathe is not until September 24, you can pre-order it from Amazon.com. And be sure to check out Delbert.com for info on his Sandy Beaches Cruise! I hope to see you there.  

Although we'd never met, Delbert made me feel right at home. That's a real pro, you don't have to do that. Join me now for a visit with this American blues treasure.  
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