by Chick Cavalerro
GRAMMY-winning guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has quickly become the defining blues voice of his generation. I first saw Christone “Kingfish” Ingram at the Delta Blues Visitor Center on the road between Memphis and Clarksdale, Mississippi doing a concert in the parking lot, he was ’maybe’ 15 and jeezus, even then he was an amazing guitarist. The following year I caught him in Memphis playing with United By Music, a unified performance-based program and band for both neuro diverse and neuro-typical people with exceptional musical talent. In roughly 5 years since that time, he rose to the top of the blues guitar ranks, and his name is always mentioned when listing the best of the current blues guitarists.. Since 2019, Kingfish has been nominated for 10 Blues Music Awards and won them all, including his first BMA for Blues Guitarist of the Year.
Kingfish is a part of the growing young Black performers who are restoring the Blues back to Black America. He has used his take on the blues exploring systemic racism, and what it means to grow up Black in America.
Last March was his first tour thru Colorado, so this show at The Lincoln in Cheyenne, Wy is a prefect chance to catch him if you missed him then, or catch him again.
Christone has a sizzling guitar style that stays true to pure blues and at the same time his can only be described as jaw-dropping! He isn’t a senseless ‘shredder’ this is a real bluesman. His blues honor the music and are full of emotion as he reaches out and grabs you by the throat with his powerful vocals. Every note and word is full of passionate blues feeling. Here’s what others are saying about this amazing guitar blues talent.
“Kingfish is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.” –Rolling Stone
“Christone ‘Kingfish’ Ingram has already made his mark as one of the best, and undoubtedly most exciting, blues guitarists in the world.” –Guitar World
"Ingram plays guitar with dramatic, searing tone and sure-handed authority. And that’s just in the studio; he’s even scarier live." –NPR Music
And for a little taste of Kingfish: