David Lindley & John Hammond

Throughout his long and distinguished career David Lindley has performed music that redefines the word “eclectic.” He founded and lead the first world music rock band, the Kaleidoscope, has collaborated with artists such as Jackson Browne, Henry Kaiser and Ry Cooder and is leader of his own band El Rayo-X, that integrates American roots music and world beat with a heavy reggae influence. Lindley has been one of Hollywood’s most in demand session musicians playing with Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Crosby and Nash, Warren Zevon, and many others. His live performances incorporate an incredible array of stringed instruments into a unique concert experience.

John Hammond, Jr. is one of a handful of white blues musicians who was on the scene at the beginning of the first blues renaissance of the mid-’60s. A Grammy winner whose 50-year career has seen successful collaborations with the likes of Tom Waits, Dr. John, Duane Allman, Robbie Robertson, and G. Love and who once boasted both Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix in his band, Hammond does justice to classic blues by combining powerful guitar and harmonica playing with expressive vocals and a dignified stage presence.

He didn’t know it when he was 20, and he may not realize it now, but Hammond deserves special commendation for keeping many of the classic blues songs alive. In the early years of his career, it was more important to him that he bring the art form to a wider audience by performing classic — in some cases forgotten — songs. Now, more than 50 years later, Hammond continues to do this, touring all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Whether it’s with a band or by himself, Hammond can do it all. Seeing him perform live, one gets the sense that some of the best is still to come from this energetic bluesman.