The Indiana blues

August 21, 2009 by David Lindquist

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Zakk Knight is a teenage blues anomaly; the Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band is making blues experts out of punk rock fans; Jennie DeVoe is embracing the bluesy side of her pop-rock sound; and Biscuit Miller is a house-rocking traditionalist.

Musicians who play the blues in Indiana extend a tradition that dates to the late 1920s, when duo Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell recorded hit song “How Long, How Long Blues.”

Blackwell’s greater contribution to popular culture may be “Kokomo Blues,” a tune that Robert Johnson seemingly adapted for enduring roadhouse favorite “Sweet Home Chicago.”

During the 1920s and ’30s, the Gennett recording studio in Richmond hosted sessions for blues greats Charley Patton, Big Bill Broonzy and Blind Lemon Jefferson.

Mandolin player James “Yank” Rachell, known for the standards “Duck Divin’ Blues” and “She Caught the Katy,” made Indianapolis his home for several decades, becoming a mentor to local players until his death in 1997.

Meet four acts that extend the legacy of Carr, Blackwell and Rachell in 21st-century ways:

Zakk Knight, with video: http://www.indy.com/posts/new-bl...

The Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, with video: http://www.indy.com/posts/countr...

Jennie DeVoe, with video: http://www.indy.com/posts/quirky...

Biscuit Miller: http://www.indy.com/posts/houser...

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