Home Podcasts 12-Bar Talk: A Blues Podcast

12-Bar Talk: A Blues Podcast

Chelsea June Adams 35 Episodes Sep 4, 2026

12-Bar Talk is a blues music and dance podcast hosted by Dr. Chelsea Adams. It explores blues history, current artists and trends, and the dances performed to blues music. Episodes feature interviews with musicians, dancers, scholars, and other voices connected to the genre. The show examines the many dimensions of this uniquely Black American art form.

Episodes

Episode 34: Teaching Beginners, a Conversation with Robert Jones Sep 4, 2026 3300 What makes beginner classes, or teaching the first class a person will ever take, different than other types of teaching? There are many different philosophies on it, and Dr. Adams sits down with long-time local instructor Robert Jones to discuss a philosophy of teaching based in giving beginners a joyful first experience. Guest: Robert Jones Robert Jones began dancing at age 16, when Penn Stat

Episode 33: On Teaching Blues with Jennifer Delk Jul 24, 2026 2856 In this episode, Dr. Adams sits down with national blues dance instructor Jennifer Delk to discuss ways to view teaching, what might make a good teacher versus what makes a good social dancer, competitor, or performer, how to get people creating, overcoming the fear of “looking dumb,” and more. If you’re a student, an organizer, or maybe most importantly, someone who’s thought about teaching a dan

Episode 32: Celebrating 10 Years of the Utah Blues Festival with Tripp Hopkins May 31, 2026 2568 The Utah Blues Festival is Utah's premier event for the latest and greatest blues musicians to perform in Salt Lake City, and it's celebrating it's 10th anniversary in 2026. Dr. Adams and Tripp Hopkins, the founder and organizer of the Utah Blues Festival and co-founder of the Utah Blues Society, sit down to talk about what it takes to run a blues festival successfully and how to help it continue

Episode 31: Listen to Everything, a Conversation with Derrick Dove Apr 24, 2026 3328 Dr. Adams sits down with the 2026 Winner of the International Blues Challenge & 2026 Best Guitarist of International Blues Challenge, Derrick Dove. They discuss his time at the IBC; his love of music and how he creates his style; and his band, Derrick Dove and the Peacekeepers. Make sure to stay tuned to the end for a special "post-interview" conversation, inclusive of our regular podcast epis

Episode 30: Delta Blues with Devin C Williams Apr 10, 2026 2841 Dr. Adams sits down with Devin C. Williams, runner up for the 2026 Solo/Duo Division at the International Blues Challenge (IBC). They talk about the Delta Blues, his favorite Delta Blues musicians, the mixing of blues and Christianity, his experience at the IBC, and more. Guest: Devin C. Williams Link to Website: https://www.dcwblues.com/ Link to Purchase Music: https://devincwilliams.bandcamp

Episode 29: Blues for the Next Generation with Alice Faye Duncan Mar 13, 2026 3397 The blues has inspired many things, whether new genres of music, dance, or works of art. But as today's guest regularly reminds us, perhaps the most important part of all of it is that the blues inspires people. It helps people learn, grow, and find themselves in their community. In this episode, Dr. Chelsea Adams sits down with award-winning children's book author Alice Faye Duncan to discuss her

Episode 28: The Blues and Mental Health at the Mitten Durch Festival Feb 27, 2026 1401 To start off 2026, Dr. Chelsea Adams features a blues festival supporting mental health resources in her hometown of Ogden, Utah. In this episode, she features artists Sun Tiger, Carrie Scott, and Tony Holiday along with community members and attendees. Guests: Sandra Hohmann, Sun Tiger, Carrie Scott, Tony Holiday, and Various Ogden Community Members Link to the Mitten Durch Festival: https://w

Episode 27: Theology, Protest, and the Blues Dec 23, 2025 2309 Dr. Justin McLendon, a professor of theology at Grand Canyon University and department chair for the Master of Arts programs for Grand Canyon Theological Seminary, joins Dr. Adams to discuss his chapter in his edited collection Theology and the Blues, part of a series from Lexington Books on Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture. They cover everything from philosophy and Civil Rights to lamentation

Episode 26: Blues, Songwriting, and Building Relationships with Piper and the Hard Times Nov 21, 2025 2896 Join Dr. Adams as she gets to know the lead band members of the multi-award winning blues band Piper and the Hard Times. They talk building relationships as musicians, genre and how they view the blues, and the songwriting process for the band and their new album. And for dancers, they've got a unique opportunity! Guests: Al "Piper" Green, Steve Eagon, and Dave Colella Website: https://www.piperan

Episode 25: An Interview with Al Chesis Oct 24, 2025 2589 Al Chesis and his Delta Sonics played the Sunday set at Mile High Blues 2025. While they didn't have a chance to sit down and talk live, Al and Dr. Adams sat down before the event to talk about his career, life, and blues music. Guest: Al Chesis Website: www.deltasonics.net/home Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams Post-Production by Jeremy Carberry 12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "

Episode 24: Let's Talk Blues with Rex Peoples Aug 30, 2025 2631 Join Rex Peoples and Dr. Adams as they discuss blues music and dance, culture, and take audience questions in this live recording from Mile High Blues. Guest: Rex Peoples Website: www.rexpeoples.com Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams Post-Production by Jeremy Carberry 12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can

Episode 23: Live at Mile High Blues with Maynard Mills and John Long Jul 28, 2025 2954 The podcast travels to Denver, CO for the first Mile High Blues since the pandemic to interview the Colorado blues greats at the event. Dr. Adams started the weekend off with a live-audience interview with Maynard Mills and John Long. Guests: Maynard Mills and John Long Websites: https://maynardmills.com/ ; https://www.johnlongblues.com/ Article on Maynard Mills Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams

Episode 22: On Lifting Others Up with Lady A Jun 19, 2025 2794 Dr. Adams sits down with Lady A to discuss her music, but overall, this is an episode about getting to know your neighbors, about lifting each other up, and about speaking up for those who may not have opportunities to succeed if you don’t. Guest: Lady A Website: https://www.ladyababyblues.com/ Info for One Seattle Soul: https://therhapsodyproject.org/one-seattle-soul/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea

Episode 21: Let's Talk Culture and Community with Damon Stone May 23, 2025 2430 Dr. Adams sits down with dance historian and blues dance practitioner Damon Stone to discuss what we call the blues dance community, cultural ambassadorship, the good and the bad of culture, the need to spend time in black spaces, and more. Guest: Damon Stone Website: https://damonstone.dance/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams Post-Production by Jeremy Carberry 12-Bar Talk is brought to you fro

Episode 20: Blues Musical Complexity, a Conversation with Stef Rosen Apr 27, 2025 2415 Stef Rosen and Dr. Adams sit down and talk about his love for blues music and what it is like to learn the culture as you learn to play the blues, how he encountered the blues dance community and his experiences playing music for them, and the differences in various styles of blues, and more. Guest: Stef Rosen Website: https://slidinwolf.com/ Bandcamp: https://stefrosen.bandcamp.com/album/soulif

Episode 19: Spotlight on Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport Mar 29, 2025 2548 Young Rell and Dr. Chelsea Adams sit down to talk music, the power of community and a crowd, and thoughts on college education. You can also take time to support Young Rell by following him on his social media pages, listed below, and by putting money to his GoFundMe campaign to help him get the money he needs to launch his first album. Guest: Harrell "Young Rell" Davenport Website: https://young

Episode 18: Clifford Antone's Legacy of Mentorship, a Conversation with Sarah Rucker Feb 14, 2025 2722 Dr. Chelsea Adams sits down with Sarah Rucker to discuss the life and legacy of Clifford Antone--the legendary owner of Antone's in Austin, TX--in his later years. Rucker was Antone's personal assistant from 2004 until his death. They also discuss how Rucker is continuing his legacy of advocacy for musicians and folk music in Texas and throughout the USA. Guest: Sarah Rucker Sarah Rucker is an

Episode 17: Mapping the Diaspora, a Conversation with Deirdre Molloy Jan 20, 2025 2326 How do you map dances across space and time, especially when doing so requires dealing with forced migration and slavery? Dr. Chelsea Adams and Deirdre Molloy discuss dance, the African Diaspora, and Molloy's ambitious Doctoral project of mapping dance from Africa to the Caribbean and Americas in her interactive Unity Atlantic Map (link below). Guest: Deirdre Molloy Website to the Unity Atlantic

Episode 16: The Tech Behind the Event, A Conversation about Accessibility with Josh Davis Dec 15, 2024 2980 In today's world of social media, much of what was once accessible through online events is no longer easy to access. Josh Davis, board member on the Blues Association of Austin, discusses what we might do to help make events work for more people, and how we can get more of the community involved. Guest: Josh Davis Website: joshdavis.contact Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams Post-Production by Jere

Episode 15: "The Social Part Matters," a Conversation with Grey Armstrong Nov 22, 2024 2486 Writer, Instructor, and Lecturer Grey Armstrong and Dr. Chelsea Adams get personal about community, why people are leaving social dance, and what we can do about it. Guest: Grey Armstrong Video Referenced: Why Is Everyone Leaving Social Dance? Websites: https://obsidiantea.com/, https://greyarmstrong.com/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams 12-Bar Talk is supported by Salt City Blues, LLC, a blue

Episode 14: Genre, Competition, and the Blues, A Conversation with Columbia Jones Oct 29, 2024 2228 Dr. Chelsea Adams sits down with local Utah musician Columbia Jones to discuss blues, genre, competitions, and building a career as a musician. Jones’ songs are earnest reflections of the everyday American experience paired with a sound that blends the best elements of Americana, Folk, Country, and Blues. His versatility as a musician is evident in the wide range of instruments and musical styles

Episode 13: Intergenerational Power, a Conversation with Charlley Ward Sep 19, 2024 3601 Dr. Chelsea Adams talks with blues musician and dance instructor Charlley Ward about the power of sharing information across generations, an act called generativity. They discuss the power of both listening to elders and respecting culture, but also the importance of pushing genre and culture forward through innovation in both the music and dance communities. Charlley also shares some of his favor

Episode 12: "The Song is the Starting Point," an Interview with Angel "Cash" Ocasio, Jr. Jul 22, 2024 1945 Dr. Chelsea Adams interviews a premier musician from the Macon Music scene, Angel “Cash” Ocasio, Jr., founder of the band Cash's Juke Joint. They talk about the origins of the band, Angel's family upbringing and the importance of church in his life to shape his musical sound, and the power of the blues for the current generation of musicians to shape the future of the blues. You can find Cash's mu

Episode 11: Toward a Definition of the Blues Jul 7, 2024 696 We often talk about the blues in vague and general terms: a feeling that you know when you have, a sound that a musician either has or doesn't. But what actually makes up this genre of music? In this episode, Dr. Chelsea Adams shares some of her scholarly research in a condensed format to help people reach a general shared understanding of a definition of the genre, with the hopes of working from

Episode 10: On the Shoulders of Giants: An Organizer Conversation with Genevieve Senechal May 26, 2024 1997 Dr. Chelsea Adams and Philly organizer and dancer Genevieve Senechal discuss Powerhouse Blues and Blues Muse, how to build community, and how to evolve events to fit community needs after a pandemic. This interview is from June 2023, and has been edited to reflect the delay in release. Host: Dr. Chelsea Adams Guest: Genevieve Senechal www.bluesmuse.dance/ www.powerhousebluesphilly.com/ Pr

Episode 9: The Power of Community Mentorship, A Conversation with Erica Brown Apr 20, 2024 2118 Award-winning musician Erica Brown talks with Dr. Adams about the power of community to lift up talent, how that influenced her career, and the importance of mentorship to continue to build and innovate in blues music. Host: Dr. Chelsea Adams Guest: Erica Brown https://www.ericabrownentertainment.com/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams 12-Bar Talk is supported by Salt City Blues, LLC, a blues

Episode 8: Musician Spotlight, Gertrude "Ma" Rainey Feb 15, 2024 960 In honor of Black History Month, Dr. Chelsea Adams gives a brief historical spotlight of famed, but often forgotten or marginalized blues singer and performer Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, utilizing information from archives and a variety of sources, including the one official biography of Ma Rainey: Mother of the Blues: A Study of Ma Rainey, written by Sandra Lieb. Link to Biography Produced by Dr.

Episode 7: Blues and the Black Experience, a Conversation with Brother Yusef Jan 15, 2024 2368 In our first episode of 2024, Dr. Chelsea Adams and musician Brother Yusef discuss blues, history, black experience in the United States, and why race is inextricable from the music, culture, and conversation surrounding blues and other forms of black music. Host: Dr. Chelsea Adams Guest: Brother Yusef http://www.brotheryusef.com/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea Adams 12-Bar Talk is supported by

Episode 6: Scene or Community? A Conversation with Organizer Andi Hansen Dec 15, 2023 1901 In our final episode of 2023, Dr. Chelsea Adams talks with Grand Rapids, MI organizer Andi Hansen about what it was like restarting a dance community post-pandemic, what the differences are between a dance scene and a dance community, and why that matters for community building, sustainability, and a sense of belonging both locally and regionally. Host: Dr. Chelsea Adams Guest: Andi Hansen

Episode 5: What Makes a DJ? A Conversation with DJ Steven Watkins Nov 15, 2023 3749 Anyone who loves music can likely tell you who their favorite DJ is, whether that's a radio DJ, club DJ, or dance DJ. In this episode, Dr. Chelsea Adams and DJ Steven Watkins discuss the art of DJing, what it takes to teach it, and how we evolve our understanding of what a DJ is and does for a dance floor in comparison to the choices we make when we DJ in other situations. Host: Dr. Chelsea Ada

Episode 4: The Blues Experiment Oct 19, 2023 2574 The pandemic killed off many national events and intensive learning experiences offered across dance styles. In this episode, we discuss a unique, week-long intensive event called The Experiment, which has revived post-pandemic. Hear from the founders of The Blues Experiment and learn what it's all about and what it's offering, and why it's important to have spaces to explore what it means to be a

Episode 3: Blues Dance in Europe, an Interview with Vicci and Adamo Oct 2, 2023 1649 In this episode, Vicci Moore and Adamo Ciarallo discuss building up blues instruction, and blues festivals, in Europe. We talk about the importance of music and history, but also the importance of creating ways for small communities with fewer resources to have access to quality information and teaching and learning materials about the blues. You can find out more about their online platform, The

Episode 2: Blues in Britain, A Conversation with Dr. Roberta Schwartz Sep 1, 2023 2203 When we think of the blues in Europe, one of the first places our minds wander are the famous blues festivals in Great Britain that brought international attention to blues greats like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. But there is more to the story than the festivals. Dr. Roberta Schwartz, Director of the Musicology Division of the University of Kansas and the advising director of the KU Archive

Episode 1: A Local Dance Restart Aug 1, 2023 2598 In this episode, we discuss the importance of, and struggles that come with, restarting local dance scenes. In an interview with Chicago blues dance organizer Tom DeGroh, Dr. Adams discusses how to navigate restarting, struggles in creating community in a post-covid world, the necessity of activism in dance communities that teach black dances and dance to blues music, and why it is important to re

12-Bar Talk Intro Jul 12, 2023 124 Learn more about the blues and the people who listen to it in this new podcast with a focus on the evolution of blues music and the dances done to this uniquely American art form. Podcast intro music is Chicago Shuffle Blues, courtesy of JuliusH. Song can be found at https://pixabay.com/users/juliush-3921568/. 12-Bar Talk: A Blues Podcast, is supported by Salt City Blues, LLC.

12-Bar Talk: A Blues Podcast

Episodes

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