It is always a pleasure to listen to harmonica player and singer Billy Branch, especially because, besides keeping alive the genuine Chicago blues essence, he has evolved to develop some more actual sounds without losing his genuineness.

It is difficult to summarize in a few lines the career of this blues luminary. Only mention he started playing harmonica at the age of 10. Musicians like James Cotton, Carey Bell, Willie Dixon or Big Walter Horton were his mentors. He became member of the Willie Dixon Chicago Blues All-Stars, and shortly after he signed for Alligator Records, releasing several albums including the famous “Harp Attack” with Carey Bell, Junior Wells and James Cotton. He started a solo career, founding his own band, The Sons of The Blues, with whom he has recorded 15 albums. Billy Branch also develops an intense pedagogical work, teaching blues in schools to make young generations discover and love the blues. And of course he has received countless awards. He has been inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame, got an Emmy award, he has been nominated for the Grammys, besides being three times winner of the Blues Music Awards, also receiving two Keeping The Blues Alive Awards… and, of course, playing all over the world. Today he is one of the most outstanding active blues harmonica players and he is one of the greatest Chicago blues ambassadors.

This last recording gathers eleven Billy’s own compositions where his versatile harmonica playing stand out, as well as his quality and amazing skills to deal with a variety of rhythms, from real Chicago blues shuffles to West Coast blues, blues in minor keys, funk blues, Latin blues or even reggae.

According to Branch own words, all the album songs have a very special meaning for him and present some important moments of his already long career in the blues. For example, “The Harmonica Man” tell us about the last five or six years of his life as a musician or “Hole In Your Soul” explains the importance and effect in his life of his deep connection with the blues.

Billy is perfectly backed by his current Sons of The Blues with Giles Corey on guitar, Sumito “Ariyo” Ariyoshi on keyboards, Marvin Little on bass and Andrew “Blaze” Thomas on drums. Branch has also counted with the special collaboration of Bobby Rush on vocals and harmonica in “Hole In Your Soul” and Shemekia Copeland on vocals in “Begging For Change”.