Available now from Mojo Rodeo Records
"Talking Guitar delivers exactly what its title and its creator's reputation promise: lucid translations of prewar records and expert insight into what made them so good. After hearing Paul Rishell's blues, you'll have a hard time denying the power of such bare, organic, and emotive sound."
- Katie Lambert, LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE

Today's the day! We've arrived at the official 'Talking Guitar' CD release week (CDs and downloads are available now from our website store) and our official CD Release Celebration happens today, May 6 at Temple Isaiah in Lexington, MA. The evening will kick off with a party catered by the award-winning Blue Ribbon Bar-b-que with BBQ-appropriate beverages. Other culinary and musical adventures will follow.

Jerry McCain died this week in his hometown of Gadsden, Alabama. I heard about it on Facebook, but it must have been on the wind. I had just been talking to one of my students about him. The previous week we had started working on “Steady,” the downhome harp instrumental widely regarded as a standard, and I told him some stories about going to Gadsden to visit Jerry, or Mr. McCain as I quaveringly called him, in 2009.

In 1978, I had a little band, and occasionally this horn player would sit in with us. He was going out with Angelo Dundee's niece. He got some tickets for all of us to go to the Hynes Auditorium in Boston and watch Sugar Ray Leonard fight a 10-round exhibition match against the Welterweight Champion of New England, Dick Ecklund.

January 29, 2012: Paul's upcoming solo CD, Talking Guitar will be released on April 17. The album features Paul returning to his country blues roots with 13 wonderful songs played on acoustic and resonator guitars as only Paul Rishell can play them. Here's a sneak preview of "Big Road Blues" featuring Annie on harp, plus some favorite songs from earlier albums on our Reverbnation music player:

TO HELL AND BACK:, The intrepid blues duo recently returned from playing the Hell Blues Festival in Norway. Says Raines: "I didn't think I'd like Hell, but I met so many great musicians there." Also on the festival bill were Duke Robillard and his excellent band; Janiva Magness; Johnny Nicholas; Henry Gray and Andy Cornett; and Paul Jones and the Blues Band from the UK.After their return from Hell, the duo played a church service in downtown Boston. So the score is sitting at 1-1 so far.

PROFESSOR PAUL: The big news this fall is that Paul will be teaching at

Hello and greetings from the syncopated and ever-more multi-instrumental world of Paul Rishell & Annie Raines. We’re happy to be trading our layers of snow, salt and polar fleece for a fresh dusting of pollen. Those itchy eyes tell us it’s time to see the world, and we’re hitting the road again this month, for short jaunts to Bethlehem and Barto, PA, and gearing up for longer trips in early and late summer. But first, we’re making our official “Mojo Rodeo” debut this Saturday, May 7 at the Bull Run in Shirley, MA (click on "Read More" to read more...).

May of 2012 has produced a bounty spring harvest, with two new releases out in the same week (isn't that always the way...). Paul's solo album, Talking Guitar, is now available on our website store, as well as CDbaby, amazon.com and anywhere good records can be sought. The album is a long-awaited tribute to the country blues masters who inspired Paul to take the path he's been on for 45 years and counting. The CD features prewar blues gems by artists like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Skip James, Blind Blake, and Blind Boy Fuller, as well as two Rishell originals. Annie Raines guests on harmonica on 3 of the album's 13 tracks.

Also out this week is Annie's epic harmonica instructional video for Truefire, Blues Harmonica Blueprint. This game-changing product includes 268 minutes and 68 lessons; animated graphics; detailed video breakdowns of songs and exercises; 75 pages of written harmonica tab; solos in the styles of the masters; text descriptions; live band jam tracks so you can play along with an all-star blues combo including guitarists Paul Rishell & Troy Gonyea; and more. Whether you're a beginning student or a gigging harpist, this is guaranteed to bring your playing up several levels. It's also really fun. For more about it, and to buy your copy, visit our Education page.