Album Notes

M.S.G. – The Acoustic Blues Trio performs traditional Piedmont blues. Their style of music has been influenced by the likes of Archie Edwards, Etta Baker, and Cephas & Wiggins. This band can raise the roof with some old-fashioned house party tunes, make you laugh with their witty originals and then make you weep with blues ballads! They all perform with the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation Band. They have performed at numerous regional festivals including: Blues in the ‘Burg, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Artscape, and Bayou Boogaloo. They have also had the honor of performing on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage.

Jackie Merritt, harmonica player, is an accomplished visual artist and musician. She performs in several bands: M.S.G. (harmonica and bones); and Blues Xchange (bass). For the last three years, she has been Phil Wiggins’ harmonica teaching assistant at Augusta Heritage Center’s “Bluesweek” at Davis and Elkins College in Elkins, WV.

Miles Spicer, guitarist, demonstrates the distinctive technique of the Piedmont style. He considers himself fortunate to have known late Piedmont blues greats Archie Edwards and John Jackson, as well as having learned from John Cephas and Michael Baytop. He is currently the treasurer of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation. In addition to M.S.G., he also plays with the Riverdale Ramblers Cajun Band.

Resa Gibbs, lead vocalist and percussionist, is known for her silky, soulful and heartfelt sound. Resa sang background vocals on Gaye Adegbalola’s Bitter Sweet Blues CD, produced by Rory Block and recorded by Alligator Records. She also contributed background vocals and arrangement assistance on Julie Clark’s debut CD Feel Free (Great Big Records).