Album Notes

Who We Are

Vocalist Sheryl Warner, guitarist Gregg Kimball, and harmonica player Rick Manson deliver a wide variety of acoustic blues music. The trio, based in Richmond, Virginia, has appeared twice in the Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge. From the jazz-inflected music of the classic blueswomen to the down-home sounds of the country songsters, Sheryl Warner and the Southside Homewreckers draw on the rich musical legacy of early blues to create a unique and varied sound. Their new live CD "Ride the Blinds" includes 13 songs from across the blues spectrum.

Sheryl Warner's rich, expressive voice has developed over twenty years of singing in the blues tradition. Sheryl draws on the extensive repertoire of early women singers, including classic and country blues standards and songs from the traveling-show traditions. She brings her own unique style to the music of blueswomen such as Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie, and reinterprets the lyrics, while retaining the spirit, of the great bluesmen.

Gregg Kimball plays six-string, twelve-string, and National steel guitars. His fluency in a wide range of early blues styles makes him a perfect complement to Sheryl and Rick. Gregg's interest in the blues comes from his research and writing in African-American and Southern history and life.

Rick Manson has been playing harmonica for more than twenty years. He was a student and protégé of Richmond and New York blues legend Nat Riddles. Rick has played with several area bands, including the Detonators, the Smokin' Section, and the Brian Doherty Trio. His influences range from Little Walter to Charlie McCoy to Sonny Terry.