Come on over for a generous helping of the blues, down-home style, with three of Northern California's leading country blues musicians.

Born nearly 80 years ago in Shula, Arkansas, Robert Lowery is a living country blues legend, in the deep rural tradition of Robert Johnson, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, and Lightnin' Hopkins. His rich guitar work and relaxed, easygoing vocal style reminiscent of pre-war Delta musicians are known nationwide, and have graced venues as varied as the 1992 presidential inauguration of Bill Clinton and the 1998 New Orleans Jazz Fest, as well as albums like his recent Rainin' Down Blues (Wolf) and Playing Out In The Street (Freeport). This is just about as authentic as country blues can get!

A protege of Robert's, Berkeley resident Rev. Rabia Wozniakowska takes the blues out of urban bars and back into the fields and backwoods juke joints with her accomplished fingerpicking and slide guitar and big, warm voice. A real sense of spirit shines through Rabia's music, and it's not just because she's an ordained minister! She began performing with Robert and Virgil five years ago, and has issued two duo albums with Virgil since then, most recently Live Concert. Virgil Thrasher is not only one of the Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay Area's best known harpmen, he's probably the sharpest dressed bluesman in Northern California -- check out those shoes! A self-taught musician heavily influenced by harmonica greats Sonny Boy Williamson and Sonny Terry, Virgil first joined forces with Robert in 1973. The pair have been playing together ever since, both on stage and on many of Robert's albums.