Watch: Blues torchbearer Christone “Kingfish” Ingram delivers soulful Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

Yesterday (20 October), blues prodigy Christone “Kingfish” Ingram sat down with bassist Paul Rogers to deliver an intimate set on NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series.

• READ MORE: All hail young blues aristocrat Kingfish

The performance – shot at the Ground Zero Blues Club in Kingfish’s hometown of Clarksdale, Mississippi – featured tunes from his self-titled debut from 2019, as well as the song Rock & Roll, released this year as a tribute to his late mother. Watch the set above.

The performance was Kingfish’s first Tiny Desk Concert as a solo artist, but his second on the popular concert series. Back in 2018, he sat in as guitar player for rapper Rakim’s set, sharing the stage with the likes of Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) and composer/keyboardist Adrian Younge.

Although Kingfish’s first album only came out last year, he’s been a regular in the blues scene for several years. He’s performed with the likes of Eric Gales, the Tedeschi Trucks Band and blues legend Buddy Guy, the latter of whom believed in the blues torchbearer enough to fund his debut album.

Guitar.com spoke with Kingfish last year; he discussed how he shares his love for the blues with a whole new generation of listeners.

“The tradition is always going to be there. That’s the root for everything,” Kingfish told us. “But I feel if you want to attract young people to the blues, how about mixing in some of the modern elements that we have, such as rap and a few other styles?”

“Once we get them in, then we can show them the real deal and show them the history. That’s what I’m trying to do. I love all genres of music, and I want to keep this thing going but still attract a younger audience.”

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