Blues Caravan 2022

Sixteen years since Ruf Records first had the brainwave of a showcase tour, the Blues Caravan concept remains unchanged and unbeaten. Three rising stars from the roster of Europe’s most respected boutique record label. Three live sets that run the gamut of emotion and genre. And as the finale each night, the mother of all live jams, with all three performers cutting loose together – and inviting the audience to do the same. The Blues Caravan 2022 is the hit of high-velocity rock ‘n’ roll the world so desperately needs. And these are the highly anticipated performers who’ll be leading us out of lockdown. 

Nobody sounds like Katie Henry. The singer-songwriter darting between microphone, piano and Gibson SG, alighting on genres that include rock, roots, R&B, soul, funk and pop. You might catch flashes of a young Bonnie Raitt in Katie’s Blues Caravan performance, but with her raw charisma, hearton-sleeve songcraft and jam chops hard-won on the NYC circuit, this is one artist earning a reputation on her own terms.“ Music has always been about freedom and expression for me, and when audiences leave my show feeling expressed and more connected to themselves and each other, I know I’ve done my job.” 

We first met Ryan Perry as a teenage phenomenon, when he hijacked 2007’s International Blues Challenge in Memphis with his Homemade Jamz Blues Band, and announced his talent for sharp storytelling, stinging guitar and soulful vocals. This charismatic bandleader’s talents have only grown over the last decade, and following 2019’s solo debut on Ruf Records, Ryan is the finished article, armed with a setlist to raise the roof. “Fans can expect high action and low ego on the Blues Caravan,” he says. “My live shows are packed with passion and soul, always fun and full of energy – as only a Mississippi bluesman can deliver.” 

Through her many years of living and touring in the United States, Brussels native Ghalia Volt has been able to soak up the grooves and vibes of the blues like few Europeans before her. The singer and guitarist made her first big splash fronting the New Orleans-based outfit Mama’s Boys; she solidified her reputation as an exceptional talent with her 2019 Billboard Charting release Mississippi Blend working with legends like grammy-nominated Cedric Burnside. Early 2021, she released her One Woman Band album, recorded at the prestigious Royal Studios in Memphis, another Billboard Charting record showing her multi-instrumentalist skills playing drums, slide guitars and singing simultaneously. 

On the Blues Caravan 2022, she’ll be feeding us a gumbo made out of hits part of her 3 Ruf Records releases.