Question: How did this gig with the WNC Jazz Society come about? Answer: Well, whatever I am in “contemporary blues,” I am one of the people who is carrying on what Muddy called “old-school” Chicago Blues, one of the very few that learned it directly from him. It may only be a matter of semantics, but jazz and blues often mix when presented in concert. Musically, there’s a bluesy side to jazz and a jazzy side to blues. Soulful music lovers appreciate both.

It was the WNC Jazz Society’s idea to do a Muddy Waters tribute. Besides, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith also played with Muddy, and we’re expecting a sit-in from Muddy’s former bass player Mac Arnold, whose career is thriving right down the road in Greenville, S.C. Q: Your work with Waters was no doubt a peak in your career, but that was a long time ago.

How have you continued to nurture your craft since then? Have you found other heroes or mentored others in the way that he mentored you? A: Aside from literally thousands of big and small gigs in the last 27 years, I have played on dozens of albums as a guest and released eight as the featured artist. I work side by side with fine musicians, some legendary, who are much older than I am as well as some that are much younger.

I don’t know if I “mentor” any, but I try to be encouraging and helpful. Ultimately, achievement comes down to the music played. I’ve tried to take the traditional blues that I learned from the people who created it and carry it on, adding my own original style, lyrics and stories to it. I’ve developed past being someone who used to be Muddy’s kid guitar player. Q: Our culture seems to love specific genres.