Today, April 30th, we at Grateful Web honor the birthday and enduring impact of Reverend Gary Davis, the legendary American blues and folk guitarist born in 1896 in Laurens, South Carolina. His profound musical skills and spiritual lyrical depth profoundly shaped the landscapes of blues, folk, and beyond, influencing generations of musicians and fans alike.

With a bold opening line, "Did you miss me?" Finn O'Sullivan sets the tone for her latest album, "Best Last Words," an exploration of vulnerability and defiance in the face of heartache. The album, a compilation of seven deeply personal tracks, including two exclusive bonus songs on vinyl, captures the complexity of romantic disillusionment.

Award-winning, world-beloved Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon has announced the first set of dates of his Shut Up & Play! concert tour. The 28-city tour will take Cannon from the Midwest to the East Coast and back, including dates in Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Boston. Shut Up & Play! will be released on Friday, June 7, and is the third Alligator album from Cannon. It will be available on CD, yellow vinyl LP, and at all digital services.

Toronto indie music legend Kyp Harness releases his 18th album, Kick The Dust, once again confirming his status as one of Canada's most socially conscious singer/songwriters. The album is available on all digital platforms and via Bandcamp. Produced by Kyp's longtime collaborator Dale Morningstar, Kick The Dust presents nine new songs in a stripped down setting, with accompaniment provided by bassist Victor Bateman and drummer Blake Howard.

Singer/songwriter Evan Honer announced today his new album Fighting For will release on June 7th through Cloverdale Records. The anticipated release will be the follow-up to his 2023 debut West on I-10, which was met with sudden success through sheer organic connection with audiences, garnering millions of streams worldwide, over 2.6 million monthly listeners, and leading to sold-out headline tours across the country and into Europe. That whirlwind period is captured on Fighting For.

Today, Nashville-based Aussie artist Wesley Dean releases his new album Music From Crazy Hearts, the companion piece to an upcoming feature film, Crazy Hearts: The Documentary, which sees Dean hit the road with his family for an ambitious tour across America. With a director and cameraperson in tow, Dean and his family drove over 5000 miles from Nashville to Los Angeles in an RV via towns steeped in musical history playing shows off the beaten track; Memphis, New Orleans, Luckenbach, Marfa, Las Vegas, and more.

Critically acclaimed Atlanta-based American guitarist Eddie 9V is pleased to announce the release of his new single “Saratoga” on Friday 26th April 2024. Released by Ruf Records, the single is available on all streaming platforms via https://save-it.cc/ruf-records/saratoga.  

“Saratoga” is the first single taken from Eddie’s new studio album released later this year.

A live recording of a concert can preserve one powerful moment indelibly in time. Coming June 14, 2024, Smithsonian Folkways will release The Complete Friends of Old-Time Music Concert by Bessie Jones, John Davis & The Georgia Sea Island Singers with Mississippi Fred McDowell and Ed Young, presenting a riveting, historic look at the intersection of Black folk traditions and civil rights activism.

L.A. indie label Blue Élan Records – home for acts like Soul Asylum, KT Tunstall, Ozomatli, Chris Shiflett, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Jesse Dayton – announces a special project to support UCLA Health Operation Mend – a program dedicated to providing free specialized medical and psychological care for our nation’s post 9/11 warriors injured in the line of duty, and their caregivers.

Public radio programmers and music industry representatives from across the U.S. will gather in Philadelphia from May 7-10 for the annual NON-COMMvention conference. “NON-COMM” will be hosted by Philadelphia public radio station WXPN, with events taking place there and at World Cafe Live, the live music venue with which WXPN shares a building.