Whether or not John Hammond would actually drive a thousand miles to catch Paul Geremia live (like he so emphatically likes to claim) there’s no diminishing the caliber of husky howl and the lightning-fast finger-picking that Geremia has been touting for 40-years strong. It certainly helps that he’s a warm storyteller in the vein of Blind Lemon Jefferson and Blind Willie McTell. Geremia may be able to see fine, but he’s just as inclined to share all the history he soaks up while navigating back-road Americana. Eddie Holstein, the younger brother of Chicago folk icon Fred Holstein, supports. (Gavin Paul)