12-Bar Talk: A Blues Podcast
12-Bar Talk: A Blues Podcast
Chelsea June Adams
Welcome to 12-Bar Talk, a blues music and dance podcast that covers blues history, current artists and trends, dances done to blues music, and more. Join Dr. Chelsea Adams as she interviews musicians, dancers, scholars, and delves into the myriad of topics that deal with this uniquely black American art form.
Episode 30: Delta Blues with Devin C Williams
Dr. Adams sits down with Devin C. Williams, runner up for the 2026 Solo/Duo Division at the International Blues Challenge (IBC). They talk about the Delta Blues, his favorite Delta Blues musicians, the mixing of blues and Christianity, his experience at the IBC, and more.    Guest: Devin C. WilliamsLink to Website: https://www.dcwblues.com/ Link to Purchase Music: https://devincwilliams.bandcamp.com/  Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.
Apr 10
47 min
Episode 29: Blues for the Next Generation with Alice Faye Duncan
The blues has inspired many things, whether new genres of music, dance, or works of art. But as today's guest regularly reminds us, perhaps the most important part of all of it is that the blues inspires people. It helps people learn, grow, and find themselves in their community. In this episode, Dr. Chelsea Adams sits down with award-winning children's book author Alice Faye Duncan to discuss her newest children's book on blues, Blues Boy: The B.B. King Story, as well as her previous book on blues, Yellow Dog Blues.  Guest: Alice Faye DuncanLink to her Website: https://alicefayeduncan.com/Links to Purchase Books: Blues Boy: The B.B. King Story Yellow Dog Blues Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.
Mar 13
56 min
Episode 28: The Blues and Mental Health at the Mitten Durch Festival
To start off 2026, Dr. Chelsea Adams features a blues festival supporting mental health resources in her hometown of Ogden, Utah. In this episode, she features artists Sun Tiger, Carrie Scott, and Tony Holiday along with community members and attendees.    Guests: Sandra Hohmann, Sun Tiger, Carrie Scott, Tony Holiday, and Various Ogden Community MembersLink to the Mitten Durch Festival: https://www.facebook.com/MittenDurchfest/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.
Feb 27
23 min
Episode 27: Theology, Protest, and the Blues
Dr. Justin McLendon, a professor of theology at Grand Canyon University and department chair for the Master of Arts programs for Grand Canyon Theological Seminary, joins Dr. Adams to discuss his chapter in his edited collection Theology and the Blues, part of a series from Lexington Books on Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture. They cover everything from philosophy and Civil Rights to lamentation and Christianity in the blues.    Guest: Dr. Justin McLendonLink to the Edited Collection: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/theology-and-the-blues-9781978714588/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.
Dec 23, 2025
38 min
Episode 26: Blues, Songwriting, and Building Relationships with Piper and the Hard Times
Join Dr. Adams as she gets to know the lead band members of the multi-award winning blues band Piper and the Hard Times. They talk building relationships as musicians, genre and how they view the blues, and the songwriting process for the band and their new album. And for dancers, they've got a unique opportunity! Guests: Al "Piper" Green, Steve Eagon, and Dave ColellaWebsite: https://www.piperandthehardtimes.com/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.
Nov 21, 2025
48 min
Episode 25: An Interview with Al Chesis
Al Chesis and his Delta Sonics played the Sunday set at Mile High Blues 2025. While they didn't have a chance to sit down and talk live, Al and Dr. Adams sat down before the event to talk about his career, life, and blues music. Guest: Al ChesisWebsite: www.deltasonics.net/home    Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.
Oct 24, 2025
43 min
Episode 24: Let's Talk Blues with Rex Peoples
Join Rex Peoples and Dr. Adams as they discuss blues music and dance, culture, and take audience questions in this live recording from Mile High Blues.    Guest: Rex PeoplesWebsite: www.rexpeoples.com   Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.
Aug 30, 2025
43 min
Episode 23: Live at Mile High Blues with Maynard Mills and John Long
The podcast travels to Denver, CO for the first Mile High Blues since the pandemic to interview the Colorado blues greats at the event. Dr. Adams started the weekend off with a live-audience interview with Maynard Mills and John Long.   Guests: Maynard Mills and John LongWebsites: https://maynardmills.com/ ; https://www.johnlongblues.com/  Article on Maynard Mills   Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.   Podcast intro music is Chicago Shuffle Blues, courtesy of JuliusH. Song can be found at https://pixabay.com/users/juliush-3921568/.
Jul 28, 2025
49 min
Episode 22: On Lifting Others Up with Lady A
Dr. Adams sits down with Lady A to discuss her music, but overall, this is an episode about getting to know your neighbors, about lifting each other up, and about speaking up for those who may not have opportunities to succeed if you don’t.   Guest: Lady AWebsite: https://www.ladyababyblues.com/ Info for One Seattle Soul: https://therhapsodyproject.org/one-seattle-soul/   Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.   Podcast intro music is Chicago Shuffle Blues, courtesy of JuliusH. Song can be found at https://pixabay.com/users/juliush-3921568/.
Jun 19, 2025
46 min
Episode 21: Let's Talk Culture and Community with Damon Stone
Dr. Adams sits down with dance historian and blues dance practitioner Damon Stone to discuss what we call the blues dance community, cultural ambassadorship, the good and the bad of culture, the need to spend time in black spaces, and more.    Guest: Damon StoneWebsite: https://damonstone.dance/   Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.   Podcast intro music is Chicago Shuffle Blues, courtesy of JuliusH. Song can be found at https://pixabay.com/users/juliush-3921568/.
May 23, 2025
40 min
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