Janiva Magness brushes away the ashes and belts out the blues.

Cee Cee James is a sultry queen of down-home blues rock.

Sometimes we slap labels on musicians to help identify their sound. Occasionally we come across a unique blend of styles that can only be labeled as "damn good." Patrick Sweany is one of those artists.

From the first notes of Davina and the Vagabonds' debut album, "Black Cloud," the listener can feel something special boiling in this five-piece band's veins.

Among St. Louis guitarists, Billy Barnett is a bona fide living legend, but that doesn't mean he drives the blues on cruise control. He's got the key to the hard rocking highway and he's not afraid to use it.

With a certifiable R&B legend like Charles Walker leading the way, the Dynamites could have just coasted along on his coattails. Instead, the Nashville band builds expansive, original compositions and turns the funk up to 11.

The name Watermelon Slim may seem like an oxymoron, as does seeing him play left-handed slide on an upside down, right-handed guitar. However, once you hear the traditional blues that he creates you’ll know that he’s more than just traditionally unconventional.

Some place the Right Now under the same soul revival roof of the Dap-Kings and the Dynamites, but the Chicago band slips out the back door with pop delivery and uptown blues polish.

Mixing urban soul with a little bit of attitude, The Diplomats of Solid Sound are canvassing the world with their own special brew. Listen to what the band cooked up during a recent session of Blues In the Night.

Hear tomorrow's sound of jazz today as St. Louis New Jazz brings their take on the great modern American art form to KDHX studios.