James River Blues

(John Cephas photo by Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos)

I was sad to read this week of the death of John Cephas -- known as the singing, guitar-playing half of the blues duo Cephas and Wiggins. John's deep voice and robust acoustic guitar style helped to keep the Piedmont style alive here in its native Virginia. With his loss -- and the loss of John Jackson a few years earlier -- there's an enormous void.

Here's a link to the New York Times story about John's death.