I’m not sure when Buddy Guy said it or to whom. I first encountered the quote in Peggy Stevinson Blair’s June 30, 2019, concert review for Blues Insights. The review covered the previous night’s show at Kansas City’s renowned Knuckleheads Saloon, where 20-year-old phenom Christone “Kingfish” Ingram performed.
At the time, Ingram’s debut album had been out only 43 days. It debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Blues and Heatseekers Albums charts, drew widespread acclaim, and later earned a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album. It also brought Ingram five 2020 Blues Foundation Blues Music Awards: Album of the Year, Best Emerging Artist Album, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year, and Instrumentalist – Guitar.
Ten months before those five wins, Ingram was still far from a household name. But astute listeners who knew his work—including Buddy Guy—had already recognized his talent.
Blair quotes Guy as saying, “Kingfish is the next explosion of the blues.” Whether her review was the quote’s first appearance is irrelevant. At 16, Ingram played his own set at Portland’s 2015 Waterfront Blues Festival, then joined Guy during the headliner’s closing-night performance. Guy had watched Ingram’s talent develop for years and likely praised it more than once. What matters is that his assessment was dead-on.
No longer an “up and comer,” the 27-year-old Ingram is now one of the leading voices in a new generation of blues artists. Each of his first three albums earned a Grammy nomination for Best Blues Album, and his sophomore release, 662, won in 2022 after its July 2021 release. He has also collected six additional Blues Music Awards, giving him 11 wins in 11 nominations. His fourth album, Hard Road—his first on his Red Zero label—arrived just under a year ago and has been hailed as his most ambitious and mature work to date.
Like many blues artists, Ingram spends much of his life touring. On Saturday, that tour reached Denver’s Bluebird Theater, where he played to a sold-out crowd and proved every accolade deserved.
Actually, that sounds too polished for what happened onstage. Put simply: he blew the doors off the damn place.
Yeah, that’s more like it.
The schedule called for a 9:00 start and a 90-minute set. Ingram and his band began on time but played nearly two hours. Across 12 songs, they drove the rowdy crowd through blues, rock and roll, funk, and soul, drawing from all four of his albums and adding the perennial showstopper “Empty Promises,” a Michael Burks cover released as a single in 2020.
As at every show I’ve attended since the Summit Ballroom in October 2021, Ingram opened with his band jamming while he waited offstage. At earlier performances, he began playing before entering; this time, he simply walked on with his guitar over his shoulder. After greeting the cheering crowd, he led the band into “Midnight Heat,” one of two songs from his Grammy-nominated 2024 live album, Live in London.
Rather than review all 12 songs individually, I’ve listed the full set in the photo gallery below. A few highlights:
“Fresh Out” – The second song of the set, from Ingram’s 2019 debut Kingfish, was recorded as a mid-tempo traditional blues number. On Saturday, he slowed it sharply and expanded it with a blistering mid-song solo.
“Empty Promises” – This song remains a showstopper. The emotion Ingram draws from his guitar is staggering; at times, the instrument seems to scream. Though he didn’t write it, he has made the song unmistakably his own, and it is now hard to imagine his set without it.
“Mississippi Night” – The set’s second Live in London selection, this slow-burning blues instrumental began with Ingram playing backstage before stepping into the crowd for an extended jam. The packed room limited his usual walkabout, which worked in my favor: he performed within arm’s reach of where I stood. Call it luck if you want; I call it good, clean living.
“Outside of This Town”/“662” – Played back to back to close the main set, these two rockers tore the roof off. The energy between the band and crowd reached an almost surreal intensity.
Every musician excelled, and Ingram’s backing band was as tight as any you’ll hear. Drummer Chris Black and keyboardist—and Denver resident—DeShawn “DVibes” Alexander have played with him for years. Randy “RJ” Stevens joined only in February but already fits seamlessly. Near the end of the set, he and Ingram even slipped into a brief, loosely synchronized dance.
Ingram was extraordinary. I’d heard he might be under the weather, but nothing in his performance suggested it. His command of the guitar is astonishing—the kind of playing that leaves you shaking your head at what you just witnessed. His vocals are equally impressive and have grown stronger with age. Long talented, he now performs with a maturity and confidence that were less evident a few years ago.
Just past the set’s midpoint, Ingram slowed the pace with “Rock & Roll,” an original from his 2021 album, 662. The heartfelt song honors his late mother, Princess Latrell Pride Ingram, a hardworking single parent who carried the family’s burdens while supporting his musical ambitions. In the lyrics, she makes “a deal with the angels,” allowing him to “sell his soul to rock & roll.”
The lyric is clearly metaphorical—or so I assume. Still, watching Christone “Kingfish” Ingram perform makes you wonder where such otherworldly talent originates. Ultimately, the source matters less than his willingness to keep sharing that immense gift with the rest of us mere mortals.
Before I wrap up…
A shoutout to opening act Earl Nelson & The Company, who delivered an outstanding 45-minute set. I highly recommend this Denver band: if they’re playing near you, go. Their energetic blues carries a distinct country flavor. Learn more here: https://www.earlnelsoncompany.com.
Another shoutout goes to Denver rock and blues guitarist and bandleader Zakk DeBono, whom I met outside the Bluebird more than an hour before doors opened. He fronts Zakk DeBono and The Broken Circle, a band that “blends blues-rock energy with vintage rock influences.” It was a pleasure meeting you, Zakk. Learn more here: https://zakkdebonoandthebrokencircle.com/.
Finally, thanks to Dave and Tony from Arvada—two genuine Blues Brothers.
Story and photos by Rick Witt www.rickwittphotography.com
