Blues is the Truth

Ian McHugh
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Music
  • Updated Weekly

Blues is the Truth is a weekly 2 hour radio show, featuring some of the very best new Blues Music alongside some classic tracks that define the genre. Presented for a decade by Ian McHugh, frontman and guitarist with the band Blues is Truth and compere of the Ealing Blues Festival main stage, The show is informative, entertaining and sometimes a little different....

  1. 6d ago

    Blues is the Truth 821

    Blues is the Truth #821 We are back for another two hours of blues, brought to you with our generous sponsors the Crawdaddy Club Richmond. The music this week is a special themed show, digging out tracks entirely from that classic nineties partwork magazine series, The Blues Collection. We are getting underway with Otis Spann, Lightnin' Hopkins, Albert King, Koko Taylor, and Howlin' Wolf. You will also hear classics from T-Bone Walker, BB King, Leadbelly, and astounding Memphis Minnie. The middle stretch keeps the magazine archive spinning with Clifton Chenier, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Earl Hooker and Junior Wells, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Arthur Big Boy Crudup. We keep things rolling with Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Duke Robillard. To close out the two hours in style, we feature Muddy Waters, Little Milton, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, Eric Clapton and the Yardbirds, and the legendary Robert Johnson. Along with all these classic tracks we have music from the people about to hit the Crawdaddy stage, Oli "Mississippi" MacDonald and Papa George and the Title Track Tango with Ian Siegal and Luther Allison speckled amid the classics. Two full hours of great music, brilliant artists, and all the blues you can handle.

    Blues is the Truth 821

  2. Oct 3

    Blues is the Truth 820

    Blues is the Truth #820 We are back for another full two hours of blues, brought to you in association with our friends at the Crawdaddy Club Richmond. The music selection this week is stacked from beginning to end with great tunes and all your regular features. We are getting straight underway with Buddy Whittington, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, The Steady Rollin’ Revue, Elmore James, and Buddy Guy. You will also hear Melvin Taylor, Papa George, Connolly Hayes, The Hoax, and JJ Grey and Mofro. The middle stretch brings you Roomful of Blues, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Oli "Mississippi" MacDonald, Lucky Peterson, and Ronnie Baker Brooks. We keep things rolling with the Nick Moss Band, Magic Sam, AG Weinberger, Tutu Jones, and Dave Thomas and the Diplomatics. To close out the two hours in style, we feature Vaneese Thomas and Mel Williams. Two full hours of great music, brilliant artists, and all the blues you can handle!

    Blues is the Truth 820

  3. Sep 27

    Blues is the Truth 819

    Blues is the Truth #819 We are back for another two hours of blues, brought to you with our good friends at the Crawdaddy Club. The music this week is a great collection from start to finish. We are getting going with Big Joe Turner, Edgar Winter, Jimmy Regal and the Royals, Andy Fairweather Low, and Vaneese Thomas. You will also hear Oli "Mississippi" MacDonald, Jeff Healey, Larkin Poe, the Gerry Hundt Trio, and the mandolin blues of Yank Rachell. We keep things moving along with Manfred Mann, the legendary Albert King, Mockingbird Hill, Ray Charles, and Reverend Raven and Westside Andy with the Chain Smoking Altar Boys. We also have Papa George, Buddy Guy, Andrew Duncanson, and Johnny and the Headhunters. To finish up the show, we bring you Alex Kilroy, the Justin Saldino Band, Earl Thomas, a track from my old band Blues is Truth, Anthony Geraci, and the great BB King. Two full hours of music, fine artists, and all the blues you can handle.

    Blues is the Truth 819

  4. Sep 13

    Blues is the Truth 818

    Blues is the Truth #818 We are back for another two hours full of blues, proudly brought to you in association with our good friends at the Crawdaddy Club Richmond. We have got all the latest news on the superb live gigs coming up at the historic home of the blues in Richmond Upon Thames. The music this week is a proper masterclass from across the spectrum. We are getting straight into the groove with Memphis vocalist Singa B, followed by Doyle Bramhall II, the raw Chicago sound of Taildragger, and Belgian bluesman Guy Verlinde. We also have firm favourites The Mustangs, a dose of classic Texan boogie from ZZ Top, the energy of Wailin Walker, and The Smoke Wagon Blues Band. The quality doesn’t dip there as we bring you Mississippi MacDonald, aclassic track from Little Feat, Chicago legend Lurrie Bell, and heavy grit from Killin’ Floor. You will also hear the brilliant Robert Cray Band, Peter V Blues Train, and the incredible musicianship of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Rounding out another proper session, we feature the piano prowess of Veronica Lewis, the acoustic touch of Papa George, living legend Buddy Guy, and the great Adam Sweet. We finish up in fine style with Tim Aves and Wolfpack, and the timeless jump blues of Big Joe Turner. Two full hours of real music, real groove and exceptional artists.

    Blues is the Truth 818

  5. Sep 5

    Blues is the Truth 817

    We are back for another two hours of top-tier blues, brought to you in association with our good friends at the Crawdaddy Club Richmond. The music on offer this week is an absolute triumph. We are getting underway with the soulful power of Vaneese Thomas, a double dose of classic Texan boogie from ZZ Top, paying tribute to the late Frank Beard, a track from Lucky Peterson, and another from Eric Clapton. We also have live favourites The Mustangs, who’ll be on stage at the Crawdaddy later this month, the foundational British blues of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and another fabulous track fromBlues is Truth. The quality stays sky-high as we move into cuts from the late, great Bernie Marsden’s latest release, a brilliant new collaboration from Ed Cosens with Toby Lee, and the expressive guitar work of Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. You’ll also hear Mississippi MacDonald, the rustic acoustic sounds of the Cedar County Cobras, the incredible vocals of Caitlyn Krisko and the Broadcast, and John Homesly and the Rub. Rounding out another proper session in fine style, we bring you The Spikedrivers, the brilliant Matt Schofield Trio, the sharp swing of The Cadillac Kings, and the acoustic touch of Papa George. We close things out with Donna Herula, Sam Buckley, Dustin Arbuckle and the Damnations, and the unstoppable groove of The Kokomo Kings. Two full hours of great blues music, exceptional artists, and all your live news from our sponsors at the Crawdaddy Club.

    Blues is the Truth 817

  6. Aug 22

    Blues is the Truth 816

    We are back with another two hours of wonderful blues, brought to you in association with our good friends at the Crawdaddy Club. The music this week is a celebration of the blues in all its forms. We are getting straight down to business with Emanuele Fizotti, Dustin Arbuckle and the Damnations, the acoustic roots of Mulebone, and the fabulous harmonica work of Michael Rubin and Junior Wells with a track from each. We then move on to Oli Mississippi MacDonald, the historic acoustic cuts of Tommy McLennan, and the powerhouse vocals of Kaitlyn Krisko and the Broadcast with a cut from her upcoming release. The quality does not drop at all as we bring you Sons of the Delta, Jimmy Regal and the Royals, Two Bad Jims, and the legend of the blues, Muddy Waters. You will also hear the blistering rock and roll energy of The Blasters, Mike Wheeler, the brilliant songwriting of Sean Taylor, and Christopher Waze and the Tellers. To wrap up a fantastic show, we feature the seasoned guitar work of Bob Margolin, Kyle Chadburn, Jola Recchioni, and Chickenbone Slim. We finish up in fine fashion with Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers, the legendary Freddie King, James Buddy Rogers, AG Weinberger, Chicago Nola, and BB and the Bullets. Two hours of amazing songs, fine musicianship, and all your regular features.

    Blues is the Truth 816

  7. Aug 15

    Blues is the Truth 815

    We are back this week with another two hours of blues, proudly presented alongside our friends at the Crawdaddy Club Richmond. We have got tracks from the fantastic artists performing at their upcoming live dates. The regular features, The Song Remains the Same and The Title Track Tango, are all present and correct, and Ian McHugh is behind the mic, just as you’d expect! The playlist this week is an absolute triumph. We are setting off with the living legend Buddy Guy, followed by West London's own The Guv’nors, the deep vocals of Oscar Wilson, and Mississippi MacDonald and the Cottonmouth Kings. We are keeping the energy right where it needs to be with Smokin’ Joe Kubek’s take on Cross Cut Saw, The Johnny Max Band, the funk soul of Trombone Shorty, and the incredible harmonica work of Giles Robson. The standard stays high as we bring you the brilliant young musician Connor Selby, the Master of the Telecaster Albert Collins, Mighty Mike Schermer, and the blistering slide guitar of Joanna Connor. We also have firm show favourites The Mustangs, slide master Roy Rogers, the soulful Al Corte, and the beautiful, expressive fretwork of Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters. Rounding off the show we clear the way for Roomful of Blues, the classic jump-blues energy of The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Big Steam, and the Backtrack Blues Band. To close out in absolute style, you will hear the formidable Joe Louis Walker, Colin James, the fantastic pairing of John January and Linda Barry, the deep blues of Big Daddy Wilson, and the undisputed master Otis Grand.

    Blues is the Truth 815

  8. Aug 9

    Blues is the Truth 814

    We are right back in the studio for another full two hours of brilliant music, proudly working alongside our good friends at the Crawdaddy Club. We have got news on all the fantastic gigs coming up at the club, so keep an ear out for a sneak peek at who's hitting the stage soon! The music selection this week is an absolute joy from start to finish. We are kicking off with the timeless funk groove of The Meters, before sliding into the brilliant Steady Rolling Revue, Blues is Truth, and the absolute harmonica mastery of Giles Robson. We have also got blues royalty on board with Albert King, the sensational Susan Tedeschi, the incredible guitar work of the Matt Schofield Trio, and the force of nature that is Freddie King. The quality just keeps on coming as we spin tracks from Emma Wilson, the silky soulfulness of Bobby Blue Bland, The Paladins, and the wonderful Vintage #18. We pay our respects to the master of the slide Elmore James, alongside Eric Clapton, the sharp wit and harp playing of Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, and the sheer power of Big Mama Thornton. To top off a stellar session, we are featuring the genius of Stevie Ray Vaughan, the force of Hurricane Ruth, and the brilliant Terry Hanck. We round things out in pure style with the foundational genius of Muddy Waters, the brilliant Lowell Fulson, the raw grit of Ian Siegal and the Mississippi Mudbloods, and the great Taj Mahal. Two hours of proper music, top artists, and all the details for your local live diary.

    Blues is the Truth 814
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Blues is the Truth is a weekly 2 hour radio show, featuring some of the very best new Blues Music alongside some classic tracks that define the genre. Presented for a decade by Ian McHugh, frontman and guitarist with the band Blues is Truth and compere of the Ealing Blues Festival main stage, The show is informative, entertaining and sometimes a little different....

Information

  • Creator
    Ian McHugh
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    315
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Blues is the Truth
  • Show Website
    Blues is the Truth

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