Recent posts: blues

Delving eagerly into the 2025 NAMM Show schedule, as an unabashed lover of classic and modern blues and jazz, I remained intent to connect with guitarists who wear their influences on every note played. It didn’t take long to land on Chant Duplantier’s name. Growing up in Louisiana, a state known the world over as the birthplace of jazz and an important culture-shaping hub for soul and blues, Chant’s family informed his early love of legends like Buddy Guy, Howlin Wolf and Muddy Waters. As he progressed his guitar playing into adulthood, artists like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Prince, George Benson and Django Reinhardt joined the influence arsenal. Listening to Chant play live like he does in this clip below, the inspiration shows.

Every NAMM Show to which I’m blessed to attend, I excitedly peruse the performing booth/room schedules from companies like D’Angelico Guitars who are bound to have amazing guitarists imperative to check out. One such guitarist’s name caught my eye -Noé Socha. From the first video I’d seen of Italian-born Brooklyn-based musician Noé playing with Marcus Machado and Clark Sims on Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”, I needed to know more. Listening to his brilliant harmonica and blues guitar filled 2024 album ‘Simplebluesboy’ and seeing him play to a packed room with fellow guitarist Rock Choi further confirmed my belief everyone needs to peep this dude’s music immediately.