American bluesman Jontavious Willis is breathing new life into pre-war acoustic blues. While other artists are doing the same, Willis is the real deal—from his first vocal notes, it's clear there's an old soul within his young body. Willis, who counts the legendary Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' among his fans (he also supported them on their joint TajMo tour), moves smoothly between country blues, ragtime, gospel, and folk, without sounding dusty. As he sings on his 2019 breakthrough album, Spectacular Class: "You know the blues ain't dead, he just been taking his rest."

"Jontavious unites the past and the future of the blues genre, with deeply personal, inspired contributions resonating throughout the masterful work of this somewhat fantastic Georgia songwriter and musician." - Written in Music , ★★★★ 1/2 stars