TERRA BLUES, NYC — Playing the blues has to come from the soul. There is no room for artifice or ego or flamboyance. It’s story-telling, sorrow, humor, hard-times and good times.

It can be imitated, but fakers just don’t resonate.

Robert Powers is the real thing, and it’s clear his many Grammy nominations have been well-earned.

This evening (Mar. 28, 2016), Robert is accompanied by a harmonica player known simply as Lou “The Lip”, ostensibly for the instrument he plays but more prosaically it’s short for his last name. He said he considers it an honor to play with Robert.

Robert has traveled the world taking his signature blues style to Europe and South America, but he’s a regular at Terra Blues. And I highly encourage you to drop by. For the very reasonable cover of just $10, you get a two-hour seminar in how the blues are meant to be played.

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THE CLUB: Terra Blues, 149 Bleecker St., Greenwich Village, New York City  10012 (map) 

CLUB VIBE: Very dark, very basic, nothing fancy, just drinks and music. The early audience is mostly listeners but some chatters. Gets much noisier later, so I highly encourage catching the early acts which start at 7 PM

DRINKS: As always, I go for the beer and there are enough craft brew choices to satisfy. The price is steep, but it is, after all, a nightclub where they rely on a modest cover and the drink revenue to keep the doors open for talent like Robert Powers.

COVER: $10, very reasonable for the level of talent.