Guitarist and songwriter Chris Bergson has been described as “New York's soulful blues street poet” (Mojo) and “one of the most inventive people in modern blues music” (All Music Guide). His Chris Bergson Band is “one of today's most talented ensembles...from blazing rock to funk, soul to delta blues and everything in between” (Magazine). Bergson has performed with luminaries across a wide range of genres, including pop/rock (Norah Jones, Levon Helm), blues/soul (Hubert Sumlin, Bernard Purdie) and jazz (Al Foster and Matt Wilson). In 2015, he was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame as a Master Blues Artist. Bergson is also an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, where he teaches guitar and songwriting. Ellis Hooks (born in 1974) is an American soul-blues and electric blues singer-songwriter. According to All Music Guide, Hooks “channels Wilson Pickett, Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, yet feels like he's on one of the gritty New York streets where he once busked.” Born in Bay Minette, Alabama, to a Cherokee mother and an African American father, he left his strict upbringing at an early age and, after hitchhiking across the United States, he made his way to Europe, living in Paris and Amsterdam before moving to New York City. Ellis Hooks has performed with Stax legends such as Steve Cropper and Little Milton and is considered by critics to be the true heir to the celebrated Southern traditions of soul, blues and gospel; his voice, while reminiscent of some of the greats, is nonetheless personal and his phrasing is unmistakable. Given the powerful nature of his recordings and his now historic intensity in his live performances, Hooks may well be the artist to bring these historic traditions into the 21st century. A world-class duo performing in Avegno.

Krissy Matthew has earned a reputation as one of the most unique guitarists the 21st century has ever seen and has acquired a wealth of experience that most musicians can only dream of. At the age of 12, he was invited by John Mayall to perform two songs together. A few years later, he became the last person to share the stage with the great Jeff Healey. He released several records and performed at clubs and festivals all over the world! In 2015, he joined the Hamburg Blues Band as a replacement for Clem Clempson (Colosseum/Humble Pie) and Miller Anderson (Keef Hartley Band/Spencer Davis).  He has played over a thousand concerts across the UK, China, Russia, and Europe, at iconic venues such as Ronnie Scotts (London) and the Cavern (Liverpool). In March 2019, he was invited to take the stage with his trio at the renowned “Rockpalast Festival,” a true honor and dream for any musician. Krissy and his band have shared the stage with major names such as Toto, Gregg Allman, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Satriani, Beth Hart, Jimmie Vaughan, and Los Lobos. In 2019, he released the album “Monster in Me,” co-written with Pete Brown, known as the “fourth member of Cream.” On May 10, 2024, the brand-new album “Krissy Matthews & Friends” was released, featuring a who's who of the blues and rock scene (Chris Farlowe, Dennis Chambers, Curt Cress and Big Daddy Wilson). “It took a long time to make. I wanted to bring together my favorite musicians I met on the road. It's not all of them, but a good handful are! There are different genres, from metal to blues, jazz to rock'n'roll. But in the end, it's Krissy Matthews' music.” Krissy continues to play with the Hamburg Blues Band and his trio, which we are eager to hear again at Magic Blues, after the brilliant performance a few years ago in Caslano.