Tag: Blues music

90 Years of Blues: The Gunter Hotel Commemorates Robert Johnson’s Legendary 1936 Sessions

The Gunter Hotel will celebrate with his grandson and other musicians performing and recording at the historic hotel. Photo: Daniel Kelleghan, used with permission.

Celebrating 90 Years of Blues History: San Antonio’s Gunter Hotel Honors Robert Johnson’s 1936 Recording Sessions

SAN ANTONIO, TX — The Gunter Hotel, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel, is excited to announce three days of music, performances, and programming from November 12–14, 2026, commemorating the 90th anniversary of Robert Johnson’s legendary 1936 recording session at the hotel. (The Gunter Hotel, 2026)

The weekend celebration will feature special programming with Robert Johnson’s grandson and his family, along with live performances from Robert Randolph, Ally Venable, Tomar & The FCs, Nicky Diamonds, and more.

As part of the commemoration, musician Steven Johnson will record his grandfather’s songs inside Room 414, the exact site of the historic 1936 recordings, as well as in the Gunter Studio. This private session creates a powerful full-circle moment, connecting the original recordings with a new generation of the Johnson family sound. The family and the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation will release these recordings at a later date.

A portion of proceeds from ticketed events will benefit the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving Johnson’s music and memory through arts education, competitions, and scholarships.

“We’re honored to bring so many talented people together in one place to celebrate our hotel’s history and Robert Johnson’s legacy. It is our hope and our mission to celebrate those that have come before us, and encourage future generations of artists that may come through our doors.” — Jiwon Choi, Gunter Hotel Owner

Event Schedule: A Celebration 90 Years in the Making

Starting Thursday, November 12, the Gunter Hotel kicks off three days and nights of commemorative programming.

Thursday, November 12

  • 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Gunter Studio Tours Noted producer and musician Michael Ramos offers tours of the newly opened, state-of-the-art Gunter Studio. Ramos played an integral role in designing the studio with acoustician Steve Durr.

Note: Space is limited; tours are first-come, first-served.

  • 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Nicky Diamonds Performs Robert Johnson Revue (Studio Lounge) Texas blues artist Nicky Diamonds pays homage to Robert Johnson with an intimate, acoustic set featuring songs recorded at the hotel in 1936.
  • 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM | The Aaron Stephens Trio (Bar 414) Aaron Stephens brings a blend of blues, soul, jazz, and American roots music to Bar 414, pairing honest storytelling with a style distinctly his own.
    • Admission: Free (Space is limited; early arrival encouraged).*

Friday, November 13

  • 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM | A Conversation with the Robert Johnson Family (Studio Lounge) A panel discussion featuring members of the Robert Johnson family, including his grandson, Steven Johnson, covering Johnson’s legacy and impact across generations. Moderated by Hector Saldaña, curator of the Texas Music Collection at The Wittliff Collections (Texas State University).
    • Admission: Free (Space is limited; early arrival encouraged).*
  • 8:00 PM – 10:00 PM | Tomar & The FCs with Jordan Matthew Young (The Crystal Ballroom) Austin soul group Tomar & The FCs perform with support from Jordan Matthew Young. Frontman Tomar Williams grew up touring the Chitlin’ Circuit—the network of venues that brought performers through the segregated South to San Antonio’s East Side—mirroring Robert Johnson’s own journey.
  • 10:00 PM – 1:00 AM | Nick Brown & The Blues Cruise (Bar 414) San Antonio blues band Nick Brown & The Blues Cruise keeps the celebration going with a late-night set featuring classic hits from B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Freddie King, and more.
    • Admission: Free (Space is limited; early arrival encouraged).*

Saturday, November 14

  • 7:00 PM – 10:15 PM | Marquee Live Music Showcase (The Crystal Ballroom) The weekend reaches its peak with a showcase featuring pedal steel virtuoso Robert Randolph (Grammy Award winner for Best Contemporary Blues Album, Preacher Kids), Texas blues-rock guitarist Ally Venable, and The Steve L. Johnson Band. Emceed by Dr. Marco Cervantes (Mexstep), professor at UTSA.
  • 10:00 PM – 1:00 AM | The Eve Monsees Trio (Bar 414) Austin-based guitarist Eve Monsees, known as one of Texas’s premier traditional blues players, closes out the weekend with a late-night set.
    • Admission: Free (Space is limited; early arrival encouraged).*

An Iconic Musical History

Since reopening in 2025 following a $70M renovation, the Gunter Hotel has honored its rich musical past. Its most historic chapter took place when blues visionary Robert Johnson walked into Room 414 and recorded what became King of the Delta Blues Singers, deeply influencing generations of artists.

Musicians like John Mellencamp have since made the pilgrimage to Room 414, drawn by its creative history, while Johnson’s work continues to inspire icons like Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin.

The “Stay Legendary” Special Offer

Concert ticket holders can take advantage of the Stay Legendary package, which includes:

  • 20% off the best available room rate during the week of the event.
  • A commemorative Robert Johnson vinyl record.
  • Late check-out (subject to availability).

Note: Concert tickets must be purchased separately.

👉 Book the Stay Legendary Package HERE

Photo: The Gunter Hotel

From Delta to Getaway Blues: Eden Brent’s Musical Evolution

Mississippi Blues pianist Eden Brent took her award-winning sound to London for first album in nearly a decade, Getaway Blues. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Mississippi Delta native Eden Brent is a modern-day piano-pounding, juke-joint hollering powerhouse of American music. A legendary performer and southern songwriter, she spent the first two decades of her career under the tutelage of Abie “Boogaloo” Ames, before winning the Blues Foundation’s Blues Challenge and bouncing onto the international scene.

Since then she has accrued awards and accolades galore, including three Blues Music Award wins, a prestigious Mississippi Arts Commission Folk Arts Fellowship, a featured performance on NPR’s Weekend Edition, and a million streams for her classic-in-the-making original, “Better This Way.” Her new album Getaway Blues, a collaboration with her UK-born life and musical partner Bob Dowell, presents nine original songs recorded in London with a four-piece band and was released last week by Yellow Dog Records. (IV-PR, 2024)

“Well let’s make a record while we’re there,” thought Delta born-and-raised singer and pianist Eden Brent, while planning a trip to a party in London. Brent’s husband, British trombonist and bassist, Bob Dowell, then called on two of his finest studio musician friends to accompany Eden on what would become Getaway Blues. 

Getaway Blues continues Eden’s lifelong devotion to the Blues with a collection of originals that play to her many strengths: driving blues, double-entendre, and riffing piano, balanced by introspective ballads such as the heart-on-sleeve triumph “You on My Mind,” sung with the natural phrasing of a true Southerner. Produced and co-written by Dowell, Getaway Blues symbolizes the musical union that Eden and Bob have created.

The recording facility that Brent and Dowell found for the project, Fish Factory Studio, was suitably funky and led to some of the quickest tracking Eden has ever done. “They say cleanliness is next to Godliness,” says Eden. “And I’m no saint! Most of the studios that I’ve felt comfortable in were like Piety Street in New Orleans [where she made Ain’t Got No Troubles]. Real lived in. That’s the way this place was. It used to be a fish factory! It felt real cozy…We knocked it out in two days!” 

Back in the States, Grammy-winning engineer Matt Ross-Spang gave the record a Memphis mix, one as down to earth as the sessions. “We did something that you can easily take on the road,” says Eden with pride. “What you hear is what you’re gonna get.”