Don’t let the straightforward, down-to-earth aesthetic of Jontavious Willis’ music lead you to think that there is little complexity or depth to his art. Indeed, Willis exemplifies making something that isn’t really easy at all seem like a stroll down a country road in his native Georgia hill country. He is also well versed in the history and dynamics of his style of blues. From a recent post on his social media, for example, he said:
Ethnomusicologist Pete Lowry coined the term "Piedmont Blues" in the 1960s to describe a certain type of fingerpicking. But in my opinion, many of the titles are flawed. John Hurt and Hacksaw Harney, for example, were from the Delta. Even though they were great fingerpickers, they weren’t from the Piedmont region. Conversely, Barbecue Bob and Kokomo Arnold were from the Piedmont region of Georgia, and most of their styles could be associated with Delta blues. These terms are cool guidelines, but they aren’t concrete. I’m a Piedmont player because that’s where I’m from—the Piedmont region of Georgia.
I spoke with Jontavious Willis at MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC in late April, 2026, where he performed solo, and also guested with Peter Wernick on his set. We talked about his style of blues and how it intersects with other genres, like bluegrass. We also talk about his relationship to the music of Doc Watson, the importance of connecting with his fans and how young musicians are keeping the blues alive and well. Willis’ latest album is West Georgia Blues, and we sample songs from that collection in this episode, as well as music from Doc Watson and Taj Mahal.
Songs heard in this episode:
“West Georgia Blues” by Jontavious Willis, from West Georgia Blues
“Country Blues” by Doc Watson, from Doc Watson, excerpt
“Goin’ Up To the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue” by Taj Mahal, from The Natch’l Blues, excerpt
“Keep Your Worries on the Dance Floor” by Jontavious Willis, from West Georgia Blues
This is where I thank you for taking this musical journey with us and ask you to follow this series wherever you listen to podcasts, and to connect with us on social media, and Substack. This episode is no different, but one thing that is about to change is the future direction of Southern Songs and Stories. This is the third in a series of four interviews from artists at this year’s MerleFest, and next up is Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show. Beyond that, I am debating on what to do with the podcast. I hope to keep it going, maybe in a different format, but the current chapter of the series is soon coming to a close. There have been some big life changes for me recently which make me realize that I simply won’t be able to spend all the time I devote to this series as you’re hearing it now. But rest assured that I am not leaving music and podcasts and writing and will come to the next chapter of this story before long. In the meantime, there are close to 200 episodes in the series that you can still enjoy, for free, wherever you listen to podcasts, as well as that conversation with Ketch up next. Ketch is never not entertaining, so it’s sure to be worth your time. - Joe Kendrick