This is part of our ongoing series on musicians who perform in The Berkshires.
Formed in 1999, Berkshire County-based Misty Blues plays original and traditional blues with hints of jazz, soul, funk, and tent revival gospel. The band is led by lead singer/band founder Gina Coleman. The spark for Gina’s musical career came shortly after graduating from Williams College in 1990 when a co-worker “double-dared” her to sing at an open-mic night in a Pittsfield Bar. Her rendition of Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz” won the night, unlocking a passion that has lasted over 30 years. Gina received additional encouragement after she performed as a gospel singer in the 1999 Williamstown Theatre Festival production of A Raisin In The Sun. Actor Ruben Santiago Hudson told her that her voice was well suited for the blues and urged her to pursue the blues genre. That inspired Gina to form Misty Blues, now entering its 25th year. The band is a 2019 International Blues Challenge finalist and has recorded and/or opened for blues artists like Charles Neville, Tab Benoit, John Primer, Eric Gales, Roomful Of Blues, Joe Louis Walker, Kat Riggins, Shemekia Copeland, Justin Johnson, Albert Cummings, and Michael Powers.
Misty Blues is releasing their 14th album on November 24. Leading up to the album release, they will be performing at Studio 9 in North Adams on November 18. This week, I had the opportunity to catch up over Zoom with Gina to learn more about the new album, the upcoming performance, and other plans for 2024. I hope you enjoy our conversation, which has been lightly edited for clarity.
I understand that you have several exciting things coming up, including the release of your 14th album, Misty Blues Live at the Cavern Club, on Friday, November 24. The album was recorded during your recent tour in the UK. Can you tell us a little bit more about that tour and the album?
The UK tour was fantastic! It was our first time there, long overdue. And it was incredibly affirming. We had packed venues every night, and the audience was incredibly effusive. I think the one thing that really shocked me and the other members of the band was how much of our earlier repertoire that audiences knew. We would regularly get requests, such as “We were hoping you would do this song,” and I’m like, “Oh, my God, that’s off of our sixth album – I’ve long forgotten that song.” We’ve been putting out music digitally worldwide, but it’s playing here almost exclusively in the States. It’s harder to get a sense of how many folks elsewhere are consuming our music. And so that was wonderful. The algorithms on Spotify show that we have a huge fan base in Croatia – maybe that’s the next tour. Wow. Yeah.
Is there anything else about the tour that you’d like to share?
I think the biggest takeaway was audience reactions and how different they are (from here in the States). It’s a listening audience. They’re really quiet. People aren’t coming out to venues to have side conversations. They’re out to really listen to the music. And then, as soon as we finish the song, everything erupts. But it was initially a little awkward. I’m like, “Oh, they don’t think they like us.” And then, as soon as the first song was done, I realized they were listening – that’s what they’re doing. So, that was great.
We opened the tour at the 100 Club in London. And then, we closed the tour at the Blues Kitchen in Manchester. I think Manchester was one of the last places that Sister Rosetta Tharpe played during her famous tour in the 60s – she’s one of my favorite blues artists. There’s this great video of her at this decommissioned train station in Manchester, where she comes in riding on a horse and buggy on a rainy day. She comes out in her full coat with the fur on the collar. And she comes out and rips her SG [Gibson guitar], then plays “Didn’t It Rain.” It was so iconic. So to play Manchester – that was pretty fun for me.
We played at The Cavern Club the night before, on July 3. That was incredible – just to be in that iconic space. It was a great crowd. And then, when we got back to our rental home after the show, we received an email from the recording engineer. He said that he recorded a multitrack and asked if we wanted it. Yes, Yes! I was a little fearful. In my mind, we were firing on all cylinders. Do I want to dispel it and actually listen to it? [Gina laughs] But of course, we had to. And it was better than I had imagined. We were just in the moment. And a lot of the beauty of Misty Blues live is how extemporaneous we can get. I am on my heels on that stage with my musicians. I don’t know what’s going to come next.
I also understand you have the Misty Blues 25th Anniversary Bermuda Cruise coming up this summer from July 19 – 26, departing from Boston. Can you tell us a little bit about the cruise and how it came about?
The travel agent who booked all of our arrangements to get out to the UK was approached by someone from Norwegian Cruise Line. They asked if she was familiar with a band that would be interested in doing a tour. And she called and said, “I’ve got a great opportunity for you.” And I’m like, “Really? Okay.” She says, “Do you want to do a cruise?” And then she said it was Norwegian, I’m like, “Oh my god, I thought it was going to be Bob’s cruise line.”
The timing is perfect because we’re entering our 25th anniversary year. So we’re doing a special package, the Misty Blues 25th Anniversary Cruise. We will be performing six of the seven nights during the cruise. And we’re going to do all of our different shows in different venues throughout the ship. We’ll do our “Queens of the Blues” tribute show that pays tribute to Bessie Smith, Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor, and Ruth Brown. We’ll do our Roadhouse Revival gospel blues show, and we’ll do our Tribute to Odetta show. And then we’ll also do a 25th-anniversary blowout show of fan-favorite original songs from our entire 25 years together. Then we’ll have a couple of smaller trio/quartet pool-side pop-up shows.
You also have a performance coming up on Saturday, November 18, at Studio 9 in North Adams. Can you tell us a little bit about that performance and what we might expect there?
Yes, we’re returning to Studio 9. The last time we were there was in May when we recorded our Live tribute to Odetta, which is our 13th album – the second album this year. And so we are just absolutely thrilled to get back there. We thought it might be fun to do our Roadhouse Revival gospel blues show – so it’s gospel music, as you would hear in a juke joint. It’s not too churchy, but a lot of fun!
Will you have your normal band members for that performance?
Yes, including my son Diego, who plays with the band as much as possible. He’s a third-year student at Williams College, a music major. In fact, Diego has his own blues band. He competed regionally [in Albany] for a chance to compete in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis this coming January. And they won, so we’re going to Memphis in January!
Diego will be in the Roadhouse Revival show, as well as special guest Chantelle McFarland, who joins us to add some extra vocal muscle and a fine tambourine. The balance of the evening’s line-up includes Seth Fleischmann on guitar, David Vittone on keys, Aaron Dean on saxophone, and Rob Tatten on drums.
Your last album, Tell Me Who You Are: A Live Tribute to Odetta, has been number 1 for the last 12 weeks on The Roots Music Report’s Top 50 Traditional Folk Album Chart. What is it about this album that has particularly resonated with listeners?
Odetta is fantastic. I’ve always called it [the album] a passion project because I met Odetta in the early 90s at the Bottom Line club in New York City, which no longer exists. I was a guest of Arlo [Guthrie] for his performance there. I was seated at this reserved table with the manager of the band that I had before Misty Blues, called Cold Connection. I look up at the door, and this woman comes in, she and her companion. And she looks really familiar, super familiar. And I’m tracking her and watching her be escorted right to our table, and they seat her right next to me. I just gave her a nod and looked away because I was still trying to figure out who this woman was. And then, as the table filled up, there was a woman across the table who said, “Why don’t we go around and introduce ourselves?” And she points to me, and so then it goes clockwise so that the last person to introduce themselves is this woman. And she says in this most Odetta voice [Gina imitates Odetta], “Hello, I’m Odetta.” Oh, my God! I don’t even know how I managed to stay upright!
Before the show started, a woman from the audience came rushing up to the table, screaming, “Do you remember me? Do you remember me?” And Odetta turned to her and said, “Child, I’m too old for games. Tell me who you are.” So that’s why I named the album Tell Me Who You Are: A Live Tribute To Odetta.
That’s a great story!
At the end of the evening, Arlo asked everyone to stand up and sing his father’s song, “This Land Is Your Land.” And I had forgotten at this point that I was sitting next to Odetta. And I started singing out in my full voice, before realizing where I was and who I was next to, and I said to myself, “Oh, my gosh, shut your trap.” And I turned halfway to her, and she locked her eyes on me and gave me this really regal nod of approval, and then the two of us linked into the most amazing harmonies together. My voice was much higher then, so it was a great blend. And so, for many years on my resume, I had “sang with Odetta.”
But upon releasing this album, it became very clear to me that no one else had done a tribute to Odetta since her passing – not a full album. I did an interview with Radio Memphis as the album was released, and the interviewer said, “I was looking, and I don’t think anyone’s done a full album.” I said, “Yeah, I know, I’m realizing this too. That’s crazy.” He says, “No, it’s not crazy, it just wasn’t meant for anyone other than you to do.” So I think the album is stirring people because it’s one of the first, if not the first, tributes to Odetta.
I understand you moved to The Berkshires to attend Williams College and then ended up staying in the area. You started your musical career at the end of your time at Williams and later started your career in education after receiving your Master’s from MCLA and Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska. What made you decide to make The Berkshires your home, and what keeps you here?
Soon after graduating from Williams, I met a fine Dalton boy. And that was it [Gina laughs]. And so we decided to make our home and start our family here. I grew up in the projects of the South Bronx, and my life was so tenuous back then. I wasn’t eager to go back – so I made my roots here.
I have an incredible, incredible husband [Michael Mongue] who is an artist and has done all of our album covers. He really got to know me when I was performing. We courted for 10 years – he says he was my roadie for 10 years [Gina laughs]. However you want to put it, I think we were meant to be. He recognizes how passionate I am about music and does everything he possibly can to ensure that he supports me in a way that I can continue to follow that passion.
So music is somewhat of a family affair – In addition to your husband creating the artwork for your albums, your son Diego Mongue plays with the Misty Blues and also has started several bands of his own – the Diego Mongue Band and GrossMongue. I imagine it is very rewarding to have your family involved in your musical journey. Can you tell us a little bit more about that?
It’s great – creating music and having a creative camp in your household. You need a team to do this on the level that we’ve been doing this at for as many years as we’ve been doing it. But it really is very rewarding to see your own child take an interest in the things that you’re really passionate about. I don’t think it’s any different than if I was a lawyer, and my child wanted to be a lawyer, and we’re in a practice together.
I love creating music with him. We’ve been writing music together a lot lately. Diego is a monster in terms of his musical ability – he’s a multi-instrumentalist and composer, and he has these really out-of-the-box ideas for infusing new things into blues music that I never have previously thought of. He has shown us that we can still honor the traditions of the genre of music and still flirt with other genres that the band members are drawn to as well. Outside The Lines, our last original album, in its title, tells you what is going on: we are stepping outside of the lines of the genre. It is still categorically a contemporary blues album, but we’re leaning into funk and jazz and Latin music and all sorts of bizarre licks. And so the blues purists out there may not care for this. In fact, I know there are a few that don’t. But I don’t care at this point.
The Berkshires have historically been known for its classical and folk music scene and less so for the blues. Yet you’ve built a large fan base here and have been one of the most prolific performers in Berkshire County this year, with over 35 performances in the County since we launched Music in the Berkshires in March. Do you think that interest in the Blues in the county is growing?
I don’t know if it’s growing for blues, but I’m hoping The Berkshires is growing for live music in general. I’m a firm believer that if you produce good quality music, regardless of the genre, people will enjoy it. Is that crazy?
What are your hopes for the future of live music in The Berkshires, and particularly the Blues music scene?
In terms of hopes, I want more and more venues. That’s very self-serving. But back when I first started performing in the early 90s, there were so many venues here in the County. My former band Cold Connection played regularly three to four nights a week. There were weekday venues where people just came out and danced and had a great time until the wee hours. There were so many more venues and opportunities for musicians to hone their craft. I would like a resurgence.
Other than the upcoming album and next summer’s cruise, can you tell is what is coming next for Misty Blues? Do you have any other albums in the works or tours planned?
Our 15th album is written. I write all the time – I have this little piggy bank I drop all these songs into. We’re ready to get going and record the 15th album, which will be exclusively original material. That’s really our wheelhouse. Two of the albums that we released this year were aberrant for us: one was a live recording, and one was a tribute album. Those were ventures we had never done before. In fact, the Odetta album was our first live album, our first acoustic album, and our first tribute album. So maybe those three things also contributed to the buzz about that album. But yes, coming into our 25th anniversary year, we will be recording and releasing our 15th album.
Is there anything else that I did not ask that you’d like to share with our readers?
We’ve had the great fortune with two of the three releases this year of being recognized and put on the ballot for seven possible Grammy nominations. So that’s really, really incredible. We’re so thankful.
Outside the Lines is under consideration in six categories: Contemporary Blues Album, American Roots Performance for “I Don’t Sleep,” American Roots Song for “Where Your Blues Come From,” which I wrote with Diego, Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical for our producer Marc Swersky, Music Video, for Granville T., which was shot in the EJ Hill roller coaster exhibit at MASS MoCA, and Album Notes, written by Elizabeth Gardner, a dear friend of mine from my college days at Williams College who is an incredible writer and really captured the story behind many of the tracks that I wrote. It’s a brilliant piece of work, so I hope she gets recognized as well.
The Odetta album is up for Folk Album, which is interesting. If we were to garner that nomination, it would be funny: a blues band of 25 years puts out their first folk album, and that’s when they get recognized [Gina Laughs].
You can learn more about Misty Blues at mistybluesband.com. You can find their music on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook.