Big Poppa E and the E Band

After a three-decade career providing percussion and other background sounds for iconic artists like Ike and Tina Turner, Bill Withers, and John Prine, Big Poppa E felt a change coming. Thus, in 2000, he switched tracks, returning to his roots in the blues with the release of his second album, The First Time Out. It was a ten-track disc of original material that mined E's intimate knowledge of Delta, jazz, and gospel traditions. Moreover, it helped establish the 61-year-old guitarist, singer, and mouth harpist as one of South Florida's preeminent bluesmen, setting the standard for a period of constant gigging, recording, and growth. A short time later, in 2003, Big Poppa E founded the Miami-based independent label Black Owl Music, creating a home for work by local and national artists — including Iko Iko, Deblois, and Diablo Dimes — as well as five of his own albums. All the while, E's kept up a nonstop touring schedule, constantly hitting South Florida live-music spots such as Tobacco Road, Dada, and the Downtowner. Every Sunday, he visits Tryst, alongside his E Band, bringing the blues back with an early evening set of deep and gritty tunes.