STEVE HOWELL AND THE MIGHTY MEN
9 p.m. The Afterthought.
Texas native Steve Howell became entranced by the blues when, as a youngster, he heard the warm, laid-back singing and supremely deft fingerpicking of the great Mississippi John Hurt.
According to Howell’s bio, that initial spark led the way to a lifelong obsession with country blues and early jazz. Howell has honed his considerable guitar-playing skills over several decades of playing solo and with other performers, plying his trade for some time in the Shreveport scene.
He’s got a new CD out called “Yes, I Believe I Will” that features Howell and some veteran backing players who’ll be familiar to many Central Arkansas observers: Dave Hoffpauir on drums, Jason Weinheimer on keys and Chris Michaels on guitar. The new CD includes 10 covers, ranging from blues and folk classics (“I Know You Rider,” “Keep Your Lamps Trimmed and Burning”) to doo wop (“Mr. Blue”) and more recent numbers (“Wasted Mind” by bluegrass great Danny Barnes).
Isaac Alexander opens the show.