JODY CARROLL

Biography

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Jody Carroll is an acclaimed , award winning blues and roots songwriter, master fingerstyle/slide guitarist  & visual artist whose performances blur the lines between tradition, storytelling, and improvisation. Drawing from the deep wells of blues, folk, mountain music, jazz, rock, and soul, Carroll creates a powerful and deeply personal musical experience that feels both timeless and entirely his own.

Born and raised in California's San Joaquin Delta, where the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and Old Rivers converge on their way to San Francisco Bay, Carroll grew up immersed in the rhythms of rural life. Working on the family farm, building barns, riding horses, and exploring old records, he absorbed the sounds of American roots music from an early age. His first instrument was his father's forgotten steel guitar, discovered in an attic and secretly taught to himself before learning folk songs and slide techniques directly from his father.

The music of old country radio, Delta blues, and traditional folk laid the foundation, but discovering Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music and the recordings of Robert Johnson set Carroll on a lifelong journey into the heart of what he calls "old weird o’ America." That journey continues to shape his music today.

Over the course of his career, Carroll has toured internationally and shared stages with an extraordinary roster of artists including Buddy Guy, Honey Boy Edwards, Louisiana Red, R.L. Burnside, Johnny Winter, John Mayall, George Thorogood, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, Robert Cray, Charlie Musselwhite, Sonny Landreth, Eddie Kirkland, Leo "Bud" Welch, Canned Heat, Roy Book Binder, Robyn Trower, Robert Earl Keen, John McEuen, Ural Thomas, Shemekia Copeland, and many others. He received critical acclaim for his appearances at MerleFest in 2018 and 2021 and completed a celebrated five-city Japanese tour in support of his album Old Blood through Osaka-based BSMF Records, where he continues to be represented.

Beyond the stage, Carroll holds a Master's Degree in Fine Art with an emphasis in painting and has taught at the university level. His artwork is held in numerous private collections. He is also a passionate advocate for American musical heritage, having organized major concerts, lectures, and educational programs exploring the history of blues, folk, and traditional music, including tributes to legendary folklorist Harry Smith and the enduring legacy of Robert Johnson.

No Depression called him "a new blues artist we now can't live without," while KBOO Radio described his music as "daring, original, deep, sweet, dark, and exciting." The Oregonian praised his "spellbinding yarns," noting his ability to conjure entire worlds armed with nothing more than a guitar and voice. His acclaimed release Get Inside This House was voted Best Independent Blues Release of the Year by the International Blues Foundation.

Whether performing haunting Delta blues, reimagined folk songs, or his own original compositions, Jody Carroll brings authenticity, virtuosity, and a storyteller's heart to every stage. His music honors the past while fearlessly carving its own path forward—deep as the Delta waters he grew up beside and as enduring as the American traditions that inspire him.

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Jody has organized many large concerts and has lectured at universities and private functions regarding the history of American music and the creative process.  Robert Johnson 101 Years Concert,  One event in particular was a 2 part series of tribute shows and lectures dedicated to the late great music historian Harry Smith and his world bending Anthology of American Folk Music. 

The event Blog:

http://deadpanfolk.blogspot.com/

Lecture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dIIqK_nW64

Press:

"No cliché stuff here. No predictable, typical blues slock here - only smart, eloquent, modern music that is at the same time well soaked in old weird American traditional music.  Daring, original, deep, sweet, dark, exciting are some of the adjectives that come to ones mind when listening to him. You are greeted with a whirlwind of sounds that he creates with his guitar and voice. Deep as the wood’s and delta where he comes from, dark as the river water he grew up swimming in and uplifting as the traditional American melodies and stories he was raised with.." 

Kboo Radio host Steve Murray and Brad Brenner. 

‘Get Inside This House’ voted Best Independent Blues Release of the Year by the International Blues Foundation of Memphis.

"His fingerpicking and slide skills amaze and challenge listeners while his moving vocals draw them into the world of a true story teller.."
Cascade Blues Association Portland, OR 2006

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Oregonian - spellbinding yarns – Oregonian

"spellbinding yarns. In among the mischievous spirits and tortured souls, He plays mystic, conjuring up the dark side of the heart armed only with a guitar and voice. You have to wonder if he didn't strike the same deal as Delta shaman Robert Johnson.."