Debbie Bond and Rick Asherson will play the Pell City Public Library on Wednesday at noon. Photo submitted

Pell City Public Library is pleased to welcome back guest musicians, Debbie Bond and Rick Asherson for a dynamic free Blues concert Wednesday at noon. 

After an over-the top, fully-scheduled tour of concerts in the United Kingdom this summer, and an amazing performance in September at the “Come to Gather Fest” in France, this talented duo is back in the United States.

This duo has made it their mission to ensure Blues music, and its history, is celebrated and remembered. Despite a busy schedule, they make sure to schedule events with the Alabama Blues Project.

Bond was the co-founder, and for many years the Executive Director, of the Alabama Blues Project, an award-winning organization founded in 1995 to promote and preserve Alabama’s outstanding blues heritage. This singer, guitar player and songwriter has played with many of the older, traditional Alabama blues musicians for over 30 years, including Johnny Shines, Eddie Kirkland, and Willie King in clubs, schools, and on festival stages. Her performance and association with mentor, Johnny Shines actually inspired the creation of the Alabama Blues Project.  

Bond made her musical debut in West Africa where she lived as a child with her anthropologist mother, and formed her first band in Brighton, England while attending college. In addition to her talent in music, Bond, is also an award-winning videographer who worked for Tuscaloosa-based Alabama Public Television. Many of the independent projects that she worked on there, in the 1980’s, are archived at the Smithsonian Institute.  More recently, she has presented live showcases of Alabama blues women. Her blues background has greatly influenced her musical style, richly flavoring her guitar playing, soulful voice, and musical writing.  

Her sound is also contemporary, embracing blues rock, soul and country. This unique synthesis comes through in her albums, “What Goes Around, Comes Around”; “Hearts Are Wild”, “That Thing Called Love,” and her 2016 release, “Enjoy the Ride.” Her latest release with Asherson, “Winds of Change,” was released in June.

Asherson has played harmonica, guitar, and piano since the 1960s in his native city of London, England. Since his move to Alabama in 2001, he has played keyboards and the harmonica with such blues greats as Willie King, Caroline Shines, Eddie Kirkland, Little Jimmy Reed, and B.J. Miller.  He has a background vocationally in computer programming, osteopathy, and non-profit administration. Asherson served as Assistant Director of the Alabama Blues Project from 2003 until 2011. His skill in grant-writing greatly enhanced the growth of the Alabama Blue Project, as did his creation and development of the Alabama Blues Project’s educational program, curriculum, and traveling exhibitions. He continues to instruct with the Alabama Blue Project’s award-winning after school programs and residencies.