Ghost Town Blues Band Bio
Shine debuts at #1 on Billboard Blues Chart
"With a shoot-from-the-hip Memphis attitude,
and a STAX-busting explosion of modern blues vision, GTBB represents a welcome
changing of the guard." -Living
Blues Magazine
GTBB's new album Shine debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. Recently headlining the blues stage at The Montreal Jazz Festival and appearing at The Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland, Beale Street’s latest success story, Tennessee Music Award Winner, 5-time Blues Blast Music Award Nominee and International Blues Challenge Runner-up is Ghost Town Blues Band. Not your grandpa’s blues band, their live show has been captivating audiences in the U.S., Canada and Europe with their "second-line horn entrance," cigar box guitars and electric push brooms to Allman Brothers style jams. The band's stage show and energy is unparalleled and has been called the best new, live blues shows in the world.
Horns, harmonies and homegrown instruments combined with an energetic and roots rich festival set makes Ghost Town Blues Band one of the “must see live bands on the festival scene today.” Both Garrett Marshall behind the drums and Matt Karner on the bass guitar are a punishing rhythm section behind multi-instrumentalist/frontman Matt Isbell with raunchy cigar box guitar licks and raspy "Dr. John-like, whiskey and gravel-soaked vocals." With the addition of Grayson Smith on B3, the grooves go from fresh to funky as the band gains more notoriety in the blues festival and Roots circuit. Ghost Town Blues Band has performed all across US, Europe and Canada at over 150+ festivals and will announce more than a half-dozen international tours in in 2025.
“GTBB shows what
can happen when the past is distilled through young sensibilities, voices, and
instruments. This is 21st century blues at its best.” -Living Blues Magazine
2025 Best of Memphis runner-up (Best Original Band)
2023 2nd place international songwriting competition (-shine)
2022 B.B. King International Entertainer of the Year Nominee - Maple Blues Awards (Canada)
2020 WINNER - B.B. King International Entertainer of the Year - Maple Blues Awards (Canada)
2019 #1 Billboard Blues Album Chart
2019 Independent Music Award Nominee - "Best Live Album"
2019 B.B. King International Entertainer of the Year Nominee - Maple Blues Awards (Canada)
2018 Tennessee Music Award Winner "Best Blues Band"
2018 B.B. King International Entertainer of the Year Nominee - Maple Blues Awards (Canada)
2018 3-Time Blues Blast Music Award Nominee
"Best Live Blues Album" - "Best Rock Blues Album" - "Best Blues Band"
2018 #4 Billboard Blues Album Chart for Backstage Pass
2018 #6 Billboard Heatseekers South Central Chart for Backstage Pass
2018 #13 Roots Music Report Contemporary Blues Song Chart - Shine
