There are people who can play the blues, and people who can talk about the blues. Mississippi blues performer-lecturer Steve Cheseborough does both, masterfully.

He brings to life the acoustic country blues of the 1920s and '30s in the tradition of Blind Boy Fuller, Memphis Minnie, Charley Patton, Robert Johnson and Bo Carter – by re-creating the music and recounting the lives, legends and lore of the fascinating men and women who created the blues, and the land they came from.

Cheseborough (pronounced CHEZZ-bro) learns a song off a scratchy old 78 and re-creates it loud and clear, here and now, preserving the spirit and intricacies of the original while making it his own. He sings from the heart, accompanying himself on antique-style guitars that look as beautiful as they sound. He adds touches of harmonica and percussion to his spellbinding one-man act.

He holds a master's in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi, and has lectured on blues topics at academic conferences. His performances on riverboats and at festivals, museums, schools, nightclubs and private events combine stories, history and live performance.