[Cover photo credit to Doug Birkenhauer and Birkenhauer Photography]

Grammy nominated in 2023 for their Chicago homestyle tribute to the Blues, Into the Little Blue House, the multicultural, Chicago-based duo Wendy and DB are revisiting the Blues with a dive into traditional acoustic styles on their sixth family album, Back Home, set for release July 5, 2024.

Produced by Grammy and Blues Music Award winner Michael Freeman and Wendy Morgan, co-produced by Darryl “DB” Boggs and Grammy winner Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, the album showcases the talents of Blues players from Memphis, Austin, and Chicago. Back Home is “dedicated to simplicity, self-love, and freedom.”

The team traveled to the original home of the blues, Memphis, Tennessee, to collaborate with Blues Music Award winning guitarist/singer/songwriter Doug MacLeod, traditional Delta blues vocalist Libby Rae Watson, and multiple Grammy nominee Shardé Thomas and her Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band. Shardé Thomas is the granddaughter of Otha Turner, one of the best-known exponents of the African American fife and drum tradition.

In Austin, Texas, Wendy and DB recorded with three-time Grammy nominee Ruthie Foster, whose work travels through a variety of genres. When Wendy and DB returned to Chicago, many Blues musicians from Into The Little Blue House contributed their talents to Back Home, including harmonica player Billy Branch, Grammy-winning drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith, and guitarist Mike Wheeler.

Wendy Morgan says:

Through unplugged arrangements and heartfelt performances, we wanted Back Home to evoke a sense of nostalgia and warmth, and I really think we’ve achieved that.

From Darryl “DB” Boggs’ perspective:

Sitting on their front porches, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature, I found music in the simple moments of life. Back Home takes me back to those cherished memories that reflect the essence of my upbringing.