At 44 years old Bill Abel has learned blues first hand from musicians he has known throughout his life. Born and raised in the Mississippi Delta town of Belzoni, Bill has played with blues legends such as Honey boy Edwards, Henry Townsend, Hubert Sumlin, Big George Brock and local blues musicians such as T-Model Ford, Sam Carr, Cadillac John, Monroe Jones, Davis Lee Durham, Tommy Hollis, WH Lowe and most notably the late recording artist and W. C. Handy Award nominee, Paul “Wine” Jones. Paul traveled extensively playing blues across the world from Europe to Japan. Paul Jones has been a major influence on Bill’s music. “I met Paul Jones when I was young, while trying to learn how to play blues in Belzoni.”

Almost 25 years later Bill has had the privilege of playing authentic Delta blues with many bluesmen in may different settings from juke joints to Blues Festivals across the Delta, northeast and Midwest United States to Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and England. These experiences have been used in Bill’s recorded music along with the influences of traditional delta music in the 20’s and 30’s. He will be glad to perform music from this era. The music of Charlie Patton, Tommy Johnson, Son House, Skip James, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, junior Kimbrough, RL Burnside, Paul Jones, Cadillac John, Son Thomas, Elmore James, and many others will be played upon request. Bill will also be glad to share his experiences of growing up in the Delta.

Bill has been written up in French, Belgian, British, and Italian publications. In 2004 he taught the blues guitar workshop at the 2nd Annual International Blues Symposium with national recording artist Cory Harris. He has had the privilege of opening up for Pinetop Perkins and will be a featured performer in a film about Club Ebony by film maker Bob Mugge.

Today Bill plays with legendary drummer Sam Carr, Kenny Kimbrough of the Junior Kimbrough band, Terry Harmonica Bean, Cadillac John Nolden, Monroe Jones, George Brock, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, David Lee Durham and other local bluesmen. This past year Bill had the rare privilege of recording with Hubert Sumlin (Howling Wolf’s guitar player), and was recently awarded the 2006 Blues Musician of the Year presented by the Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola. Recordings include: “Live at the Longshot” with Sam Carr (Vocal and guitar), Cadillac John’s “Crazy About You” (guitar), George Brock’s WC handy nominated “Round Two” (guitar), George Brock’s “Live at 75” (guitar), Odell Harris’s “Searchin for Odell Harris” (guitar), George Brock’s “Hard Times” DVD (guitar), Wesley Jefferson and Terry William’s “Meet Me In The Cotton Field” (guitar), and many others.