In this episode, Dr. Adams sits down with national blues dance instructor Jennifer Delk to discuss ways to view teaching, what might make a good teacher versus what makes a good social dancer, competitor, or performer, how to get people creating, overcoming the fear of “looking dumb,” and more. If you’re a student, an organizer, or maybe most importantly, someone who’s thought about teaching a dance class, this is a great episode for you. Guest: Jennifer DelkLink to Website: spinsta.net Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

The Utah Blues Festival is Utah's premier event for the latest and greatest blues musicians to perform in Salt Lake City, and it's celebrating it's 10th anniversary in 2026. Dr. Adams and Tripp Hopkins, the founder and organizer of the Utah Blues Festival and co-founder of the Utah Blues Society, sit down to talk about what it takes to run a blues festival successfully and how to help it continue happening in this and other communities.    Guest: Tripp HopkinsLink to Website: https://www.utahbluesfest.org/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

Dr. Adams sits down with the 2026 Winner of the International Blues Challenge & 2026 Best Guitarist of International Blues Challenge, Derrick Dove. They discuss his time at the IBC; his love of music and how he creates his style; and his band, Derrick Dove and the Peacekeepers. Make sure to stay tuned to the end for a special "post-interview" conversation, inclusive of our regular podcast episode quality-checker, Boomer the Cat.  Guest: Derrick DoveLink to Website: https://derrickdove.com/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

Dr. Adams sits down with Devin C. Williams, runner up for the 2026 Solo/Duo Division at the International Blues Challenge (IBC). They talk about the Delta Blues, his favorite Delta Blues musicians, the mixing of blues and Christianity, his experience at the IBC, and more.    Guest: Devin C. WilliamsLink to Website: https://www.dcwblues.com/ Link to Purchase Music: https://devincwilliams.bandcamp.com/  Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

The blues has inspired many things, whether new genres of music, dance, or works of art. But as today's guest regularly reminds us, perhaps the most important part of all of it is that the blues inspires people. It helps people learn, grow, and find themselves in their community. In this episode, Dr. Chelsea Adams sits down with award-winning children's book author Alice Faye Duncan to discuss her newest children's book on blues, Blues Boy: The B.B. King Story, as well as her previous book on blues, Yellow Dog Blues.  Guest: Alice Faye DuncanLink to her Website: https://alicefayeduncan.com/Links to Purchase Books: Blues Boy: The B.B. King Story Yellow Dog Blues Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

To start off 2026, Dr. Chelsea Adams features a blues festival supporting mental health resources in her hometown of Ogden, Utah. In this episode, she features artists Sun Tiger, Carrie Scott, and Tony Holiday along with community members and attendees.    Guests: Sandra Hohmann, Sun Tiger, Carrie Scott, Tony Holiday, and Various Ogden Community MembersLink to the Mitten Durch Festival: https://www.facebook.com/MittenDurchfest/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

Dr. Justin McLendon, a professor of theology at Grand Canyon University and department chair for the Master of Arts programs for Grand Canyon Theological Seminary, joins Dr. Adams to discuss his chapter in his edited collection Theology and the Blues, part of a series from Lexington Books on Theology, Religion, and Pop Culture. They cover everything from philosophy and Civil Rights to lamentation and Christianity in the blues.    Guest: Dr. Justin McLendonLink to the Edited Collection: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/theology-and-the-blues-9781978714588/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

Join Dr. Adams as she gets to know the lead band members of the multi-award winning blues band Piper and the Hard Times. They talk building relationships as musicians, genre and how they view the blues, and the songwriting process for the band and their new album. And for dancers, they've got a unique opportunity! Guests: Al "Piper" Green, Steve Eagon, and Dave ColellaWebsite: https://www.piperandthehardtimes.com/ Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

Al Chesis and his Delta Sonics played the Sunday set at Mile High Blues 2025. While they didn't have a chance to sit down and talk live, Al and Dr. Adams sat down before the event to talk about his career, life, and blues music. Guest: Al ChesisWebsite: www.deltasonics.net/home    Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.

Join Rex Peoples and Dr. Adams as they discuss blues music and dance, culture, and take audience questions in this live recording from Mile High Blues.    Guest: Rex PeoplesWebsite: www.rexpeoples.com   Produced by Dr. Chelsea AdamsPost-Production by Jeremy Carberry   12-Bar Talk is brought to you from Ogden, Utah's "Junction City" full of blues and jazz history on Historic 25th Street. You can learn more about Ogden's rich black history at https://www.visitogden.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-in-ogden-utah/.