Blues! Sue Foley - One Guitar Woman

Two of the blues world's most compelling guitarists share one stage for a night that spans continents, traditions, and decades of six-string devotion. Sue Foley brings the elegance and fire of Texas blues rooted in the female pioneers who came before her, while Jack Hadley channels the soul of Haight-Ashbury, Denver backrooms, and international festival stages into every note. Together, they deliver a blues experience that is both intimate and electrifying — the kind of night that reminds you why this music endures.

Full bar on premises; Plenty of free parking; Lyft and Uber friendly!

is a multi-award-winning blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Her latest release, One Guitar Woman: A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar, was nominated for the 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Traditional Blues Album. On it, Foley delivers a masterclass in acoustic guitar, honoring the trailblazing women who shaped the instrument’s history—from Maybelle Carter and Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Ida Presti and Lydia Mendoza. Foley’s guitar tone—whether drawn from her signature pink paisley Fender Telecaster or a handmade Mexican flamenco guitar—is a voice unto itself: lyrical, commanding, and unmistakably hers. With painted fingernails and pinpoint precision, she fuses fiery Texas blues with delicate fingerstyle flourishes, channeling a poet’s sense of purpose through every note. Raised in Ottawa, Canada, Foley was drawn to the guitar at 13 and performing professionally by 16. After relocating to Austin, Texas in her early 20s, she signed with Antone’s Records—home to legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan—and released her 1992 debut, Young Girl Blues, to widespread acclaim. She has since toured internationally and shared stages with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, and Billy F Gibbons, earning her place among the top tier of modern blues artists. A five-time winner of the Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist (2020–2025), Foley also holds a Juno Award, the 2024 Maple Blues “Blues With a Feeling” Lifetime Achievement Award, and numerous other honors. She is not only a performer but a scholar: her forthcoming book, Guitar Women: Conversations with the Heroines of Guitar (Sutherland House, 2026), chronicles her interviews with groundbreaking female players. Foley also holds a PhD in Musicology from York University. Her performances—stripped-down or electrified—exude conviction, grace, and grit. As The Philadelphia Inquirer put it, “Foley has a killer voice, an impossibly alluring blend of sex and innocence to go with those blazing guitar chops.” With One Guitar Woman, she opens new musical and historical territory, affirming that women have always had a place in the pantheon of guitar greats. “We’ve been here all along,” she says. “Now we’re claiming it.”

suefoley.com

Jack Hadley was born in the Philippines into a military family. When they returned to America, they were stationed in San Francisco where he spent his childhood in the Haight-Ashbury district. Jack's mother bought him an acoustic guitar at an early age to keep him busy. The family eventually moved to Denver, Colorado, where he learned to play music by ear, playing everything from Hendrix to Dylan, unaware that he was learning the foundation of American music – the Blues.

Jack played in a number of bands, sharpening his guitar skills and discovering his vocal talent along the way. He began performing as a solo artist and played countless shows as a hired gun. In 2005, Jack decided to focus on writing and performing his own blues-based material with his trio, The Jack Hadley Band. That same year he was playing at a local club when he was approached by blues veteran Otis Taylor, who happened to be in the audience. For the next 18 months, Jack was Taylor’s lead guitarist, playing festivals and shows all over the USA, Canada and the United Kingdom. He appears on Otis Taylor’s 2007 Telarc release “Definition Of A Circle” playing lead guitar and lap steel. Notable musicians on this recording include ex-Thin Lizzy axeman Gary Moore and blues harmonica legend Charlie Musselwhite. In November, 2006 he recorded two songs with keyboard wizard Steve McQuarry at the legendary Hyde Street Studios in San Francisco including his revolutionary track “You & Me”. Some of Jack’s notable performances include: live on the BBC in London with Otis Taylor | Blues From The Top | BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups | Brighton Blues Blast | Snowy Range Music Festival | The Rauma Blues Festival in Rauma, Finland, backed by the St. Louis Blues All-Stars featuring keyboardist Bob Lohr, bassist Terry Coleman and drummer Keith Robinson. “The St. Louis Sessions” was released in October, 2014, on San Telmo Media. “Daybreak In Alabama - The Langston Hughes Project” was released in July 2020. This project features songs written by Jack, based on the poetry of Langston Hughes. Taj Mahal bassist Bill Rich holds down the bottom end, along with drummer Bill Larson and jazz guitarist Rich Gibbins.

jackhadleymusic.net

Full bar on premises; Plenty of free parking; Lyft and Uber friendly!

Roots Music Project Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit local music incubator based in Boulder, Colorado. We believe in the power of music to make the world a better place. All music starts locally. We empower artists, fans, and venues to connect and create a thriving and inspiring local music scene.

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Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Boulder, United States

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