Christopher Wyze & The Tellers Album "Naptown Blues" Review.

Artist: Christopher Wyze & The Tellers

Album: Naptown Blues

Released: 2026

Artist Website: https://christopherwyzeandthetellers.com/

This 11 song set titled Naptown Blues is primarily performed in a stripped down acoustic setting. It is the third album from Christopher Wyze & The Tellers to be released since 2024. The band's debut album, Stuck In The Mud, garnered some national attention in both the blues press and radio charts. To say the least, Wyze's output is consistent and plentiful. There are so many artists pushing the blues into the rock realm that it is refreshing to hear one that is not attempting to reinvent the wheel, but to just let it roll as it was originally intended. 

The title track Naptown Blues clocks in at 2:54. If The Beatles taught us anything it is get the point across in under three minutes and move on. The playing and the vocals on this track are all right where they are supposed to be. One thing about Wyze's vocal delivery is it always feels natural. He is not trying to push something out of his throat that just isn't in there, displaying a sense of confidence in what he has and not pretending to be something other than just that. 

Of course one cannot do a tribute to Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell without doing How Long - How Long Blues. It is one of those songs that has become a standard for a reason. To call it just a standard is an understatement. It needs to be in the mix with the likes of Sweet Home Chicago, Smokestack Lightning, Dust My Broom and a handful of other all time greats. This performance is highlighted by a couple of wonderful solos. The harp is about as melancholy as it gets and the guitar has the understated approach providing enough space to drive a truck through. Fantastic tone and delivery from all. 

Speaking of Sweet Home Chicago... Kokomo Blues seems to have been the inspiration for the Robert Johnson track. This is a song I have never heard prior to this recording. At first listen I thought it was a direct lift from the Robert Johnson classic, but after a quick google search it would appear to be the opposite. This version, like the entirety of this fine record, is done with grace and respect. I get the sense from my exposure to Christopher Wyze's earlier recordings coupled with Naptown that he is primarily a preservationist. Part of being an effective one is to do the songs justice, which this outfit does so at every turn.  

This is a well done tribute to the music of Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell. They were a couple of blues men based out of Indianapolis, also the hometown of Christopher Wyze & The Tellers, as well as legendary blues house The Slippery Noodle. In a cool twist, Wyze's rendition of these tracks was recorded just a couple of miles from where they were originally done in 1928. Wyze and the band do a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of not only Carr and Blackwell, but the more traditional blues as a whole. I suspect this will find a significant listener base of fans that enjoy the blues preservationists mindset. When music like this is done well it is truly timeless. Check it out on your favorite platform. A stroll down the paths of musical history is always time well spent!