The legendary Son House (1902-1988) was known to say “Blues is a feelin’.” Eli Cook’s music expresses that same raw honesty in a unique blend of contemporary and old-school styles, creating an original sound at the forefront of modern blues and rock.

Eli took up the guitar as a teenager in the Blue Ridge foothills of Virginia. Following the tradition of the great blues men, he performed in churches and late-night gospel revivals with only his acoustic and deep baritone voice, while playing every hole-in-the-wall bar that could handle his electric power trio.  Blending the influences of John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Fred MacDowell, Bukka White and Lightning Hopkins with the likes of Clutch, Soundgarden, C.O.C, and Rage against the Machine, he forged a fresh sound, alive with the southern blues tradition.

Eli recorded and released his first two albums between 2004 and 2007:  the all-acoustic, original-roots album “Miss Blues’ Child” on the Sledgehammer Blues label, and a heavy blues-rock release  “ElectricHolyFireWater.” During this time he was invited to open for B.B. King on King's east coast tour.  Since then, Eli has shared the stage with Johnny Winter, Robert Cray, Parliament-Funkadellic, Gary Clark JR, Roomful of Blues and many others. 

In 2008,  Eli released his third self-produced album, “Static in the Blood", a modern R&B/Rock crossover project featuring ornate experimental studio production.  The follow up album, “Ace Jack & King", a return to roots-blues and heavy guitars, received critical acclaim. The All Music Guide proclaimed that Eli could be “the best blues singer of his generation.”

In 2013, Eli signed with LA-based label Cleopatra Records to begin work on his 5th studio album, featuring guest appearances by rock legend Leslie West of Mountain, Artimus Pyle (Lynyrd Skynyrd),  Reese Wynans of Double Trouble, Vinny Appici (Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio) and Tinsley Ellis.   Primitive Son, released in 2014, was described by Classic Rock Magazine as "Timeless stuff created by a scholar of the genre."

Eli received international acclaim when he was named to Blues Matters magazine’s 2015 Writer’s Poll as the No. 3 Favorite International Blues Solo Artist. Eli beat Devon Allman and Elvin Bishop in rankings. Blues Matters magazine is the premier blues music publication in the United Kingdom.

Eli will be performing on the Coffeyville Community College campus on Tuesday, October 24. The public is invited to the 10:30 a.m. Tuesday humanities performances at CCC.  The performances are free and held in the Spencer/Rounds Performing Arts Theatre.

For more information about the humanities project at CCC, please call 620-251-7700, ext. 2166.