It’s always fun to watch electric blues and slide guitarist, Jill Newman walk into a club and pick up a guitar – folks don’t know what to expect, but you can hear a pin drop once she starts wailing on her telecaster.
Jill’s third CD, Little Bit of Luck (2025) was recorded at the iconic Studio Litho (Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews) in Seattle. Little Bit of Luck features nine original roots and blues songs that showcase Jill’s versatile lead and slide guitar work, solid singing and well-crafted songs. Little Bit of Luck shares Jill’s journey over the past few years of overcoming hardship, facing isolation and making up for lost time. It’s a hopeful album with songs that are honest and vulnerable. Little Bit of Luck was listed in the Toronto Blues Society’s top blues pics for September (2025). Jill’s songs have been recently played on At the Crossroads Blues Radio Network in Canada, the US and Europe.
Jill’s love of music began at an early age. With a mom who played Chopin on the piano and a dad who listened exclusively to Hank Williams and Dolly Parton, Jill quickly learned that musical styles don’t matter so long as the music is good. As a child living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Jill wrapped her fingers around any stringed instrument she could find. Jill discovered her love of the electric guitar as a teen – playing her Strat copy until she literally wore out the frets.
By her early 20s, Jill was playing guitar full-time. Jill honed her chops touring throughout BC and Alberta, playing 6-7 nights a week in everything from country rock bands and original indie roots groups to all women punk and rock bands. Jill played the club circuit in Vancouver, making regular stops at the Railway Club and the Yale hotel. She thrilled audiences at the Maple Ridge Roots and Blues Festival and brought the crowd to their feet at a show with Juno nominated blues guitarist, Bill Johnson. It was Jill’s work playing Jimmy Page’s blues inspired riffs in an all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band that led Jill back to her first love – playing the blues. And it’s the Chicago blues, where Jill’s unique voice and gutsy guitar playing truly shine.
Jill’s songs are filled with the depth and emotion that comes from a lot of living and a lot of miles on the road. Jill regularly plays venues and festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest with her high energy roots and blues trio. Performance highlights include the ladies play the blues stage at the Northwest Folklife Festival, opening for National touring act Danielle Nicole in Seattle, The Maple Ridge Jazz and Blues Festival in BC and the International Arts and Music Festival at Peace Arch Park. Jill will be playing CD release shows on her Little Bit of Luck tour at venues and concerts from Vancouver, BC to Seattle over the summer and early fall.
Whether she’s playing slide on her vintage telecaster or wailing on her Gibson’s strings, Jill’s take-no-prisoners approach to the guitar is gutsy and authentic. As one of the Pacific Northwest’s finest female electric guitarists, Jill and her band deliver a potent cocktail of roots and blues.
