Kent Montgomery

Dayton-area blues prodigy Reece Lincoln stops by Excursions for a special Veterans Day acoustic performance.

Lincoln, who began playing guitar at 8 years old, has developed into a must-see local live attraction. His band, the Reece Lincoln Band, is well known for its fiery gospel- and blues-soaked stage performances, and has been featured everywhere from Dayton stages to the CBS Early Show.

Some might say trumpeter Chris Botti has a natural talent for performing and composing contemporary jazz music. According to Botti, however, he wasn’t born with it.

“Talent is really 99% drive and focus, and 1% luck,” said Botti in this Excursions interview.

Who makes a perfect “road trip record?” According to Niki Dakota, it’s Peter Mulvey.

Singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey has been recording and touring as a solo artist since the early 1990’s. Originally from Wisconsin, Mulvey’s music has taken him everywhere from Dublin, Ireland to the streets of Boston, where he performed early on in his career. Over the last 15 years, he has steadily developed a following through critically acclaimed folk records like 2006’s “The Knuckleball Suite.”

Jokes abound in this laughter-filled 2009 Excursions interview with multi-talented country and jazz musician Dan Hicks.

Hicks has been playing music for over 50 years. Beginning as a drummer as a young child, Hicks joined folk-rock group the Charlatans in 1965. Hicks struck out on his own in the late ‘60s, putting together backing band the Hot Licks for a string of records, including 1973’s classic “Last Train to Hicksville.” The band broke up in the mid-70’s, but has since reformed, releasing several records and touring internationally for the last decade.