Blues man and Beaufort native Cool John Ferguson is back in town, and will appear on Friday, December 21st for "An Evening with Cool John Ferguson." Celebrate the season with the Sea Island musician rated by Taj Mahal as "among the five greatest guitarists in the world. He is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. He is with the ranks of Jimi Hendrix, Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhart.”Locals will recall Cool John from the many local churches and praise houses in which he's performed since the 1960s, as well as from Lowcountry Sing on Channel 5. Cool John is a self-taught blues man who, since first picking up a guitar at age three, has earned an international following. He has collaborated with well-known artists including Taj Mahal, Kenny Wayne Shepard, BB King, the Stylistics, Beverly Guitar Watkins, Captain Luke, and was honored by Living Blues Magazine for two consecutive years as “Most Outstanding Guitarist” — all while still keeping his feet in the juke joint tradition. Beaufort County is lucky to have him back to rock around the Christmas tree this year.
    "Music for me has always been a way to give praise for life and its gifts, but it has also been a way to celebrate with my friends, fellow musicians and excited audiences," explained Cool John, who is rightfully named. "When I play a show, I try to capture the spirit of the room and give some of that spirit back to everyone, amplified and transformed into something pure and beautiful. I've just finished work on a new CD – "With These Hands." It presents fifteen new originals, ten with vocals, and is more of an R&B record than my previous work, but it has a lot of rock, funk, blues, love songs, and even a little Caribbean and Brazilian flavor in the mix as well. It's packed with hot leads and cool vocals. A drummer friend of mine from high school, Ian Davis, has produced, engineered, and drums on this, and I'm very happy with it. This is my first release on my new label Cool John Records."
    For the Friday, December 21st blues session, Christmas attire is encouraged, and wine and cheese is included. Seating is limited and tickets will go quickly: visit www.beaufortcountyarts.com for more information. $15 per person, $25 per couple, 7 to 9pm at the Arts Council of Beaufort County's Performance Space, 1111 Boundary St., across from the Boys & Girls Club in uptown Beaufort. Tickets at the door, RSVPs encouraged, 843-379-ARTS