Four-time Grammy-winning musician Gary Clark Jr. is—in my book—a gritty, ultra cool retro bluesman and guitar star fusing old genres like blues, rock, and soul with elements of hip-hop. He has the same sort of juju Ben Harper had when he first came out of the gate. He embraces tradition but brings something new to it, too.

Clark, who hails from Texas music mecca Austin, began his recording career in 2001 working largely under the radar. He eventually signed to Warner Bros. Records a decade ago and came out with The Bright Lights EP, following in 2012 with his Warner Bros. full length, Blak and Blu, which finally saw Clark hitting the record charts.

The Story of Sonny Boy Slim followed in 2015, and his most recent, 2019's This Land, has cemented his reputation as a potent songwriter. That most recent album was inspired by a series of racist questions about his ownership of a 50-acre Texas horse ranch from one of his neighbors.