Smoky Greenwell is a harmonica master with a repertoire that extends beyond the traditional blues realm to encompass Americana, New Orleans jazz, funk, and rock and roll. Greenwell, a Michigan native, learned the harp in the mid-1970s, and began sitting in with venerable blues masters like Furry Lewis, Piano Red, and Mose Vincent, and he soon became a first-call session player at Sun Studios. A decade later, he added the saxophone to his musical tool kit and moved to Nashville, where he played in the band Blues Co-op with Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, and built a life-long association with Allman Brothers keyboardist and producer Johnny Neel. A 1989 gig at the Old Absinthe Bar brought Greenwell to New Orleans, and he’s basically been here ever since. Over time, he has played with many of the city’s greats, including Snooks Eaglin, Eddie Bo, “Big” Al Carson, Coco Robicheaux, Willie Lockett, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes, Bryan Lee, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Spencer Bohren, George Porter, Jr., Waylon Thibodeaux, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., Chubby Carrier, Tommy Malone, Jimmy Page, Willie Weeks, and Trombone Shorty. 

Outside of his regular local club gigs and festival appearances, Greenwell was the 1990’s replacement for Lee Oskar in WAR with Harold Brown, BB Dickerson, and Howard Scott. He’s also performed in The Last Waltz tribute band with Haynes, Bob Margolin, Michael McDonald, and Don Was. He has produced and hosted numerous blues events, and serves as the producer and host of the annual Harmonica Extravaganza in New Orleans during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Greenwell was the recipient of the 2017 “Spirit of Little Walter Award,” presented to him at the Little Walter Music Festival in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Greenwell cleverly enriches the standard blues canon with his own compositions, often biting commentary on the politics of the day, such as 2008’s “Between Iraq and a Hard Place.”  He has released several albums, including the critically acclaimed 2000 Premium Smoke and the 2023 Blues for Democracy, which includes “Filibuster Blues” and “Liars, Cheaters, and Losers,” co-written with Neel, who plays keyboards on the album.