To listen to the Deb Callahan Band is to be transported. Close your eyes as you listen to a song like “Slow as Molasses, Sweet as Honey” and you can almost feel the heat of a summer night, hear the buzz of a roadhouse neon sign, smell the scent of barbeque wafting on the air. It’s one thing to hear the blues, and quite another to feel them. The Deb Callahan Band, performing in Pastorius Park on Wednesday, July 17, is guaranteed to make you feel the blues.

What the Deb Callahan Band brings to the blues is a studied mastery of the genre tempered with enthusiasm and drive. Since forming in the early 1990s, the band has released six albums and played blues festivals and clubs across the country, honing an electric blues sound with long-winding roots and unmistakable power. The current lineup - guitarist Allen James, bassist, Garry Lee, and drummer Tom Walling - has performed with Callahan for nearly 20 years, instilling the veteran players with that crucial sense of familiarity requisite for any good blues outfit. The band swings on songs like “A Few New Tricks” and “Big Girl Pants” from their 2023 album “Backbone,” providing the songs with swaggering confidence. Anchoring the band is Callahan’s commanding voice. Smokey and powerful, Callahan’s vocals are the roaring engine that fuels the band.

What becomes clear when you listen to the Deb Callahan band is their shared passion for American roots music and blues. If the blues are the river from which American popular music flows, the Deb Callahan band gleefully explores its branching streams. Their albums and live shows act as a nexus point for American musical traditions, from R&B, to soul, to funk. Backed by a powerful horn section, songs like “What I’m Working With” conjure the revues of artists like James Brown. Meanwhile, tracks like slow-burning “Guilty” off of 2008’s “Grace & Grit” channels English blues rock in the vein of Led Zeppelin and songs like “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” “Just What the Doctor Ordered” pairs funk organ fills with gospel backing vocals for one of the album's best tracks. 

Like the best artists, the Deb Callahan Band is not content to merely emulate past masters, but forge their own legacy. While a certain number of blues standards and sharp covers can be expected, the majority of Callahan’s live setlist consists of original music. Through her songs, Callahan uses the blues to explore modern life. “Still Fighting to be Free” probes the ongoing struggle for civil rights and racial justice, while “I Am Family” on 2015’s “Sweet Soul” explores the intricacies and heartache of a loved one’s addiction. From tales of romantic heartbreak to social justice, and far beyond, the message of Deb Callahan’s music is clear. Though times may change, the triumphs and tragedies in our daily lives will always find their voice in the blues.

The Deb Callahan Band will perform in Pastorius Park at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 17. The band will play two 45-minute sets with a 15-minute intermission in between. The concerts are free, but donations to the Chestnut Hill Community Association are appreciated. Blankets and picnics are strongly encouraged. For more information, visit chestnuthill.org.