Sonny Moorman brings stripped-down blues to Waynesville Music

Cincinnati power blues guitarist Sonny Moorman is no different. For decades he’s combined the emotional intensity of the genre with rock energy. Recently, he’s adapted a subtler style, more akin to acoustic country blues. Moorman will join blues harpist Jeff Dion for a stripped-down duo performance at Waynesville Music in Waynesville on Nov. 8.

The venue can only accommodate 30 people. Advance tickets are on sale now.

In his early years, Moorman played with the Tomcats (featuring members of Sly and the Family Stone) and also ran with Warren Zevon’s touring band. He’s been stylistically compared to Duane Allman, Lonnie Mack, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Gov’t Mule and Warren Haynes.

Moorman is often labeled “roadhouse blues,” in what this writer imagines is a chaos-fueled set played to soused listeners in wood-paneled establishments that may or may not have bouncers with the last name Swayze. And while the Midwest Roadhouse seems to be a thing of lore, Moorman currently plays pubs in Loveland and Hamilton, his home, where “anything can happen.”

There’s an urgency to the music of Lonnie Mack, whom Moorman has cited as an influence on several occasions. Moorman maintained that Lonnie Mack urgency for a long time.

But listening to his recent repertoire, there’s a patience to Moorman that wasn’t always there. So when did he discover leaving space was also part of telling a story?

“About the time arthritis set in.”

Maturity was a part of it, too. He still appreciates shredding chops, but he’s looking for more than that. He doesn’t know if he’s finding it, but he’s sure looking.

Defining the Lonnie Mack lineage, he said this:

“Pain is a big part of it. Attitude is a big part of it. Having the right band is a big part of it. If you’ve got a drummer that can truly play backbeat drums, the rest of it comes out pretty easy. When the snare drum is laid back, just ever so slightly in the beat, and it opens up that groove, that’s what makes your head bob, man.”

In a duo setting, like how he’ll be playing with Jeff Dion, Moorman is the de facto drummer. He uses a device called a PorchBoard Bass, which simulates the sounds of a work boot stomping on a wooden stage. He plays to his right foot, keeping the tempo while playing behind the beat for the groove.

Moorman and Dion have shared stages for over 30 years. In a stripped-down listening room setting, with nowhere to hide in the mix, the two are in a vulnerable position. But Moorman has found comfort in that.

“When I play my little solo shows, I get a little flack from people, saying I play the same 30 to 40 songs all the time,” Moorman said. “And in truth, I do that. I’ve played those songs so many times that almost anything can happen and things will still be okay. And playing with Jeff, I don’t have to wonder what he’s going to do. This comes with experience.”

Moorman and Dion recently entered the Cincy Blues Society’s Best Self-Produced CD Competition as Mutt and Jeff. They were the 2025 Blues Challenge Winner in the Solo/Duo category.

When he’s locked into a groove, a song, a conversation with his instrument, one wonders what a bluesman chases when he’s got all that he needs when he’s up there — at roadhouses or in intimate listening rooms.

“I’m trying to be in there and play my stuff,” he said. “If I do that and I’m playing with the right guys, everything comes out all right.”

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