Biography

Listed in the book "100 Years of Estonian Music" as the country's "internationally best-known player of pure blues" and dubbed "the king of Estonian blues" by the press, Andres Roots (his real name!) is a slide guitarist and a songwriter based in Tartu, Estonia whose music has received airplay on 5 continents and who has performed live everywhere from Clarksdale, Mississippi to Hell, Norway. In 2023, Roots became an official ambassador of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.

"Never afraid to experiment and aim for innovation, Roots seems always to be turning out and delivering fresh blues with its own distinct innovative twist and purpose," writes Iain Patience in the UK's Blues Matters! magazine. "Roots is possibly at his best armed with a resonator and bottleneck slide where his picking is never short of top-quality, zinging, rippling, and pushing the edges of true, pure, raw blues with an apparent self-assurance and ability."

Born in Tallinn, Estonia in 1976, Roots' international breakthrough came with the alt.blues trio Bullfrog Brown in 2005. Upon the group's demise in 2010, Roots went solo, collaborating with artists like Eric "Red Mouth" Gebhardt (USA), Dave Arcari (UK), Black River Bluesman (FIN), Steve Lury (UK), and Ismo Haavisto (FIN) and leading bands such as Andres Roots Roundabout, Roots & Terep, and Sawmill Roots Orchestra.

The first and only time a blues album has claimed the #1 spot in the Baltics came in 2016 when Roots' "Roots Music" LP topped the official Estonian album chart, earning him a Golden Disc award. In 2017, Roots won the 1st Estonian Blues Challenge with the Tammepõld, Roots & Kadakas trio and went on to represent Estonia at the European Blues Challenge in Norway. 

A regular guest in the Top 10 of both the French and the British blues airplay charts, Roots received a "Bluesman of the Year" award from the UK-based Severn FM's The Blues Hour programme in 2018 just as he had started focussing on the solo guitar work that fills his more recent albums: "Breakfast in September" (2018), "Mississippi to Loch Lomond" (2020), "Tartu Lockdown" (2020) and "Vol. 12" (2023). The latter was launched with a string of shows in Germany, Estonia, and Finland in March and April 2023.

Endorsements: G7th Capos, ZT Amplifiers.

List of countries performed in: USA, UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. 

Festival appearances since 2010: Deep Blues Festival (Mississippi, USA); King Biscuit Blues Festival (Arkansas, USA); Shetland Blues Festival (UK); Le Blues Autour du Zinc (FRA); European Blues Challenge (NO); Suwalki Blues (PL); Rauma Blues (FIN); Stompin’ At The Savoy (FIN); Lahti Grand Blues (FIN); Hamina Mosna Blues (FIN); Kymi Kantri (FIN); Hotelli Tallukka Blues Party (FIN); Bluesia Karjaan asemalla (FIN); Bluemood Saimaa (FIN); Ruska Blues (FIN); Saimaa Blues (FIN); Martin Markkinat (FIN); Navetta Blues (FIN); Tammerblues (FIN); Louisiana Cajun Party (FIN); Floating Cockroach (FIN); Savonsolmu Winter Blues Party (FIN); Kaavi Blues (FIN); Leppävirta Blues Picnic (FIN); Sigulda Blues (LV); Sundays Blues Festival (LV); Fontaine Festival (LV); Baltic Blues (LV); Sõru Jazz (EST); Sügisjazz (EST); IDeeJazz (EST); Jazzkaar (EST); FiESTa XXX (EST); Viru Folk (EST); Urissaare Kantri (EST); Ulila Rock (EST); Tallinn Music Week (EST); Pärnu Kitarrifestival (EST); Mailaul (EST); Intsikurmu Music Festival (EST); 7 Linna Muusika (EST); Pandivere Music Festival (EST); Tartuff Film Festival (EST); Prima Vista Literature Festival (EST); 20/20 Film Festival (EST); Guitar Jamboree (EST); Pärnu Bluusipäevad (EST); Ugriblues (EST); Augustibluus (EST); UnderGround Blues (EST); Baltic-Nordic Harmonica (EST); Moosekants (EST); Porkuni Bluus (EST); Munarock (EST); Loodusfestival (EST); Vanalinna Päevad (EST); Karlova Päevad (EST); Emajõe Bluus (EST); Linna Pea Rock (EST).