About the Band
Muleboneis the acclaimed roots music duo of Hugh Pool and John Ragusa, blending deep blues traditions with adventurous musicianship and a fearless sense of exploration. Their sound draws from Delta blues, folk, Americana, New Orleans grooves, and world music, creating performances that are both steeped in tradition and unmistakably their own.
Hugh Pool provides vocals, guitars, harmonica, and boot-board percussion, while John Ragusa contributes an extraordinary palette of instruments including flutes, fifes, tin whistles, cornet, conch shell, jew's harp, and harmony vocals. Together they transform classic roots influences into music that is soulful, inventive, and alive with spontaneity.
Critics have praised the duo's originality. Don Wilcock wrote, "Mulebone takes old blues and folk music into space as well as anyone since Led Zeppelin covered Sonny Boy Williamson." Their recordings have earned national recognition, with four albums reaching the Top 100 on the Americana Music Association's Roots Radio Chart. Their album Keep On Movin' spent more than five months on the chart, including twelve weeks in the Top 40 as the only independently released album in that tier.
Whether performing in intimate listening rooms, festivals, concert halls, or clubs, Mulebone delivers a captivating musical journey that honors the past while embracing the unexpected. With masterful musicianship, engaging storytelling, and an unmistakable chemistry built over years of performing together, Mulebone continues to redefine what contemporary roots music can be.