Blue Monday: Young 'Rell

How does a 18-year-old kid raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi play his first gig in Chicago and wind up with 165,000 views and 4,000 shares of his performance on Facebook? Well, if you are Harrell Young Rell Davenport, who started playing harmonica and guitar at seven years, the answer is easy: he is a rising star in the blues world.A dexterous and inventive guitarist and a fat-toned harmonica phenom, Young Rell is already a commanding vocalist and a poetic and poignant songwriter. Whether he is accompanying himself on guitar while playing harmonica on a rack and singing, or alternating between guitar and harmonica with an ensemble, Young Rell sings his songs with sincerity and without a hint of affectation, working the stage with the poise and charisma of a veteran performer.A prolific and engaging presence on social media, Young Rell has created a global community of fans and followers who have not only praised his talent but engaged enthusiastically with him on the subject of musicianship, musical instruments and past generations of famous and obscure blues inspirations.As a child, Rell navigated personal struggles and trauma by immersing himself in music that was born in response to oppression and hardship. He found solace studying and expressing himself in the blues.His community building and graceful social interaction have landed him relationships and experiences with the greatest blues artists alive today. He has been championed by Billy Branch, Kingfish Ingram, Bob Margolin, Bernard Allison and many others. He has already performed at the Notodden Blues Festival, King Biscuit Blues Festival, both of Morgan Freemans Ground Zero Blues Clubs in Mississippi, Reds Juke Joint in Clarksdale, and many more. He has also been nominated twice by Blues Blast Magazine for the Sean Costello Rising Star Award (2024 & 2025) and once by SPAH for the Bernie Bray Harmonica Player of The Year Award (2025).This blues singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is fired up and bound for your venueall you got to do is call!