NEDERLAND – Having the blues and "the blues" are intertwined, but the music genre is often misunderstood by the uninitiated.

Cambridge Dictionary defines the blues as “A type of slow, sad music, in which the singer typically sings about their difficult life or bad luck in love.”

While that may be true to a certain extent, according to blues musician Taj Mahal, the blues is “not just about bad times—it’s about the healing spirit.”

A family affair.

Photo by Dave Gibson

“The blues (music) is a feeling, you can’t get it out of no book,” noted John Lee Hooker. Etta James said that “when I sing the blues, I’m singing life.”

The rough patches along the way and working our way through them is something that resonates with all of us. The blues is a cathartic remembrance of that journey put to music.

Reaching deep down into the core of one’s soul, the blues is more often uplifting than melancholic. It’s unlikely that anyone who ever attended a B.B. King concert or listened to Muddy Waters’ “Got My Mojo Working” were unhappy at the time.

Headlining the second installment of the Nederland Summer Concert Series held at Chipeta Park on June 13, 2026, “Denver’s Queen of the Blues” Hazel Miller and her band The Collective brought a long-overdue dose of the blues to town.

First appearing with Hazel Miller in 1998, Thomas Jefferson on 5-string bass guitar.

Photo by Dave Gibson

Although renowned as a great blues singer, her playlist is diversified, drawing from R&B, gospel, soul, jazz, blues, and pop. When she performs, she brings the whole package.

“Come on sugar, let the good times roll, hey!” And, indeed they did during Hazel Miller’s opening number by blues guitarist Freddie King and throughout the rest of the show. Along the same vein, Miller delivered a well-executed, bouncy version of “Something’s Got a Hold of Me (Oh, it must be love),” co-written and originally released by Etta James.

A Sly & The Family Stone medley was next, starting with “Everyday People.” The musical directive “Dance to the Music” was already being followed by scores of enthusiastic dancers of all ages in the audience. "I Want To Take You Higher" was one of the many highlights of the evening that included enough “Boom shaka-laka-laka” to energize everyone.

It’s undeniable that the blues has profoundly influenced a wide spectrum of music for more than a century. In 1977, Muddy Waters wrote and sang “The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll.”

A dynamic duo.

Photo by Dave Gibson

To that end, Miller wrapped up her appearance with the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”: “I was born in a crossfire hurricane / And I howled at the morning drivin’ rain / But it’s all right now, in fact it’s a gas / But it’s all right, I’m Jumpin’ Jack Flash / It’s a gas, gas, gas.”

Continually delighting her legion of fans, Hazel Miller maintains an active touring schedule. She’ll be performing on June 14, 19, 20, and 21 in the Denver area. On June 24, she will be playing in Boulder on the Pearl Street Mall at Bands on the Bricks at 7 p.m.

For more information about Hazel Miller and her upcoming concerts, go to hazelmiller.biz.