Buddy Guy and Miles Caton’s ‘Sinners’ Tiny Desk Concert is pure blues magic

Legendary musician Buddy Guy brought the blues to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, with an appearance from Sinners actor Miles Caton.

The couple stars in Ryan Coogler’s hit, Oscar-nominated film. Caton plays talented blues singer Sammie “Preacher Boy” Moore, whose music is so brilliant it transcends time (and attracts a team of vampires to his side). Guy plays Sammie 60 years later, as he’s immersed in a successful blues career.

Guy kicks off his Tiny Desk Concert with his 1991 track “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues” before moving into his cover of Muddy Waters’ “Hoochie Coochie Man.”

After these blues classics, Guy invites Caton to join him for two songs from Sinners soundtrack. The first is “Travelin,” which Sammie sings while driving with Stack (Michael B. Jordan). Next, Guy and Caton launch into “I Lied to You”, the song that brings down the house at Smoke (also Jordan) and Stack’s juke joint. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, “I Lied to You” was written by Raphael Saadiq and Sinners composter Ludwig Göransson.

Don’t expect Guy and Caton to perform these songs exactly as they appear in SinnersHowever. Their renditions here are full of blues improvisation and playful banter, with Guy adding his own twist throughout and inviting Caton to join in. For a great journey through the history of the blues, this mini-concert is a must.