The Mississippi Blues Band, featuring two NIU faculty members, will appear at The House, 263 E. Lincoln Highway on Saturday.

Brian Thornton, an associate communication professor, and his wife Ellen Thornton, an NIU English instructor, join guitarist Mike Peterson playing 1920s and ‘30s Delta Blues.

Brian Thornton described his band as being on a “mission.”

The mission is to educate the public about the origins of rock and pop music, he said. The band not only plays the songs but tells its audience about the history of the song and the artist.

Playing rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s became boring, Thornton said. So he began searching for the roots of modern day music.

He found it in the Delta Blues, music he said he has played for about 20 years.

Thornton and his band play a wide variety of music from the Delta Blues genre.

Some of the more notable artists include Willie Brown, whose song “Crossroads” later became a hit for Eric Clapton. There are also songs by Blind Willie McTell and Skip James. James’ “I’m So Glad” was later covered by Cream.