From Mississippi to DeKalb. From rock ‘n’ roll to the blues.

The musical progression of the Mississippi Blues Band traces rock ‘n’ roll back to its blues roots in the deep South.

The Weekender had a chance to talk with guitarist Brian Thornton of the Mississippi Blues Band and pick his brain before the band’s upcoming show this Saturday at The House, 263 E. Lincoln Highway.

Weekender: Why the name Mississippi Blues Band?

Brian Thornton: That is the kind of music we specialize in playing.

WE: You play “Delta” blues. What is the difference?

BT: [It’s] historical music from the ’20s and ’30s. It has unusual rhythm and cross-note tuning. We play a lot of Skip James and Robert Johnson.

WE: Why the blues?

BT: Back in the ’60s I was playing rock ‘n’ roll, — The Stones, The Beatles, The Doors — and I got interested in what inspired them. I found out they were inspired by Muddy Waters, and he was inspired by Robert Johnson and Skip James.

WE: You mentioned you played rock ‘n’ roll. Do you still bust out the electric guitar?

BT: I still have the electric guitar stashed away, and when I feel like I need to play some power chords, I’ll bring it out. I like the acoustic sound, though; it forces you to be more creative. The sounds are really cool.

WE: How did you get the band together?

BT: I started the whole thing as a solo act. I did every thing myself. Then one day I heard my wife [Ellen Thornton] singing in the kitchen, and I found my singer. I then put an ad in the Northern Star looking for a harmonica player, and Mike August called me and auditioned over the phone. Al Wilmoth knew Mike, so he joined the band to play guitar.

WE: What do you want an audience to come away with after seeing your show?

BT: I am hoping they leave with a history lesson in music and realize Eric Clapton didn’t discover rock ‘n’ roll all by himself. I want them to have a respect for the blues and to acknowledge where they came from.

WE: If you could play with any musician, who would it be?

BT: The people I would like to play with are dead now. Guys like Mississippi Fred McDowell, Mississippi John Hurt, Reverend Gary Davis and Robert Johnson would be cool to sit down with.

You can catch the Mississippi Blues Band at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at The House. Admission is $5.