PREVIEW: Mark and Jill Bring Electrifying Sounds of the Mississippi Delta to Dorn Space
10/10 @ Dorn Space, Gloversville
“We’re kind of in this moment where we have developed a few of these electric songs, plus we have the duo things that we’ve been doing — the more acoustic-sounding things.”
Take the style of Mississippi Delta blues, blend it with gobs of soul and grit that can only come out of parts of southern Texas, and you’ll start to get the idea of Mark & Jill’s sound. On October 10, their tantalizing blues show makes a stop at Dorn Space in Gloversville.
The duo, made up of husband and wife Mark and Jill Tolstrup, always seems to captivate those in attendance. It is no surprise they have taken home two Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards (“Eddies”) for Best Blues Artist. In 2020 and 2025, the two made it as far as the semi-finals in the International Blues Challenge held in Memphis.
This year, while continuing to hone their craft, they began shifting their live show from barrooms to listening rooms and stages.
“We’ve had an interesting year in music,” Mark said. “We’ve had some really nice shows at some really nice places in front of some really nice people.”
Their electrifying performance during this year’s Eddies Awards show served as a great indicator of the duo’s direction. While a big part of their act still focuses on acoustic blues, Mark has been incorporating sections of overdriven electric guitar into the set. It’s a great addition to the sound and is represented on tracks such as “She’s On Top” from the upcoming album, Moment in Time. While the album won’t officially be released until their show at Caffe Lena on January 9, they are actively promoting the new work at their shows.
During our interview, Jill reflected on the band’s new sound and explained the meaning behind the album title.
“We’re kind of in this moment where we have developed a few of these electric songs, plus we have the duo things that we’ve been doing — the more acoustic-sounding things,” she said. “The songs on this album have a little bit of all of this … This is who we are right now; this is who we sound like.”
The songs featured on the album, many of which the duo will be performing at Dorn Space, span a wide array of themes, from domestic violence to blues- and jazz-infused versions of Disney classics. While this range may evoke a sort of mental whiplash, it just goes to show how versatile the duo can be.
Accompanying the two on the record are Brian Melick on percussion, Peter Toigo on bass and Dave Lambert on drums. What is great about the album’s sound is that it mirrors their show; all tracks were recorded live in the studio. What you see is what you get, and what you’ll always get from this duo is an overabundance of swagger.
As they were experimenting with their new sound, Mark noted just how suited Jill’s voice really is for their style of music.
“I really came to notice how the texture of her voice is really present at any volume,” Mark said. “When you really listen to it, it’s all there.”
In addition to their show at Dorn Space, the duo is excited to perform at the upcoming Songs of Change event on October 18 at Lark Hall, as well as the Strand Theater on November 1.
For more information on their show at Dorn Space, please click here.
