Will Bart began his journey with music at 13. One morning before school, his father played a Blues Foundation DVD of the North Mississippi Allstars performing live. Luther Dickinson’s cigar-box slide unlocked Hill Country Blues—a sound Will had never heard. That was it. He picked up an old guitar his dad won at auction; the autographs vanished within weeks from constant playing.
Months of practice led to a road trip. His father took him to Clarksdale, Mississippi—the heart of the blues. Seeing the juke joints and Delta soil was a revelation. Will knew he’d return. Back home, he studied with master guitarist George Cintron. Weekly lessons turned into real progress, and soon he hit local jams to earn his stripes.
May 2014 gave him the big stage. He was discovered by Robert Randolph, and was invited to play with Robert Randolph and The Word—North Mississippi Allstars plus John Medeski on keys, at the famed Capitol Theatre. Luther Dickinson recognized the kid who used to chase autographs at shows. This time, Will stood as a peer. Medeski told him: “Play with everyone. Start a band.” Joe Walsh later added: “No one hears you in the garage, kid.”
In 2015, Will joined Carrie & The Cats, a blues-rock act cutting teeth across Long Island and New York City, from Montauk to Manhattan. They represented Long Island at the 2018 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, reaching the semi-finals.
In 2016 Luther Dickinson invited Will to Roots Rock Revival (RRR) in the Catskills. Founded by Butch Trucks, Oteil Burbridge, and the Dickinson brothers, the week-long camp uses Allman Brothers music as a launchpad for growth. Will dove in. He’s returned every year since—ten straight—learning from Bernard Purdie, Johnny Vidacovich, Jack Pearson, Roosevelt Collier, Scott Metzger, Junior Mack, Vaylor Trucks, and more.
After years of gigging and growing, Will started his own project. As kids, he and his brother (on bass) and a friend (on guitar) swore their band would be called Johnny In The Basement—a nod to Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues.” The others stepped away, but Will kept the name. JITB became a live-music collective built on spontaneous grooves and rotating lineups, guided by the Phil Lesh-ism: “Never play it the same way once.”
COVID was a market correction for live music, and Will saw it as a clean slate. He hit the road. Will with JITB has played Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, D.C., Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida—building crowds the old-fashioned way.
Recording began at Zebra Ranch Studios in North Mississippi, the Dickinson family compound founded by Jim Dickinson. In 2018, Will cut the debut EP “Chasing The Feeling” with Lightnin’ Malcolm and Garry Burnside. He returned with close friend Jordan Godfrey (MJT) for “I’ll Have What He’s Having.” Most recently, with Jordan and Tyler Goldstein (Rock Creek Kings), he recorded “JITB 3” featuring Luther & Cody Dickinson, Danny Keane, and others from his deep bench.
Will kept expanding. He studied bass with Kevin Scott (Gov’t Mule) and became a go-to player. He tours with Cody Dickinson & The Homemade Band most recently ringing in the 2025 New Year at the Idaho Potato Drop. The ultimate call came from the North Mississippi Allstars—he fills in on bass when needed. From watching them on DVD to sharing the stage, the circle closed.
Studio work followed. Will contributes to indie film scores and writes across genres, rarely saying no to a session. Growth is the goal.
As a frontman, Will commands rooms with ease. His playing is soulful, his smile contagious. He makes strangers feel like friends within minutes—a gift that fuels every collaboration.
From a 13-year-old mesmerized by a DVD to a road-tested bandleader cutting records in the Delta, Will Bart carries the music forward—one gig, one groove, one connection at a time.