Austin's Blues Guitarist Eve Monsees was born to play the blues

Eve Monsees was 12-years-old when she received her first guitar. But she was born to play the blues.

"Eve is one of the youngest, female guitar players that I've met," said Cliford Antone, night club owner and record label executive. "She has as much talent as any guitar player I've ever met at this age. She has as much talent as any of them."

Eve started playing on 6th Street at an open Blues jam on Sundays when she was 15-years-old. Soon she met Cliford Antone and was on her way to breaking into the Austin Blues scene.

"He got me up on stage," Eve said. "It was pretty intimidating but pretty special as well."

Eve loves to observe and play the original style of the blues. Some of her greatest influences include Magic Sand and Johnny "Guitar" Watson.

When she's not playing the guitar she is studying the blues at Antone's Records. She started working at the record store about a year ago.

"I think Blues music is the foundation of pretty much anything you hear," said Eve. "When I first started listening to it, it just blew my mind."

Her parents have played an active role in helping her to break into the Blues scene at such an early age.

"Just as long as I took care of business and got my school work done they had no complaints" Eve said.

Eve has received a lot of support and attention from other Austin musicians. Drummer Mike Buck and Bass Player Speedy Sparks have even joined the Eve Monsees band because they believe in her.

"She's very bright and knows a lot about music and is like a sponge learning more all the time," said Mike Buck.

"She has a very special talent for the Chicago Blues...that I really love," said Clifford Antone. "This kind of talent can't be taught. You can't teach this kind of talent. It's a God-given gift. You can teach someone to be good on the guitar. But you can't teach this feeling for the blues. She has it."

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Produced by Domenique Bellavia .