In 1996, Alvin Youngblood’s Hart’s Big Mama’s Door gave him the uncomfortable title of acoustic blues savior. Two albums and five years later, Hart has proven that there is much more than country blues up his flannel sleeve.

Despite what many people would believe, Alvin Youngblood Hart is not from the Delta or from some distant boondocks. His father’s job was such that their family traveled frequently, notably towns near Oakland, and Chicago. Visits to his grandparents in the hill...