This Sunday, Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. marks the return of Piedmont Blues (East Coast Blues) guitarist, singer and storyteller Michael Roach, back to the U.S. after a five year absence. The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation and the City of Falls Church will be Roach’s first stop while back stateside when he performs at a private residence (166 E Broad St., Falls Church).

A Washington, D.C. native, Roach learned from the some of the best musicians like John Jackson, John Cephas, Archie Edwards and “Philadelphia” Jerry Ricks. He is a former president of the D.C. Blues Society and helped guide it during its early years. In 2012, he and his daughter, Sadie, performed at the annual Tinner Hill Blues Festival.

As a cultural arts performer, Roach has promoted African-American culture through the use of the blues. He has lectured for the Smithsonian Institute, Oxford University in the United Kingdom and more recently at the University of Metz in France. He’s the founder of the European Blues Association and serves as its Director of Development and Secretary. He is also the Director, guitar instructor and vocals teacher for the annual Blues Week program in the UK where he now resides. The concert will be followed with a discussion of early blues history and a dessert reception. For more information on Roach, visit his website at michaelroach.com.