CANTON — Native son and 2022 Blues Music Award nominee Gabe Stillman is bringing the blues to the theater stage.

Stillman and his band, coming off a recent stint with ZZ Top, will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at The Rialto Theatre, 14 E. Main St., Canton.

The band is currently touring in support of Stillman’s newest record, “Just Say the Word,” which was released worldwide by the VizzTone Label Group in August 2021. The album debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Blues Charts, according to a press release announcing the performance.

“There’s no production artifice about ‘Just Say the Word’; it’s professional without being over-polished, gritty without a note out of place,” said Bill Kopp, of Rock and Blues Muse, according to the press release. “It’s a fully-realized effort that sharply points the way toward a bright future for Gabe Stillman.”

“The Gabe Stillman Band is a blues machine that runs at full tilt for every performance, gaining notoriety and fans wherever they perform,” the release said. “While their sound is unmistakably rooted in the blues, the band draws from the deep well of all American roots music.”

Stillman formed his band in 2015, shortly after graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music and before that, Williamsport’s Uptown Music Collective. Since landing in the final eight of the 35th Annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, and being further honored as the recipient of the esteemed Gibson Guitar Award, Stillman and his band have focused on expanding their footprint on a national and international level.

“Just Say The Word” includes 13 originals plus two covers and further solidifies Stillman’s reputation as an accomplished guitarist and meaningful songwriter, according to the release.

“Produced by Anson Funderburgh at Wire Recording in Austin, Texas, ‘Just Say the Word’ is a compelling listen from beginning to end, with powerful contributions from the Texas Horns and special appearances by Funderburgh, Sue Foley and Greg Izor,” the press release said. “The lyrics and arrangements are interesting, diverse and heart-throbbing with messages that are both personal and universal.”

“Gabe is somebody who has it all,” Funderburgh said, according to the release. “His songs move me; he has a way with words. He is an amazing singer, a great songwriter and a wonderful musician.”

For more details about Stillman, this concert and upcoming performances, visit www.gabestillman.com.