When your first guitar is given to you by an uncle who won it in a poker game, it’s going to have an affect on your music. Such is the case with Julia Dooley, lead singer and harmonica player of Blue Line Highway. Her music is a hybrid of 20th-century backroom music-making. Being true to the spirit of country, blues, jazz and rock all at once is a tall order, but her sultry style humanizes the group’s retro future Americana without dilution. The band isn’t too shabby either. It knows how to make Dooley shine. And with five full-length releases under their belt, the Blue Line Highway has consistently proven that no matter what road it takes, it’s always one with a view. The group plays Friday, Jan. 3, at Ashland Coffee and Tea. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $8. ashlandcoffeeandtea.com.