Chicago Blues Festival

From June 11 through June 13, some of the biggest names in blues will gather at the Chicago Blues Festival, easily one of the best events of its kind. This festival has long been on my dream list. You better believe I won’t miss this next year.




Even though the festival planners have scaled back the number of stages and artists appearing over the past couple years, there’s still plenty of blues to go around.



A schedule of performers and stages can be found on the Chicago Festivals website. Missing, however, is the Windy City Blues stage. Be sure to check out the Windy City Blues Society website for their schedule. Take special note of any performance featuring Chris James and Patrick Rynn who’ll soon be featured here on SoundLust.

W.C. Handy Blues Festival

If I had a car capable of such a journey, you’d find me on the road this week heading east to Henderson, KY, for the W.C. Handy Blues Festival.




With major talent and great BBQ awaiting blues fans from all around the world, the festival promises to be a great time. Best of all, it’s free. F. R. E. E. that spells FREE. Check out the line up listed below and then go hit their website for more information.



SATURDAY, JUNE 12

All Events in Central Park

9:00 am-7:30 pm Taste of Henderson Barbecue with local barbecue cooks selling a variety of barbecue (pork, beef, mutton, chicken) for carry out or eating on-site

10:00 am William Branaman Street Strut People’s Parade

11:30 am-7:30 pm Live music, including Bob Minnette and the Dixieland Society, Blues 4U, Velveeta Jones and Albert Castiglia

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16

Audubon Mill Park

4:30 pm Alias Jones

6:00 pm Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm

7:30 pm Shirley Johnson

9:15 pm Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers

THURSDAY, JUNE 17

Audubon Mill Park

4:30 pm Zydeco Night, theme food sales and music by Doug MacLeod, Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble, and Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band

FRIDAY, JUNE 18

Audubon Mill Park *except where noted

Noon Hog Maw Blues Band

2:00 pm Bryant-Stevens Band

3:00 pm Workshop with Doug MacLeod at Riverbend Academy*

4:00 pm StellaVees

6:00 pm Albert Castiglia

8:00 pm Kenny Neal

10:00 pm Tab Benoit

SATURDAY, JUNE 19

Audubon Mill Park

Noon Doug MacLeod

2:00 pm Kilborn Alley Blues Band

4:00 pm Otis Taylor Band

6:00 pm Magic Slim and the Teardrops

8:00 pm Shemekia Copeland

10:00 pm Joe Louis Walker



For festival locations, area info, maps and more, visit http://www.handyblues.org/!

Hello Cleveland!

Okay, so maybe not just Cleveland. How about “Hello, World!” Yeah, that works for me.





Just returned home from the Doheny Blues Festival last night and I’ve spent the day doing a little much-needed R&R. Don’t worry, I have photos and a delicious wrap up in store for you.




I’d really like to thank the many, many people at Doheny who graciously made room for me, the backpack, and my camera and helped me get to the front of the stage for a song or two. Some of you introduced yourselves, some of you didn’t. Either way, thank you!




I also really want to thank the people behind the scenes at Doheny for putting on a great festival. From the folks who booked the acts to the folks who were cleaning port-a-potties, it took the efforts of a lot of great people to keep things running and to run them successfully.




Whilst I go about the business of creating something coherent out of the lovely jumble in my head, enjoy this wonderful clip of Jackie Greene (one of my personal favorites from the weekend) singing a song I really like. (Video from YouTube of his performance in Rothbury in 2009.)




(PJPook Jackie Greene – “I Don’t Live On The Moon”)