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Support the Festival
by purchasing past Festival posters!
CLICK HERE!
Video by:
George Tyrogalas
Editing by:
Ken Kingsbury
2008 Poster:
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Live the blues down by the San Francisco Bay at the 30th Annual
San Francisco Blues Festival, September 28-29, 2002. Held on the magnificent
green at Fort Mason's Great Meadow, surrounded by panoramic views of the Golden
Gate Bridge and the hills of the City, the SFBF celebrates 2002 with an all-star
lineup of both new and legendary greats. Join us for some of the best blues
in one of the greatest cities in the world.
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Steve Miller
Recorded 22 albums. Sells over a million CDs a year. Learned from Les Paul,
and T-Bone Walker in Dallas. Formed first band at age 12. High school friend,
Boz Scaggs. Performed in Chicago in mid-1960s with numerous musicians including
Paul Butterfield, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy. Formed Goldberg-Miller
Blues band. Appeared on Hullabaloo with Supremes and Four Tops. Moved to
San Francisco and formed Steve Miller Blues Band. Played Fillmore, Monterey
Pop, etc. Signed Capitol Records - Boz Scaggs in the band. "Children
of the Future" recorded in 1968 in London. Considered one of the greatest
debut albums ever. Top 40 albums "Sailor," and "Your Saving
Grace." No. 1 album 1973 "The Joker." "Fly Like An Eagle,"
1976. "Book of Dreams" quadruple platinum - performing in arenas!
1982 "Abracadabra," platinum. Star on Hollywood Walk of fame.
Box set released. |
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Robert Cray
Torchbearer of gritty blues and southern-styled blues. Recorded
over 13 albums, five Grammys. Latest Grammy CD, "Take Off Your Shoes."
Purveyor of '60s Stax and Hi Records soul sound. Combination of great vocals
and guitarist. Modern blues voice. Heroes are vocalist O.V. Wright, Otis
Redding, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles. Formed band
in 1974. |
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Charlie Musselwhite
Master of contemporary blues harmonica. Heir apparent to the harmonica legends.
Now a legend in his own right. Dazzling technique and impassioned vocals.
Link from 1960s Chicago blues scene and late '50s/early '60s Memphis street
blues. Born in Mississippi. Touring over 35 years. Debut 1966 with Barry
Goldberg and Harvey Mandel. Performed with legends after 18 years old: Little
Walter, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, J.B. Hutto, Robert Nighthawk. Has branched
out to include Cuban and Brazilian styles. Current album "One Night
in America." Moved to Bay Area 1968. |
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Otis Taylor
America's most topical blues artist. Deep into the roots of acoustic blues.
Music has been called heart wrenching, powerful, haunting, hypnotic. Songs
about civil rights, Native Americans, lynchings, murder, loss, etc. One-chord
songs, guitar, banjo. Resides in Colorado. Music described as "blues
straight no chaser." Quote: "I don't want to see blues end up
like a polka." W.C. Handy Award winner. His songs featured in upcoming
Billy Bob Thornton film, "The Badge." Three CDs: "White African,"
"When Negroes Walked the Earth," and "Respect the Dead."
Major star in the making. |
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Little Charlie & the Nightcats
Sound compared to Charlie Christian playing in the Little Walter band. Rick
Estrin's songwriting compared to Lieber and Stoller. Together 25 years.
Style: West Coast jump blues, Chicago blues, bebop, rockabilly. Huge Bay
Area favorites. Newest CD "That's Big," Alligator Records. Guitarist
Batey, "...one of the most fluent guitarists working in any genre"--Village
Voice. Harmonica player Estrin has been called the modern Sonny Boy Williamson. |
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James Cotton
Master harmonica player. Born in Tunica, Mississippi. Recorded over
24 albums. Joined Muddy Waters band in mid-'50s, and remained in that group
12 years. Harp solo on "Mojo" at 1960 Newport Jazz Festival high
point in modern blues! High energy. Commands huge following. No longer a
vocalist. Power and precision. Living legend. Playing since age 13. Sun
records 1953. |
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Nick Gravenites
Founding member of the Electric Flag. Songwriter-guitarist. Wrote "Buried
Alive in the Blues" for Janis Joplin. Born in Chicago. Part of Paul
Butterfield scene. His "Born in Chicago" and "East-West"
recorded by Butterfield Band. Other songs of his recorded by Tracy Nelson,
Otis Rush, James Cotton, Howlin' Wolf. Appeared on over 40 albums either
as producer, songwriter or performer. |
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Stars of Glory
Five female gospel singers. Formed in 1996 in Richmond, California. Inspired
by the Highway Q.C.s, Five Blind Boys, Soul Stirrers, etc. |
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Steve Freund
Veteran Chicago blues guitarist who for over 20 years worked with a modern
who's who of Chicago blues: Big Walter, Hubert Sumlin, Homesick James, Sunnyland
Slim, James Cotton, etc. Known for his pure dedication to the blues. A player's
player. Toured with Luther Allison and Koko Taylor. Faultless guitarist.
Recorded two recent albums for legendary label Delmark Records, "I'll
Be Your Mule," and "C for Chicago." |
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Harvey Mandel
Called the "snake." One of the most innovative guitarists ever.
Grew up in Chicago. Known as an instrumentalist - sustaining notes, distortion,
feedback, multi-string bands. Underground FM radio hit 1968, "Wade
In The Water," and "Cristo Redentor." Joined Canned Heat
and performed at Woodstock 1969. Joined John Mayall's Bluesbreakers with
Eric Clapton. Toured with Jeff Beck and recorded with Rolling Stones, "Black
and Blue." |
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Marcy Levy
Member of Bob Segar Band. Toured with Leon Russell. Four years as vocalist
in Eric Clapton Band. Co-wrote "Lay Down Sally" with Clapton
and others. Session work with Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, Al Jarreau,
etc. Performed at "Live Aid" 1985 with Clapton. Two albums with
Siobhan Fahey of Eurythmics. No. 1 hit record England "Stay."
Top 5 U.S.! |
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MoFo Party Band
Fresno-based harmonica blues band since 1989. Three CDs. 150 shows a year!
Old school Chicago blues. Huge club following. Wildly energetic act. Led
by the Clifton brothers, John and Bill, two former well diggers from the
Central Valley of California. |
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Otis Rush
One of the greatest guitarists in the history of the blues! Dozens of albums.
Architect of the famed Westside Chicago guitar sound. Hypnotic guitar and
hypnotic vocal vibrato. Truly a legend in every sense! Probably the greatest
blues guitarist to come out of Chicago. Gut-wrenching vocals. Ranks with
B.B. King, Buddy Guy. |
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Howard Tate
Soul legend resurrected! One of the greatest voices in annals of soul music.
Up there with Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam and Dave, Eddie Floyd and
Joe Tex. Thirty years out of the business. Hits 1967-68, "Get It While
You Can," "Ain't Nobody Home," "Learned It All the Hard
Way," Verve Records. Sobbing, impassioned style. Tenor to falsetto.
Songs covered by Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Has been a preacher. |
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Big Time Sarah
Dynamic power vocalist. Twenty-five years in the Chicago blues scene. Uptempo
style. Debut at age 14. Solid Chicago following. Works at Blue Chicago Club.
Tough and uninhibited singer. Has worked with Magic Sam, Jimmy Johnson,
Sunnyland Slim. Born Coldwater, Mississippi. Big voice, big attitude. Three
recent CDs for Delmark Records; latest, "A Million of You." |
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Barry Goldberg
Organist. Performed with Bob Dylan at Newport Folk Festival. Played keyboards
on Mitch Ryder's No. 1 hit record, "Devil With a Blue Dress."
Co-founder of Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites.
Member of Charlie Musselwhite's first band. Wrote music for "Fast
Times at Ridgemont High," and "Forest Gump." Co-authored
No. 1 hit, "Got to Use My Imagination" for Gladys Knight and
the Pips. Performed at Monterey Pop.
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Reverend Rabia & Virgil
Thrasher
Acoustic guitar and harmonica duo. Style of Leadbelly, Memphis Minnie.
Rev. Rabia is a minister. Plays "holy blues." Thrasher has worked
with Arkansas bluesman Robert Lowery with Performances at the Smithsonian,
Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Both featured on their CD "Never Too Late." |
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Robert Jr. Lockwood
Learned from Delta legend Robert Johnson. Born 1915 Arkansas. Mentor to
Muddy Waters and B.B. King. Numerous albums and singles. Recorded with
Johnny Shines, Little Walter, Eddie Boyd, Muddy Waters, Roosevelt Sykes,
Willie Mabon, etc. Played on Beale Street and Mississippi Delta 1930s
and '40s. Moved to Chicago 1950. Winner of NEA's National Heritage Fellowship
Award. Latest CD, "Delta Crossroads," Telarc Records. Music
from the Robert Johnson songbook.
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Toni Lynn Washington
Boston-based vocalist. Worked out of New Orleans. Minor hit in the '60s
with "Dear Diary." Toured with Jackie Wilson, Sam and Dave, Bobby
Bland. Appeared Newport Jazz Festival. Own band since 1992. Three CDs for
Tone Cool Records. Latest: "Good Things." Big band jump blues
and ballad stylist. |
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Jody Williams
Chicago-based guitarist. Original member of the Howlin' Wolf band, and the
Bo Diddley Band. Played on all of Diddley's hit records, like "Who
Do You Love." Staple of numerous Chess Records sessions 1950s-'60s.
Bandleader for Memphis Slim. Recorded with virtually all the greats! Called
one of the greatest blues guitarists of all time. Quit performing 30 years
ago. Comeback with hot CD "Return of a Legend." |
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Johnny Nocturne Band
The Johnny Nocturne Band is the sound of the post-swing era, the
honkers and shouters of instrumental and vocal blues and jazz of the 1940s
and '50s. Theirs is the music of the little big bands with a four-piece
brass section, piano, guitar, bass and drums. Formed by tenor saxophonist
John Firmin, son of a Kansas City tenor player, this powerhouse ensemble
flies in the traditions of Count Basie, Roy Milton, and Lucky Millander,
all great bands of the '40s and '50s. Influenced largely by saxophonist
Lee Allen, Firmin formed the Nocturne Band in 1989. Their latest CD, on
Blue Bucket Records, "Blues Volume," has just been released.
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Johnny Dyer
Born in Mississippi, Dyer resides in Los Angeles, where he has been
performing since the late 1950s. A huge favorite in Europe, Dyer has recorded
for Black Top and Blind Pig Records, as well as several European labels.
Influenced by George Smith, down home all the way. |
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James Harman
Tremendous songwriter and crowd favorite, Harman has been leading
bands in L.A. since the 1970s. Kid Ramos and Hollywood Fats were members.
Great harp tone, incredible voice; showman of the first order. His CDs are
top notch! |
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Paul DeLay
Top harmonica player out of Pacific Northwest. Charlie Musselwhite
was a huge influence. Inventive and innovative. His CDs push the envelope.
Four CDs for Evidence Records. Career began with Sunnyland Slim and Hubert
Sumlin. |
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Mark Hummel
Has recorded over a dozen top-notch harmonica blues albums, several
recent with Tone-Cool including "Heart of Chicago" with former
Muddy Waters band members. A master harp player with deep pockets of experience
in Oakland clubs. Has toured extensively. One of a number of great players
in harp blues, an instrument Muddy Waters called the soul of a blues band. |
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