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George Tyrogalas
Editing by:
Ken Kingsbury
2008 Poster:
The 2003, 31st Annual San Francisco Blues Festival features a sensational lineup this September 27th and 28th, at the Great Meadow, Fort Mason. Presented performers include Taj Mahal, one of the leading interpreters of indigenous American roots music, from blues to gospel to R&B to archaic southern folk traditions. He is a national treasure!...A highlight presentation at this year's Festival will be an all-star tribute to the late Mike Bloomfield, who revolutionalized modern blues guitar as a member of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. His performance at the Newport Folk Festival with Bob Dylan in 1965 changed the direction of rock 'n' roll. Performers participating in this homage will include guitar master Robben Ford; organist Al Kooper, who recorded many super sessions with Bloomfield; Nick Gravenites, who along with Bloomfield formed the seminal group the Electric Flag; Joe Louis Walker, a protégé of Mike Bloomfield; Chris Cain, and the Ford Blues Band...Another highly anticipated performance will be the classic southern soul of the Stax Soul Revue, featuring the incredible Eddie Floyd, Carla Thomas, William Bell, and Marvell Thomas and the Memphis Soulstars Orchestra. Vintage soul music at its best!...There will also be a strong dose of jump and swing blues from the ever-popular, and awesome, little-big-band Roomful of Blues...Chicago blues at its downhome rawest comes in the form of Mississippi-born Magic Slim and the Teardrops, with special guest Chicago harmonica ace Matthew Skoller...One of the most explosive vocalists in all of soul today is Detroit's Bettye Lavette, a singer of remarkable vocal range and stage presence, with a huge and reverent following...Bay Area favorites and acoustic duo Roy Rogers and Norton Buffalo are a guitar-harmonica team in the splendid style of the best Delta traditions...When ladies "Shout the Blues" look out, because three remarkable voices join forces for a downhome blues set featuring the legends Tracy Nelson, Angela Strehli and Linda Tillery...Chicago guitarist Melvin Taylor has been called the master of the stealth solo, a modern-day Jimi Hendrix of psychedelic blues...Nick Curran and the Nitelifes are the hottest rockabilly-blues show out of Texas!...Dorothy Morrison's lead vocals on the smash hit "Oh, Happy Day," by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, changed the direction of contemporary gospel music...Jackie Greene, at 22, is one of the most original new voices to come along and has been compared to Bob Dylan for his singer-songwriter-guitarist roots...And a tribute to harmonica legend Sonny Boy Williamson II will be featured with the cast of Louisiana legend Lazy Lester, and northern and southern California based harp cats Mark Hummel, Mitch Kashmar, Ben Hernandez, with guitarist Nathan James...Other performers will include the one-man band sound of Ike Cosse in the wondrous tradition of Juke Boy Bonner...Guitarist Craig Horton is a former member of Walter Jacobs' band in Chicago, whose diverse range has included stints as a band member of the Dells, the Highway QC's and the Ink Spots, among others...And last, but not least, the young musicians of The Blue Eyed Devils perform the lively hokum and jug band sounds of Memphis and the Delta. All blended together, this looks to be a very lively and exciting tribute to the blues for all to enjoy! See you there!
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