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| Shemekia Copeland |
The Pennsylvania Blues Festival approaches quickly. The following has appeared in the May-June Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 360) that can be downloaded at jazz-blues.com.Celebrating 24 years of Blues in the Poconos, the Pennsylvania Blues Festival takes place at Split Rock Resort, Friday July 24 through Sunday July 26. It moves to Split Rock in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania after 4 years at the Blue Mountain Resort. The new location is close to the original Festival location on Big Boulder Mountain. "The Blues Lovers Blues Festival," as it calls itself will be headlined by Shemekia Copeland on Saturday the 25th and Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials. There will be zydeco from Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hell-raisers as well as gospel from the Highway QCs,and such notable performers as Walter 'Wolfman' Washington; John Nemeth and Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart.
Friday night, June 24, the Festival opens with an Indoor Showcase with Mikey Junior's Blues Review, featuring the fine harmonica player and vocalist. It takes place inside the Galleria at Split Rock.
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| Monster Mike Welch and Sugar Ray |
Saturday June 25, the Festival Main Stage opens with Dwayne Dopsie and
the Zydeco Hell-raisers. One of the sons of zydeco legend Rockin'
Dopsie. Dwayne Dopsie's hard-driving and rocking music is also heavily
influenced by Clifton Chenier and similarly he is marvelous blues singer
and player as well as traditional zydeco artist who will also do a
Hendrix-influenced rendition of "Hey Joe." Besides opening the main
stage he will close the Tent Stage that night. Alligator Recording
Artist Selwyn Birchwood, winner of the International Blues Challenge a
couple years back, brings his exuberant blues with his tight band, solid
vocals and guitar, including lap steel (he was mentored by Sonny
Rhodes). Severn Records artist Sugar Ray & The BlueTones follows and
the group led by Ray Norcia has been laying down Chicago styled blues
for nearly 40 years (This writer saw them in 1978 in New York backing
J.B. Hutto. Norcia a marvelous singer (reminiscent of Junior Parker and
he had a stint fronting Roomful of Blues) and fine harpist is backed by
Monster Mike Welch on guitar; Anthony Geraci on keyboards, Michael
'Mudcat' Ward on bass, and Neil Gouvin on drums. New Orleans Icon,
Walter 'Wolfman' Washington and the Roadmasters is up next on the Main
Stage bring there mix of blues, soul and funk. Closing the Main stage
will be Shemekia Copeland who recently resigned with Alligator Records
bring her tight band and her powerful vocals on a mix of blues and
blues-rooted material that underscores why she has been named Koko
taylor's successor as "Queen of The Blues."
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| Walter 'Wolfman' Washington |
In
addition to the Main Stage, others acts will be presented in the Tent
Stage. Electro-Fi Recording Artist Harmonica Shah & Carlton
Washington will open the tent stage and play a second set later. Also in
the tent performing two sets is John Mooney. Mooney mixes Delta Blues
with the New orleans second-line. Growing up in Rochester NY, Mooney was
mentored by legendary Son House and his most recent recording is a
tribute to the Delta Blues Icon. Dwayne Dopsie closes out the tent Stage
after Mooney's second set. Later Saturday evening, Bobby Kyle will lead
a Tribute to Johnny Copeland in the Galleria Governor's Ballroom.
Blues
on Sunday July 26 starts with a Blues Brunch in the Governor's Ballroom
featuring Slam Allen, a dynamic singer and guitarist who spent several
years fronting James Cotton's Band. Sunday on the Main Stage opens with
the legendary gospel group, The Highway QCs. This Gospel Quartet was
sort of the junior Soul Stirrers and members years ago included Sam
Cooke, Johnny Taylor and Low Rawls. Up next on the main stage is Vanesse
Thomas, who is the terrific blues and rhythm singing daughter of Rufus
Thomas. Victor Wainright and the Wild Roots brings this rocking keyboard
wizard to the main stage and he is followed by the terrific soul-blues
Blues Music Award winning vocalist John Nemeth. Closing the Main stage
will be Alligator recording artists, Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials,
who will bring their exuberant house rocking slide-guitar blues.
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| Lil Ed Williams |
Sunday,
the Tent Stage will have performances from Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart, The
Peterson Brothers and Mikey Junior. Alvin 'Youngblood' Hart emerged
over two decades ago laying down traditional Delta and Texas blues which
has expanded to include a wide range of material, making him a 21st
Century songster in the manner of a Leadbelly. He has been called a
musical love child of Howlin' Wolf and Link Wray. The Peterson Brothers
are youthful blues prodigies that show that blues can still inspire
youth and have shared stages with Pinetop Perkins, Willie Smith, Michael
Burks and Marcia Ball. their website notes they are recording a debut
album. Hart and they will play two sets before Mikey Junior closes the
Tent Stage.
Once again, the festival sports a superb line-up of
blues. Split Rock offers lodging as well as serves as the Festival site.
there are a number of other accommodations available near the Festival
site. Information on tickets and lodging can be accessed at the
Festival's website, http://www.pennsylvaniabluesfestival.com/. (all photos by and © Ron Weinstock).
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