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(Long Beach, CA) - The place to be for Blues lovers this
Labor Day Weekend is the New Blues Festival II,
taking place over two big days, Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September
6, in El Dorado Regional Park, 7550 E. Spring St. Gates open at 9 a.m.,
and music starts at 10 a.m. each day. Tickets $25, available now at http://www.newbluesfestival.com/.
Tickets also available at six Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ
locations, including Long Beach, Long Beach Towne Center, and the
Cerritos Mall (Lucille's is the festival's Title Sponsor this year). Also
available at the gate both days. Amenities include a huge Vendor Village;
Food Court; Beer Garden; and all-new VIP Lounge. Bring the family and and
settle in amidst the cooling Long Beach ocean breezes!
The festival has expanded due to the overwhelming
success of last year's inaugural NBF, when over 2,000 music lovers of all
ages filled POA Park in Long Beach. "Los Angeles and Orange Counties
have responded very well to the (New Blues Festival) concept. We
definitely hit on a pent-up demand for a long-running inter-generational
tradition, and we are excited to once again share all this great music
with the public", says William Grisolia, Producer of the New Blues
Festival, whose own band, New Blues Revolution, is one of Sunday's Main
Stage Headliners.
Master harmonicist-vocalist, James Harman, performs Saturday.
Saturday, September 5 - Main Stage
Headliners
Youth is served: Teen guitar prodigy Ray Goren opens NBF II on Saturday.
Saturday's powerful lineup is headlined by harmonica
master James Harman, who has been playing music since the
1960's and whose James Harman Band over the years has included such
musical luminaries as Dave Alvin, Gene Taylor, Kid Ramos and the late
Hollywood Fats, among countless others. Also topping the first day of music:
jazz/blues singing great Barbara Morrison, who continues to maintain a full
touring schedule well into her fourth decade of performing, and whose
sparkling resume' includes a Who's-Who of musicians including Jimmy
Smith, Kenny Burrell, Etta James, Dr. John, and more. Also: Long Beach
legend, acoustic guitarist, Bernie Pearl; Southland staples 2000 Lbs of Blues, fronted by colorful Mike
"Pink" Arguello, blues guitarist (and nephew of legendary John
Lee Hooker), Teddy Lee Hooker; Americana-Roots artist, Sean Lane; blues-rock quarter, Union Hobos; and opening the show, fifteen-year-old
SoCal guitar wunderkind, Ray Goren.
Guitar dynamo Laurie Morvan shows off her considerable chops,
Sunday.
Sunday, September 6 - Main Stage Headliners
Sunday sees
no letup with top headliners, the eleven-piece Caravan of All-Stars, a powerhouse R&B/Soul/Blues
revue assembled to showcase some of the unsung heroes of West Coast
Blues, representing the Bay Area Blues Society. Also: the Laurie Morvan Band, fronted by Red-Hot rockin' blues
guitar ace, Laurie Morvan, who has entertained Southland audiences and
toured nationally for the better part of two decades, and of whom has
been written, "has all the soulfulness of Bonnie Raitt and the
swaggering, muscular guitar tone of Stevie Ray Vaughan"; New Blues Revolution, leading Long Beach-based
innovators of the New Blues movement; The 44's with Kid Ramos, an exciting pairing of the
popular Johnny Main-fronted Roots/Blues ensemble with the legendary SoCal
guitarist; another great pairing of talents, respected Inland
Empire-based Latin blues group The Delgado Brothers with soulful chanteuse, Sherry
Pruitt; San Pedro guitarist-vocalist, Dave Widow, whose "Waiting For The World To
End" was voted a "Top 5 Best CD" in the IBC's; rising L.A.
quartet, the George Foster Band; and opening Sunday's show, the Chase Walker Band, fronted by the prodigious teen
prodigy of the same name.
Eleven-piece R&B/Soul/Blues revue the Caravan of All-Stars from the Bay Area Blues Society,
are Sunday's top Main Stage headliners.
New Blues Revolution, leading Long Beach-based
innovators of the New Blues movement, take center stage at the NBF II
Main stage on Sunday.
More First-Class Blues Each Day On The
Golden Groove Stage!
Saturday: Lil' A & the
Allnighters; Kelly Chappue & The Soul Collectors; The Other Mules;
Shadow Blue featuring Lady Faye; L.A. Parks & Wrecks; Kenny "Big
Daddy" Williams and BLUESPOWER; South River Slim; The Arc Flash
Blues Band.
Sunday: East Falsted Blues Project; Jack Roberts
Harvey Band; Tracy Niles; Crooked Eye Tommy; Frankie and the Crew;
Seatbelt; Matt Picarelli and Raul Watson.
Orange County's blues scene is ably represented by
guitarist-vocalist Kenny "Big Daddy" Williams (center) and BLUESPOWER on the Golden Groove Stage, Sunday at New
Blues Festival II.
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