Yardbirds, Mitch Ryder, Lazy Lester, Joe-El Sonnier, Robby Krieger headline Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival, May 27-28

THE YARDBIRDS, MITCH RYDER, ROBBY KREIGER, JO-EL SONNIER, BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY, LAZY LESTER, DWAYNE DOPSIE, BIG CHIEF MONK BOUDREAUX & THE GOLDEN EAGLES DOUG KERSHAW AND MICHAEL DOUCET, HEADLINE 28th ANNUAL SIMI VALLEY CAJUN & BLUES MUSIC FESTIVAL, SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY 27-28 Los Angeles area’s largest Cajun, Zydeco, Blues and Roots music festival, featuring two stages, a Mardi Gras parade, crafts and dozens of food booths, takes place Memorial Day weekend.

The Yardbirds Lazy Lester Miitch Ryder

Dwayne Dopsie Jo-El Sonnier Doug Kershaw

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — The 28th annual Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival will once again enliven Memorial Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28, at Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, 5005 Los Angeles Ave., in Simi Valley. The event features a full stage for each of its musical genres. The spirited music will go non-stop each day from 12 noon until 7:30 p.m. (or 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m.). Single Day tickets are $25 for adults (13 and over); $45 for a 2-day pass; children 12 and younger are free. New this year will be a limited number of SuperTicket passes. For $124 for a single day or $199 for both days, SuperTickets holders get a reserved seat, in the shade, directly in the front of the blues stage as well as private bar access (and two complimentary drinks) and other exclusive “backstage experiences.” Tickets are available on the festival’s website: http://www.simicajun.org/. (Note: the only tickets available at the gate are single-day, $30) Headlining the blues stage this year will be the pioneering blues-rock band the Yardbirds, the Robby Krieger Band (celebrating 50 years of the Doors' music), Mitch Ryder, Lazy Lester and the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; as well as L.A.-based roots-rockers the 44’s, soulful SoCal songstress Alex Nester and festival returnees Kelly’s Lot. Another festival favorite, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, returns for the fourth straight year and will be performing at both stages.  On the Cajun and Zydeco stage will be the “original ragin’ Cajun” fiddler Doug Kershaw; Grammy-winning accordionist Jo-El Sonnier and the Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed. Performing on this stage too are Crawdaddio and the Bayou Brothers, who also will back Lazy Lester on the blues stage, while Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles will play on both the Cajun/Zydeco and Blues stages. The annual Mardi Gras Parade will take place both days, and everyone is invited to join in with the marching bands, stilt walkers and other costumed characters. Also, during the breaks at the Cajun/Zydeco stage, dance instructor AJ Gibbs will lead the crowd in free dance lessons. About the headliners: The Yardbirds: In the mid-’60s, the Yardbirds revolutionized music as they pushed British blues rock into psychedelia and heavy metal. Godhead guitarists Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page all spent time in the band, playing alongside core members Jim McCarty (drums), Chris Dreja (rhythm guitar/bass) and the late Keith Relf (vocals/harmonica). McCarty recently assembled a new touring line-up that includes guitarist Johnny A (Peter Wolf), bassist Kenny Aaronson (Joan Jett, Hall & Oates), veteran harpist Myke Scavone and vocalist/guitarist John Idan, who has been a Yardbird since the Nineties. The group performs at the festival on Saturday, May 27. The Robby Krieger Band: Regularly cited as one of rock’s all-time top guitarists, Krieger shot to fame in the Doors. The Los Angeles native wrote or co-wrote some of the band’s signature tunes, like “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times,” “Touch Me” and “Love Her Madly.” The Robby Krieger Band will celebrate 50 years of the Doors’ music when then make their Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival debut on May 27. Mitch Ryder: If you have ever heard Bruce Springsteen perform his “Detroit Medley,” you know Mitch Ryder’s impact on rock history. The medley’s main songs — “Devil With a Blue Dress,” “Jenny Take a Ride,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “C.C. Rider” — are all tunes Ryder popularized while fronting the Detroit Wheels in the mid-’60s. The powerhouse vocalist has remained a popular performer, especially in Europe. This year finds Ryder readying a new album and working on a stage musical based on his novel Hide Your Love Away. Experience Ryder’s dynamic rock & soul sound on the blues stage Sunday. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: For nearly a quarter century, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has been combining the old with the new. Folks can’t help but to dance to the band’s exhilarating blend of jazz, swing and Dixieland with rock ’n’ roll energy. Formed in Ventura, California, the band has recorded 10 albums and played over 2700 live shows, including playing for three U.S. presidents. Rather remarkably, the group remains composed of its core members: Scotty Morris (lead vocals and guitar), Kurt Sodergren (drums), Dirk Shumaker (bass), Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone), Glen "The Kid" Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (saxophones and clarinet) and Joshua Levy (piano). They’ll make their second Cajun & Blues Festival appearance when they hit the blues stage on Sunday. Doug Kershaw: Known as the “original ragin’ Cajun,” Kershaw found crossover success during the late ’60s when his fierce fiddle playing and hippie-style appearance won favor with young rock audiences. His career started in the mid-’50s when he teamed with his brother Rusty to become a popular country duo, scoring hits with “Diggy Diggy Lo” and the autobiographical “Louisiana Man.” Kershaw, who was inducted in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, will perform on the Cajun/Zydeco stage on May 27. Lazy Lester: The story goes that, in the mid-’50s, Lazy Lester met Lightin’ Slim by chance on a bus. Slim needed a harmonica player for a recording and Lester could play the harp. He wound up playing on many of Slim’s Excello albums before making his own Excello debut in 1957. The Blues Hall of Famer’s best known tunes include “I’m a Lover Not a Fighter,” “I Hear You Knockin’,” and “I’m Gonna Leave You Baby.” After taking a hiatus, Lester returned to music in the late ’80s and he has made several albums since. Now in his 80s, Lester still blows a mean, swamp-bluesy harp. He’ll take the blues stage on May 27, backed by the Bayou Brothers. Jo-El Sonnier: Hailed as the “King of Cajun Music” for the past 25 years, Sonnier is a wizard of the accordion. The much-in-demand musician has recorded with such stars as Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, Robert Cray, Neil Diamond, Mark Knopfler, Elvis Costello, Merle Haggard and Dolly Parton. A multi-Grammy nominee himself, Sonnier won a Grammy for Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2015. He returns to Simi Valley for the second time, performing on the Cajun stage Saturday and Sunday. The Cajun Trio: Michael Doucet, David Doucet & Mitch Reed: These three musicians were all founding members of BeauSoliel, the internationally renowned, multi-Grammy winning group that Garrison Keillor hailed as the "best Cajun band in the world." This trio, with Michael Doucet on fiddle, his brother David on guitar and Mitch Reed on various string instruments, showcases its virtuosity by slipping effortlessly among musical genres. They will play, along with a special surprise guest, both days of the festival. Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles: A true ambassador of New Orleans, Joseph Pierre “Big Chief Monk” Boudreaux is the leader of the Golden Eagles, a New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian tribe. They are known for their elaborate attire, which includes handmade suits adorned with brightly colored feathers, intricate beadwork, rhinestones and ruffles, as well as their music, which combines folk traditions with funk and R&B. Boudreaux, a 2016 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Award, brings his Golden Eagles to the Cajun/Zydeco stage on Saturday and the blues stage on Sunday. Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers: A Cajun & Blues Festival favorite, Dwayne “Dopsie” Rubin returns to Simi Valley for the fourth straight year. He also will be hard to miss since he will be performing on both the blues and Cajun/Zydeco stages on Saturday and back on the Cajun/Zydeco stage on Sunday. The son of Zydeco legend Rockin’ Dopsie Sr., Dwayne has carved out his own successful career. His highly energetic Zydeco style has earned him a Grammy nomination and the title of “America’s Hottest Accordion” player. The blues stage once again was booked by Martin Fleischmann and his company, Rum & Humble. For more than 20 years Rum & Humble has played a key role in presenting some of the world’s great musical talent (Radiohead, King Sunny Ade, and the Rolling Stones, to name a few) to Los Angeles audiences, in venues like the Hollywood Bowl, the Orpheum Theatre and the Santa Monica Pier. They also have been a pioneer promoters in the field of Latin alternative music; Fleischmann is one of the co-founders of L.A.’s Congo Room. Additionally, Rum & Humble has collaborated closely with artists such as Jackson Browne and Paul Oakenfold as well as with a varied roster of corporate and non-profit clients, such as KJAZZ Radio and the National Geographic Society. The Cajun & Blues Festival has received national press accolades: “Everywhere you turned, there was something exciting happening,” wrote Blue Revue editor Art Tipaldi, who travelled to L.A. from New England. After attending last year’s concert, Jazz Weekly’s George W. Harris proclaimed: “Forget the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues fest beats the older and richer sister. This is coming from a jazzer, yet still, pound for pound and dollar for dollar, I have more fun here than in Hollywood … it “delivered music made to last … can’t wait until next year.” Besides the great music, festival-goers can enjoy great food too. Southern BBQ and authentic Cajun-Creole cuisine, such as jambalaya and crawfish, are available at dozens of food booths, which will also feature a variety of other dining options. There will be rows of craft booths and retailers to check out as well. To get to the Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, take California Hwy. 118 (Ronald Reagan Freeway) north from L.A. Exit at Stearns Street and go a couple blocks south. Ample free parking is available, with the main lot at the Simi Valley High School; a free shuttle takes to you to the park. This year, the festival has added thousands of square feet of additional tenting for shade at no additional charge. Low back chairs are recommended; however, pop-ups will no longer be allowed in the festival grounds. 100% of the festival’s profits are donated to charitable, educational and humanitarian causes on a local, national and international level. A list of these organizations may be found at < http://www.simicajun.org/who-benefits/>.   The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival is a presentation of the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise. Schedule — subject to change: SATURDAY MAY 27th BLUES STAGE Kelly’s Lot Lazy Lester The Yardbirds The Robby Krieger Band Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers CAJUN/ZYDECO STAGE Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed Mardi Gras Parade Jo-El Sonnier Doug Kershaw   SUNDAY MAY 28th BLUES STAGE Alex Nester The 44’s Mitch Ryder Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles CAUN/ZYDECO STAGE Bayou Brothers Crawdaddio Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers Mardi Gras Parade Cajun Trio featuring Michael Doucet, David Doucet and Mitch Reed Jo-El Sonnier

The Yardbirds Story Pt 5: The Jimmy Page Years

The Yardbirds, one of the early British purveyors of American blues music done in a contemporary fashion has a distinction of being the band that fostered the careers of three of the modern blues greatest guitar players, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Eric Clapton working numerous bands including John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream with jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, Blindfaith with the addition of Steve Winwood and Ric Gretch replacing Bruce, Delaney and Bonnie, Derek and the Dominos, a band formed without the fame of the Clapton name and with featured guest Duane Allman and of course his own self named band. Jeff Beck had the Jeff Beck Group with undiscovered Rod Stewart (who was to headline the original Woodstock Festival (until Jeff decided it wasn't worth the trip), a second formation of the band with Max Middleton and Bobby Tench, Beck, Bogart and Appice formed with the rhythm section of Vanilla Fudge and then various band members formed under his own name. Jimmy Page of course took what was left of the Yardbirds and the tunes they had been working on and formed super group Led Zep.


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Dazed And Confused - The Yardbirds (Jimmy Page)

The Beck-Page era Yardbirds recorded "Stroll On", a rendering of "Train Kept A-Rollin'" recorded for the Michelangelo Antonioni film Blowup, though Relf changed the lyrics and title to avoid seeking permission from the copyright holder. "Stroll On" features a twin lead-guitar break by Beck and Page. .

The Beck-Page lineup recorded little else in the studio and no live recordings of the dual-lead guitar lineup have surfaced. The Beck-Page Yardbirds recorded a commercial for a milkshake product "Great Shakes" using the opening riff of "Over Under Sideways Down", featured on 1992's Little Games Sessions & More compilation.

Beck, not being always the temperamental artist was fired from the band. Page took over at guitar.

There was one recording made by Beck and Page with John Paul Jones on bass, Keith Moon on drums and Nicky Hopkins on piano — "Beck's Bolero", a piece inspired by Ravel's "Bolero", credited to Page (Beck also claims to have written the song). "Beck's Bolero" was first released as the B-side of Beck's first solo single, "Hi Ho Silver Lining" and was included on Becks first album, Truth.

While Page's new Yardbirds roster still played a few songs from the Yardbirds' canon—usually "Train Kept A-Rollin'," "Dazed and Confused," or "For Your Love" — a name (and identity) change was in order as the fall of 1968 drew to a close. This may have been motivated, at least in part, by a cease-and-desist order from Dreja, who claimed that he maintained legal rights to the "Yardbirds" name; other reports indicate it was Page's desire to wipe the slate clean. Whatever the reason, the band restyled itself "Led Zeppelin", a term believed to have been coined, originally, by Keith Moon in reference to the "supergroup" that had performed on "Beck's Bolero." Moon had quipped that a Page/Beck/Moon/Jones/Hopkins lineup would go down "like a "lead zeppelin." The spelling of "lead" was changed to avoid confusion over its pronunciation. This effectively closed the books on the Yardbirds — at least by name — for the next 24 years.
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The Yardbirds Story Pt 3: The Jeff Beck Years

The Yardbirds, one of the early British purveyors of American blues music done in a contemporary fashion has a distinction of being the band that fostered the careers of three of the modern blues greatest guitar players, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Eric Clapton working numerous bands including John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream with jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, Blindfaith with the addition of Steve Winwood and Ric Gretch replacing Bruce, Delaney and Bonnie, Derek and the Dominos, a band formed without the fame of the Clapton name and with featured guest Duane Allman and of course his own self named band. Jeff Beck had the Jeff Beck Group with undiscovered Rod Stewart (who was to headline the original Woodstock Festival (until Jeff decided it wasn't worth the trip), a second formation of the band with Max Middleton and Bobby Tench, Beck, Bogart and Appice formed with the rhythm section of Vanilla Fudge and then various band members formed under his own name. Jimmy Page of course took what was left of the Yardbirds and the tunes they had been working on and formed super group Led Zep.
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The Yardbirds Story Pt 2: The Eric Clapton Years

The Yardbirds, one of the early British purveyors of American blues music done in a contemporary fashion has a distinction of being the band that fostered the careers of three of the modern blues greatest guitar players, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Eric Clapton working numerous bands including John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream with jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, Blindfaith with the addition of Steve Winwood and Ric Gretch replacing Bruce, Delaney and Bonnie, Derek and the Dominos, a band formed without the fame of the Clapton name and with featured guest Duane Allman and of course his own self named band. Jeff Beck had the Jeff Beck Group with undiscovered Rod Stewart (who was to headline the original Woodstock Festival (until Jeff decided it wasn't worth the trip), a second formation of the band with Max Middleton and Bobby Tench, Beck, Bogart and Appice formed with the rhythm section of Vanilla Fudge and then various band members formed under his own name. Jimmy Page of course took what was left of the Yardbirds and the tunes they had been working on and formed super group Led Zep.
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The Yardbirds Story Pt 1:Meet The Most Blueswailing Band

The Yardbirds, one of the early British purveyors of American blues music done in a contemporary fashion has a distinction of being the band that fostered the careers of three of the modern blues greatest guitar players, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Eric Clapton working numerous bands including John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, Cream with jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, Blindfaith with the addition of Steve Winwood and Ric Gretch replacing Bruce, Delaney and Bonnie, Derek and the Dominos, a band formed without the fame of the Clapton name and with featured guest Duane Allman and of course his own self named band. Jeff Beck had the Jeff Beck Group with undiscovered Rod Stewart (who was to headline the original Woodstock Festival (until Jeff decided it wasn't worth the trip), a second formation of the band with Max Middleton and Bobby Tench, Beck, Bogart and Appice formed with the rhythm section of Vanilla Fudge and then various band members formed under his own name. Jimmy Page of course took what was left of the Yardbirds and the tunes they had been working on and formed super group Led Zep.

This is a nice little documentary showing the Yardbirds history.
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