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Do yourself a favor and click through...
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 Click links in CD & News section, etc.
Make sure to click the links at the end of the CD/DVD and News Flash section teasers so you can discover them in entirety in our website news section and so you don't miss out on cool details, photos, schedules, artist or festival links, etc. And see festivals listings here and LOTS more on our website!
Thanks for diggin' the blues... we aim to please. ...Team BFG
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Photo Moments with the 16th Annual BFG Magazine
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 Here's multiple award winning Canadian blues vocalist, songwriter, and actress Shakura S’Aida with BFG sales rep Tom Andrews during IBC week in Memphis, TN
Photo: Belinda Hollaway
*NOTE! Each year our annual edition arrives at festivals, blues societies and a few distributors! Get yours and snap photos of you, your friends, and/or artists, etc. with our 16th annual! Then EMAIL your photo plus caption & photo credit.
**Want more info or your own hard copy? Go to this page!
We're proud that the Blues Foundation is the official sponsor of our 2018 Blues Festival Guide annual magazine ... |
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Ruthie Foster "Phenomenal Woman"
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Willie Farmer :: THE MAN FROM THE HILL
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 Willie Farmer is living proof that Mississippi continues to produce deep blues. The 62-year-old guitarist is neither a soul modernist nor revivalist, but simply a small-town auto mechanic who’s never shaken his love for old school legends like Muddy, Wolf and Lightnin’.
A lifelong resident of tiny Duck Hill, located in the hills east of the Delta, Farmer grew up on the family farm. He first took up the acoustic guitar in his early teens, and through picking cotton soon saved up enough money to buy an electric instrument.
He played for audiences at home and at school events and learned about blues and R&B mostly through listening to a powerful station out of Nashville.
“John R of WLAC, that’s how I listened to Lightnin’ Hopkins, Howlin’ Wolf. That’s how I got my first album by Lightnin’ [The Fire Records LP Mojo Hand]. I got the address off the radio and they sent it.”
“I learned Lightnin’ pretty good, and then I went to B.B. I can play all the up-to-date stuff now – B.B., Little Milton – but I like the old stuff, that’s the real blues..."
...Find more about this artist and release
"I Am The Lightning"
Website
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Band of Friends, a Celebration of Blues Rock Guitar Hero Rory Gallagher US Tour Kicks Off
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 (NEWPORT, KY) Founded by Gallagher bassist Gerry McAvoy and featuring accomplished blues/roots/rock guitarist Davy Knowles, the group plays Southgate House Revival [111 E. 6th St., Newport, Kentucky] March 7 just weeks after the sudden death of longtime friend/drummer Ted McKenna.
Had he not died following a liver transplant in the mid-’90s, influential Irish Blues/Rock guitarist and singer Rory Gallagher would have recently turned 71. But Gallagher’s legacy and music still looms large in the Blues Rock universe, from his ’60s band Taste (which played with artists like Jimi Hendrix and Cream) to his work with Albert King and Muddy Waters through the extensive solo career that he turned down jobs with The Rolling Stones and Deep Purple to launch in the early ’70s.
There are still regular celebrations and tributes to Gallagher all over the world, including the touring, lineup-rotating Band of Friends, which was formed earlier this decade by bassist Gerry McAvoy. Since its start, the musician, who had worked with Gallagher for 20 years and appeared on all 14 of his solo albums, anchored the project with another Gallagher collaborator, drummer Ted McKenna, who died in January due to complications from the routine hernia surgery he decided to undergo between tour cycles.
For the band’s current USA tour — which kicks off Thursday, March 7 at Newport, Kentucky's Southgate House Revival [and continues through the end of March] — Mike Hansen will be holding down the drummer position.
... Find more about the tour which continues in the USA through March before heading back to Europe
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International Women's Day March 8
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 (WICHITA, KS) - International Women's Day is Friday, March 8. KMUW, Wichita's NPR Station 89.1 will present a special segment on their Crossroads program from 10pm-12am. Crossroads will salute blues women with featured artist Marcia Ball, along with Blues Music Awards nominees Whitney Shay and Vanessa Collier, Maple and Juno Awards nominee Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, the "Soul Queen of New Orleans" Irma Thomas, Diunna Greenleaf (with a tribute to the "Queen of the Blues" Koko Taylor), Mavis Staples (from her new live album), and more. Then in hour two, it’s a concert special featuring Rory Block, the veteran guitarist and singer who is one of the contemporary masters of classic country and acoustic blues.
International Women’s Day is a worldwide event that celebrates women’s achievements – from the political to the social – while calling for gender equality. It has been observed since the early 1900s and is now recognized each year on March 8. It is not affiliated with any one group, but brings together governments, women's organizations, corporations and charities. The day is marked around the world with arts performances, talks, rallies, networking events, conferences and marches.
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American Griot explores blues music’s Muslim and African roots
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 (PALOS HILLS, IL.) – The history of music begins in 17th-century Germany with Bach.
Or at least that’s how Ronnie Malley remembers it being taught in school.
Something that was embedded in my mind from schooling was that Western music was the pinnacle of all music,” said Malley, a Palestinian-American Muslim living in Chicago. “And that was difficult for me to digest. Because, well, music has been around for a very long time.”
But as the actor and music teacher studied the history of European music in his spare time, he became interested in the influence of Muslim rule in Spain on classical music. This led to his reading about the African predecessors of some modern Western instruments. Then, one day about five years ago, Malley stumbled across some research that traced the roots of American blues music back to West African Muslim slaves.
His discovery led Malley to imagine a musical play that explored the shared history of Islam, Africa, slavery and blues music through the eyes of Mamadou, a fictional 18th-century Muslim “griot,” or storyteller musician, who has been sold into slavery.... Find entire story here
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10 Questions with Harmonica-Maestro Carlos del Junco
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 Alistair Taylor/ Nanaimo Bulletin
Born in Havana, Cuba, del Junco immigrated with his family at the age of one. He bent his first note on a harmonica when he was 14, making his debut with his high school math teacher at a student talent night. In his early 20’s del Junco was immersed in a visual arts career; he graduated with honors from a four-year program, majoring in sculpture at the Ontario College of Art.
Simultaneously sophisticated and raw, his playing blurs the boundaries between blues, jazz and “roots” music. The emphasis is on blues, but del Junco (a fine singer as well) and his band (Eric St. Laurent on guitar, Henry Heillig on upright bass) are not afraid to merrily traipse off in other directions delivering a seamless fusion of New Orleans second line grooves, swing, ska, swampy roots rock, to singer/songwriter themes.
Black Press caught up with del Junco and put 10 questions to del Junco…
...Find complete interview
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Artists, promoters, etc.... promote your tour, blues event
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Blues Society Challenge News
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 HARTFORD, CT) - 4th Annual Connecticut Blues Society Band Challenge starts Sunday Mar 10th, 3pm at Black-Eyed Sally's in Hartford, Connecticut and will continue for three more weeks. The winner of each preliminary will compete in the final, at the Black-Eyed and Blues Festival, in Bushnell Park Hartford on June 22. The Band Challenge is a competition to determine who will represent Connecticut at the International Blues Challenge, in Memphis next January. The lineup for the first night... ...Find more details
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 (PORT WASHINGTON, WI) - Seven acts will perform in the Paramount Music Association’s Paramount Blues Challenge for the chance to represent the State of Wisconsin at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis! Local musicians will play their 30 min set for fans starting at 5pm at the Lepanto Banquet Hall (350 E. Seven Hills Road, City of Port Washington, Wisconsin). Cast your vote for your favorite to win People's Choice! Acts in order of appearance...
...Find more details
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Which Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise Hits Your Groove?
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LRBC #34 Western Caribbean, Jan 19-26, 2020
LRBC #33 MX Riviera, Oct 26-Nov 2, 2019 - BOOK Now! 95% Sold!
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 ~ LRBC #33 Mexican Riviera Oct 26-Nov. 2, 2019. Over 95% Sold! Sailing on Holland America’s ms Eurodam from San Diego, CA to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo. Bands include Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', Los Lobos, Latimore, Tab Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou feat. Eric Johanson & Jeff McCarty, Tommy Castro, Mindi Abair, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Mike Zito, Southern Avenue and many more!
BOOK NOW!
~ LRBC#34 Western Caribbean Jan 19-26, 2020. BANDS ANNOUNCED IN MARCH. Sailing on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Statendam from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Costa Maya, Guatemala & Roatan, Honduras. Stay tuned for official band announcement and public on-sale date or wait list announcement.
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LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES CRUISE 313 Lawrence St., Kansas City, MO (816) 753-7979 | BluesCruise.com
More Than A Cruise… More Than A Festival... More Than You Can Imagine!
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 Mar 8 International Women's DayMar 17 St. Patrick's Day
Mar 20 Earth Day
Birthdays upcoming of note:
Mar 9 Georgia White (1903), Lloyd Price (1933); Mar 10 Dave Alexander aka Omar Shariff (1938), Ronnie Earl (1953); Mar 12 Leonard Chess (1917), Bill Payne (1949 Little Feat co-founder); Mar 13 Otis "Lightnin' Slim" Hicks (1913); Mar 14 Robert Pete Williams (1914); Mar 15 Bertha "Chippie" Hill (1905), Lightnin' Hopkins (1912); Sly Stone (1944), Ry Cooder (1947); Mar 16 James "Yank" Rachell (1910)
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Then please drop on by and"LIKE" us to get a daily dose of blues related stuff! ...
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2018 Blues Festival Guide Annual is chock full of cool info!
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 The 2018 issue of the Blues Festival Guide features 108 pages with info on of festivals, artists, blues societies and bluesy radio plus cool blues-related stories. Pick up a copy for free from your local blues society or a festival or ORDER a copy to be shipped straight to your house!
Our 2018 issue sponsored by the Blues Foundation
...Find snippets about articles
Look for our 17th issue coming Spring 2019!
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Roots Blues Airplay Charts (click chart for samples & updates)
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To view our entire calendar of more than 500 festivals, click here!
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ATTENTION:
FESTIVAL PROMOTERS
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LIST YOUR FESTIVAL ON OUR
WEBSITE FOR FREE HERE
To ensure that your festival also appears here in the e-Guide Festival Calender EMAIL |
Not all upcoming blues festivals/events are listed here at certain times of the year due to space constraints. Unless highlighted, festivals are no longer inked due to increasing spam
For a complete list and links see our comprehensive website.
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NOTE: Highlighted/Linked events here
are paid "Featured" ads
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Bonita Blues Festival
Mar-08-2019 - Mar-09-2019
Bonita Springs, Florida, USA
Walla Walla Guitar Festival
Mar-08-2019 - Mar-10-2019
Walla Walla, Washington, USA
Blues Bash at the Ranch
Mar-15-2019 - Mar-17-2019
Brooksville, Florida, USA
Festival Internacional de Blues de Alicante-SBA
Mar-15-2019 - Mar-30-2019
Alicante, Spain
San Felipe Blues & Arts Fiesta
Mar-22-2019 - Mar-23-2019
San Felipe, Baja, Mexico
Chelsea Blues, Rhythm
& Rock Festival
Mar-30-2019
London, United Kingdom
Tucson Blues & Brews Festival
Mar-30-2019
Tucson, Arizona, USA
Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute Show
Apr-06-2019
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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please go to our website
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Tampa Bay Blues Festival
Apr-11-2019 - Apr-14-2019
St Petersburg, Florida, USA
Juke Joint Festival
& Related Events
Apr-11-2019 - Apr-14-2019
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
Cat Head Mini Blues Fest I
Apr-14-2019
Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
15th Annual Blues By the Sea
Apr-14-2019
Kiawah Island
South Carolina, USA
Spring Harp Fest XX
Apr-20-2019
La Mesa, California, USA
Redwood Coast Music Festival
May-09-2019 - May-12-2019
Eureka, California, USA
Gator By The Bay
May-09-2019 - May-12-2019
San Diego, California, USA
Doheny Blues Festival
May-18-2019 - May-19-2019
Dana Point, California, USA
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RBA Publishing/Blues Festival Guide
P.O. Box 920, Arcata, CA 95518
Call 707-630-3304
RBA Publishing, Inc. in business since 1993, is a boutique blues-specific PR and marketing firm based on the West Coast. We help musicians, festivals, labels and music-related brands. Our digital campaigns target fans, industry and influencers. We are masterful at email marketing, social media, fan acquisition and long-term marketing plans. Our media services are supported by people who understand and love the blues genre. Publishers of annual the Blues Festival Guide magazine, our top-ranking website, and e-Guide newsletter with approx 30,000 weekly subscribers, we have been blues industry leaders for over 16 years. Please contact us at 707-630 3304 or EMAIL to findout how we can help you!
Information both editorial and advertising in the Blues Festival E-Guide is believed to be correct but not guaranteed. Double check info carefully before you attend any event or send money for anything. We do not write the news... we just share and report it.
We also welcome your e-Guide suggestions, critiques and questions. You can reach our E-Guide editor, Michele Lundeen via EMAIL.
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Hey blues lovers! Got 
