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THE 20th ANNUAL BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE MAGAZINE
DIGITAL EDITION IS NOW RELEASED!
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 Our 20th Anniversary digital edition of the Blues Festival Guide has launched and is now available on our website! Click the image at left to read and enjoy all 84 pages. Don't forget to turn on the speaker to hear Tulle Brae singing "Seven Bridges."
Blues music is America’s original roots music. It is still being picked on the front porches of tar-paper shacks, but just as frequently, it is fired up loud and proud in front of a barroom (or festival) crowd.
Blues reflects hardship, trouble and strife, but also perseverance and strength of character – to know the blues is to be in touch with your true spirit and soul. The Blues Festival Guide is committed to the process of presenting blues to a wider audience, and as you know, offers our weekly, electronic newsletter: Blues Festival E-Guide (free subscription) and the popular annual national print (and digital) magazine which comes out each spring.
Blues legend Bobby Rush calls our magazine: "The roadmap to everything blues". Indeed, the articles offer something for everyone, all blues related, of course. This year’s engaging editorial from aficionados in the blues community includes articles from Grammy winner Victor Wainwright, Mitch Woods, Reverend Billy C. Wirtz and Roger Stolle among others.
Our cover by photographer Marilyn Stringer features the talented Tullie Brae and Calvin Johnson at the 2021 North Atlantic Blues Festival!
You can also order your own hard copy here!
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Photo Moments with the 20th Annual BFG Magazine!
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 Here's multiple San Diego Award Best Blues winner and regional favorite Bill Magee after his set at the Gator By The Bay festival.
Story has it that Jimi Hendrix was playing as Jimmy James when Willie (Bill) Magee met, befriended and eventually joined up with Hendrix to form the band "Jimmy James and the Flames." In 1967, Hendrix went to England, and Magee took his newly formed band, the "Kansas City Playboys" on a tour around Europe. The rest is history and those of us lucky enough to have him based in San Diego county are grateful. He's a solid, real deal, funky, downhome bluesman.
Taken at the 2022 Gator By The Bay over Mother's Day weekend in San Diego, California.
Photo: Michele Lundeen
ORDER YOUR 2022 MAGAZINE!
*GET US A PIC WITH ANNUAL BFG MAG! If you're a BFG client contact your sales rep for one.
Anyone can Order here! Once you receive, have fun, get creative and SNAP A PHOTO of you, your friends, and/or artists, etc. with the BFG magazine and EMAIL photo, caption (120 words or less), URL if applicable, and photo credit to e-Guide editor!
The Blues Foundation is official sponsor of the 20th Anniversary Blues Festival Guide!
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Free Admission to Blues on the Chippewa in Durand, Wisconsin Aug 4-6
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 (DURAND, WI) - The 14th annual, free Blues on the Chippewa festival will be held Aug 4-6 at Memorial Park (2nd Ave. East) in Durand Wisconsin, rain or shine. Acts include Pokey LaFarge, Malina Moye, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Reverend Raven & the Chain Smoking Altar Boys featuring Westside Andy, Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers, Hooten Hollers, CROS, Big Ray & Chicago’s Most Wanted, Howard “Guitar” Luetdke & Blue Max, Maxx Cabello Jr, Left Wing Bourbon, Jambalaya, Little Wing & Co., JoJo Green, Harrison Street, Taylor Rae, High & Rising, Tim Coughlin Band, Brian Naughton Band, Mojo Lemon, and Stefen Geissinger.
The Blues on the Chippewa festival is a fundraiser for the Bent Titus Music for Children Program among several others. There is free overflow camping. See the website for more details.
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This weekend it's Bentonia Blues Festival’s 50th at historic juke joint
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 (BENTONIA, MS) - Come celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bentonia Blues Festival this weekend, June 16-18, at the historic Blue Front Cafe (107 E Railroad Ave.) in Bentonia, Mississippi off Highway 49 North. It’s the oldest operating juke joint in the country! The event will feature live music, food and merchandise vendors, RV, and tent camping (fees may apply), and more.
The final lineup features Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, owner of the Blue Front Cafe and creator of the Bentonia Blues Festival, who will be playing every night plus:
• June 16th starting 3pm: Red Meat Rhetoric, Shaun Marsh, Ryan Lee Crosby, Little Willie Farmer, R L Boyce (Bonnie Renfroe)
• June 17th starting 3pm: Little MS Soul, RL SuperBad, Randy "19th Street Red" Cohen, Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Ghalia Volt, Bobby Rush
• June 18th starting 11:30: RL SuperBad, Randy Cohen “19th Street Red,“ Meagan May, Gordon Licciardi, Groove Johnson, Libby Rae Watson, Jesse Cotton Stone, MZ Pleshette
You do not want to miss a single act that’s playing at the Festival!
The Bentonia Blues Festival is a unique, down-home style festival that runs on juke joint time just like the historic and authentic oldest juke joint in daily operation, the Blue Front Cafe. In other words, times and order of performances are bound to change a bit. Relax and have a great time with us as we help to keep the Bentonia blues alive!
Visitors to the area can find more information about places to eat and stay including hotels, motels, and RV Parks in the Yazoo County area at this website or by calling the Yazoo County CVB at 800-381-0662.
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"Folks, I was born in the 1930s in a shack in the Piney Woods of East Texas. Therefore, the Gospel and the Blues were the first two genres of music that I first heard. Life was hard for my family down there due to the depression and racial segregation. Therefore, the Blues became our folk music along with spirituals. We sang about hard times and pleaded to God to lead and guide us to brighter days.
The Blues as a genre was being concurrently established in several different areas of the segregated South, mainly, the Mississippi Delta, Texas, and the Carolinas, the Mississippi Delta Blues was the most intense and emotional and became the most popular. The Blues from the Carolinas was influence by European style harmonies and was considered to be too high class and therefore did not gain the popularity. The Texas Blues was more "lay back" and maintained some popularity.
It was the Black men who roamed around the South, mainly in agricultural and wooded areas, searching for work as they eased their burdens through call/response, moans, field hollers with their guitars. They moaned mainly about hard times in making a living. Their moans and field hollers are the foundation of what has become the Blues.
Black women moaned and groaned also. However, their moans and groans related to how they were being treated by their men. It is their moans and groans that attracted representatives of record companies. It is the women whose voices singing the Blues were first recorded. These recordings were sold and distributed in urban communities to Black audiences. Because of the success of these recordings, the Blues found its way to the cities with broader recognition and popularity. It is Black women who took the Blues out of the country into the cities, thus, the two divisions, "Country Blues" and "Urban" or "City" Blues.
Wow! this is "Blues Month" and "Juneteenth Month." I am so glad that my dear friend, Mark Naftalin, introduced me to the Blues Community in the Bay Area. He also gave me the opportunity to perform with Masters of the Blues. Getting back to my roots and sharing with you bring me so much joy!"
Courtesy of Margie Baker who is not only celebrated performer but was also a teacher with the San Francisco Unified School District for 51 years and says she had "no intentions of giving up my teaching career for a career in music."
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Juneteenth Celebrations - the legacy of June 19, 1865
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 Juneteenth is the African American celebration of liberation 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Soon after the end of the Civil War, black communities throughout the nation celebrated independence every June 19th with gatherings, food, and music. This is a just a sample of celebrations...
(BRYAN, TX) - The Brazos Valley African American Heritage And Cultural Society is hosting the Brazos Valley Blues Fest June 18, 6pm-10pm. The Blues Fest will be set-up block party style on 21st Street between Bryan Avenue & Main Street. Bring your own chairs and get ready to celebrate!
(HAYWARD, CA) – The Russell City Awareness Series and the West Coast Blues Society present a Juneteenth Celebration June 18 at the Hayward City Hall Plaza noon-6pm. There will be music, African dance, poetry, food booths, and guest speakers.
(POMPANO, FL) - The 21st Annual Blues and Sweet Potato Pie Festival will be held at Northwest Library, 11am-5pm Saturday, June 18, at Apollo Park, adjacent to the Northwest Branch Library, located at 1580 NW 3 Ave., Pompano Beach, Florida. This day of free family fun, live entertainment, art and history includes performances, activities, exhibits and the legendary pie-tasting contest to crown the community's best sweet potato pie maker. More details here.
(HEALDSBURG CA) - Healdsburg Jazz Festival presents a diverse range of music, art, culture and education in honor of this holiday, free to the public, June 19th on the Healdsburg Plaza in Healdsburg California. Their Juneteenth performances celebrate the wide range of black music and art including gospel, early blues, New Orleans jazz, funk, R&B, spoken word, and straight-ahead modern swing, plus arts and crafts area in the plaza for young people.
(VIRTUAL) – “Juneteenth and the Blues” will be an hour-long Zoom presentation and discussion June 19th at 4pm by composer, bassist, bandleader and educator Marcus Shelby about the importance and historical significance of Juneteenth in Black American culture. The presentation will include live music, readings, poetry, and observations on the legacy of June 19, 1865-the date Africans in Galveston, Texas, were freed long after the emancipation proclamation. More details and register info for this event.
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20th Annual Grassroots Festival "Blues in the Hills" July 8-9
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 (DUCK HILL, MS) - The 20th Annual Grassroots Blues Festival will be held July 8-9 at Elliott Field in Duck Hill, Mississippi. Friday's time is 6pm-10pm and Saturday it's 5pm-10pm. Artists appearing include Oxford All-Stars, Jerry Fair, Little Willie Farmer, Lewis Johnson & The No Name Band, Mark "Muleman" Massey, Pam Confer, and many others.
The GrassRoots Blues Festival is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage of blues music, and the artists who demonstrated mastery of their artistic discipline. Their goal is to educate and preserve this traditional art form of music for future generations to come. goal is to educate and preserve this traditional art form of music for future generations to come.
The Grassroots Blues Festival is a project of Action Communication and Education Reform, Inc., that began in 2003 to implement its program of work in the community and to provide a platform for traditional and obscure blues artists to cultivate and celebrate a musical art form that is unique to Mississippi heritage.
Email for more information.
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The Sandy Beaches Cruise Sets Sail January 2023!
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 The Sandy Beaches Cruise is back in 2023 for the 27th sailing of this week-long family reunion. With the news of Delbert McClinton’s retirement, fans are anxious to book this 7-day musical extravaganza for a chance to see him perform live. Plus, guests will enjoy live performances and jam sessions from artists including The Mavericks, Marcia Ball, The California Honeydrops, Marc Broussard, Shinyribs, Lee Roy Parnell, The Band of Heathens, Seth Walker, Mingo Fishtrap, Wayne Toups, Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps, The McCrary Sisters, Jimmy Hall, Red Young, Etta Britt, Kimmie Rhodes, and Bluz House Rockers. Exciting artist additions will be announced in the coming months. The 2023 Sandy Beaches Cruise will take place from January 15-22, 2023, departing from Ft. Lauderdale for Costa Maya, Cozumel and Half Moon Cay aboard the Holland America Line Nieuw Amsterdam.
Combining a luxury vacation with their favorite music, guests on the Sandy Beaches Cruise have the rare opportunity to watch GRAMMY winners in intimate concert settings and interact with them throughout the seven-night trip.
Cabins are available starting at $1900 per person and include admission to all major concerts and events, as well as all meals. For further information on the Sandy Beaches Cruise, please call 855-487-2639 or visit here.
Get ready to sit back, relax and enjoy the heart and soul of American music with this fantastic 2023 artist lineup!
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Topeka Blues Society presents Spirit of Kansas Blues Festival July 4th
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 (TOPEKA, KS) - The Topeka Blues Society (TBS) annually presents the Spirit of Kansas Blues Festival, scheduled every 4th of July at Reynolds Lodge, Lake Shawnee, in Topeka, Kansas, thanks to community support and donations.
Opening ceremonies begin at approximately 11am and music continues until dark. The festival ends with a spectacular firework show. Artists this year include Johnny Rawls, and The Keesha Pratt Band. There will be food trucks and arts & crafts vendors near the festival area. Just a short walk is classic car show.
While the festival is free, you can also make a donation to help keep it alive and growing.
(Click image to enlarge)
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Which Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise Hits Your Groove?
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Bluesin’ is back baby! We're excited to Return to the West Coast in 2022! Cabins on Sale Now!
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LRBC #37 Sea Of Cortez
Cabins On Sale NOW! Over 97+% Sold…
Oct. 29 ~ Nov. 5, 2022
San Diego, CA to Cabo San Lucas, La Paz
& Loreto.
Sailing on Holland America’s ms Koningsdam
Band Lineup, Cabin Availability
LRBC #38 Eastern Caribbean
Cabins SOLD OUT & Wait List is HOT!
Jan. 28 ~ Feb. 4, 2023
Ft. Lauderdale, FL to St. John, St. Maarten & Half Moon Cay (Bahamas Private Island). Sailing on Holland America’s
ms Nieuw Statendam. Band Lineup, Cabin Pricing & More Here! Join the Waitlist by visiting here or call(816) 753-7979
The Best Blues Experience on the Planet!
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LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES CRUISE
More Than A Cruise… More Than A Festival…
More Than You Can Imagine!
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Pharrell Williams "Freedom"
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Holidays, Birthdays and... Just In Case
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 • June is African-American Music Appreciation Month
• June 19 is Father's Day
• June 19 is Juneteenth
• June 21 Summer Solstice
Birthdays upcoming of note:
Jun 17- Matt Hill (1985); Jun 18-Sara Martin (1884-1955); Jun 19-Jerry McCain (1930-2012), Big Bill Morganfield (1956); Jun 20-Lazy Lester (1933-2019); Jun 21-Skip James (1902-1969); Jun 23-Helen Humes (1913-1981); Jun 24- Jeff Beck (1944), Tad Robinson (1956); Jun 25-Clifton Chenier (1925-1987), Eddie Floyd (1935), Roger Naber (LRBC CEO); June 26-Big Bill Broonzy (1903-1958); Jun 28-David "Honeyboy" Edwards (1915-2011) Armenter "Bo Carter" Chatmon (1892–1964)
 Just in case: "National Sunglasses Day" is June 27...Everyone appreciates a good set of shades... or even just a cool set of shades.
In the 12th century the Chinese wore sunglasses with lenses made from flat panes of smoky quartz. By the 1900s sunglasses became widely popular especially among celebrities... and blues musicians of course, even after dark.
*Photo art of Albert King © Copyright Jude Kane of Freakoutville
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Missed your Weekly e-Guide?
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BFG Twitter-Instagram-Facebook
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Join Blues Freaks at our Tweeter feed & on Instagram
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Hey, come on over and Join 14,300+ Blues Freaks at our TWITTER feed @BluesFestGuide
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  Also Follow us on INSTAGRAM with 10,300+ BluesersSee awesome, bluesy festival photos
from our team and fellow blues lovers!
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Then please drop on by and "LIKE" us and get
a daily dose of blues related stuff!
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Radio Submit Roots Blues Chart
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Billboard & iTunes #1 Blues Albums
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Billboard/iTunes #1 Blues Albums - as of June 16, 2022
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 #1 Billboard
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND
I Am The Moon:
(Episode) I. Crescent
#1 iTunes
BONNIE RAITT
Just Like That
(Note: iTunes rankings change very often.
This is #1 as of e-Guide publishing time)
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To view entire calendar of festivals & Live Streams, click here!
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ATTENTION:
FESTIVAL PROMOTERS
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LIST YOUR FESTIVAL ON OUR
WEBSITE FOR FREE HERE
To highlight your festival on our web and here in the e-Guide Festival Calendar please EMAIL for ad rates
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Due to space constraints
Not all upcoming Blues festivals/events are listed here
For a complete list & links see our comprehensive website.
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NOTE: Highlighted/Linked events
are paid "Featured" ads.
Checkout our website Festival page!
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Russell City Awareness
Blues Series
Jun-18-2022 – Jul-30-2022
Hayward, California, USA
Juneteenth Celebration
Jun-18-2022
Hayward, California, USA
Bentonia Blues Fest
Jun-16-2022 – Jun-18-2022
Bentonia, Mississippi, USA
Blues On The Fox
Jun-17-2022 – Jun-18-2022
Aurora, Illinois, USA
Alpine Country Blues Festival
Jun-17-2022 – Jun-18-2022
Alpine, Arizona, USA
Gladstone SummerTime BluesFest
Jun-17-2022 – Jun-18-2022
Gladstone, Missouri, USA
A Weekend Of Blues
Jun-17-2022 – Jun-19-2022
Hemlock , New York, USA
Torrita Blues Festival 2022
Jun-23-2022 – Jun-25-2022
Torrita di Siena , Italy
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| | For more festivals & events plus links
please go to our website
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Blues From The Top Music Festival 20th Anniversary
Jun-24-2022 – Jun-26-2022
Winter Park, Colorado, USA
Spirit of Kansas City Blues Festival
July-04-2022
Topeka, Kansas USA
Greenwood Blues Cruise / Festival of Discovery, 21st annual
Jul-07-2022 – Jul-09-2022
Greenwood, South Carolina, USA
Vallemaggia Magic Blues
Jul-07-2022 – Aug-07-2022
Vallemaggia, Switzerland
Briggs Farm Blues Festival
Jul-07-2022 – Jul-09-2022
Nescopeck, Pennsylvania, USA
Grassroots Blues Festival
Jul-08-2022 – Jul-09-2022
Duck Hill, Mississippi, USA
Lancaster Roots
and Blues Festival
Jul-09-2022 – Jul-10-2022
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA
Tremblant International
Blues Festival
Jul-14-2022 – Jul-16-2022
Mount Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
North Richmond Music Festival
Jul-16-2022
Richmond, California, USA
North Atlantic Blues Festival
Jul-16-2022 – Jul-17-2022
Rockland, Maine, USA
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We continue to stay optimistic!
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We are thinking of you and wishing you good health!
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 RBA Publishing/Blues Festival Guide
P.O. Box 920, Arcata, CA 95518
Call 707-630-3304
We welcome e-Guide suggestions and questions. You can reach our E-Guide editor, Michele Lundeen (pictured here) via EMAIL.
Michele is also a singer, songwriter, performer and bandleader based in the San Diego County, California area and nicknamed the "Queen of Steam" for her high energy and passionate style.
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 18 years. Please contact us at 707-630 3304 or EMAIL to find out 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 do CD/DVD reviews nor write the news... we just share and report it.
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Hey blues lovers! Got 
