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21st Annual Blues Festival Guide and a sneak peek into some of the editorial stories
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 We are so excited to share the brand new cover of our 21st annual Blues Festival Guide print magazine featuring the amazing Ori and Tierinii Naftaly of the multi-award-winning, GRAMMY®-nominated, and critically acclaimed band Southern Avenue.
The photo was captured by photographer Jon Naugle at the 2022 San Diego Blues Festival.
Order your very own 21st annual copy to be delivered straight to your door! Shipping has begun!
Blues legend Bobby Rush calls our magazine: "The roadmap to everything blues."
From the desk of our Blues Festival Guide magazine Editor, Irene Johnson:
Here's an editorial sneak peek into our issue that's due for release soon. Enjoy!
• Living Legend: Leon Blue / By Dan D. Harrell Everything that Leon Blue is on stage, he is in real life. Meet the man behind the legend in this exclusive interview with Mr. Blue for the Blues Festival Guide.
• Partners in Love & Blues / By Michele Lundeen What would it be like to work with your romantic partner? In this feature, we asked blues couples to give us the inside scoop on how they balance business, love and the blues.
• Capturing Magic & Passion - Blues Photogs at Work / By Mark Thompson Photographers at every blues festival capture moments, creating a visual montage that allows blues fans around the world the opportunity to experience the festival. Get to know some of these unsung heroes!
• Cast Your Vote for the Blues Blast Music Awards - Blues music thrives thanks to its fans, and the Blues Blast Music Awards give fans the opportunity to voice their favorites!
• Eight on the Eighty-Eight / By Reverend Billy C. Wirtz The Rev is back to highlight eight ivory ticklers every blues fan should know!
• Just Like Your Mama Did: Cookin’ Onboard the LRBC with Bobby Rush and Mizz Lowe / By Kaati Gaffney, BFG Publisher Between their comedic dialogue, colorful innuendos and delicious recipe for garlic butter shrimp and cabbage stir fry dish, there’s lots to savor!
• Storytellin’ Blues Dig Deep / By Gaye Adegbalola Gaye schools us on contemporary blues story-songs – always, of course, with a bit of humor!
And more!
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Photo Moments with the 21st Annual BFG Magazine!
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 Longtime BFG staffer/advisor, founding e-Guide Editor and former Marketing Director Nancy Edwards is captured here with Bobby Rush while in Memphis for the 44th Blues Music Awards (BMA) week. The events surrounding the BMA's included the Blues Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony that happened Wednesday May 10.
So cool she was able to run grab this photo with the multi-award winning great Blues stalwart and our friend showing off the brand new, hot-off-the-press, 21st annual Blues Festival Guide magazine!
Bobby Rush has called our annual "the roadmap to the blues," and we couldn't be prouder.
Photo: Gordon Bulcock
It's time to ORDER your 2023 Annual Magazine *ONCE YOU GET IT, SEND US A PIC WITH IT! BFG clients, contact your sales rep for your own copy!
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 (100 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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Get Ready for an incredible weekend of Live Music in Colorado Mountains!
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 (WINTER PARK, CO) - Looking for the perfect weekend getaway this summer? The smell of the Colorado mountain air, paired with the best mountain views and live music, this will be a weekend you won't forget. The 21st Annual Blues From The Top Music Festival, located in the stunning mountain valley of Winter Park, Colorado, will have you smiling all year long. This Grassroots Festival has earned the reputation for showcasing some of the best national talent in the business.
Blues from the Top Music Festival is presented by the Grand County Blues Society, and takes place at Rendezvous Event Center (78821 US Hwy 40), home of Blues From The Top, on June 23-25, 2023. The Center at Hideaway Park is centrally located in downtown Winter Park, making #BFTT a truly one-of-a-kind event with amazing views of the Continental Divide.
The event will feature performances from Grace Potter, The Record Company, Devon Allman Project with special guests Anders Osborne, Larry McCray, Jimmy Hall, Drive By Truckers, Galactic, Samantha Fish featuring Jesse Dayton, Blood Brothers with Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, Cedric Burnside, Shemekia Copeland, Jimmy Carpenter, and Robert Jon & The Wreck.
Going on 21 years now, the BFTT music festival has grown exponentially since it's conception in 2003 and has evolved into a true blues and roots music event, providing a welcoming atmosphere for all types of music fans. The event's producers, along with our volunteers and amazing ski-town community, create a utopia of great music and a great vibe for festival attendees.
Find more information and buy your tickets here.
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Here are the 44th Blues Music Awards Winners
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(MEMPHIS, TN) - The Blues Foundation's 44th Annual Blues Music Awards (BMAs), the highest honor in the Blues music industry, were held Thursday, May 11, in Memphis, Tennessee. Congratulations to all the worthy and talented Nominees in all the categories and congratulations to the Winners!
Here are the 44th Annual BMA Winners:
• B.B. King Entertainer of Year: Tommy Castro
• Album of the Year: The Blues Don't Lie, Buddy Guy
• Band of the Year: Tedeschi Trucks Band
• Song of the Year: "The Blues Don't Lie" written by Tom Hambridge
• Acoustic Blues Album: Mississippi Son, Charlie Musselwhite
• Blues Rock Album: I Got Love, Albert Castiglia
• Contemporary Blues Album: The Blues Don't Lie, Buddy Guy
• Soul Blues Album: In Too Deep, Sugary Rayford
• Traditional Blues Album: May Be The Last Time, John Nemeth
• Best Emerging Artist Album: Who Is He? Dylan Triplett
• Acoustic Blues Artist: Doug MacLeod
• Blues Rock Artist: Albert Castiglia
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Ruthie Foster
• Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
• Soul Blues Female Artist: Thornetta Davis
• Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado
• Traditional Blues Female Artist: Sue Foley
• Traditional Blues Male Artist: John Primer
• Instrumentalist - Bass: Danielle Nicole
• Instrumentalist - Drums: Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith
• Instrumentalist - Guitar: Laura Chavez
• Instrumentalist - Harmonica: John Nemeth
• Instrumentalist – Horn: Deanna Bogart
• Instrumentalist – Piano: Anthony Geraci
• Instrumentalist - Vocals: Shemekia Copeland
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Don’t Miss the Boat – Join the 2024 Sandy Beaches Cruise
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 Cabins are going fast for the 28th reunion of the Sandy Beaches Cruise with Delbert McClinton and friends!
Over 75 live performances are included in the cost of your cabin, by legendary artists including Delbert McClinton, The Mavericks, Marcia Ball, The California Honeydrops, The Band of Heathens, Paul Thorn, Marc Broussard, Blind Boys of Alabama, Lee Roy Parnell, Jimmy Hall, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster  Gentlemen, Mike Zito, Carolyn Wonderland, Wayne Toups, The McCrary Sisters, Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps, Big Joe Maher, Anson Funderburgh, Red Young, Gary Nicholson, Seth James, Shelley King, Kimmie Rhodes, Yates McKendree, Miss Jackie Wilson and more soon to be added.
Get ready for an immersive week of concerts, jam-sessions, artist interactive events, and more as you sail the beautiful Caribbean.
Sailing January 13-20, 2024 aboard Holland American Line Nieuw Amsterdam from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to St. Maarten and San Juan.
Book now at Sandy Beaches Cruises website and join the Sandy Beaches Facebook community!
Blues Guide fans can book now with promo code BLUESGUIDE to save on cabin prices!
Plus, there are flexible payment options available to help keep you on budget and spread the cost of your cabin over low monthly payments. Book now and pay later, even past the date of your trip! More info here.
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Blues Winners of 2022 International Songwriting Competition
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The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is pleased to announce the winners in the Blues category. Widely recognized as one of the most respected and influential songwriting competitions in the world, ISC received more than 15,000 entries this year from 150 countries. Winners were selected by ISC’s panel of judges from a pool of talented Blues songwriters.
First Place in the Blues category is John Nemeth of The Love Light Orchestra (Memphis, TN) for “After All.” Second Place is awarded to Matt Isbell and Taylor Orr of Ghost Town Blues Band (Memphis, TN) for “Shine,” and Third Place goes to John Primer (Camden, MO) for ”Hard Times.”
Honorable Mentions in the Blues category include: "Hound Dog On A Chain" by A.W. Cardinal, Jasmine Ohlhauser (Blue Moon Marquee) (Cowichan Valley, BC, Canada); "Tried And Tried" Ft. The Cornlickers by Anthony Sherrod (Anthony Big A Sherrod) (Clarksdale, MS); "I Been Blue Before" by Carrie Richburg-Wilson, Larry Wilson (The Junior Wilson) (Sandston, VA); "Rumpshaker" by Crystal Shawanda, Gary Strobel (Crystal Shawanda) (Wikwemikong, ON, Canada); "What's Real" by Drew Foust (Drew Foust) (Burlington, NC); "Ain't One Thing" by LaBronn Conner Jr. (LaBronn Conner Jr.) (Cleveland, OH); "Last Confessions" Marlon Van Maastricht (Zero Expectations & Arqam) (Dubai); "Low Down Dirty Blues" Peter Veteska (Peter Veteska & Blues Train) (New York, NY); "Troublin'" Robert Scott Gentilo (Bobby Gentilo) (Baltimore, MD); "Golden Girl Blues" Trudy Lynn (Trudy Lynn) (Houston, TX).
Previous ISC Blues winners have included Tommy Castro, Fantastic Negrito, Tom Hambridge, Thornetta Davis, Jack deKeyzer, Zac Harmon, and many more. “ISC remains committed to recognizing and promoting the best of Blues music,” said ISC Founder and Director, Candace Avery. “It is exciting to see the high quality of the winners’ songwriting and know that their music will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the Blues genre.”
The 24 ISC categories include all genres of contemporary music, from blues to rock to pop to jazz to EDM and more. For a complete list of all ISC 2022 winners and to hear the winning songs, go here.
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• FCBS Open Blues Jam Every Thursday
• Marquette Area Blues Society presents Blues Veteran
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 (ATLANTIC BEACH , FL) - First Coast Blues Society (FCBS) presents the Every Thursday Blues Jam at Whiskey Jax Kitchen & Cocktails Atlantic Beach (725 Atlantic Blvd, Ste 6), Atlantic Beach, Florida This social dinnertime gathering of local blues artists and supporters are coming together for "conversation volume level" acoustic and electric open blues jamming. Backline supplied by host band Caveman Bill and his new band, Dry White Toast. Join them at the beach for the Thursday weekly blues jam featuring great new original and cover music, food, and drink and amazing musicians from NE Florida and SE Georgia! Get your $2 domestic draft beer at the Thursday FCBS Jam. ____________________________________________________________
 (MARQUETTE, MI) - The Marquette Area Blues Society is hosting a special night of the blues Saturday, May 13th, at the Ore Dock Brewing Company (114 Spring St.) in Marquette, Michigan with Chicago blues veteran Jon McDonald.
McDonald is the real deal when it comes to Chicago blues having spent 13 years as bandleader for Magic Slim & The Teardrops. He's also worked alongside blues legends Hubert Sumlin, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells, and shared the stage with everyone from Taj Mahal and Paul Butterfield, to Rory Gallagher and Les Paul.
The evening is a free, all ages show. Suggested donations of $10 will be accepted at the door.
Marquette's own Flat Broke Blues Band will open the show at 7pm in the Ore Dock Community.
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Which Cruise Hits Your Groove?
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#39 Mexican Riviera: Book Now! Over 95% Sold!
#40 Western Caribbean: Soldout - Join Waitlist
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 LRBC #39
MEXICAN RIVIERA
Sailing OCT 28~NOV 4, 2023
on Holland America’s ms Koningsdam from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan & Puerto Vallarta.
LRBC #40
WESTERN CARIBBEAN
Sailing JAN. 28~FEB. 4, 2024
on Holland America’s ms Nieuw Statendam from Ft. Lauderdale to Grand Cayman, Roatán, Honduras & Costa Maya, Mexico.
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LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES CRUISE
313 Lawrence St. Kansas City, MO | (816) 753-7979
Our Headliners Stay & Play They Don’t Hit & Run!
Best Blues Experience on the Planet! |
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Featured Video of the Week
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Shemekia Copeland & Kenny Wayne Shephard featuring Robert Randolph & Tony Coleman "Hit 'Em Back"
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 Philadelphia’s blues-soul singer and songwriter Deb Callahan releases her 6th CD, Backbone, on Blue Pearl Records. Produced by Philadelphia producer, songwriter and guitarist Chris Arms, it was recorded live at Morningstar Studios in E. Norriton, Pennsylvania.
Deb recorded Backbone with her road tested, all-star band of Allen James on guitar, Garry Lee on bass and Tom Walling on drums. The CD also features London producer and songwriter Danny Schogger on keyboards and Arms on slide guitar. There are guest appearances by Great Britain’s Alan Glass on acoustic guitar, and Philly musicians; Jay Davidson on sax, Steve Jankowski on horn/trombone, John Colgan Davis on harmonica and Charlene Holloway on backing vocals. Deb and her core band’s sixteen years plus of performing and touring together shines through on this CD, creating a unique chemistry and an ability to play with natural, nuanced improvisation.
Deb’s previous CD, Sweet Soul was released in 2015 and produced by Los Angeles based producer-drummer Tony Braunagel. This well received CD was written in the years after Deb became a new parent with a focus on love, connection and family. Backbone has a blues and funk base and embraces a range of rock, soul, roots and swing styles. The songwriting reflects the intense impact of world events over the past few years exploring themes of uncertainty, vulnerability, being comfortable with and showing up for oneself, taking a stand, polarization in beliefs, freedom and letting go. Deb worked with Arms, Schogger and James to write much of the original material and chose two covers that fit in well with the material including Percy Mayfield’s “Danger Zone” and Sean Costello’s “Anytime You Want”.
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Just In Case... plus Holidays & Birthdays
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 • Happy Mother's Day
Sunday May 14 (USA)
(Lt: Ana Popovic and her family)
Birthdays upcoming of note:
May 11-Kansas Joe McCoy (1905–1950); May 12-Barbara Dane (1927), Guy Davis (1952); May 13 Stevie Wonder (1950), Ana Popovic (1976); May 14-Grady Gaines (1934-2021); May 15-Johnny Williams (1906-2006), L.C. "Good Rockin" Robinson (1915-1976), Larry Johnson (1938); May 17-Taj Mahal (1942); May 18-Little Son Joe Lawlars (1900-1961), Big Joe Turner (1911-1985); May 19-Jimmy Thackery (1953); May 20-Joe Cocker (1944-2014); May 21-Fats Waller (1904-1943), Dave Specter (1963), Billy Wright (1932-1991), Ronald Isley (1941); May 24- Bob Dylan (1941)
 Just in Case: May 14 is also "National Train Day" In 1903, while waiting for a train in Tutweiler, Mississippi, bandleader W.C. Handy encountered a raggedy man whose face had "the sadness of the ages," and he was running and pressing a knife over his guitar strings and singing "‘goin’ where the Southern cross’ the Dog.’ As legend has it, the term "blues" was coined by Handy when he heard the mournful sounds from the man. The man was referring to the Southern Railway and the Yazoo Delta (“Yellow Dog”) Railroad at Moorhead, Mississippi. Handy immortalized that crossing in his song "Yellow Dog Blues" and became known as the "Father of The Blues."
Trains have inspired a multitude of blues and roots stories, songs, travels and escapes. "The Mail Train Blues" by Sippie Wallace, "Too Too Train" by Big Bill Broonzy, "Mystery Train" by Junior Parker, "Southbound Train" by Muddy Waters, "Love In Vain" by Robert Johnson, "Freight Train" by Elizabeth Cotten, "The Midnight Special" by Leadbelly, "Get Onboard" Eric Bibb, and so on, and on.
Trains have not only been an essential means of transportation for work and pleasure, but also have held a mystique of long ago hardships, hence the blues, symbolized love lost, a yearning to escape, new adventures, never-ending train tracks, and more to one's imagination
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Missed your Weekly e-Guide?
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Billboard #1 Blues Albums
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Billboard & iTunes #1 Blues Album - as of May 11, 2023
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 #1 Billboard
DEAN ZUCCHERO
Electric Church:
For The Spiritually Misguided
#1 iTunes
KOKO TAYLOR
Koko Taylor -
Deluxe Edition
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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 14.3k+ Blues Freaks at our TWITTER feed @BluesFestGuide
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Radio Submit Roots Blues Chart
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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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Blues Music AwardsMay-11-2023 Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Gator by the BayMay-11-2023 – May-14-2023
San Diego, California, USA
Blues In Da Bay 2023
May-13-2023 Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, USA
NC Blues Week
May-13-2023 - May-20-2023
Greensboro, North Carolina USA
Carolina Blues Festival
May-20-2023
Greensboro, North Carolina USA
Women In Blues Festival
May-20-2023 Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
Simply Texas Blues Festival
May-20-2023
San Angelo, Texas USA
Ground Zero Blues Club
21st AnniversaryMay-26-2023 - May-27-2023 Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA
Exit 56 Blues Fest
May-27-2023 - May-28-2023
Brownsville, Tennessee USA
European Blues ChallengeJun-01-2023 - Jun-03-2023 Chorzów, Poland
10th Annual Big Island
Jazz & Blues Festival Jun-01-2023 – Jun-03-2023
Kailua Kona, Hawaii, USA
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| | For more festivals &
events plus tons of links
please checkout our website
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Smokin' in Steele
BBQ & Blues Fest
Jun-02-2023 - Jun-03-2023
Owatonna, Minnesota, USA
Blues Rules Crissier Festival
Jun-02-2023 - Jun-03-2023
Crissier, Switzerland
Greeley Blues Jam
Jun-02-2023 - Jun-03-2023
Greeley, Colorado, USA
Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival
Jun-02-2023 - Jun-4-2023
Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
Ojai Blues Fest
Jun-03-2023
Ojai, California, USA
Billtown Blues Festival
Jun-09-2023 – Jun-10-2023
Hughesville, Pennsylvania, USA
Legends of 7th Street Festival
Jun-10-2023
Oakland, California, USA
Stomp The Blues Festival
Jun-10-2023
Springfield, Missouri, USA
Central Virginia Blues Festival
Jun-10-2023
Afton, Virginia USA
2nd Manomet Blues Festival
June-25-2023
Plymouth, Massachusetts USA
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Are you missing us at times?
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 Hi blues peeps...Sometimes your weekly e-Guide newsletter may arrive a little late due to us, but other times some end up as soft bounces (ones that are temporarily undeliverable). We send to the soft bounces addresses after the first initial batch has completed sending, but some may still end up as soft bounces.
*As a friendly reminder, and to hopefully help this situation, please remember to set up your spam filters to allow mail from the info@BluesFestivalGuide.com and eguide+bluesfestivalguide.com@mnb.email to ensure delivery.
We hate if you don't get your newsletter that often includes time-sensitive events and special interest bluesy content we know you don't want to miss.
Here's to a music and sunshine filled week ahead.
Yours in the blues,
Team BFG
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We're thinking of you... here's to good health & good music!
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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 the annual 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 20 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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Fair Use Act statement and disclaimer
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Hey blues lovers! Got 
