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Photo Moments with the 21st Annual BFG Magazine!
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 Here's singer, songwriter, harpman Alabama Mike (aka Michael Benjamin). Mike came up singing in church with his siblings at an early age. Originally from Talladega, Alabama, the 2024 BMA Soul Blues Artist Male of The Year Nominee is now based in the San Francisco Bay area. Quite the showman, he can get down old school-style with the best of them and delivers his message with candor and often with humor. His performances aboard the Oct Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise were fun and memorable and we could all identify with his message!
"Stuff I’ve been through would’ve killed the average man but by the grace of God here I stand," says Alabama Mike.
Photo: Michele Lundeen
ORDER your own 21st 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 21st Annual Blues Festival Guide!
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Woodystock Blues Festival 2024
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 (LAKE HAVASU CITY, AZ) - Are you ready for some great music? Well the Woodystock Blues Festival has got you covered if you find yourself in Arizona on March 29th – March 24th 2024!
Come join us at Lake Havasu State Park March 23rd–March 24. Gates open at 10am at Windsor Beach State Park #4, at 699 London Bridge Rd, Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
The 2024 lineup includes masterful blues rocker Alastair Greene, the blues rock, soul, funk of The Scott O’Neal Band, alt-blues rock band Until The Sun, alt-blues indie rock band Catbone, blues rockers Jay Gordon & Blues Venom, eclectic blues-roots artists Orphan Jon and the Abandoned, the funky, blues, gospel, rock of Stone Stanley featuring Jason Trombley, blues rockers the Jon Geiger Band, singer Tiffany Lynn, and more.
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GRAMMY Premiere Ceremony Feb 4 to feature Blues artists
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(LOS ANGELES, CA) - The 2024 66th GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will stream live from Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb 4, at 12:30 p.m. PT/3:30 p.m. ET on the Recording Academy's YouTube channel and on live.GRAMMY.com.
The Premiere Ceremony may not be part of the CBS telecast, but it’s an indispensable part of the 2024 GRAMMYs experience — and the Recording Academy’s purview, since the 2024 GRAMMYs telecast will only cover a fraction of the actual GRAMMY nominations.
The realities of TV broadcasting mean the wider world only gets to see, not the whole iceberg, but merely the tip. The General Field Categories boast the most visibility, but while they may be listed at the top of the nominations list, they are never meant to overshadow those beneath — not by a long shot.
The Premiere Ceremony is the most incredible lead-up to Music's Biggest Night," and they will reveal and celebrate the winners of more than 80 Categories spanning the diverse genres and crafts.
The opening performance at the Premiere Ceremony is always a highlight, and this year promises to be no exception featuring J. Ivy, Larkin Poe, Pentatonix, Sheila E., and Jordin Sparks.
Siblings and blues artists Larkin Poe are up for Best Contemporary Blues Album, for Blood Harmony.
The rest of the 2024 GRAMMYs Premiere Ceremony will feature more who will showcase the wide range of genres the Academy celebrates on GRAMMY night, as well as the diverse creators in the Academy and the music industry at large.
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Enjoy your journey - Vero Beach Blues Festival Feb 24-25
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 (VERO BEACH, FL) - The 2024 Vero Beach Blues Festival is coming February 24-25 to the Indian River County Fairgrounds, 7955 58th Ave., Vero Beach, Florida. Saturday times at 10:30am-10pm and Sunday is 10:30am-6:30pm.
Appearing Saturday will be headliners Ana Popovic, proceeded by Eliza Neals, John Primer, Altered Five Blues Band, Gitlo Lee, and Tullie Brae kicking off the weekend. On Sunday it’s headliner Chris Cain, proceeded by Jontavious Willis, Sean Chambers & Savoy Brown Rhythm Section, and Dottie Kelly & The Rock The House Band kicking off.
Plus 100 marketplace vendors in the middle of the event! Stroll through the aisle 2ways of arts and crafts and local business vendors with a cold beer or cocktail! Expect the unexpected in the Vendor Marketplace!.
Bring lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy your journey. No popup tents or coolers allowed, and no umbrellas or shade canopies may be set up in front of the main stage area. An area designated towards the rear of the park is available if you intend to bring small umbrellas.
The blues is a state of mind… find yours at the Vero Beach Blues & BBQ Festival!
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Smoky Mountain Blues Society Blues Cruises start April 7
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 (KNOXVILLE, TN) - Starting on April 7, the Smoky Mountain Blues Society (SMBS) will present live music with its 2024 River Cruise Series onboard the Tennessee Riverboat, docked at 300 Neyland Dr, Knoxville, Tennessee. Boarding is at 3:15pm, and the cruise sails from 4pm-7pm, rain or shine.
Tickets are available through Tennessee Riverboat Company website and/or by calling (865) 525-7827. Tickets are just $20 for SMBS members who order in advance and $25 for non-members. SMBS Members should call to claim their discount at (865) 525-7827.
Each voyage will have full cash bar and snack menu available onboard for purchase. Soft drinks, lemonade, juices, sweet/unsweet tea, and coffee are included in your purchase.
2024 Blues Cruises will feature:
April 7 – Cory Dennison Band
April 28 - Ray Fuller and the Bluesrockers
June 9th - Memphis Lightning and Steve Arvey
July 7th - SlideWinder Blues Band
Aug 4 – Bywater Call
Sept 8 – Ray Beltran & Blues Maxx
Oct 6 – Nick Moss Band
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Lil’ Jimmy Reed show to help with historical project
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 (ST. FRANCISVILLE, LA) - The Friends of the Old Benevolent Society present Lil’ Jimmy Reed - last of the original Louisiana Bluesmen, world famous guitar soloist and Hardwood native who will return to St. Francisville, Louisiana to play a concert benefiting the Friends of the Old Benevolent Society. The Mar 15th concert will be held at the Hemingbough Cultural Center, 10101 Hwy 965 West, in St. Francisville.
Li'l Jimmy Reed stands as a living legend of the blues, showcasing the essence of the genre with expressive guitar, raw vocals, and soulful harmonica. Born in Hardwood, LA, Reed grew up immersed in the blues tradition, and after filling in for Jimmy Reed one night, Lil' Jimmy's path to success was set.
Proceeds will support ongoing efforts to restore the Old Benevolent Society building to serve as a community and cultural center. The building is Francisville’s oldest African American burial insurance lodge which is included on Louisiana’s "Most Endangered Places" list.
Doors for the concert will open 6pm and showtime is 7-9:30pm and there will be a cash bar. Tickets can be found here.
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• Smoky Mountain Blues Society presents
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 (MARYVILLE, TN) - The Smoky Mountain Blues Society presents Kat Riggins & Her Blues Revival at Bluetick Tavern, 128 W Broadway Ave., Maryville, Tennessee, Sunday, February 18th.
Doors open at 4pm and the performance is 5pm–8pm.
Tickets $20 for SMBS members and $25 for the general public.
Bluetick Tavern offers a selection of food, beer, and liquor available to purchase.
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Which Cruise Hits Your Groove?
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#41 Southeastern Caribbean Oct 2024: 90% Soldout!
#42 Eastern Caribbean Jan 2025: Pre-Book Now!
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 90% Soldout Already!Purchase yours Now!
LEGENDARY RHYTHM
& BLUES CRUISE
#41 SOUTHEASTERN CARIBBEAN
OCT. 26 ~ NOV. 2, 2024
Sailing on the Holland America Eurodam from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Aruba & Curacao.
Don't miss the ship!
BOOK YOURS HERE
or call (816) 753-7979
___________
Prebook Now with
$500 Per Cabin Deposit!
LEGENDARY RHYTHM
& BLUES CRUISE
#42 EASTERN CARIBBEAN
JAN. 26 ~ FEB. 2, 2025
Sailing on the Holland America Rotterdam from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Tortola (BVI), St. Thomas (USVI) & Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic).
or call (816) 753-7979.
A $500 per cabin,
(not per person),
fully-refundable deposit holds your space in line to book a cabin once the official artist announcement is made in April.
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LEGENDARY RHYTHM & BLUES CRUISE
Our Headliners Stay & Play... They Don’t Hit & Run!
Best Blues Experience on the Planet! |
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Bernard Allison :: LUTHER'S BLUES
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 "Luther's Blues is a truly remarkable, often touching, celebration of the musical legacy of Luther Allison, performed and interpreted by his son, Bernard, who doesn't oftentimes go for the most well-known or more popular within Luther's vast recording legacy, instead seeking out 'songs that were overlooked on each of (my father's) albums, and then put my own twist on them’..." …John Mueller/Blues Notes & Conversations
Arriving as Ruf Records marks its 30th anniversary and more than three decades since blues guitar master Bernard Allison debuted on record, Luther's Blues celebrates the music of Bernard's father Luther Allison, a true legend of the Chicago blues and a central figure in the label's history.
The two-disc set features 20 stellar tracks from Bernard Allison, each one a Luther Allison composition previously released on one of Bernard's many albums. Allison himself hand-picked the songs for the collection, which have been lovingly remastered by Pauler Acoustics, a renowned address in the audiophile scene.
Bernard’s dad supported him while he was still finding his own musical voice, openly encouraging him to "play it how you feel it" rather than copy what came before. Thus, on Luther's Blues, you'll hear 20 Luther Allison songs reinvented for the 21st century by a member of the blues generation that followed him. The track list spans exactly 30 years, from "Hang On" – recorded in Paris in the summer of 1992, when Allison was in his mid-20s – to a pair of cuts from his most recent studio album Highs & Lows, which hit #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart in 2022 and earned a Blues Rock Album of the Year nomination at the Blues Music Awards.
All along, Bernard Allison has never once lost sight of where he came from.
"Bad Love"
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Just In Case... plus upcoming Holidays & Birthdays
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 • February is Black History Month
• February is American Heart Month
• Feb 2 Groundhog Day
• Feb 13 Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday
• Feb 14 Valentine's Day
Birthdays: Feb 1-“Baby Face” Leroy Foster (1923-1958), Sonny Landreth (1951), Lisa Mann; Feb 3-Johnny "Guitar" Watson (1935-1996), Jody Williams (1935-2018); Feb 3-Jason Ricci (1974); Feb 5-Al Kooper (1944), Victor Wainwright (1981); Feb 6-Bob Marley (1945-1981); Feb 7-Earl King (1934-2003), King Curtis (1934-1971); Feb 8-Alonzo "Lonnie" Johnson (1889-1970), Floyd Dixon (1929-2006), Eddie "Guitar" Burns (1928-2012); Feb 9-Johnny Heartsman (1937-1996); Feb 11-Josh White (1908-1969), Phillip Walker (1937-2010), Little Johnny Taylor (1943), Otis Clay (1942); Feb 12-Pink Anderson (1937-2010); Feb 13-Sugaray Rayford (1969); Feb 14-"Magic Sam" Maghett (1937-1969), Maceo Parker (1943); Feb 15-James "Kokomo" Arnold (1901-1968), Gary Clark Jr. (1984); Feb 16- Bill Doggett (1916), Super Chikan (1951), Andra Faye (1960)
 Just in case: • February is "American Heart Month" and the first Friday in February (which is Feb 2 this year) is "National Wear Red Day."
On this day, don the color red in any way shape or form in order to raise and spread awareness in hopes to help eradicate heart disease and stroke in millions of women all over the nation.
Jan 30-Feb 6 is "National Story Telling Week".... you know what to do!
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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 Feb 1, 2024
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 #1 Billboard
CHRIS O'LEARY
The Hard Line
#1 iTunes
KENNY WAYNE SHEPHARD
Dirt On My Diamonds
Vol 1
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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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Winter Blues Fest
Feb-09-2024 - Feb-10-2024
Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Cincinnati Winter Blues
Experience V
Feb-10-2024
Mason, Ohio, USA
Pigz in Z Hills BBQ & Blues Fest
Feb-10-2024
Zephyrhills, Florida, USA
Baton Rouge Mardi Gras Festival
Feb-10-2024
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Winterfolk Blues
& Roots Festival
Feb-16-2024 - Feb-18-2024
Toronto, Canada
Poulsbo Blues & Jazz Festival
Feb-24-2024
Poulsbo, Washington, USA
Vero Beach Blues Festival
Feb-24-2024 - Feb-25-2024
Vero Beach, Florida, USA
Clearwater Sea-Blues Festival
Feb-24-2024 - Feb-25-2024
Clearwater, Florida, USA
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| | For more festivals &
events plus tons of links
please checkout our website
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St. Kilda Blues Festival
Mar-01-2024 - Mar-04-2024
St Kilda, Victoria, Australia
24th Annual Blues Café
Mar-08-2024 - Mar-09-2024
Rothschild, Wisconsin, USA
Superstition Blues &
Brews Art Festival
Mar-09-2024
Apache Junction, Arizona, USA
Blues Bash at the Ranch
Mar-15-2024 - Mar-17-2024
Bradenton, Florida, USA
Venice Blues Festival
Mar-22-2024 - Mar-23-2024
Venice, Florida, USA
Woodystock Blues Festival
Mar-23-2024 - Mar-24-2024
Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA
Springing The Blues
Apr-05-2024 - Apr-07-2024 Jacksonville Beach, Florida, USA
Tampa Bay Blues FestivalApr-12-2024 - Apr-14-2024 St Petersburg, Florida, USA
Milwaukee Blues FestivalApr-19-2024 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Buffalo Blues & Roots FestivalApr-20-2024 Buffalo, NY, New York, USA
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21st Annual Blues Festival Guide magazine
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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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