Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival announces its 2017 Blues programme
With over 20 blues concerts this year’s programme spans Southern blues, Delta blues, Mississippi blues, Chicago blues, electric blues to acoustic blues. The cast list includes American stars and the best homegrown talent.
Born in Vance, Alabama in 1939, Alabama Slim (pictured) “grew up listening to the old blues since I was a child. I spent summers with my grandparents who had a farm. Them old folks would get to moanin’ while they worked, and I just started moanin’ with them. That’s where I learned to sing”. Alabama Slim is typical of the musicians playing as part of The Music Makers Blue Revue, which has been described as akin to Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club. As a loose amalgam of elderly Southern blues stars who are on the road together. They make their Scottish debut.
They headline the influx of American blues talent which also includes Texan Hamilton Loomis who will have you jamming and grooving along with his guitar riffs reminiscent of Kravitz and Stevie Ray Vaughan. His unapologetic sound is classic rock inspired blues at it’s best.
Mr Sipp “aka the Mississippi blues child” has a personality full of spirit and a genuine love for the blues. His shows are transformative – taking audiences on a trip back to the heyday of Mississippi blues and the infamous BB King. With roots in gospel, his sound is big, loud and soulful.
Idaho born John Nemeth has an astonishing vocal range and top-notch harmonica skills. Winning accolades through the years for his contribution to the blues world, Nemeth delivers electric Blues straight from Memphis.
One of the fastest rising blues stars of his generation, Brandon Santini, has absorbed the sounds and culture of the Delta and North Mississippi Hill Country, honing his craft night after night, sweating it out in local Beale Street clubs.
Californian blues singer, Earl Thomas has got one of the powerful voices around today with a soul inflected blues sound.
American blueswomen, Lisa Mills and Amythyst Kiah bring a Southern singer/songwriter blues sound and headline a host of female blues stars including Britain’s foremost jazz diva, Connie Lush; Grainne Duffy’s blend of blues, celtic and rock, Dani Wilde’s country gospel fusion as she plays an unplugged set with brother Will and Dana Dixon our top Scottish harmonica player.
Other blues names include Matt Schofield’s award wining guitar virtuoso and singer songwriter, “Paris Texas” inspired soundscapes from Neil Warden and Gary Martin, early blues from Mud in Your Ear, power blues from Gerry Jablonski, one-man-band blues from Mike Whellans.
Scotland’s own blues legend, Tim Elliott says farewell to Blues N Trouble with a special band, featuring two guitarists who were mainstays of the group, John Bruce and Sandy Tweeddale. Tim also opens a new chapter with a new project paying homage to the great blues shouters like Jimmy Rushing, Big Joe Turner and Jimmy Witherspoon.
Full Listing: Blues Listings
Tickets are available as follows:
· Online at www.edinburghjazzfestival.com
· By phone on 0131 473 2000.
· In person from The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NE.
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