Sue Foley
(right) is the recipient of a Juno Award, a Handy nomination, three Trophee France Blues Awards and an unprecedented fourteen Maple Blues Awards. She'll be playing the TBS Birthday Party Wednesday, May 24 at the MOD Club.
Roxanne Potvin will be opening!
Welcome to the 2006 edition of the most comprehensive listing of blues festivals and blues friendly events around. Whether it is the New Orleans themed Partigras at the Distillery, a great jazz festival with a ton of blues content, or a down-home rocking blues bash like the Orillia jazz and blues festival, there is something for everyone.
This summer is going to be jam packed with awesome music and amazing atmosphere at the different festivals in and around the GTA. Some of the most popular and well attended festivals are just outside of the GTA, such as the Southside Shuffle in Mississauga, the growing Oshawa jazz and blues festival, or the newcomers like the fine Smith's Falls blues festival, it will be worthwhile for you and your family to take the trip.
There is also something for every budget as most of the festivals are free, or have free events alongside ticketed concerts. Tickets are generally well priced, with package deals and weekend passes available. In addition to the music we all hold so dear, there are a plethora of children's concerts, play areas for the kids, barbeques, artisans, and workshops! Rumor also has it that Mr. Lahey, Randy and J-Roc from the hit television series `Trailer Park Boys' will be on hand at Bluesfest International Windsor, and London.
Over the next few months, I will be telling you everything you need to know about the festival line up for the summer and early fall.
May
May 17-21 Art of Jazz, Toronto Ontario
Jazz and Blues for Juniors workshop with Fruteland Jackson
www.artofjazz.org
May 19-22 Barrie Waterfront Festival, Barrie Ontario
David Rotundo, Jack de Keyzer, Curly Bridges, Diana Braithwaite, Dr. Draw, Neil Chapman, Blackboard Blues Band and more TBA.
www.barriewaterfront.ca
Hamilton bluesman Harrison Kennedy (right) has been spending more time on the European festival circuit than he has in Canada but this summer he'll be spending some time closer to home. He'll be appearing at the Orangeville Bluesfest (June 3), Hamilton Port Days (June 24-25), Smiths Falls Bluesfest (Aug 13), The Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival (Sept 14-16) and the Canal Bank Shuffle, Thorold (Oct 20-21). This month you can see this formidable performer in Toronto at Colorblind Blain's Annual Motherless Day Concert, Thursday May 18 at the Free Times Cafe on College St.
June
June 1-4 Orangeville Blues and Jazz
Festival, Orangeville Ontario
Raoul & The BigTime, Curley Bridges, Harrison Kennedy, Bill King, Chuck Jackson, Jane Bunnett, Paul James, Johnny Max Band, Mark "Bird" Stafford, Fathead, Brian Blain and others
www.orangevillebluesandjazz.ca
June 9-18 Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, Barrie Ontario
Jimmy Bowskill Band, Carlos Del Junco and more TBA.
www.barriejazzbluesfest.com
June 9-11 Distillery Blues Festival, Distillery District, Toronto Ontario
Electro-Fi Records Showcase "Bangin' Those 88's" with Curley Bridges and Julian Fauth, Deborah Coleman, David Rotudo, Mississippi Hippies, Anderson / Sloski, Wickens-Knight, Johnny Max Band.
www.distilleryblues.com
June 10 Brian's "Not just blues" Festival,
Young's point, Ontario
Paul James, Brian Blain, Kevin Carley Band.
k.carley@sympatico.ca
June 23-July 2 Toronto Downtown Jazz
Festival, Toronto Ontario
Etta James, Paul James, Mel Brown & The Homewreckers, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Molly Johnson, Brian Blain, Maceo Parker, and two Harbourfront shows with The Neville Brothers and Roxanne Potvin, and The Maple Blues Revue featturing Chuck Jackson, Dawn Tyler Watson, and John Mays.
(TBS members will receive $5 off the ticket price at the door for these
two Harbourfront shows). Danny Marks will be hosting an after-hours blues jam at the Pilot for the first three nights of the festival.
www.torontojazz.com
June 29-July 9 Festival International de Jazz de
Montreal, Montreal Quebec
Confirmed acts are BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Keb Mo', John Pizzarelli. Complete line-up to be announced in June.
www.montrealjazzfest.com
July
July 7 - 9 Porquis Blues Festival, Porquis Junction Ontario
Carlos del Junco, Garrett Mason, The Detroit Women, Hurtin' Blues Band & Maureen Brown, Sab, Sunday Morning Coming Down Jam (Featuring Sab and Friends)
http://www.iroquoisfalls.com/interest_items/annual_events/porquis_blues/
July 7-9 Thunder Bay Blues Festival, Thunder Bay Ontario
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, Tinsley Ellis, Big Walter Smith & the Groove Merchants, Detroit Women, David Clayton-Thomas, Robin Trower and more. www.tbayblues.ca
July 7-16 Cisco Systems Ottawa Bluesfest, Ottawa Ontario
Walter Trout; Sherman Robertson, Keb' Mo'; Bonnie Raitt; (and that's just the first Saturday on one of four stages) Etta James; Chris Smither; John Lee Hooker Jr.; Kentucky Headhunters (also on the Main Stage) Solomon Burke as well as Dickey Betts & Great Southern. New this year is the "Blues 'til Dusk Stage" stage featuring: Power Hour; Otis Taylor; Thornetta Davis;
The Texas Horns; Malted Milk; Wayne Baker Brooks; Mem Shannon; Slick; Eddie Turner; Chris Duarte Group; L'il Malcolm; Terrance Simien; Blues Berry Jam; Curly Bridges/Mel Brown; Julian Fauth; Finis Tasby; Roxanne Genest; Elvin Bishop; Ronnie Baker Brooks; Chicago Blues Reunion, among others.
www.ottawa-bluesfest.ca
July 13-16 Bluesfest International Windsor,
Windsor Ontario
Little Feat, Danny Brooks, The Yardbirds, Shawn Kellerman, Tinsley Ellis and
others. www.thebluesfest.com
July 14-16 Bluesfest International
London, London Ontario
Little Feat, Danny Brooks, The Yardbirds, Shawn Kellerman, Tinsley Ellis and
others. www.thebluesfest.com
July 21-23 PartiGras, Distillery District, Toronto Ontario
Fathead, David Rotundo, Dr. Draw, Finis Tasby, Shakura S'Aida, Neil Chapman, Angela Scappatura, Rusty Zinn and
more. www.torontopartigras.com
July 21-23 Home County Folk Festival, London Ontario
Jackie Washington, Ken & Chris Whitley, Brian Blain, Swamperella, The Marigolds, Lori Cullen, Roxanne Potvin, and more.
www.homecounty.ca
July 21-23 Burlington Jazz and Blues Festival, Burlington Ontario
July 21-30 Beaches International Jazz Festival, Toronto Ontario
Darrell Nulisch, Lou Pride; Janiva Magness and more TBA.
www.beachesjazz.com
August
August 2 _10 Maximum Blues International, Carleton-Saint-Omer Quebec www.maximumblues.net
August 7-13 Oshawa Jazz and Blues
Festival, Oshawa Ontario
Downchild Blues Band, Colin Linden and more TBA
www.oshawajazzandbluesfestival.com
August 10 _13 FestiBlues International, Montreal Quebec
Robert Charlebois, Bob Walsh, a big band tribute to BB King, Tony D, and others.
www.festiblues.com
August 11-13 Smiths Falls Blues Festival,
Smiths Fall Ontario
TBA www.smithsfallsbluesfestival.ca
August 24-27 Limestone City Blues Festival, Kingston Ontario
www.kingstonblues.com
August 25-27 Wasaga Beach Bluesfest, Wasaga Beach Ontario
September
Sept 2 Coal Flats Blues Festival, Port Burwell Ontario www.coalflatsblues.com
Sept 8-9 Blues In The Park, Niagara Falls Ontario
Garrett Mason, Roxanne Potvin, Roomful of Blues
www.bluesinthepark.com
Sept 8-10 Southside Shuffle, Mississauga Ontario
David Clayton-Thomas, Roomful of Blues, Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards, Detroit Women with Motor City Express and the legendary street shuffle TBA.
www.southsideshuffle.com
Sept 12-17 Harvest Jazz and Blues
Festival, Fredericton New Brunswick
Rick Fines, Suzie Vinnick, Morgan Davis, Grady, Delbert McClinton, Hot Toddy, Ann Rabson, North Mississippi All-stars, Roomful of Blues, Sista Monica, Harrison Kennedy, God Made me Funky and much more.
www.harvestjazzandblues.com
As if we were not going to be busy enough with all the fabulous festivals closer to home, here are more notable festivals to consider attending.
May 15_19 Hornby Island Blues Workshop, Hornby Island, British Columbia
Diana Braithwaite, Rita Chiarelli, David Gogo, Rick Fines, David Essig, Kenny `Blues Boss' Wayne, Amos Garrett, Ken Whitley and more.
www.hornby-blues.bc.ca
June 1-3 Budweiser Blues Festival, Jackson County Airport, Jackson Michigan
John Lee Hooker, Jr., Johnny Reed and the Houserockers, The Alligators, Mojo Phoenix and more.
www.slippeddiscproductions.com
June 8-11 Chicago Blues Festival, Grant Park, Chicago Illinois
Saffire: the Uppity Blues Women, Bettye LaVette, Super Chikan, Henry Butler, Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne, Honey boy Edwards, Robert Jr Lockwood, Homesick James, Henry Townsend, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Bobby Blue Bland and many more.
www.cityofchicago.org/specialevents
July 21-23 New York State Blues Fest, Syracuse New York www.nysbluesfest.com
July 28 _29 Cincy Blues Fest, Cincinnati Ohio
http://cincyblues.org
August 12 Cowpie Blues Festival,
Alaska, Michigan
Tinsley Ellis, The Chicago Rhythm and Blues Kings, The Detroit Women with The Motorcity Express, Motorcity Josh and more.
www.cowpiebluesfestival.com
- Sarah French