Check out their stories, with links to Artists' websites below!
Friday 8/3/2012
MAIN STAGE Gates open at 4:30
"THE SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY TOUR" featuring
J.P. Soars, Damon Fowler and Victor Wainright -
Fiery South Florida guitarist J.P. Soars and his swinging band the Red Hots took
first place in the 25th annual International Blues Challenge, held in Memphis in
January 2009, beating out over 160 other contestants from around the world. Soars
also individually won the event's Albert King Award, which established him as the
best guitar player in the competition. They've recently released their own self-
Born and raised in Brandon Florida just outside of Tampa, Damon Fowler first picked
up the guitar at the age of 12. After being shown a few chords, it was apparent that
he was a natural. While his friends were listening to the music flavor of the month,
Damon was digging into the Blues, and was soon playing small clubs in and around
the Tampa Bay area. Years later with thousands of shows behind him, you've got one
of the most unique and seasoned acts on the national circuit. Damon has been invited
to many major festivals, and has graced the stage with the best in the business.
He has three successful CD's under his belt, and is currently working on a fourth.
His playing, writing, and vocal ability has brought him many accolades. His latest
include Creative Loafing magazines "Best Guitarist, Best Lap-
Victor Wainwright is a raucous high-
Click any of the pictures above to be taken to these respective artists' websites.
Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88's-
Jump blues, rock-
Lest anyone sneeringly suggest that Woods is trying to make good on the now-
Anyway, what's in a name? Woods, ever-
Click Picture above right for the Mitch Woods website
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials-
“They blow down the walls. Dim the lights, turn up the stereo, and let the house party begin” —Guitar Player
“The world’s #1 houserocking blues band” —The Boston Globe
“Lil’ Ed And The Blues Imperials throw down old-
From smoking slide guitar boogies to raw-
Lil’ Ed boasts a direct bloodline to blues history—his uncle and musical mentor was the great Chicago slide guitarist, songwriter and recording artist J.B. Hutto. According to The Chicago Tribune, “Williams represents one of the few remaining authentic links to the raucous, pure Chicago blues.” The Associated Press agrees, stating, “Williams fills Chicago’s biggest shoes with more life and heat than anyone on stage today.” Adding to the legend is Ed’s storybook rise, taking him from working in a car wash to entertaining thousands of fans all over the world. In 2006 he made multiple appearances on Late Night With Conan O’Brien (including a hilarious film with Lil’ Ed teaching Conan how to play the blues) culminating with Lil’ Ed on stage jamming with O’Brien in front of a television audience in the millions.
Click Picture above left for the Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials website
Friday 8/3/2012
SECOND STAGE Gates open at 4:30
Club Phred-
Club Phred is a group of musicians who on average have over thirty years of professional
experience. We all share a love of classic 60’s and 70’s music and have deep roots
in the Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey tri-
Click Picture above left for the Club Phred website
Second Chance Blues Band-
Here are some excerpts from associated websites about the band...
"Second Chance Blues has performed for several First Night Wilmington (Delaware)
events, innumerable club dates throughout the Mid-
"Second Chances Blues was conceived in founder Randy Barnett's basement. After a
quarter century of playing in pointless cover bands he decided to retire and do something
of personal interest -
"DO WHAT YOU LOVE – YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!" (quote from band founder, Randy Barnett)
Click Picture above right for the Second Chance Blues Band website
Friday's
Diamond State Blues Society AFTER-
at a NEW VENUE for this event -
Leading the festivities is 
When blues forums toss your name around with the likes of harmonica masters like
Little Walter and Sonny Boy...that has to mean something.
Of course, there will always be skeptics; but to the blues fans of the northeast United States, there is no doubt that at just 26 years old, Mikey Jr. is chasing the masters at a pace that’s frightening.
Growing up on the tough streets of Trenton, New Jersey, Mikey Jr. is a self-
Since that time, Mikey Jr. has released an impressive four cd’s as well as a documentary DVD. He’s been praised by blues societies as well as players for his original take on ‘old school’ styles and his latest release, ‘Look Inside My Pocket’ is being hailed as a watershed effort by the blues community.
Mikey Jr. never set out to re-
Mikey Jr. was contracted to host the late nite Crows Nest Blues Jams on the January
Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise where he did an outstanding job keeping the music
rockin' with some of the biggest names in the business. He'll be doing the same
for us at this year's Friday night After-
MAIN STAGE Gates open at 11:00 am
Maria Muldaur is best known world wide for her '74 mega-
In the 39 years since MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS Maria has toured extensively worldwide,
and has recorded 39 solo albums covering all kinds of American Roots music, including
Gospel, R&B, Jazz and Big Band (not to mention several award-
Her critically acclaimed 2001 release, RICHLAND WOMAN BLUES, was nominated for a Grammy and by the Blues Foundation as Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year, as was the follow up to that album, SWEET LOVIN' OL' SOUL. Her timely 2008 album, YES WE CAN!, featured songs from some of the most socially conscious songwriters of the past half century: Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Allen Toussaint, Garth Brooks and others, and featured her "Women's Voices for Peace Choir," which included: Bonnie Raitt, Joan, Baez, Jane Fonda, Odetta, Phoebe Snow, Holly Near and others.
For her 2009 release, Maria revisited her original Jug Band roots, teaming up with John Sebastian, David Grisman and Dan Hicks. MARIA MULDAUR & HER GARDEN OF JOY was nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year by the Blues Foundation, and garnered Maria her 6th Grammy nomination as well.
In 2011, detouring from her ongoing exploration of vintage blues -
Click Picture above left for the Maria Muldaur website
KENNY NEAL and the Kenny Neal Family Band -
Kenny Neal is an acclaimed multi-
It was clear that Kenny touched something deep in the blues community with his soulful
guitar playing and uplifting songwriting, and his hot streak continues with a batch
of new songs. Hooked On Your Love covers the plethora of accomplished roots styles
Kenny has become known for. The tasty musical gumbo of swamp-
Kenny Neal was born in 1957 in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge. He began playing
music at a very young age, learning the basics from his father, singer and blues
harmonica player, Raful Neal. Family friends like Lazy Lester, Buddy Guy and Slim
Harpo also contributed to Kenny’s early musical education. In fact, it was Harpo
who gave the crying three-
Following Buddy's advice to concentrate on his guitar playing, Kenny relocated to
Toronto, and along with his brothers Raful, Jr., Noel, Larry and Ronnie -
Signing with Alligator Records in 1988, Kenny began releasing a series of consistently
lauded albums featuring his laid-
In 1991, Kenny branched out into the world of acting when he starred as the lead
in the much-
After his impressive run with Alligator, Kenny switched to Telarc, and continued to release albums highlighting his developing skills as a songwriter, as well as interpreting songs from musicians as diverse as Bob Dylan, John Hiatt, and Nick Lowe. His 2004 release with Billy Branch, Double Take, garnered Kenny a W.C. Handy award for Best Album. More recently, Kenny released A Tribute to Slim Harpo and Raful Neal, which pays homage to blues harp icon Harpo as well as Kenny’s father, who passed away as the album was being completed.
After relocating to the Bay Area in 2004, Kenny began hosting his own local cable TV program, “Neal’s Place.” The show features Kenny jamming and talking with the many international blues stars he has met and performed with, as well as local artists he has spotted at festivals and clubs. Filmed in front of a live studio audience, “Neal’s Place” has a relaxed, informal atmosphere that brings out the best in the artists, while giving an unscripted, improvisational edge to the performances.
In 2005, health problems forced Kenny to completely stop performing and recording for a few years. And, within an eleven month span during this recovery period, Neal lost his dad, sister, and brother. In the best blues tradition, Neal took the tragedies, adversity and heartbreak of those years and turned them into great songs and performances.
Writing, playing, and singing with a renewed sense of purpose and energy, he used the time to craft an inspired collection of songs that make up Let Life Flow. Released in 2008, the CD met with immediate critical success. Vintage Guitar said, “Kenny Neal’s new release is full of blues and soul music of the highest standard. While Neal’s always been one of his generation’s finest bluesmen, Let Life Flow helps push him into the upper echelon of the genre. His maturity, mastery of the music, and sheer determination show it, making this one of 2008’s best.”
Living Blues magazine added, “His latest effort is a resounding affirmation of his talents as a musician, songwriter, and singer,” while About.com offered that “Kenny Neal’s Let Life Flow album should be considered a masterpiece.”
The critical acclaim and passel of awards that followed are testament to not only the album’s soulful grooves, but also to the deep, emotional resonance in Kenny’s perseverance in face of life’s trials.
Kenny was able to return to the scene and the stage with a new vigor and outlook on life. With these, he entered the studio to whip up the good time gumbo of Hooked On Your Love.
The new album casts that potent Neal spell of deep grooves and deep feelings that
put him where he is today. With tunes like swampy Louisiana look-
Take a listen at the Riverfront Blues Festival and prepare to be hooked.
THE NEAL FAMILY
June 6,1936 -
Described by reviewers as warm, animated, stylish, precise and economical, the blues music on "Old Friends" mirrors the artist
himself, a native of South Louisiana and a second generation blues player who listened to the greats and carved out his own unique style. A posthumous Slim Harpo Tribute album was Released on True Life Entertainment.
Jackie Neal (Sister) – "Jazzy" Jackie Neal
July 7, 1967 – March 10, 2005
Jackie was a Southern Soul/Blues singer who was very popular in Lousiana, Mississippi, Alabama and all surrounding Southern states. Prior to her very untimely death, she had completed four albums: The Blues Won't Let You Go (1995), Lookin For a Sweet Thang (2000), Money Can't Buy Me Love (2002) and Down In Da Club (2005). Flamboyant and full of life, Jackie was a crowdpleaser like no other and she is greatly missed by family and fans alike.
Tyree Neal (Nephew)-
Kenny Neal, Jr.-
Raful "Lil Ray" Neal (Brother)-
Frederick (Brother) -
Fredrick Neal Has been Kenny's regular keyboard player since he was in his teens. A good singer, he sounds a bit like his dad. Fredrick is the proud owner of the convertible Cadillac from the movie Crossroads, which he bought from Little Milton.
Darnell Neal (Brother) – Has been bass player with brother Kenny's band since his
teens. Also worked some with Baton Rouge flash-
Noel Neal (Brother)-
Ronnie Neal (Brother)
May 2, 1961 -
Strong percussionist. It can be noted that he was a strong singer with a unique voice and had done several recordings including "shattered by a whisper", a duet with Jackie.
Larry Neal (Brother)
Plays drums with Kenny around South Louisiana. Also works with his dad some as both drummer and harmonica/front man. Some consider him the equal of his father and Kenny in stage presence.
Graylon Neal Hoffman(Brother)
Respected and rocking drummer who has played on
Kenny's albums, toured with Fenton Robinson and
worked with many of the great local Baton Rouge
Acts.
Charlene & Darlene Neal(Sisters)
Identical twins who occasionally sing and dance with
the family. Charlene is mother of Tyree.
Syreeta Neal -
Click above right for the Kenny Neal website
SECOND STAGE Gates open at 11:00 a.m.
Saturday 8/4/2012
SideStage
Saturday 8/4/2012
Alicia Maxwell & the Diamond Dawgs -
The Diamond Dawgz are:
Alicia Maxwell -
Kenny Jones -
Colleen Farrell-
\
Norm Dorrell -
Jerry Peet -
Tom Lowry-
Alicia Maxwell and The Diamond Dawgz are a local blues "supergroup". The members of this band bring together many years of musical genius together to create infectious New Orleans inflected blues to a local audience.
Click Picture above left for the Alicia Maxwell website
Gary Allegretto-
"Gary Allegretto is one of the finest harp players you'll hear" and "one of the classiest acts in the music business today, working only with the best backup musicians and taking the time to craft music noted not only for its quality but for its authenticity… real Blues.”
~Robert Fontenot, Blues Revue Magazine
"This is honest music crafted from inspiration, talent, and skills, delivered at a high level of accomplishment.” ~Bob Margolin, Renowned Bluesman from Muddy Waters Band
“... Allegretto sings with a natural storytelling appeal that’s easy to understand. His harmonica gives the program a zest that ensures magnetic forces. One listen and you’re under his spell. One listen and his audience is sold on pure blues with a message that comes from the heart." ~Jim Santella, Southland Blues Magazine
"That boy can really blow that harp!" ~The Legendary Pinetop Perkins
A down-
Down the road, Allegretto's performances have captivated audiences from the stages
of venues and festivals worldwide and his recordings have received multiple Grammy
Award nomination considerations. His music has topped the Blues and Roots radio charts
internationally. He is the 2011 recipient of the Blues Foundation's prestigious "Keeping
the Blues Alive" award. He's been praised in the pages of prominent Blues press including
Blues Revue, Blueswax, Living Blues, Big City Blues, Blues Matters, and more. Critics
have called his musicianship "world class", "masterful", 'jaw-
"Gary recieved this year's
2011 Blues Foundation
'Keeping the Blues Alive'
award for education and
was as deserving as any recipient
in history. His efforts in music
education are second to none..."
~American Blues News
Click Picture above left for the Gary Allegretto website
Saturday's
Diamond State Blues Society AFTER-
at a NEW VENUE for this event -
Leading the festivities and the Riverfront Artists' Jam is
2012 Riverfront Blues Festival Artists:
CLICK the LINK to the right be taken to the Official City of Wilmington Riverfront Blues Festival website: RBFHome
Blue Cat Blues Band-
Members:
Paul "BIG CAT" Ruggiero -
Influences:
Tommy Castro, Freddy King, SRV, George Thorogood, Popa Chubby, Jimmy Reed, Fabulous Thunderbird's, Chuck Berry, Jimmy Thackery
- Diamond State Blues Society's entrant in the 2011 International Blues Challenge, Memphis, TN
Click Picture above left for Blue Cat Blues' website
Sounds Like:
A JUKE JOINT BLUES PARTY.
Blue Cat Blues is a hard rocking 4 piece blues band who play a high energy blend of fresh blues covers and originals.
So if you and your crew are craving some hard rocking, foot stomping, hip shaking,
earth-
Albert Castiglia-
Albert Castiglia (pronounced “ka-
Castiglia’s history is as colorful as his home town of Miami, Florida, going back to 1990 when he played in a local Miami Band, The Miami Blues Authority, and won awards locally for “Best Blues Guitarist.” He got a big break after meeting the legendary Junior Wells in 1996, and soon became Junior’s lead guitar player before Wells died in 1998. Albert toured the U.S. and Europe with Junior and then found himself in Chicago when Junior passed. Soon though, he was touring again with Sandra Hall.
He returned to South Florida after deciding to launch his solo career and went to
work on his first CD, Burn (2002), a self-
His 2008 CD, These are the Days (Blues Leaf Records), contained five original Albert Castiglia songs, including a tribute to his mentor Junior Wells, “Godfather of the Blues.” The cover songs from These are the Days paid tribute to a wide range of styles and artists from Bob Dylan, Nappy Brown and Fenton Robinson. These are the Days earned him a Blues Music Award nomination for “Song of the Year” for his original, “Bad Year Blues.” Castiglia was nominated again by the Illinois Blues Blast Awards and this time walked away a winner for “Song of the Year” for “Bad Year Blues,” as well as being nominated for the “Sean Costello Rising Star Award.”
Most of his new CD release, Keepin On, was recorded live with very few overdubs.
He enlisted five session musicians to help on the project, including harmonica master
Sandy Mack, who played on “I Could Not Ask for More,” a Peter Green song. Mack had
played on “Ghosts of Mississippi,” a track from Albert’s A Stones Throw album in
2006. According to Castiglia, “He kicked butt then and he picked up where left off
on this session. ”Keepin On features five new original tunes, plus other covers by
John Lee Hooker, Mack Rice, T-
Albert wooed a very appreciative Diamond State Blues Society audience when he opened for the recently deceased Michael "Iron Man" Burks at DSBS' "15th Annual House Rockin' Party" in March. He's sure to do the same for Riverfront Blues fans when he takes the stage on August 4th. BE THERE!
Click Picture above right for the Albert Castiglia website
Zac Harmon-
Born and raised in the heart of Jackson, Mississippi, Zac Harmon is a true disciple of the music that emanated from the city’s historic Farish Street district, universally recognized as the home of such great blues legends like the late, great Elmore James.
While in high school and college, Harmon gigged as a guitarist for the likes of Z.Z. Hill, Dorothy Moore and Sam Myers. Relocating to L.A. in the early eighties, he worked as a studio musician and then established himself as a writer and producer, crafting songs for the likes of the O’Jays, Whispers, Karyn White, Alexander O'Neal and Black Uhuru.
Composing and performing music for a movie score, Harmon was compelled to pursue his longtime dream to return to his roots and record his first Blues project. The result was 2002’s Live at Babe & Ricky's Inn, an electrifying testimony to Mississippi Blues, which showcased the sound at its best and introduced Harmon as a true torchbearer for the “next generation of the Blues”. In 2004, with his then band, the Mid South Blues Revue, he won the Blues Foundation’s prestigious International Blues Challenge (IBC) title of “Best Unsigned Band".
That release was followed by The Blues According To Zacariah, which garnered major national airplay, including XM, Sirius and the American Blues Network. XM listeners voted Harmon “Best New Blues Artist” in the inaugural XM Nation Awards in 2005. In 2006, Harmon won the Blues Music Award for “Best New Artist Debut” for The Blues According to Zacariah. Later that year, he was featured in Blues Revue magazine, as one of the 10 artists that “…represent the future of the blues”.
2007 saw Harmon named to the Blues Foundation’s Board of Directors and entering into
an endorsement deal with Category 5 Amplification. In 2008, he released Shot in the
Kill Zone in Europe, recorded live at the Lionel Hampton Room in Paris. He then signed
with the Northern Blues label for his third and much-
Harmon also marked his acting debut in ’09 with a major role in the independent feature film Black and Blue, which is to be released in 2010. Also, in 2009, he was honored for his career achievements in his beloved hometown at the Jackson Music Awards and weeks later in Nashville, the Jus’ Blues Music Foundation bestowed the “Little Milton” Guitar Award for “Outstanding Guitar Player” upon him.
Zac Harmon entertained U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait in 2008 as one the stars of Bluzapalooza and while headlining “The Pizza & Pyramid Tour” of Sicily, Italy and Cairo, Egypt in late 2009, Harmon and company made history with a rare performance at site of the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx, making the ensemble only the second Blues act to do so; Louis Armstrong being the first.
More recently, Zac was featured performer for the 2010 “Mississippi Celebrates its GRAMMY® Legacy” celebration, hosted by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, where he was presented with a Peavey Award by Peavey Electronics founder and CEO Hartley D. Peavey. The Peavey Award honors the state's many GRAMMY® winners and nominees as well as individuals who have played a significant role in developing and furthering Mississippi's musical heritage.
Zac Harmon continues to tour internationally as an ambassador for the Blues.
Click Picture above left for the Zac Harmon website
What we have here is the next best thing to B..B. .King and Albert King and he's right here in our own backyard. This is the sixth CD by this San Jose based artist and with it and the work he's recently done with compadre's , he seems to have gained confidence that translates to this CD.
This CD is full of influence and references as diverse as B..B. King and Wes Montgomery.
His growls and groans vocally through the disc, are smooth and soulful and reminiscent
of his influences, mostly B.B. King. Never once does he shout, or demonstrate a raw
exuberance, of say a Sam Moore or Otis Redding. It's always mellow and smooth with
a deep throaty resonance. As for his guitar, he demonstrates why many feel he's the
best blues guitarist on the West Coast. Obvious influences are again B. B. King,
Albert King and Albert Collins.
On this disc he has the assistance of long time collaborator and fellow blues traveler, Patrick Ford, for whom he provided assistance on his last effort. Now Patrick has returned the favor with his drumming and production.
Chris presents a seamless and sophisticated set of contemporary guitar based blues on this disc. It even references many others, while at the same time maintaining his own integrity and style. Most often B.B. King comes to mind while he plays, but then Chris will trail off into a Wes Montgomery or Albert King styled riff that gives a whole new dimension to a song.
Speaking of personal asides, catch his tribute to the late Albert King on "World
Got The Blues At Sunrise". It uses the mentors style without copying it. This cut,
as a matter of fact, seems to be this albums soul center, all else revolves around
this second cut. From this jumping off point he demonstrates his mastery over a plethora
of blues styles that incorporate jazzy nightclub feels to raunchy after-
This is an album and artist in the blues idiom definitely on the upswing.
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Q. What moment in your life brought about your pursuit of music?
A. Seeing BB King and the rest of the guys we would go see at the Civic Auditorium. Going through my parents albums also was key. My mother was eclectic but most of out albums were blues. BB, Ray Charles and Charles Brown were the big three, with Sonny Boy and Muddy also. When My dad cut the lawn he'd move p.a. speakers out doors and crank Muddy at 12 while doing yard work. (Chuckle)...
Q. When did you start playing guitar?
A. My dad showed me "Baby, Please Don't Go" in the key of E. Then I got records and started copying. My dad had a guitar. He plays a little bit. A little piano, too. Both my parents had tons of records. I got to hear Muddy, Sonny Boy, Leadbelly, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Elmore James, lots of that kind of stuff. We never missed B.B. [King] or Ray Charles when they came to town—we would always be there. Johnny Otis, too. *
Q. Your first album took the blues community by surprise, describe that.
A. I borrowed some money to make it so I could get some gigs around town. I figured that if it were an album instead of a tape, club owners might not throw it away, like they sometimes do tapes. A cat threw some money at me, and a friend layed a fourtrack Fostex on me. I had only three tune. The fostex was a Godsend. With that I was able to write the rest of the tunes and it was great. People dug it. The next thing the band was in Belgium. I was just hoping to get a gig at J.J.'s
Q. What happened with singing? Where did that voice come from?
A. It just came out. I had some cold ones, and I got real comfortable, and this big old noise came out of me. I was listening to Jimmy Witherspoon and Joe Turner and B.B. I didn't really develop it—it just came out. I just went with it. People say, "I don't really expect that kind of sound to come out of you." I kind of like that, too. That's been a good thing. *
Click Picture above right for the Chris Cain website
The Billy Pierce Band -
This is a relatively new local blues band headed up by guitarist Billy Pierce, an extraordinary slide guitar player who has been most often seen as a member of Garry Cogdell's Complainers Blues band.
The Billy Pierce Band is a three piece "power" blues ensemble with deep links to the Louisiana music tradition. They grace the Riverfront Blues Festival stage for the first time this year, but have appeared multiple times for very appreciative Diamond State Blues Society audiences. They are sure to explode the Second Stage this year and have the Beer Garden crowd on their feet with their electric slide, power blues offerings.
Click Picture above left for the Billy Pierce Band website
Johnny Never & the Solar Pimps -
Johnny Never and the Solar Pimps pay Homage to Blind Boy Fuller, Son House, Robert Johnson and the vast array of characters that emerged out of the deep south about a century ago and gave birth to The Blues.
JN and the SP have opened for such national acts as Guy Davis and have played in venues and festivals from Washington DC to New York.
Performing traditional and original tunes they deliver an authentic Delta sound
featuring dazzling finger-
"...one one of the best new bands I've discovered in a long time, Johnny Never is
the real deal!! Delta and Piedmont blues rarely heard this far north! A rare treat.” -
"....Johnny Never and The Solar Pimps could drive into a groove and play all night.
Forget jam bands like Phish; the bluesmen were the original jam bands. The talent
and authenticity of Never transported the audience to another time. When the show
was over, it was 2011 again but the past was still ringing in our ears.” -
Whether you are a blues aficionado, a lover of folk and country, or crave a singer/songwriter feel that has soul and drive, Johnny Never and the Solar Pimps are sure to please.
Click Picture above right for the Johnny Never website
lower case blues -
Lower Case Blues is a power trio originating from Newark, Delaware. The band features Jake Banaszak (lead guitar), B.J. Muntz (bass and vocals), and Rick Webster (drums). Since the Band started in '03, they have established themselves as sone of the region's finest blues bands.. They're taking blues to a whole new level and earning respect as being some of the best up and coming musicians in the Delaware Valley.
Lower Case Blues has many influences ranging from blues greats like Buddy Guy, Tinsley Ellis, SRV, Albert Collins, Big Joe Turner, and Muddy Waters to others such as Bootsy Collins, The Allman Bros., Jimi Hendrix, ZZ Top and Victor Wooten. LCB focuses on playing original music with a reasonable amount of covers thrown into the mix to pay tribute to there inspirations. The band always plays with feeling and improvisation… you’ll never hear a song played the same way twice.
Some of LCB’s accomplishments include:
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Click Picture above left for the lower case blues website
The current lineup for The Nighthawks is:
Mark Wenner: Vocals, Harmonica
Johnny Castle: Vocals, Bass
Paul Bell: Guitar
Mark Stutso: Drums, Vocals
A Team of Veteran Players
The current members bring decades of varied experience to the stage and studio. Paul
Bell has played in many influential bands around the Nation’s Capital and is the
consummate D.C. guitarist, capable of soul scratching or country picking. Paul was
less familiar with the classic Robert Lockwood/Louis Myers styles of Chicago blues
playing than some of his predecessors, but it didn’t take long for him to add those
to his bag of tricks. When he plays a slow blues solo, you can hear a little of late
D.C. picker Roy Buchanan, but without the tortured hysterics. Paul spent 10 years
working with legendary blue-
Johnny Castle started his D.C. career with Crank, popular early hard-
Mark Stutso spent nearly two decades with former Nighthawk Jimmy Thackery. Before
that he played in a number of big and small-
Blues Music Award
In 2009, Sirius XM’s Bill Wax, having heard that The Nighthawks were playing some
acoustic shows, invited the band to record some live tracks for his “B.B. King’s
Bluesville” channel. In less than two hours, the band cut almost a dozen tunes. A
week later, Bill handed them a mixed version with permission to release. After Bill
Wolf's magic-
Click Picture above for the Nighthawks website
Sunday 8/5/2012
MAIN STAGE Gates open at 11:30 am
Royal Southern Brotherhood featuring Mike Zito, Charlie Wooten, Cyril Neville, 
Devon
Allman & Yonrico Scott
Royal Southern Brotherhood unites two legendary roots-
Royal Southern Brotherhood has it all: incendiary playing with the twin lead guitars
of Allman and Zito, coupled with Neville’s funky percussion work and the rhythm section
of Wooton and Yonrico Scott that literally kicks ass; lead vocals and three-
Cyril Neville is a part of the first family of New Orleans roots and funk. Beginning in the 1970s, Neville soared both as a solo performer and as a member in a host of other groups, most notably the iconic band, The Meters. Cyril went on to add his percussion and vocals to such classic Meters albums as Cabbage Alley (1972) and Fire on the Bayou (1975) and joined the group when they were personally invited by Mick Jagger to open the Rolling Stones stadium tour of 1975. Also included in his long resume is work with another legend, The Neville Brothers, as well as with Bob Dylan, Bono, Willie Nelson, Galactic and his own band, Tribe 13.
Although Devon Allman grew up in St. Louis apart from his father, one listen to his
smoky vocals demonstrates that apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Coupled with
a guitar style that would have made his uncle Duane proud, Devon set out to create
his own place in the music world, forming the band Honeytribe in 1999 and touring
all over the world. His blues-
Former St. Louis native Mike Zito has been a rising star in blues for the past several
years, both as a performer and a producer. He’s already picked up some hardware within
the blues world, having won the Blues Music Award in 2010 as “Song of the Year” for
the title track of Pearl River, which he co-
Forming the rock-
Click Picture above right for the Royal Southern Brotherhood website
The Brooks Family Blues Dynasty
featuring Lonnie Brooks, Ronnie Brooks & Wayne Baker Brooks-
Lonnie Brooks
has been writing, recording and touring for nearly six decades. He
learned to play in his native Louisiana, and then on his journey north he
cut a string of Gulf Coast hits including “Family Rules,’’ “The Crawl,’’
and “Roll, Roll, Roll.’’ Once he landed in Chicago, his home for more
than 50 years, he hooked up with Alligator Records and released
“Two Headed Man,’’ which quickly became famous for the “Voodoo
Blues’’ sound that is now his trademark. Even more ground-
of his 15 total recordsis his Grammy-
Lightning.’’ He’s appeared on television shows ranging from “Hee
Haw’’ to “The Late Show with David Letterman.’’ And he’s been on
the silver screen, most recently in “The Express’’ starring Dennis
Quaid and also in “Blues Brothers 2000’’ with Dan Aykroyd and John Goodman. But he
is perhaps best known for his showmanship at his live shows, at one-
Guy’s Legends club in Chicago and will play for tens of thousandsas the headliner
– his fifth time -
at the Chicago Blues Fest this June.
Ronnie Baker Brooks
first picked up a guitar as a toddler, played on stage at the
age of 9, and joined his dad’s band right out of high school.
So when he released his debut album, “Golddigger,’’ in 1998,
much of the blues world was already familiar with his immense
talents. But Golddigger showed he was a force on his own,
earning a WC Handy Award nomination for Best New Blues
Artist. He hasn’t looked back, and now the Ronnie Baker
Brooks Blues band headlines shows around the country and
world. After his third release, “The Torch,’’ Ronnie noted how
he is moving blues into the future. “I grew up among the best of the best,’’ Ronnie says. “Every time I
play, I feel like I’ve got to do it with the authenticity and passion that I saw in guys like Buddy Guy,
Muddy Waters, B.B. King and my father. But I also have to put my twist on it. None of those guys
repeated what came before them.’’ Brooks’ twist involves enlivening blues-
funk rhythms. Working with Minneapolis producer Jellybean Johnson, a veteran collaborator of
Prince and Janet Jackson, Brooks takes roots sounds and transforms them into something that
spans the ages.
Wayne Baker Brooks
latest single release is “Something’s Going Down,”
featuring two-
and Blues legend Sugar Blue. The genre-
Hip-
in 2004 of the top-
the All Music Guide and many other accolades. He has headlined clubs and festivals worldwide and
also hosted All-
including Pinetop Perkins, Elvin Bishop, Big Head Todd, Shannon Curfman and Chris Thomas King.
In 1999 he performed for then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton at Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven
Foundation at Chess Studios in Chicago with special guests Bo Diddley, KoKo Taylor and Lonnie
Brooks while Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Chuck Berry looked on. In 2005, he got top billing on the live broadcast of WXRT’s “Chicago Blues Fest Brunch” at Legends during which he was given the “rare
Buddy Guy seal of approval,’’ host Tom Marker noted. Wayne performed at the 2003 MLB All Star
Game and also appeared in “The Express’’ and “Blues Brothers 2000.’’ He is a co-
for Dummies with his father and Cub Koda — a book former President Bill Clinton said he “
absolutely loved.’’
Click for the Brooks Family Dynasty website
Sunday 8/5/2012
SECOND STAGE Gates open at 11:30 a.m.
James Day & the Fish Fry -
"James Day is a vocalist and harmonica player backed by a stellar group of musicians collectively know as "The Fish Fry" This is your full service "Jump Blues and New Orleans Grooves" band. Based in the Mid Atlantic, James Day and the Fish Fry perform at festivals and venues in Canada and along the East Coast. On any given night, one can hear all styles of the blues from New Orleans street parades, Cuban Rumbas, Swamp Pop, Zydeco, Carolina Shag, Down Home Delta Blues to that Classic Chicago sound. Their CD’s are played on satellite radio, roots music stations and overseas radio.
With James Day and the Fish Fry, a brew of influences will come together in the form of backbeat drumming, slapping upright bass, fat tone guitar, and honking harmonica. If you want to dance, or just soak up some old school blues then make it out for some turbo charged jump blues and you’ll have one wild swinging house party."–Freddy Celis, Rootstime Magazine, Brussels Belguim
Click Picture above left for the James Day website
CD NUMBER 3 IS IN THE WORKS!! The Return Of The Son Of The Album's Revenge has begun
and the guys have laid down the basic tracks on 7 songs so far with many more to
follow. All new material penned by each of the members, giving the followers the
guitar-
Click Picture above for Nothin' But Trouble website
Other info:
CLICK for DIRECTIONS to the Riverfront Festival
Click above for Official accommodations
and City of Wilmington
Riverfront Blues Festival website