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contents | blues | |||||||||||||
| Tremblant celebrates 15 years of pure Blues The festival is celebrating its 15th birthday with a rich, varied program that will delight fans of pure blues. Over the years, thousands of people have attended the event and enjoyed an eclectic line-up of blues, rock, folk, world beat and more in the beautiful setting of Tremblant. This year, expect another 10 days of free outdoor concerts, as well as evening shows at indoor venues Big name blues artists from around the world, with an emphasis on the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States, will play shoulder to shoulder with our own blues artists such as Guy Bélanger, Carl Tremblay, Angel Forrest and of course, Nanette Workman. Don't miss... Johnny Winter, July 5 ----------- The legendary Texan blues guitarist with the unrivalled slide technique sets the tone for the event with his first appearance at our festival. The grand old man of hard-rocking blues has outlived musical trends and fashions for more than 40 years. We've lost count of the number of albums he's made, produced or participated in that have been nominated for, or winners of, Grammy Awards! Keb'Mo, July 6 ------- Author-composer, interpreter and guitarist Keb'Mo has more than one trick up his sleeve. Whether with his band or solo, he has travelled widely and spread his music - which reflects multiple periods and genres including pop, folk rock and jazz - all along the way. Although he was born in Los Angeles in 1951, his Afro-American roots are evident in his music. His most recent album, "Suitcase", was released in June 2006. Keb'Mo has won three Grammy Awards for best contemporary blues album and nearly 2 million albums. Los Lobos, July 9 --------- The California group with its American and Mexican influences has been going at it now for more than 30 years. One of its distinctive features is clearly its ability to appropriate almost any other musical genre while staying true to typically Mexican music. On the impressive list of artists they've play with or contributed to, you'll find Buddy Holly, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, the Clash, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews, ZZ Top, The Eagles, Santana, Lou Reed, U2 and others. The quartet, which is a three-time Grammy Award winner, will undoubtedly dazzle its audience! Great moments in blues coming up Sony Landreth, July 6 ----------- After his triumphant performance in 2007 at the Chicago Crossroads Guitar Festival organized by Eric Clapton, the slide guitarist from Lafayette, Louisiana will make a first appearance at the festival accompanied by his trio. Landreth, whose diverse influences include Clifton Chénier and Duane Allman, recently put out a new album featuring guests such as Clapton himself, Robben Ford, Mark Knopfler and Dr. John. Les Grandes Dames du Blues, July 11 ------------------ The 2008 edition of the Grandes Dames du Blues is the ninth since the show's inception. Four fantastic female singers on a single stage, singing successively and in various pairings, build up to an explosive finale with all four on deck. Dawn Tyler Watson, Shakura S'Aida, Angel Forrest and Nanette Workman are expecting you for one of the festival's focal points. Ana Popovic, July 9 ---------- A recipient of the W.C. Handy Award, this R&B singer and guitarist from Serbia saw her last album, Still Making History, work its way up to fourth position on the Billboard charts in December 2007. Produced by none other than John Porter (Bonnie Raitt, Keb' Mo', Buddy Guy), it places her among the new blues artists to watch out for. Nothing short of a revelation. Roomful of Blues, July 9 ------------ This group of seven from Rhode Island has won its spurs in jump-swing, soul and R&B over a period of 37 years, during which their albums have been nominated a number of times for Grammy Awards. A virtual brass party machine, the ROB presents its new album, Raisin' a Ruckus, and its new singer, Dave Howard. Pinetop Perkins, July 12 ------------ He moved through the last century revolutionizing piano blues, and his celebrated work with Muddy Waters and Sonny Boy Williamson confirmed him as an outstanding performer. At the age of 95, he won a "Best Blues Album" Grammy for his most recent album, Pinetop Perkins & Friends, having previously received the prestigious "Lifetime Achievement Award". His birthday will be celebrated during the festival. Concept Shows Acoustic Summit, July 7 ------------ This is the second chapter of an impressive acoustic blues event that was hugely successful last year. On this year's menu, the virtuoso New Brunswick guitarist Ryan Leblanc; the dazzling guitar-voice duo of Paul Deslauriers and Dawn Tyler Watson; the matchless harmonica player Guy Bélanger and his trio; the three members of Hot Toddy, from Fredericton; the talented Steve Mariner and the Guitar Explosion trio in acoustic mode. Jeff Healey Blues Band, July 8 --------------- With special permission from Cristie, wife of the deceased, the Jeff Healey Blues Band - the band that backed the artist on his tours and at the Toronto club that bore his name - invites artists to join a performance that pays homage to the virtuoso, who died at 41 following a battle with cancer. The musician, originally from Toronto, passed through many musical stages during his career, including jazz, blues and rock. He is said to have been an extraordinary artist able to fuse the various styles with disconcerting talent. The four members of JHBB invite artists to join the party. In the course of his career Jeff collaborated with many musical greats such as B.B King, Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jeff Beck, Duke Robillard, Colin James and Randy Bachman. An intimate blues experience L'AIRE DU BLUES is back again this year. This special, more intimate venue is devoted to blues culture. Here, the public gets a chance to meet artists and hear their musings on inspiration, secrets, philosophies... listen to up-close performances... attend conferences and workshops... participate in discussions. A place where audiophiles will find treasures such as classic blues recordings courtesy of Archambault Records, the official Festival boutique (featuring Festival clothing and gear), and much more. The workshops will take place every day at 1 p.m. except on July 4. Prix Etoiles Galaxie de Radio-Canada Thanks to the cooperation of Radio-Canada and its Galaxie network, which has an excellent Blues channel, we will be presenting, on Sunday, July 13, the very best of the next Blues generation. In fact, with an eye (and ear) to renewing and refreshing the Blues genre, a cross-Canada competition will be held to find remarkable young blues artists. The general public is invited to see performances by these aspiring musicians, who ask only for a stage and an enthusiastic crowd in order to convey their talent. Artists are encouraged to send in a demo before June 20 and a professional panel will select three candidates to take part in the finals on the Molson Stage. For registration details, visit www.tremblant.ca. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |