The Reverend Robert Jones, 5 p.m.
Robert
Jones is recognized by blues artists and critics for his ability to
sing like early blues musicians. Howlin' Wolf's legendary
guitarist Hubert Sumlin has said, "Robert Jones is an extraordinary
musician. He can play the old stuff!" River Road Lifetime
Achievement Award winner Robert Lockwood Jr. says about Robert, "He
has the music of Son House in his pocket." Finally, Neal Kobin,
columnist for the Detroit Free
Press, states, "Wherever
he rambles, he's doing what he loves. Not just singing the blues,
but teaching and preaching them."
Blues guitarist, harpist, and singer Robert Jones grew up in Detroit, as an only child listening to his parents' record collection of blues legends Son House, Fred McDowell, Big Bill Broonzy, and Mississippi John Hurt.
Robert taught himself how to play the guitar and began practicing what he had learned from listening to records and local musicians such as Washboard Willie, Chicago Pete, and Bobo Jenkins. He began singing and playing blues at local gigs, including Blues in the Schools. Over the years Robert began performing on a number of other instruments, including harmonica, mandolin, violin, quills, and banjo.
Robert Jones has toured the U.S., Canada, Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. Robert performed at the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in 1996 and visited the Quad Cities for Blues in the Schools residencies on November 2001 and most recently for Black History Month in February 2006.
In addition to his tent performance, Robert will conduct a workshop on Saturday, July 1, at 4 p.m.
- Jimmie Jones
For more information: (http://www.metrotimes.com/editorial/story.asp?id=3017).
Rich DelGrosso, 6:30 p.m.
Rich
DelGrosso's performances are high-energy affairs. He seems to
channel the blues in a way that few artists can. Besides having
taught music for more than 25 years, he is a respected writer for
numerous national blues magazines. Rich is most renowned as one of
the few practicing blues mandolinists, and in addition to his Friday
performance will on Saturday conduct a free mandolin workshop at 1
p.m. and a BlueSKool performance at 3:45 p.m.
DelGrosso has performed at clubs and festivals for the past 30 years, mentored by and performing with blues and string-band legends James "Yank" Rachell and Howard "Louie Bluie" Armstrong. DelGrosso has been a writer for Blues Revue magazine since 1991 and an associate editor since 1996. A respected writer in the blues realm, his work has also appeared in Living Blues, Mandolin World News, Frets, Mandolin Magazine, and Footsteps.
A renowned teacher, DelGrosso has led workshops at festivals nationwide, and received the "Keeping the Blues Alive" award in 1989 from the Blues Foundation.
His debut recording, Get Your Nose Outta My Bizness!, features Pinetop Perkins, James Harman, and Doug MacLeod; debuted at number five on the Living Blues radio charts; and has been in the top 15 for the past three months. DelGrosso was also nominated for a 2006 Blues Music Award (formerly the W.C. Handy Awards) in the Instrumentalist-Other category.
- Phil Koehlhoeffer
For more information: (http://www.mandolinblues.com).
8 Bold Souls, 8:30 p.m.
In
the history of jazz, blues, R&B, and gospel music, there have
been very few groups that have lasted 20 years or more with their
founding members. Of the original eight band members of the 8 Bold
Souls, there have been only two changes of personnel: Harrison
Bankhead replaced Richard Brown on bass in the early years, and
Gerald Powell replaced Aaron Dodd on tuba about 11 years ago.
Edward Wilkerson Jr. moved to Chicago from Cleveland, Ohio, to attend the University of Chicago. Not long after he arrived, Edward heard about and became a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), where he worked on compositions and arrangements and spent much time practicing on woodwind instruments. Edward eventually served as president of the AACM.
In January 1985, Edward formed the 8 Bold Souls, with musicians performing several unusual instruments for a jazz group. Mwata Bowden performs on woodwinds, Robert Griffin on trumpet (Robert occasionally played two trumpets simultaneously), Isaiah Jackson on trombone, Naomi Millender on cello, Gerald Powell on tuba, Dushun Mosley on drums, and Edward Wilkerson Jr. on woodwinds.
After playing together for more than 20 years, these musicians have developed a close relationship with each other and bring this intimacy to playing the outstanding original compositions and arrangements of Edward. According to the latest issue of the All Music Guide to Jazz, the Chicago-based 8 Bold Souls is superior in terms of compositional rigor and ensemble precision to many of the better-known ensembles of comparative size.
The 8 Bold Souls have been featured on music videos and CBS Nightwatch. The ensemble has toured throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and the Middle East. The octet's recordings include : 8 Bold Souls (Sessions Records), Sideshow (Arabesque Recordings), and Ant Farm (Arabesque Recordings).
- Jimmie Jones
F or more information: (http://www.thrilljockey.com/artists/?id=10001).
The Mannish Boys, 10:30 p.m.
The
Mannish Boys are a must-see act that has an all-star cast. The band
has been on a worldwide tour, and we are most definitely privileged
to have them here as part of the blues festival. Their music is
elemental and powerful traditional blues, representing a mix of Delta
and Chicago blues. The Mannish Boys are one of the most exciting
blues projects to come along in quite a while, featuring some of the
most dynamic blues talent in the world today, assembled from the
absolute cream of the crop of West Coast blues veterans and
youngbloods. Their debut album, That
Represent Man, was a
nominee for the 2006 Album of the Year for the Blues Foundation Music
Awards.
The band includes:
- Finnis Tasby, vocals. A frontman on a number of solo productions, he has also played bass and provided backup vocals with such artists as The Thunderbirds, B.B. King, Percy Mayfield, and Big Mama Thornton.
- Kid Ramos, guitar. Previously with the Fabulous Thunderbirds.
- Frank "Paris Slim" Goldwasser, guitar.
- Leon Blue, piano. His career includes stints with The Ike & Tina Revue, Albert Collins, and Sonny Rhodes.
- Johnny Dreye, vocals and harmonica. W.C. Handy Award nominee.
- Randy Chortkoff, harmonica and producer. Mastermind behind The Mannish Boys.
- Tom Leavey, bass.
- Richard Innes, drums.
The Mannish Boys will not let you down. This group of all-stars has created a sound of blues the way it was meant to be heard.
- Rick Palmer
For more information: (http://www.themannishboys.com).
