ROSTER OF BLUES ARTISTS

James Cotton Born into poverty among the cotton fields of Tunica, Mississippi, James Cotton ran away from home at the tender age of 9 to travel with his musical mentor Sonny Boy Williamson. It was the beginning of a lifelong odyssey with the harmonica and the blues. "...He demonstrated his uncanny sense of time and space by pausing several times during the song, proving that silence can be just as exciting as sound." Louisville Times

The Persuasions You want powerful, powerful vocals, pushed to what must be their limits? You want thrilling harmonies that are nothing less than made for each other? Look no further. The Persuasions are the undisputed heavyweight champions of a cappella. They are to singing what Muhammad Ali was to boxing–invincible, innovative, original, beautiful. Together since the mid-'60s, the Persuasions continue to sing as if that's what they do instead of breathing.

Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir The Cultural Heritage Choir is a Grammy nominated, percussion driven, vocal ensemble whose mission is to help preserve and share the rich musical traditions of African-American roots music. Their music is rooted in the Deep South and strongly connected to their West African and Caribbean origins. Or as we like to say it’s, “American Roots Music that Rocks!"

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers are considered one of the top swing and jump blues bands in the country. The sultry vocals of chanteuse Lavay Smith and her all star 8-piece band, perform a large repertoire of classics by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Louis Jordan. They are an instant recipe for good times.

Steve Lucky and the Rhumba Bums Drawing from the likes of such legends as Big Joe Turner, Louis Jordan, T-Bone Walker and Ruth Brown, Steve Lucky & the Rhumba Bums have a true respect for the original roots of Jazz and Blues.

"Both Lucky's and Getit's lead vocals nail their decidedly "little big band” sound just perfectly...their delightful interplay will have you thinking you're eavesdropping on an intimate but juicy lover's spat...they'll have you jumping and jiving in no time" 4 stars, Joseph Jordan, Blues Access Magazine

The Gospel Hummingbirds Any show by the Gospel Hummingbirds is exhilarating and, in the end, exhausting. They sing straight, pure gospel. This group is rock-solid in their faith and in their approach to gospel music. James Gibson, spokesman for the group states, "We are taking gospel and its music to people who wouldn't otherwise be exposed."

Marlena Shaw Quartet The first female vocalist signed by Blue Note Records in 1972, has never strayed far from her jazz roots. A former singer with the Count Basie Orchestra, "she swings with ease and authority, has a mastery of space and timing . . .[and] every phrase she utters has a delightfully improvisatory feel,' notes critic Richard Chon. She has the ability to highlight the dramatic possibilities of the simplest lyric. Her sassy, humorous onstage presence is as entertaining as her singing

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