Edmonton Blues Festival Explained

Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival
Location:	Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Years Active:	1999–present
Genre:	Blues
Website:	Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival Official website

The Edmonton Blues Festival (formerly Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival) is an annual blues music festival in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, which was first held in 1999.^[1] The festival runs for three days (a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) in mid-August at the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park. In 2008, the festival was the recipient of the 'Keeping The Blues Alive Award'^[2] from the Blues Foundation, based in Memphis, Tennessee. Due to renovations that will close Hawrelak Park until 2026,^[3] the festival is moving to Edmonton's RE/MAX Field.^[4]

List of performers

Friday 25 August

• Rockin' Highliners
• Rosie Ledet "The Zydeco Sweetheart"
• Lone Star Shootout ft. Lonnie Brooks, Phillip Walker & Long John Hunter

Saturday 26 August

• Hot Cottage with "The Craft Horns"
• Bryan Lee "The Braille Blues Daddy"
• Debbie Davies
• James Harman
• The Fabulous Thunderbirds

Sunday 27 August

• Big Dave McLean and the Tim Williams Electric Band
• Maurice John Vaughn
• Walter "Wolfman" Washington & The Roadmasters
• Shemekia Copeland
• Anson Fungerburgh & The Rockets ft. Sam Myers^[5]

Friday 24 August

• Rosie Ledet the Zydeco Sweetheart
• Paul deLay Band
• Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson

Saturday 25 August

• Bad News Blues Band
• Paul Osher "Alone with the Blues"
• Janiva Magness
• Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers
• The Rolling Fork Blues Review ft. Nappy Brown, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Rusty Zinn

Sunday 26 August

• Brent Parkin Band with Rusty Reed
• Paul Rishell & Annie Raines
• Norton Buffalo and the Knockouts
• Sleepy LaBeef
• Dr. John^[6]

Friday 23 August

• Jack Semple Band
• Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings
• Charlie Musselwhite

Saturday 24 August

• Cephas & Wiggins
• Terry Hanck
• Big Jack Johnson & the Oilers
• C. J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band
• Marcia Ball

Sunday 25 August

• • Rory Block The Twisters
• Kelley Hunt
• Sonny Rhodes
• Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm^[7]

Friday 22 August

• Sue Foley
• Junior Watson
• Mark Hummel's Blues Harp Blowout ft. James Harman and Snooky Pryor

Saturday 23 August

• Tom Rigney and Flambeau
• Big Time Sarah
• Dave Hole
• Magic Slim and the Teardrops
• Duke Robillard Band with a special appearance by Ruth Brown

Sunday 24 August

• Ann Rabson
• Paul Reddick and the Sidemen
• Ponty Bone and the Squeezetones
• Omar and the Howlers
• The John Hammond Band^[8]

Friday 20 August

• Morgan Davis
• Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band
• James Cotton

Saturday 21 August

• Donald Ray Johnson
• Lil' Ed Williams and the Blues Imperials
• Sugar Ray Norcia and the Bluetones
• Angela Strehli
• Roomful of Blues

Sunday 22 August

• Steve James
• Gary Primich
• Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne
• Sista Monica Parker
• Jimmie Vaughan^[9]

Friday 19 August

• Curley Bridges
• W. C. Clark
• Koko Taylor and her Blues Machine

Saturday 20 August

• Mike Kindred
• David Gogo
• Mem Shannon and the Membership
• Downchild Blues Band
• The Mannish Boys featuring Finis Tasby, Kid Ramos, and Johnny Dyer

Sunday 21 August

• Mary Flower
• Craig Horton
• Zac Harmon and the Mid-South Blues Revue
• Bob Margolin with Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Rev. Billy C. Wirtz
• Delbert McClinton^[10]

Friday 25 August

• Kenny Neal and Billy Branch
• Phillip Walker with the Texas Horns
• Mark Hummel with Billy Boy Arnold and Lee Oskar

Saturday 26 August

• • Eden Brent James Hinkle with the Texas Horns
  • Jimmy Thackery Reba Russell
  • Terrence Simien The Hollywood Blue Flames

Sunday 27 August

• Fruteland Jackson
• Pete Turland Band with Paul Pugat
• Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy with the Texas Horns
• Henry Gray and the Cats featuring Paul "Lil' Buck" Sinegal
• The Chicago Blues Reunion with Paul Butterfield, Michael Bloomfield, Nick Gravenites, Tracy Nelson, Harvey Mandel, Barry Goldberg, Corky Siegel, and Sam Lay.

See also

• • List of Canadian blues festivals and venues List of festivals in Edmonton
• List of festivals in Alberta
• List of music festivals in Canada

External links

• Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival Official website

53.527°N -113.547°W

Notes and References

1. News: Kellogg . Alan . August 20, 1999 . Happy with the Blues . 39 . The Edmonton Journal.
2. Web site: Awards Winners and Nominees . 2023-02-04 . Blues Foundation . en-US.
3. Web site: 2023-01-06 . Hawrelak Park renovations to begin in March 2023: Here's what you need to know . 2023-02-04 . CTV News Edmonton . en.
4. Web site: New Home for 2023 Festival . 2023-02-04 . Blues International Ltd. . en-CA.
5. Book: Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival (2000) . August 2000 . [Blues International] . English.
6. Book: Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival (2001) . August 2001 . [Blues International] . English.
7. Book: Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival (2002) . August 2002 . [Blues International] . English.
8. Book: Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival (2003) . August 2003 . [Blues International] . English.
9. Book: See magazine: Issue 560 . 2004-08-19 . Gazette Press Ltd. . 24–31.
10. Book: Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival (2005) . August 2005 . [Blues International] . English.