Topanga Canyon Blues Festival Explained

Topanga Canyon Blues Festival
Genre:Blues
Location:Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, Topanga Canyon, California
Years Active:1982–2019, 2021–

The Topanga Canyon Blues Festival is an annual event held in California, attracting blues acts from across the United States. It began in 1982.[1] [2] Like the Orange County Blues Festival, it attracts some of the major blues artists in the United States.[3] Over the years the festival has been running, it has seen major blues acts such as Etta James, Willie Dixon, Otis Rush, Big Joe Turner, Lowell Fulson, Junior Wells, Pee Wee Crayton,[4] Phil Gates and Jimmy "Preacher" Ellis.[5] [6] Other acts such as Paul Butterfield, William Clarke, Linda Hopkins, Philip Sayce and Roy Gaines have appeared there.[7] [8]

The COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 event to be cancelled and deferred to 2021.

Background

The festival is held in the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, an outdoor theater in the Topanga Canyon.[1] It is a day-long event of blues and roots music. In addition to music there is a harmonica workshop and family events. The festival draws people from areas such as Malibu, Southern California, Santa Monica, Topanga Canyon, San Fernando Valley and beach areas. Zack Slovinsky has been the most recent organizer for the festival and has brought in blues acts such as Phillip Walker. He has also brought in other acts that may not be immediately identifiable as blues.[9] [10] [11]

The festival was sponsored by the Southern California Blues Society.[12] [13] The Southern California Blues Society was a non-profit organization. The organization had the aim of preserving, promoting and keeping American Blues music and its culture alive. [14] In the past the proceeds of the festival went to the Willie Dixon Scholarship Fund, Blues in the Schools and also free concerts promoting blues music.[15]

Acts

1990sIn 1991, the acts scheduled to appear at the festival were Floyd Dixon, Billy Vera, Joe Houston, Lowell Fulson, Jim Beasley and Mickey Champion.[16] The Delgado Brothers appeared at the festival in 1999.[17]
  • 2000sThe theme for the festival in 2005, which was put together by Deborah Dixon, was to honor musicians who had lived in Los Angeles, or those who had greatly contributed to the blues heritage of Los Angeles. Aunt Kizzy's Boyz, Lady Star and the Bustin' Loose Blues Band and the LA Legends Revue, an ensemble that featured Melvyn "Deacon" Jones, Finis Tasby, Hollis Gilmore, Johnny Dyer, Big Jay McNeely, Melvin Eddy and Miss Mickey Champion appeared for its 23rd year celebration. [18] The headliner for the festival in 2009 was blues guitarist Phillip Walker.[19] The following year, Walker died.[10] In 2011, Chick Willis, Gregg Wright, and Sean Lane appeared at the festival.[20] [21] They were the headline acts for the festival's 28th annual event.[22] Another act to appear at the festival that year was the Lynwood Slim Blues Band.[23] In 2012, some of the acts that appeared at the festival were Chicago's Jimmy Johnson, Barbara Morrison & The Joe Kincaid Band, Chris James and Patrick Rynn, and Lightnin' Willie & the Poorboys.[1] In 2013, the headliner was Eddie Clearwater.[9]

    • Recent activity

    The date of May 2, 2015 marked the festival's 32nd year.[24] One of the artists to appear in 2015 was Philip Sayce.[8] [25]

    With 2020 cancelled caused by the pandemic, the event was deferred to 2021.

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Topanga Canyon Blues Festival | Calendar . Gazettes.com . 2012-05-06 . 2016-01-06.
    2. Web site: Southern California Blues Society - Promoting Blues since 1982 - Topanga . Scbsevents.org . 2016-01-06.
    3. Web site: Orange Coast Magazine . Books.google.com . September 1993. 2016-01-06.
    4. Web site: The 25th Annual Topanga Blues Festival . Topanga Messenger . 2007-05-31 . 2016-01-06.
    5. Web site: About . Philgates.com . 2016-01-06.
    6. Web site: Kent Software Development kentdev.com . Central Valley Blues Society - Print Festivals . Cvblues.org . 2002-11-18 . 2016-01-06.
    7. Web site: Limnios . Michalis . The "Jump Blues Cat" Flattop Tom talks about the Swing, William Clark, Greece, John Travolta & his passion for the harmonica . Blues.Gr . 2012-01-25 . 2016-01-06.
    8. Web site: Topanga Blues Festival | Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum | Blues | Los Angeles News and Events . LA Weekly . 2016-01-06.
    9. Web site: Zack Slovinsky . Topanga Canyon Blues Festival | Calendar . Gazettes.com . 2013-05-05 . 2016-01-06.
    10. Web site: Blues Legend Phillip Walker Passes - Los Angeles Sentinel | Los Angeles Sentinel | African-American News . Lasentinel.net . 2010-07-29 . 2016-01-06.
    11. Web site: Paulie Cerra . Blues Junction Productions . 2016-01-06.
    12. Web site: Index, Follow . BLUESnews2007+AUGUST+vol.1 . Bluesartstudio.at . 2016-01-06.
    13. Web site: The blues come to Pasadena - LA Times . Glendalenewspress.com . 2015-01-22 . 2016-01-06.
    14. Web site: Eye Spy LA Expired Entertainment - Topanga Blues Festival in San Fernando Valley . Eyespyla.com . 2012-05-06 . 2016-01-06.
    15. Web site: Blues Festival at Theatricum, June 7 . Topanga Messenger . 2003-06-05 . 2016-01-06.
    16. Web site: Greene Ensemble Not Just Another Classical Quartet : The string musicians inject elements of country, rock and jazz into their new album - latimes . Articles.latimes.com . 1991-05-19 . 2016-01-06.
    17. Web site: Billboard . 58 . Books.google.com . 22 May 1999. 2016-01-06.
    18. Web site: California Blues Announces the 23rd Annual Topanga Blues Festivall . https://web.archive.org/web/20151127121000/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/05/prweb238953.htm . dead . November 27, 2015 . Prweb.com . 2005-05-15 . 2016-01-06.
    19. Web site: Topanga Blues Festival . https://web.archive.org/web/20160419114135/https://www.highbeam.com/Search?searchTerm=%22Topanga+Blues+Festival%22 . January 19, 2020. 2016-04-19 .
    20. Web site: 30th Annual Topanga Blues Festival | Los Angeles | May . Party Earth . 2016-01-06.
    21. Web site: Topanga Blues Festival - Official Cultural Event Calendar of Los Angeles County . Experiencela.com . 2016-01-06.
    22. Web site: Topanga Blues Festival at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum: May 1, 2011 - Your Destination Guide to Los Angeles . Dguides.com . 2011-05-01 . 2016-01-06.
    23. Web site: Natural . Zev Yaroslavsky . 2016-01-06.
    24. Web site: Southern California Blues Society - Promoting Blues since 1982 - Topanga . Scbsevents.org . 2016-01-06.
    25. Web site: Influence: Philip Sayce . September 9, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150927161225/http://www.newcanadianmusic.ca/releases/i/influence/philip-sayce/2015-04-06 . September 27, 2015 .

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