The IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, traditionally held over the Fourth of July weekend in Davenport, Iowa for a quarter-century now, will provide Midwestern blues fans with a stellar line up for this year's event. The annual festival will be held from Thursday, July 2nd through Saturday, July 4th, 2009 in LeClaire Park on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River in Davenport. This year's roster includes Saffire - the Uppity Blues Women, and Chicago blues legends Magic Slim and the Teardrops.
IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival
The festival kicks off with a bang on Thursday with headline appearances from two of the blues leading lights, slide-guitarist extraordinaire Roy Rogers and his band the Delta Rhythm Kings, and Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women, who are taking a last lap before they split up to pursue their individual careers.
Friday night's headline performers include Chicago bluesman Eddie "The Chief" Clearwater, and the great soul-blues singer, Sugar Pie DeSanto. On Saturday night, the festival will be closed out by West Coast jump blues favorites Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, and Chicago's one and only Magic Slim and the Teardrops, perennial "Band of the Year" nominees in The Blues Foundation's annual Blues Music Awards.
A number of other notable blues artists will also perform over the three days of the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. David "Honeyboy" Edwards, one of the last of the original Mississippi Delta bluesmen, will appear on Friday afternoon, as will talented Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist Fiona Boyes. Texas blueswoman Diunna Greenleaf will bring her unique blend of blues, soul, jazz, and gospel music to the stage on Saturday evening. Other performers at this year's IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival include:
- Cobalt Blue
- Bo Ramsey
- T.J. Wheeler
- Dee Alexander
- Kenny Brown
- Juke Joint Duo
- Larry McCray
- The Avery Brothers
Headliner Biographies
Rod Piazza is an old-school blues blaster in the Little Walter vein. Mentored by the late, great George "Harmonica" Smith and with better than 40 years of roadwork helping to shape his sound, Piazza is a sturdy, reliable blues music institution. Backed by the rock solid Mighty Flyers Blues Quartet - four times Blues Music Award "Band of the Year" recipients - and his wife Miss Honey, honored herself with the "Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year" award by the Blues Foundation in 2008, Piazza and crew are more than capable of knocking down their gritty, soulful version of West Coast blues. The band is currently touring in support of their latest disc, Soul Monster.
Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater is one of the most unique performers in the history of the Chicago blues. The guitarist's fiery licks and raw, soulful vocals mix the 1950s-era West Side blues sound of Magic Sam and Otis Rush with the early rock vibe of Chuck Berry, and scraps of rockabilly, gospel, and country twang in a style that he likes to call "rock-a-blues." Clearwater is still rolling down the road in support of his 2008 Blues Music Award nominated album West Side Strut.
Over the course of a quarter-century, the members of Saffire - Ann Rabson, Gaye Adegbalola, and Andra Faye - re-imagined acoustic blues in a unique and entertaining manner, the band influencing a generation of female musicians that followed their lead. Saffire released its self-titled debut album on Alligator in 1990, three talented woman revisiting "sassy" blues from early-era singers like Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Memphis Minnie. Over the years the band members developed considerable songwriting skills and began mixing original songs along with their classic blues material. The band is wrapping up a "good-bye tour" in support of Havin' The Last Word, their final album.
The IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival also includes free workshops, such as David Horwitz on blues photography, as well as workshops from Fiona Boyes and Saffire, and BlueSKool for the kids. The festival returns to its usual location on the banks of the Mississippi River after flooding last year forced promoters to relocate the event to downtown Davenport. Undaunted, the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival rolls on; check the festival website for ticket availability, an updated list of performers, and other information.
