| The
Big Muddy Blues Festival |
 The
festival known as 'The Big Muddy' took place down
at historic Laclede's Landing over the Labor Day weekend,
bring over 30 great blues acts to 3 stages. With a
spectacular blues 'weather window', fans turned out
in droves for this 10th Annual Big Muddy blues festival.
With Ike Turner recently dropping out of the lineup,
his slot was aptly filled with British blues legend
John
Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. Along with many
of St. Louis finest Blues bands, the overall consensus
was 'great festival'. This year saw 1 less stage than
last year, as fest producer Dawn Massey felt the pinch
of reduced sponsorship - a shame in this legendary
Blues town. John May of the St. Louis Blues Society
expressed extreme satisfaction in how smooth the event
went, a testimony to his years of booking this prestigious
musical showcase!
Highlights included the return of the Melissa Neels
band, the crowd pleasing set of Billy Peek and his
flying V guitar, the vocal styling's of Skeet Rogers
and the Inner City Blues Band, the national steel
acoustic set of Tom Hall, the unique sounds of the
Los Carnales Blues Band, the vocal powerhouse known
as Ms. Kim Massie, and of course the high energy blues
of Alvin Jett and the Phat noiZ Blues Band. We
apologize in advance for any bands omitted.
John
Mayall |
| From
an art college training, to three years with
the British Army in Korea, to a successful career
in graphic design, his blues singing and playing
took a back seat until he reached the age of
30. From 1956 until 1962, John was performing
publicly on a part-time basis fronting The Powerhouse
Four and, later on, The Blues Syndicate. It
was then that Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated
pioneered what was to become known as The British
Blues Boom of the Late 60's. Alexis was quick
to encourage and help John make his move to
London where he soon secured enough club work
to be able to turn professional under the name
John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. After a couple
of years and a constant turnover of musicians,
he met his soulmate in Eric Clapton, who had
quit the Yardbirds in favor of playing the blues.
This historic union culminated in the first
hit album for the Bluesbreakers and resulted
in worldwide legendary status. |
Here's
a complete list of performers
Big George Brock & The Houserockers
Joanna Connor
Alvin Jett & Phat Noiz Blues Band
Big Sam's Funky Nation
Brain Curran
Dogtown Allstars
Ground Floor Band
Cryin' Shame Band
Marsha Evans Coalition w/ Stacy Johnson
Soulard Blues Band
Bottoms Up Blues Gang
David Dee & Hot Tracks Band
Marquise Knox & Rough Grooves Band
Marcell Strong & The Apostles
Terry “Big T” Williams & Wesley “Junebug”
Jefferson,
Kim Massie Band
Devon Allman's Honeytribe
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers
Tom Hall
Bone Daddy & The Blues Shakers
Leroy Pierson
Los Carnales Blues Band
Uncle Albert
Ron Edwards & Silvercloud
Melissa Neels Band
Billy Peek
Inner City Blues Band
Boo Boo Davis Blues Band
Make plans now to attend the 11th Annual Big
Muddy Blues Festival, and tell them STLBlues sent
you!
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