NORWICH – For a second straight year, the Chenango Blues Fest drew record numbers to the county fairgrounds, where festival-goers were once again treated to an all-star lineup.
Nearly 3,000 people made their way to this year’s event, which featured some of the genre’s best in talent, from the acoustic, country-blues stylings of Doug MacLeod, Super Chikan and John Hammond to the scorching electric guitar of Ana Popovic and musical virtuosity of the North Mississippi All Star Duo.
Guitarist Tas Cru – followed by harmonica player Pierre Lacocque and Mississippi Heat – kicked-started the 19th annual Chenango Blues Fest with a pair of powerful sets on Friday, the latter a brilliant treatment of traditional, Chicago blues. Friday night’s show also saw a record number of people in attendance, according to members of the Chenango Blues Association.
“We had approximately 1,500 people on Friday and 3,000 on Saturday, which are both records for the festival,” reported Eric Larsen, who heads up the association. “We’ve broken attendance records two years running. It’s constantly growing and it’s a little better and a little bigger every year.”
Fellow association member Eric Miles agreed and said the festival was “good from start to finish.” All in all, he added, there was a “a lot of variety” throughout the day.
Pennsylvania-based Gina Sicilia was first to hit the Sheffield Bio Science main stage on Saturday. Her powerful vocals, backed by an extremely tight group of veteran players, set the bar high as the festival’s opening act. Local blues-rockers The Suspicious Hats followed, performing on the Nelson and Flanagan Grouse Ridge Kennels acoustic stage and featuring Tim and Nick Andrews on guitar and drums respectively, Todd Rutan on banjo and bassist Nate Collins.
Next up on the main stage – the always-popular Honey Island Swamp Band. The group – whose members said they “absolutely love coming to Norwich” – kicked the festival into high gear. The band, returning for a second straight year, seemed to hit its stride the moment it took to the stage. As in previous years, the group’s unique blend of rock, soul, blues and funk had festival-goers up and dancing from the start.
A brilliant set of acoustic guitar from Doug MacLeod came next, which found the charismatic artist sharing stories gathered over a lifetime of living and playing the blues. His incredible sense of humor – not to mention a spectacular rave-up that had the entire audience clapping and stomping along – was a perfect segway for this year’s show-stopper, virtuoso guitarist Ana Popovic.
Said Miles of the Belgrade-born Popovic, “It seems like every year we have one band that stands out, unexpectedly, and this year that was Ana Popovic.”
Touring in support of her latest CD, Unconditional, the talented guitarist ripped through a powerful set of original guitar-driven rock and blues, highlighted by her fiery technique and obvious love of the genre. Her performance, said more than one festival-goer, was astonishing.
“I heard a lot of people say she was the highlight of the festival for them,” said Larsen, who added, “you can’t argue with the fans.”
The one-of-a-kind Super Chikan was next on the acoustic stage, playing the traditional, old-school blues he’s known for nationally. Chikan’s tasteful approach was entertaining for all and the perfect lead-up to legendary blues harmonica player James Cotton’s main stage performance.
Seated at the forefront of a band that features a stellar line-up of the blues’ best, Cotton and friends projected a fan-friendly atmosphere that was apparent to all. With his raspy voice tinged by a graciousness and warm spirit that had the swelling crowd shouting for more, the 76-year-old Cotton ran through a strong set of the classic blues he’s known and loved for. His still-powerful harmonica delivery can easily be summed up after a listen to his latest album, Giant, as the man is still a force to be reckoned with.
Guitarist John Hammond was next up on the acoustic stage, giving the type of headliner-worthy performance he’s known for. The acoustic stage tent, packed beyond its capacity, was filled with the applause and shouts of an appreciative Blues Fest crowd.
Rounding out a day full of impressive performances was the popular North Mississippi All Star Duo. Featuring brothers Cody and Luther Dickinson, the pair put forth a sound that simply seemed too big for a two-piece act, according to Larsen.
“I’m a big North Mississippi All Star fan and I’ve seen them several times, but I thought they were great today,” he added. “They’re such nice guys and they loved the vibe of the event. I had artists telling me that all day long. Performers feed off that kind of audience, that energy, and that gets reflected in their performances.”
As if that weren’t enough, post festival found openers Gina Sicilia and band performing at the Blarney Stone Pub, joined at times by members of the Honey Island Swamp Band, James Cotton’s band and local drummer Nick Andrews. It was, according to late-night attendees, the perfect night-cap to an unforgettable Blues Fest.
“It was another great year. We had great weather and record crowds both days,” added Larsen. “We have to thank all of our sponsors and the fans. That’s about as good as it can get.”