Summer Concert Series, Blues Fest and now ... Summer Jam
NORWICH – The Chenango Blues Association will celebrate two decades of bringing the best in blues and blues-influenced music in August with the 20th annual Chenango Blues Fest, kicking things off with this Thursday’s first Summer Concert Series offering, a free performance by Royal Southern Brotherhood at 7 p.m. on the East Park Stage.
For Eric Larsen, president of the blues association, it’s been a rewarding – and challenging – journey.
“It’s remarkable to me that we have essentially the same group of people and just to see how much it’s grown,” said Larsen of his fellow association members and the festival in general. “The caliber [of talent] that we’re able to bring in, it’s shocking almost. It’s been a great learning experience.”
This year’s Summer Concert Series line-up features some of the best musical talent in the nation, including the aforementioned Royal Southern Brotherhood, Alex Torres and His Latin Orchestra (July 19), the Campbell Brothers (July 26), the New Riders of the Purple Sage (Aug. 2) and Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience (Aug. 7).
In addition, the association has assembled some of the best local, regional and national talent that can be found for its first-ever Summer Jam, to be held from 2 to 8 p.m. on July 29 in East Park, with performances by the Rochester-based Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad – reggae at its best, according to Larsen – New Orleans funksters Big Sam’s Funky Nation and local ensembles Tumbleweed Highway and Woodshed Prophets.
The best part, said Larsen of the Summer Concert Series, sponsored by NBT Bank, and Summer Jam, sponsored by Preferred Mutual Insurance and Wells Fargo Advisors, is that they’re both free.
Said Larsen of the Summer Jam, “We’re pretty excited about it. It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while and something we couldn’t have done in the past ... we didn’t have the staging for it.”
Thanks to last year’s makeover of East Park, however, the show can now go on.
Approximately 150 people attended the first-ever Blues Fest two decades ago, said Larsen, and he and his fellow association members decided that – if they could double the number of attendees the second year – they would try for a third. Since then, the Chenango Blues Fest has grown into one of the largest festivals of its kind in the northeast, drawing thousands from across the country to the Chenango County Fairgrounds.
Larsen also noted the dedication and hard work of the many volunteers – many of whom have been with the festival since its inception – who have made the Summer Concert Series and Blues Fest possible for the past two decades.
“It’s great to be able to program this kind of stuff and the more resources we have, the more we can accomplish,” he added.
The 20th annual Chenango Blues Fest will kick-off on Aug. 17 at the fairgrounds with free performances by Murali Coryell, Anders Osborne and Papa Grows Funk. The festival itself will be held Aug. 18 and will feature J.J. Grey & Mofro, Voice of the Wetlands All Stars, Duke Robillard, Davina & the Vagabonds, James Armstrong, Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton, Ann Rabson, Samuel James, and Tom Townsley and Seth Rochford.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the festival. For more information, visit chenangobluesfest.org.
For Eric Larsen, president of the blues association, it’s been a rewarding – and challenging – journey.
“It’s remarkable to me that we have essentially the same group of people and just to see how much it’s grown,” said Larsen of his fellow association members and the festival in general. “The caliber [of talent] that we’re able to bring in, it’s shocking almost. It’s been a great learning experience.”
This year’s Summer Concert Series line-up features some of the best musical talent in the nation, including the aforementioned Royal Southern Brotherhood, Alex Torres and His Latin Orchestra (July 19), the Campbell Brothers (July 26), the New Riders of the Purple Sage (Aug. 2) and Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience (Aug. 7).
In addition, the association has assembled some of the best local, regional and national talent that can be found for its first-ever Summer Jam, to be held from 2 to 8 p.m. on July 29 in East Park, with performances by the Rochester-based Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad – reggae at its best, according to Larsen – New Orleans funksters Big Sam’s Funky Nation and local ensembles Tumbleweed Highway and Woodshed Prophets.
The best part, said Larsen of the Summer Concert Series, sponsored by NBT Bank, and Summer Jam, sponsored by Preferred Mutual Insurance and Wells Fargo Advisors, is that they’re both free.
Said Larsen of the Summer Jam, “We’re pretty excited about it. It’s something we’ve been talking about for a while and something we couldn’t have done in the past ... we didn’t have the staging for it.”
Thanks to last year’s makeover of East Park, however, the show can now go on.
Approximately 150 people attended the first-ever Blues Fest two decades ago, said Larsen, and he and his fellow association members decided that – if they could double the number of attendees the second year – they would try for a third. Since then, the Chenango Blues Fest has grown into one of the largest festivals of its kind in the northeast, drawing thousands from across the country to the Chenango County Fairgrounds.
Larsen also noted the dedication and hard work of the many volunteers – many of whom have been with the festival since its inception – who have made the Summer Concert Series and Blues Fest possible for the past two decades.
“It’s great to be able to program this kind of stuff and the more resources we have, the more we can accomplish,” he added.
The 20th annual Chenango Blues Fest will kick-off on Aug. 17 at the fairgrounds with free performances by Murali Coryell, Anders Osborne and Papa Grows Funk. The festival itself will be held Aug. 18 and will feature J.J. Grey & Mofro, Voice of the Wetlands All Stars, Duke Robillard, Davina & the Vagabonds, James Armstrong, Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton, Ann Rabson, Samuel James, and Tom Townsley and Seth Rochford.
Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the festival. For more information, visit chenangobluesfest.org.
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