Chenango Blues Fest comes to Norwich for 22nd straight year
NORWICH – Thousands are expected to flock to the Chenango County Fairgrounds in Norwich this weekend for the 22nd Annual NBT Bank Chenango Blues Festival, an event many consider a summer-time staple in the area.
Headlining the festival this year is Robert Randolph and The Family band, a group which both committee members and attendees said they are looking forward to see.
“I am very excited to see everything come together this weekend,” said Norene Palmer, a Blues Fest Committee Member as of this year, and long-time festival attendee. “It has been exciting to see behind the scenes and appreciate all of the generous donations from the community. I am especially excited to see Robert Randolph and the Family Band in my hometown.”
Randolph plays the pedal steel guitar and has been with The Family Band for years.
“My thing is really upbeat, uptempo, with great guitar riffs,” reads Randolph’s website, “but also catchy choruses and lyrics that someday will make this music into classic tunes.”
Randolph was named on the list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. The group has released six albums, the most recent titled “Lickety Split” in 2013.
Randolph has made guest appearances with artists including but not limited to Soulive, Dave Matthews Band, Rob Thomas, Buddy Guy, Ringo Starr, Santana, Elton John and Leon Russell, and Los Lobos.
The headliners are set to take the Sheffield Bio Science Infield Stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.
Prior to the headlining group are various other musicians known regionally and nationally in the blues arena.
The Golden State Lone Star Revue takes the stage at 6:30 p.m. The band features harpist Mark Hummel trading licks with guitarists Little Charlie Baty and Anson Funderburgh. Funderburgh was in Norwich last year to play with Eric Lindell and The Sunliners for one of the free Thursday shows in the park.
The Sheffield Bio stage will also be graced with the presence of Samantha Fish at 4 p.m. Hailing from Kansas City, Fish is a guitarist, songwriter, and per her website, has proven herself and her rebellious streak on her latest release, “Black Wind Howlin.’” Fish has said her influences include Tab Benoit, Mike Zito, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Son House and Skip James.
“With those influences as her template, Samantha incorporated the sounds of the classic rock of The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, alongside contemporary artists like Sheryl Crow and The Black Crowes, in putting together a sound that would become her own,” reads Fish’s website.
The Nick Moss Band hits the stage at 1:45, and the band’s latest release “Time Ain’t Free,” has received rave reviews. According to billboard.com, “Moss’ class shines through on ‘I Want The World to Know,’ which builds into a showcase of his fluency on the six-string.”
Kicking off the Sheffield Bio stage at noon is Mia Borders, a New Orleans native singer and songwriter, and The New York Times characterized Borders and her music as “deeply funky.”
Between bands on the infield stage, the entertainment will continue on the Nelson and Flanagan/Grouse Ridge Tent Stage.
Diehard Blues Fest enthusiasts will no doubt take notice of the infusion of younger performers at this year’s venue. “There are a variety of reasons for that,” said Eric Larsen of the Chenango Blues Association. “We start out with a long list of about 100 artists early in the planning stages of the event, and with younger board members influencing that list – along with some other factors – we ended up with great list of younger talent this year.”
New York State Blues Hall of Fames’ Robert Ross kicks things off at 1 p.m., and he’ll be followed by Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton – a guy who was said to have never met an instrument he didn’t like. Luke Winslow King takes the stage at 5:15 p.m., who plays an eclectic mixture of ragtime, delta folk and rock and roll.
The Cedric Burnside Project will play on the tent stage just before the headliners begin on the infield stage.
“Cedric, grandson of renowned R.L. Burnside, is an accomplished drummer and singer who fuses hill country blues with funk, R & B, and soul into some serious foot stomping music,” read a release from the Chenango Blues Association.
“The lineup for 2014 is just really solid from front to back,” said Larsen. “If you’re into the blues music scene, you really can’t go wrong this year.”
Larsen noted that he was excited to have the likes of Mia Borders, “a not-so-well-known up and comer” on the bill along with Moreland and Arbuckle, a roots-rock outfit based out of Wichita, KS who were voted 2013 band of the year.
In addition to a Saturday full of live music, the Blues Association is proud to announce the Frontier Communications Free Friday, which kicks off at 6 p.m. on Aug. 15.
Memphis harmonica player Brandon Santini, Mia Borders and Moreland and Arbuckle will be playing Friday, and there is no charge for those who wish to attend.
Saturday’s event does not only consist of music. There will be a multitude of craft and food vendors at the fairgrounds, and items including records, shirts, jewelry, art, and artist merchandise will be available.
Organizers of the all-volunteer, nonprofit event would like to emphasize the down-home vibe of the family oriented event. “You won’t find four dollar waters or seven dollar beers here – just friendly faces and low prices.”
Attendee Leah Millett said, “I love Blues Fest, not just for the fest itself, but also for all of the free music they bring our community throughout the summer.”
The Chenango Blues Association would also like to gratefully acknowledge the support it receives from the Greater Norwich and R.C. Smith Foundations. They would also like to thank the Evening Sun/Pennysaver, Preferred Mutual Insurance, Morrisville State College, Laral Management, Wells Fargo Advisors, Rentals to Go and Blueox for their generous help.
More than 75 businesses and individuals assisted, with other major donors including Community Bank, Mirabito Energy Products and New York Central Mutual. The show is also made possible — in part — with public funds from the Chenango Arts Council Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the NYS Council on the Arts which is administered by the Chenango County Council of the Arts, with support from Gov. Cuomo and the NYS Legislature.
“The Chenango Blues Association owes a huge thank-you to NBT Bank for signing on to be our title sponsor late in the game this year,” said Larsen “Without them and the generous support of the over 75 other donors and contributers, the festival wouldn’t be the success that it has become over the years.”
Larsen added that ticket sales cover only about one-third of the event’s costs, while the other two-thirds are offset by the donations from the community and local businesses. “The math is simple, without our donors we couldn’t do it,” he said.
Tickets for the Blues Festival are $20 in advance and $30 for Saturday, Aug. 16. Tickets are available at Chenango County Tourism, The Blarney Stone Pub, Nice-N-Easy, Big Blue’s Convenience Store in Oxford, Morrisville and Mount Upton, The Eighth Note in Oneonta, Music City in Binghamton and Sound Garden in Syracuse.
No tickets for Saturday’s event will be sold at Friday’s show this year.
For further information on this year’s Chenango Blues Fest, the vendors that will be on-site, camping information, or how to purchase tickets, visit chenangobluesfest.org.
Sun Staff Writer Matthew White contributed to this report.
Headlining the festival this year is Robert Randolph and The Family band, a group which both committee members and attendees said they are looking forward to see.
“I am very excited to see everything come together this weekend,” said Norene Palmer, a Blues Fest Committee Member as of this year, and long-time festival attendee. “It has been exciting to see behind the scenes and appreciate all of the generous donations from the community. I am especially excited to see Robert Randolph and the Family Band in my hometown.”
Randolph plays the pedal steel guitar and has been with The Family Band for years.
“My thing is really upbeat, uptempo, with great guitar riffs,” reads Randolph’s website, “but also catchy choruses and lyrics that someday will make this music into classic tunes.”
Randolph was named on the list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine. The group has released six albums, the most recent titled “Lickety Split” in 2013.
Randolph has made guest appearances with artists including but not limited to Soulive, Dave Matthews Band, Rob Thomas, Buddy Guy, Ringo Starr, Santana, Elton John and Leon Russell, and Los Lobos.
The headliners are set to take the Sheffield Bio Science Infield Stage at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16.
Prior to the headlining group are various other musicians known regionally and nationally in the blues arena.
The Golden State Lone Star Revue takes the stage at 6:30 p.m. The band features harpist Mark Hummel trading licks with guitarists Little Charlie Baty and Anson Funderburgh. Funderburgh was in Norwich last year to play with Eric Lindell and The Sunliners for one of the free Thursday shows in the park.
The Sheffield Bio stage will also be graced with the presence of Samantha Fish at 4 p.m. Hailing from Kansas City, Fish is a guitarist, songwriter, and per her website, has proven herself and her rebellious streak on her latest release, “Black Wind Howlin.’” Fish has said her influences include Tab Benoit, Mike Zito, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Son House and Skip James.
“With those influences as her template, Samantha incorporated the sounds of the classic rock of The Rolling Stones and Tom Petty, alongside contemporary artists like Sheryl Crow and The Black Crowes, in putting together a sound that would become her own,” reads Fish’s website.
The Nick Moss Band hits the stage at 1:45, and the band’s latest release “Time Ain’t Free,” has received rave reviews. According to billboard.com, “Moss’ class shines through on ‘I Want The World to Know,’ which builds into a showcase of his fluency on the six-string.”
Kicking off the Sheffield Bio stage at noon is Mia Borders, a New Orleans native singer and songwriter, and The New York Times characterized Borders and her music as “deeply funky.”
Between bands on the infield stage, the entertainment will continue on the Nelson and Flanagan/Grouse Ridge Tent Stage.
Diehard Blues Fest enthusiasts will no doubt take notice of the infusion of younger performers at this year’s venue. “There are a variety of reasons for that,” said Eric Larsen of the Chenango Blues Association. “We start out with a long list of about 100 artists early in the planning stages of the event, and with younger board members influencing that list – along with some other factors – we ended up with great list of younger talent this year.”
New York State Blues Hall of Fames’ Robert Ross kicks things off at 1 p.m., and he’ll be followed by Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton – a guy who was said to have never met an instrument he didn’t like. Luke Winslow King takes the stage at 5:15 p.m., who plays an eclectic mixture of ragtime, delta folk and rock and roll.
The Cedric Burnside Project will play on the tent stage just before the headliners begin on the infield stage.
“Cedric, grandson of renowned R.L. Burnside, is an accomplished drummer and singer who fuses hill country blues with funk, R & B, and soul into some serious foot stomping music,” read a release from the Chenango Blues Association.
“The lineup for 2014 is just really solid from front to back,” said Larsen. “If you’re into the blues music scene, you really can’t go wrong this year.”
Larsen noted that he was excited to have the likes of Mia Borders, “a not-so-well-known up and comer” on the bill along with Moreland and Arbuckle, a roots-rock outfit based out of Wichita, KS who were voted 2013 band of the year.
In addition to a Saturday full of live music, the Blues Association is proud to announce the Frontier Communications Free Friday, which kicks off at 6 p.m. on Aug. 15.
Memphis harmonica player Brandon Santini, Mia Borders and Moreland and Arbuckle will be playing Friday, and there is no charge for those who wish to attend.
Saturday’s event does not only consist of music. There will be a multitude of craft and food vendors at the fairgrounds, and items including records, shirts, jewelry, art, and artist merchandise will be available.
Organizers of the all-volunteer, nonprofit event would like to emphasize the down-home vibe of the family oriented event. “You won’t find four dollar waters or seven dollar beers here – just friendly faces and low prices.”
Attendee Leah Millett said, “I love Blues Fest, not just for the fest itself, but also for all of the free music they bring our community throughout the summer.”
The Chenango Blues Association would also like to gratefully acknowledge the support it receives from the Greater Norwich and R.C. Smith Foundations. They would also like to thank the Evening Sun/Pennysaver, Preferred Mutual Insurance, Morrisville State College, Laral Management, Wells Fargo Advisors, Rentals to Go and Blueox for their generous help.
More than 75 businesses and individuals assisted, with other major donors including Community Bank, Mirabito Energy Products and New York Central Mutual. The show is also made possible — in part — with public funds from the Chenango Arts Council Decentralization Program, a re-grant program of the NYS Council on the Arts which is administered by the Chenango County Council of the Arts, with support from Gov. Cuomo and the NYS Legislature.
“The Chenango Blues Association owes a huge thank-you to NBT Bank for signing on to be our title sponsor late in the game this year,” said Larsen “Without them and the generous support of the over 75 other donors and contributers, the festival wouldn’t be the success that it has become over the years.”
Larsen added that ticket sales cover only about one-third of the event’s costs, while the other two-thirds are offset by the donations from the community and local businesses. “The math is simple, without our donors we couldn’t do it,” he said.
Tickets for the Blues Festival are $20 in advance and $30 for Saturday, Aug. 16. Tickets are available at Chenango County Tourism, The Blarney Stone Pub, Nice-N-Easy, Big Blue’s Convenience Store in Oxford, Morrisville and Mount Upton, The Eighth Note in Oneonta, Music City in Binghamton and Sound Garden in Syracuse.
No tickets for Saturday’s event will be sold at Friday’s show this year.
For further information on this year’s Chenango Blues Fest, the vendors that will be on-site, camping information, or how to purchase tickets, visit chenangobluesfest.org.
Sun Staff Writer Matthew White contributed to this report.
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