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Event
23rd Annual Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival
The Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival debuted in 1993, to honor the music and spirit of Blind Willie McTell. The festival has been going strong ever since, and is still staged in the same grassy field it debuted in almost 23 years ago. 2016 Lineup: Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams The Cash Box Kings Buckwheat Zydeco The Deslondes Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton
Great regional food will again be featured along the food court. Gates open at 11 in the morning, with music beginning at noon.
About the artists..
Ronnie Earl rarely plays outside of Northeast these days and we're happy to have him in for his first appearance in the South in 2016. With him at McTell Fest will be the Broadcasters, who have played with Ronnie since the late 80's. He also held down the guitar slot in great ensemble, Roomful of Blues from 1979 until 1988. Earl is a three-time Blues Music Award winner as Guitar Player of the Year and is nominated again this year. His latest disc on Stony Plain Records is called Father's Day and was released in 2015. The festival has a long history of bringing in the best electric guitarists working and Mr. Earl is right there at the top of the heap.
Multi-instrumentalist-vocalist Larry Campbell and singer-guitarist Teresa Williams have a long performance history, as both center stage performers and invaluable assets to world class acts. A quick glance at the list of artists who've benefited from their talents, both live and in studios, reads like a Who's Who of Music Icons: Bob Dylan (Larry spent eight years as guitarist with Dylan's band), Paul Simon, Little Feat, Hot Tuna, Phil Lesh, Emmylou Harris, Sheryl Crow, Mavis Staples, and, for one miraculous seven-year stretch, Larry led the band for the Levon Helm, while Theresa played and sang backup. They are now touring behind their eponymous debut album, one of the best Americana releases of 2015. Do a quick YouTube search and you'll find endless examples of why we couldn't be happier to bring music of this caliber to Thomson.
The rest of the lineup is equally impressive. From Louisiana we have Buckwheat Zydeco, a legend in the world of zydeco music. Buckwheat has toured the world with his great accordion and funky sound, playing with everyone from Eric Clapton to Willie Nelson to Ry Cooder. From New Orleans, we have The Deslondes, a relatively new and completely original group of young musicians, who are touring behind their latest self-titled release on New West Records. Their music blends together influences from folk, country, rock 'n' roll, bluegrass, R&B, American roots music, blue, gospel, and zydeco. The Cash Box Kings from Chicago offer about as authentic a take on early electric blues as we've ever heard. Pick up a copy of their latest on Blind Pig Records, Holding Court and you'll get an idea of why we worked hard to get them down South this May. Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton will join us with a solo set. The multi-instrumentalist has a live show that is a great look at the history of American traditional music. Although only in his 20s, Paxton has earned a reputation for transporting audiences back to times gone by. He sings and plays banjo, guitar, piano, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion, and the bones (percussion). Music for Your Entertainment is the first CD release for Paxton.
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LocationBlind Willie McTell Festival Site - Open Field (View)
965 Stagecoach Road N.E.
Thomson, GA 30824
United States
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