2000

Robert Cray Band The festival is honored to present one the hottest blues/soul acts of the last 20 years, the Robert Cray Band. After being nominated for 7 Grammys in a row (winning 4 of them) and collaborating with a who's who of contemporary music, everyone from B.B. King and Eric Clapton to Tina Turner and David Bowie, there is not much this talented musician hasn't done. Cray has constantly demonstrated his ability to create a truly global following for his unique, timeless blend of R&B, soul, and blues. His new album, "Take Your Shoes Off", is living proof that when it comes to creating a real, true-to-life soul album, The Robert Cray Band remains at the top of their musical game.

Irma Thomas
Friday Sept 15 Michigan Theater
Singing with a passion unparalleled by most modern singers, Irma Thomas is the undisputed Queen of New Orleans Soul. Her early 60's recordings under the guidance of legendary producer Allen Toussaint helped establish her as a singer of major importance. she moved out to California in 1967 to cut the biggest seller of her career, "Wish Someone Would Care", and also penned a little tune that became a smash hit for the Rolling Stones, "Time Is On My Side". Irma took a break from the public spotlight in the 70's and 80's, but came roaring into the 90's with a string of outstanding albums for Rounder Records. In early 2000, she released a beautiful collection of songs written by Dan Penn called, "My Heart's In Memphis".

Mavis Staples
Friday Sept 15 Michigan Theater
Mavis Staples made her first impression on the music world, along with her brother and sisters, as the soul-stirring gospel group, the Staple Singers. After achieving great success on the gospel circuit, the transition to pop/R&B brought the group national attention with such hits as "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There". Her influence has spread far and wide, from David Byrne to John Mayall to Be-Be and Ce-Ce Winans. Her recent, dynamic collaborations with Prince, The Voice and Time Waits For No One, prove that Mavis Staples continues to be a guiding force in world of gospel and R&B.

Little Jimmy Scott
Friday and Saturday Sept 15 and 16 Bird of Paradise
He is one of the world's greatest singers, but unless you are already a fan, you may not have heard of Jimmy Scott. Bad record deals have kept this charming and captivating voice unheard by the majority of music fans. It wasn't until he sang at the funeral of Doc Pomus, where a Sire Records exec was present in the audience, that Jimmy Scott finally signed the right record deal to introduce his beautiful, piercing vocal style to a new generation of fans. Often lumped into the rhythm and blues category, Jimmy Scott has proven with his last three Warner Bros. Releases that he is a jazz singer of the highest order. Just one Jimmy Scott song contains enough drama to for a night at the opera. As Ray Charles says, "Jimmy had soul way back when people weren't using the word". It is a rare pleasure to have him perform at this year's festival.

Stanley Turrentine
Saturday Sept 16 Gallup Park
Stanley Turrentine, or simply Mister T, is a soul man. His ever-cool, ever-tasteful tenor saxophone sound has remained as engaging, melodic, and subtly swingin' as it was in the early 50's. He spent the 60's on the Blue Note roster, recording such classics as Midnight Special with Jimmy Smith and a handful of gutsy, R&B based jazz platters. He moved around to various labels throughout the 70's, not without making waves though. Stanley was named Jazz Artist of the Year in 1974, an honor for which he remains most proud. Stanley continues to record into the new millennium, never losing his trademark, soulful sound. Mister T died the week before the festival, which was dedicated in his honor.

Little Milton
Saturday Sept 16 Gallup Park
One of the great blues guitarists, singers, and composers of all time, Little Milton began his recording career in Memphis at the famed Sun Studios, under the direction of Ike Turner and Sam Phillips. Milton's skyrocketing success and unique talent led him to work for Chess Records, where he went on to become one of the best selling blues artists of the 60's. His move to the influential R&B/soul record label, Stax Records, secured Little Milton's reputation as a major influence in the world of blues and R&B. His latest recordings bring the formula of strings, horns, and background vocals up to date, while still allowing the his blues artistry to shine through.

Jimmy Bosch
Saturday Sept 16 Gallup Park
Jimmy Bosch is recognized as one of the most experienced and enchanting horn players in salsa music today. He has performed and recorded with such Latin greats as Chucho Valdes, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto, and Ruben Blades. A fiery exponent of the hard, New York salsa he calls Salsa Dura, Jimmy plays with an unabashed, raw intensity that ignites a dance floor and has the crowd screaming for more. His new album, Salsa Dura, features irresistable dancefloor grooves, Cuban style jam sessions, and a host of world class guests including, Chucho Valdes, Steve Turre, and Richie Flores.

Deborah Coleman
Saturday Sept 16 Gallup Park
Profiled in Living Blues magazines as one of the top up-and-coming blues artists, Deborah Coleman is a woman among girls when it comes to playing the guitar. She cites Jimi Hendrix as her major influence and her searing guitar licks and engaging songwriting are a direct product of that influence. Her big break came at a talent contest in South Carolina, where she brought the house down with a show-stopping performance. The result: signing with Blind Pig Records and releasing her critically acclaimed album, "I Can't Lose".

Butler Twins
Saturday Sept 16 Gallup Park
Not only the Butler Twins by band name, Clarence and Curtis Butler were born seconds apart in an area and time that "had the blues". After leaving rural Alabama in the mid 1950's, they came to Detroit looking for work in the auto factories, just as many other aspiring blues musicians of the time, including John Lee Hooker. Along with Uncle Jesse White, Alberta Adams, and Johnnie Bassett, the Butler Twins have played a major role in the resurgence of blues music in the city of Detroit. Their latest release, "The Butler's Boogie", expresses a sound derived from their childhood, country home in Alabama as well as their urban Detroit experience.

Funktelligence
Saturday Sept 16 Gallup Park
Over the past two years, Ann Arbor's Funktelligence has been stirring up the Midwest harder than a swarm of killer bees, with a hybrid of funk, soul, jazz, and hip-hop music. These cats refuse to be pigeonholed into one specific genre, though. To them, "It's all about the music, period." Since their emergence in 1997 as a family unit, Funktelligence has opened for platinum R&B singers, K-Ci and JoJo, Tyrese, and Ginuwine, at the State Fair in Detroit, as well as hip-hop's dynamic live group, The Roots at Pease Audtorium.

Rosie Ledet
Sunday Sept 17 Gallup Park
Today's premier female Zydeco artist, Rosie Ledet has performed her traditional Creole music from coast to coast. She is one of only a few younger Zydeco players who still writes and sings some of her own material in Creole French. The New York Times says: "If the Allman Brothers went zydeco, they would sound like Rosie Ledet." She recently won the Offbeat Magazine awards for Best Vocalist and Best Zydeco Band or Performer. The "Zydeco Sweetheart" has risen to the top of the heap with her combination of a husky, soulful voice, original songwriting, and a tight, cohesive band behind her on stage.

Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers
Sunday Sept 17 Gallup Park
Born and raised on the music of New Orleans, Kermit Ruffins is a natural product of the city. Whether he's blowing trumpet on a Louis Armstrong classic, singing one of his own originals, or leading an orchestra, Kermit embraces the tune with the true hard swinging spirit of his hometown. Ruffins honed his chops in the 80's, leading the ReBirth Brass Band to the top of the New Orleans brass band scene. His newest group, the Barbecue Swingers, formed in 1992. The band reflects the two things for which Kermit is highly noted - hot jazz and smokin' barbecue. Sounds like a great compliment to Gallup Park!

Hubert Sumlin
Sunday Sept 17 Gallup Park
Hubert Sumlin is a historically significant originator of blues composition and one of the last living connections to an era that produced so much monumental music. His pioneering guitar work, while working with Howlin' Wolf, laid the foundations for rock-n-roll and changed the sound of American music. His influence on Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton is immediately noticeable in the music of these rock icons. After a brief hiatus to mourn the loss of his mentor, Howlin' Wolf, Hubert returned to the road, touring around the world with old friends, such as Pinetop Perkins and Albert King. Ann Arbor is proud to have Hubert Sumlin return to the festival years after his historic appearance with Wolf in 1972.

U-M Jazz Faculty Ensemble
Sunday Sept 17 Gallup Park
Maintaining a strong community presence, the Festival welcomes the U-M Jazz Faculty Ensemble. They will knock you out with their tight arrangements and top flight musicianship. Ellen Rowe leads this scorching group of accomplished musicians through a variety of standards, ballads, and originals. Also featured in the band are trumpet player, Ed Sarath and saxophonist, Donald Walden.