1999

Simply put, Buddy Guy is the premier electric blues guitarist in the world. He has recorded with such legends as Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Sonny Boy Williamson. He has released dozens of albums, capturing four Grammy Awards along the way. Buddy's connection the Blues & Jazz Festival goes back to the second year, 1973; he also headlined in 1997. Eric Clapton is among his biggest fans, calling him "the best blues guitar player alive."

(Note: Etta James was originally scheduled to perform this show, but had to cancel due to health problems.)

A Festival encore performance, Pharoah is back by popular demand following his amazing '96 performance. In the 60s, John Coltrane took Pharoah aboard his spaceship and together they produced some of the most adventurous muisc of the era. Today Pharoah carries on where Coltrane left off, playing free jazz sax solos with the coherence, fluidity and finesse of the classic bebop hornmen.

The son of 'Zydeco King' Clifton Chenier, C.J.has been dubbed the "Crown Prince of Zydeco" by both the Boston Globe and the Washington Post. C.J. takes the music to a higher level by marrying the traditional two-step accordion-driven roots sound with New Orleans R&B and Rock'n'Roll.

One of the pemier trombonists of his generation, Steve played in the last groups of Rahsaan Roland Kirk in the mid-70s. He also introduced the conch shells to jazz, demonstrating an uncanny ability to play exotic shells with a wide range of clear tones. [Besides touring and recording with legends such as Ray Charles and Santana, Steve can also be seen as part of the Saturday Night Live pit band every weekend on NBC.]

John Lee Hooker put it best: "The boy can play..." Jimmy is a stellar guitarist, a soulful singer and a compelling songwriter from the San Francisco Bay area. Now resettled in western Michigan, he has released two excellent CD's backed by members of Robert Cray's band. His two area appearances in 1998 created quite a stir. [Come see why he is already a bona fide star in Europe.]

Thornetta's awesome vocal prowess is well known in her hometown of Detroit, where she has fronted several of the Motor City's best groups over the years, including the legendary Chisel Brothers and Black Beauty. She has won numerous accolades including the Metro Times' Best Blues Vocalist Award [so many times that she has been declared inegible to win again!]

A traditional Delta-style bluesman, Uncle Jessie hails from Tarry, Mississippi. Now 78, Uncle Jessie still pounds out barrelhouse blues piano and harmonica with heart-rending energy and feeling. He is widely credited with having kept the blues flame alive in Detroit during some of its darker years. In the mid-1970s, his house was the city's blues headquarters, hosting performances and serving as a gathering place for both local and touring musicians. [He will be accompanied on this date by blues guitar wailer Jeff Grand.]

After only five years in the national spotlight, Keb' Mo' has emerged as one of the most inventive blues guitarists in the world. In 1996 and 1999 Keb' Mo' won Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Blues album. In 1997 and 1998 he was named Acoustic Blues Artist of the Year in the W.C. Handy Awards. He has torn down the house with sets at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Chicago Blues Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Could we ask for a better way to close out the summer?

Blues are definitely in the blood of Big Bill, but it wasn't until his father, Muddy Waters, passed on that he dedicated his life to music. His weary, smokey voice attests to the dues he's paid playing the Southern club circuit, polishing his own style of hard-edged passionate blues. Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin is a stunning guitarist in his own right who played in Muddy's band for many years.

Steve Lucky (piano/vocals) and Miss Carmen Getit (guitar/vocals) front this rambunctious sextet the San Francisco Weekly calls "the Bay Area's top jump-swing band". It's the combination of great musicianship, high energy and offbeat humor that make this band a must see. Michigan music fans will remember Steve as the linchpin of the Blue Front Persuaders, one of the top area bands in the 1980s.

Kicking out crisp, muscular Big Band arrangements Monday nights at the Bird of Paradise club since 1989, leader/bassist Paul Keller and the band are currently celebrating the release of their latest CD, BINGO! The lineup includes a seven-piece brass section, four saxophones, piano, bass, drums & vibes in the rhythm section as well as vocals. [Their performance will feature Big Band music from every decade of jazz history.]

featuring Eileen Orr and Francisco Mora Eileen and Francisco are two of the most respected jazz musicians in Detroit, the former as pianist and composer for Straight Ahead and the latter as drummer for just about everybody. Both have been working in the Latin idiom long before it became chic and, now that has, are way ahead of the stylistic curve. This set should be a Festival highlight.

Performance Magazine calls Peter Madcat Ruth "a harmonica virtuoso who is rapidly approaching legend status." Shari Kane is considered one of the country's most versatile blues guitarists. Touring and recording together internationally for almost ten years, they always bring down the house. [Their local performances are becoming rare so be sure and get to the park early to welcome two of Ann Arbor's true treasures.]

Legendary soul-jazz master of the Hammond B-3 organ, Charles has been recording and performing for over 30 years. Over that time, he has recorded classics for Prestige, Milestone and Muse that have featured guitarists Pat Martino and Melvin Sparks, drummers Bobby Durham and Idris Muhammed and saxophonists Joe Henderson and Houston Person, among many others. His rich, steady bass makes his music unmistakable and has earned him the nickname "The Mighty Burner."