This past weekend I attended the
Edmonton Blues Festival for the first time. The festival has been in existence since 1999 and has received rave reviews from fans and critics alike for its presentation of diverse artists representing different styles of Blues. What I discovered at the festival was also that artists from around the World are featured. The Blues are indeed universal!
Big Pete is a harmonica player from Holland. He teamed up with guitarist
Matt Schofield from the U.K. Their collaboration of "Euro-Blues" was solid and full of technical precision.
I was really looking forward to the
Homemade Jamz Blues Band. This trio of two brothers and their sister (14 years old playing the drum kit like a total pro!) feature a guitar and bass made out of car parts. They are as interesting to watch as to listen to, and if they stick with it, I think they are going to be around for a while.
The perfect way to get started on a Sunday afternoon was with the piano stylings of
Eden Brent. Her voice was as smooth as silk when singing, but when she spoke to the audience you could hear the Mississippi Delta in her voice!
For me, the highlight of the festival was
MonkeyJunk. I first became familiar with this Juno-award winning trio from Ottawa at last year's
Edmonton Folk Festival and was eager to hear a full set. To say I was absolutely blown away would be an understatement. Energy, incredible musicianship, a strong beat, great lyrics, vocal talent, and just a hint of eroticism made the performance unforgettable. I am already looking forward to the new album in September.
Ana Popovic, from Yugoslavia, is a woman who can really play guitar! Her sultry vocals and exciting performance had the audience captivated. ~Paula E. Kirman
The Paul DesLauriers Band was solid, with a solid and danceable sound.
"Pianorama" featured Anthony Geraci, David Vest, and Graham Guest on the keys, with Brent Parkin's Red Hots taking care of the rest of the orchestration.
Juno Award winners MonkeyJunk was definitely a fan favourite. Fast, loud, and powerful, the trio holds the record for the number of albums sold at the festival. Later on in their performance, they were joined on stage by Big Dave McLean and Anthony Geraci.
Samantha Fish, winner of the Contemporary Blues - Female Artist award at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis last May, rounded out the evening with her strong songwriting and guitar skills.
Congratulations to the organizers on another successful year. Here's to the next 20 years!
