March 3, 2007 — Bonnie Raitt collaborator Jon Cleary and other blues masters will perform at the 5th Annual Coors Light St. John Blues Festival, which features seven live blues shows over five days beginning March 21.
The Festival's main concert is scheduled for Saturday evening, March 24, at 7 p.m. in the Coral Bay Ball Field on St. John and stars New Orleans' blues legend Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Memphis's "Prince of Beale Street" Billy Gibson and the Billy Gibson Band, International Blues Competition winner Joey Gilmore and the Joey Gilmore Blues Band and St. John's own queen of the blues, T-Bird.
"In just five short years, the Coors Light St. John Blues Festival has become the single largest entertainment destination event in the Virgin Islands", said festival founder and producer Steve Simon, according to a news release. "We are so honored that a 'Who's Who' of the blues world will be coming to St. John this year to help us celebrate our 5th anniversary."
Luminaries attending this year's festival include Bill Wax, program director of XM Satellite radio's "Bluesville" show; Chip Eagle, publisher and editor of Blues Review Magazine; Jay Sieleman, executive director of the Blues Foundation; Paul Benjamin, president of North Atlantic Blues Records; and Pat Morgan, manager of Pinetop Perkins, the news release said.
"We are dedicating this year's blues festival to the Blues Foundation's HART Fund, which provides financial assistance to blues artists and their loved ones in times of illness and special needs," Simon said. "For many years, the HART fund has made a difference in the quality of life of some of the blues world's elder statesmen and we are very proud to be part of that effort this year."
Wednesday — March 21st
Opening Blues Festival Party
Mongoose Junction Courtyard — Cruz Bay
Starring: Danny Morris, a guitarist who got his act together in Greensboro, N.C., before replacing Jimmy Thackery in the Nighthawks. Morris went solo in 1995, and has since combined ska, jazz, flamenco, samba, and '50s rock into his surf-rock sound.
8 p.m. — Free Admission
Thursday — March 22nd
Compass Rose — Cruz Bay
Starring: 2 Blue Shoes, a veteran V.I. duo that includes F. Smokey Pratt on flue, harmonica and vocals and John Brittain on guitar and vocals. Their sound incorporates blues, light jazz and rock.
8 p.m. — Free Admission
Friday — March 23rd
Shipwreck Landing — Coral Bay
Starring: Rob Peck
8 p.m. — Free Admission
Saturday — March 24th
Compass Rose — Cruz Bay
Starring: Mitch Woods, a San Francisco piano man specializing in upbeat, danceable '40s jump blues in the manner of Louis Jordan and Louis Prima. Born in Brooklyn in 1951, Woods learned to play boogie-woogie piano at the feet of his building superintendent and got his first bands together in Greenwich Village in the 1960s.
2 to 6 p.m. — Free Admission
Saturday — March 24th
Skinny Legs — Coral Bay
Starring: 2 Blue Shoes
2 to 6 p.m. — Free Admission
Saturday — March 24th
Coral Bay Ball Field — Coral Bay
Gates open at 6 p.m.
Show starts at 7 p.m.
Starring:
Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen. Cleary, a frequent Bonnie Raitt collaborator, is a Brit turned New Orleans piano master and vocalist. He writes and sings original songs with a Big Easy R&B and Latin feel.
Billy Gibson and the Billy Gibson Band. Harmonica virtuoso Billy Gibson grew up in Mississippi, picking up harp as a child. Gibson eventually landed in Memphis, earning a B.A. in music from the University of Memphis while contributing to recordings by many Memphis artists.
Joey Gilmore and the Joey Gilmore Blues Band. Florida guitarist Gilmore won the 2006 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, has played at countless blues festivals and shared stages with James Brown, Etta James, Bobby "Blue" Bland and many others. His latest CD is called The Ghosts of Mississippi Meet the Gods of Africa.
T-Bird and Friends. Virginia native T-Bird, a guitarist, has shared her love for the blues with the Virgin Islands for the past 16 years. Her influences include Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, Bob Dylan and Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Advance tickets are $25. Tickets purchased at the gate cost $30. Admission is free for children under 18. Food and Beverage service will be available all evening. "Bring a blanket, bring a chair, but please be cool — no coolers," the news release said.
Advance tickets are available on St. John at:
Connections — Cruz Bay
Connections — Coral Bay
Chelsea Drugs — Marketplace
Advance tickets are available on St. Thomas at:
Modern Music — Havensight
Modern Music — Nisky Center
Chelsea Drugs — Red Hook
Sunday — March 25th
Closing Blues Festival Party
The Beach Bar — Cruz Bay
Surprise guest artists all afternoon
4 to 7:30 p.m.
The 5th Annual St. John Blues Festival is sponsored by Coors Light, Theodore Tunick and Company, Holiday Homes, American Paradise Realty, First Bank, Sun Dog Cafe and the Gecko Gazebo Bar, the Inn at Tamarind Court, Pirate Radio, Sunny FM, Isle 95 and Steve and Helen Simon, the news release said.
For further information, contact Steve Simon at 340-693-8120, email him or click here.
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