Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam 

It’s something that we can all relate to. An experience so arresting, that it consumes our attention and even alters the course of our life.  For Davy Knowles... More

Becky Barksdale

A rare performer in any day or age, Becky Barksdale embodies in one individual the vast Texas blues guitar tradition of a Freddie King, the flirtatious... More

Big Walter Smith 

As welcoming as a favourite sweater, as inviting as a well-worn pair of slippers, Big Walter Smith is among the warmest and most congenial of entertainers. The fact that he and his.... More

Carlos del Junco

The youngest of five children, Carlos del Junco, whose surname means “of the reeds,” was born in Havana in 1958. By the time that he was a year old, he had immigrated to... More

Carson Downey Band 

Carson Downey is carrying on a generations-old tradition in Canada’s Maritime Provinces of looking to family and your Maker for strength and music for survival and personal ... More

Davina & the Vagabonds

At first glance, the very idea of a blues band without a guitar player strikes the mind as a daring if not totally outrageous concept. But, Davina & the Vagabonds.... More

Elmer Ferrer Band 

No people are prouder of their music and culture than the fine citizens of Cuba. In fact, this island nation of 11 million boasts 13,000 professional musicians, more per capita.... More

John Németh

Blond, blue-eyed, sharply dressed, John Németh is a 33-year-old native of Boise, Idaho who started out singing in a Catholic church. It’s a refined image.... More

Kenny Neal 

Bucolic bayous, oil rigs, Mardi Gras, Cajun culture and steaming bowlfuls of spicy gumbo have all played a role in the life of Kenny Neal. But, more than anything else... More

Los Lonely Boys

Drawing its name from a song that their father sang to them as children, Los Lonely Boys consists of the Garza brothers, Henry, 31 on guitar, Jojo, 29 on bass and Ringo... More

Nishina & the Hackers

Persistence will always pay dividends. Just ask Carol Pominville. One of the city’s finest bass guitarists, Pominville has been a regular at the annual Blues Showcase, trying out ... More

Philip Sayce

Philip Sayce was born in Aberystwyth, Wales on June 3, 1976 and moved to Toronto when he was two years old. He was very fortunate to have parents who listened ... More

Ricky Paquette

Energy, enthusiasm and youth are a natural fit. There’s nothing more fun or exciting at a blues festival than watching a young man like 18-year-old Ricky Paquette ... More

Rita Chiarelli & the Big Blues Band

Three octaves of raspy expressive delight, its Rita Chiarelli’s voice that first grabs hold of your attention. It’s the voice that Canadian music... More

Robert Cray 

If blues music ever had a male sex symbol, his name is Robert Cray. Dashingly handsome, possessed of a soulful voice more Sam Cooke than Muddy Waters and a terse... More

Ronnie Baker Brooks

“Man’ I was a nervous wreck,” says Ronnie Baker Brooks remembering his first gig with his father, living Windy City blues legend Lonnie Brooks, at Peppers Lounge in... More

Roy Rogers & the Delta Rhythm Kings

Slide guitar, the practice of fretting guitar strings with an object other than fingers - glass, plastic, metal and hollow steak bones have all been employed... More

Shane Dwight Band

More than any other genre of music, the blues both evolves and devolves naturally out of everyday family situations. It is, after all, that spontaneous, laid-back nature... More

Southern Comfort

Looking for a slide guitar player in Thunder Bay? Ask around. Guaranteed, without hesitation or reservation, you’ll hear the same name over and over again – Dave Jonasson. Jonasson has a long personal presence... More

The Chain

Renowned for her powerful yet achingly soulful voice, Chrissy Ewacha Klaas has been entertaining Thunder Bay audiences for more than twenty five years. Her emotionally charged vocals have opened shows... More