Curtis Salgado
With a career spanning forty years, award-winning soul, blues and R&B
vocalist/harmonicist/songwriter
Curtis Salgado is a
one-of-a-kind talent whose music is as compelling as his story.
From co-fronting The Robert Cray Band, to leading his own band
(and recording nine solo albums), to helping
transform John Belushi into "Joliet" Jake Blues of the Blues Brothers,
to touring the country with Steve Miller and Santana, he is a true musical
giant. NPR calls him "a blues icon" with a "huge voice."
Salgado earned a reputation for high-intensity performances and a repertoire
inspired by his encyclopedic knowledge of soul, blues and R&B music.
He won the 2010 Blues Music Award (BMA) for Soul Blues Artist Of The Year
and went on to win the award again in 2012 and 2013. In 2013 he also won the
coveted BMA for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year - the highest honor the
blues world has to offer - and took the statue for Soul Blues Album Of The
Year for his Alligator debut, SOUL SHOT. Blues Revue says Salgado's music
is "triumphant, joyful, blues-soaked R&B" and declared him to be
"one of the most soulful, honest singers ever."
[More about Curtis and his Music]
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Samantha Fish
Samantha Fish
has built an international reputation as a powerhouse blues-rock musician with an enormous
voice and tremendous skill as a guitarist. She also combines the artful sensitivity of
Bonnie Raitt and the effortless swagger of the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards.
[Kansas City Star,
read more]
Only into her mid-20s she already released two CDs, played all over the world and shared the
stage with well-established to the legendary artists from Tab Benoit and Johnny Lang to Buddy
Guy. Label mate and sometimes touring buddy, Mike Zito has long championed Samantha, produced
her critically acclaimed albums, Runaway and Black Wind Howlin' (2013).
Samantha has had a master's class in a wide variety of the blues.
Her work ethic is unquestioned and her love for performance is obvious.
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Bottleneck Blues Band
Bottleneck Blues Band
plays red hot funky blues designed to make your feet move. Blues was the
original party dance music and Bottleneck serves up a heaping portion of
body shaking fun.
These guys have consistently found friends exhausted
at the end of a non-stop three hour show on the dance floor. The music
is easy to understand and fundamental to the soul.
The band is fronted by veteran performer Noah Bell. With twenty five
years of professional playing across America, he knows what it takes to
move a room and change a crowd into a big sweaty mess. During his years
on stage he has opened for a wide variety of top notch musicians from
reggae's Steel Pulse to the King of country music Willie Nelson as well
as various members of the Grateful Dead including Bill Kreutzmann not
to mention classic blues man Elvin Bishop. Noah plays electric slide
and balances that with hot soulful riffs.
Noah is backed up by an all-star lineup with Randy Monroe on the bass guitar,
Pete Moss on saxophone, Franklin Spicer on keys and Devon Shazier kickin'
the drums. Bottleneck plays red-hot funky blues designed to make your body move.
They are currently debuting new material to be featured on their second album.
Their first CD "Twenty First Century Blues" was warmly received and
the band is looking forward to their next recording project.
Bottleneck Blues Band was voted Best New Blues Act in 2015 and nominated
for the Best CD of the Year by the Cascade Blues Association. The band is
a featured act this year at the Waterfront Blues Festival, Cathedral Park
Jazz Festival, Illwaco Seafood and Blues Festival, The Taste of Tacoma,
the Crawdad Festival, and of course, the award winning
Historic Wallace Idaho Blues Festival.
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Harlis Sweetwater Band
From Huntington Beach, California,
Harlis Sweetwater,
as a singer, guitarist, songwriter and frontman, has shared the stage with
everyone from Jimmie Vaughan, Everlast, Chris Shifflet (Foo Fighters),
ZZ Top, Los Lobos and Brian Setzer to R&B/Blues legends Etta James,
James Cotton, and Wilson Pickett to name a few.
He has been called "the best singer in any genre" by music critic
Robert Kinsler of the OC Register, While SugarBuzz Magazine had this to say:
"From the heart, Harlis Sweetwater,you know instantly the real deal is
upon you. This man knows the blues."
[About the Harlis Sweetwater Band]
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Ayron Jones and the Way
Ayron Jones and the Way is a
Seattle rock band with a style that ranges between Stevie Ray Vaughan and Nirvana.
Guitarist and frontman Ayron Jones (Eh-Rahn), has become one of Seattle's hottest
up-and-comers with his brand of Seattle Rock. Jones has taken a hybrid style of
guitar playing, in which the chord and solo are played at the same time, and infused
the raw energy of punk with the inner-city attitude of Hip-Hop. The result is a
soulful reincarnation of that iconic Seattle sound.
In 2010 guitarist Ayron Jones started Ayron Jones and The Way, a three-piece
blues rock band. By the Summer of 2012, the young band had been making appearances
on local Seattle radio shows, and had opened for the legendary Robert Cray.
The band soon grabbed the attention of the local media and more importantly,
Seattle Hip-Hop icon and Grammy award-winning rapper, Sir Mix A-Lot. After
seeing the band perform live, Mix A-Lot approached the band and offered to
produce their album. The group accepted the offer and they immediately began
recording.
[the rest of the story]
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The Kenny James Miller Band
The Kenny James Miller Band is an
all-original Northwest US Regional Rock/Blues band located in Montana. A trio
of professional, accomplished musicians capable of opening or sharing a stage
with any top band.
The Kenny James Miller Band was recently chosen to perform in a Montana
PBS program, "11th & Grant with Eric Funk."
This hour long program aired on April 23, 2015, and may be viewed
on the KJMB homepage.
Four songs are presented here;
seven
more songs may be heard on their website.
- KJMB received the Inland Empire Blues Society 2011, "Best
New Blues Band" Award
- Mark Cornett received "Best Blues Bass Player,"
IEBS Awards, 2012 and 2013
- Winners of the Spokane, WA Regional Semi-Final Competition for
the 2011 Blues Foundation's International Blues Challenge
- Shared the stage with Robin Trower in 2011 and many other National Bands
- "Can't You Hear Me" was chosen to be aired on Blues Deluxe Radio,
a nationally syndicated radio show.
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Doghouse Boyz
Inland Empire Blues Society multiple award winners, the
Doghouse Boyz
are Neil Elwell on acoustic guitar, dobro, and vocals, and
Ramiro Vijarro on fretless bass, and vocals.
The Doghouse Boyz continue to make their
brand of blues, jazz, folk and rock a welcomed and dynamic
sound for fans throughout Eastern Washington and Northern
Idaho. The Doghouse Boyz present original blues, as well as dynamic
renditions of old favorites and obscure tunes from "back in the day."
Congratulations are due to Neil Elwell, Inland Empire Blues
Society's 2013 Empire Award for Best Blues
Slide Guitar!
For our last two festivals, the Doghouse Boyz entertained folks
in the Beer Garden between Main Stage acts. Last year, they were joined
by Jim Tilden Brown to make the
Beer Garden a very happening place indeed.
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Sammy Eubanks
Sammy Eubanks
was a huge hit at our first and second Blues Festivals, so
we are excited to again have him play Wallace. Quite possibly
the most reputable musicians in the Inland Empire, Sammy Eubanks, Michael Hays
and Jake Barr deliver a quality performance every time they take the stage,
playing a variety of Blues, Country and Rock n' Roll Classics as well as
originals.
When you think of it, artists like BB King, Robert Cray, Little Ed
and Blues Imperials, Philip Walker, Kenny Neal and anyone that plays the
Blues has been honing their craft their entire lives. At the other end of
the spectrum, artists like George Jones, George Strait, Marty Stuart, Merle
Haggard, Lee Roy Parnell and anyone who has ever banged it out in a Honky Tonk
have been honing their craft as well. Sammy can stand on either stage and
has many times. It was recently stated, "Along the borderline between Country
and Blues, some genius arises. Delbert McClinton and Sammy Eubanks have the
same borderline genre."
Sammy at the Red Light Garage, Wallace Blues Festival 2013
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Sara Brown Band
We are delighted to return the 2012 Inland Empire Blues Society's
"Best Female Blues Performer" to our 2016 Blues Festival.
Sara Brown loves performing
and has a passion for powerhouse vocals. Backed up by a very
talented band, Sara gives a dramatic performance, even at breakfast.
She has an infectious smile, unending energy,
a voice that will excite you...
and there's no stopping all the talk about her shoes.
Sara at the Elks for Sunday breakfast, Wallace Blues Festival 2013
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Dr. Phil and the Enablers
Fabulous guitarist and songwriter, Dr. Phil Kladar surrounds himself with
serious, like-minded musicians, and they hit the stage as
Dr. Phil and the Enablers,
often at the Snake Pit in Enaville, Idaho.
They are a ROCKIN' BLUES BAND
with lots of soul, made complete with wailing electrified blues harp.
Band members include: Dr. Phil Kladar (lead guitar/vocalist),
Jake Christensen (vocalist/guitar), Tom Richards (vocalist/guitar),
Geoff Rinehart (bass), Steve Turbin (drummer), and Carol Roberts (harmonica).
One of the doctor's originals, "Debt to the Blues," mentions Muddy Waters,
and Jimmy Reed, but you will definitely sense a broad range of influences from
Little Walter and Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimmi Hendrix.
You will hear great versions of familiar, popular blues: Born in Chicago,
Key to the Highway, Thrill is Gone, Sweet Home Chicago and plenty of
upbeat hit-the-dance floor jams.
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John Kelly
John Kelly is a gifted musician, singer and
musical arranger. Known for his solid guitar licks, expressive vocals and a
genre-bending blend of eclectic musical influences, John is quickly gaining attention
throughout the Northwest as a talented and animated performer.
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For the first time, we will
be selling commemorative "Save Free-Music Friday" pins to help generate revenues
to keep this special component of our festival alive. Please consider buying a
commemorative Wallace Blues Festival collector's pin for $5 to support
Free-Music Friday.
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Marsh Scientific Services,
Greg Marsh, Ph.D.