Chicago Blues Festival
Summer is here and so are the blues!  By the time you will be reading this, the Chicago Blues Festival will be long since past, but hopefully you made it out there.  The Chicago Festival kicks off a summer of great blues music in this area.  This year’s Chicago festival was held in Grant Park from Thursday June 9^th through Sunday June 12^th.  Headliners included John Mayall, Koko Taylor, Buddy Guy and Mavis Staples. 

Several stages and many food, music and vendor booths gave blues fans the opportunity to have fun on some wonderful, warm days along the Lakefront.  Many great bands and performers appeared over the four days of the festival.

Mississippi Valley Blues Festival
July 1^st through 3^rd is the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival in Davenport, Iowa.  Always a favorite of Crossroads Blues Society Members, the MVBF is a superb weekend of music and fun.  Great acts like Saffire, Ike Turner, Magic Slim and the Teardrops, Marcia Ball and so many others will be there.

Madison Blues Society  "Blues in the Park"
On Sunday June 26th, the Madison Blues Society  had it's third "Blues in the Park" music fest. This was a free outdoor fest with local blues bands. Last year 900 people. DJ at 11am, kids harmonica at 12; Music goes from 1pm - 8pm, seven bands with open jam at the end. It took place at Warner Park on Madison's north east side.

Milwaukee’s Summerfest
Milwaukee’s Summerfest features an array of music styles including the Blues.  Last year’s On the Waterfront headliner act the Allman Brothers Band will be featured st Summerfest on July 5^th along with their band members’ other bands: Government Mule, the Derek Trucks Band, and Oteil and the Pacemakers.

Blues Guitar Shootout
Charlotte’s Web is sponsoring the Blues Guitar Shootout at the Sinnissippi Park Music Shell on Saturday, July 9^th at 7:30 p.m.  “Co-sponsored by the Crossroads Blues Society (it was their idea!), the Web is proud to present the first Blues Guitar Shootout, showcasing four of Rockford's top blues players Steve Ditzell, Bob Levis, Pistol Pete and Dan Voll all with a great back-up band.

Steve (www.bluelightningband.com) has toured and recorded with the likes of Fenton Robinson, Koko Taylor Junior Wells and Buddy Guy.   

Bob (www.crossroadsbluessociety.com/boblevis), a blues guitarist from Chicago now living in Rockford, has toured and recorded with Otis Rush (1975-80, 2000) and Lonnie Brooks, most notably on Lonnie's two Grammy-nominated albums in the late 70s.   

RAMI Hall of Famer Pistol Pete, another Chicago transplant, tours internationally and has opened for Buddy Guy, Cheap Trick, Kansas, Foghat and more, and was the First Place Winner of the Midwest Division of the Jimi Hendrix Electric Guitar Competition and a finalist in the Albert King International Blues Competition.   

Dan, one of the most musically versatile guitarists in the area, is a multiple RAMI winner in such varied categories as Acoustic Rock, Song of the Year and Contemporary Jazz, is also a finger lickin' hot blues guitarist. And he's from Baraboo!”

On the Waterfront
Speaking of On the Waterfront, Rockfords’ Labor Day Festival will be cookin.’ The Verizon Wireless Left Bank Stage acts will include Sonny Landreth, Robert Cray and Lonnie Brooks and the Brooks Family Band.  More announcements are expected soon about additional acts.  

It will be a great summer of blues!  Announcements will go out to our members via our Yahoo email list with more details!