News Release

2006 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival to focus on New Orleans and Gulf Coast Artists, June 30 to July 4

Dr. John “The Night Tripper,” Irma Thomas, Little Feat,
John Hiatt & The North Mississippi Allstars, Marva Wright,
Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, The Bluerunners, Rebirth Brass Band, Henry Gray, Porter, Batiste & Stolz, and much, much more!

PORTLAND, Ore. (updated May, 26)– Blues lovers from throughout the world will head for Portland, Ore., Friday, June 30, to Tuesday, July 4, to relax on the grassy banks of the beautiful Willamette River and celebrate the blues at the 2006 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival, presented by First Tech Credit Union.

Now in its 19th year, the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival has grown in reputation and in size to be the largest blues festival west of the Mississippi and the second-largest blues festival in the nation, attracting more than 120,000 blues fans.

This year’s five-day festival, featuring more than 150 performances on four stages and eight blues cruises, will focus on the music of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

“The blues-based music rooted in the bayous of Louisiana and southeast Texas has always been well-represented at the Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival,” notes Peter Dammann, festival talent coordinator. “But this year, we’re making a special effort to celebrate the music and musicians from the areas devastated last fall by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.”

The festival will book-end its New Orleans and Gulf Coast theme with Dr. John, a.k.a. “The Night Tripper,” presented by First Tech Credit Union, who will headline opening night, Friday, June 30, and Irma Thomas, “Soul Queen of New Orleans,” presented by Daimler-Chrysler Truck Financial, who will close the festival on July 4.

In between, the festival has assembled what may be the largest lineup of Gulf Coast artists this side of New Orleans ’ Jazz & Heritage Festival. On four stages and eight Blues Cruises, the festival will feature Little Feat, presented by FedEx Freight; Rebirth Brass Band, presented by Good Neighbor Pharmacy; New Orleans “Blues Queen” Marva Wright, presented by iQ Credit Union; Mardi Gras Indian funksters Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias; hard-grooving Porter, Batiste & Stolz; keyboard wizard Henry Butler; Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, presented by First Tech Credit Union; former Howlin’ Wolf pianist Henry Gray, presented by Karolyn H. March, attorney at law; Cajun roots-rocker The Bluerunners; Grammy-winning Buckwheat Zydeco, presented by River City Travel, and more.

The stories

When New Orleans ’ levees breached in Katrina’s wake, Lake Pontchartrain ’s muddy flood waters rushed into neighborhoods that were home to many of these musicians. Many lost everything – instruments, master recordings, memorabilia and documents.

“I lost a couple of cars and the roof was gone from my house. Both of my drummers, their houses were submerged under water completely. They lost everything,” says Rebirth Brass Band leader Phil Frazer in Robert Mugge’s documentary, “New Orleans Music in Exile.”

Irma Thomas, who moved in with relatives near Baton Rouge during the storm, lost not only her home but also her famed New Orleans club, The Lions Den.

Marva Wright , who moved in with family near Baltimore , apologized for lack of materials to publicize her Waterfront Blues Festival debut. “I lost my CDs, my computer, my glossy photos,” she says. Not to mention her house. But then she adds, “If it weren’t for Katrina, I might not be coming to Portland .”

In the wake of the flood, Wright and other New Orleans musicians are serving as ambassadors. “The displaced musicians now have to help spread the culture of New Orleans ,” Wright says. “God has chosen this path for me.”

For a close-up of the devastation, view the slideshow (www.henrybutler.com) of pianist Henry Butler , who fled to Boulder , Colo. , as his Ninth Ward home flooded in eight feet of water.

The spectacular line-up also includes:

• The famed John Hiatt & The North Mississippi Allstars, presented by Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Saturday, July 1.

• Fritz Richmond Tribute. Together on stage for the first time in years, Sunday, July 2, Geoff Muldaur, Jim Kweskin and other friends will celebrate the life and music of Portland ’s late Fritz Richmond, one of the greatest jug and wash-tub bassists of all time.

• An expanded gospel line-up, featuring the Soul Stirrers, Sunday, July 2. Featuring the legendary Soul Stirrers, the only gospel quartet in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame; the Florida-based Lee Boys , serving up a rousing slice of sacred steel; and Portland ’s gospel diva Linda Hornbuckle and pianist Janice Scroggins, performing with special guests Marva Wright and Johnny Rawls for an old-time gospel jubilee.

• The Hacienda Brothers with a deft blend of classic country, early soul, roots rock and blues barbecued with a smoky Southwest flavor, June 30.

• San Francisco Bay guitarist and vocalist Tommy Castro Band, nominated for best recording and best guitar at this year’s national Blues Awards, with Portland ’s Lloyd Jones, June 30.

• After Hours Zydeco Dance with Keith Frank & Soleil Zydeco, presented by Morgan Stanley, June 30.

• Gulfport,Mississippi soul-blues man Johnny Rawls, July 1.
• An encore performance and CD release party of A Northwest Tribute to Ray Charles, featuring a treasure chest of Northwest talent, July 1. During the festival, $5 of every CD sale will benefit Oregon Food Bank.

• Zydeco Swamp Romp with Keith Frank, Curley Taylor and T. Broussard, presented by Cascade Zydeco Association, July 1.

• Guitar shredder Jimmy Thackery and blues diva Reba Russell, July 3.

• Guitarist Larry McCray, July 3.

• Portland ’s Curtis Salgado, July 3.

• Blues mandolin virtuoso Rich DelGrosso, backed by Lloyd Jones, Carlton Jackson and Dean Mueller, July 3.

• From Australia … Harper, named Australia’s Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year and Album of the Year; and Mia Dyson, who won Best Blues and Roots Recording at this year’s ARIA Awards, the Australian Grammy, July 3.

• From the United Kingdom … Ian Siegal, July 3.

• The Greyboy Allstars with a blend of hip-hop, soul-jazz grooves and indie rock attitude, July 3.

• Swingin' to the Blues, featuring late night dance classes and demonstrations on lindy, swing and other blues dances with music by swing revivalists Roomful of Blues, former Elvin Bishop saxophonist Terry Hanck , West Coast Rhythm Kings and Portland's D.K. Stewart, July 3.

• Acoustic Showcase with Mississippi Delta blues veteran Eddie Cusic and Portland guitarist Steve Cheseborough, July 3.

• Big Monti Amundson with his European band plus vocalist Boyd Small, former Portlander, now residing in Amsterdam , and Henry Cooper, Washington Blues Society’s Best Slide Guitarist winner for four years running, July 4.

• The Rhythm Council, featuring Louisiana-born, juke-joint, slide-guitarist Papa Mali, and three of New Orleans’ finest contemporary musicians: legendary pianist Henry Butler, noted tuba and sousaphone player Kirk Joseph, and talented drummer Rob Kidd, July 4.

• International Blues Challenge winners, Joey Gilmore and Eden Brent, solo acoustic vocalist and pianist, July 4.

• Bill Rhoades Harmonica Blow-Off, featuring John "Juke" Logan, Paul deLay and others, July 4.

• MarchFourth Marching Band, a high-energy, Fellini-esque mix of Mardi Gras mayhem, Afro beat, and big band blues, just back from its tour in Germany , July 4.

• And more!!!

In addition to exciting performances on stage, the 2006 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival offers:

• Ethos Blues Lab for children,
• Educational workshops for all ages, presented by HSBC.
• An expanded schedule of Blues Cruises , presented by Delta Music Experience, on the Willamette River (see separate news release),
• Reel Blues after-concert blues films, presented by the Northwest Film Center , (see separate news release),
• Irma Thomas singing the National Anthem,” followed by spectacular fireworks, presented by Daimler-Chrysler Truck Financial, Tuesday, July 4. (see separate news release),
• And much, much more!!!

“The workshops give the festival a cultural depth that doesn’t exist at other festivals,” says Rachel Bristol, Oregon Food Bank executive director, “and have helped the Waterfront Blues Festival earn a reputation a ‘the crown jewel’ of blues festivals.”

Admission
Daily admission to the festival is a donation of $8 per person per day and two cans of food.

For every dollar donation, OFB can collect and distribute more than $7 worth of food and fund outreach and education programs to address the root causes of hunger. The festival is the major annual fund-raiser for Oregon Food Bank, a charitable nonprofit agency. All festival proceeds benefit Oregon Food Bank’s work to eliminate hunger and its root causes.

Award-winning festival
The 2005 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival was named Northwest Blues Event of the year by the Cascade Blues Association, and the festival’s “Ray Charles Tribute” won a Muddy Award for Performance of the Year. The festival is the winner of the prestigious Keeping the Blues Alive Award from the national Blues Foundation and the recipient of the Ovation Award as Oregon’s Best Festival, Civic Celebration or Community Event.

About Oregon Food Bank. Oregon Food Bank is the hub of a network of 20 regional food banks and 894 hunger-relief agencies in Oregon and Clark County , Wash. Last year, Oregon Food Bank distributed 38.1-million pounds of food throughout Oregon and Clark County , Wash.

Each month, an estimated 194,000 people in Oregon and Clark County, Wash., receive an emergency food box. Of those, 38 percent are children. In addition, soup kitchens and shelters served 4-million meals, and 128,000 people received food through other helping programs.

About festival sponsors. Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival is presented by First Tech Credit Union with major sponsorship from CO-OP Network, iQ Credit Union, FedEx Freight, DaimlerChrysler Truck Financial, Delta Music Experience, HSBC, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Chipotle, Miller Brewing, KINK fm102 and The Oregonian A&E.

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