There is some serious blues coming to the 15th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, which will be held September 12-14, 2008, with Sunday headliner Etta James and the Roots Band. A three-time Grammy winner, who has also been the recipient of a NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award, a Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award, a W.C. Handy Foundation honoree and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, James is the real deal. Her tenure with Chess Records began in 1960 and would continue for sixteen incredible years with a string of landmark hits including her signature tune, “At Last,” along with “All I Could Do Was Cry,” “Fool That I Am” and “Don’t Cry Baby.” In her five decades as a recording artist, she has become one of the most prolific female R&B vocalists of her era, and she has influenced everyone from Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin to Diana Ross. Known for being a sassy, no-holds-barred performer, James is sure to make the 15th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival one to go down in festival history books.
Big riffs, massive grooves and expansive improvisations are the hallmarks of Gov’t Mule’s legendary live shows. Likewise, their well-crafted songs feature larger-than-life characters bearing life’s heaviest burdens, performed by four musicians, guitarist/vocalist Warren Haynes, drummer Matt Abts, keyboard player Danny Louis and bassist Andy Hess. The band’s powerful musicianship and chemistry, along with their tireless work ethic, have earned them the respect of their peers and have made Gov’t Mule a huge fan favorite at Telluride Blues & Brews.
Making his first appearance at Telluride Blues & Brews will be John Hiatt. From rock, pop, country and folk, Hiatt has mastered it all and his songs have been coveted and recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Iggy Pop, Conway Twitty, Three Dog Night, B.B. King and Eric Clapton, to name a few. Since 1987, Hiatt has stayed true to his craft and has repeatedly appeared on the Billboard charts with such landmark records as Bring The Family, Slow Turning, Stolen Moments, Walk On, Crossing Muddy Waters, The Tiki Bar Is Open and his most recent record, Master of Disaster.
15th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival Line-up as of Friday, May 15, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008:
Bal de Maison: Back Door Slam
Friday, September 12, 2008:
John Hiatt, Joan Osborne, Susan Tedeschi, Canned Heat, Back Door Slam, Mama’s Cookin’
Juke Joints: Canned Heat,
Mama’s Cookin, Moreland & Arbuckle, Brian Lee & the Blues Power Band
Saturday, September 13, 2008:
Gov’t Mule, G. Love & Special Sauce, John Butler Trio, Dwayne Dopsie & Zydeco Hellraisers, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Trampled Under Foot
Juke Joints: John Butler Trio, Dwayne Dopsie & Zydeco Hellraisers Trampled Under Foot, Moreland & Arbuckle
After Hours Jam: Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Sunday, September 14, 2008:
Etta James and the Roots Band, The Derek Trucks Band, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Blind Boys of Alabama, Chris Thomas King, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
Fais Do Do: The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Chris Thomas King and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
