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Mississippi
Buffalo Music Hall of Fame, and
each brings over 40 years of performance
experience to the Mem-
G-n-H Blues
Rick Rushing and
142 H SOLO/DUO The Blues Foundation • blues.org
Vicksburg Blues Society phis stage. They have recorded
Chris Gill and Johnny Hubbard an album of fresh originals titled
form this consummate duo. Singer Taste of the Blues Life specifically
and writer Gill, on slide, cigarbox,
for this competition, and are
and acoustic guitars, delivers
anxious to bring their unique full
an earthy finger style that and funky sound to the world.
springs from years of rolling along
the back roads of Mississippi
and playing on front porches with Ramblin’ Dan Stevens
blues guitar masters. Add Piedmont
and Clayton Allen
blues and Chicago influ-
Connecticut Blues Society
ences, and you get the versatility
In a melding of diverse blues
and scope that defines this act.
styles, Ramblin’ Dan Stevens
Hubbard—jazz, gospel, and blues
and Clayton Allen have forged
musician, adjunct professor, and
a unique sound representing a
Willie Dixon look-alike—is the tall,
wide variety of traditionally based
dark, and handsome component
fingerpicking peppered with a
of the pair. He plays the double
tinge of primitive blues and early
bass with feeling and flair, infusing
rich, sensual tones into each
blues rock and roll. Allen’s raw
energy and emotional delivery
arrangement. Their music conjures
classic roots of the blues.
contrast with Stevens’ soulful approach,
creating a dynamic mix.
A dose of diddley bow and cigarbox
guitar, backed with a driving
Nick Wade
rhythm and gospel-influenced vocals,
helps to convey an undeni-
Sedalia Blues Society
Nick Wade specializes in the country
blues traditions of old. He
able rock-bottom authenticity.
seeks to write music in the way the
old masters did, which is a difficult
Randall Dubis and
thing to do nowadays, in an-
Dan Treanor
other time and generation. His
Colorado Blues Society
music emphasizes both a bass
and a treble/melody line, to be Randall Dubis and Dan Treanor
played at the same time. On top have been active blues musicians
in Colorado for over 30
of that he sings, sometimes in
a different time signature than years. They have performed together
many times, including two
what he is playing. This all gives a
“band in a box” feel to his music. tours of the Netherlands. Dubis is
a strong vocalist and uses a combined
North Delta Duo rhythm/lead guitar style,
while Treanor’s harmonica stylings
Blues Society of
range from Sonny Boy No.
Western New York 2 to Little Walter and James Cotton.
Treanor’s Afrosippi Band
Based in Buffalo, New York, the
North Delta Duo is a keyboard-anddrums
unit that blends the soul IBC. He was honored to receive
placed third overall at the 2013
sound of the ’60s with rootsy Delta the 2012 KBA for Education.
Rodney Polk and
blues and zydeco. Keyboardist Ron Both Dubis and Treanor perform
Davis, aka LeeRon Zydeco, plays the blues with passion and style.
a swampy style of organ/bass, They are honored to be sponsored
piano, and accordion, with vocals by the Colorado Blues Society.
to match. Drummer Pete Holguin
lays down a powerful groove and
adds his soulful singing to the mix.
Both men are inductees of the
Dakari Kelly of the
Blues Strangers
Smoky Mountain
Blues Society
Bluesman Rick Rushing has combined
with classically trained double
bassist Dakari Kelly to create
a duo that convincingly screams
the blues. Rushing returns to the
2016 IBC ready to showcase his
acoustic blues guitar playing along
with Kelly, who demonstrates his
skill on the double bass. Rushing,
who is kin to famous Count Basie
big band shouter Jimmy Rushing,
has tapped into the genes of the
past vocally to deliver original new
blues for audiences. What you will
hear when listening to this duo
is the blues, then excellent musicianship
and phrasing and soulful
emotions. Get ready to hear some
moving blues music from the duo
of Rick Rushing and Dakari Kelly.
Robert Sampson
Illinois Central Blues Club
Robert “Lefty Preacher” Sampson
is one blues act you don’t want
to miss. Combining real-deal oldschool
blues, gospel, and soul, he
brings a unique brand of blues to
the table. Through his rough childhood,
Sampson found that the
blues spoke to him in a very special
way. Being in foster care and
constantly moving as a child, he
had plenty of experiences from
which to draw the emotions that
fuel his brand of blues. Sampson
always says that without his past
and hard times, his love for blues
wouldn’t be near as strong. “I was
born with the blues,” he says, “and
they are in my heart and soul.”
Johnny Riley
Memphis Blues Society
Rodney Polk (drums) from Memphis,
Tennessee, and Johnny
Riley (guitar and harmonica) from
Groveton, Texas, merge their extensive
backgrounds of performing
professionally, from the back
roads of Texas to the bright lights
of Beale Street, with some Delta
crossroads juke joints thrown
into the mix. They come from a
background of blues, country,
rock, gospel, outlaw blues, and
more. They perform a high-energy
show, drawing from a catalogue
of highly acclaimed original
music and numerous cover songs.
The sound they create is a blend
influenced by Mississippi, Tennessee,
and Texas music history,
with their own contemporary
edge. This adds up to dynamite!
The Rogue Rage Duo
Cascade Blues Association
The Rogue Rage Duo plays in the
traditional Delta blues style, with
Dan Tiller singing and playing slide
guitar on his Dobro in open tuning.
Harpo De Roma sings and
plays the harmonica. They feature
a vast repertoire of classic folk
blues as well as original music.
They are as much fun to watch as
they are to listen to. The Rogue
Rage Duo are two veteran musicians
who have enjoyed increasing
popularity in the southern Oregon
area, and beyond, in the year since
they chose to team up together.
Root2 Music
River City Blues
Society (Virginia)
Root2 Music is the musical intersection
of Deep South country
blues and Celtic/Appalachian fiddle.
David Frank (guitar, harmonica,
vocals) and Nancy Reid (fiddle,
vocals) perform traditional and
original blues with a distinctive
Appalachian flavor. When Frank
moved up to the Blue Ridge Mountains
of Virginia, where the sounds
of Reid’s fiddle had echoed for
years, this duo formed a musical
partnership that blends downhome
slide and traditional fiddle.
Frank and Reid hear the commonalities
in the two roots of their
music. They deliver haunting, lively,
original blues in Root2 Music.
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