DC Blues Festival September 4th at Carter Barron

Big Little Boy Band plays the DC Blues Festival
The D.C. Blues Society puts on its 22nd annual free festival on September 4th at Carter Barron Amphitheater. There’s no real compelling headliner this year, but the festival features some talent that doesn’t come through town often (or ever). This weekend might be the only chance for area blues fans to catch Diunna Greenleaf or Cheryl Renee. There are also children’s activities and a workshop in honor of the late legend John Cephas.

Schedule:
12:10 Big Boy Little Band
The only local act on this year’s bill, harmonica player Bret Littlehales has been on the D.C. blues scene since the late ‘60s. The last decade or so, he’s led the Big Boy Little Band. They recorded a recent live album from XM Satellite Radio’s D.C. studios. The band plays solid straight-ahead blues that will mix classic blues numbers with Littlehales-penned originals from the album.

1:20 Doug MacLeod
Doug MacLeod puts on an entertaining set of solo acoustic blues. In the best blues tradition, MacLeod uses the music as a storytelling mechanism for relating his life to the audience. His songs are funny, clever, and always well played by the masterful guitar picker.

2:45 Cheryl Renee with Them Bones Blues Band
Vocalist/keyboardist Cheryl Renee is just starting to get some exposure outside of her native Cincinatti. The Them Bones band is also a showcase for the guitar and vocals of Little Al Thomas.

4:20 Diunna Greenleaf & The Blue Mercy Band
Diunna Greenleaf is a Houston native who’s become a key figure to the blues scene there. She’s grew up in the gospel tradition, but today she’s a rough-voiced blues singer in the style of Koko Taylor. Her set should be a highlight of the festival.

6:00 Bryan Lee & The Blues Power Band
Bryan Lee grew up in the mid-west, but the blind guitarist made his name with a regular gig at Bourbon Street’s Old Absinthe House. That gig ended when Katrina came and Lee now frequently tours the country and the world. The “Braille Blues Daddy” has eleven albums to his name and with his latest “My Lady Don’t Love My Lady,” his sound has evolved into a horn-driven soulful affair where the solos are mostly tasteful and Lee’s singing is understated but powerful.

DC Blues Festival Flyer

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Categories: Washington DC Music