* Blues in the Blood Friday, featuring descendants of blues legends
* Red, White and Blues Saturday, with free admission, fireworks and special guest performance
* RiverRoad Sunday, honoring MVBS Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Hubert Sumlin
DAVENPORT, Iowa: The 26th annual IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival is sure to be the best bang for your blues buck. With three- day festival passes only $25, attendees will enjoy some of the best contemporary and traditional blues in the world--for less than $1 per act.
The Mississippi Valley Blues Society (MVBS) announced the festival lineup of 28 acts--including blues legends, up-and-comers and award winners--who will be performing on two stages, July 2 4, at LeClaire Park in Davenport, Iowa. Produced by MVBS and presented by IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union, the event is one of the longest running, all-volunteer-operated blues festivals in the nation.
The festival kicks off with Blues in the Blood Friday. All eight acts performing that day include descendants of blues legends. Artists playing Friday include Muddy Waters' son, Mud Morganfield; B.B. King's daughter, Shirley King; and Luther Allison's son, Bernard Allison. Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials will headline Friday night's show.
“The blues run deep in the blood of the artists playing Friday," notes Karen McFarland, MVBS vice president. “They come from legendary blues families, and all are incredible artists in their own right." For the first time in recent festival history, admission will be free all day Saturday, July 3. Red, White and Blues Saturday offers something for every musical taste. Two 2010 Blues Grammy(r) nominees, Ruthie Foster and Billy Branch, bring the best in contemporary and traditional blues that day. Billy Branch will be performing with his band, The Sons of Blues. And special this year, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra will perform a blues-inspired Patriotic Pops set, culminating with the fireworks display over the Mississippi River.
“We are excited to partner with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Red, White and Boom, the presenting sponsor of the symphony performance and fireworks," continues McFarland. “It will be fantastic to hear W.C. Handy played by a complete orchestra. And with admission free on Saturday, we'll be able to expose so many people who may have never been to our festival to some of the best blues music in the world."
On RiverRoad Sunday, Hubert Sumlin, Howlin' Wolf's guitar player and one of the best guitarists of all time according to Rolling Stone magazine, is honored with the MVBS RiverRoad Lifetime Achievement Award. He'll be performing with The Nighthawks directly after receiving the award. The festival closes out with a blues blast not to be missed - The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue featuring Tommy Castro, Debbie Davies, Magic Dick and Sista Monica.
“For those blues fans across the country who haven't yet made the journey to our festival in LeClaire Park - a blues-inspiring outdoor venue located at the crossroads of US Route 61, known as the Blues Highway, and the Mississippi River - this is the year to come," says McFarland. “And for those locals who haven't experienced one of the best blues festivals in the nation - we invite you to take advantage of free admission on Saturday and give us a try. We have a feeling you'll return for another day of great music, food and fun."
The mission of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society is to educate the public about the native art form of blues-related music and to keep the blues alive. The IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival offers adults free workshops and children BlueSKool to get hands-on instruction from blues artists. The festival also includes a free photo exhibit of blues artists and past festivals.
Sponsors for this year's festival include, presenting sponsor IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union, and blues supporters: River Cities' Reader, the Illinois Arts Council, Riverboat Development Authority, Scott County Regional Authority, The City of Davenport, KALA 88.5 & 105.5, The Lodge Hotel & Conference Center, AAA Rents, Rexroat Sound and ME&V Advertising + Consulting.
Advance three-day festival passes are available for $25. Advance tickets may be purchased at the River Center/Adler Theatre box office in Davenport, at all IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union locations and through Ticketmaster(r). One-day tickets will be sold at the gate for $15 on July 2 and 4. Admission is free on July 3. Children ages 14 and under will be admitted free daily, if accompanied by an adult with a ticket. MVBS will be collecting non-perishable food items for Riverbend Food Pantry all three days at the gate.
About IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival
For 26 years, the IH Mississippi Blues Festival has attracted legendary blues acts, making it one of the most highly regarded blues festivals in the nation. According to the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau, the festival's economic benefit to the area is $2.3 million annually. For more information about the festival, lodging and the complete lineup of artists, please visit mvbs.org or call 563- 32-BLUES.
