Riverfront

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DSBS
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Here's a little medley of music from our Saturday headliners, The Chicago Blues Reunion, for your enjoyment while you browse our artist line-up and pictures from this year's Riverfront Festival. Be patient, the photos below and the music will load shortly. The songs are Buried Alive in the Blues, written by Nick Gravenites for Janis Joplin, Walk Away with vocal by Tracy Nelson, and Born in Chicago. ENJOY!

"THANK YOU!"
First and foremost, a GIANT "Thank You" goes out to Bob Settelin, YOU are the BEST!! He's our Stage Manager and makes the impossible look easy--on loan each year, again, from the Bucks County Blues Society. Next, BIG thanks to our year-in and year-out announcer, Blues expert and writer for Blues Revue magazine, Tom Cullen, again, one of the BCBS boys! ALSO: To the guys from the Bucks County Blues Society: Iggy, Uncle Al, Gary Bodner and the rest who help all weekend with the equipment changes between sets, like Ben Rizzo and "Shady Grady"--without them it doesn't happen--it's that simple--THANKS GUYS!! And last, but certainly not least, thanks, too, go out to the many DSBS members and volunteers who did the equipment changes between sets, manned the entrances, poured the brews, and assisted wherever they were needed. We also want to thank the DJ's from the Univ. of Delaware's WVUD radio station for their ceaseless promotion of the event and for helping out with the band intros on the Second Stage.
THANKS TO YOU ALL!!

And, of course, NONE of this would be possible without the City of Wilmington, under the able leadership of The Honorable James M. Baker, Mayor. His people in the Cultural Affairs Office, led by Tina Betz, Bev Zimmerman and their staffs, bring a wonderful diversity of events to the citizens of Wilmington and beyond on a yearly basis, of which, the Riverfront Blues Festival is but one of many. Our hats are off to them and all the donors who make this "the best little festival that attracts the big-name talent" and one of the premier Blues festivals in the United States during the summer season! The finest artists in the world WANT to come to Wilmington, and this is due to the warm and friendly atmosphere and sincere "welcome mat" put out by the City of Wilmington and its able workers. Wilmington truly is "in the middle of it all!"
WE THANK THEM ALL FOR THEIR CONTINUING EFFORTS!
As the City's new slogan attests, we've become "The City of Festivals"
and DSBS is proud to be a small part of all of that!

August 5, 2011

5:00 pm - on the Main Stage-

6:15 pm - on the Second Stage-

Kenny
Jones

6:45 pm - on the Main Stage-

8:00 pm - on the Second Stage-

8:30 pm - Headlining Friday - on the Main Stage

FRIDAY'S
Diamond State Blues Society
AFTER-PARTY
in the ballroom at the Sheraton Downtown

Leading the festivities is

Travis "Moonchild" Haddix

          Haddix has quietly become one of the most lauded electric bluesmen of our modern era. Without the push of a major label he has nevertheless built up a loyal following the hard way- with terrific music and live shows.

          Blues guitarist Travis Haddix was born on November 26, 1938 and began playing the piano at the age of seven in his home town of Walnut, Mississippi, located thirty miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. His father Chalmus was a Delta blues artist similar to Robert Johnson in style. The Haddix family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin where Travis continued to refine his craft by singing and playing throughout the North. The turning point came when he was eight. His brother Hal took him to see the legendary B.B. King, who came to Memphis and began playing daily at the studios of WDIA. Travis was inspired by King's guitar virtuosity and he hung around the radio station every day to learn all he could. Soon, Travis' piano playing fell by the wayside and was replaced by the guitar, which he plays on stage and in the studio.

          In 1959, after serving time in the army, Travis moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he joined the D.L. Rocco Band and achieved regional notoriety that led to a prominent spot with the Little Johnny Taylor group. In the mid-60s he put out a few singles on the Cleveland-based Del Nita label. Later Haddix fronted his own band called the Now Sound followed by the Travis Haddix Band. One of the acts they opened for was Mr. Clarence Carter, who helped get Travis signed to Atlanta's Ichiban Records, which was also Dr. C.C.'s label home. Haddix went on to record five discs for the label before going the independent route. Travis also contributed material to five albums by Artie "Bluesboy" White, who was concurrently on Ichiban. Since starting his own publishing company, Haddix Publishing, and label, Wann Sonn Records, Haddix has been putting out the best music of his career.

From 2008 through present he's allowed labels like Earwig and Benevolent Blues to distribute his albums. His 2009 CD "If I'm One, You're One Too" reached #7 on Living Blues' Top 25 Chart.

August 6, 2011

12:00 noon - on the Main Stage-

The 2010 Diamond State Blues Society International Blues Challenge Entrants

1:00 pm - on the Second Stage-

1:30 pm - on the Main Stage-

2:45 pm - on the Second Stage-

3:15 pm - on the Main Stage-

4:30 pm - on the Second Stage-

5:00 pm - on the Main Stage-

6:15 pm - on the Second Stage-

6:45 pm - on the Main Stage-

8:00 pm - on the Second Stage-

& the Road House Rockers

8:30 pm - HEADLINING Saturday on the Main Stage-

SATURDAY'S
Diamond State Blues Society
AFTER-PARTY
in the ballroom at the Sheraton Downtown

Leading the festivities is:

          Victor Wainwright, the twenty something singer, pianist, “hepcat” from Memphis by way of the Savannah, Georgia; creates powerhouse blues and roots rock by playing his own unique style of boogie piana’. He effortlessly pays frequent homage to past music greats, while simultaneously adding his own youthful excitement. He's a raucous high-octane dynamic performer and crowd pleaser with soul to spare. After earning what he calls a "double major in Boogie, a Ph.D. in Swing and a master's in Rhythm," the "Piana' from Savannah" is undoubtedly making a name for himself in a big way.

          Stephen Dees is a rock n' roll aficionado, touring and-or recording as bassist and vocalist for Hall and Oates, Todd Rundgren, Pat Travers, and Foghat to name a few. He was a Billboard and MTV char-tee with his band Novo Combo, and has received great acclaim for his original pop band "Bandees." Currently, Dees is the producer, writer, bassist and backup vocalist for the WildRoots.

          The boogie blues "piana" player and savvy pop-rocker met up six years ago in Ormond Beach FL, where they were both on the bill of a benefit concert. Very impressed after hearing each other perform and finding that they had a common love for early rhythm and blues and rock 'n' roll music that came out of the '50s and 60's, such as B.B. King, Ray Charles, James Brown, Otis Redding, Muddy Waters, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard; they discussed the possibility of collaborating on an original recording project; paying homage to their rock 'n' rhythm roots. Dees agreed to produce and co-write what would become Wainwright's 2005 release, "Piana from Savannah". "...it's hard to follow the speed limit while this one's playing... Pine Top Perkins would be proud." [Backstage Pass Magazine]

          For the project, blues-rock guitarist Greg Gumpel, a friend and band mate of Victor's since 2002, was a perfect fit for the band. Now also a Memphis resident, Gumpel has become renowned for his wild phrasing and fluid fusion of electric blues and genuine rock 'n roll guitar. Greg says, "When I play blues, I like to think a little outside the box, get a little wild, while still trying to pay tribute to the founding fathers of blues guitar."

          After the release of the “Piana’ from Savannah” CD and some outstanding live performances they knew they had something special and decided to forge a more enduring working relationship. Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots were born.

          Their debut CD, "Beale Street to the Bayou," was released in September 2009. The music is a departure from the more traditional blues and boogie of Wainwright's "Piana" CD. This project lyrically and musically speaks to a broader contemporary audience, while its soul remains anchored in the roots music that continues to inspire.