From 1975 until his death in 1986 guitarist Hollywood Fats led the hottest traditional blues band on the West Coast, the Hollywood Fats Band. Now, all of the original band members, bassist Larry Taylor of Canned Heat fame, drummer Richard Innes from the Rod Piazza band, Fred Kaplan on piano and the multi talented Al Blake on harp and vocals have reunited. They have enlisted one of the hottest young guitarists on the scene today, Kirk Fletcher, to step into the guitar chair left behind by Fats. The Hollywood Blue Flames burn it up on thier debut disc "Soul Sanctuary", and the recording and folks who made it are nominated for no less than three "Blues" awards this year.

Jackson is dedicated to performing and preserving acoustic blues in all its' various styles. Born in Mississippi in the mid fifties, Jackson started playing guitar at 12 and grew up in a house where the blues was played all the time. After attending Columbia College and Roosevelt University in Chicago Jackson came back to Mississippi, and the blues, in the 1980s' when he released his first recording. Since then he has released 2 more, one of which, "Blues 2.0", was nominated for a W.C. Handy Award. He's also the recipient of the W.C. Handy "Keeping the Blues Alive" award for his work as an educator, entertainer and oral historian of the blues.

Pete Turland now makes his home in Edmonton but is familiar to many for his work in Vancouver and on both sides of the Atlantic as a bassist, guitarist, bandleader and recording artist in blues, rockabilly and jump blues. A former member of the Rockin' Highliners, Ray Condo and The Ricochets, The Nervous Fellas and his own Pete Turland Band, Turland has carved out his own unique niche in the musical landscape of Western Canada. Pete will be joined by guitarist, producer, music teacher, and session man Paul Pigat. Pigat has worked with Neko Case, Carolyn Mark and The Flatland 6, amongst others. It'll be a fun, high energy blend of blues, jump, rockabilly and swing when this band hits the stage.

Diunna and her band won the 2005 International Blues Challenge as "Best Electric Band". Festival producers Carrol Deen and Cam Hayden have been following the Houston native across the continent to catch performances in Memphis, Helena Arkansas, Portland Oregon and Clarksdale Mississippi over the last two years and she has stolen the show at festivals, clubs and concerts wherever she goes. It's her first time in Edmonton and we're sure you'll agree that Diunna is full value for the acclaim coming her way. As a special treat Kaz Kazanoff and The Texas Horns will work with Diunna for this show.

Legendary piano player Henry Gray went from his home state of Louisiana to Chicago in 1946 and became ensconced as one of the pioneers of the post war blues scene there. He was mentored by Big Maceo Merriwether before joining the Howlin' Wolf Band in 1956. He stayed with Wolf until 1968 and played on most of his recordings. At the same time he was the piano player of choice on many other Chess Records projects. He returned to Louisiana in 1968, where he continues to play the blues. He's worked just about every New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and when he played the 2005 King Biscuit Festival in Helena Arkansas he came to the attention of Carrol Deen and Cam Hayden who were knocked out by his talent, vitality, and repertoire. Now the 81 year old legend makes his way to Edmonton. Joining Gray will be guitarist Paul "Lil' Buck" Sinegal, credited as a sideman on over 300 recordings by Clifton Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, Katie Webster, Lazy Lester, Paul Simon, and more. He is a truly unique guitar talent, who "plays from heart and feels the blues every day".

This is the reunion that all of us who started digging the blues with Paul Butterfield, Michael Bloomfield and the rest of the young white players from Chicago who came up in the '60s' have been waiting for. Wow...Vocalists Nick Gravenites (who wrote "Born in Chicago") and Tracy Nelson, guitarist Harvey Mandel (Rolling Stones, John Mayall, Canned Heat), Keyboard player Barry Goldberg (founder of The Electric Flag, member of Steve Miller Band), harmonica ace Corky Siegel (Siegel-Schwall Band), and drummer Sam Lay (Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, etc.) front this band that came together in 2004 for an amazing disc and video chronicling that period of the blues. Don't miss The Chicago Blues Reunion.

Please Note:  the Festival is a cash only event, there is an ATM on-site for your convenience.