(ge)varenwinkel blues en roots festival • 26 & 27 augustus 2016 • festivalterrein varenwinkel

Er zijn reeds al wat namen doorgesijpeld.

In willekeurige volgorde:

D-TALE (B) BO WEAVIL (F) LA BOMBA (NL/US) TRAVELLIN' BROTHERS (ES) SANDRA HALL (US) CHRIS KING ROBINSON (UK) SARI SCHORR & THE ENGINE ROOM (US/UK) SOUTHERN AVENUE (US) LISA MILLS (US) FREEBORN BROTHERS (Pl) DIRT RIVER RADIO (AUSTRALIA)

We hebben nog geen finaal bericht gekregen over de nieuwe locatie voor 2016.

Meer namen later.

CHRIS KING ROBINSON
2003 Chris King Robinson’s musical career may have started at age 9 when he got hold of his first Fender Stratocaster, but his love of the blues began at a much earlier age; growing up listening to guitar legends such as: Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix & Buddy Guy etc.
Fast forward to 2011 when after 1000’s of hours were spent learning his craft and dozens of clips uploaded to YouTube, Chris was awarded the accolade of being one of the top undiscovered guitarists worldwide by the acclaimed international music photographer Robert Knight; who in partnership with guitar manufacturer Fender was searching the globe to find the next great guitarist.
In 2013, Chris’ online popularity began to soar, after gaining millions of hits on YouTube he quickly established himself as Twitter’s most followed blues guitarist worldwide, such interest encouraged Chris to self- produce and release his first single entitled: ‘Lipstick On Her Cigar’. On the 20th November the single hit No.1 on the iTunes &Amazon Blues charts, after just one day of sales.
In 2014, huge public demand for live performances led Chris to form his own 4-piece group: ‘The Chris King Robinson Band’ which quickly gained recognition as one of the most exciting live bands in the country.
The current line up; CKR - Guitar & Vox
Nig Turner -Bass
Steve Simmonds -Drums
Zac Wood -Keys
As word of Chris’s astonishing live performances spread; In July 14’ his band were invited to headline The Suwalki Blues Festival in Poland, where in front of thousands of fans Chris cemented his reputation as one of the finest young guitarists in the world.
2015 was a defining year for Chris as fresh from a hugely successful 2 week Tour of the USA his debut EP 'Tell Me Why You're Scared' set the Blues world alight by flying straight to No.1 on both the Amazon and iTunes album charts. An in-depth feature in The Blues Magazine at the end of the year (November 2015) which discussed his chart success, song writing, playing style and influences further enhanced Chris’s reputation as a guitar hero in the making, his track “Why Don’t You Give Me Your Love” was featured on the magazine CD.
Chris’s fresh, modern take on the Blues in 2016 preceded him to play the highly exclusive Lead Belly Festival, held at the world renowned Carnegie Hall in New York City on February 4th. After being introduced on stage by Marky Ramone, Chris played a scorching psychedelic jam to the sold out crowd at Carnegie Hall!
At the age of just 21, this is only the beginning for a guitarist who many think will become the standard bearer for ‘The Blues’ for years to come!

SANDRA HALL
Sandra Hall is an African-American blues and soul blues singer and songwriter. She has been billed as Atlanta's "Empress of the Blues”. Hall is a Honorary Member of the Atlanta Blues Society.To date she has released five albums, including three on Ichiban Records.
Hall was born in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. After singing from the age of four at a nearby church, Hall formed a duo with her sister, Barbara, called the Soul Sisters. She later formed the Exotics, singing and dancing particularly at the Royal Peacock Club, one of the premier Atlanta nightclubs. The Exotics opened for several touring acts at that venue, including Otis Redding, Joe Tex and the Temptations. By the late 1960s, Hall had trained as a nurse, supplementing her income by working variously as a singer, go-go dancer and stripper. She also raised her daughter during this time.
She continued singing in a semi-professional vein, whilst working full-time as a nurse. She developed her stage act to include a risque repertoire which was ripe with innuendo. Her better known songs included "Big Long Sliding Thing," "One Drop Will Do You," and "Pump Up Your Love". Hall's live work came to the attention of Ichiban Records and, in 1995, they released her debut solo album, Showin' Off. The same year she appeared at the Sarasota Blues Fest. Hall continued to work largely around Atlanta, but her recording exposure led her on tours in Europe, which included her performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Her second album, One Drop Will Do You, was issued in 1997. The Allmusic journalist, Alex Henderson, noted that One Drop Will Do You "isn't an innovative or groundbreaking album, but it's certainly a very satisfying and inspired one".
In 2001, she self-released Miss Red Riding Hood. Hall performed at the W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival in 2005.As well as continuing to perform and record, she befriended Shemekia Copeland and gave guidance in her early career, and Hall regularly visits schools teaching blues culture and singing styles.Hall continues to perform at Blind Willie's in Atlanta. In 2011, Hall appeared at the Julius Daniels Memorial Blues Festival.

SARI SCHORR
In January 2015 legendary producer Mike Vernon (Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Blue Horizon) was invited to receive a ‘Keeping The Blues Alive’ award at the prestigious International Blues Challenge in Memphis USA. This award, was not the only highlight of the weekend for Mike, the second was witnessing the performance of one of the most amazing female blues singers Mike has seen in years – SARI SCHORR.
Mike was so knocked out with Sari that he offered to come out of retirement and produce an album with her. Already a consummate songwriter, with tracks on major labels, Sari has written or co-written most of the songs on her new album. This album recording is now well underway.
Several years of touring the USA & Europe with Joe Louis Walker and Poppa Chubby brought Sari greater prominence in the blues world. Sari was recently inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame.
Sari has now put together her own band – THE ENGINE ROOM, featuring British guitarist Innes Sibun, formerly with Robert Plant. Together they will celebrate the release of Sari’s debut album on Manhaton Records in September 2016 and undertake a US and European wide tour. Sari is kicking off her groundbreaking tour at Carnegie Hall in NY performing with Buddy Guy, Walter Trout, Eric Burdon, Edgar Winter, Dana Fuchs, Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Laurence Jones on the Lead Belly Fest, Feb 4, 2016.

SOUTHERN AVENUE
Deeply rooted in blues, Southern Avenue from Memphis, Tennessee brings infectious rhythms, soulful guitar sounds, masterful musicianship, and riveting vocals to the stage and studio alike. Their sound represents an ideal, to come together in music, spirit, and in the love of life. Southern Avenue consists of award winning, Israeli born guitarist Ori Naftaly, vocalist Tierinii Jackson, and her younger sister Tikyra Jackson on drums. Backed by Memphis’ best, Daniel Mckee on bass, Southern Avenue is the high energy Soul-Roots band that you don’t want to miss. In their hometown of Memphis, they are considered by many to be the "future of the genre".
Meet Southern Avenue: a band whose sound, while deeply rooted in the blues, explores soul, gospel, funk and rock on its debut EP and their single - "What Did I Do". Propelled by masterful musicianship and powerhouse vocals. Southern Avenue released their indiependent debut EP: five new, original songs produced by Kevin Houston (North MS Allstars, Lucero, Patty Griffin, Ana Popovic) and featuring Luther Dickinson on slide guitar. 

FREEBORN BROTHERS
'We wanna bring you chaos! We wanna give you fun! We wanna take you for a trip to our world where gypsy heart meets american folk, where melodies and energy means more then anything else before! the FREEBORN BROTHERS are here to give you relief in hard times, to put smile on your face and sweat a lot! YO!'
Live music performance connected with crazy theatre and weird circus, those things are dragging everybody into it, if you think thats it... NO! add insane gypsy dancing, endless energy and fun than you will get just a draft of FBB live show. Every show is different from the other, never doing the same routine, you can see them houndreds of times and you not gonna be bored.
Freeborn Brothers are Niko, Matt and new member in a band Chris. Love to music and need to be on stage and entertain people put them together to hit the road and create this amazing orchestra! Everytime when you wonder how to describe the band or what label put on it and you don't know how to do it cause variety of music is so wide and different that means you've got something unique and special. This is what we got when we're listening to FBB. This dangerous mixture is stealing people souls every place they visit.
They are constantly touring Europe, they played around 200 shows in 2014. Muddy Roots Europe Festival, Country Charro Festival or Van Thom Weekender and Tattoo Konwent Katowice are few of all shows they played in more then 14 countries. They are not slowing down, for 2015 touring plans are more ambitious - they are heading to Brazil and USA and also of course Europe!
They got 2 full albums, first one Two Man Orchestra recorded in October 2013. It's raw, it's dirty and it two man orchestra sound. Contains highly energetic song 'Rolling and Rolling', 'Poor Widow' known as 'Black Burrito Song' or spooky waltz 'the Night I Die' which during their shows turns to crowd baptism. Second album is called 'Gypsy Hobo Trash Grass' and this one shows the way FBB wanna go. More melodies, songs made with heart and soul. Songs like 'I See It In Your Eyes', 'Down to Hell' or 'Road Ends on Forever' are perfect example that is good musical path. Both album are close to roots and folk but it's hard to put them to one bag with those generes... FBB building up their own sound which you could recognize everywhere.

Line up:
Niko Soszynski - banjo, drums, vocalsPeople about Freeborn Brothers:-
Mateusz Plesniak - accordion, guitar, vocals
Krzysiek Pasieka - double bass, guitar, vocals

LISA MILLS
Mississippi native, now Alabama resident Lisa Mills could be called a blues singer, or a gospel singer, or a torch singer or an R&B singer, and each label would be accurate. In fact, as the reviews of her 2014 album I’m Changing (a remastered and remixed reimagining of her 2005 debut album, enhanced by the inclusion of a handful of new tracks) poured in, she was described in all of these terms, and at least a couple of critics suggested they even heard the nascent stirrings of a jazz stylist in some of her more nuanced readings.
Listeners responded to Lisa’s sophisticated, emotional performances by making her 2015 U.K. tour a rousing success marked by sellout or near-packed venues, brisk post-concert CD sales and the inevitable query as to when she would be returning. To the latter the answer is “2016,” when the excitement of 2015 will be parlayed into an extended U.K. and European tour, on which bookings are being focused on festivals, concert halls and centers. And by the time the 2016 tour gets underway next Fall, she will have a new album to promote, titled Mama’s Juke Book.
A special and deeply personal project, Mama’s Juke Book will be comprised of songs Lisa found by chance in her late mother’s possessions—specifically, in a Dollar Store General spiral notebook in which her mother had handwritten lyrics to 25 of her favorite country tunes, all dating from the early ‘70s. Her mother, Jan Powell, was a country music devotee who unfortunately passed away in 2012. In addition to her love of music, Jan unconditionally loved her daughter, was her biggest fan and most enthusiastic promoter, and not least of all, was her trusted confidant. In a real sense Mama’s Juke Book is a love letter from daughter to mother but it is also a Southern cultural timepiece capturing mainstream country music in a transitional period ahead of the emergence of the Outlaw movement in the mid-‘70s. Grammy winner Trina Shoemaker, who steered the retooling of I’m Changing, is returning in a producer’s role on Mama’s Juke Book.
Although the content of Mama’s Juke Book is drawn from country, Lisa’s interpretive artistry takes country for a new spin when chestnuts originally recorded by the likes of Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Buck Owens, Conway Twitty and others are revealed to have hidden pockets of soul and blues when considered from a fresh point of view by a versatile vocalist—similar to what she demonstrates on I’m Changing in finding new avenues of expression on covers of the Rev. Robert Wilkins’s “I Wish I Was in Heaven Sitting Down” and Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing,” both of which are remarkable for the way in which her ethereal approach is so completely attuned to the lyrics’ spirituality and mystery as to make these songs her own and of a piece with the original material surrounding them.
In a summary that is both specific to the album and a telling appraisal of an artist coming into her own, David McGee, writing in the online roots music/cultural journal Deep Roots (www.deeprootsmag.org), praised I’m Changing as “a rare breed, a roots torch album of sweep and depth comparable to classic pop counterparts such as Sinatra’s devastating Gordon Jenkins-arranged No One Cares,” and concluded: “(Lisa Mills is) a singer and songwriter of the first rank, uncompromising in the vision and concept of her art.”
In short, the Lisa Mills story is only beginning.

DIRT RIVER RADIO
Formed by Heath Brady and Alex Raunjak (circa 2007) Dirt River Radio is a Melbourne-based Roots Rock Country band. Heavily influenced by American music (Gram Parsons, Tom Waits, Credence Clearwater Revival) mixed with rock heroes like AC/DC and Clutch, Dirt River Radio writes and plays from the heart.
Debut album Beer Bottle Poetry (entitled "Come Back Romance, All Is Forgiven" in Europe), and follow-up Rock N Roll Is My Girlfriend (released 2013 Aust., Asia, Europe) are both available online worldwide.
Touring western European late 2014, and finalisng 3rd album at Woodstock Studios (Melb.), Dirt River Radio rhythm section, Ross Hetherington (Drums), and Mark Down-Price (Bass), blissfully complimented by the vocal stylings of Sarah Fagan and Kellie Fernando-Bird is one of Melbourne's favourite live bands.
If you love music from TV shows like S.G.T. (Straya's Got Talent), then Dirt River Radio may not be your thing. Check out Dirt River Radio live and you'll understand why. This is the truth!