PLEASE LIKE & KEEP UP WITH US ON FACEBOOK . CLICK HERE : NEW RIVER BLUES FESTIVAL On FACEBOOK
River House Inn 1896 Old Field Creek Road, Grassy Creek, NC 28631
We're keeping the Blues alive in the High Country!
*SUNDAY SEPT 1, 1-6 pm River House Inn, Grassy Creek NC, near West Jefferson
*In the meadow by the beautiful New River with plenty of room for social distancing.
*Please, no coolers and no pets. Food and beverages available for purchase.
ACCOMMODATIONS: Many of you have requested info: Ashe County Chamber of Commerce can suggest many nearby accommodations ... Our venue, River House Inn, is a bed & breakfast with wonderful rooms!
ONLINE TICKETS $45. REGULAR PRICE TICKETS $50 day of show
Born in Memphis and steeped in that city's legendary sound,
MEMPHIS GOLD is a genuine, one-of-a-kind treasure.
By age 4 Chester Chandler was a burgeoning guitarist; by 8 he was a blazing entertainment fixture on Beale St.; by 12 he was an acolyte of the exalted Blues master Rev. Robert Wilkins. Taking a break from his quickly developing musical career, Memphis Gold answered his country's call, to serve in Viet Nam. Upon his return, he infused his playing with a renewed passion, and Blues became his life work. From the Far East to Africa to Europe, Memphis Gold has captivated global audiences. He has graced the covers of many of the world's most renowned Blues publications. Memphis Gold's performances bring to life the bona fide, unfiltered, rollicking Blues experience that NEW RIVER BLUES FESTIVAL is dedicated to showcasing to our audience.
THE KING BEE 39 YEARS OF STINGIN' THE BLUES in 2024!!
The King Bees, Rob "Hound Dog" Baskerville and Penny "Queen Bee" Zamagni produce NEW RIVER BLUES FESTIVAL. They call Ashe County home, but travel the world with their Blues and American Roots music. This year marks the 39th anniversary of the band and also the 22nd year of New River Blues Festival which they created and produce.
In the mid-1980's Baskerville and Zamagni began traveling the deep-South looking for and mentoring under Blues artists of historical, cultural, and musical significance. Many blues greats took them under their wing and nurtured and guided The King Bees toward the sound of authenticity. With Baskerville on guitar and keys and Zamagni on vocals, bass, and as song smith, The King Bees honed their art with many Blues masters. By 1990 they had been touring and recording with some of the most culturally important of Blues artists. In the early 1990's they were signed to a European label and began touring internationally.
The King Bees have performed on festival stages in Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, and London as well as taking their show across numerous countries. Their love of American Roots music has taken them from Mississippi juke joints to several performances at Lincoln Center. They collaborated with Rock n' Roll Hall-of-Fame member Bo Diddley and were featured on The B.B. King Birthday Tour. Baskerville and Zamagni are also recognized as Blues historians, represent and book Blues artists of note, and produce Blues festivals across the South. Veteran drummer extraordinaire, Jim "Jimmy The Groove" Gillon will be laying down the big blues beat.
*"Queen Bee Zamagni belts it out with the best, backed by a superb band highlighted by the burning riffs of Hound Dog Baskerville." The Charlotte Observer.
*"Legendary Blues stylists..." The Knoxville Journal.
*"Excellent...Queen Bee Zamagni has a strong, swinging, slinky voice used to good effect on every number. Fine straight blues all the way..Tasty!" Blues & Rhythm, England
Brian Peters and Keith Colbert set the stage afire with power, style, and classic Blues fervor.
As International Blues Challenge finalists, Peters and Colbert are renowned as one of the nation's most sought after Blues acts. In addition, Brian Peters is recipient of the prestigious LEE OSKAR BEST HARMONICA PLAYER AWARD.
"Like a well-oiled classic General Motors vehicle, Deuce 'n a Quarter goes from zero to sixty right out of the gate!" BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE
A timeless voice.. classic guitar picking.. a passion for the roots of American music. ...Veronika Jackson started her music career at an early age in a musical family in St. Petersburg, Florida. In her teens her love for folk and R&B music grew as she was influenced by artists Odetta, Dolly Parton, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Ella Fitzgerald, and Diamond Teeth Mary. Veronika Jackson, blending acoustic folk-guitar with the history of her culture as an African-American woman, has created her own original, exciting style of music. Her smooth, strongly interpretive singing expresses her unique quality as a rare jewel of a performer. Clear, rhythmic Piedmont Blues-style guitar perfects the marriage of voice and instrument. .. From Cognac, France to Merle Fest and many points in between, Veronica transports, enlightens, and inspires her listeners.
Over 6 decades of award winning music & still going strong! ...It was the 1950's in rural Kentucky. Young Roy Roberts picked up a guitar, fell in love, and hasn't put the instrument down yet. He was already a prodigious talent when at 18 he moved to North Carolina and caught the attention of the preeminent musicians passing through. Roy was soon on the road with Stevie Wonder, Otis Reading, and King Solomon Burke. By the late 1960's Roy's expressive baritone and smoldering guitar had propelled him into his own career. His distinctive, soulful voice and masterful guitar have carried him around the world, endearing Roy to a legion of fans the globe over. The recipient of innumerable awards for his musical performance, Roy has also distinguished himself as an award-winning record producer. He has been inducted into The Beach Music Hall of Fame and been honored with Keeping The Blues Alive Award, among many others. A true Elder Statesman of the Blues, Roy Roberts enthralls international audiences with unmatched authenticity and a passion for his art that touches souls and uplifts spirits.
DONALD "BLUES EMPEROR" CEASAR has been a favorite at our festival and is a part of the New River Blues Festival family. An artist of exceptional versatility, performing on drums, harmonica, and keyboards while singing with gusto and laying down high-spirited dance steps. Ceasar hales from the bayous of Louisiana, in the heart of Creole and Cajun country where his grandfather, Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin and other family members were pioneers and founding fathers of Cajun Zydeco music. Ceasar has been entertaining audiences since childhood with his Cajun family band and opening for and sharing the stage with legendary artists such as Rocking Sidney, Fats Domino, Dr. John, The Nevilles, B.B. King, Allen Toussaint, and James Brown. Ceasar delivers a sizzling musical-gumbo full of the succulent flavors of Louisiana.
"..possibly the hippest entertainer in the Carolinas.” Jim Otis, The State, Columbia,SC.
All across the US and Festivals and clubs in the European capitals!
Creators & Producers of New River Blues Festival.