Blues Festival
Performer profiles
Saturday 19 July 2008
Walpole Park
Main stage
Blues Sans Frontieres
Robert Hokum of The Guv’nors joins forces with some local musicians from different world music backgrounds to experiment with The Blues.
The Dani Wilde Band
Still in her 20’s, Dani Wilde has been described as being able to sing like Bonnie Raitt and play guitar like Buddy Guy. Such comparisons, whilst flattering are unfair as Dani has a strong identity in her own right as a blues/rock musician. Already signed to top Blues label Ruf Records she has attracted the attention of Jools Holland who she recently supported. The future of British blues is right here.
Sam Kelly’s Soul Britannia Band
Featuring Carol Grimes, Jimmy Lindsey & Primo Blues. The highly acclaimed BBC series ‘Soul Britannia’ was one of TVs recent musical highlights culminating in a special ‘Soul Britannia Concert’ at the prestigious Barbican Concert Hall. Band Leader Sam Kelly is 5 times winner of Blues in Britain’s ‘Blues Drummer of The Year’. Carol Grimes is one of Britains most versatile and eclectic vocalists. Her long and varied career has seen her work with big names such as The Average White Band, Paul Kossoff and Duck Dunn. Jimmy Lindsey was a member of legendary 70’s Brit-Funk-Reggae outfit Cymande whose music is still in much demand from DJs and ‘rare groove’ collectors.
Funkydory
Possibly one of the best of the current ‘new wave of British Blues’ Funkydory (as their name suggests) take their inspiration from groove based music. Fronted by the powerful vocals of Lorna Reilly and the exceptional guitar playing of Jules Fothergill, who still in his twenties is fast getting a reputation as one of the best young players on the circuit.
Robert Hokum & The Guv’nors
Robert Hokum is the man who started The Ealing Blues Party and his 7-piece Blues/Funk/Latin outfit The Guv’nors are the host act of the gig. 2008 sees The Guv’nors celebrate 20 years on the road and they are releasing a DVD ‘Guv’nology’ to commemorate this. The DVD contains live performances by the band at the Ealing Blues Party in 2004, 2005 and 2007. Their brand of ‘in-your-face’ Blues Grooves has always brought the event to a riotous close and this year they will be joined onstage by members of The Soul Britannia Band for the biggest Funky Blues jam that the Ealing Festival has ever seen!
Second stage
New for 2008 – The Young Musicians Showcase
Featuring the best ‘under 18’ new musical talent in the borough
Graham Robins
Powerful and emotive singer-songwriter, he is recognised for encapsulating soul, blues, country and gospel. His influences are vast and eclectic, ranging from rhythm and blues of the early 60's embracing soul artists from record labels such as Atlantic, Stax and Tamla Motown right through to 'Folk and Country Music.
Amrit Sond
Grammy Award Winning Guitarist Amrit Sond’s unique contemporary instrumental music draws on elements of World Music, Jazz, Classical, Folk, Rock and New-Acoustic Techniques (two-handed tapping and percussive slaps). Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, he was exposed to African Folk Music at a very early age, and, being of Asian origin, Indian Music was always the backdrop of his family home life. He later studied Art and his family moved to the Middle East (Kuwait) where he then became interested in Arabic and eastern music. This coupled with the African and Indian Music influences that he grew up with, has helped shape his unique compositions.
Pete Smith
Guitarist Pete Smith is an extremely versatile and accomplished musician. Jazz, Blues, Folk, Ragtime, Calypso, Baroque and Bluegrass all get treated to his blistering fingerstyle technique and become playgrounds for his lightening improvisational skills. Rated as one of the UK`s finest guitarists he has gained a national reputation not only as a phenomenal player but also as a teacher and story teller. Regularly receiving standing ovations at top international Jazz, Blues and Folk Festivals, few musicians appeal to such a wide audience which is testament not only to his outstanding musicianship but also for being genuinely entertaining.
Ray Stubbs Amazing One Man Blues Band
The heyday of the one-man band was 1890-1920, but a century on we still have this truly amazing musician who surrounds himself with a set of instruments which he employs so expertly it has to be seen to be believed. Ray’s hand-made set-up is comprised of: bass drum, side drum, snare drum, garabakas, washboard, cow-bell, hi-hat, sock cymbals, crash cymbals, bass pedals, kazoosaphone, jug, Mississippi whistle, harmonica, 6-string guitar (x2!) 12-string guitar and, of course vocals. In 1981 Ray won the one man-band competition in Utrecht, Holland. He was also presented with an extra award for the largest one man-band in Europe (by incorporating the most instruments into one song without stopping), a record that still stands today.
Downliners Sect
Contemporaries of The Rolling Stones & The Yarbirds – The Downliners Sect’s style of rough, raw R’n’B was probably the toughest to emerge from the Eel Pie Island and the Richmond sixties R & B scene. Formed in 1963 by Don Craine, (instantly recognisable by his onstage deerstalker hat), Van Morrison cited them as his inspiration to quit the Irish showband scene and form his own R & B group!! They topped the Swedish hit parade in 1965 with their second single, ‘Little Egypt’ – However, in the UK their EP ‘The Sect Sing Sick Songs’ was banned by the BBC – which assured them of a Cult status which exists even to this day!!!! Featuring original members Don Craine (rhythm guitar/vocals) and Keith Grant Evans (vocals/bass).
