FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Telluride, CO – May 3, 2010: The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, which will be held September 17-20, 2010, is pleased to announce B.B. King and ZZ Top will be headlining this year’s festival. Joining these legendary artists on the Blues & Brews stage will be The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, Allen Toussaint, Galactic, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, JJ Grey & Mofro, Cedric Burnside & Lightnin Malcolm, Matt Schofield, Alberta Cross, The Dana Fuchs Band, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Gospel Morning with The Otis Taylor Band featuring Chuck Campbell and the Sheryl Renee Choir (Otis Taylor & Chuck Campbell will also be performing at one of the Juke Joints), Phil Wiggins & Corey Harris, Grady Champion, Terrence Simian & the Zydeco Experience, The Sugar Thieves, The Bill Magee Blues Band, Little Al Thomas and The Deep Down Fools. And that’s not all! The final line-up for the 17th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, along with a very special Saturday headliner, will be announced on August 16, 2010. Stay tuned!
Telluride Blues & Brews is honored to be bringing B.B King back to the Blues & Brews stage. King’s first appearance at the festival was in 2004, where he turned in a blistering blues set that left fans talking for years. It’s no wonder the crowd was so blown away. For more than half a century, King has defined the blues for a worldwide audience. Since he started recording in the 1940’s, King has released over fifty albums and generated more than a few classics, including “"Payin' The Cost To Be The Boss," "The Thrill Is Gone," How Blue Can You Get," "Everyday I Have The Blues" and "Why I Sing The Blues."
While ZZ Top is best known for a string of rock hits in the ‘80’s, including “Cheap Sunglasses,” “Gimme All Your Lovin,” “Sharp Dressed Man” and “Legs,” there is a crucial element that most forget. ZZ Top was born out of the Texas blues scene and that sound is deeply entrenched in all of the band’s recordings. Down & dirty numbers, such as “La Grange,” “Tush” and “I Thank You,” are what draw true blues fans to ZZ Top, making the band a perfect addition to this year’s line-up.
Joining an already incredible line-up will be The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band. Mick Fleetwood, the co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, is celebrating his blues heritage with his new band, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band. The band features a tribute to the original Fleetwood Mac, the all-male blues band that started it all in 1967. At the front of the group is Rick Vito, a veteran bluesman and former Fleetwood Mac vocalist and lead guitarist. Joining Vito will be Lenny Castellanos on bass guitar and Mark Johnstone on the keys and backup vocals. The band is led, of course, by Fleetwood, providing the backbone with his unmistakable power-house percussion and persona.
Telluride Blues & Brews is also thrilled to announce that Allen Toussaint one of the Big Easy’s most renowned musical talents, will be performing on this year’s bill. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, singer, pianist, songwriter, arranger and producer, Allen Toussaint has been making hit records for over forty years. His massive influence on American music reaches deep into the idioms of rhythm and blues, pop, country, musical theater, blues and jazz. Some of the best known hits penned by Toussaint include, "Fortune Teller," recorded by both Benny Spellman and The Rolling Stones, the Lee Dorsey hit "Working in the Coal Mine," also recorded by Devo and The Judds, and the Grammy-nominated "Southern Nights," recorded by Glen Campbell. Toussaint has also been covered by and/or performed with Bonnie Raitt, The Judds, Otis Redding, Johnny Winter, Ringo Starr, Paul Simon, Chet Atkins, Lenny Kravitz and Elvis Costello, among others.
Galactic, a contemporary and perfect accompaniment to Allen Toussiant is also an integral part of this year’s line-up. Galactic has always been cast as a first-class jazz act, but as any fan knows, Galactic is so much more. Easily moving from jazz to funk to delta blues and every American music style in between, Galactic is sure to fire-up the Blues & Brews crowd.
Along with an amazing weekend of music, Telluride Blues & Brews proudly presents the Grand Tasting on Saturday, September 18, 2010. One of the premier tasting events in the Southwest, the Grand Tasting features more than 150 beers from over 50 microbreweries, including those from the Telluride Blues & Brews official beer sponsor, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. This event has it all, from ales to lagers, nut browns to I.P.A.’s and everything in between, from award-winning microbreweries from the Southwest and beyond.
Are you looking for more to enjoy during your festival experience? Telluride Blues & Brews has something for all ages. Additional festival highlights include, late night shows at the local Juke Joints and after hours jams, Free Acoustic Artist Series, Blues for Breakfast, The Rainbow Kids area and Kid’s parade and the Telluride Acoustic Blues Competition.
Juke Joint tickets, three-day passes and camping passes for the 17th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival are on sale now! A three-day pass is available for $160.00 and Juke Joint tickets are sold per night at $25. Festival camping is available adjacent to the festival grounds for $40 per person and are valid for 4 nights starting Thursday, September 16. Single-day, Bal de Maison and After Hours Jam tickets go on sale Thursday, July 1 at 10:00 am MST. Friday and Sunday tickets can be purchased for $55.00 each and Saturday for $65.00. Bal de Maison are $20. After Hours Jam are $15.00. Tickets can be purchased at www.tellurideblues.com or by calling 866-515-6166.
One of the most scenic music festivals in the country, the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival takes place in Telluride, CO, a world-famous resort town in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The festival is a three-day celebration of music and microbrews, held in Telluride Town Park, an outdoor music venue with breathtaking 13,000 foot mountain peaks for a backdrop. By day, experience live blues, rock, gospel and soul performances, the best microbrews in Colorado, a wide variety of food and craft vendors, children’s activities and more – all on festival grounds. By night, follow the festival as it flows into the town of Telluride, with late night juke joints and after-hours jams.
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Media Contact: Paula Donner – MediaCandy PR – 404-931-7196 or Paula@mediacandypr.com
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