For Immediate Release
TRINIDAD: One of Colorado and the Southwest’s hottest music festivals will again bring national, international and regional talent to Trinidad the weekend before Labor Day -- Saturday, August 23, 2003. The event is returning to Trinidad's Central Park, a great outdoor venue with plenty of room for booths for drink, food and art, according to festival founder and organizer Neil J. Sexton.
"Central Park provides a super atmosphere for the event, with easy access, ample parking and facilities. And, with last year's attendance nearing 2500, we still have lots of room to grow!" Great blues performances set in the spectacular southern Colorado foothills has proved to be a winning formula, according to Sexton. “One of the most gratifying aspects of this event is that all the performers love it and want to come back to our little town. This year we have the best line-up yet, a great outdoor venue, a completely professional stage and a fantastic group of sponsors and volunteers.”
Now in its fifth consecutive year, "the Blues Fest has become something folks really look forward to all year," says Sexton, "and with our line-up of great performers, the crowd will have a lot to cheer about.” With this year's world-class headliners -- including Alligator recording artist Coco Montoya and guitar virtuoso Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers from the Telarc label, -- Sexton says he hopes to see attendance approach 3000.
Also performing at
this year’s Trinidaddio Blues Fest will be Chicago’s Michael
Coleman & The Backbreakers, Returning
Trinidaddio stars, Tad (TBags) Robinson and Alex (Guitar Czar)
Schultz, Craig Horton from San Francisco, Perennial favorites- The Albuquerque Blues Connection, One of Denver’s hottest bands, Tempa
& the Tantrums, the top blues band in Colorado Springs-Metro
Blues along with local talents, Sow's Ear (formerly the Quattroids) and Jaquie
Gipson-performing at her fifth Trinidaddio
Blues Fest.
More…
Central Park gates will open at 11:30 a.m., with music beginning at noon. Ticket prices remain unchanged for the fourth straight year. General admission is just $10; Limited Blues Preferred tickets are $25 for seating under the tents facing the stage. Advance tickets may be purchased in Trinidad at Curiosities, Main Street Liquors, Virgil’s Music and Main Street Bakery or by e-mailing neil@trinidaddio.com. You may also call 719-846-3000 ext. 21 or visit www.trinidaddio.com for tickets and information.
Preceding the Saturday festival will be the third annual Pre-Fest "All-Star Blues Jam" on Friday night at the Lucky Monkey nightclub, located in Aultman Hall at 137 W. Cedar in downtown Trinidad. This year’s pre-fest party is brought to you by our own Trinidad Brewing Company! Hosting this year’s jam will be blues superstars, Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers! Tickets to this event will be very limited. Pre-Fest tickets are only $27 and include a wonderful catered buffet, great beer specials featuring the fine hand made beers of Trinidad Brewing Company and a fabulous evening of music featuring many of the talented musicians who will take the stage on Saturday. Just added: Special Pre-Pre Fest performance by Delmark recording artist Ken Saydak on Thursday evening August 21st at the Mitchell Museum of Western Art on historic Main Street in Trinidad! Tickets are just $5.00 at the door and Ken will perform from 7-9pm that evening! Make a LONG weekend of it!
Headlining Trinidaddio Blues Fest V is the smolderingly hot Coco Montoya. Though raised on rock 'n' roll as a drummer, this Santa Monica native became an outstanding blues guitarist in the 1990s, winning Best New Blues Artist at the Handy Awards in 1996 for his debut Blind Pig album, Gotta Mind to Travel.
Montoya was part of a local rock band that toured the region during the '70s, and was at a friend's club one night when the famed blues man Albert Collins was headlining, resulting in an impromptu performance by Montoya that got him hired by Collins for an upcoming tour. The pair remained affiliated over the next five years, with Montoya learning blues basics from a master. Montoya continued to perform at nightclubs regionally, and one night when British blues maestro John Mayall was in the audience, Montoya dedicated a song to him.
This resulted in Montoya being hired by the famed Brit to be lead guitarist for a new version of the Bluesbreakers, a spot previously held by such greats as Eric Clapton and Peter Green. Montoya's first album with Mayall was Behind the Iron Curtain in 1985.
In the mid-90s, after appearing on
three studio albums with Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Montoya decided to go
solo, and finally appear in the spotlight on his own. After three decades as a musician, the New Blues Artist
award for Gotta Mind to Travel was
well-deserved recognition for this fiery blues guitarist. Now a veteran star of the Alligator
label, Coco Montoya is one of the top drawing blues/rock performers in the
world today.
Trinidaddio Blues Fest-goers are in for a treat with the electric guitar virtuoso performance of Jimmy Thackery & The Drivers, A native of Washington, DC, Thackery began playing in high school, and developed a "hard as nails" approach to his popular blues-rock sound. In 1974, Thackery joined the Nighthawks, which toured the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan on 300-nights-a-year schedule. Since the early '90s, Thackery has been leading the Drivers in a popular trio, and forging a name for himself on the festival and club circuit. He also has recorded a number of critically acclaimed albums, including Empty Arms Motel, Sideways in Paradise, Trouble Man, Wild Night Out, Drive to Survive and Switching Gears. Now on the highly respected Telarc label and with a new string of successful recordings under his belt, including a pair of super duet albums with John Mooney and Tab Benoit respectively, Jimmy Thackery is at the top of his game…and that is an awesome place to be!
There has never been a Trinidaddio Blues fest without a Chicagoan playing. This year is no exception! New to the audience at Triniddadio's Blues Fest is Michael Coleman & The Backbreakers, voted one of the top 50 blues-men in the world by Guitar World Magazine. By age 8, Coleman was performing with his father Cleo Williams (drummer for Willie Kent, Junior Parker & Johnny Little John); by 21, he was on the road with Muddy Waters, and a year later, toured Europe with Eddy Clearwater.
In 1979, he began a 10-year tenure with the James Cotton Band, touring with Joe Cocker, Junior Wells, Mississippi Heat and Steve Miller.
Coleman, a Delmark artist, has seven albums to his name, and has toured Europe, Canada and the United States with his own band, the Backbreakers, opening for such greats as BB King, Koko Taylor, the late John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy and Robert Cray. See what the “west side sound” is really all about when Michael Coleman funks it up!
Blues harpist and vocalist extraordinaire, Tad "TBags" Robinson joins his long-time partner in the blues, Alex "Guitar Czar" Schultz, with their own band on the verge of a new CD and a multi-record deal. These proven international stars will be back in Trinidad for Blues Fest V in a follow up to their electrifying performance two years ago. Robinson & Schultz both grew up in New York City on a mix of musical styles. Robinson later attended Indiana University Music School, where he formed Hesitation Blues Band, which made it up to Chicago. In the early 1990s, he took over vocals for Dave Specter & the Bluebirds, and recorded a number of his own compositions on their Delmark release Blueplicity. His solo Delmark releases (both featuring Schultz on guitar), One to Infinity and Last Go Round reinforced Tbags as one of the top vocalists on the contemporary circuit. Schultz is one of the most prolific players in the blues today. Alex stars in Europe and the U.S. while playing with not only Robinson but also, a host of the best players on both continents. With award winning performances playing alongside harp luminaries, Rod Piazza and William Clarke, the L.A. based Schultz has some of the sweetest licks in the blues today.
The swingin' classic blues sound of In My Spirit, Craig Horton's first solo album after decades as a talented side man, was released in 2001. The record is ample proof of his gift as a songwriter, singer and guitarist. Living Blues Magazine named the record their debut CD of the year.
Long admired by serious blues fans for his gutsy vocals and
unusual delivery, Horton grew up in Conway, Arkansas, introduced to music by
his grandmother, who played guitar in their local church. When he was 14, his grandfather gave
him his first guitar, and a few years later, he was playing gigs on the road
with High QC's, Good Tatum, the Harlem Road Kings and the Ink Spots. By the late 1950s, Horton had become a
Chicago fixture, playing guitar with Little Walter and opening for such legends
as Count Basie and Duke Ellington, and later, Chuck Berry, Sam Cooke, Muddy
Waters and Freddie King. During
the '80s, he performed with Sam Myers and the Mississippi Delta Blues Band.
Always critically acclaimed, Horton maintains his popularity, performing a wide
range of music, including jazz, rhythm & blues as well as classic blues.
Now based in San Francisco, Big Daddy recording artist Craig Horton promises to
be a real treat for the Trinidaddio faithful.
Returning for their fifth year is Trinidaddio Blues Fest favorite, the Albuquerque Blues Connection, a hot, dance-inspiring, fun-loving quartet from down South that is sure to have the “Trinidaddios” on their feet once again. Band leader extraordinaire “Mexican Jerry” Muniz actually demands that the crowd dance, according to Sexton, “but it’s never been a problem. If you’ve seen them play, you already love them, and if not, get ready to party!”
One of Denver’s top blues bands, Tempa & The Tantrums comes to Trinidaddio Blues Fest for the second time. Nominated as “Best Blues Band in Denver” in the annual Westword Music Awards Showcase, Tempa and her ace band have cultivated a domestic and overseas listener base. Currently recording original material for a new disc, they play their very own style of blues, jazz, R&B, Cajun, rock n’ roll, and just about everything in between. No one has more fun than Tempa & The Tantrums, except maybe the crowd!
Coming down to Trinidad from the Front Range will be Metro Blues; last year voted "the best blues band in Colorado Springs." George Whitesell on guitar and saxophone, and Calvin Benton on guitar will lead a great group of talented musicians in their first Trinidaddio Blues Fest appearance.
Beautiful Gardner, CO is just a dandy little drive up highway 69 from Trinidad and it is home to one of the areas great guitar players, singers, keyboardists and songwriters, Clay Seitz. The multi-talented local (almost!) boy Seitz will front his combo; The Clay Seitz Band in their first Trinidaddio appearance. Prepare to be impressed by the music coming out of Gardner!
Opening the Blues Fest at noon will be Trinidad’s own Jaquie Gipson, one of only two acts to play at all five Trinidaddio Blues Fests. The reason: Gipson is great, and so is her music. Jaquie will again treat Fest-goers to her unique brand of folk/blues and technical guitar wizardry.
The Trinidaddio Blues Fest is a fund-raiser with all proceeds going to the local animal shelter, Noah’s Ark Animal Welfare who is instrumental in putting on the fest as well. Dozens of civic-minded businesses sponsor the Fest and the list continues to grow every year. For a full list of this year’s sponsors and for more information about the Fest, please visit www.trinidaddio.com. Or….
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
NEIL SEXTON (719) 846-3000 X 11
Thank you!