SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, CANDYE KANE, DWAYNE
DOPSIEROYAL
SOUTHERN BROTHERHOO(FEATURING
CYRIL NEVILLE AND DEVON ALLMAN)CANNED
HEAT, LEO “BUD” WELCH, BIG BAD VOODOO DADDYGUITAR
SHORTY, TERRANCE SIMIENBIG
BROTHER & THE HOLDING COMPANYHEADLINE
25th ANNUALSIMI
VALLEY CAJUN & BLUES MUSIC FESTIVALSATURDAY-SUNDAY, MAY
23-24
Los Angeles
area’s largest Cajun, Zydeco, Blues and Roots music festival, held over Memorial
Day weekend, features two stages, a Mardi Gras parade, crafts and dozens of food
booths
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — The 26th annual
Simi Valley
Cajun & Blues Festival will rock once again at Memorial Day weekend,
Saturday and Sunday, May 23 and 24, at Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, 5005
Los Angeles Ave., in Simi Valley. The event features two full stages for each of
its musical genres. Music will proceed non-stop each day from 12 noon until 7:30
p.m. Tickets are $25 for adults (13 and over) and children 12 and younger are
free. Discount single day tickets of $20 and two-day passes for $35 are
available only online at http://www.simicajun.org. Parking is
ample and free. Fast-moving California Hwy. 118 (Ronald Reagan Freeway) can be
taken to the Stearns Street exit; the festival is four blocks south.
The blues
stage features classic blues-rock (Spencer Davis Group, Big Brother & the
Holding Company, Canned Heat) with a side trip into swing (Big Bad Voodoo
Daddy), plus the first-ever West Coast appearance of 82-year-old Mississippi
bluesman Leo “Bud” Welch. West Coast legends Candye Kane and
Guitar Shorty return to the blues stage, while “super group” Royal
Southern Brotherhood (featuring Cyril Neville, Devon Allman and Mike Zito)
make their Southern California festival debut.
Dwayne
Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers become the
first band to cross over from the Cajun/Zydeco stage to the blues stage.
Two-time Grammy winners Terrance Simien & His Zydeco Experience make
their Simi Valley debut, as do Grammy-nominated Arhoolie recording artists
The Magnolia Sisters. Andre
Thierry & Zydeco Magic, Ruben Moreno, Curley Taylor and
Jeffrey Broussard round out the lineup, making the Cajun/Zydeco Stage the
pre-eminent Southern California showcase for Louisiana-inflected
music.
The annual Mardi Gras Parade will take
place both days at 4 p.m.
About
the performers:
• Candye
Kane,
according to B.B. King, “has
that big, brassy voice that has authority and sass; the kind of thing men like
because it’s seductive and women like because it’s powerful.” Candye
cut her musical teeth in the early ‘80s onstage with Hollywood musicians and
friends like Social Distortion, Dwight Yoakam, Dave Alvin, The Blasters, X, Fear
and Los Lobos to name just a few. Her fans are a mixture of true outsiders:
bikers, blues fans, punk rockers, drag queens, big girls, burlesque dancers,
rockabilly and swing dancers, gray-haired hippies, and everyday folk of all
ages. Her live shows are the stuff of legend — she
belts, growls, shouts, croons and moans from a lifetime of suffering and
overcoming obstacles.
• Canned Heat was founded
by blues historians and record collectors Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson and Bob “The
Bear” Hite. The band gained international attention and secured its legacy with
performances at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival (along with Jimi Hendrix, Janis
Joplin and the Who) and the headlining slot at the original Woodstock
Festival. Canned Heat’s unique blend of modern electric blues, rock and boogie
has earned them a loyal following and influenced many aspiring guitarists and
bands during the past 40 years. Their hits “On the Road Again,” “Let’s Work
Together” and “Going up the Country” became rock anthems throughout the world
with the last being adopted as the unofficial theme song for the film
Woodstock and the “Woodstock Generation.” More than 40 years later and
with 36 albums to its credit, Canned Heat is still going strong. Anchored
throughout by the steady hand of drummer/band leader Adolfo “Fito” de la Parra
(a member since 1967) and with one of their strongest lineups ever, Canned Heat
is on track to carry the boogie-blues it made famous well into the 21st century.
Since 2009, the lineup has Fito on drums, Greg Kage on bass and vocals, Barry
Levenson on lead guitar, and Dale Spalding on guitar, harmonica and lead
vocals. The band’s most recent CD is entitled Friends in the Can. This
record brings together a number of Canned Heat’s musical friends from the past
and present to join them in this musical collaboration and celebration of Canned
Heat’s career. Fito’s book, Living the Blues, is available through the
band’s web site.
• Royal Southern Brotherhood:
Before they
even hit a chord, this band has your attention. In the South, where music is
religion, two rock ‘n’ roll bloodlines tower above all others. In saloon bars
from Mississippi to Maryland, mere mention of the Allman and Neville Brothers
casts a magic spell. With a lineup that includes both Cyril Neville and Devon
Allman, Royal Southern Brotherhood come pre-loaded with expectations. The family
tree might be auspicious, but the new band trades on talent, not genealogy.
Let’s rewind to the summer of 2010 and the stifling heat of New Orleans and a
pivotal meeting between Cyril, Devon and Mike Zito. Talk turned to forming a new
breed of blues-rock band, and when jams began at a secluded studio in the city’s
Garden District, the fizzing chemistry was too strong to deny. Their debut album
was produced by the legendary Jim Gaines in Louisiana. The rest is history as
the band is set to release their third studio album, Don’t Look Back: The Muscle Shoals
Sessions, on May
26.
• Spencer Davis Group:
Davis, born
in Wales, created the famed Spencer Davis Group in 1963, helping to bring
British rock ‘n’ roll to the rest of the world. Among nearly 20 Top 10 hit songs
are “Gimme Some Lovin,” “Somebody Help Me,” “I’m a Man” and “Keep on Running.”
The popularity of these tunes lives on as Davis continues to tour
internationally. His latest album is titled So Far on Fuel Records.
• Big Brother & the Holding
Company first
performed in the Haight Ashbury, San Francisco, in 1965. After their appearance
at The Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, lead singer Janis Joplin quickly became a
phenomenon, and Big Brother made a real contribution to Janis’ rise to
international fame. Big Brother’s classic 1968 album Cheap Thrills
charted at #1 for eight weeks. After Joplin left the band in 1968, Big Brother
continued to perform with a new female vocalist before disbanding in 1972.
Having reformed with the original four members in 1987, they have performed
worldwide and throughout the United States. In 2007 Big Brother joined the
Summer of Love 40th Anniversary Tour with Jefferson Starship, Quicksilver
Messenger Service, David & Linda LaFlamme (It’s a Beautiful Day) and the
Grateful Dead’s Tom Constante. Big Brother
carries on today with original members Peter Albin and Dave Getz, with Tom Finch
and Tommy Odetto playing outstanding guitar. Darby Gould (Jefferson Starship)
fronts the band, singing all of the classic material made famous by Janis Joplin
and Big Brother & the Holding Company.
• Leo “Bud”
Welch was
born in Sabougla, Miss. in 1932. Bud picked up a guitar for the first time in
1945. By 1947 at age 15, he played well enough to perform publically and
garnered the blessing of many elder guitar players. Welch was offered an
audition by B.B. King but could not afford the trip to Memphis. He remained
under the radar for 65 years, undetected by the vast majority of blues
aficionados. Welch’s debut album, Sabougla Voices, was released in 2014
on Fat Possum’s Big Legal Mess label, just two months before his 82nd birthday.
The follow up, I Don’t Prefer No Blues, was released on March 24 of this
year, receiving notices in The Wall Street Journal and Rolling
Stone.
• Big Bad
Voodoo Daddy celebrate
their 22nd anniversary with a first-ever Simi appearance. The band co-founded by
Scotty Morris and drummer Kurt Sodergren made their debut in their hometown of
Ventura, Calif. in April of 1993, helping to usher in the swing revival founded
on a colorful fusion of classic American sounds including jazz, swing, and
Dixieland mixed with the energy and spirit of contemporary culture. Having
secured their legendary residency at the Derby nightclub in Los Angeles, they
reminded the world — in the middle of the grunge era, no less — that it was
still cool to swing, big-band style. Today the high-energy nine-piece ensemble
continues the party and takes things to the next level with the release of
Rattle Them Bones, which still urges their millions of fans worldwide to
shake and move to their inimitable grooves.
• Guitar
Shorty, a.k.a.
David Kearney, was born in Houston in 1939, raised in Kissimee, Fla., and now
makes his home in Los Angeles. Over the years he’s played behind T-Bone Walker,
Willie Dixon, Guitar Slim, Big Joe Turner, Little Richard, Sam Cooke and fellow
Simi Valley Festival performer Swamp Dogg. His recent albums on Evidence and
Alligator albums attest to the high energy level of this survivor of blues’
classic era. Texas Music Magazine writer John
Morthland summed things up perfectly: “Axebuster extraordinaire Guitar Shorty is
an old-school guitar showman. He plays with technique and flash, without ever
sacrificing the passion. He’s a blues-rock hero.”
• Reverend Tall Tree
plays
original blues and American roots music in the tradition of Little Walter,
Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley, and others. His debut album was recently released on
Nine Yards Records. In addition to his own headlining tours, Reverend Tall Tree
has opened worldwide shows and tours for such artists as B.B. King, Al Green,
Toots and the Maytals, Seal, Aaron Neville, Beth Hart, Robert Cray, Blues
Traveler and Jamie Cullum. His music has been heard in numerous films including
Soul Men and the Academy Award-winning motion picture Crash and
has been licensed by such TV shows as True Blood, Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers
and Sisters, Single Ladies, Eli Stone, In Plain Sight, Dawson’s Creek and
Army Wives.
• Dwayne
Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers have been rated one of the “Top 100
Reasons to Visit Louisiana.” Dwayne
(Dopsie) Rubin hails from one of the most influential Zydeco families in the
world. Although inspired by tradition, he has developed his own high-energy
style that blazes a new path for 21st century Zydeco music. Dopsie and the
Hellraisers have played throughout the world since Dwayne debuted the band at
age 19. First
appearing at the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival in 2014, Dopsie’s
set was such a big hit that he’ll return in 2015 and will on both the
Cajun/Zydeco and blues stages.
• Terrance
Simien has been performing Zydeco music for more than
30 years, and is a two-time Grammy winner and eighth generation
Louisiana Creole.
Leading his Zydeco Experience band, Simien has become one of the most
respected and accomplished artists in American roots music today. Last year
marked their 28th consecutive appearance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, an
event that is the gold standard for showcasing and celebrating all Louisiana
music traditions.
• Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic:
Thierry’s
French Creole heritage is deeply rooted in Louisiana although he was born and
reared in Northern California. Thierry and Zydeco Magic won the West Coast Blues
Hall of Fame award for Best Zydeco Group in 2008. The 33-year-old is a
multi-dimensional musician who has a finely honed ability to merge traditional
Zydeco music with hip-hop, blues, jazz and rock. Building from his love and
respect for traditional Zydeco, his original music is a blend of old and
new.
• Ruben Moreno, making his
debut on the Cajun/Zydeco stage, was born in
Houston and was immersed in Zydeco music and culture from day one while living
in the same building as his grandmother’s bar, Henry’s Lounge. He literally fell
asleep each night listening to Clifton Chenier blare out of the jukebox on the
other side of the wall. He developed
his musical style while playing and touring with C.J. Chenier and Leroy Thomas.
And it was Andre Thierry, also performing at the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues
Festival, who guided him to his love of the accordion in the summer of
2009.
• The
Magnolia Sisters are a band of
women who can play the whole gamut of musical styles from southwest Louisiana:
Cajun, Creole, dancehall favorites, and front porch ballads. They each switch
from one instrument to another during their shows. They are also an ideal band
for seated concerts because, in addition to their vast dancehall repertoire,
they tell stories, sing rich harmonies on a cappella ballads, and play string
band numbers from the 1930s. Much of the Magnolia Sisters’ music has been
gleaned from long-buried Cajun music jewels. Their most recent album,
Stripped Down on Arhoolie Records, was nominated for a Grammy in
2010.
• Curley Taylor & Zydeco
Trouble: Curley
Taylor’s bluesy, soulful vocals and the band’s hard driving Zydeco beat blend to
create high-energy dance music for all audiences. Curley’s music is true to its
roots in Zydeco and blues, but contemporary enough to appeal to a broad range of
music lovers. When at home in Louisiana, Curley can be found in the studio
working on his latest album, or playing in one of the local clubs around the
Lafayette/Opelousas area to the delight of his hometown fans.
• Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole
Cowboys: One of the
most influential accordionists and vocalists in modern Zydeco music, Jeffrey
Broussard continues to be one of the genre’s most dynamic performers.
He began his career with traditional Creole Zydeco music playing drums in his
father’s band, Delton Broussard & the Lawtell Playboys, then moved on to
develop the nouveau Zydeco sound in Zydeco Force, and now returns to the more
traditional Zydeco sound with his own band, Jeffery Broussard and the Creole
Cowboys.
Once again
the blues stage is booked by Martin Fleischmann and his company, Rum
& Humble. For more than
20 years Rum & Humble has played a key role in presenting some of the
world’s most celebrated musical talent (Radiohead, Manu Chao, and the Rolling
Stones, to name a few) to Los Angeles audiences, in venues ranging from the
Echoplex to the Orpheum Theatre to the Hollywood Bowl. The company has
co-produced the Santa Monica Pier’s Twilight Concert Series since 2011. In
addition, Rum & Humble has collaborated closely and creatively with artists
such as Jackson Browne and Paul Oakenfold as well as with a varied roster of
corporate and non-profit clients ranging from KJAZZ Radio to the Conga Room
nightclub to the National Geographic Society.
The festival
has received national press accolades: “Everywhere you turned, there was
something exciting happening. Put this on your 2013 festival calendar,” wrote
Blue Revue editor Art Tipaldi, who made the trek from New England. The
Blues Blast writer enthused, “I attend many
venues and festivals throughout the year but the ones that seem to impress me
the most are the ones that serve the community in some way. I highly recommend
you put this on your calendar for next Memorial Day weekend.” And the music
industry trade journal Hits added, “As the last
strains of [Candye] Kane’s set rang in our ears, we left the grounds fully sated
by music, food, drink and, as the saying goes, bon temps.”
The festival
boasts dozens of food booths featuring a variety of fare: authentic Cajun
creations and Southern BBQ as well as multi-cultural cuisine. More than 100
craft booths and retailers will be scattered throughout the festival
grounds.
