Toronto Blues Society | » Renowned blues author Bob Santelli set for keynote address at Blues Summit II set for Toronto, January 15-17 next year

Renowned blues author Bob Santelli set for keynote address at Blues Summit II set for Toronto, January 15-17 next year

Published November 24, 2004 in Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PLEASE UPDATE LISTINGS

Toronto, November 24, 2004: The Canadian blues industry – performers, promoters and club bookers, agents, blues festival directors and record labels – will gather in Toronto for the Toronto Blues Society’s Blues Summit II, January 15-17 at The Delta Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard St. W.

This year’s keynote speaker is Bob Santelli, the director of Seattle’s Experience Music Project, an organization whose entire focus is educating and exciting kids about North America’s music. He will bring his incomparable knowledge of the blues and the roots music industry to the Summit.

Santelli is a regular contributor to Rolling Stone and the author of the definitive Big Book of Blues, The Best of the Blues:The 101 Essential Albums, and the recent American Roots Music companion book. Santelli has also been a professor at Rutgers University and Director of Education and Public Programs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Recently, he was the Executive Director of the Advisory Board for the Year of the Blues, a year-long celebration of the blues’ 100th anniversary.

The Blues Summit II is a three-day conference is an opportunity for the blues community to personally connect with key leaders in the industry, and attend professional development seminars, working meetings, and showcase concerts. Blues Summit II is the largest meeting of blues artistic directors in Canada.

Showcase concerts will be featured on Saturday, January 15 and Sunday, January 16 at Healey’s (178 Bathurst St.), the Silver Dollar Room (486 Spadina Ave.) as well as Monarch’s in the Delta Chelsea Hotel. The Toronto Blues Society is accepting submissions for the Summit Showcases from Canadian blues musicians until December 15. For more information, artists are encouraged to contact the Toronto Blues Society office.

The Summit culminates on Monday, January 17 with the 8th Annual Maple Blues Awards, Canada’s national celebration of homegrown blues talent. It’s also a night of great music by the Maple Blues Band, comprised entirely of Maple Blues Awards winners and nominees. Joining the band on stage this year will be very special guests Jim Byrnes (nominee for Recording of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year), Suzie Vinnick (nominee and past winner, Female Vocalist of the Year), and veteran guitarist Mel Brown (nominee for Entertainer of the Year, Guitarist of the Year, and recipient of the 2004 Blue With a Feeling Award).

Earlybird registration is $89 before December 31 and includes admission to the Maple Blues Awards and all showcases, as well as the opening reception and keynote luncheon. Musicians receive a special earlybird rate of $69. To register or for more information, e-mail the Toronto Blues Society at [email protected], call 416-538-3885 or 1-866-871-9457.


Media Contact:
Toronto Blues Society
416-538-3885
[email protected]

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The Toronto Blues Society acknowledges the annual support of the Ontario Arts Council, the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council and the Department of Canadian Heritage, and project support from FACTOR< and the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s Private Broadcasters, The Canada Council for the Arts, the SOCAN Foundation, SOCAN, the Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.