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ARTISTS SHOWCASE LINE UP SCHEDULE  PANELS DROP BOXESPARTNERSKEYNOTE SPEAKER DELEGATES

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FEBRUARY 9 – FEBRUARY 12, 2024 

All Blues Summit 11 events and panels will be at The Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto, ON Canada from February 9 – 12, 2024. The Summit will close with the 27th Annual Maple Blues Awards February 12th 2024

SHOWCASE TICKETS                      WEEKEND PASSES

 

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CHECK OUT OUR DIGITAL PROGRAM!

Blues Summit 11 PROGRAM

THIS YEARS PROGRAM AND

AWARD VISUALS WERE DESIGNED BY

COURTNEY REVIE

 

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SHOWCASE ARTISTS

Bobby Dean Blackburn

Bobby Dean Blackburn has been banging his piano and coaxing chords from his Hammond for over 60 years in the bars, clubs and festivals of his native Canada.  Within the Blackburn legacy is the ties of their ancestors to the Underground Railroad and their escape from slavery in Kentucky to the northernmost “stop” on the railroad’s network – Owensound Ontario.  From there the bloodline of Bobby Dean made its way to Toronto – where his musical notoriety began.  He was the house Organist at the legendary Zanzibar Tavern and was renowned for his charismatic stage presence, keyboard wizardry, and playful R&B moods. His influence resonated far and wide and would attract international artists and would play with Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Smith, Buddy Miles and Richard Groove Holmes.  He performs on both piano and B3 Hammond organ and has a style similar to Fats Domino and has been dubbed Canada’s Fats Domino. He is also the patriarch to four sons with tremendous musical talent, known as the Blackburn Brothers.

 

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The Maple Blues Band | Toronto ON

A world class group that includes some of Canada`s most respected blues musicians. All are Maple Blue Award and Juno Award winners and nominees. “Let`s Go” their highly acclaimed debut release on Cordova Bay Records has moved the band into the next level of their career presenting their music in theatres and festivals across Canada and around the world. “The Maple Blues Band lays down a groove that`s smooth and makes you want to move. Congratulations to all involved in a great record!” Paul Shaffer, Late Night With David Letterman, Saturday Night Live.

 

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Ken Whiteley | Toronto ON

Ken Whiteley has been deeply immersed in folk, blues, gospel and other roots traditions for well over fifty years. He has recorded 32 albums, written over 400 songs, appeared at hundreds of folk and blues festivals all over North America and received a Canadian Folk Music Award, 7 Juno nominations, 18 Maple Blues nominations and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Mariposa Folk Festival, Folk Music Ontario and the Blues With a Feeling Award. Ken is a living link to the traditions of people he has sung and played with including Blind John Davis, John Hammond Jr., Guy Davis, the Campbell Brothers, The Georgia Sea Island Singers and many others. His performances offer people a way to come together through song.

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The Tonewheels | Kitchener ON

 

“The Tonewheels” featuring Matt Weidinger, Chris Latta and Mike Rajna are an organ trio based out of Kitchener, Ontario. Blending the styles of the classic Jimmy Smith/Jack McDuff blues/ jazz trios with beloved power trios such as Cream/Traffic, they have stumbled upon a unique sound that allows them to carry on the classic traditions of improvised music.

 

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Son of Dave | Winnipeg MB

Established international act in London UK for 24 years, recently home to native Winnipeg. Nobody does what he does. Unique and hugely funky. Based in blues, but travels to all audiences. Live, he’s a one-man harmonica & beatbox party, crafted songs, percussion, jokes and dance-floor packing sound.
-1400+concerts over 5 continents -recordings appear in Breaking Bad, True Blood, Warner Bros film +many more
-90K monthly listeners Spotify
-TV appearances Jools Holland(BBC)
-Toured w Iggy & Stooges, Sleaford Mods, UB40, Supergrass
-Recorded for Primal Scream, Marianne Faithful
-Played private party for Grace Jones
-founding member CrashTestDummies

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Dan McKinnon | Toronto ON

Dan McKinnon, a multi-award-winning Blues-Rock guitarist and songwriter based in Toronto, is making his comeback after a 3-year battle with PTSD. With a trauma-informed lens, Dan embarks on a poignant musical journey, crafting new songs that serve as a testament to resilience, healing, and vulnerability. His return to the music scene is not just a personal triumph but a testament to the transformative power of art and creativity.

 

 

 

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Jake Chisholm | Georgetown ON

This music you find at your fingertips is a celebration of standing strong with hands held high. It will be the coolness in the darkness. It is music that grins in the face of unsung days. Impassioned and scrappy, rockin’ and so very groovous, Jake Chisholm finds fire with his voice, his guitar, and with his true swagger-brothers in electrified cahoots : Darcy Yates, Bass, Jimmy Bowskill, Stringed Instruments, Ian Mckeown, Drums. Song by song you have the remedy of ‘it’s about time’ tune writing, singing and playing. This music’s engine runs right, on the renewable energy of what was, what is, what will be. This record contains a whole lot of what you’ve been thinking about and dreaming of.

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Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne | Hamilton ON

This Legendary Blues and Boogie Woogie piano master Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne was inducted on August 9, 2017 into the Boogie Woogie Piano Hall of Fame at the Arches Piano Stage while performing at the Cincy Blues Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio.   In 2023, The Blues Boss was honoured to receive the prestigious ‘Bobby Blue Bland’ Lifetime Achievement Award from JUS BLUES MUSIC FOUNDATION of Atlanta, Georgia!! He is hailed by LIVING BLUES magazine as “an artist bringing the piano back to the front ranks of contemporary Blues“. This 2006 Juno Award winner and a multi Maple Blues Award winner is at the forefront of modern day blues piano practitioners.

Wayne was already a child prodigy when, at eight, he moved with his family to San Francisco, and then to Los Angeles. Encouraged by his preacher father, the Reverend Matthew Spruell, to play gospel music, the youngster was also secretly introduced to the radically more exciting boogie-woogie by an uncle.

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Bywater Call | Toronto ON

Bywater Call “collectively produces a joyous mixture of sophisticated musical interplay and a raw soulful energy that sets them far apart from most acts playing the circuit… Their songs are equally exceptional.” – Blues in Britain. Bywater Call have commanded festival stages in Canada, US and Europe throughout 2023. In May they opened for Canadian Award-winning band White Horse at the inaugural Smokestack Music Festival in Hamilton, Ontario. In July, Meghan joined renowned pedal-steel guitarist Robert Randolph on stage at his request, at the Briggs Farm Festival in Nescopeck, PA. And in August, the band participated in Joe Bonamassa’s Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean Cruise where they were invited to perform at the All-Star Jam on the mainstage with Bonamassa himself.

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Angelina Hunter Trio | Gatineau QC

The Angelina Hunter Trio has grown and cultivated their sound around the personality and stylings of Angelina Hunter on vocals and guitar. When she plugs in her Stratocaster, expect a wide range of style, emotion, and power. She can lull you in with sweet melodies and sear you with razor sharp blues attitude and screaming guitar lines. Angelina has the power to shrink a venue or blow it up with her voice alone. When she begins to sing, she sounds like no one else. She can tell a sweet story with her voice or bewitch you with its intensity. It’s a powerful instrument on its own. The Trio is rounded out by Sandy Hunter on drums and Adam Bell on bass.

 

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Derek Falls | Montreal QC

Derek Falls, (singer/guitarist/songwriter), is a successful Montreal entertainer & recording artist. With over 170 shows per year, Derek Falls is no stranger to the stage. It’s been said: – “Derek Falls is a remarkable mix between Santana, and BB King, with the vocal tone of Lenny Kravitz and Seal, all wrapped up into one very passionate man.” Derek knows how to please an audience with his captivating style and unique Blues/R&B sound. Derek recorded 2 original albums, & is working on his 3rd. Derek headlined: Tremblant International Blues Festival; Festival Argenteuil en Blues; Trois-Rivières en Blues; Série Blues – Palace de Granby; Les Couleurs d’Argenteuil en Blues; Festival Blues de la Montérégie; Festival Blues de Joliette; West Island Blues Festival; Festival Grand Prix sur Crescent.

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Michael Jerome Browne | Montreal QC

Michael Jerome Browne is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and living encyclopedia of roots music. His mastery of American roots idioms and warm, unaffected singing have endeared him to audiences across North America and in Europe. Born in Indiana, Michael first heard folk and blues as a child in his adopted home of Montreal. He is a Maple Blues Award winner (including the 2020 Blues With A Feeling Award), a 3-time Canadian Folk Music Award winner, and 5-time Juno Award nominee (most recently 2019’s “That’s Where It’s At!”). “Gettin’ Together” is his ninth album, released in 2023 on the Borealis label. It puts Michael in different acoustic situations, interpreting pre-war blues classics, with guests including Harrison Kennedy, Mary Flower, Eric Bibb, Colin Linden, and John Sebastian.

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Miss Emily | Kingston ON

Now in her 20th year as a full-time artist, Miss Emily (Emily Fennell) specializes in overcoming insurmountable challenges and scaling metaphorical mountains. Her work ethic was forged in the foundries of Southern Ontario’s bars and nightclubs. Her resilience is a product of many years in an industry that can be, at best, “unfriendly” towards women. She has an innovative spirit and creative force born out of necessity, and her incomparable vocals are surpassed only by her electrifying, roof-rattling performances. With a handful of Maple Blues Awards and a 2021 JUNO nomination for her self-produced ‘LIVE at The Isabel’ album, Miss Emily is thrilled to be back on the road now, touring her latest album ‘Defined By Love’ – a celebration of resilience, love and hope.

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Glenn Marais and the Mojo Train | Newmarket ON

Glenn Marais and the Mojo Train are a blues rock band known for their powerful and dynamic sound that seamlessly blends grace and beauty, with every performance a high-energy experience that leaves the audience feeling like they’re at a sold-out stadium show. The band is on a creative high, releasing a new record, Red, Hot, and Blue February 2024. They recently won the Grand River Blues Society IBC Road to Memphis contest and competing in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis Jan 2024. The coming year is looking promising for the band, who are working hard to expand their reach in the blues community.

 

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The Sugar Darlings | Montreal QC

The Sugar Darlings announce themselves with their debut album Thirsty For Your Love. Boasting twelve original compositions, the record delivers a dynamic blend of Blues, Soul, Funk and Rock n’ Roll. The group’s collaborative approach to songwriting exhibits a sophistication in the lyrics and music that seduces and immerses. From brooding blues rock numbers like the opening track Why, to the blistering funk fusion heard in Funky Darling, to the witchy and prophetic Karma, the record taps a range of styles and themes that provide a fresh and invigorating musical journey. With no shortage of flash or flex, Thirsty for Your Love ultimately smacks of substance. So, take a sip…

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Angelique Francis | Ottawa ON

JUNO Award winning and 2x Canadian Blues award winning artist Angelique Francis, is a versatile and exceptionally gifted musician. This multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist, singer song writer and composer has wowed audiences across the globe with her electrifying performances, instrumental abilities and powerful textured vocals. Angelique’s soulful Smoky vocals and instrumental techniques are reminiscent of a bygone era, but with a unique and modern sensibility. Within her vocal style, you can hear influences of legends like Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Bessie Smith and many more. Her instrumental abilities call to mind Willie Dixon on the bass, Sister Rosetta Thorpe on guitar, Big Mama Thornton on the Harmonica and Aretha on the piano.

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Garnetta Cromwell & DaGROOVMASTERS | Hamilton ON

Garnetta Cromwell & DaGROOVMASTERS is a band that you must experience. Their music is a soulful symphony that resonates with the heart and leaves you with a feeling of fulfillment. With Garnetta’s mesmerizing vocals, Mark’s groovy bass, Toshi’s intricate guitar work, Juan’s hypnotizing sax sounds, Sabian Crosswells outstanding keyboarding and Robin’s smooth drumrolls, they create an aura that is both electrifying and soothing. The band symbolizes the beauty of music transcending borders, uniting hearts, and healing souls. Their music is not just notes and lyrics; it’s a story, an experience, and a journey through the soulful realms of blues.

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Brandon Isaak | Duncan BC

Brandon Isaak is one of Canada’s premier blues guitar players on the scene today. Isaak puts the emphasis on soul and playing only the notes needed to move the audience and make a connection. He’s a no nonsense kinda of blues musician who holds true the deep traditions of the playing the blues the way it was done in the 40’s and 50’s. Crowds always leave Brandon’s shows with a smile on thier face and a need to come back for more. After 35 years in the business, this bluesman is always asked back as he’s a total pro off and on the stage. If you like top notch blues, hard hitting lyrics and great night of entertainment, Brandon Isaak is your man.

 

 

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Camilo Restrepo | Toronto ON

Camilo Restrepo is an acoustic Blues and Folk artist with a passion for soulful music and a wealth of international experience. Currently residing and actively pursuing his musical career in Toronto, Camilo has become a notable figure in the local music scene. Over the years, Camilo has honed his craft and played in a variety of venues and settings across the Americas, from intimate coffee shops and bars to larger concert halls and large-scale International Festivals. As a solo performer, Camilo shares his passion for music, connecting with people on a profound level. Keep an ear out for Camilo’s performances as well as his recent “Singing While I Work” album covering traditional Blues and Folk tunes that have accompanied him throughout his many travels.

 

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Sean Pinchin | Toronto ON

Juno Nominated and Internationally Recognized Singer/ Songwriter Sean Pinchin has been a presence on the Festival circuit for nearly 2 decades. Sean began a regular pre – pandemic life on the road performing roughly 200 shows a year all through North America. Recording original music and creating beautiful interpretations of Blues / Roots classics. He received a (2014) Maple Blues Nomination for Best New Artist. In (2017) his release “Monkey Brain” received the Juno Nomination for Best Blues Album of the Year and he was recognized by the Toronto Blues Society as a Semi Finalist for the Road to Memphis Challenge (2019). Sean Has Shared stages with Steve Strongman, MonkeyJunk, Phil Sayce, Tinsley Ellis, Kim Churchill, and Dione Taylor.

 

 

 

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Po’Boy Jeffreys | Toronto ON

Po’Boy Jeffreys is a Roots Music revivalist. Through his commanding performance of finger picked acoustic guitar, foot percussion, kazoo, as well as soft and sometimes harsh vocals, he evokes the nostalgic sounds and ambience of Southern Country, Pre-War Blues, and Ragtime. Boasting an energetic, young and unique style, Po’Boy invites audiences to reminisce about a bygone era of traditional Folk and Roots which lays as the bedrock of American and Canadian music.

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Brock Stonefish | Moravian Delaware Nation ON

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Isaak Bonk | Toronto ON

Isaak Bonk covers a wide range of vintage country-blues and jazz, bringing to life music of the past, as well as incorporating his own compositions. With a large repertoire that contains upbeat, exciting music, to the more relaxed and melancholy, Isaak is sure to entertain.

 

 

 

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Raoul and The Big Time | Toronto ON

Toronto based Raoul and The Big Time have been performing for over 25 years in clubs and festivals across Canada. From their first album in 2000 “Big Time Blues”, they have released five records, collaborating with notable artists including Curtis Salgado, Mark Hummel, Larry Taylor, Junior Watson, Richard Innes, Rick Holmstrom, Rusty Zinn,, Johnny Sansone, Jeff Turmes, Fred Kaplan, Stephen Hodges, Donny Gerrard, Franck Goldwasser, Big Joe Maher as well as countless members of Toronto’s music scene. Previous festivals include Montreal Jazz, Ottawa Blues, Vancouver Folk, Nanaimo Blues, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues, Harvest Jazz and Blues, Wreckhouse Blues, Mont Tremblant, Calgary Blues and many more.
“One of the most popular blues bands…” – Billboard Canada

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Dawn Tyler Watson | Montreal QC

Multiple award-winning, Montreal-based Singer/Songwriter Dawn Tyler Watson has earned her place among the International Blues elite. Her fiery stage presence and soul-stirring performances have garnered her national and worldwide recognition. 

With two recent Maple Blues Awards; Songwriter of the Year, and Best Album/Producer, she was also nominated by the Blues Foundation in Memphis for a 2020 Blues Music Award for Vocalist of the Year alongside greats like Curtis Salgado & Mavis Staples. Her latest record “Mad Love,” was awarded the 2020 JUNO award for Blues Album of the Year!

Add this to the six MBA’s she already has, the nine Quebec Lys Blues Awards, a Screaming Jay Hawkins Award for Live Performance, a Blues Blast Music Award for Female Vocalist of the year, and you’ve got a decorated and consummate performer.

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Sugar Brown | Toronto ON

Sugar Brown got his start as a blues musician and singer on the West Side of Chicago, where he was the harmonica player for the late blues singer, Taildragger (1940-2023). Sugar Brown broke into the Canadian blues scene with his first album, Sugar Brown’s Sad Day (2013), and when he won the Toronto Blues Society new artist competition the same year. In 2015, he released Poor Lazarus to critical acclaim, and was a finalist at the International Blues Challenge in 2017. In 2018, he released his third studio album, It’s a Blues World. Sugar Brown has recently completed his fourth studio album, Toronto Bound, to be released in 2024.

 

 

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Suzie Vinnick | Wainfleet ON

A Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada, Suzie Vinnick is the proud owner of a gorgeous voice, impressive guitar and bass chops and an engagingly candid performance style. Suzie has won 11 Maple Blues Awards, 1 Canadian Folk Music Award and is a 3X Juno Nominee. She has also twice won the International Songwriting Competition – Blues Category. Her latest album is entitled “Fall Back Home”.

 

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Shakura S’Aida | Toronto ON

Shakura S’Aida is an award-winning performer, who has traveled the globe for more than two decades. Honoured with the 2021 Maple Blues Lifetime Achievement, the Brooklyn-born, Swiss-raised entertainer has also shone on theatre stages as star and creator of the four-woman tribute to Nina Simone, The Nina Project, and in on-screen roles including as Lena, member of the beloved “Jazzagals” in the acclaimed series Schitt’s Creek, and most recently as Cora Lewis, mother to Batwoman in DC Comics / Warner Brothers hit series of the same name. In 2023, Shakura’s first new album in ten years, Hold on to Love, was nominated for a Contemporary Roots Juno Award and won the Folk Music Ontario Album of the Year.

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Garret T. Willie | Campbell River, BC

Garret T. Willie is an old soul masquerading as an uncommonly wise, weathered, witty and world-weary 23-year-old and he’s about to give rock ‘n’ roll a formidable 21st -century kick in the ass. Garret T. Willie hails from Kingcome Inlet, British Columbia but while Willie’s Indigenous back story gives him more right than most to sing the blues – and at heart, Garret T. Willie is a rock ‘n’ roller – he’d rather that not be the whole story. Willie is the personification of an open book in the lyric sheet to his debut record Same Pain and his interest is only in channeling every ounce of the classic blues and rock ‘n’ roll he venerates so deeply into something new.

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The Blackburn Brothers | Toronto ON

Musically, the Blackburn name has been forever imprinted in our ears by Bobby Dean Blackburn, a veteran R&B artist who gained legendary status in the Toronto music scene, performing the city circuit for over 50 years. Beyond the music, other history runs deep too. The Blackburn name is tied to the history of the Underground Railroad, and there is a direct connection to the musical talents that we know and listen to today. A thread of Soul in almost every track the band records. Blackburn Brothers received the Maple Blues Award for BEST NEW BAND in 2010, a JUNO nomination for BLUES ALBUM OF THE YEAR in 2016, Duane Blackburn received a  Maple Blues Award nomination for KEYBOARD/PIANO PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2019, 2020, 2021, Cory Blackburn received a Maple Blues Award nomination for DRUMMER OF THE YEAR in 2020 & 2022, the band received a Maple Blues Award nomination for ELECTRIC ACT OF THE YEAR in 2022.
In 2023, Blackburn Brothers released their latest album SoulFunkn’BLUES with their Toronto-based record label Electro-Fi Records. The band became Canada South Blues Society Hall of Fame Inductees. Considered the highest honours on the Canadian Blues scene

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SHOWCASE LINE UP

Purchase Showcase Only Tickets Here

Friday February 9

4pm Bobby Dean Blackburn
5:15pm The Maple Blues Band 

8:00pm Ken Whiteley
8:30pm The Tone Wheels
9:00pm Son of Dave
9:30pm Dan McKinnon
10:00pm Jake Chisholm
10:30pm Kenny Blues Boss Wayne
11:00pm Bywater Call
11:30pm Angelina Hunter Trio

 

Saturday February 10

Sponsored By Lighthouse Blues Festival

8:00pm Derek Falls Band
8:30pm Michael Jerome Browne
9:00pm Miss Emily
9:30pm Glenn Marais and The Mojo Train
10:00pm The Sugar Darlings
10:30pm Angelique Francis
11:00pm Garnetta Cromwell and DaGroovemasters 
11:30pm The Brandon Isaak Trilogy 

 

Sunday February 11

4:00pm Camilo Restrepo
4:30pm Sean Pinchin
5:00pm Po’Boy Jeffreys
5:30pm Brock Stonefish

8:00pm Isaak Bonk
8:30pm Raoul and the Big Time
9:00pm Dawn Tyler Watson
9:30pm Sugar Brown
10:00pm Suzie Vinnick
10:30pm Shakura S’Aida
11:00pm Garret T. Willie
11:30pm The Blackburn Brothers

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                              FULL SCHEDULE

Friday February 9

Registration Desk Open – 11am – 8pm – Gerrard Room

Opening Reception – 4 – 6pm – Churchill Ballroom

Night Showcases – 8pm – 12am – Churchill Ballroom

Saturday February 10

Registration Desk Open – 10am – 8pm – Gerrard Room

Panel – 11am – Noon – Seymour Room

Panel – 11am – Noon – Stevenson Room

Panel – 12:30pm – 1:30pm – Seymour Room

Panel – 12:30pm – 1:30pm – Stevenson Room

B2B Speed Pitch – 2:30pm – 4:30pm – Churchill Ballroom  *Invitation Required

Night Showcases – 8pm – 12am – Churchill Ballroom

 

Sunday February 11

Registration Desk Open – 10am – 8pm – Gerrard Room

Panel – 11am – Noon – Seymour Room

Panel – Noon – 1 pm Seymour Room

B2B Speed Pitch – 1pm – 3pm – Churchill Ballroom  *Invitation Required

Afternoon  Showcases – 4pm – 6pm – Churchill Ballroom

Night Showcases – 8pm – 12am – Churchill Ballroom

 

Monday February 11

Registration Desk Open – 10am – 2pm – Gerrard Room

Festival Rendezvous – 11am – 12:30pm – Seymour Room

Presenters Meeting – 2:30 – 4pm Seymour Room

 

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SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

OPENING RECEPTION:

Sponsored By Stony Plain

Friday February 9, 2024  4pm – 6pm Churchill Ballroom.

Performances by

Bobby Dean Blackburn 4pm

The Maple Blues Band 5:15pm

 

KEYNOTE ADDRESS:

Friday February 9, 2024   Churchill Ballroom During Opening Reception

Welcome reception keynote address by Ontario Arts Council CEO Michael Murray

 

B2B SPEED PITCH:

Showcase artist one-on-one’s with Blues Summit talent buyers.

Appointments are based on availability.

Sat February 10 2:30pm – 4:30pm & Sun February 11 1pm – 3pm.

These will take place in The Churchill Ballroom.

Preregister is mandatory [email protected]

 

FORUM | FESTIVALS RENDEZVOUS:

Monday February 12,  11:00am-12:30pm.

 

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PANELS

Sponsored By Long & McQuade Musical Instruments

Saturday February 10

Grants – Funding Q & A – Funding for your music and music projects
11am – Noon – Seymour Room
Cat Bird (Director of Business Development Linus Entertainment)
Emma Barnett (Program Administrator FACTOR)
Christy DiFelice (Program Manager Toronto Arts Council) (TAC)

Blues Booster Interview
11am – Noon – Stevenson Room
Holger Petersen Saturday Night Blues host on CBC and Stony Plain interviews veteran radio host Brant Zwicker recipient of 2024 Blues Booster of the Year

How to make the best of Digital revenue
12:30pm – 1:30pm – Seymour Room
Jordan Percival Stony Plain Digital Marketing Manager and
Andrew Karis Manager Actra-Racs

Blues in Canada then and now
12:30pm – 1:30pm – Stevenson Room
Bobby Dean and Brooke Blackburn
Father and son talk of their journey in the Blues

Sunday February 11

Radio Broadcasting- Blues Radio in 2024 
11am – Noon – Seymour Room
Doctor Julie Hill (CIUT FM) moderator – Holger Petersen (CBC)
Brant Zwicker (ACT Blues Network) – Ken Stowar (CIUT FM) –
Sarah French (Sarah French Publicity) and Mark Stenzler (Blues Zeppelin- Bern, Switzerland)

Making the best of Social Media
Noon – 1 pm Seymour Room
Ori Dagan (International Jazz Singer and Song Writer)
Sarah French (Sarah French Publicity)

Monday February 12

Forum – Festival Rendez-Vous
11am – 12:30pm – Seymour Room
Meet the festival organizers Q&A

 

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PARTNERS

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DROP BOXES

Drop boxes are free receptacles requested by radio hosts, journalists, artistic directors, and other industry “buyers” who are seeking new music. Those looking to book artists, write reviews or discover music for a radio show or station are encouraged to request a drop box where artists, agents, and managers will place promotional packages (ex. CD/one-sheet). Each drop box is personalized and artists/managers/agents can select.

Key delegates (artistic directors, media representatives, radio hosts, journalists, etc) can request a dedicated “drop box” that will be used to collect CD submissions from musicians, managers and agents throughout Blues Summit 11. Drop boxes can be accessed through the Registration Office (Gerrard Room) for the duration of the conference. Musicians and showcasing artists are invited to place a CD in the boxes of any key delegates who they would like to share their music with.

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KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Michael Murray was appointed CEO of the Ontario Arts Council (OAC) in July 2022. He brings wide-ranging leadership experience in the professional not-for-profit arts sector and cultural industries provincially, nationally and internationally.

Michael returns to OAC from the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) where he served as director of ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society, Canada’s largest performers’ rights organization.

From August 2015 to February 2021, Michael was executive director for the Toronto Musicians’ Association, Local 149 of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, representing 2,900 members in labour relations and advocacy.

Between 2007 and 2015, Michael was OAC’s popular & world music and arts service organizations officer. His outreach efforts during this time led to significant increases in applicants and grant recipients from Indigenous and racialized communities.

He began his career as a professional musician, producer and songwriter in Montreal. Later, he was named executive director of UrbanArts, a community arts council in Toronto that focuses on engaging youth facing socioeconomic barriers in community building through the arts.

In 2007, Michael was an accompanying delegate on the State visit to Brazil by Michaëlle Jean, former Governor General of Canada, making international connections on technology and social change in the arts. He was an inaugural member of the Canadian chapter of the National Black MBA Association.

Michael graduated in 2007 from the Schulich School of Business (York University) MBA program with a specialization in Arts & Media Management. He is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and holds an Honours Bachelor of Music from McGill University.

Keynote Address will take place on Friday February 9 during the Opening Reception 4 – 6pm Churchill Ballroom

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BS11 DELEGATES 

First name	Last name	Company	city	prov	country
Mark	Stenzler	Blues Zeppelin Radio	Bern		Switzerland
Nickel (Nick)	Helge	BluesFest Eutin	Eutin		Germany
Barbara	Bloch	BluesFest Eutin	Eutin		Germany
Rui	Guerreiro	Portugal EBC	Lisbon		Portugal
Dulio	Canario	Portugal EBC	Lisbon		Portugal
Jeff	Davis	Playing With Fire	Omaha	NE	USA
Vanessa	Marie	Playing With Fire	Omaha	NE	USA
Laura	Carbone	Plattsburgh Blues and Jazz	Plattsburgh	NY	USA
Derek	Andrews	Toronto Blues Society / Global Café	Toronto	ON	Canada
Manny	DeGrandis	Toronto Blues Society	Newmarket	ON	Canada
Lucie	Dufault	Toronto Blues Society	Caledonia	ON	Canada
Janet	Alilovic	Toronto Blues Society	Kitchener	ON	Canada
Grant	Paley		Toronto	ON	Canada
John	Mulligan	John Mulligan Freelance Writing Services	St Catharines	ON	Canada
Bonnie	Baker	Bonnie Baker Consulting & Event Services	St Catharines	ON	Canada
Bobby	Sewerynek	Jim Dan Dee	Brampton	ON	Canada
James	Stefanuk	Jim Dan Dee	Grafton	ON	Canada
Norm	DiPietro	Stonebridge Wasaga Beach Blues	Wasaga Beach	ON	Canada
Dawn	Clare	Stonebridge Wasaga Beach Blues	Wasaga Beach	ON	Canada
Jordan	Safer	Beaches Sandbox	Toronto	ON	Canada
Samantha	Little	Beaches Sandbox	Toronto	ON	Canada
Lori	Murray	Music by the Bay Live	Uxbridge	ON	Canada
Paul	Murray	Music by the Bay Live	Uxbridge	ON	Canada
Jim	Jones	Zapp Productions	Killaloe	ON	Canada
Marilyn	Clarke	Lighthouse Blues Fest	Kincardine	ON	Canada
Rick	Clarke	Lighthouse Blues Fest	Kincardine	ON	Canada
Claude	Cloutier	Kitchener Blues Festival	Kitchener	ON	Canada
Gabor	Szepesi	Wasaga Beach Blues Festival	Wasaga Beach	ON	Canada
Kathy	Mulgrew	Wasaga Beach Blues Festival	Wasaga Beach	ON	Canada
Shakura	S’Aida	Shakura S’Aida	Toronto	ON	Canada
Meghan	Parnell	Bywater Call	Toronto	ON	Canada
Camillo	Restrepo	Camillo Restrepo	Toronto	ON	Canada
Suzie	Vinnick	Suzie Vinnick	Toronto	ON	Canada
Dan	McKinnon	Dan Mickinnon	Toronto	ON	Canada
Dee Blue	Doug Bonathan	Seismic Blues	St Thomas	ON	Canada
Jesse	Whiteley		Toronto	ON	Canada
Lynn	Wintercorn		Toronto	ON	Canada
John	Gieruszczak	Photography	Innisfil	ON	Canada
Sean	Pinchin	Sean Pinchin	North York	ON	Canada
Matt	Allen	The Swingin’ Blackjacks	Huntsville	ON	Canada
Bruce	Hall	Grand River Blues Society	Brantford	ON	Canada
Claude	Cloutier	Grand River Blues Society	Brantford	ON	Canada
Chris	Arsenault	Grand River Blues Society	Brantford	ON	Canada
Fiona	McFarlane	Grand River Blues Society	Brantford	ON	Canada
Joanne	White	Grand River Blues Society	Brantford	ON	Canada
Janet	Horgan	Grand River Blues Society	Brantford	ON	Canada
Glenn	Marais	Glenn Marais & The Mojo Train	Newmarket	ON	Canada
Paul	Sanderson	Sanderson Entertainment Law	Toronto	ON	Canada
DAVID	SAMPSON		Toronto	ON	Canada
Lance	Anderson	Matchedash Parish	Orillia	ON	Canada
Dougal	Bichan	Dougal & Co. Inc	Toronto	ON	Canada
Ian	Davie	TBS	Scarborough	ON	Canada
Josh	Leitch	Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival	Orangeville	ON	Canada
Larry	Kurtz	Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival	Orangeville	ON	Canada
Norma	Bailey	Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival	Orangeville	ON	Canada
Linda	Leitch	Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival	Orangeville	ON	Canada
Doug	Bonathan	Seismic Blues Music	St. Thomas	ON	Canada
Rosemarie	Fleischer	Dabloozman Productions	Waterdown	ON	Canada
Alex (Aug)	Polowick	Heartless Saints/Canada South Blues Society	Blenheim	ON	Canada
Dwayne	Purdy	Heartless Saints	Blenheim	ON	Canada
Jay	Moonah	Broke Fuse / Mike McKenna’s Slidewinder	Toronto	ON	Canada
Veronica	Kutt	VK Artist Promotion & Bookings	Toronto	ON	Canada
Liz	Sykes	Ottawa Blues Society	Ottawa	ON	Canada
Alice	Sellwood	Koerner Hall	Toronto	ON	Canada
Bill	King	Redwood Theatre	Toronto	ON	Canada
Michael	Occhipinti	Hugh’s Room Live	Toronto	ON	Canada
Johnnie	Tibbles	Sault Blues society	Sault Ste Marie	ON	Canada
Bev	Humphrys		Espanola	ON	Canada
John	Knox		Espanola	ON	Canada
Michael	McCann	Canada South Blues Society	Windsor	ON	Canada
Debra	Thornington	Ottawa Blues Society	Gatineau	QC	Canada
Keith	Martin	Ottawa Blues Society	Ottawa	ON	Canada
Angelina	Hunter	Angelina Hunter Trio	Gatineau	QC	Canada
Rodger	Hunter	Angelina Hunter Trio	Gatineau	QC	Canada
Adam	Bell	Angelina Hunter Trio	Ottawa	ON	Canada
Garnetta	Cromwell	Garnetta Cromwell & Dagroovmasters	Hamilton	ON	Canada
Thomas	Madronich	Garnetta Cromwell & Dagroovmasters	Hamilton	ON	Canada
Murray	Kinsley	Wicked Grin	Greely	ON	Canada
Miss	Emily	Miss Emily	Kingston	ON	Canada
Gord	Hunter	Miss Emily	Kingston	ON	Canada
Margie	Bailey-Pheiffer	Miss Emily	Frankford	ON	Canada
Thom	Adkins	Thom Adkins/Sharp Dogs	Simcoe	ON	Canada
Ross	Pityk	The Boathouse Blues Project	Innisfil	ON	Canada
Rodrigo	Fritz	Massey / Roy Thomson Hall	Toronto	ON	Canada
Lily	Sazz		Dundas	ON	Canada
Cindy	McLeod	Calgary Blues Music Association	Calgary	AB	Canada
John	Rutherford	John Rutherfod Music	Calgary	AB	Canada
Jimmy	Guiboche	Jimmy	Edmonton	AB	Canada
Alyssa	Neudorf	Badlands Amphitheatre	Drumheller	AB	Canada
Stan	Budgell	Saskatoon Blues Society	Saskatoon	SK	Canada
Tammy	Utigard	Saskatoon Blues Society	Saskatoon	SK	Canada
Judy	Enns	Saskatoon Blues Society	Saskatoon	SK	Canada
Al Wood	Wood	Saskatoon Blues Society	Saskatoon	SK	Canada
Trent	Schmiedge		Saskatoon	SK	Canada
Warren	Gross	Derek Falls Band	Montreal	QC	Canada
Jean	Sicotte	Les Productions Kazou	Sutton	QC	Canada
David	McCabe	Blues Society Montreal	Saint-Urbain-Premier	QC	Canada
Brian	Slack	Tremblant Intl Blues	Mont Tremblant	QC	Canada
Suzelle	Lazure	Montreal Blues Society	Montreal	QC	Canada
Michael Jerome	Browne	Michael Jerome Browne	Montreal	QC	Canada
Yannick	Lambert	Donnacona Blues Festival	Quebec City	QC	Canada
David	Brennan	Clyde River Productions	Gatineau	QC	Canada
Lynn	Boucher		Terrebonne	QC	Canada
marc	dube	DUBë	LaPatrie	QC	Canada
Genevieve	Lebel	SARAH SOKAL	Cote St-Luc	QC	Canada
Jackie	Moisan	Nanaimo Blues Festival	Nanaimo	BC	Canada
Brant	Zwicker	At the Crossroads Blues Radio	Kamloops	BC	Canada
Kevin	Tobin	Salmon Arm Roots & Blues	Salmon Arm	BC	Canada
Brandon	Isaak	Brandon Isaak	Duncan	BC	Canada
Ken	Simms	ThinkTank Music Network	Delta	BC	Canada
Jonathon	Hines	Jon Hines Music	Judique	NS	Canada
Amelia	Bellamy- Royds				Canada