Mel Brown honoured: The late great Mel Brown will have a Mississippi  Blues Trail Marker unveiling in Kitchener during the Kitchener Blues Festival on August 9, 2025. This will be the first Mississippi  Blues Trail Marker in Canada. It’s a tribute to our beloved “Honorary Canadian” bluesician who was a great mentor to local players like Shawn Kellerman, Steve Strongman, Leo Valvassori, Julian Fauth and countless others. The Grand River Blues Society will host the ceremony during the 25th annual Kitchener Blues Festival, a milestone year for one of Canada’s premier music events, known for attracting tens of thousands of blues fans from around the world.

Mississippi-born guitarist Mel Brown compiled a remarkable resume in blues, jazz, funk, and country music during his decades of touring and recording in America with a host of stars. Nowhere was he so welcomed, however, and nowhere was his impact so significant, as in Kitchener, where he moved in 1989. His arrival in the city helped inspire a cultural renaissance around the blues genre and served as a key catalyst for the founding of the Kitchener Blues Festival itself.

Brown began his music career in Jackson, Mississippi, later moving to Los Angeles in 1958, where he performed with icons such as Johnny Otis, Etta James, and B.B. King. Known for his expressive style on the Gibson guitar and organ, he became a staple in the American music industry, recording five albums for ABC Impulse! and appearing on several prominent television programs.

This unveiling marks the 219th marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail—a globally recognized program that celebrates the rich heritage and legacy of the blues. While most markers are in Mississippi, this international placement underscores Brown’s unique story and the profound cultural ties between Mississippi and Kitchener. It’s happening on Saturday, August 9 at 10:30 AM.  www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com

A new blues book in the works: Mike McKenna, an enduring presence on the  Toronto blues scene since…forever… has started work on a book which is bound to have a lot of great insight on the early days of McKenna Mendelson Mainline and the development of Toronto as a mecca of the blues. Co-writer Randall Smith has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise a few bucks to get the project started. Randall writes, “ I first met Mike in a recording studio in Leaside…Mike sat with me during the opening band performance in Omemee and he signed my STINK LP. Fast forward a few years. I contacted Mike about guitar lessons. He accepted the challenge of teaching me guitar. After lessons we would go to Harvey’s for Mike’s favourite meal, cheeseburgers. Over lunch he would tell me stories and I said, “You should write a book.” He told me many people have said that. Anyway, after about the 25th story (or so) I said, “Let’s do it.” And here we are. I am still taking guitar lessons, and we have manuscript just about ready for publication. Mike and I have become really good friends. Mike says, “My book has stories spanning across four countries and eight bands. We start with my early years, then my time in Yorkville, and onto the world stage.

Finally getting my life documented in a book is like a dream come true! I feel proud of this book. I am humbled and very fortunate that I have been able to perform with so many talented musicians. However, I am not able to do this on my own. I need your help to raise $2,000 to bring my book to life. With your financial help I can publish this book and get my story out to you.

For your support I offer the following Gifts:

• A $20 Donation will get you my latest CD with Jay Moonah “Breaking News”
• A $50 Donation will get you a Mainline or Slidewinder T-Shirt.

Go to www.gofundme.com and search for Mike McKenna.

Guitar Workshop Plus is celebrating their 23rd year and continue to offer the premier summer music education experience for guitarists (as well as bass, drums, keyboards, songwriting and more) with a healthy dose of blues. Their 2025 program, boasts an extraordinary lineup of guest artists, new seminars, and course offerings. This year’s featured artists include guitar legend Steve Morse (solo, Deep Purple, Kansas), Hall of Famer Rik Emmett, bass virtuosos Stuart Hamm and Dave LaRue, blues maestro Matt Schofield, innovative guitarist Greg Koch, and rock icons Phil X (Bon Jovi, The Drills) and Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Trans Siberian Orchestra), and more. Full schedules, detailed session information, and scholarship opportunities can be found at www.guitarworkshopplus.com. Tuition packages are available with or without the Toronto sessions take place July 13–18 and for the first time they will be offering a winter session  in Florida if you needed an excuse to get away. There are still spots available for the Toronto session. Call  (905) 567-8000 or email info@guitarworkshopplus.com. www.guitarworkshopplus.com

Chris Duarte coming this way: Texas Guitarslinger Chris Duarte will be playing an intimate club show at the Spot 1 Grill & Music Hall in Brampton on Saturday August 9th. He was born in San Antonio Texas and moved to Austin in 1979. Playing a combination of hard edged blues, jazz, and rock roll he has been compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan but his biggest musical hero is John Coltrane. Chris is a veteran of major festivals world wide. Tickets : www.spot1live.ca 

Folk Music Awards: Nominations are now open to celebrate Ontario folk music’s finest at the 2025 Ontario Folk Music Awards! This year, they will be honouring the nominees and winners at an awards gala on Wednesday, October 15th, 2025, at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. There are 8 total award categories to apply for in 2025:

• Song of the Year Award
• Album of the Year Award
• Performing Artist of the Year Award
• Recording Artist of the Year
• NEW THIS YEAR: Music Video of the Year

If your blues is on the folky side, it might be worth a try. Folk Canada Members are also invited to nominate for the 2025 Estelle Klein Community Builder Award, and the Estelle Klein Lifetime Achievement Award. It’s all tied in with the 2025 Folk Music Ontario Conference, October 15-19, in Ottawa. To register as a delegate, the Early Bird Registration Deadline is July 15. They are also calling for Volunteers and for Proposals for workshops, panels and masterclasses. www.folkcanada.com.