Monaghan's to get the blues

Monaghan will be painted a cool shade of blue on the weekend of September 4 to 6, when the Harvest Time Blues festival will see 22 acts performing 40 gigs in ten venues. This 3 day festival is dedicated to 'the blues' - the music that gave birth to rock 'n' roll. They pay homage to the blues by keeping the music alive, honouring the sounds of founders and showcasing the talents of present day torch-bearers. The festival, which started back in 1991, has a 'hall of fame' of past performers, including: Bobby Rush, Van Morrison, Honeyboy Edwards, Gary Moore, Philip Walker, Guitar Shorty, Tommy Castro, Johnny Dyer, Chris Smither, Earl King, Melvin Taylor, Luther Allison, Byther Smith, Long John Hunter ,Phil Guy & William Clarke, Walter Trout and Mitch Woods. This year's festival is three-fold with the Marquee hosting the main acts, the Market House hosting the acoustic acts and the Blues Trail showcasing 13 great bands from Ireland, England, Newcastle, Scotland and Holland. Venues The doors open in the Marquee at 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights and at 9.30pm Sunday. A band from the blues trail will entertain you at the bar area until the main acts comes on. The stage will be rocking till 3am. Nightly admission is €20, or €50 for a three-night pass. The price in to the Market House will be €10 for Friday evening and €12 each day for Saturday/Sunday; your ticket can then be used to get a 50% discount into the Marquee for the same night. The performance times will vary from day to day, however they will end at 9pm to facilitate those who wish to head to the Blues Trail or Marquee. The Blues Trail incorporates seven venues in Monaghan town. No festival can be complete without the support from the publicans' venues in town who are the partners in bringing this festival together. Entry to any of these venues is free of charge. Nearly 40 gigs will be played at these venues by the early hours of Monday. Acts The headline acts performing at the Marquee include: Coco Montoya, from California; John Jorgenson Band, California and Nashville; King Pleasure And The Biscuit Boys, England; Too Slim And The Tail Draggers, Seattle; Nathan And The Zydeco Cha Chas, Louisiana; and Harper, Michigan and Australia. "The fiery blues that issue forth from Coco Montoya's guitar are awe-inspiring and boogie requiring," according to The Village Voice. Montoya uses blues as a blasting off point for his rock solid, groove-laden music. With his icy hot guitar playing and his soulful, unaffected vocals, he attacks each song with deep feeling and ferocious energy. At every show, fans' jaws drop, and critics rave about his mind-bending guitar licks and impassioned vocals. The list of artists John Jorgenson has performed and recorded with reads like a who's who of rock, pop, country, bluegrass, and folk music. Bonnie Raitt, Earl Scruggs, Hank Marvin, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Little Richard and Elton John. A true musician who doesn't copy anybody, whether playing his own accessible compositions or classic standards, Earl Scruggs himself says: "To say that John is a superlative guitarist is an understatement. He is simply great." Rough, tough and always rocking, the legendary zany stage show sometimes belies the fact that King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys are possibly the finest, most authentic rhythm and blues band ever to come from outside the US. Blues & Rhythm magazine dubbed them "easily the best Rhythm & Blues Band on the planet!" Too Slim and his band fall into whatever category a combination of Tom Petty, Creedence and ZZ Top would create.  They have an eclectic style of roots-rock, American and blues which has become a genre all of its own. Most prominent is this band's affection for guitar-driven, Texas-style blues. Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas feature a big-hearted voice, virtuoso accordion playing and expansive exhortations is both an antidote to life's smack downs and a reason to get down and boogie. Hiding behind his trademark sunglasses, smiling broadly, while his fingers move smoothly up and down the keys and buttons producing classic Zydeco that captures every emotion. Harper is described as part harmonica wizard and part rhythmic explorer, who blurs the lines between rock, blues, soul and world music. He takes the harmonica beyond its assigned place and develops a highly original take on the roots genre. The acoustic acts are Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan, California; Charlie Parr, Minnesota; and Kent Duchaine, Minnesota. The former are described as a unique combination of style and musical arrangement, who give a distinctive signature to the more traditional sound. It is said that Parr's raw voice, lightning finger picking and plaintive but wry songs have made him one of the most important contemporary protagonists of the American folk tradition. Duchaine is described as one of the best blues slide guitarists around, with his traditional and unique delta blues style music. Some of the 13 acts performing at the Blues Trail this year are: Doctor Brown & The Groovecats, Newcastle; The Ben Reel Band, Monaghan; Smokin' Hogs, England; King King, Scotland; and the Lyndon Anderson Band, Newcastle. • Telephone 047-38162 or 047-71113, call into The Market House, Monaghan Town, email harvestblues@eircom.net or see harvestblues.com.