The 17th Annual New York City Blues & BBQ Festival

August 23, 2016

The 17^th Annual New York City Blues & BBQ Festival

At Pier 97 (57^th St. & 12^th Ave) August 20^th 2016

Written and photographed by Richard Ludmerer

Every year I look forward to this free festival. This year it was held in a new location which proved to be ideal. They placed the stage closest to the street. The beer concession was closest to the festival goers while the food concessions were furthest away.

The lineup is usually good but this year it was one of their best. The opening act was “Gaye Adegbalola and The Wild Rutz”. Adegbalola had been a member of Saffire The Uppity Blues Women but they disbanded shortly before Ann Rabson passed away. Adegbalola hit it big again with this contingent as she was nominated for a Blues Music Award in the category of Acoustic Artist of The Year. Rounding out the Rutz are Gloria Jackson, Tanyah Dadze Cotton, and Marta Fuentes. Previously I only had a quick glimpse of this band so I arrived early and was sitting in the front row when they opened. Primarily performing acapella their combination of doo-wop, gospel, reggae, and topical songs thrilled the crowd.

Next up were Blind Pig Records recording artists “The Cash Box Kings”. They received two Blues Music Award nominations at this years BMA’s held in Memphis this past May. They were nominated for Album of The Year for “Holding Court” and for Band of The Year. The awards are so competitive that a nomination is like winning an award as all of the nominees are kept in the Blues Foundation’s database. The Cash Box Kings are Oscar Wilson, and Joel Paterson, and on this day they included Billy Flynn on guitar and harmonica.

Bernard Allison is the son of the late Luther Allison. For many years the younger Allison performed in a style similar to his father. In 2015 “The Bernard Allison Group” scored with “In The Mix” a break through recording that established the younger Allison as an artist with his own music. Bernard gave a well rounded set as he paid tribute to his dad on what would have been his dad’s seventy-seventh birthday. Luther would have been proud.

Sugarray Rayford used to be the lead vocalist for The Mannish Boys and has since recorded several albums as “The Sugarray Rayford Band”; complete with a three piece horn section. This year Rayford received three Blues Music Award nominations, one for his most recent album “Southside”, one for Contemporary Blues Male Artist of The Year and one for Entertainer of The Year. Rayford just has to be seen.

The closer this day was New Orleans’ “Dirty Dozen Brass Band”. The Dozens revolutionized brass bands by incorporating funk and bebop into what was a traditional jazz sound. They are Grammy Award nominees and featured on HBO TV’s “Treme”. They are lead by Gregory Davis, trumpet and Efrem Towns, trumpet.