Blues in the park
Festival features Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, local musicians
The blues sounds of New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis intertwined with New Mexico sounds is what eventgoers will experience at the Land of Enchantment Blues Festival.
The event on Saturday, Sept. 29, and Sunday, Sept. 30, at Loretto Park in Bernalillo, will feature about 30 arts, crafts and other vendors displaying their products. Several food trucks and three local breweries will be part of the event. The entertainment begins at noon Saturday with an all-star jam featuring some New Mexico musicians, followed by The Plateros, featuring Levi Platero. Later, New Orleans blues musician Mem Shannon will take the stage.
“He brings in that New Orleans funk to the blues,” said Markus Gottschlich, executive director of the New Mexico Jazz Workshop, sponsor of the festival. “One of the interesting things about Mem is before he became the type of blues sensation he is now, for 15 years, he was a cabdriver. He released a CD called ‘A Cab Driver’s Blues,’ and that was sort of his breakthrough album.”
Saturday’s lineup wraps up with Memphis blues singer and harmonica player John Németh.
“He’s really exploding on the scene, so we’re very fortunate to get him this year, because in a couple years from now he might be too big to come or he might be a lot more expensive. He has a colorful past and a great bio and just a different approach to blues.
On Sunday, The Blues Revue Band, Billy D & The HooDoos, Joanna Connor and local favorite Hillary Smith with Chill House perform
“Joanna Connor, she is a slide guitar player from Chicago,” Gottschlich said. “The blues is something that let’s just say in order to be successful there your level has to be pretty high and she is... She is the best guitar blues guitarist in Chicago and we are excited to bring her to New Mexico.”