Our Story...

In May 1990, Chris Bastress, Fred Daniele, Penny Austin, Doug McMinn, Charlie Lockard and Bonnie Tallman gathered at Franco’s Lounge in Williamsport, each placing $50 in the kitty as starting funds for a blues “picnic”. A local county commissioner, Paul Glunk offered his private property along the Susquehanna River for the occasion. Two more successful events solidified the blues were getting notice. In 1993, the group then began the process of establishing 501(c)3 non-profit status, electing a slate of officers and joining in a world-wide effort to celebrate blues music as an historical and culturally significant American born art form. The “group” was now officially known as the “Billtown Blues Association Inc.” It was also in 1993, the organizers began holding a special event meant to select musicians from the area to appear on the festival stage along with nationally known touring and recording blues musicians. In 1997 the BBA became affiliated with the National Blues Foundation in Memphis TN, which opened the door for our local and regional PA artists to become eligible to participate in the annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis. As it’s hard work, quality events, and national exposure became noticed, the BBA was the recipient of a prestigious “Keeping the Blues Alive” ( KBA) award in 2011. The BBA was selected from world-wide submissions as Blues Organization of the Year. In addition to keeping its own house in order, the BBA is proud to work with and assist the Uptown Music Collective, a local non-profit school of music, where blues music is taught and holds a major place in the school’s curriculum. Each year the BBA will hire a nationally known and respected blues artist to come to Williamsport and participate in the UMC’s annual blues-a-thon, which includes several workshops and master classes taught by the visiting musician.

The Billtown Blues Association, Inc. is supported in part by a grant from the Pennsylvania Council On the Arts for our efforts to perpetuate America’s indigenous music, the blues, in rural Pennsylvania.

UPTOWN MUSIC COLLECTIVE’S BLUES BAND

Since its inception, Dave Brumbaugh, UMC Executive Director, has included blues music performance and theory as an integral component to the school’s curriculum.

Tony Holiday

from Memphis TN follows.

Tony is an awarded blues multi-instrumentalist, with blues harmonica as his primary instrument. Tony is also known for the vision for his “Front Porch Sessions” recordings.

Coming in from Los Angeles is LAURIE MORVAN.

Laurie last graced the Billtown stage in 2011 and has repeatedly ask to return. Finally, it all worked out for 2023. Laurie’s set is hi-energy from the 1st note with great songs, stellar vocals, and blistering guitar.

As dusk starts to roll in so does

FRIENDS OF THE BROTHERS.

A very special collaboration of musicians, individual headliners in their own right, with the common thread of all being connected in some way with the Allman Brothers. This set is not to be tagged an Allman Brothers tribute performance. The connections are deep and the music presented comes from personal Allman Brothers experiences.

Saturday will start off at 12noon with longtime local favorites

BLUES AND GASOLINE REUNION.

Cheryl Miller, aka, Miz Ida, has reunited musicians from one of the earliest local blues bands for this very special set.

Shawn Strickland, ace harmonic player, singer and noted songwriter will fire up the festival leading the DIRTY MOJO

BLUES BAND.

Harrisburg based band, BEN BRANDT

And The Soul Miners

UNION will follow after his popular initial introduction to Billtown at the 2022 Fall Into the Blues.

Coming in from Cincinnati will be 20-something BEN LEVIN who is gaining respect world-wide with his grasp of traditional blues piano, his unique vocals and creative songwriting. Joining Ben from Louisiana, the elder statesman, LIL’ JIMMY REED. This will be a magical pairing sure to please.

Returning to Billtown for the 2nd time is San Francisco based MARK HUMMEL AND THE SURVIVORS, WITH HIS SPECIAL GUEST FROM DALLAS TX, ANSON FUNDERBURGH.

Mark’s style is a blend of traditional blues with a heavy dose of distin- guishable west coast swing. “Al- ways a groove”, Mark Hummel never disappoints. Anson too returns from 2004 when he came to Billtown with “the Rockets” featuring the late Sam Myers. Anson’s Texas based guitar style is defined as classy, tasteful, thoughtful, and evident of his nearly 50 years of devotion to the blues art form.

Coming to Billtown for the first time is JIMMY CARPENTER.

Best known for his tenor sax mastery, Jimmy is also a popular vocalist, song writer, arranger and bandleader. Jimmy is coming off the heels of his recent release “The Louisiana Record” on Gulf Coast records, produced by Mike Zito. Jimmy won a Blues Music Award in 2022 for Best Instrumental/horn.

Next coming in from Florida is the incredible JP SOARS. JP is making an atypical return to Billtown only since 2021 when he came to Billtown in support of Jason Ricci. This time JP will be presenting his Gypsy Blues Revue featuring Chicago violinist Anne Harris. Something a little different, but sure to capture the attendee’s attention. JP is labeled “King of the Cigar Box Guitar”, has multiple Blues Music Awards in multiple categories, including nominee for Entertainer of the Year in 2022, to his credit. Long time drummer for JP, Chris Peet, was also nominated for Best Instrumentalist/drums. In 2009 JP broke out after winning the prestigious International Blues Challenge (IBC) and the “Albert King Guitar Award” (now known as the Gibson Guitar Award). The Gypsy Blues Revue will feature from Chicago, multi-talented, multi-awarded in music, production, acting, amazing talented vocalist and violinist Anne Harris.

The grand finale will feature

The Altered Five Blues Band

from Wisconsin. Jeff Taylor on vocals, Jeff Schroedl on guitar, Mark Solveson on Bass, Steve Huebler on Keys, and Alan Arber on drums are a tight band that have played together for over 20 years. It can’t be better stated than these descriptive words from their bio: “Altered Five smokes, smolders and burns like a swig of good whiskey. The hip Milwaukee quintet is known for its strong brew of tough, original blues and hard-hitting live shows. Blues Blast raves that barrel-chested front man Jeff Taylor possesses a “smooth, warm-toned voice as monumental and undeniable as Howlin’ Wolf with the finish and flourish of B.B.”