Robert Joyce, Executive Director Ph: 605-335-6101 F: 605-367-1764 sfjb.org | jazzfestsiouxfalls.com
About Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues - JazzFest 2014 The Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Festival, JazzFest 2014 is a free, three day event held annually in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This year’s event is July 17-19, 2014 at Yankton Trail Park. There is a wide diverse audience that attends this festival; no one age or group dominates. Festival organizers have seen families with toddlers to teenagers, as well as grandparents and older folk, all sitting and enjoying a quality summer event with world class music. JazzFest features a children’s area, food vendors and art vendors, fireworks, beer and wine gardens, and two stages of live music over three days. These stages feature local talent as well as nationally known headliners. Past headliners have included some of the premier musical acts in the country: Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, Los Lobos, The Rippingtons, Delbert McClinton, Tower of Power, Spryo Gyra, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Little Feat, John Hiatt, The Neville Brothers and many more. JazzFest attracts an average of 90,000 people each year and is considered one of the major events of the Sioux Falls summer. The festival is organized by the Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Society and a group of 60 local committee members. Over 800 volunteers assist with JazzFest each year along with the support of various city departments. JazzFest is a free event, with support coming from donations, sponsorships, and the sale of beer and other beverages. The record breaking attendance of 125,000 people in 2012 and 2013 shattered the previous record of 105,000 set in 2005. Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues has once again been given the great opportunity for JazzFest 2014 to align with Midcontinent Communications to bring Gary Clark Jr. and George Thorogood and the Destroyers. Robert Joyce, Executive Director of Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues says, "The partnership between Midcontinent Communications and Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues continues to provide JazzFest audiences with the opportunity to see some of the best performers touring today. Artists such as legend in the making, Gary Clark Jr. and blues staple George Thorogood & the Destroyers are the best of the blues of the past and future. Without this partnership with Midcontinent Communications, the mark of talent at JazzFest would not be at this level— we are grateful and lucky to have such a wonderful community partner." Tom Simmons, Senior Vice President of Public Policy for Midcontinent Communications added, "In the tradition of bringing the finest entertainment to our region, we're proud to sponsor both George Thorogood and Gary Clark, Jr. at JazzFest 2014. We'll have the incredible opportunity to experience a performance from the legendary George Thorogood on Friday and listen to the amazing Gary Clark Jr. on Saturday--a Grammy-winning rising star we believe will remain at the top of the charts for a very long time. Thank you to the Jazz and Blues Society for allowing us to share in this incredible community event that means so much to our customers and our employees." In addition to George Thorogood and the Destroyers and Gary Clark Jr, Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues is very excited about the rest of the 2014 Main Stage Lineup for JazzFest. Joyce said, "The diversity of our line-up is pretty strong in 2014—supporting George Thorogood, Gary Clark Jr and Gov't Mule are some great bands. Jack Brass Band and the Jennifer Keith Quartet are incredible jazz artists— with a heavy dose of funk. Samantha Fish, Kris Lager Band, and Kelly Richey are hot trailblazers in blues. And artists such as Here Come the Mummies and Josh Hoyer and the Shawdowboxers provide a rich alternative to the JazzFest audience. When you partner those artists with that of the Dakota Jazz Collective, Brandon Sprague Blues Band, and the JazzFest Jazz Camp featuring trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, you have a real spectrum of music to enjoy over three days.” Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues is looking forward to another wonderful Festival July 17-19, 2014! To find out more information about the festival or visitor information, please check out jazzfestsiouxfalls.com.
Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Announces JazzFest Main Stage Lineup JazzFest Jazz Camp with Wycliffe Gordon - jazzfestsiouxfalls.com & wycliffegordon.com The top band from JazzFest Jazz Camp will be joining Wycliffe Gordon for a grand performance. Wycliffe Gordon has been named "Trombonist of the Year" by the Jazz Journalists Association nine times since 2000. Gordon, who can play 22 additional instruments, has had an extraordinary career as a performer, conductor, composer, arranger, and educator. He is one of America's most persuasive and committed music educators, and serves on the faculty of the Jazz Arts Program at Manhattan School of Music. Dakota Jazz Collective Dakota Jazz Collective is a Sioux Falls-based ensemble rooted in the classic and contemporary sounds of jazz. Featuring a horn driven ensemble, members of DJC have developed a strong reputation as some of the region’s finest and most recognized jazz musicians. Celebrating the local jazz scene, committed to jazz education, and performing across the region, Dakota Jazz Collective shares their passion for jazz with every performance. Brandon Sprague Blues guitarist and composer Brandon Sprague hails from Deadwood, South Dakota. Brandon performed at JazzFest in 2012 and has released numerous albums on the family record label. His sound is reminiscent of Jimmie Vauhgan with a bit of Springsteen tossed in. He’s performed weekly at the Deadwood Tobacco and Cigar Bar for most of the last decade and has a strong Black Hills following. The band just celebrated it’s CD release of original tunes entitled, “Edge of the World.” Josh Hoyer & The Shadowboxers - joshhoyerandtheshadowboxers.com Josh Hoyer and The Shadowboxers is a project formed in late 2012 in famed blues town Lincoln, Nebraska. For the last 15 years, Hoyer has been very in demand as a performer in his previous bands, as a solo artist behind the piano and as a session musician and arranger. Spending much of his time booking and promoting in Lincoln at the legendary Zoo Bar and beyond, Hoyer is an influential part of the funk, soul and blues youth movement. His current 9-piece Soul band includes some of the areas most revered and accomplished musicians, many of whom have toured nationally and internationally, teach music and are asked to back up bands live and in the studio. The band’s sound and passion come from their deep respect, knowledge of and passion for blues, Americana, soul, funk, and many other styles of music. Kris Lager Band - krislagerband.comKris Lager started playing around the Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, area as a young teen guitar prodigy garnering the attention of the regional music scene. Entering into his adult years, Lager formed a band of friends and equally talented musicians and took his blues-based sounds to a more funky and modern place. The Kris Lager Band has seen a lot of success in their non-stop touring, playing over 200 shows each of the last five years. Kris Lager Band has developed a unique style with a varied mix of blues, funk, soul, Americana, rock and zydeco. Jack Brass Band - jackbrassband.com The Jack Brass Band formed in 1999 in Minneapolis, Minnesota and have been growing strong ever since. This nine piece ensemble embraces the traditions of New Orleans jazz, but at the same time adding old time blues, rock, hip-hop, pop, soul, funk and Reggae. The crack of the snare drum, the blat of the sousaphone, the blaring brass over it all tells you that the Jack Brass Band is an infectious machine, one that drives crowd to their feet and commands them to groove. A truly unique sound and experience, the band has been featured at festivals in Canada, as well as throughout the upper Midwest. If you like your music hot and spicy, the Jack Brass Band is just for you. The Jennifer Keith Quintet - jenniferkeith.com Vocalist & Las Vegas headliner Jennifer Keith is an American Classic and a descendent of a long line of entertainers that began with her Great Great Grandfather B.F. Keith, the “K” in RKO Pictures, one of the Big Five studios of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Many have described Jenny as “a pinup doll with a voice reminiscent of Peggy Lee meets Julie London”. Her fabulous quintet is led by Mando Dorame, tenor saxophonist and Co-founder of world renowned Royal Crown Revue; a band who is credited for reviving the swing movement in the 1990’s. Among other credits, Royal Crown Revue has been featured in “Gene Simmons family Jewels”, “The Mask” with Jim Carrey and have toured with Bette Midler. Jennifer Keith also traveled to Egypt as a guest of the US State Department to perform at the Cairo Jazz Festival. Audiences will be thoroughly entertained and transported back to a timeless era of entertainment! The Kelly Richey Band - kellyrichey.com Based in Cincinnati, Kelly Richey is one of the hardest working independent musicians out there, to date logging an extraordinary
800,000 miles touring, and at one point in her 25- year professional career, gigging a grueling 275 days out of the year. Richey started playing guitar at the age of 15. Today, at age 48 and a staggering 3,500 gigs later, she more than earns the title of Master guitarist. She has been described as “Stevie Ray Vaughan trapped in a woman’s body with Janis Joplin screaming to get out”. She has been listed as among the top 100 gifted guitarists by the Truefire Commuity (2011), and draws comparisons to blues icons Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Richey has shared the stage with such legends as Lonnie Mack and Albert King, and has opened for Joe Cocker, Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter, Walter Trout, Little Feat, Foghat, REO Speedwagon, George Thorogood, Average White Band, Warren Zevon, and James Brown. Richey is a serious, no-holds-barred axe grinder. Setting up her band as a power trio (drums, bass, and guitar), showcases her muscular, incendiary leads and masterful guitar chops. Playing live is where Richey shines, literally bringing down the house at every show she plays. Cognizant of the emotionality of the music in her live shows, Richey steamrolls; she hits the audience hard and fast, grabs on and doesn't let go. Hard rocking, blues-based and guitar driven, she blasts her audiences with jaw-dropping, lightening fast riffs and a muscularity of playing that even many of the best male guitarists don't possess. Her soulful voice, a big, powerful alto, provides the arc that completes the circle for a total sonic experience that is not to be forgotten. Richey’s stage presence is powerful. The first few notes from her guitar and you know you are in very competent hands; in particular, her effect on the audience is not to be missed--- those who have never seen her play are stopped in their tracks, stunned and speechless. Samantha Fish - samanthafish.com Kansas City-based Samantha Fish has been on a major roll ever since she teamed up with Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde on Ruf’s 2011 release, Girls with Guitars, and fueled by the trio’s Blues Caravan tour of Europe and the U.S., created an international buzz in the blues world. Later that same year she recorded Runaway, her solo debut on Ruf, which mixed gutsy riff-blues rockers like “Down In The Swamp” with the mellow small-hours jazz of “Feelin’ Alright,” while marinating her songwriting in the groove of the Rolling Stones and even tipping a hat to Heart. “It’s all the sounds I grew up with,” she explained at the time, “with my own spin.” Earlier this year Samantha joined labelmate Devon Allman for a sultry duet of the Tom Petty classic, “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around,” that appeared on Devon’s Turquoise CD and accompanying video. Hitting a receptive international blues and rock press, Runaway was hailed as a thrilling opening statement, earning a string of rave reviews and radio airplay, climaxed by her winning the Blues Music Award (BMA) for “Best New Artist Debut” in 2012. Here Come The Mummies - herecomethemummies.com From these hovering souls, who called themselves Here Come The Mummies, Professor Dumblucke learned of the powerful curse that doomed them to wander the earth, seeking the ultimate riff, the one that may allow their spirits to rest after eons of, as they put it, "banging out solid fly grooves, y'all." Without so much as a hot bath, HCTM would open for P--‐Funk and Al Green, rock Super Bowl Village 2012, become regulars at The Bob and Tom Show and massive festivals like Summerfest, and make themselves the darlings of sell-out crowds over wide swaths of North America (and little tiny strips of Eurasia). Eddie Mummy, Java, K.W. Tut, Mummy Cass, Spaz, The Pole, Midnight, Mummy Rah, and The Flu got the remainder of their minds and bandages together and realized that the world was ready for a new HCTM record. The new collection, Cryptic, suits their elusive persona down to the ground. Headliner - Gov't Mule - mule.net Gov't Mule has been blowing minds since their eponymous 1994 debut. That album found the band boldly transfusing new blood into old-school blues-rock at a time when the genre was largely ignored. Gov't Mule's stylistic grasp has grown inexhaustibly since. Fighting the trend in a declining music industry, the band's fan base, too, has steadily expanded over the course of 15 studio and live releases and thousands of performances - at first in small clubs and theaters, then at halls and major international festivals. Few bands have a reputation for making music as consistently honest, organic and daring as Gov't Mule. Now the enduring group fronted by visionary singer-guitarist and Grammy winner Warren Haynes returns with their first album in four years - their Blue Note Records debut Shout!, a breath-taking, exploratory double-disc released in September 2013. The inventive and incendiary musical performances throughout both discs spring from the jazz-like philosophy and creative language the Mule's members have developed together. They're the rare rock ‘n' roll group with an improvisational heartbeat, which allows all four musicians to expand on the songs' themes in non-formulaic ways. That quality distinguishes the finest jazz, blues and rock recordings of the '50s and '60s, but is largely absent in modern music. Today, Gov't Mule have become a human encyclopedia of great American music even while adding to that cannon. And through it all Haynes has served as not only the group's captain, but as a beacon of creativity and excellence that inspires fans and fellow musicians.
Headliner - Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues and Midcontinent Communications presents George Thorogood and the Destroyers - 40 Years Strong - georgethorogood.com For George Thorogood and his longtime band The Destroyers – Jeff Simon (drums, percussion), Bill Blough (bass guitar), Jim Suhler (rhythm guitar) and Buddy Leach (saxophone) – their 40th anniversary is indestructible proof that staying true to yourself and the music can still mean something. And with a catalog of iconic hits that includes “Who Do You Love”, “I Drink Alone”, “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”, “Bad To The Bone” and more, being able to share it with audiences is what will always matter. Over the course of sixteen studio albums (including six Gold and two Platinum), they would storm the charts by putting their own stamp on nuggets by Hank Williams, Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James and more, while simultaneously bashing out smash GT originals that crackle with humor and swagger. “I’ve always balanced one against the other,” George explains. “Back when we were playing clubs before we had original material, I’d say ‘Hey, let’s play that Willie Dixon song.’ We played them our way and audiences loved ‘em. Ultimately, the 40 Years Strong Tour is 50% celebration, 50% declaration and 100% Thorogood throwdown. But after 4 decades as one of the most consistent – and consistently unique – careers in rock, can a guitar-slinger still at the top of his game choose a moment that sums it all up? “Stan Musial was once asked, ‘What was the greatest day of your career?’ And Stan said ‘Every day when I walk onto the field is the greatest day.’ I feel the same way,” George says. “Every night when I walk out on that stage is the highlight of my career. I hit that first chord, the band kicks in, and we hear the audience respond. That’s the rush. 40 years into this, and every night, that's still the only moment that matters.” Headliner - Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues and Midcontinent Communications presents Gary Clark Jr. - garyclarkjr.com To sum up Gary Clark Jr. is more challenging every day. He’s a musical universe unto himself, expanding at a nearly immeasurable rate, ever more hard to define — as a mind-blowing guitarist, a dazzling songwriter and engagingly soulful singer. With his debut album Blak And Blu he has just become the first artist ever recognized by the Recording Academy with Grammy Award nominations in both the rock and R&B categories for the same album in the same year, winning a Grammy Award the latter: Best Traditional R&B Performance” - “Please Come Home” (from the album Blak And Blu). And the day after claiming those honors he provided one of the highlights of the highlights-filled “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles,” with sparks flying as he dueled with Joe Walsh on an incendiary “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Dave Grohl behind them pounding the drums. But that barely scratches the surface. The album’s a rocket ride from the Mississippi Delta of a century ago to multiple points still out beyond the horizon. Rock and R&B sure, but blues, soul, pop, psychedelia, punk and hip-hop are also in Clark’s expansive musical embrace and insatiable hunger for inspiration, which he’s internalized into music all his own. His two acoustic blues performances on the soundtrack album for the acclaimed movie 12 Years a Slave show the distinct talent and personality he brings to his music. The generous gift donation from Midcontinent Communications has made the performances of George Thorogood and the Destroyers and Gary Clark Jr. possible. About Midcontinent Communications Midcontinent Communications is the leading provider of data, video and phone services, and cable advertising production in the Upper Midwest, serving over 300,000 customers throughout 335 communities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. From the time we were founded in 1931, Midcontinent’s commitment to making the region a great place to live and work is reflected in the mission, values, products and services we bring to every home and business we serve. For more information about Midcontinent, please visit the company’s website at www.midcocomm.com. The Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Festival, JazzFest is organized by Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues, a non-profit arts organization. *** It is the mission of Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues to increase the awareness of jazz and blues music in the Sioux Falls community and region through musical events and education.