Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Society presents the 2013 Riverfront Bluesfest featuring the following talented artists:
Friday June 21, 2013
6:00 Leah & The Mojo Doctors
7:15 Jeff Strahan
8:30 Eric Sardinas
10:30 Mark Albertson & Wanda Watson
Saturday June 22, 2013
5:00 Interstate Buffalo
6:00 Terry Quiett Band
7:15 JP Soars
9:00 Johnny Winter
10:30 Oreo Blue
Leah and the Mojo Doctors
Fayetteville’s Leah and the Mojo Doctors have been playing their distinctive style of blues for more than a decade. Singer Leah Spears was named “Best Female Vocalist” at both the 2004 Ozark Music Awards and the 2008 and 2012 Northwest Arkansas Music Awards. The band also won the “Best Blues Band” title at the 2009 and 2012 Northwest Music Awards. In 2012 Leah and the Mojo Doctors represented the Ozark Blues Society at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. This band is sure to win new fans with their high-energy live show at the 2013 Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Festival.
Jeff Strahan
Texas native Jeff Strahan is a former trial lawyer turned powerhouse guitarist and keyboard player. He has played music most of his life and now tours throughout Texas and beyond with his rocking three piece band. Strahan has recorded six albums and is a popular performer much in demand both for his songwriting skills and live performances.
Eric Sardinas
Slide guitar virtuoso Sardinas is a Florida native who has been a fixture on the blues-rock scene since recording his debut album in 1999. Sardinas started playing guitar at age six after hearing the music of early blues legends such as Elmore James, Charlie Patton, and Bukka White. He has toured with Steve Vai and was featured on the 2002 Bo Diddley tribute album “Hey Bo Diddley.” He has been known to set his guitars on fire during his concerts, so it’s guaranteed Fort Smith blues fans will be in for an incendiary performance.
Mark Albertson and Wanda Watson
Oklahomans Watson and Albertson are one of the most entertaining duos working in blues music today. Wanda has been performing for more than thirty years, and her distinctive vocal style is influenced by Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and other blues greats. Wanda has won numerous awards in both Oklahoma and Arkansas and she was named to the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame in 2007. Guitarist Mark Albertson was an international finalist for the GIT scholarship competition sponsored by Fender Guitar. He has opened for B.B. King and other blues legends. Mark and Wanda represented the Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Society at the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and competed in the solo/duo category. Wanda will also serve as emcee during this year’s blues festival.
Interstate Buffalo
Interstate Buffalo is a four piece blues band based in Little Rock. Formed in 2006, the band is known for blistering guitar work and live shows that last for hours. The band has played most of the major music festivals in Arkansas, including the Waka Winter Classic and the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena. “Buffalo” also competed at the 2013 International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
Terry Quiett Band
Guitarist and vocalist Quiett is known as the “Kansas Tornado” for his blistering live performances. He has shared the stage with blues legends Robert Cray, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and many others and has also worked with Grammy-winning producer Jim Gaines on two studio albums. Terry and his band are currently on tour in support of their acclaimed live album “A Night at the Orpheum” and will surely impress with their brand of blues rock.
JP Soars
JP Soars is one of the best young guitarists working in blues today, as evidenced by his victory in the 2009 International Blues Challenge, where he also won the coveted Albert King award for most promising guitarist. In 2012, Soars was nominated for the “Best Contemporary Male Blues Artist” at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis. Soars not only
writes much of his own music, he also makes his own cigar box guitars and instruments. An artist with ties to the Fort Smith area, JP Soars will no doubt attract lots of fans to the 2013 Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Festival.
Johnny Winter
Texas blues legend Johnny Winter has been recording and performing for more than fifty years. He quickly developed a reputation as one of the best guitarists in blues and rock, and his early bands featured brother Edgar Winter and guitarist Rick Derringer. Winter has performed with Janis Joplin, produced and recorded with both Muddy Waters and James Cotton, as well as other blues greats. He is a member of the Blues Hall of Fame and won three Grammy awards for his work with Muddy Waters. Winters also performed at the original Woodstock music festival. Winter has continued to tour and record prolifically, and has been highly praised for his most recent album “Roots.”
Oreo Blue
Arkansas’ own Oreo Blue has been a fixture on the blues scene for twenty years. Led by vocalist Chrissy Payton and virtuoso guitarist Gary Hutchinson, the band has recorded eight albums and garnered both a loyal following as well as critical acclaim. They have been named ‘best blues band’ by both the Ozark Music Awards and the Northwest Arkansas Music Awards. In 2006 Oreo Blue was named to the Northwest Arkansas Music Awards Hall of Fame. They have competed in the International Blues Challenge, representing Fort Smith at the 2013 event.