Festival Finalizes Opening Acts for the Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band
August 18, 2010
Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival organizers announced today that Portland, Maine’s throwback bluesman Samuel James and Cape Breton blues-rocker John Campbelljohn—both performing solo—will open for headliners Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi during their Wednesday and Thursday evening performances respectively.
These late additions to the line up come after the Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band replaced Gregg Allman in the Blues Tent following Allman’s successful liver transplant surgery. Originally set to open for both Allman shows was local fan favourite Garrett Mason but due to scheduling conflicts arising from the late replacement scenario, Mason could not take part in the new shows.
“Both Samuel and John are excellent additions to these incredible shows and I can’t wait to see them onstage in the Blues Tent”, says Brent Staeben, Music Director for the Festival. “Of course, our original intention had been to prominently feature Garrett in the Allman shows but the chips fell in a different way. The new opening sets are much shorter than the original plan and both had to be solo artists, which is a configuration Garrett doesn’t yet perform in. We’re disappointed not to have Garrett involved but needless to say, look for Garrett to return to Harvest in 2011”.
Samuel James will play a short set prior to the Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band’s Wednesday performance. A master of finger style, slide, banjo, harp and piano, this young man has an understanding of pre-war blues that is rarely embodied in modern music, let alone in someone not yet thirty-years old. Aside from keeping music from that era alive, James also writes contemporary blues that descend from the long-forgotten art of the songster, telling long and linear stories in musical format. Although his performance and music is steeped in the traditions of his elders, he has created his own voice that speaks with clarity and pathos to a contemporary audience.
John Campbelljohn’s soulful command of the blues, with rich vocals and distinctive prowess on the slide guitar, has made him a favourite at the Festival, across the Maritimes and around the world. His sophisticated and progressive approach to songwriting gives him a distinctive edge, mixing rock, roots, reggae and country into his signature power blues. Deemed a “guitar-god-in-the-making” by Blues Revue, his acoustic playing is reminiscent of Ry Cooder and John Hammond, while his expert wielding of the electric guitar often draws comparisons to the likes of Eric Clapton, Sonny Landreth, and Duane Allman, making him a fitting opener for the Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band on Thursday evening.
Tickets for both shows are still on sale at the Harvest Store, 81 Regent Street, by phone at 1-888-311-9090 or online at either www.harvestjazzandblues.com or www.ticketpro.ca.
