Line-Up

Our line up of international talent is tremendous this year. On Saturday night, we start with a New Orleans style piano player, Dale Storr with his band. Dale is a boogie-woogie player of such skill that Richard Hawley said he’s “one of the best New Orleans piano players I have ever seen!”. He comes to the Island with a brass section that we are really looking forward to hearing the echoes of Professor Longhair and Dr John in their performance.

Next up, is the Martin Harley Band. Martin plays a Weissenborn lap steel guitar and balalaika and brings a double bass player and percussionist with him. His music is best described as a mixture of Delta Blues with Gypsy Jazz. His latest album “Drumrolls for Somersaults” is one of the best blues albums we have heard in a long time, with great songs and lovely three part harmonies.

Our headliner for Saturday night is Eugene Hideaway Bridges. We have been trying to book Eugene for the Big Wheel Blues Festival for many years but he has never been in the UK at the right time. This year he is touring the UK in April and we jumped at the opportunity to book him! Described as a mixture of young BB King and Sam Cooke, his soul drenched voice is a revelation. His CD Live in San Antonio has been nominated for a 2011 Blues Music Award in the Soul Blues Album Category and Eugene has also been nominated for Soul Blues Artist. He has been performing since the age of five, and is sure to kick up a storm with his six piece band!

Sunday evening, we are pleased to give a local band the opportunity to grace the main stage. The Soul Suspects will open the show and they’re a band that gets better each time we see them.

We are delighted to welcome back to the Island the Grainne Duffy Band from Dublin. They wowed us two years ago at the Festival Launch Gig in the Centenary Centre and we were so impressed we have invited them back to play the main Festival. Grainne’s version of Etta James classic “I’d rather go blind” is still a great memory for anyone who attended that gig.

For our Sunday night headliner, we have the wonderful James Hunter – a man who has breathed new life into the styles of Stax and Tamla Motown but with his own original twist. James’s album “People Gonna Talk” reached number 1 on the American Billboard Blues Chart and was also Grammy nominated.

Listening to James you will hear why Van Morrison refers to him as “one of the best voices, and best kept secrets, in British R&B and Soul”. Anyone who enjoys Blues, Soul and R&B music will find James Hunter absolutely the best!