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Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival lineup revealed

April 8, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Jasen Obermeyer

Get your blues and jazz shoes on, for the Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival has announced their line up for the 16th annual festival.

The line up was revealed last Thursday (Mar. 29) at the Mill Creek Pub, with the festival running from June 1st to the 3rd. It will feature more than 90 acts on three stages, and have over 200 local musicians playing in the festival.

“This festival has become a signature event for Orangeville and the Dufferin region and we would like to thank all our partners, sponsors and funders for their tremendous support,” said John Leitch, festival president.

There is a $5 daily admission free, but new this year is a weekend pass, which is $10 to get into the festival for the whole weekend, while children 12 and under can attend for free.

Joe Sammut, treasurer and a board member of the Orangeville Business Improvement Association, announced they are providing $35,000 in funding for this year’s event.

The festival will kick off on the 1st at 5:00 p.m. with the Blues Cruise, which features over 300 classic cars and 10 bands on Broadway including the Gary Cain Band, Bad Luck Woman & Her Misfortunes, Jake Chisholm, Brian Blain, Alan Gerber, Ronnie Douglas, Bent Roots, the Glen Marais Band, Tamica & the Boys, Pete Temple & the Cornerstones, the Can-Am Blues Band featuring James Anthony and the Andrew B. Parkhouse Band.

The Royal LePage Main Stage will feature Larry Kurtz and the Lawbreakers, with special guest singer Lisa Hutchinson going on stage at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night, followed by Raoul & the Big Time performing with a seven-piece horn section.

On Saturday, the Royal Lepage Main Stage will kick off at noon and feature performers SugaRay Rayford, Crystal Shawanda, Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, Jimmy D. Lane, Jenie Thai, Justin Saladino and Angelina Hunter. Also featured will be a Blues and Bikes motorcycle event taking place on Mill Street.

Special workshops will be offered in the Orangeville Public Library featuring songwriting with Rob Lutes, blues guitar with Jimmy D. Lane and boogie-woogie piano with Alan Gerber.

Inside the Orangeville Opera House, the line up includes local piano man Stan Chang, Yukon-based Ryan McNally, Maple Blues Award nominee Rob Lutes, Juno Award winning a cappella vocal group Countermeasure, jazz pianist Robi Botos and vocalist Kellylee Evans.

On Sunday, the Royal Lepage Main Stage will start off at noon with Wayne Buttery and his eight-piece band featuring Danny Weis, followed by Toronto Blues Society Talent Search winner Dan McKinnon and multi-Maple Blues Awards winners the Paul Deslauriers Band. Four-time Latin Grammy award winner Alex Cuba will be the featured Main Stage performer on Sunday.

Mr. Leitch said they are very pleased to be recognized again as one of the Top 100 festivals and events in Ontario for 2018 by Festivals & Events Ontario. “This is our seventh year to receive this award and it is great honour for our festival to be recognized among some of the very best festivals and events in Ontario!”

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