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You could spend a lifetime trying to see and hear all the blues masters that will be gathered together for the 1997 Eureka Springs Blues Festival. For 3 incredible days you will be up-front and personal with real blues legends as they pour out their hearts and souls to you in intimate small club settings. Come and be a part of blues history. I guarantee you will leave with new friends and memories that you will treasure forever.
	Ozark Mountains The Basin Hotel Main Street
"All the Chicago Blues Festival needed was a hero... Enter Luther Allison." Chicago Sun-Times, June 5, 1995	Luther Allison was born in 1939 in Mayflower, Arkansas, moved to Chicago at an early age, and has made his home for the past 17 years in Paris, France, where his reputations a dynamic guitarist with soulful vocals has made him a household name all across Europe. Proud are we to showcase this exciting blues artist who leaves his audiences decimated by ferociously energetic performances, which have become his trademark at every major Festival across the nation. His latest release *BLUE STREAK* (Alligator) will show you 26 years of development that is setting stages on fire by delivering red-hot rifts with lightning-quick precision. "I feel like it's my time Now" says Allison, "And I'm gonna have some fun." What an invitation!
	*Luther Allison* 1996 Handy Awards Best Blues Entertainer Best Blues Band Best Contemporary Blues Artist Best Blues Instrumentalist Best Contemporary Blues Album
*Clarence Gatemouth Brown* "Call it jazz, country, Texas blues, or R & B. Gatemouth is the man who can play it" USA TODAY - May 3, '96	*Clarence Gatemouth Brown* Born in Louisiana in 1924, his style was definitely influenced by his move to Texas soon there after. Although he doesn't like to be known only as a Bluesman, his diverse styles will have your attention from the moment he takes the stage. Supported by the fabulously energetic and talented Gate's Express, this show will take you on a tour of blues, country and Cajun music. Last year found him opening for Eric Clapton in Europe and the United States, being nominated for his sixth Grammy Award, and touring the world with his dynamic live performances. His newest release LONG WAY HOME (VERVE) features an incredible lineup of admiring special guests, including Eric Clapton, Leon Russell & Ry Cooder. His legendary big heart for his fans is described best from a recent interview: "I have played everywhere and I have found that people are brought together more by music than anything else on earth
	*KEB' MO'* "The Prince of the Blues" needs no introduction to anyone who attended his standing-ovation performance at last year's Festival. Since then he has captured many new fans with his latest release JUST LIKE YOU (OKEH/EPIC), which grabs your soul and never lets go. (We at the Festival staff listened to it for five hours straight on the first play!) This fall, he opened Tina Turner's European tour, then crossed our nation, mesmerizing each and every sold-out audience. You simply can't get enough of this guy. This combination of talent will give you the gamut of Blues from the rich baritone vocals and sultry National steel guitar of Keb' Mo to the searing electricity of Luther Allison.
	*John Hammond*:From his early days studying the masters on record and radio, Hammond went on to share bills and learn directly from some of the genre's greatest like Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Howlin' Wolf. For over 30 years he has been touring the globe to support the life he has chosen. "Going with the blues, I knew it was forever. I knew that this is what I wanted to do for my life. "With his acoustic and National steel guitars, harmonicas and lilting vocals, you will experience his musical stories of life and love that endorse him as one of the premiere blues artists of our time.
	JIMMY THACKERY & the Drivers: Strong demand from past festival attendees bring back this favorite group, supporting their latest Blind Pig release DRIVE TO SURVIVE. Their diversity will control the setting from original songs, to boogie favorites, to Jimi Hendrix, which fans stay hours to witness. This combination provides the BEST dance music on the planet. The addition of a special guest keyboard player, Terry Emery of Atlanta, will make this show even more exciting. Dance till you drop!
	*COCO MONTOYA: No introduction is necessary for this popular group, especially after the latest release "YA THINK I'D KNOW BETTER*" (Blind Pig). Coco's style has captured all, as his playing and deep-rooted vocals obviously are drawn from within his huge heart and directly from his soul.Originally well-known from his association playing with the late Albert Collins and John Mayall, his popularity and the strength of his own band have left those legends in the shadows of his well-established career.
	*LONNIE BROOKS: The well-known Lonnie from Chicago via Louisiana & Beaumont, Texas, jams it up with his son Ronnie, trading leads on guitar and creating the exciting live performance that has wowed crowds all over the world. This dynamic group headlined the 1996 Chicago Blues Festival, rocking the wild hometown crowd with their bluesy, funky mix of searing guitar, passionate vocals and innovative, original material. Check out their eight releases on Alligator Records, the most recent being ROADHOUSE RULES*.
	*DEANNA BOGART* This Maryland based blues and boogie pianist/saxophonist combines the energy of the 1930's style boogie piano blues with contemporary blues sounds emanating from places like New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis. "The goal when we play live," says Bogart, "is to create a fusion of all these different musical styles with the blues and boogie genuinely at the core." Although her recordings capture her inventive style, they pale in comparison to the energy and spirit of her live performances. If Deanna's eleven Washington Area Music Awards are any indication, her hopes have been realized. (FLYING FISH RECORDS)
	*CHRIS DUARTE GROUP: The Austin, Texas, sound of pure, burning emotion will introduce Duarte's approach to blues: "Our thing is blues based but it has that loud aggressive edge that punk had." This group has risen to become one of the names that will from this time forward be mentioned whenever the Austin blues scene is considered. His Silvertone release TEXAS SUGAR/STRAT MAGIK* has been well-received across the country, and a new release is expected this Spring. If you want to join an ever growing fan base gasping for air from Duarte's stomps and chops, don't miss this show.
	*THE CATE BROTHERS BAND: The most sought-after group in Northwest Arkansas and other parts of the country as well will be returning to the stage to shine on this year's Festival. Seemingly, fans cannot get enough of this blues oriented group, performing their original songs along with favorites from every group you ever wanted to hear. If you haven't purchased their release RADIOLAND*, don't wait another day it's sure to become a staple in your selection of "must play" recordings.
	*COREY STEVENS* Haling from Centralla, Illinois, and making his recent home in the Los Angeles area will not keep you from asking yourself Where in Texas is this guy from?" His interest in guitar led him to earn a college degree in music, along the way developing a deep affinity for the stylings of Albert King, Muddy Waters and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Although he has a tremendous following on the West Coast, his intermittent gigs in the Midwest have been to sold-out audiences. You can find out the reason for yourself. For a preview of his rocking style, pick up a copy of *BLUEDROPS OF RAIN* on the Eureka Records label.
	*LITTLE MIKE and the TORNADOS:* This powerhouse blues and rock n' roll band from New York City is led by singer, songwriter, producer and harp master Mike Markowitz. The band is well-known for its flawless, high energy blues sound, modeled after the great Chicago bands of the 50's. They have played nearly every major metropolitan area in the United States and Canada some of the toughest hangouts, as well as the most sophisticated stages in the world, never straying from their course of delivering hard back alley blues and rough rock and roll. The latest release *FLYNN'S PLACE* on Flying Fish Records and two previous Blind Pig releases will describe the stellar attention he'll receive in Eureka Springs.
	TOMMY CASTRO BAND: Tommy Castro is one of the brightest stars on the West Cost blues scene. He's an exceptional guitarist who plays with both the power of Albert Collins and the sweet stinging subtlety of B.B. King. He's a gifted and deeply soulful vocalist who combines rock and roll delivery with a touch of Memphis. Add his riveting charismatic stage presence and he's the total entertainment package. The Tommy Castro Band has become one of the hardest working and most talked about groups in the San Francisco area. In 1993, they were named the "Club Band of the Year" at the Bay Area Music Awards, an especially prestigious honor since it is a write in category that includes all music genres. Don't miss this chance to have them become one of your favorite discoveries at the '97 Festival.
	*THE BLUEBIRDS* Brothers Bruce and Buddy Flett have led this Shreveport blues band since the '60s. This group tours the South and has played the New Orleans Jazz Festival. They feature gritty vocals and tasteful guitar work, combine floating slide licks, swampy tremolo effects and soulful Louisiana sounds. After two CD releases, *SWAMP STOMP* and SOUTH FROM MEMPHIS, the Bluebirds will soon be known from coast to coast.