Hot August Blues Festival - Benefit for Common Ground on the Hill & the Baltimore Blues Society

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Hot August Blues proudly supports Common Ground on the Hill, a non-profit traditional arts organization in Westminster, Maryland, offering scholarship opportunities to inner city, Appalachian, special needs and migrant worker youths.

Baltimore Blues Society

The Baltimore Blues Society is an official 501(c)3 non-profit corporation dedicated to the preservation of America's Native musical art form - the Blues. Operations of the BBS are supported by grants from the Maryland State Arts Council, and agency funded by the State of Maryland and National Endowment for the Arts

John Hiatt

John Hiatt’s career as a performer and songwriter has spanned more than 30 years and his work has been covered by everyone from Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and BB King to Iggy Pop, Three Dog Night and The Neville Brothers. Hiatt began his solo career with the 1974 album Hangin’ Around the Observatory. His landmark 1987 release Bring The Family received critical praise and was his first album to chart in the U.S. In 1993, Rhino Records released Love Gets Strange: The Songs of John Hiatt, which collected many of the cover versions of his songs that were recorded during the 80s and 90s. 2000’s Crossing Muddy Waters was released to critical acclaim and was called “The most natural and relaxed John Hiatt album in years…” by All Music Guide. In recognition of his work, the Americana Music Association will honor Hiatt with their prestigious Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting Award. The ceremony will take place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on September 18 during the Association’s annual festival and conference.

Marcia Ball

The simple mention of a Louisiana or Texas roadhouse conjures up images of a crowded dancehall filled wall-to-wall with rabid music fans rocking to a hotter-than-hot band playing a smoldering blend of swampy R&B, jumping blues and heart-wrenching ballads.
Pianist/vocalist/songwriter Marcia Ball brings that spirit to every concert she plays and every song she records. Her music is mixed with equal parts simmering soul fervor and two-fisted piano pounding. ...Read more

Bonerama

When Bonerama struts onstage with its four-trombone frontline, you can guess it's not quite like any rock 'n' roll band you’ve seen. When they tear into some vintage New Orleans funk, there's no questioning from which city these guys hail. And when those ’bones start ripping into Hendrix and Led Zeppelin licks, all stylistic bets are off. Read more

Professor "Louie" & The Crowmatix

Professor "Louie" & The Crowmatix from Woodstock, NY, have been recording and touring nationally for the past seven years. Their new CD "As The Crow Flies" will be released in February 2008. Currently, they have six studio CD's and two live CD's on the Woodstock Records label. Their CD "Century Of The Blues" averaged # 20 for six months on the Americana Radio Roots charts. Their live concert CD "The Spirit of Woodstock" was recorded at The New York State Museum to celebrate the anniversary of the Woodstock Festival held in Bethel, NY. The Museum hosted a series of programs and chose Professor "Louie" & The Crowmatix to perform. They garnered much praise for this concert performance and The New York State Museum released a CD of this show.

Professor "Louie" & The Crowmatix recorded as Rick Danko's backing band on his critically acclaimed CD "Times Like These" and were the featured musicians on Garth Hudson's solo CD "The Sea To The North". The group continues to perform in concert at the nation's premier theatres: Proctors, Bolton Center and Bearsville Theatre in NY, Fairfield & Newtown, in CT and Sellersville and The State College Theatres, PA. Clubs: BB Kings & The Cutting Room, NYC, The House Of Blues in LA,The Towne Crier, Cafe Lena & The Turning Point in NY State & Fitzgeralds in Chicago to name a few. Festivals: The Detroit International Street Fair, "Gathering on the Mountain" in PA, The Clermont & Norwich Heritage Festivals in NY and Toledo Blues Festival, OH. They have performed in Ontario, Canada at The London, Windsor and Thunder Bay Blues Festivals.

Janet Griffin and the Fine young Segovians

Janet Griffin is a singer/songwriter with influences ranging from Bonnie Raitt and Lowell George to Janis Joplin and Aretha Franklin. Solo and in various combinations, Janet has been playing for more than 25 years delighting her audiences with her soaring voice and powerful delivery.
Growing up outside of Annapolis, MD, Janet learned to play the guitar at age 13 and immediately began to write original music. She began to play local coffee houses and perform in a variety of theater productions. She joined her first band at the age of 18 and worked for many years fronting a variety of groups from folk, to rock to blues and Motown. Janet also performed for 7 years at the Maryland Renaissance Festival as part of two musical comedy acts, Washbourne and Whare and Full Measure. This setting helped to hone the wit that is part of Janet's stage show.

Blues Cruise

The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise has truly been a wildly life changing experience for literally thousands of musicians and blues cruisers alike. We have created a “Blues Village” for all to see multiple performances, jam at will with one another, network and simply relax… for an entire week at sea.

Our Blues Mecca showcases more music than you can possibly see during the voyage! Imagine dancing at the front of the pool deck stage while our luxury ship sails at 20 knots under the stars, or sunbathing on an upper deck while the bands play directly below. It’s an experience that can only be described as Bluesin’®.
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