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Festivals Announce 2011 lineups!
The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival released its full September 13-18 festival schedule, adding legendary bluesman Taj Mahal & the Trio, globally-popular experimental jazz-jam trio Medeski, Martin & Wood and the new Atlantic blues mash-up of The Garrett Mason/Keith Hallett Show to an already heavy-weight line-up. Tickets and passes to the Festival go on sale, on Saturday, May 14th.
Taj Mahal & the Trio, Medeski, Martin & Wood and Mason/Hallett were the last of the headliners to be announced, solidifying 2011 as the strongest Harvest line-up in its 21 years. They join an incredible list of talent including music industry icons like Gregg Allman, Warren Haynes Band, and Jonny Lang; new blues stars like JJ Grey & Mofro, Janiva Magness and New Brunswick’s own Matt Andersen, jazz sensations Sophie Milman and Florence K, and top jam/groove/funk acts such as Rebirth Brass Band, Melvin Seals & JGB, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and The Pimps of Joytime. Other announced headliners include Canadian pop-rock icon Steven Page (formerly of the Barenaked Ladies) and newcomers, the Blues Caravan’s Girls with Guitars.
“With another world-class schedule like this, we continue to place Harvest as one of the premier musical events in Canada,” says Brad Wasson, Festival Chair. “This year we are focused more than ever on making Harvest more of a destination festival that people will build vacation plans around. We are looking to attract music fans from Halifax and the rest of the Maritimes and, indeed, across the country, as well as along the eastern seaboard of the United States. “
“This year’s line-up is certainly deserving of that kind of attention,” adds Wasson
Harvest’s Music Director, Brent Staeben, says that the diversity of the music schedule will attract a broad variety of music lovers, both locally and from away.
“Our goal was to build on last year’s fantastic event and produce an even better schedule. We featuring even more international headline artists, and this year there’s a mixture of fresh new acts to introduce to Harvest patrons, destination acts that have never played in the region, and a few festival favourites that have made a big impact on patrons in the past,” says Staeben. “The diversity of genres – from blues rock and traditional blues to jazz, bossa nova and swing to jam, funk, pop and soul – means there will be something for every music lover to be excited about.”
Sackville, New Brunswick’s SappyFest has announced their initial lineup. Acts include Bonjay, Jon Langford with the Sadies, Minotaurs, Little Scream, Gobble Globble & Jerry Granelli.
Festival organizers promise to announce more acts in the days ahead. The artist run festival combines has a folk festival atmosphere but the music comes from variety of genres. SappyFest will be held from July 29-31.
Meanwhile, the Evolve Festival in Antigonish has announced part of its line-up. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Pretty Lights, Man Man, Fred Penner, Chali 2na, Zach Deputy, Oka, Yancarlos Sanchez, Idlers, and Carmen Townsend are confirmed. Evolve also promises to announce more acts in the near future. The festival will be held July 22nd to July 24th.
