50th Chicago Blues Festival

The Chicago Blues Festival celebrates its 50th anniversary! This European event, an essential meeting place for blues fans since its inception in 1969, has assembled an exceptional collective of artists for the occasion, featuring six emblematic figures of contemporary Chicago blues! Characterized by a more electric sound than its ancestor, the traditional South American Delta blues, Chicago blues is the voice of the trials, sorrows and successes of black workers impoverished by the Great Depression of the 1930s, and forced to migrate to the industrial regions of the north to secure their future. Almost a century later, this legacy lives on in the raspy voice of keyboardist and singer Maurice John Vaughn, who opens the concert accompanied by the powerful melodies of harmonica player Russ Green. They are then joined by Wayne Baker Brooks, son of the legendary Lonnie Brooks, for a high-flying guitar solo. Then comes the entrance of the bewitching Trudy Lynnes, supported by the feverish rhythm and unparalleled groove of bassist Melvin Smith and drummer Willie “The Touch” Hayes.

Photo: Wayne Baker Brooks © Alain Boucly