Huge Bluesfest Second Round Announcement

Try to think of some of the most important acts in our history, and you might think of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Stone Roses.. maybe even The Tea Party. So if you fancy seeing Creedence's John Fogerty, Stone Roses front man Ian Brown and why not throw in Jeff Martin, ex Tea Party.. better get a Bluesfest ticket. They were all members of bands that changed our musical history: and they're back with solo careers that are shaping our futures.

The full announcement goes further:

John Fogerty, KT Tunstall, London Community Gospel Choir, Xavier Rudd, G Love & Special Sauce, Jools Holland & His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra, Keb Mo, Seasick Steve, Ian Brown, Lee Ritenour, Lior, Charlie Musselwhite Band, Brandi Carlile, The Audreys, John Hammond, JJ Grey & MOFRO, The Bellrays, Galactic and Jeff Martin.

These are added to the already impressive list of:

Buddy Guy, Sinead O'Connor, Keith Urban, The Black Crowes, John Butler Trio, Wilco, Eskimo Joe, Mavis Staples, Maceo Parker, Stanley Clarke / George Duke Project, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Don McLean, Loudon Wainwright III, Vusi Mahlasela, Ruthie Foster, Ron Sexsmith, Gotye, Clare Bowditch, Angus and Julia Stone, Music Maker Foundation featuring Beverly Guitar Watkins, Albert White, Pura Fe, Eddie Tigner, Tommy Brown, Little Joe Burton, Dr. G.B. Burt and more.

It's a huge line up already, and the festival is still several months away. Who knows what the next few months will hold in terms of announcements? One thing is for certain: you'd be crazy to miss it.

Here's the full details of the latest artists announced on the Bluesfest bill, courtesy of the Bluesfest media release:

John Fogerty John Fogerty's contribution to popular culture cannot be overstated; his songs have become part of rocks DNA, the very building blocks upon which much of American rock and roll has been built. As famous for his time with the classic rock-blues band Creedence Clearwater Revival from the late-1950s until its demise in 1972 as he is for his following solo career, Fogerty is the writer of such rock classics as "Proud Mary", "Centerfield", "Bad Moon Rising", "Rockin' All Over the World", "Born on the Bayou" and "Fortunate Son". 2007sRevivalis Fogertys first album of new material on Fantasy following a very public 30-year battle with the label over his catalogue. The reconciliation led to the first complete retrospective of his career,The Long Road Home, which came out in late-2005. Fogerty was inducted into the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and was honoured as a composer with the 1997 Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Songwriters. His 1997 album,Blue Moon Swamp, won the Grammy for Best Rock Album.Revivalis not just a great Fogerty album and a great rock album it's an essential musical work by an artist without peers, which will certainly stand as one of the most compelling albums of 2007.
www.johnfogerty.com

KT Tunstall Three years ago, KT Tunstall stepped out the front door of her flat in Harlesden, London. She was off to work, and to play. She didnt go home again until shed recorded her debut albumEye To The Telescope; wowed the music world with her one-woman blues-stomp Black Horse And The Cherry Tree; toured the world a few times; become a festival favourite from Glastonbury to T in the Park; outsold every other female artist in the UK in 2005; won a Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist; landed a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance; lent her hit tune Suddenly I See to the soundtrack of the filmThe Devil Wears Pradaand the TV showUgly Betty; watched her songs become staple audition material for contestants onAmerican Idol; recorded and filmed her lo-fi albumAcoustic Extravaganza; and sell almost four million copies ofEye To The Telescope. After all of that, Tunstall got to go home and put her feet up. For five minutes. Soon it was time to work on her recently released second album, a collection of thumping pop songs and intimate, often mysterious ballads calledDrastic Fantastic.
www.kttunstall.com

London Community Gospel Choir In 1982 a dream and a vision came alive. Reverend. Bazil Meade, with the help of Lawrence Johnson, Delroy Powell and John Francis, made a mark in history pioneering the first concert gospel choir in Britain the London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC). Trying to fit LCGC into a neat slot is virtually impossible. They are adaptable, flexible and create dynamic melodies with rich harmonies whether they are performing as an octet or a 30-strong choir. Bluesfest is getting the 15 piece touring version which has been selling out concert halls all over the world. LCGC is known for their funky gospel flair, swing-beat, R'n'B, traditional and soulful arrangements, with invigorating choreography and vocal gymnastics. Controversial, professional, energetic and inspiring. Whatever adjective you choose to describe the sound and vision of the London Community Gospel Choir, there aint no stopping them now. They continue to go where angels fear to tread.
www.lcgc.org.uk

Xavier Rudd Xavier Rudds performances are captivating and his talent unmistakable. His sincerity and frankness are clearly reflected in his music, which explains the huge level of support that his rhythmic and rootsy sounds have been met with wherever he tours. Hailing from Torquay on the southern Victorian coast in Australia, Xavier has a strong affinity for the beauty of his surroundings. A multi-instrumentalist including a breathtaking proficiency on didgeridoo Xavier applies rhythms on the stomp box with his bare feet as he glides his Weissenborn guitar through fluid melodies on songs like Let Me Be. A must-see live experience, Xavier was honoured at the 2006 ARIA Awards with a nomination for Best Blues And Roots Album for his 2005 releaseFood In The Belly. His latest offeringWhite Mothharnesses the live spirit Rudd is famous for, thus realising a goal of combining the acoustic warmth offered by a studio with the adrenalin of the stage.
www.xavierrudd.com

G. Love And Special Sauce The festival favourites are coming back! Back in 2005, Garrett Dutton, aka G. Love, reenlisted Special Sauce (James Jimi Jazz Prescott on upright bass and Jeffrey The Houseman Clemens on drums) to complete the Philadelphonic sound. G. Love And Special Sauce take their cues from many musicians including John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan and De La Soul. When the self-titled debut was released in 1994, hits like Cold Beverages and Babys Got Sauce showcased the groups fresh sound, now commonly referred to as the Hip-Hop Blues (a term coined by G. Love himself). The albumG. Love & Special Saucewent certified gold. A decade later G. Love releasedThe Hustle, an invitation to spend long days lounging on the front porch listening to songs about love, life and lemonade. In 2006 G. Love releasedLemonade, a mix of bluesy grooves and rap, on pal Jack Johnsons Brushfire label, followed a year later with the full-length documentary filmA Year And A Night.
www.philadelphonic.com

Jools Holland & His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra Jools Holland was born Julian Miles Holland in 1958 in London. At the age of eight, he could play the piano fluently by ear, and by the time he reached his early teens he was appearing regularly in many of the pubs in South East London and the East End Docks. At the age of 15, Jools was introduced to Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford. Together they formed Squeeze, and shortly afterwards they were joined by Gilson Lavis (who still drums with Jools). In 1987, Jools formed The Jools Holland Big Band comprising himself and Gilson Lavis. This has gradually metamorphosed into the current mesmerising 18-piece Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Jools and the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra now plays an average of 100 live shows each year, touring the UK and Europe to audiences in excess of 500,000. Jools career as a television presenter has run parallel to his musical career, kicking off in the early 1980s when he interviewed The Police for a documentary. His achievements were formally recognised in June 2003, when he was awarded the OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. His latest album,Best of Friends, is a personal collection of his best loved and most memorable tracks from his collaborations spanning the last six albums.
www.joolsholland.com

Keb Mo An East Coast Blues & Roots festival favourite, Keb Mo (born Kevin Moore) draws heavily on the old-fashioned country blues style of Robert Johnson, but fuses it with contemporary touches of soul and folk-styled acoustic playing. Before making his own albums since 1994, Mo applied his acoustic, electric, and slide guitar skills to jazz and rock-oriented bands. Since then, its been the smooth acquisition of Grammys and a large and enthusiastic global fan base. The 2004 albumKeep It Simplegarnered Mo another Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Of his latest album,Suitcase(2006), Mo says: The creative process involved in the making has been a deeply rewarding experience The music on this record represents life happening in all of its shades and shapes. I hope that spirit is conveyed to the listener. It is certain to be conveyed to the crowds as they gather to watch Mo live in concert in Byron Bay.
www.kebmo.com

Seasick Steve Theres not many who can play old-time music like Seasick Steve, or who have really lived it. Leaving home at 13 years old with only a few clothes, a sleeping bag and his guitar, Steve would hit the streets alone going hungry, working for handouts, freight hopping across the States and playing for food. After years on the road, Steve made the move to Norway where he released his first albumCheapin 2004 with the Level Devils, followed byDog House Musicin 2006 and his first UK television appearance on Jools HollandsAnnual Hootenanny (broadcast on New Years Eve). His popularity soared, and in 2007 he released his latest EP,Its All Good, featuring his famous customised instruments: a Three Stringed Trance Wonder (three-stringed guitar); a One Stringed Diddley Bow with an old screwdriver for a slide, made especially for him by fellow bluesman James Super Chikan Johnson; and a Mississippi Drum Machine, a small wooden box that is stomped to provide percussion. One BBC review said of Steve: His bare-bone blues is simple, tight and full of authentic roots spirit. As talented as Seasick Steve is, he remains as humble and as unaffected as the boy who left home at 13. I ain't trying to be on some dusty shelf in the blues section under S. I don't even think of myself as no blues person, more like a song and dance kinda fella, he says. [I] just like letting the people who come and see me figure it out. Voted by Mojo as breakthrough artist of the year for 2007.
www.seasicksteve.com

Ian Brown Its been over 10 years since legendary band the Stone Roses broke up, and former lead singer Ian Brown has bounced back with a solo career that has proved the doubters wrong. In September 2007, Brown released what is regarded as his best solo album to date.The World Is Yoursis a lush orchestral work-out that comes armed with politicised lyrics and some very special guests such as ex-Sex Pistols Paul Cook and Steve Jones, Paul Ryder, ex-Smiths bassist Andy Rourke. While every British band went off and copied the Roses, he set off in the opposite direction and invented his own multi-cultural polyglot mix of music that has a cutting-edge cool to it. This is a multi-racial, multi-styled modern music that over the years and five solo albums has been honed to perfection.
www.ianbrown.co.uk

Lee Ritenour Ever prolific, Ritenour has established himself as one of the world's leading jazz guitarists with a series of accessible albums over three decades. Starting at the age of 16, Ritenour played his first session with The Mama's and the Papa's. Two years later he was backing Tony Bennett and Lena Horne at L.A.'s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Know as "Captain Fingers," Ritenour became a sought-after session player in the mid-70's. Starting in 1976, at the age of 24, he began his own solo career which now includes over 30 albums and collaborations. Although heavily influenced in his early days by the relaxed styles of Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass and Barney Kessel, he now has his own distinctive sound and fluid style. His list of session work is awesome (some 3,000 sessions), but some of his notable performances were with Herbie Hancock, Steely Dan, Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Pink Floyd. Since the mid-80's Ritenour has been strongly influenced by Brazilian music. One of the finest guitarists on the planet, Ritenour is a must see for lovers of brilliant musicianship.
www.leeritenour.com

Lior Following on from his critically acclaimed debut album -Autumn Flow- Lior has been hard at work recording his follow up album this is scheduled for release in February 2008 and is highly anticipated. Some people go to extremes of volume, vision and hype to attract attention to themselves while others are happy to simply do what they do and rely on building a reputation by the responses of those around them. Such is the case with Sydney singer songwriter Lior. His sound is a rootsy mix of styles that always harks back to the lyric and melody. With Middle Eastern heritage, Lior also keeps the music of his bloodline close to the surface. It is Lior's voice that has drawn most attention, capable of both power and tenderness, always delivered with soul in its truest sense. His debut album,Autumn Flowwas nominated for 3 ARIA Awards including Lior being nominated for Best Male Artist. The album was one of the year's most successful independent releases, and Lior has since become one of the few Australian independent artists to have a debut GOLD Album.
www.lior.com.au

Charlie Musselwhite Band A blues legend, it's Charlie's mix of wild country abandon seasoned by years of playing urban electric blues in Chicago that spurs the likes of Ben Harper, Tom Waits and Gov't Mule to welcome Musselwhite onto their stages and records. That same brash, blues/rock rebel vibe was Dan Aykroyd's inspiration for his Elwood Blues persona, and it's what has won Musselwhite a pile of blues awards and earned the admiration and respect of his own heroes: Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters. John Lee was even the best man at Charlie's wedding. Pulled, like the albums of R.L. Burnside and the North Mississippi Allstars, out of the storied Mississippi Delta and Hill Country, DELTA HARDWARE is Charlies latest release. True to the blues as an expression of a range of honest emotions and stories, DELTA HARDWARE ranges from upbeat jewels like the party track Church Is Out to more socially conscious songs like Black Water and The Invisible Ones.
www.charliemusselwhite.com

Brandi Carlile Growing up in Seattle, Brandi Carlile taught herself to sing and play guitar at a young age. She became a disciplined musician, playing constantly and performing whenever possible as way to learn her craft. Columbia Records signed Carlile in late 2004 on the strength of songs she'd been recording periodically at home. Released in 2005, her debut, Brandi Carlile, showcased those early songs along with several newly recorded tracks and reviews universally heralded Carlile as an important new singer-songwriter. Carlile found a new wider audience when the hit TV medical drama Greys Anatomy showcased three of Carlile 's songs (Tragedy, What Can I Say and Throw It All Away) an unprecedented honour for a new artist. With her latest album The Story, Carlile opens up her heart, soul and psyche in a series of memorable songs that invite you into her world. To her growing community of fans, it's Carlile's revelatory imagery, stark emotive vocals and finely-detailed songs which provide the keys to who she is, where she's been, and where's she's going. To record The Story, Carlile and her band-mates twin brothers Tim (guitar) and Phil (bass) Hanseroth hooked up with renowned drummer Matt Chamberlain (Tori Amos, Morrissey) to create the deepest most poetic moments of her own experiences, revealing the kind of artist-audience bond that makes you feel you're living inside those moments yourself.
www.brandicarlile.com

The Audreys Describing themselves as a band of four lads and one lass from South Australia, The Audreys feature the sultry voiced Taasha Coates and her four dapper suited boys -Tristan Goodall, Toby Lang, Mikey G and Lyndon Gray. They burst onto the scene in early 2006 when their debut albumBetween Last Night And Uswas released on ABC Roots/Warner Music Australia to rave reviews. Singles Oh Honey and You & Steve McQueen were on high rotation on Triple J, and they went on to collect that year's ARIA Award for Best Blues & Roots Album. A release on Canadian label True North Records followed and the band spent two months travelling through Europe and Canada before returning to do a sold-out national tour of Australia. A string of summer festivals saw the band reeling into 2007, followed by one last lap around the country on their May/June Sheets to the Wind Tour before stopping to focus on the recording of their second album. A favourite at festivals and clubs alike, their shows are exquisite, enchanting and always unforgettable. Following a great performance at the 2006 festival, The Audreys are returning to Byron Bay for an encore performance at Bluesfest 08.
www.theaudreys.com.au

John Hammond Blues doesn't get any better than this, in concept or execution. Stay on the road, John Hammond. We need your blues. BlueSpeak. From coffeehouses to concert halls, festivals and beyond, John Hammond has spent forty years entertaining blues, folk and rock audiences around the world, performing intense solo-acoustic blues. A Grammy Award winner and four time nominee, Hammond is also a multiple W.C. Handy award winner who has shared the stage and/or recorded with many of the masters, including Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon,John Lee Hookerand Howlin' Wolf. His latest album,Push Comes To Shove, was released in January 2007 to glowing reviews from Time Out New York, the Washington Post, American Songwriter and many more. If you want authentic blues genius, this is the place to come: Hammonds voice runs the gamut from big and gruff to sly and sexy, while his stellar steel guitar work and harp playing would be at home in any gritty roadside honky tonk.
www.johnhammond.com

JJ Grey & MOFRO Florida native JJ Grey and his band MOFRO exude rocking, funky, melodic, front porch realism in every song they play. Grey comes from a long tradition of Southern storytellers, and his songs oftentimes use the loss of his natural surroundings and the marginalization of the Southern culture he grew up in as a metaphor for universal truths. The band delivers his material with brilliant musicianship, resulting in music that is thought provoking, rhythmically dynamic and texturally mesmerizing. Like his songs, JJ Greys rich, soulful vocals are forceful and commanding, seemingly old beyond his years. And the music, from smoldering soul ballads to gospel-fried funk to straight ahead rock 'n' roll, brings it all home with danceable grooves and a melodic freshness that stays with you. From gritty funk to juke joint romps to contemplative country soul to blistering rockers, JJ Grey & MOFRO occupy a distinctive space in the music world.
www.mofro.net

The Bellrays Forming in Riverside, California, in the early 1990s, The Bellrays have been putting the soul into rock & roll for nearly a decade across eight albums, most recently onHave a Little Faith, released in 2006. Originally, founding members and now husband and wife Lisa Kekaula (vocals) and Bob Vennums (bass) music was heavily influenced by traditional R&B, but the sound has evolved over time, and with the addition of Tony Fate (guitar) and Craig Waters (drums), to layer the soul grooves with punk-rock tones. TheBoston Globereviewed: The Bellrays sock it to even the most hallowed and impassioned musical traditions with their great, yowling inferno of rock and soul. LondonsDaily Mirrordescribed their show as, an intense, cathartic and mind-blowing experience. Come and see what all the fuss is about when The Bellrays play Bluesfest 2008.
www.thebellrays.com

Galactic New Orleans-based Galactic started out over a decade ago as an instrumental act in the tradition of the Meters, the JB's, and Booker T. & the MG's bands equally comfortable recording their own material or working with vocalists. Their albumFrom the Corner to the Block(2007) grew out of Galactics experiences touring with artists like the Roots, Jurassic 5, Triple Threat DJs and Gift of Gab. Although it features cameos from a wish list of fan-favourite MCs, this isn't a typical hip-hop album. Its a contemporary funk record that just happens to feature hip-hop vocalists. We never set out to make a rap record, explains Ellman. Adds Mercurio: We wanted to kinda modernise the New Orleans sound. With the release ofFrom the Corner to the Block, the five-man group drummer Stanton Moore, bassist Robert Mercurio, saxophonist/harmonica player Ben Ellman, keyboardist Richard Vogel and guitarist Jeff Raines reaffirms their standing as one of the funkiest outfits around. The record exposes Galactics organic grooves to an urban ear, while still maintaining their essential funk aesthetic.
www.galacticfunk.com

Jeff Martin Canadian guitarist/singer-songwriter Jeff Martin formed his first band at age 11 and decided, then and there, that this is what he wanted to do with his life. In high school he was challenged by an older student to learn a blues-inspired Led Zeppelin song which inspired his father, a blues fan, to turn him on to the blues standards. During his teens he was also given a copy of The Beatles Sergeant Pepper's album and his imagination was captured by the instrumentation of Within You Without You. Martin developed a fascination with eastern tunings and instruments, a preoccupation he later indulged with great success as a member of the seminal Canadian band, The Tea Party. Jeff is also a producer: in addition to producing or co-producing all of The Tea Party's albums he has worked with artists such as Tenth Planet and Hundred Mile House and has recorded with David Usher, Conjure One and Todd Kerns. Since going solo in 2005, Martin has released his debut solo album Exile and the Kingdom (2006), followed by Live in Brisbane 2006 and Live in Dublin (2007). Making music that strikes a chord with Australian audiences, Jeff is certain to be a highlight at Bluesfest in 2008.
www.jeff-martin.net

http://www.bluesfest.com.au