NEW BLUES FESTIVAL II Lineup Announced; Set for El Dorado Regional Park Over Labor Day

The place to be for Blues lovers this Labor Day Weekend is the New Blues Festival II, taking place over two big days, Saturday, September 5 and Sunday, September 6, in El Dorado Regional Park, 7550 E. Spring St. Gates open at 9 a.m., and music starts at 10 a.m. each day.

Tickets $25, available now at www.newbluesfestival.com. Tickets also available at six Lucille's Smokehouse BBQ locations, including Long Beach, Long Beach Towne Center, and the Cerritos Mall (Lucille's is the festival's Title Sponsor this year). Also available at the gate both days.

Amenities include a huge Vendor Village; Food Court; Beer Garden; and all-new VIP Lounge. Bring the family and and settle in amidst the cooling Long Beach ocean breezes!

The festival has expanded due to the overwhelming success of last year's inaugural NBF, when over 2,000 music lovers of all ages filled POA Park in Long Beach. "Los Angeles and Orange Counties have responded very well to the (New Blues Festival) concept. We definitely hit on a pent-up demand for a long-running inter-generational tradition, and we are excited to once again share all this great music with the public", says William Grisolia, Producer of the New Blues Festival, whose own band, New Blues Revolution, is one of Sunday's Main Stage Headliners.

Saturday's powerful lineup is headlined by harmonica master James Harman, who has been playing music since the 1960's and whose James Harman Band over the years has included such musical luminaries as Dave Alvin, Gene Taylor, Kid Ramos and the late Hollywood Fats, among countless others. Also topping the first day of music: jazz/blues singing great Barbara Morrison, who continues to maintain a full touring schedule well into her fourth decade of performing, and whose sparkling resume' includes a Who's-Who of musicians including Jimmy Smith, Kenny Burrell, Etta James, Dr. John, and more. Also: Long Beach legend, acoustic guitarist, Bernie Pearl; Southland staples 2000 Lbs of Blues, fronted by colorful Mike "Pink" Arguello, blues guitarist (and nephew of legendary John Lee Hooker), Teddy Lee Hooker; Americana-Roots artist, Sean Lane; blues-rock quarter, Union Hobos; and opening the show, fifteen-year-old SoCal guitar wunderkind, Ray Goren.

Sunday sees no letup with top headliners, the eleven-piece Caravan of All-Stars, a powerhouse R&B/Soul/Blues revue assembled to showcase some of the unsung heroes of West Coast Blues, representing the Bay Area Blues Society. Also: the Laurie Morvan Band, fronted by Red-Hot rockin' blues guitar ace, Laurie Morvan, who has entertained Southland audiences and toured nationally for the better part of two decades, and of whom has been written, "has all the soulfulness of Bonnie Raitt and the swaggering, muscular guitar tone of Stevie Ray Vaughan"; New Blues Revolution, leading Long Beach-based innovators of the New Blues movement; The 44's with Kid Ramos, an exciting pairing of the popular Johnny Main-fronted Roots/Blues ensemble with the legendary SoCal guitarist; another great pairing of talents, respected Inland Empire-based Latin blues group The Delgado Brothers with soulful chanteuse, Sherry Pruitt; San Pedro guitarist-vocalist, Dave Widow, whose "Waiting For The World To End" was voted a "Top 5 Best CD" in the IBC's; rising L.A. quartet, the George Foster Band; and opening Sunday's show, the Chase Walker Band, fronted by the prodigious teen prodigy of the same name.