Harmonica tunes and guitar riffs will fill the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on Saturday at 6 p.m. when legendary and up-and-coming musicians perform at the KJazz Blues Bash.
The second annual Blues Bash boasts a line-up including James Cotton with special guest Robby Krieger of The Doors, Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials, Ana Popovic, Shown Pittman and a pre-concert performance on the Carpenter Center plaza by Sugaray.
“[The acts] are all interesting in their own way,” said Stephanie Levine, general manager for KJazz. “They have a lot of history and, together, it’s going to make for a very exciting show.”
Cotton celebrated his 66th year as a professional musician in 2010, and has recorded almost 30 solo albums. The New York Daily News called him “the greatest living blues harmonica player.”
He will perform with Krieger, guitarist for The Doors, who wrote many of the band’s biggest hits, like “Light My Fire.”
Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials started playing in Chicago 20 years ago. Since then, their unmistakable boogies and beats have been heard across the country, including the Long Beach Blues Festival.
All five acts will provide attendees with a variety of sounds within the blues genre.
The goal of the festival is to showcase a range of artists and instruments to provide excitement for the audience year after year, according to Levine.
“This is a really unique opportunity for students and people in the community to see a great blues show,” Levine said. “You can’t ask for a better location for a really spectacular show. It’s pretty rare to see all these people together in one place.”
This is the second year the festival has been held at the Carpenter Center as a one-day event. It was previously a two-day festival called the Long Beach Blues Festival.
The festival nearly sold out last year, and organizers are hoping for the same this year, Levine said.
Cal State Long Beach students may purchase tickets at a special price of $20. Tickets are available to the general public for $55 per ticket or $175 per VIP ticket, which includes reserved front seating, access to a VIP reception, a barbeque dinner and a tax-deductable donation to KKJZ.
Tickets may be purchased online at JazzandBlues.org, at the Carpenter Center box office, or at the door.
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