UPPER LAKE >> The Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon Restaurant in Upper Lake have announced the lineup for their tenth annual Blue Wing Blues Festival from Friday Aug. 5 through Sunday Aug. 7. Details of a follow-up show on Labor Day, Sept. 5 will be announced shortly.
Headliners this year include Barry “the Fish” Melton and his band, the Daniel Castro Band and Chris Cain and his band. Opening performances are by the Bill Noteman Trio and blues vocalist Rev Rabia plus guest appearances by sax great Nancy Wright
Starting at 6:30 p.m. each evening, these top blues musicians will perform on the veranda of the Hotel with the audience gathered in the intimate garden between the hotel and restaurant.
“It’s a nice time of day and a pleasant spot to enjoy world-class music,” said owner Bernie Butcher. “With a top quality barbecue dinner thrown in with the price of admission, it’s a great value for music lovers.”
On opening night, Friday Aug. 5, local blues harp legend Bill Noteman and his trio will open for Barry “the Fish” Melton and his band of veteran rockers and blues musicians. Barry was half of the famed Country Joe and the Fish in the 1960’s and ‘70s’s and has remained active in the business while pursuing a law career in Sacramento and now in Lake County. Melton will be joined by his long time bandmates Lowell “Banana” Levinger on keys, Peter Albin on bass and Roy Blumenfeld on drums.
Headlining the show on Saturday, Aug. 6 is the dynamic blues guitarist and vocalist Daniel Castro. Popular throughout the Bay Area and beyond, Castro and his original music are now well-known locally.
Joining Castro will be the core of his trio, Johnny Yu on bass and David Perper on drums supplemented by Tony Lufrano on keys and Nancy Wright on sax.
“We have something special,” Castro said. “It’s hard to describe, but we feel it and so do our audiences.”
Opening both the Saturday and Sunday shows will be the popular East Bay blues vocalist and guitarist Rev Rabia accompanied on guitar by Keizo Yamazawa. Rabia fronted several blues and rock groups before forming a duo with Yamazawa six years ago.
The dynamic and talented Chris Cain and his band will top the bill on Sunday, Aug. 7. Cain, now based in San Jose, grew up on jazz and blues and has melded the two into a searing style that sets him apart on the blues scene. He is well connected locally having recorded extensively with Ukiah’s Patrick Ford and his Blue Rock-it Records.
Cain will be joined by his longtime band members Greg Rahn on keys, Steve Evans on bass and Mike Mestek on drums with special guest Nancy Wright on sax. “I invite Nancy to play with us as often as possible at our Tuesday gigs at Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco,” Cain said. “It should be fun having her join us for the Blue Wing Festival.”
Full sponsors of the Festival include Bicoastal Media (KNTI and KXBX), Chacewater Wines, Gregory Graham Wines, Joy Swetnam, Lake County Record-Bee, Mendo-Lake Credit Union, Six Sigma Wines, and Steele Wines.
Also sponsoring this year are Blues Express Records, Kelseyville Lumber, Lake County Wine Studio, Lincoln-Leavitt Insurance, R Vineyards, Soper-Reese Community Theatre, UCC Rentals, and Upper Lake Mercantile.
Tickets are limited to 100 each evening and may be purchased directly at the Tallman Hotel, located on Main St. in Upper Lake, or by calling the Hotel reception desk at 707-275-2244 ext. 0. Ticket prices are $50 plus tax if purchased in advance and $55 at the gate.
More can be found at www.tallmanhotel.com/concerts.
