2020 Artist Bios
BLUES
Mr. Sipp
Castro Coleman aka Mr. Sipp The Mississippi Blues Child is a native of McComb. Castro was born in the small town of McComb, Mississippi to Johnell and the late Vera Coleman. He is a husband and father of four daughters. He has been around music all of his life. His parents and aunt had a quartet group. He was influenced by B B King at the age of 6 which is when he started playing the guitar.
In 2014 Castro was the winner of the International Blues Challenge (Band), the Albert King Gibson Guitar award, BMA Best New Artist Album winner 2016, The Spirit of Little Walter Award 2016. In 2016, Castro was the first blues artist to have his handprint inducted into the Wall of Fame in Fredrikshavn Denmark. In 2014, Castro was given the Bobby Rush Entertainer of the Year Award by the Jus' Blues Foundation. In 2015, he won several Jackson Music Awards including International Male Blues Artist, Blues Artist of the Year, Entertainer of the year.
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In 2014 Castro was the winner of the International Blues Challenge (Band), the Albert King Gibson Guitar award, BMA Best New Artist Album winner 2016, The Spirit of Little Walter Award 2016. In 2016, Castro was the first blues artist to have his handprint inducted into the Wall of Fame in Fredrikshavn Denmark. In 2014, Castro was given the Bobby Rush Entertainer of the Year Award by the Jus' Blues Foundation. In 2015, he won several Jackson Music Awards including International Male Blues Artist, Blues Artist of the Year, Entertainer of the year.
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Janiva Magness
Grammy nominee, B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, Song of the Year,
Contemporary Female Artist of the Year. As a 7x Blues Music Award winner, 28x BMA nominee, meet Ms. Janiva Magness.
At nearly 62-years-old, currently with 14 studio albums to her name, she shows no signs of slowing down. Magness is currently recording her 15 th studio album – her third with Blue Élan Records – and is scheduled in 2019 to publish her highly anticipated memoir titled Weeds Like Us.
After Janiva Magness added a 2016 Grammy nomination to her 26 Blues Music Award nominations — with seven wins, including Entertainer of the Year — she might have taken at least a short rest on her laurels. Instead, one of the preeminent voices in contemporary American roots music has raised the bar for herself. Magness’ 14th album, Love Is an Army, is a brilliantly crafted bridge between the past and present, blending the echoes of classic soul and Americana music with timeless themes of love and the very contemporary sound of protest. Read more.....
Contemporary Female Artist of the Year. As a 7x Blues Music Award winner, 28x BMA nominee, meet Ms. Janiva Magness.
At nearly 62-years-old, currently with 14 studio albums to her name, she shows no signs of slowing down. Magness is currently recording her 15 th studio album – her third with Blue Élan Records – and is scheduled in 2019 to publish her highly anticipated memoir titled Weeds Like Us.
After Janiva Magness added a 2016 Grammy nomination to her 26 Blues Music Award nominations — with seven wins, including Entertainer of the Year — she might have taken at least a short rest on her laurels. Instead, one of the preeminent voices in contemporary American roots music has raised the bar for herself. Magness’ 14th album, Love Is an Army, is a brilliantly crafted bridge between the past and present, blending the echoes of classic soul and Americana music with timeless themes of love and the very contemporary sound of protest. Read more.....
The Nighthawks
When Mark Stutso, master of the deep groove, joined The Nighthawks at the beginning of 2010, the 21st-century version of the legendary American roots band was complete. With Paul Bell and Johnny Castle in the band for nearly a decade, and founding father Mark Wenner the remaining original, this team outshines all previous incarnations.
The Nighthawks was an idea in Mark Wenner's brain long before he was able to implement it. The musical product of pre-1958 radio in Washington, D.C., he did not know there were rules against mixing blues, R&B, honky-tonk country, doo-wop, gospel and rockabilly into one delicious stew. (photo credit ©Chip Py) Read more.....
The Nighthawks was an idea in Mark Wenner's brain long before he was able to implement it. The musical product of pre-1958 radio in Washington, D.C., he did not know there were rules against mixing blues, R&B, honky-tonk country, doo-wop, gospel and rockabilly into one delicious stew. (photo credit ©Chip Py) Read more.....
Johnny Sansone
Johnny Sansone started out early playing music. His father, a saxophonist who’d been in Dave Brubeck’s band during World War II, introduced him to the saxophone at age 8. Johnny picked up the guitar and harmonica by the time he was 10, and had a life changing experience at 12 when he saw a Howlin’ Wolf show in Florida. That was the moment the young Sansone knew he was destined to play the blues as his lifetime vocation. He sat in with Honeyboy Edwards at 13. During the 1970s Sansone studied with blues harmonica legends James Cotton and Jr. Wells. In the 1980s he toured with Ronnie Earl, John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Rodgers and Robert Lockwood Jr. Read more.....
Murali Coryell
Murali Coryell has a story that is unique and has been growing since before he was born. Held by Hendrix, lived with Santana, dinners with Miles Davis, opened for B.B. King , played with Buddy Guy: Murali Coryell is an artist that defies category. The latest CD release "Mr. Senator" is described by Guitar Player Magazine as "delightfully bluesy rock and soul". American Blues Scene has praised "Mr. Senator" as a "Timely Album" as it tackles political issues of today. Jimmy Webb , Judy Collins, BIll Evans and Joe Louis Walker, or anyone familiar with Murali Coryell has praised his talents. Acclaimed by Billboard, CNN, Rolling Stone, & The New York Times, singer/guitarist/songwriter Murali Coryell is a rising force in contemporary American music. Murali Coryell is the son of jazz guitar legend Larry Coryell and author/actress Julie Coryell and grandson of TV, film and stage actress Carol Bruce. Murali has been dazzling audiences for years with passionate and dynamic live performances that always leave them wanting more. Read more.....
JT Lauritsen
Jan Tore Lauritsen (JT for short) is 51 years old living in Lillestrom, Norway. He began playing at the early age of 6 and pretty much immediately got interested in the Blues and related music after first hearing BB King, blues pianist Charles Brown and the legendary Ray Charles.
JT had his first paying gig at the age of 14, which resulted in a steady flow of jobs for him on the organ - an instrument he stayed with for many years. J.T. was searching for his own style on the instrument when he had to admit that a B3 Hammond organ was too heavy to drag around from gig to gig - so he compromised by taking up the accordion. Eventually, his blues harp began accompanying him wherever he went and became a new sound in J.T.'s music. Since 1989, both accordion and blues harp have been his trademark instruments. Read more.....
JT had his first paying gig at the age of 14, which resulted in a steady flow of jobs for him on the organ - an instrument he stayed with for many years. J.T. was searching for his own style on the instrument when he had to admit that a B3 Hammond organ was too heavy to drag around from gig to gig - so he compromised by taking up the accordion. Eventually, his blues harp began accompanying him wherever he went and became a new sound in J.T.'s music. Since 1989, both accordion and blues harp have been his trademark instruments. Read more.....
Yelba and Latin Fire
Yelba is a beloved and well-known performer based out of The Woodlands, TX, but she was actually born in Nicaragua to a musical family and has been involved in music since she could speak. Yelba's gift for harmonies was perfected by singing with her four siblings and her mother and father, and by age 9 performing live on the Nicaraguan TV show “Junior Panthers”. She learned to play guitar by watching her father serenade her mother, and soon became aware of the joy music could bring to the lives of others.
Her repertoire includes over 1,000 songs - from Sinatra to Bruno Mars, and from Gloria Estefan to Celia Cruz! Read more.....
Her repertoire includes over 1,000 songs - from Sinatra to Bruno Mars, and from Gloria Estefan to Celia Cruz! Read more.....
John Weeks
John Weeks plays guitar and lives in Denver. John has been very active in the Denver blues scene for a number of years prior to starting the John Weeks Band in 2013.
John’s musical experience started in Europe in the early 70’s. He was living in Paris in the early 90’s when he decided to abandon outside distractions and concentrate on music. In the mid 90’s his band, TNK (Frederic Dubois on drums, Gilles Verasano on bass) averaged over 200 dates per year and was a constant presence in the Paris music scene.
For John it’s all about playing live and it’s all about energy. “If you aren’t going to bring it, then stay home”. When he isn’t performing you can find him at one of the many jams in the Denver area. Read more.....
John’s musical experience started in Europe in the early 70’s. He was living in Paris in the early 90’s when he decided to abandon outside distractions and concentrate on music. In the mid 90’s his band, TNK (Frederic Dubois on drums, Gilles Verasano on bass) averaged over 200 dates per year and was a constant presence in the Paris music scene.
For John it’s all about playing live and it’s all about energy. “If you aren’t going to bring it, then stay home”. When he isn’t performing you can find him at one of the many jams in the Denver area. Read more.....
JAZZ
Patricia Zarate
Born and Raised in Chile, Zarate came to the US at age 20. She has worked and studied in the music industry jazz studies, music therapy and ethnomusicology; has taught private saxophone Instruction as a Teaching Assistant at Howard University in Washington DC, and Ethnomusicology at University of Maryland.
She has published music therapy articles in the Journal of Medicine of Chile, Journal of Pediatrics of Chile, Medical Journal of Panama, worked as music therapy intern at the New Hampshire Psychiatric Hospital, and in January of 2013 founded the 1st Latin American Music Therapy Symposium in Panama City.
She has performed as a professional saxophonist with a variety of bands and also performs as guest saxophonist in her husband's band the Danilo Perez. Read more.....
She has published music therapy articles in the Journal of Medicine of Chile, Journal of Pediatrics of Chile, Medical Journal of Panama, worked as music therapy intern at the New Hampshire Psychiatric Hospital, and in January of 2013 founded the 1st Latin American Music Therapy Symposium in Panama City.
She has performed as a professional saxophonist with a variety of bands and also performs as guest saxophonist in her husband's band the Danilo Perez. Read more.....
Deanna Bogart
Deanna is a long time multi instrumentalist and an award winning bandleader, singer/songwriter,and producer. Four international BMA Blues Music Awards for horn and piano nominee.
She is also a mentor and educator around the world.
Her band consists of:
Dan Leonard, guitar
Eric Scott, bass and voice
Mike Aubin, drummer and percussionist
Original Adventurous Blusion…it all starts with the blues just - doesn’t always end there…
‘There’s live music and then there’s Alive music’ ...Deanna Bogart
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She is also a mentor and educator around the world.
Her band consists of:
Dan Leonard, guitar
Eric Scott, bass and voice
Mike Aubin, drummer and percussionist
Original Adventurous Blusion…it all starts with the blues just - doesn’t always end there…
‘There’s live music and then there’s Alive music’ ...Deanna Bogart
Read more.....
Lance Anderson
Lance Anderson won the Maple Blues Award for Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year Monday, January 20, 2014, in Toronto.
Anderson was named Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year at the 17th annual Maple Blues Awards gala in Toronto after being nominated in the category eight times in the past 12 years. "What I enjoy the most is playing the piano and the Hammond organ, so this is the first time I was really recognized for that, for actually playing," Anderson said Tuesday. The Maple Blues Awards is Canada’s national blues awards program. Read more.....
Anderson was named Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year at the 17th annual Maple Blues Awards gala in Toronto after being nominated in the category eight times in the past 12 years. "What I enjoy the most is playing the piano and the Hammond organ, so this is the first time I was really recognized for that, for actually playing," Anderson said Tuesday. The Maple Blues Awards is Canada’s national blues awards program. Read more.....
The John Carney Band
John was born in Panama City and began his musical career there before moving to the U.S. He continued his career playing Country, Rock, R & B, Blues, Latin Jazz and Classical. In addition to playing in Panama, New Mexico, and Texas, John has performed in Atlantic City, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Orlando, New Orleans, and in Europe with award winning Swiss Blues guitarist, Andy Egert. John has also opened for Bo Diddley, Styx, Little Richard, Clint Black, and backed such legendary artists as Joe Cocker and Percy Sledge. In 1991 John became lead guitarist for the "Big Otis Show Band" and spent the following 8 years playing beside many of the best musicians in Texas. In 2000 John started his own smooth jazz band Gato Maximo. Currently John can be seen performing regularly in Panama City and the Coronado area in Panama. In February 2015 John performed at the 9th Annual Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival with his band and was invited back to Boquete in February 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. John is looking forward to performing at the 14th Annual Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival in February 2020. (Photo credit: Adele Doane) Read more.....
SPECIAL GUESTS
Anne Harris
"Once you have witnessed Anne Harris play the violin, you aren’t likely to forget the experience any time soon, it’s not just the wondrous music she makes drawing her bow across the strings, it’s also the way the spirit of the music emanates from her physically. She inhabits the music, or maybe the music inhabits her, but it is impossible not to be drawn under her spell” (BluesWax)
Blues is an expressive art form and nowhere can you find a more expressive Bluesician than the mystic violinist, Anne Harris. Rolling, blending and folding in a variety of musical influences from Celtic to Americana to Funk she embodies a musical genre-morphing Blues sound that is all her own. Read more.....
Blues is an expressive art form and nowhere can you find a more expressive Bluesician than the mystic violinist, Anne Harris. Rolling, blending and folding in a variety of musical influences from Celtic to Americana to Funk she embodies a musical genre-morphing Blues sound that is all her own. Read more.....
Charlie Marré
Charlie Marre is a conga player who was born in Panama City, Panama. Charlie has played with several salsa and latin jazz bands in Cuba and Panama.
Director of his own salsa group "Son Pa Ti". Formally works as a lawyer in Panama City. Read more…..
Director of his own salsa group "Son Pa Ti". Formally works as a lawyer in Panama City. Read more…..
The Boquete Jazz&Blues Festival is supported by the Panamanian Tourist Authority and the city of Boquete
