2018 Artist Bio's
JAZZ
Spyro Gyra

Founded in 1974 by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, Spyro Gyra have consistently been one of the commercially successfully pop-jazz groups of the past 30 years. The band became a full-time venture in 1976 and has been touring ever since. Critics love to attack this band's music, which combines R&B and elements of pop and Caribbean music with jazz, but its live performances are often stimulating -- unlike many of its records, which emphasize the danceable melodies.
The roots of Spyro Gyra lay in Buffalo, NY, in 1974. Beckenstein and his longtime friend, keyboardist Jeremy Wall, had been leading a group with a revolving membership; every one of the many members in the band were loosely involved in the local jazz and rock scenes. Around 1974, the group was beginning to gel and cultivate a following. A club owner who wanted to advertise an upcoming appearance by the band asked Beckenstein for the group's name. The saxophonist told him "Spirogyra," a word he learned in a college biology course. The owner misspelled the word as Spyro Gyra, and the band fell into place, featuring Beckenstein, Wall, Jim Kurzdorfer, and Tom Walsh. Not long afterward, the group added keyboardist Tom Schuman. Electric guitarist Chet Catallo, drummer Eli Konikoff, and percussionist Gerardo Velez all joined in 1978 (with Wall dropping out) and bassist David Wofford was added in 1980. Read more.....
The roots of Spyro Gyra lay in Buffalo, NY, in 1974. Beckenstein and his longtime friend, keyboardist Jeremy Wall, had been leading a group with a revolving membership; every one of the many members in the band were loosely involved in the local jazz and rock scenes. Around 1974, the group was beginning to gel and cultivate a following. A club owner who wanted to advertise an upcoming appearance by the band asked Beckenstein for the group's name. The saxophonist told him "Spirogyra," a word he learned in a college biology course. The owner misspelled the word as Spyro Gyra, and the band fell into place, featuring Beckenstein, Wall, Jim Kurzdorfer, and Tom Walsh. Not long afterward, the group added keyboardist Tom Schuman. Electric guitarist Chet Catallo, drummer Eli Konikoff, and percussionist Gerardo Velez all joined in 1978 (with Wall dropping out) and bassist David Wofford was added in 1980. Read more.....
Maria Rivas

Known as one of the most versatile voices in Latin America and now North America, Maria Rivas skillfully combines American and Latin Jazz / Blues rhythms with lively yet sentimental music from around the world. She interprets her music in English, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, and performs her own blend of traditional standards as well as music and lyrics she has composed herself.
Maria's unique sound is an intoxicating combination of classic American jazz and Latin music, with just the right splash of Brazilian accents, together with her signature mixture of indigenous, Caribbean, European, and African strains. From slow and sensuous, to very lively with a strong beat, her audiences love alternately to dance to her music, or sit and listen while being both moved and energized. A significant number of her audience members have described her performances as "magical"--their word.
Her exotic and varied repertoire includes American jazz and blues standards such as 'Funny Valentine', 'Route 66', 'Lush Life', and 'Summertime;' Latin classics like 'Bésame Mucho' and 'Moliendo Café;' smooth and sensuous Brazilian bossa nova tunes like 'Girl from Ipanema', 'Corcovado', 'Dindi' and 'One Note Samba'; movingly romantic ballads, such as 'My Romance' and 'Our Love is Here to Stay,' and many, many others. Read more.....
Maria's unique sound is an intoxicating combination of classic American jazz and Latin music, with just the right splash of Brazilian accents, together with her signature mixture of indigenous, Caribbean, European, and African strains. From slow and sensuous, to very lively with a strong beat, her audiences love alternately to dance to her music, or sit and listen while being both moved and energized. A significant number of her audience members have described her performances as "magical"--their word.
Her exotic and varied repertoire includes American jazz and blues standards such as 'Funny Valentine', 'Route 66', 'Lush Life', and 'Summertime;' Latin classics like 'Bésame Mucho' and 'Moliendo Café;' smooth and sensuous Brazilian bossa nova tunes like 'Girl from Ipanema', 'Corcovado', 'Dindi' and 'One Note Samba'; movingly romantic ballads, such as 'My Romance' and 'Our Love is Here to Stay,' and many, many others. Read more.....
Osvaldo Ayala

Born in the town of Paritilla, in 1952, Panamanian accordionist Osvaldo Ayala began playing his favorite instrument at the age of 7. After gaining experience and knowledge in combining folklore and different Latin pop rhythms, he formed his own band, called Ritmos Santeños that revolutionized the typical environment with his voice. He has performed with his group in Puerto Rico, Cuba, Miami, Spain, New York and other Caribbean countries. He is known as a great interpreter of typical Panamanian music.
Known as Escorpión de Paritilla (Paritilla's Scorpion), in reference to the place he was born, Osvaldo Ayala had the opportunity to work along with Celia Cruz, Wilfrido Vargas, Tito Nieves, and Oscar D'León, among other popular Latin artists participating in Ruben Blades' successful album La Rosa de Los Vientos. Some of his most successful songs are: My Crying , Feelings of the soul , Without your presence , Tell the truth , among others.
In recognition of his contribution to local arts, the Panamanian government named him Cultural Ambassador on August 15, 2007 when he received the Order Belisario Porras. Read more.....
Known as Escorpión de Paritilla (Paritilla's Scorpion), in reference to the place he was born, Osvaldo Ayala had the opportunity to work along with Celia Cruz, Wilfrido Vargas, Tito Nieves, and Oscar D'León, among other popular Latin artists participating in Ruben Blades' successful album La Rosa de Los Vientos. Some of his most successful songs are: My Crying , Feelings of the soul , Without your presence , Tell the truth , among others.
In recognition of his contribution to local arts, the Panamanian government named him Cultural Ambassador on August 15, 2007 when he received the Order Belisario Porras. Read more.....
Malamanya

Malamanya is a United States based band comprised of musicians who share a mutual respect and enthusiasm for traditional rhythms and melodies from Cuba and Latin America.
Their style is vintage and their sound is classic. Their onstage energy and compositions reflect the communal, complex, and celebratory spirit prevalent in these musical genres.
Malamanya released a new full length album in August 2016. Read more.....
Their style is vintage and their sound is classic. Their onstage energy and compositions reflect the communal, complex, and celebratory spirit prevalent in these musical genres.
Malamanya released a new full length album in August 2016. Read more.....
John Carney

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, 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 "Max Cat", as well as performing with the well-known Nicaraguan singer, Yelba.
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 "Gato Maximo" as well as joining in with Yelba and her band. John was invited back to Boquete to perform for the Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival in February, 2016 and 2017. John is looking forward to performing at the 12th Annual Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival in February, 2018. Read more.....
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 "Gato Maximo" as well as joining in with Yelba and her band. John was invited back to Boquete to perform for the Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival in February, 2016 and 2017. John is looking forward to performing at the 12th Annual Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival in February, 2018. 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 Rigoberto Coba Sin Ensemble Band

Rigoberto Coba is a native of David, the capital city of the Panamanian province of Chiriqui located just 38km away from Boquete. Being a professor of music at a David university he is working with various musical formations featuring various musical styles from jazz to salsa, bossa nova and merengue. His show with a 18 piece Big Band that he had specially put together for the 2012 Boquete Jazz&Blues Festival (it was their first-ever public show!) earned so much praise and applause that we just had to invite him back again and again for more great shows. This band is now a permanent staple of our festival.
We're happy to support great local musical talents by giving them exposure to national and international audiences! Read more.....
We're happy to support great local musical talents by giving them exposure to national and international audiences! Read more.....
BLUES
Dwayne Dopsie

“America’s Hottest Accordion” winner, Dwayne (Dopsie) Rubin, plays a unique, high energy style of zydeco. Dwayne hails from one of the most influential Zydeco families in the world. Although inspired by tradition, he has developed his own high energy style that defies existing stereotypes and blazes a refreshingly distinct path for 21st century Zydeco music. This singer/songwriter and accordionist has performed all over the world since debuting his band, Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, at age 19.
Dwayne, born March 3, 1979 in Lafayette, Louisiana, was the last of eight children. Dwayne attributes his musical ablilities to his father, Rockin' Dopise, Sr., a pioneer of Zydeco music. As a small child, Dwayne was interested in the washboard, but quickly realized he had incredible talent with an accordion. He has played the accordion since age seven and states, "This is my calling - Zydeco music is in my blood and it is my heart and soul." As a tribute to his late father, the most influential person in his life, Dwayne plans to record an album of his Dad's greatest Zydeco hits. Read more.....
Dwayne, born March 3, 1979 in Lafayette, Louisiana, was the last of eight children. Dwayne attributes his musical ablilities to his father, Rockin' Dopise, Sr., a pioneer of Zydeco music. As a small child, Dwayne was interested in the washboard, but quickly realized he had incredible talent with an accordion. He has played the accordion since age seven and states, "This is my calling - Zydeco music is in my blood and it is my heart and soul." As a tribute to his late father, the most influential person in his life, Dwayne plans to record an album of his Dad's greatest Zydeco hits. Read more.....
Otis Taylor

With Otis Taylor, it's best to expect the unexpected. While his music, an amalgamation of roots styles in their rawest form, discusses heavyweight issues like murder, homelessness, tyranny, and injustice, his personal style is lighthearted. "I'm good at dark, but I'm not a particularly unhappy person," he says. "I'd just like to make enough money to buy a Porsche."
Part of Taylor's appeal is his contrasting character traits. But it is precisely this element of surprise that makes him one of the most compelling artists to emerge in recent years. In fact, Guitar Player magazine writes, "Otis Taylor is arguably the most relevant blues artist of our time." Whether it's his unique instrumentation (he fancies banjo and cello), or it's the sudden sound of a female vocal, or a seemingly upbeat optimistic song takes a turn for the forlorn, what remains consistent is poignant storytelling based in truth and history. On his sixth CD, Double V, Taylor unleashes intimate tales as he produces an aural excursion inspired by an unconventional childhood.
Otis Mark Taylor was born in Chicago in 1948. After his uncle was shot to death, his family moved to Denver where an adolescent's interest in blues and folk was cultivated. Both his parents were big music fans; "I was raised with jazz musicians," Taylor relates. "My dad worked for the railroad and knew a lot of jazz people. He was a socialist and real bebopper." His mother, Sarah, a tough as nails woman with liberal leanings, had a penchant for Etta James and Pat Boone. Young Otis spent time at the Denver Folklore Center where he bought his first instrument, a banjo. He used to play it while riding his unicycle to high school. The Folklore Center was also the place where he first heard Mississippi John Hurt and country blues. He learned to play guitar and harmonica and by his mid-teens, he formed his first groups' the Butterscotch Fire Department Blues Band and later the Otis Taylor Blues Band. He ventured overseas to London where he performed for a brief time until he returned to the U.S. in the late 60s. His next project became the T&O Short Line with legendary Deep Purple singer/guitarist Tommy Bolin. Stints with the 4-Nikators and Zephyr followed before he decided to take a hiatus from the music business in 1977. During this time he established a successful career as an antiques dealer and also began coaching a professional bicycle team. They ranked 4th in the nation and were known for having two of the best African-American riders in the country. Read more.....
Part of Taylor's appeal is his contrasting character traits. But it is precisely this element of surprise that makes him one of the most compelling artists to emerge in recent years. In fact, Guitar Player magazine writes, "Otis Taylor is arguably the most relevant blues artist of our time." Whether it's his unique instrumentation (he fancies banjo and cello), or it's the sudden sound of a female vocal, or a seemingly upbeat optimistic song takes a turn for the forlorn, what remains consistent is poignant storytelling based in truth and history. On his sixth CD, Double V, Taylor unleashes intimate tales as he produces an aural excursion inspired by an unconventional childhood.
Otis Mark Taylor was born in Chicago in 1948. After his uncle was shot to death, his family moved to Denver where an adolescent's interest in blues and folk was cultivated. Both his parents were big music fans; "I was raised with jazz musicians," Taylor relates. "My dad worked for the railroad and knew a lot of jazz people. He was a socialist and real bebopper." His mother, Sarah, a tough as nails woman with liberal leanings, had a penchant for Etta James and Pat Boone. Young Otis spent time at the Denver Folklore Center where he bought his first instrument, a banjo. He used to play it while riding his unicycle to high school. The Folklore Center was also the place where he first heard Mississippi John Hurt and country blues. He learned to play guitar and harmonica and by his mid-teens, he formed his first groups' the Butterscotch Fire Department Blues Band and later the Otis Taylor Blues Band. He ventured overseas to London where he performed for a brief time until he returned to the U.S. in the late 60s. His next project became the T&O Short Line with legendary Deep Purple singer/guitarist Tommy Bolin. Stints with the 4-Nikators and Zephyr followed before he decided to take a hiatus from the music business in 1977. During this time he established a successful career as an antiques dealer and also began coaching a professional bicycle team. They ranked 4th in the nation and were known for having two of the best African-American riders in the country. 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.
In 1972, Mark, then 23, returned to his hometown after a New York City band apprenticeship eager to start a real, work-every-night band based on American roots music. He found a receptive local scene. Washington has long been a musical melting-pot of the kind that made Memphis the source point for the evolution of American music in the second half of the 20th century. It just never had a Stax or Sun record label to tell the world. As the city exploded with an influx of people from all the surrounding states during the Great Depression and World War II, Washington became a hotbed of musical cross-fertilization. When Bill Haley first brought his wacky Pennsylvania mix of hillbilly music and rhythm and blues to D.C. in 1952, people got it. And white kids like Mark found the Howard Theater – now recently restored and part of the historic top tier of the Chitlin' Circuit that included Baltimore’s Royal, Chicago’s Regal and New York’s Apollo – just a 25-cent bus ride away from the suburbs. 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.
In 1972, Mark, then 23, returned to his hometown after a New York City band apprenticeship eager to start a real, work-every-night band based on American roots music. He found a receptive local scene. Washington has long been a musical melting-pot of the kind that made Memphis the source point for the evolution of American music in the second half of the 20th century. It just never had a Stax or Sun record label to tell the world. As the city exploded with an influx of people from all the surrounding states during the Great Depression and World War II, Washington became a hotbed of musical cross-fertilization. When Bill Haley first brought his wacky Pennsylvania mix of hillbilly music and rhythm and blues to D.C. in 1952, people got it. And white kids like Mark found the Howard Theater – now recently restored and part of the historic top tier of the Chitlin' Circuit that included Baltimore’s Royal, Chicago’s Regal and New York’s Apollo – just a 25-cent bus ride away from the suburbs. Read more…..
The Iguanas

New Orleans, Louisiana's Iguanas reflected the diversity of musical styles found in their home state by fusing blues, classic R&B, zydeco, Cajun, Tex-Mex, and roots rock & roll. The group formed in 1989 around vocalist and guitarist Rod Hodges, who began playing guitar in San Francisco Bay Area blues and rock bands at age 14. While playing with a blues band in Colorado, he rediscovered the conjunto music that was a part of his mother's Mexican heritage, and inspired by master accordionist Flaco Jiménez, he took up the accordion as well. Vocalist and saxophonist Joe Cabral was raised in Nebraska, and his first musical experience came as part of his father's Mexican band. In college in Montana, he discovered Chicago blues, New Orleans R&B, and the honking saxophone style. Bassist Rene Coman was a native of New Orleans whose recording credits include Alex Chilton, Guitar Slim Jr., and Willy DeVille, while saxophonist Derek Huston and drummer Willie Panker rounded out their original lineup.
The Iguanas recorded their self-titled 1993 debut -- a pastiche of New Orleans funk ("Late at Night"), Latin music ("Para Donde Vas"), and Mexican polka ("Take Your Pictures, Your Letters and Your Ring") -- for Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville label. By the band's second release, Nuevo Bugaloo in 1994, Panker was replaced on drums by Doug Garrison. According to Garrison, he first worked with Rene Coman in the Alex Chilton band in the mid-'80s, where they developed strong musical bonds. They have also recorded together with Tav Falco's Panther Burns, and Garrison appears on Charlie Rich's last recording, the jazz-influenced Pictures and Paintings. In 1996 the band recorded its final disc for the Margaritaville label, Super Ball, which included a guest spot from guitarist and Iguanas fan Dave Alvin. Following the release of 1999's Sugar Town for the Koch label, the Iguanas signed with Yep Roc, reunited with producer Justin Niebank, and released Plastic Silver 9-Volt Heart in 2003. ~ Richard Skelly, Rovi. Read more.....
The Iguanas recorded their self-titled 1993 debut -- a pastiche of New Orleans funk ("Late at Night"), Latin music ("Para Donde Vas"), and Mexican polka ("Take Your Pictures, Your Letters and Your Ring") -- for Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville label. By the band's second release, Nuevo Bugaloo in 1994, Panker was replaced on drums by Doug Garrison. According to Garrison, he first worked with Rene Coman in the Alex Chilton band in the mid-'80s, where they developed strong musical bonds. They have also recorded together with Tav Falco's Panther Burns, and Garrison appears on Charlie Rich's last recording, the jazz-influenced Pictures and Paintings. In 1996 the band recorded its final disc for the Margaritaville label, Super Ball, which included a guest spot from guitarist and Iguanas fan Dave Alvin. Following the release of 1999's Sugar Town for the Koch label, the Iguanas signed with Yep Roc, reunited with producer Justin Niebank, and released Plastic Silver 9-Volt Heart in 2003. ~ Richard Skelly, Rovi. Read more.....
Magic Dick and Shun Ng

Born in 1945 in New London, Connecticut, Magic Dick arrived in post-war America to the Atomic Bomb, World Peace, Bebop and Rhythm & Blues. Dynamic change and growth in the arts and technology would be the hallmark of this era and by the time he was eight Dick knew that music, painting and physics would be his primary interests.
The trumpet was his constant companion and served as a springboard to the harmonica in his sophomore year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts where he met J. Geils and Danny Klein and became a founding member of the J. Geils Blues Band in 1968. Read more.....
Shun Ng is an award-winning fingerstyle guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter, known for his unique style which infuses elements of Soul, Funk, Blues and Jazz. Shun dazzles audiences from all over the world with his flamboyant technique, soulful vocals and hypnotic groove. He stands as one of the most dynamic and innovative performers, winning accolades from legendary producer, Quincy Jones to fellow guitar virtuoso, Tuck Andress. Read more.....
The trumpet was his constant companion and served as a springboard to the harmonica in his sophomore year at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts where he met J. Geils and Danny Klein and became a founding member of the J. Geils Blues Band in 1968. Read more.....
Shun Ng is an award-winning fingerstyle guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter, known for his unique style which infuses elements of Soul, Funk, Blues and Jazz. Shun dazzles audiences from all over the world with his flamboyant technique, soulful vocals and hypnotic groove. He stands as one of the most dynamic and innovative performers, winning accolades from legendary producer, Quincy Jones to fellow guitar virtuoso, Tuck Andress. Read more.....
Ian Siegal

Born in the deep south (of England!) in 1971, Ian's earliest musical memories are of the likes of Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and Chuck Berry, but it was on hearing the great Little Richard that he really caught the music bug and became nothing short of obsessive about it. This lead him into a life-long passion for the Blues and all of its various branches, and most of all, the man he calls "God" - the inimitable Muddy Waters.
At 16 he began to roadie occasionally for his cousin's band and one night, quite unexpectedly, he was asked to sing. The result was a blown-away audience and a delighted (and rather surprised!) young vocal talent with a long career ahead of him.
It was 2 years later that he picked up a guitar and taught himself to play, listening to the likes of Muddy, B.B King, Robert Cray and Albert Collins. At 20 he dropped out of Art college and travelled to Berlin, busking for a living. This is where he says his playing dramatically improved as, if he didn't make money, he didn't eat! By the time he returned to England he knew that a career in music was the only one for him.
A visit to Nottingham resulted in a 5 year stay and Ian's first band became one of the most popular on the local music scene, with a residency at renowned venue The Running Horse attracting full houses and appearances at Colne and Burnley festivals getting rave reviews. His first album "Picture Postcards" also showed Ian to be a gifted songwriter with a deep understanding of musical traditions, but with an eye on the future. Read more.....
At 16 he began to roadie occasionally for his cousin's band and one night, quite unexpectedly, he was asked to sing. The result was a blown-away audience and a delighted (and rather surprised!) young vocal talent with a long career ahead of him.
It was 2 years later that he picked up a guitar and taught himself to play, listening to the likes of Muddy, B.B King, Robert Cray and Albert Collins. At 20 he dropped out of Art college and travelled to Berlin, busking for a living. This is where he says his playing dramatically improved as, if he didn't make money, he didn't eat! By the time he returned to England he knew that a career in music was the only one for him.
A visit to Nottingham resulted in a 5 year stay and Ian's first band became one of the most popular on the local music scene, with a residency at renowned venue The Running Horse attracting full houses and appearances at Colne and Burnley festivals getting rave reviews. His first album "Picture Postcards" also showed Ian to be a gifted songwriter with a deep understanding of musical traditions, but with an eye on the future. Read more.....
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. Anne is an internationally recognized instrumental talent that has captivated audiences around the globe. Her command of the stage is punctuated with a free reeling and coiling whirlwind of sound and visual excitement. Her gypsy-like stage presence is truly unforgettable and revolutionary in the ever-expanding Blues genre. (Big Blues Bender)
The Chicago-based singer-songwriter and fiddle player has indeed been crafting and evolving her unique sound spanning five indie studio records and countless live performances. She’s also played fiddle live or in-studio with numerous other artists, including blues harp virtuoso and 3 time GRAMMY nominee Billy Branch, GRAMMY winner Terrance Simien, Anders Osborne, Tab Benoit, blues icon Bob Margolin, Living Colour, Moreland & Arbuckle, David Mayfield, Amy Helm, Cathy Richardson and occasional stints with hippie legends Jefferson Starship. 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. Anne is an internationally recognized instrumental talent that has captivated audiences around the globe. Her command of the stage is punctuated with a free reeling and coiling whirlwind of sound and visual excitement. Her gypsy-like stage presence is truly unforgettable and revolutionary in the ever-expanding Blues genre. (Big Blues Bender)
The Chicago-based singer-songwriter and fiddle player has indeed been crafting and evolving her unique sound spanning five indie studio records and countless live performances. She’s also played fiddle live or in-studio with numerous other artists, including blues harp virtuoso and 3 time GRAMMY nominee Billy Branch, GRAMMY winner Terrance Simien, Anders Osborne, Tab Benoit, blues icon Bob Margolin, Living Colour, Moreland & Arbuckle, David Mayfield, Amy Helm, Cathy Richardson and occasional stints with hippie legends Jefferson Starship. Read more.....
The José Ramirez Project

Jose Ramirez is a 28 year old Blues singer/guitar player who came to America in January of 2016 all the way from San Jose Costa Rica. For over 10 years, Jose developed a Blues scene in his country, starting his first band when i was 17 and producing various Blues events and festivals where he had the chance to meet and play with musicians such as, Smokin' Joe Kubek, Bnois King, Debbie Davies and John Carey.
Jose also hosted Costa Rica's only BluesJam for over 3 years in a row before he came to America to follow his dream to play The Blues. When he came to America, he met FL based singer Lauren Mitchell and she hired him to play guitar in her band.
Together they played some of the best Blues festivals in FL including the Bonita Springs Blues Festival sharing the bill with Shawn Holt and Sonny Landreth and also the Pompano Mess' O' Blues Festival sharing the bill with Eric Gales and Coco Montoya. Read more.....
Jose also hosted Costa Rica's only BluesJam for over 3 years in a row before he came to America to follow his dream to play The Blues. When he came to America, he met FL based singer Lauren Mitchell and she hired him to play guitar in her band.
Together they played some of the best Blues festivals in FL including the Bonita Springs Blues Festival sharing the bill with Shawn Holt and Sonny Landreth and also the Pompano Mess' O' Blues Festival sharing the bill with Eric Gales and Coco Montoya. Read more.....
Executive Producers
Deanna Bogart

"blusion...it all grows out of the blues...just doesn't always end there..." db
When it comes to Deanna Bogart, everyone wants to claim her as their own -- her hometown, her fans, her fellow musicians and even her instruments. She's that good–and that good-natured.
Born in Detroit, Deanna spent her early years in Phoenix and New York City, climbing on any available piano bench to plunk and play with preternatural panache. Around the age of six, she was "gently removed" from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for playing piano by ear instead of learning to read music. While in middle school, Deanna yearned to play the saxophone. Typical of those times though, she was told, "Girls play the clarinet, not the sax." Thankfully for us all, that tide has changed.
Today, Deanna Bogart is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and multifaceted musician whose fans value the diversity of her genre-free zone. As a bandleader/singer/songwriter/producer/pianist/sax player, Deanna combines the best of boogie-woogie, contemporary blues, country and jazz into a splendid blend she calls “blusion.” Read more.....
When it comes to Deanna Bogart, everyone wants to claim her as their own -- her hometown, her fans, her fellow musicians and even her instruments. She's that good–and that good-natured.
Born in Detroit, Deanna spent her early years in Phoenix and New York City, climbing on any available piano bench to plunk and play with preternatural panache. Around the age of six, she was "gently removed" from the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music for playing piano by ear instead of learning to read music. While in middle school, Deanna yearned to play the saxophone. Typical of those times though, she was told, "Girls play the clarinet, not the sax." Thankfully for us all, that tide has changed.
Today, Deanna Bogart is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist and multifaceted musician whose fans value the diversity of her genre-free zone. As a bandleader/singer/songwriter/producer/pianist/sax player, Deanna combines the best of boogie-woogie, contemporary blues, country and jazz into a splendid blend she calls “blusion.” 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. Its goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement in the field.
Lance is a successful producer, with recording credits such as Leahy (double Juno, Platinum Virgin Music recording artists) and a number of recent recordings under his own label, Make It Real Records. These include the internationally acclaimed 2B3 the Toronto Sessions, Live at the Wolf by Garth Hudson (The Band), Brotherhood by Blackburn, and All Play and No Work by the Cameo Blues Band. Lance also initiated and co-produced the Oscar Peterson Multimedia CD ROM, now treasured by jazz fans and players worldwide. 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. Its goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement in the field.
Lance is a successful producer, with recording credits such as Leahy (double Juno, Platinum Virgin Music recording artists) and a number of recent recordings under his own label, Make It Real Records. These include the internationally acclaimed 2B3 the Toronto Sessions, Live at the Wolf by Garth Hudson (The Band), Brotherhood by Blackburn, and All Play and No Work by the Cameo Blues Band. Lance also initiated and co-produced the Oscar Peterson Multimedia CD ROM, now treasured by jazz fans and players worldwide. Read more.....
The Boquete Jazz&Blues Festival is supported by the Panamanian Tourist Authority and the city of Boquete