Blues history runs deep through Lil' Ed's blood - his uncle and musical mentor (to both Ed and his younger half-brother Pookie) was the great Chicago slide guitarist, songwriter and recording artist J.B. Hutto (author of the only non-original on Jump Start, If You Change Your Mind). 
Born in Chicago on April 8, 1955, Ed grew up surrounded by music. He was playing guitar, then drums and bass, by the time he was 12. Ed and Pookie received lessons and support from Hutto. "J.B. taught me everything I know," says Ed. "I wouldn't be where I am today without him." Ed and Pookie spent their teen years making music together, and in 1975 formed the first incarnation of The Blues Imperials.
Quickly, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials went from playing local bars to clubs, concert stages and festivals coast to coast, giving national audiences their first taste of the band's propulsive boogie blues and wild stage show. They have played The Long Beach Blues Festival, The San Francisco Blues Festival, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Doheny Blues Festival, The Sacramento Heritage Festival, The Thunder Bay Blues Festival, The Mid-Atlantic Blues Festival, The Pocono Blues Festival, The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, The Rawa Blues Festival in Poland, as well as touring Canada, Australia, Europe and Japan.
Their spontaneous and unpredictable live show became legendary among blues fans worldwide. Spurred on by the band's rowdy performances, a legion of fanatical fans, proudly calling themselves "Ed Heads," eagerly spread the word.
We're very happy being able to present Lil' Ed and the band in Panama for the first time at BJBF2015.

Our beautiful 2015 festival merchandise has arrived. A wonderful new festival tile, T-shirts, tank tops, baseball caps, mugs, thermos, shopping bags, and new for the first time: A festival umbrella with an imprinted BJBF logo, just right for the occasional Bajareque! Check everything out on the merchandise page of this website! All items are for sale at the weekly Tuesday market in Boquete

Below are images of all four festival tiles that are available for purchase. If you buy several tiles you'll get a discount of $5 off the normal price of $20 for each additional tile, so if you buy all four, you'll get the fourth tile for free!

Or Sept. 6 wine-tasting party at the beautiful Hacienda Los Molinos hotel just outside of Boquete was a huge success! 99 attending supporters of the Boquete Jazz&Blues festival helped us to raise $1010 for the festival! In addition 4 new members signed up for our exclusive Fedora Club.
It was an evening brimming with positive energy, great music to dance to, 10 great wines to taste and a super raffle with 7 prizes worth more than $460!
Here's a link to a bunch of photos taken by our master photographer Michael Moore. Enjoy!
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112689591421008933330/albums/6056732041823202161

Dear friends and supporters of the Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival,

are you already as excited as we are about the 2015 Boquete Jazz&Blues Festival? In addition to putting together an amazing line-up of top-class Jazz & Blues acts the festival crew has been working hard on a program to get you in the mood way before the actual festival. Here are a number of exciting pre-festival events coming up in the months leading up to the BIG event which we would like you to mark in your calendars:

Wine tasting dance party at the Hacienda Los Molinos hotel
Saturday, Sept. 6 from 4pm - 8pm
Live music by the Rigoberto Coba quartet, 10 wines to taste, and a raffle to win a $160 Fedora club membership or one of two 2-day festival passes worth $45 each, or a brand-new 2015 festival tile worth $20! Don't miss your chance to win one of these absolutely great prizes!!!
Have you got your tickets yet???
Tickets are available for $20 at Mailboxes ETC. in Boquete, at the Tuesday market, at the door or by phone 6519-7876. Don't wait to the last minute to get them - you might miss out on the fun!

Halloween party at the Oasis restaurant
Saturday, Oct. 25 from 6pm - 10pm
Live music by Gary Whiting&the Boqats. 3 course buffet of Scary Food included. A special witches' brew will be available for those sophisticated monster palates...Dresscode: Scary!  The best, the scariest and the funniest costumes will win prizes!
Monster Mash admissions will go on sale in mid-September for $28 a pop.

Black&White fundraiser party at the Valle del Rio hotel
Friday, December 5, from 6pm - 10pm
Join us for an elegant evening with live music and Italian food on the beautiful porch of the Valle del Rio hotel!

School Production of the musical Grease at the BCP communal theater
Early December: Production of the Academia Internacional de Boquete, put on stage with financial support by BJBF's Music for Schools program. Date&time tba.

Festival kick-off dance party
January 2015, date&time tba. The final party to put you in the mood for the 'Biggest little Festival' on the planet.

Opening of the 'Art of Music' show at the Boquete library
Tuesday, February 3 from 4pm - 7pm, with live music and a musical show by students of the Academia Internacional de Boquete, supported by the BJBF Music for Schools program.

Fedora Club VIP Gala party at the Valle del Rio hotel
Tuesday, Feb 4, 7pm, for Fedora club members only

And then? And then:
C'mon baby let the good times roll!

The 9th BJBF edition will get rolling with our traditional New-Orleans style street parade and ensuing garden party at the Panamonte hotel on Wednesday, Feb. 4, starting at the BCP parking lot at 12pm. Face painting & parade set-up starts right there at 10am. And don't forget the first of four (!) jam sessions will take place at Mike's Global Grill on the same day, starting at 8pm!

For further info about the actual festival program please click here: http://www.boquetejazzandbluesfestival.com/program.html
Check back frequently  because at this early time the program is still subject to change.

Did you know?
The Boquete Jazz and Blues Festival Foundation is donating 100% of profits of the festival to local schools in order to support and improve musical education, and to find and develop local musical talents. Altogether, the foundation has since 2012 donated $7,300 to local schools!

To learn more about this great program please go to the Music for Schools page on this website by clicking here!