2016 Barrier Beach Blues Festival

8th Annual Barrier Beach BLUES & Arts FESTIVAL

June 16-18, 2016

  IRVING LOUIS LATTIN is a native of Chicago, Illinois... He has been living in New York since 1982 and specializes in blues, rhythm & blues and soul music. He is well experienced as a band leader & is a strong solo performer as well. Irving has toured through europe, asia & the caribbean with several bands from the late 80s to the present. Traveling as a solo performer he also taught the basic styles of  blues to young students in music conservatories & blues clinics in Finland from 2007 to 2013. Irving was voted into the New York Music Hall of Fame as a Master Blues Artist in February 2015...

  GAIL STORM is a New York based singer/songwriter/pianist who performs-as soloist or as bandleader-in NY as well as on the national and international circuits. Her blues stylings embrace the root music she cherishes and provide a refreshing frame to other genres, such as classic jazz, pop and original compositions. Though Gail draws her musical influences from traditionally-based performers such as Meade Lux Lewis, Bessie Smith, and Louis Jordan, many of her fans compare her to modern day performers such as Diana Krall and Marcia Ball. The "Storm" is known to have a "heavy left hand" as demonstrated by her strong, rhythmic bass lines-particularly evident in the "boogie woogie". Repertoire ranges from traditional blues and boogie woogie to swingin' classic jazz standards, ballads, pop, and originals thrown into the mix.The Gail Storm Quartet will be comprised of Gail Storm on keyboards/vocals, Joe Vicino on guitar, Bonz Satoh on sax, and Kenny Hassler on drums. The concert will consist of classic and original blues, swingin' jazzy blues, and riveting boogie-woogie. For more info on Gail Storm Music, visit: www.GailStormMusic.com

STORMY WEDNESDAY was created by BENOIR as a weekly blues oriented jam class for both teens and adults. A two hour session from 7 to 9pm includes listening to classic material and learning how to play it together with other musicians. We often switch up instruments and offer opportunities to expand our horizons while learning material based on the 12 bar blues form and beyond. The band is comprised of regulars like "Dirty"Jim Feaster - gtr, "Pretty Finger" Ganji - gtr, George Ariza - bass / sax, Sophia Elenson - bass / vocals, Ruth Redlener - vocals / percussion, Bonnie - vocals, Jewels Carrion - vocals, Emily - vocals, and guest Aaron Hollon - trombone, keys, drums. Benoir leads the band on any instrument that needs playing, and these cats have performed at 2 Barrier Beach Blues Festivals, Arts In The Plaza, The Long Beach Hotel, JR Asian Fusion, Brixx Barley, and the HUB Billiards Club.

JOHN EARL WALKER (Born in Brooklyn, New York May 13th 1951) is an American electric blues guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer. John Earl began playing guitar in 1964 at age thirteen. Shortly thereafter he began forming his own bands to play at local gigs in the New York City area.
At one of his first gigs playing at his uncle's wedding at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, he met Sam Cooke who was performing in the next room and it left a huge impression on him. Around this time he started writing his own music and lyrics, a practice he continues to this day. By age fifteen John was playing professional gigs in clubs with older band mates. John cites the three Kings (BB, Albert, and Freddie) along with Chuck Berry as his biggest influences as he developed his own unique style.
During the 60's he played with various bands and line-ups in New York including Capitol recording artists Plum Nelly who opened shows for top acts like Buddy Guy, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix, Dr. John, John Mayall, Fleetwood Mac, and many other luminaries. Just two days after his twentieth birthday John Earl played at Carnegie Hall with Plum Nelly, opening for the James Gang, on May 15, 1971.
A great day for John Earl was in December 1975, when he was asked to film a pilot playing guitar with BB King for channel 9 KHJ in Los Angeles called "Backstage Pass." Soon afterwards John Earl formed his first blues band in Los Angeles and since then has led his own bands with many different line-ups. Many of John Earl's songs have become blues Internet classics. John Earl's main guitar used live and on all his CDs is named Dorothy a 1959 Fender Stratocaster which he purchased in NYC in 1973 in a trade for his 1961 Strat plus $100.00 dollars.  As well as performing in New York, John Earl Walker has performed at festivals in Australia and Sweden and also at the Fortieth Internationale Jazzwoche Burghausen in Germany in 2009.

THE SWEET SUZI BLUES BAND serves up a raw energy hard drivin' blues/rock cocktail. This collaborative effort manifests in their current euphonic adventure and combine power and emotion to create tight, dynamic blues.
Sweet Suzi has been hailed by audiences and critics alike as one of the most powerful female vocalists in the country. 
Ken Shankman of Elmore Magazine called Suzi "sultry, searing, scalding, and sexy".

The Sweet Suzi Blues Band has been touring extensively, performing at various festivals and turning intimate clubs into "juke-joints" throughout the Northeast. Sweet Suzi's live performances are intoxicating and have been called "can't miss events" on the NYC blues calendar.
Collectively, performing thousands of shows, the members of The Sweet Suzi Blues Band exudea professionalism that only comes from years of experience and enormous chemistry!

SOLOMON HICKS has been called ‘LIL' B.B. KING, EAST MONTGOMERY, and KING SOLOMON by his fans from NYC, nationally and now internationally. He is the real deal...the next best thing out of New York City.

Solomon has been in the biz since age 13 as the lead guitarist and performer at the Cotton Club, with a 13-piece band. He recorded his first CD, Embryonic, at age 14 with the Cotton Club All-Star Band.

Solomon is a jazz and blues guitarist, singer, and composer. An eclectic musician, Solomon excels at a number of styles ranging from jazz, blues, classical, gospel, R&B, funk and classic rock. He studied jazz, classical and Afro-Cuban guitar at Harlem's School of the Arts, Boys Conservatory, Brooklyn Music Academy and others. Solomon has worked with and played with many artists such as Ne-Yo, Tony Bennett, Jon Hendricks, Russell Malone, Stanley Banks, the B.B. King Blues Band (with Junior Mack, led by Jerry Dugger), Lonnie Youngblood, Winard Harper, Danny Mixon, Antoinette Montague, Roger Anderson, Elvin Bishop, the Cotton Club All Stars, JC Hopkins Big Band, Alex Blake, and more.

PAMELA BETTI is an incredible singer, performer, songwriter and inductee of the NY BLUES HALL of FAME!
As a professional singer for the last 20 years, Pamela has worked with some some of the biggest acts in the business like Kim Wilson from the The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Dave Mason, Eddie Kirkland, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Poppa Chubby, Val Thomas from Little Buster and the Soul Brothers, Richie Cannata and Todd Wolfe, Joe Bonamassa AND she has toured Seoul, Korea to rave reviews! Pamela is also the winner of the Long Island Blues Society's Challenge to Memphis and went on to compete in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN!
The bands' latest CD, "PAMDEMONIUM" has been well received and has air play on major Blues radio stations all over the world! her band is stellar too with Johnny Haseth on Guitar, Sal DeVitto on Drums, Tim Dorsey on keys and Dave Clark on Bass! There are exceptional musicians.
Pamela has an unstoppable energy, she is a true professional who knows how to entertain a crowd! Pamela's voice is a finely tuned instrument that can float through a ballad or rip through a kick ass Blues tune!
Simply put,this girl can sing!

LOLA'S

BENOIR, J. BRITTANY and Friends

  J. Brittany is a singer/songwriter recognized for her soulful voice and witty lyrics. She has performed with her own jazz and blues combos in Nashville, New York and Los Angeles. J. Brittany was a featured performer at The Barrier Beach Blues Festival in Long Beach, NY with her band, "J. Brittany and the Bad Boys" in June 2014. She was also a featured performer at the Long Beach Music Festival in Long Beach, NY in April 2015. She has also performed locally at various venues with guitarist, Mike Barnett as well as with Benoir and the Long Beach All-Stars. At the present time, J. Brittany is living in New York and recently released her debut independent blues album of original music called, "Bad Boy Blues" available at: www.cdbaby.com/jbrittany.

MUZIKCANVAS

Muzikcanvas was originally formed by Allan "Arturo" Teran along with two former band members with the intent of offering audiences of multicultural origins a chance to unite through the power of music. Over the past two years Muzikcanvas has performed at various festivals, private parties, bar & restaurant establishments, corporate black tie affairs, and charitable events as well.

MICHAEL BARNETT BLUES BAND

Mike was House guitarist at Tramps NYC in the 80s.He performed frequently with Big Joe Turner, Otis Rush,Cousin Joe, Charles Honeyboy Otis,and Louisiana Red to name a few.Mike and his band opened up for Many national acts like BB King, Sam and Dave, Muddy Waters etc.
Mike and his band have been featured as part of the Long Beach Jazz Festival and the Barrier Beach Blues and Arts Festival and performs frequently in the tri-state area. Mike is the proprietor of Michael's Music in Freeport, NY.       michaelsmusic.com