Mix Pick: Hidden River Blues Festival, with Otis Taylor and Sugar Blue
Down home blues on Venice Island.
The inaugural Hidden River Blues Festival happens on Venice Island in Manayunk on Saturday afternoon.
The fest's headliner is Otis Taylor, the Colorado bluesman who excels in creating both trancey electric blues and quieter soul searching sound on the new Hey Joe Opus Red Meat, which features a cameo from Bucks County-bred songwriter Langhorne Slim. He's be preceded on stage by Sugar Blue, the Harlem-born harmonica player whom you've heard before, though you may not know it: He played on the Rolling Stones' "Miss You."
Hidden River will take place in the outdoor rec center amphitheater on Venice Island off Main Street, and also features a number of acts representative of the Philly b;ues scene, including Tattar Tucker Blue Band, Deb Callahan Band and ace harp player Steve Guyger with his band The Excellos. Tickets are $15. Details are here at Manayunk.com.
A clip of Taylor's 2013 set at the Philadelphia Folk Festival - which, by the way, is also happening this weekend - is below, complete with a Gene Shay introduction.
Previously: Summer playlist Follow In The Mix on Twitter
























