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The 33rd Annual Billtown Blues Festival is all set for June 9 and 10 at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville.
According to a news release, the event planners are pleased to announce awarded talent will arrive from across the country all excited to come to Lycoming County and play for area music fans.
Festivities kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday evening, holding to tradition of presenting the Uptown Music Collective's Blues Band. Dave Brumbaugh, UMC executive director, has always included blues music performance and theory as an integral component to the school's curriculum.
Tony Holiday from Memphis, Tennessee, follows. Holiday is an awarded blues multi-instrumentalist with blues harmonica as his primary instrument. According to the news release, he is also known for the vision for his "Front Porch Sessions" recordings.
Coming in from Los Angeles is Laurie Morvan.
"Laurie last graced the Billtown stage in 2011 and has repeatedly asked to return," the news release said. "Finally, it all worked out for 2023. Laurie's set is high-energy from the first note with great songs, stellar vocals and blistering guitar."
As dusk starts to roll in, so does Friends of the Brothers, a very special collaboration of musicians -- individual headliners in their own right -- with the common thread of all being connected in some way with the Allman Brothers.
"This set is not to be tagged an Allman Brothers tribute performance," the news release said. "The connections are deep, and the music presented comes from personal Allman Brothers experiences."
Saturday will start off at noon with longtime local favorites Blues and Gasoline Reunion. Cheryl Miller, also known as Miz Ida, has reunited musicians from one of the earliest local blues bands for this very special set. Shawn Strickland, ace harmonica player, singer and noted songwriter, will fire up the festival leading the Dirty Mojo Blues Band.
Harrisburg-based band Ben Brandt and the Soul Miners Union will follow after his popular initial introduction to Billtown at the 2022 Fall Into the Blues. Coming in from Cincinnati will be 20-something Ben Levin, who is gaining respect world-wide with his grasp of traditional blues piano, unique vocals and creative songwriting. Joining Levin from Louisiana will be an "elder statesman" of blues, Lil' Jimmy Reed.
"This will be a magical pairing sure to please," the news release said.
Returning to Billtown for the second time is San Francisco-based Mark Hummel and the Survivors, with his special guest from Dallas, Anson Funderburgh. Hummel's style is a blend of traditional blues with a heavy dose of distinguishable West Coast swing. "Always a groove," Mark Hummel never disappoints. Funderburgh, too, returns from 2004 when he came to Billtown with "the Rockets" featuring the late Sam Myers.
Funderburgh's Texas-based guitar style is defined as "classy, tasteful, thoughtful and evident of his nearly 50 years of devotion to the blues art form," according to the news release.
Coming to Billtown for the first time is Jimmy Carpenter. Best known for his tenor sax mastery, Carpenter is also a popular vocalist, song writer, arranger and bandleader. Carpenter is coming off the heels of his recent release "The Louisiana Record" on Gulf Coast Records, produced by Mike Zito. Carpenter won a Blues Music Award in 2022 for Best Instrumental/horn.
Next, coming in from Florida is the incredible JP Soars.
"JP is making an atypical return to Billtown only since 2021 when he came to Billtown in support of Jason Ricci," the news release said. "This time, JP will be presenting his Gypsy Blues Revue featuring Chicago violinist Anne Harris -- something a little different, but sure to capture the attendees' attention."
Soars is labeled "King of the Cigar Box Guitar," has multiple Blues Music Awards in multiple categories -- including nominee for Entertainer of the Year in 2022 -- to his credit. Long-time drummer for Soars, Chris Peet, was also nominated for best instrumentalist/drums. In 2009, Soars broke out after winning the prestigious International Blues Challenge and the "Albert King Guitar Award" -- now known as the Gibson Guitar Award.
"The Gypsy Blues Revue will feature from Chicago, multi-talented, multi-awarded in music, production, acting, amazing talented vocalist and violinist Anne Harris," the news release said. "This will be one memorable set not to be missed."
The grand finale will feature The Altered Five Blues Band from Wisconsin. Jeff Taylor on vocals, Jeff Schroedl on guitar, Mark Solveson on Bass, Steve Huebler on Keys, and Alan Arber on drums are, according to the news release, "a tight band that have played together for over 20 years. It can't be better stated than these descriptive words from their bio: 'Altered Five smokes, smolders and burns like a swig of good whiskey.'"
The Milwaukee quintet is known for its strong brew of tough, original blues and hard-hitting live shows. Blues Blast raves that barrel-chested front man Taylor possesses a "smooth, warm-toned voice as monumental and undeniable as Howlin' Wolf with the finish and flourish of B.B."
The Billtown Blues Festival offers onsite camping packages for RVs and tents and free parking for those commuting daily. Food and beverage vendors and additional vendors exhibiting and selling their crafts and services are on the grounds.
Gates open on Friday at 5 p.m. with music from 6 to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, gates open at 11 a.m. with music from noon until 10:30 p.m.
The event host hotel, the Genetti Hotel in downtown Williamsport, is just a 20-minute drive to the venue location with special festival lodging rates available.
The all-volunteer organization, now in its 33rd year, maintains its mission of serving the arts community in Lycoming County and surrounding areas. All festival detail and ticketing services are available online at www.billtownblues.org.