Spring Blues Festival

By Jean Metcalfe

Henry Woodruff was ailing and couldn't open the Kentuckiana Blues Society's Spring Blues Festival on April 21 at the Red Barn. And red was the color of the ink that recorded the dollar figures in the Society's books. Parking at the event was also a problem.

Perhaps the $11 ticket price ($9 for Blues Society members) was prohibitive, even though the caliber of the performers most certainly guaranteed that the audience got their money's worth.

"Other than that," everyone at the festival — not quite a full house — was treated to a healthy dose of the blues.

Ronnie Earl. Photo by Tom Armstrong

This reporter wasn't fortunate enough to be able to attend the festival, but my informant tells me that a lot of great music happened.

First of all, da Mudcats opened in Henry & the Noisemakers' place. Can't complain about da Mudcats!

Steve Ferguson & the Humanitarians were fine, Chicago's West Side Heat showed their good stuff and Foree Wells & the Walnut Street Blues Band took their turn at entertaining the crowd. Good things were said about all the acts, but I understand headliner Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters were outstanding. "He was all over that guitar," my informant said of Earl.

Feel like singing the blues myself, missing all that good music. Hope the Blues Society and the Minority Programming Committee, who co- sponsored the event, keep on bringing us the blues.