Coeur d'Alene Blues Festival Features The Best in Pacific Northwest

The Festival and The Artists

The management of The Coeur d'Alene Resort along with Craig Heimbigner of Too Far North Productions and Jim Volke of Impact Lighting have teamed up to create this annual early spring event. The Coeur d'Alene Blues Festival will begin with a Boat Cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene on Friday, March 26th, featuring the three time I.E.B.S. Best Blues Band award winners, The Fat Tones. With Too Slim and The Taildragger's former drummer, Zach Cooper recently added to the three part harmony band, it's always a non-stop rockin' blues party when they take the stage.

The Coeur d'Alene's Main Ballroom in the Convention Center will host a party that includes two stages and four incredible bands on Saturday, March 27th. A stage at each end of the event area ensures no transition down time between bands. The party starts at 7:00 pm with the 2008 and 2009 Inland Empire Blues Society Best Blues Band award winner, The Mumbo Blues Band. These five veteran musicians have been blues fan favorites for years and "the kid" vocalist, Jennifer Kemple, has proven a perfect fit.

Next up is another big band hailing from the Seattle area. A multiple Washington State Blues Society award winning band for Best Female Vocalist in 2009, Best Performer and Best Band in 2008, The Red Hot Blues Sisters bring original songwriting and electric sizzle to their covers in all things blues. Suze Sims, lead vocalist, and guitarist Teri Anne Wilson lead the internationally acclaimed band with several successful European tours and recently ended 2009 as a finalist in the Memphis Blues Challenge.

The headliner for The Coeur d'Alene Blues Festival is Portland's Curtis Salgado - A character inspiration to John Belushi when preparing to play the part of Jake Blues in the Hollywood classic movie, The Blues Brothers. Since the early 1970's, Salgado has fronted for The Nighthawks, The Robert Cray Band, Roomful of Blues, Ronnie Earl, Otis Grand and many others. Salgado's career has also included a stint with Santana and an acoustic project with Steve Miller. He refers to himself as a soul singer and is regarded as one of the best. He nearly lost his life two years ago to liver cancer. Modern medicine and support from loving friends like Steve Miler, Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt helped pull him back to health allowing Curtis to continue his passion as a blues artist. His last album, "Clean Getaway", pairs him with The Phantom Blues Band of Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt fame. Best known for his harmonica skills and unique vocals, Curtis Salgado is a welcome addition to the 2010 Coeur d'Alene Blues Festival.

The final Ballroom performance will be by the high energy, Rand Oxford Band. Randy is a multiple Washington Blues Society award winner, including Lifetime Achievement, Best Horn and Best Performer. A wild and talented performer, Randy fronts a six piece band playing his trombone like a lead instrument. He was recently chosen by the W.B.S. to go to the 2010 Memphis Challenge where bands from across America compete over the three-day event. The Seattle based Randy Oxford Band is known as a "slow" band in every sense of the word. It's as fun to watch as it is to dance to.

Friday and Saturday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort's Shore Lounge features Nu Jack City, another area favorite big band with big sound. Popular vocalist and frontman, Max Daniels leads a musical dance caravan through R&B, Blues, Soul and Motown. There's no cover charge here... it's all part of the fun.

Soulful Blend will also host a Gospel Brunch on Sunday, performing from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm in The Coeur d'Alene's Shore Lounge. This group will feature vocalist Max Daniels of Nu Jack City with separate tickets available for this performance.