The Doobie Brothers play Santa Cruz for the first time in decades on May 26.
All modern American music, be it jazz, bluegrass, soul or good old-fashioned rock & roll, is rooted in the blues. It quite literally changed music permanently since its inception in the late 19th century. The Santa Cruz Blues Festival, which turns 20 this year, celebrates the blues’ wide-ranging influence on American music by booking not just traditional blues bands but more eclectic groups who mix the blues with a whole range of other styles. This year’s lineup includes such diverse acts as the Doobie Brothers, Los Lobos, Joan Osborne and Los Lonely Boys.
“What we’re doing is stuff that’s based in the blues and American roots music, like the Doobie Brothers. They’re definitely an American band, but it’s roots music with a lot of different influences,” says festival promoter Bill Welch.
The festival has promoted this mission of musical diversity over its 20-year run by booking such artists as Joe Cocker, Boz Scaggs, Eric Burdon & the Animals, the Neville Brothers and Bonnie Raitt. At the same time, the festival has always brought in top-notch blues legends like Buddy Guy, Bobby Bland, Ray Charles, Albert Collins, Etta James, B.B. King and John Lee Hooker.
This year the two-day festival starts off Saturday with a particularly eclectic blend of blues- and roots-inspired music. The lineup includes New Orleans jazz/funk combo Big Sam’s Funky Nation; Joan Osborne, who, though best known for her 1996 alt-rock ballad “One of Us,” has in fact recorded several funk and blues albums; Los Lobos, who play a mixture of rock & roll, blues, soul and traditional Mexican music; and of course San Jose’s own Doobie Brothers, famous for such roots-oriented ’70s classic rock hits as “China Grove,” “Taking it to the Streets” and “What A Fool Believes.” This will be the Doobie Brothers’ first Santa Cruz concert in over 20 years.
Sunday’s lineup will be a special celebration of the festival’s twoo-decade run by paying tribute to the past and future of blues music. “We want to show some of the crowd favorites we’ve had over the years, but also show where blues is going. It’s the best of the blues yesterday and today,” Welch explains.
Coco Montoya, Jimmy Thackery and Michael Burks, all of whom have played the Blues Festival countless times before, kick things off on Sunday, followed by what’s sure to be a memorable set with two living legends—Chicago blues pioneer Elvin Bishop and James Cotton, one of the last living members of Muddy Waters’ band. Closing out the festival are two young up-and-coming acts, Tex-Mex–blues mixologists Los Lonely Boys and Johnny Lang, one of the finest young blues guitarist in music today.
20th Annual Santa Cruz Blues Festival
Saturday–Sunday, May 26–27
Aptos Village Park
Tickets $65 general/one day, $120 general/two day at www.santacruzbluesfestival.com starting Feb. 29.
