“THE BLUES NEVER LEFT HARVEST JAZZ AND BLUES”

Although we dropped the “Jazz and Blues” from Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, we certainly didn’t drop the blues from the lineup!

In 2021, we changed the festival’s name to Harvest Music Festival to better reflect the wide range of genres featured on our lineup. As the live music industry continues to evolve, so have we. To continue growing in an increasingly competitive festival landscape and ensure Harvest can thrive for years to come, we’ve expanded our lineup and welcomed more genres while staying true to the music that built our festival.

OUR ROOTS ARE IN THE BLUES

That growth hasn’t come at the expense of the blues. In fact, you’ll still find incredible blues performances across our venues every September. This year alone, nearly 20 blues artists are on the lineup, keeping one of Harvest’s founding traditions alive and well.

Jazz and blues are historically intertwined with similar influences and communities, making it a no-brainer to celebrate the two together at a festival like Harvest. The love for these genres and communities still run deep through the heart of Harvest, so keeping a strong Blues presence in the tents is important to the festival. Bringing in a wider audience with our expanded line-up will only immerse a larger range of people into the world of blues. 

THE RETURN OF THE HOODOO HOUSE OF BLUES

In addition to the blues seeping into our line-up we are also bringing back the Hoodoo House of Blues this year. This venue was created to offer a variety of blues with sounds ranging from Delta to electric blues. The stage will feature blues artists from all over to bring new perspectives and life into the genre that has been around for a century. International Blues Challenge winner Joce Reyome will grace the stage once again, alongside classic blues artists like Fredericton’s own; The Downtown Blues Band. 

To celebrate the return of the Hoodoo House of Blues we are featuring three very special blues artists in our Electrofied Blues Series to keep the energy high late into the night. From Nashville the young blues phenomenon Danny Garwood & Company will take the stage Thursday night after Justin Saladino Band. On Friday after The Sugar Darlings, the audience will get to witness the dynamic duo of Jon Hines and Frank Sultana, coming together from opposite ends of the world: Cape Breton and Australia. And to close out the series Little Magic Sam will be bringing his raw, gritty sound to the stage on Saturday night after JP Leblanc. 

FEMALE BLUES ARTISTS

Female blues artists are a cornerstone of the music and at Harvest we want to honor that. We have amazing women fronted blues bands such as Amanda Jackson & Route 225 bringing her raw, soulful energy to the Hoodoo House of Blues on Thursday night. As well as solo artist Angelique Francis from Ottawa, ON coming to the TD Main Stage to perform her “Canadian Blues Music Awards” nominated music on Wednesday evening. Blue Marquee Moon, Bywater Call, and The Sugar Darlings can also be found across the TD Main Stage, Barracks, Hoodoo House of Blues, and The Playhouse over the course of the festival. 

LIST OF BLUES PERFORMANCES