Hello All:

Just got back to Ottawa after a lovely drive back from the Poconos.
Funny how a 7 hour drive seems like nothing after such an incredible
blues experience. By using the word experience I'm saying that this
festival was much, much more than just seeing a bunch of blues bands,
and good ones to boot. You are totally immersed in the blues for the
whole weekend. The performers are easily accessible and you know that
everyone there is a real blues lover. By Sunday night there was more
stars in the crowd than on stage. I would think they enjoy sitting
around relaxing in an intimate setting as much as we do. As the slogan
on their banners say: "The blues festival for blues lovers".

The prescence of the Copeland family made the numerous mentions of and
tributes to Johnny Copeland all the more special, and the prescence of
Luther Allison's manager Mickie Mulvihill, working hard at the Luther
Allison booth trying to raise money for Luther's treatment, just made
you want to chip in all the more and do what you could.

I didn't get to meet (or talk to I should say) as many zeller's as I
would have liked but I guess that's the way it goes. Hello to the ones I
did meet (I'll forgive you Lea for not mentioning my name :-), too bad
you had to leave so early, things were just starting to heat up). Very
tight scedule this weekend. Had to cram as much blues in as I could.
Sorry I missed the Sunday jam at the Blue Heron. Sounds like a hoot
judging from Riffin Rick's post.The Bobby Rush show drained me pretty
good ( might have had something to do with those women he had on stage
with him :-) ).

Just a quick note on one of the highlights of my weekend. Seeing Big
Jack Johnson perform in a very small bar. I really had no idea just how
good he was. My jaw was on the ground. I have seen the footage in the
Deep Blues movie but that is definitely not representative of what he's
like today. I missed the 1st set unfortunately. The second set turned
into a bit of a jam in the middle and that was a treat as well. Texas
Johnny Brown did a song and I got to see fellow zeller Mark the Harper
do a couple of songs as well.I was very impressed with his playing.In
case you people at the Blue Heron on Saturday night were wondering where
Mark was when Debbie Davies called him up to jam,well now you know.I saw
Mark at the press conference the next day and he told me the story and I
heard it from some other people as well.Got to run for now,will post
more later.

Dale S.