San Francisco Blues Festival

San Francisco Blues Festival
San Francisco Blues Festival
	San Francisco Blues Festival poster (2002)
Genre	Blues
Dates	Late September
Location(s)	San Francisco, California, United States
Years active	1973 – 2008
Founders	Tom Mazzolini
Organized by	Tom Mazzolini

The San Francisco Blues Festival was active from 1973 until 2008, and was located in San Francisco, California. It was the one of the longest running blues festival in the United States.^[1]

History

Tom Mazzolini, the event's producer, founded the blues festival to educate the public about the history and evolution of the blues. Many of the performers at the early concerts were the pioneers and originators of the West Coast blues sound.^[2]

In 2008, Mazzolini announced that after 37 consecutive years, the festival was forced to cease production due to economic reasons.

Notable performers

The 1970s

1976

Mike Bloomfield, Charles Brown, Arthur C. Robinson, Luther Tucker, Little Frankie Lee, Bernie Burns, Mike Henderson, Dottie Ivory, Hi Tide Harris, Gary Smith, Messaround Blues Allstars, Robert Lowery, Robert Kelton

1977

Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Phillip Walker, Sonny Rhodes, Johnny Fuller, Tom McFarland, Mississippi Charles Bevel, Chick Streetman, Johnny Waters, Boogie Jake, Willie Joe Duncan

1978

The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Harmonica George Smith, Louisiana Red, Lowell Fulson, Smokey Wilson, Isaac Scott, Phillip Walker, Queen Ida, Rod Piazza, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Guitar Curtis, Omar Hakim Khayam, Mark Naftalin, Ron Thompson, Mark Hummel, Charles Houff

1979

Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray Band, Big Mama Thornton, Jimmy Rogers, Roy Brown, Mel Brown, Paul deLay Band, Freddie Roulette, J.C. Burris, Hi Tide Harris and the Japanese Allstars, Luther Tucker, Blue Sax Allstars featuring Dr. Wild Willie Moore, Bobby Forte and Joe Conwright, Little Joe Blue, Ron Thompson Band with Mark Naftalin

The 1980s

1980

B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Percy Mayfield, The Nighthawks, Pee Wee Crayton, Blind Joe Hill, The Cobras, Sooleman Rowgie, Margie Evans, J.J. Malone and Troyce Key, Buddy Ace, Little Frankie Lee, Little Charlie & the Nightcats, Mississippi Johnny Waters and the Blues Survivors, Gary Smith Blues Band, Sonny Rhodes

1981

Roomful of Blues, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Earl King, Jimmy McCracklin, Carey Bell, Bob Hall, Deacon John Moore, George "Harmonica" Smith, Tom Courtney, Henry Ford Thompson, Miss Lu Lewis, Rod Piazza, Chicago Blues Power with Dallas Slim (Boz Scaggs), Eddie Ray w/Sonny Rhodes Band, Robert Kelton

1982

Clifton Chenier, Albert Collins, Robert Cray Band, John Hammond, Gatemouth Brown, Lloyd Glenn, Eddie Taylor, Johnny Littlejohn, Charles Ford Band, Melotones, Little Charlie & the Nightcats, Cool Papa, The Blues Survivors

1983

Albert King, Willie Dixon & the Chicago Blues Allstars, Clifton Chenier, Irma Thomas, Joe Liggins and the Honey Drippers, featuring Little Caesar and Diane Carlton, Brownie McGhee, Mark Hummel & The Blues Survivors, Duke Robillard, Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, Beverly Stovall, Monica Dupont, Buddy Ace, Troyce Key Blues Band, Ron Thompson and the Resistors, Maurice McKinnies, J.C. Burris, Maxine Howard