2018 Schedule

Multi-instrumentalist Hank Shreve won the Northwest Harmonica Championship in 2006, and the Cascade Blues Association's ''Muddy Award'' for Best Harmonica in 2009 and 2013.

The Proven Ones are truly an all-star ensemble, fronted by the dynamic Boston Blues legend Brian Templeton on vocals/ harmonica/accordion; one of the truly great modern blues guitarists, Kid Ramos (who appeared previously at the Festival with Mannish Boys, Fabulous Thunderbirds); Anthony Geraci, holding down the keyboard chair; Willie J. Campbell (Mannish Boys) on bass; and Portland’s Jimi Bott (Fabulous Thunderbirds, Mannish Boys, Kevin Selfe) rounding out the rhythm section on drums.

Rebecca & Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe are singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist sisters creating their own brand of Roots Rock ‘n’ Roll: gritty, soulful, bluesy, and flavored by their southern heritage. Originally from Atlanta and currently living in Nashville, they are descendants of tortured artist and creative genius Edgar Allan Poe.

Many musicians claim that they “grew up in the church,” but for Robert Randolph that is literally the case. The renowned pedal steel guitarist, vocalist and songwriter led such a cloistered childhood and adolescence that he heard no secular music while growing up. If it wasn’t being played inside of the House of God Church in Orange, New Jersey—quite often by Robert and members of his own family, who upheld a long but little known gospel music tradition called sacred steel—Randolph simply didn’t know it existed.

This funky, rockin' blues driven dance band won the 2017 Cascade Blues Association Muddy Award for Best New Act

Portland’s veteran indie roots-rocker, Jon Koonce, hits Waterfront’s main stage with a new 10-piece band with horns, original new material, a Memphis soul groove, and a new release, The Lost Cause, on vinyl and CD.

LaRhonda Steele is "Portland's first lady of the blues," with back-to-back best female vocalist awards from the Cascade Blues Association in 2016 and 2017

Americana powerhouse five-piece features (literally) blazing horn, stand up (and sometimes stand on) bass, and unstoppable showmanship

Look in any book on the History of Rock and Roll and you will find Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. The band’s founder, leader, pianist and vocalist, George Frayne, took the stage name Commander Cody from the 1950s Sci-Fi film serials. The band’s album Deep in the Heart of Texas made Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of the “top 100 albums of all time.”

Featuring Johnny Wheels & The Swamp Donkeys

Featuring Rae Gordon & Kivett Bednar

Featuring Ben Rice

Featuring Fenix Project

Norm "Boogie Cat" Sylvester is loved in Portland--he brought down Cascade Blues Association awards for Best R&B Band in 2015 and 2017--in part because of his long run as a regular at the legendary long-closed Candlelight Room. Here he is joined by other Candlelight alumni for a reprise of the gold old days!

Portland's Marilyn Keller has an unforgettably lush, rich voice as at home with a blues trio as it is with a full orchestra. Keller’s magical voice helps pack the dance floor for July 4 swing dance competition

Trashcan Joe began with the invention of the “Trashcanjo,” a banjo built out of an old trash can, by band founder, Captain James Cook. This group flaunts a variety of unique instruments, including a customized rhythm washboard, a bass made from a feed trough, a silver trumpet, and a sweet accordion!

Dick Waterman—the only person inducted into The Blues Hall of Fame who is not a musician or a record-company executive, and the only three-time recipient of the Blues Foundation’s coveted ‘Keeping the Blues Alive’ award—delivers his popular blues photography presentation.

Duck's roots run deep--he owns the oldest juke joint in Mississippi, and is the last surviving practitioner of the haunting Bentonia blues style. Critics praised his most recent album as "as gritty, stark and raw as one could imagine" and "absolutely hypnotic."

“Julie Amici” is the jazz and blues collaboration between duo Julie Yanko and Dean Mueller has won them multiple Cascade Blues Association blues awards and a semifinal spot at the 2017 International Blues Challenge

"What a pleasure to find a young band that really gets the blues. Deep and true to the roots. Really digging them. Glad they’re on the scene.” -Bonnie Raitt

Rae Gordon's stratospheric voice and cleverly sly stage persona, along with the absolute blues mastery of her band, won her 3rd place in the 2017 International Blues Challenge.

Fabulously faithful tribute to Otis Redding brings the Stax sound back to life.

With a once-in-a-generation voice , Grammy-nominated Beth Hart bares her resilient, loving soul in every show. A recent collaboration with Joe Bonamassa brought her legions of new fans, but she has been a cult favorite for two decades.

With their jumped-up funky grooves, New Orleans septet The Revivalists will make Portland Waterfront “feel like New Orleans on a Saturday night.”

Rose City Kings has received Real Blues Magazine’s awards for Best Pacific Northwest Blues Band and Best West Coast Blues/Rock Band. They were the Cascade Blues Association’s Muddy Award winner for Best Contemporary Act 2004 and Best New Act 2003, and were finalists for Best Contemporary Act in 2007 and 2008.

“Michael Osborn is one of the best blues guitarists around, he can really lay it down!” - JOHN LEE HOOKER
“Michael Osborn is one the most authentic blues guitarists today. His style goes straight to the heart of the Blues and he’ll steal your show if you don’t watch out!” - ROBBEN FORD

Mississippi's Johnny Rawls got his start working as a band leader for blues legends O.V. Wright and Little Johnny Taylor, then became a soul blues luminary in his own right, earning four W.C.Handy nominations and headlining spots at festivals all over the world.

Incendiary Southern California guitarist Kid Ramos worked with James Harman, Roomful of Blues, the Big Rhythm Combo, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, The Mannish Boys, Bobby Jones and Los Fabulocos before launching a brilliant solo career.

As electric as they are eclectic; one minute may find DirtyRevival tearing the house up with one of their funk-driven originals and another doing a radical retreatment of Rage Against the Machine

Western Swing music á la 1940, with an infectious beat, harmonized vocals, and thrilling soloists. Swing dancers delight!

Okropong performs traditional Ghanaian dance and music from ethnic cultures including Ga, Ewe, Ashanti, Dagomba and Dagarti. The musicians build layers of driving rhythms while the dancers engage in an energetic physical "conversation" with the drummers.

Duck's roots run deep--he owns the oldest juke joint in Mississippi, and is the last surviving practitioner of the haunting Bentonia blues style. Critics praised his most recent album as "as gritty, stark and raw as one could imagine" and "absolutely hypnotic."

They’ll tackle just about anything from the Great American Music Book and take it in the most unexpected directions, while holding strong to a Louisiana-based center. This unit has all the makings of being one of the surprise discoveries for festival goers this year.

Super group project features soul legend Salgado performing stripped down songs from the heart.

Americana powerhouse five-piece features (literally) blazing horn, stand up (and sometimes stand on) bass, and unstoppable showmanship

Fabulously faithful tribute to Otis Redding brings the Stax sound back to life.

Making his home in the Mississippi River town of Winona, Minnesota, the driving rhythms in Mike Munson's songs are reminiscent of the trains that barrel through his neighborhood. "He’s damn good!” says Southern Minnesota Scene Magazine.

Harmonica workshop/jam with one of Portland’s finest blues-harp blowers

"What a pleasure to find a young band that really gets the blues. Deep and true to the roots. Really digging them. Glad they’re on the scene.” -Bonnie Raitt

Misssippi's Johnny Rawls got his start working as a band leader for blues legends O.V. Wright and Little Johnny Taylor, then became a soul blues luminary in his own right, earning four W.C.Handy nominations and headlining spots at festivals all over the world.

“...an accomplished guitarist and an even better singer, distilling the soul of Ray Charles, the Southern boy roots charm of Delbert McClinton, and an uptown blues turn of phrase (à la Percy Mayfield) into his own dis-tinct voice.” - The Vinyl District. Walker and his trio have been a staple in the roots/blues world including multiple support slots for The Wood Brothers, and performances on Delbert McClinton's Sandy Beaches Cruise.

High energy R&B blues band Sister Mercy creates an exciting, blues-drenched sound. Lead singer April Brown is mesmerizing with her powerful, beautiful presence, full range vocals and complete joy in performance.

Christopher Worth developed his "Bohemian blues" as a street performer traveling across the US and Europe. His songs are timeless and real and are tied together by the power and purity of his voice.

“Triumphant, joyful blues-soaked R&B...one of the most soulful, honest singers ever” -Blues Revue “Inspired, powerful R&B showcases Salgado’s exceptional range and muscular, soulful vocals” –Billboard

A Grammy-winning blend of Cuban grooves and Bakersfield-inspired twang and one of the finest live shows in the business.

Frontman, singing drummer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Boyd Small is a Cascade Blues Association Muddy Award 'Hall of Fame' inductee and has also been nominated multiple times as 'Best Blues Drummer' by the Dutch Blues Foundation.

World-touring Americana and blues songstress topped Roots Music Report soul blues charts with her 2018 album "Rescue"

““If Tina Turner and Little Richard had a daughter and raised her with the help of uncles James Brown and Chuck Berry, she’d be like Nikki Hill.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune

The inventor of the “Bayou Soul” sound, Marc Broussard’s smoky voice and powerful songs have earned the Louisiana native a loyal international following.

Founded in 2001 and hailing from Duson, Louisiana, Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys play a traditional style of zydeco with a touch of funk. In the title song of the most recent album, Terry sings "The Bad Boys, they make you feel so good," and that sums up the response his music gets at festivals and dance halls in Southwest Louisiana.

This Louisiana-style Cajun and Zydeco dance hall music from Portland, Oregon features some of the region's finest blues and roots musicians.

Dexter Ardoin is true zydeco royalty, hailing from a family responsible for the first recording of zydeco accordian, and plays in the pure tradition of the rural Creole sound

After experiencing this concoction of blues, 70s funk, rock and roll, and good-ole Louisiana zydeco flavor, you’ll know why they say, “there ain’t no party like a Chubby party!”

Founded in 2001 and hailing from Duson, Louisiana, Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys play a traditional style of zydeco with a touch of funk. In the title song of the most recent album, Terry sings "The Bad Boys, they make you feel so good," and that sums up the response his music gets at festivals and dance halls in Southwest Louisiana.

Dexter Ardoin is true zydeco royalty, hailing from a family responsible for the first recording of zydeco accordian, and plays in the pure tradition of the rural Creole sound

With four Grammy nominations to their name, Rolling Stone called southwest Louisiana's Pine Leaf Boys “the best new, energetic, and fun Cajun band in a very long time.”

Horace Trahan, the maker of 1999's hit single, “That Butt Thing,” is a world-renowned Cajun and Zydeco artist, respected for his ability to pull the hell out of an accordion and belt out vocals that will give you chills

Mary is deep in the pocket of the country blues and there are few musicians in the genre bringing as much creative spark and low-key mojo to this century-old music.” —Acoustic Guitar Magazine

Timothy James is fast making a name for himself not only in the Portland area, but in the national music community as a 16-year-old guitar slinger who can hold his own with seasoned musicians four times his age.

South Carolina is home to the Gullah people, a word from West Africa meaning “a people blessed by God.” Ranky Tanky blends traditional Gullah music with sophisticated jazz for an incredibly unique sound.

“...an accomplished guitarist and an even better singer, distilling the soul of Ray Charles, the Southern boy roots charm of Delbert McClinton, and an uptown blues turn of phrase (à la Percy Mayfield) into his own dis-tinct voice.” - The Vinyl District. Walker and his trio have been a staple in the roots/blues world including multiple support slots for The Wood Brothers, and performances on Delbert McClinton's Sandy Beaches Cruise.

Lady A is a blues and soul diva from Seattle with an enormous voice and a vibrant, bouyant stage persona.

Quirky funk like you've never heard or seen it, this band is as fun to watch as it is to dance to!

South Carolina is home to the Gullah people, a word from West Africa meaning “a people blessed by God.” Ranky Tanky blends traditional Gullah music with sophisticated jazz for an incredibly unique sound.

Described by Rolling Stone as “pure magic to watch and hear,” Texan Ruthie Foster’s giant voice and powerful songs create a rich blend of gospel, soul, blues, folk, and rock.

Beloved for “I Drink Alone,” One Bourbon, One Scotch, and One Beer,” and a host of other bar anthems, “Bad to the Bone” legends George Thorogood and the Destroyers bring 40 years of hard-driving hits.

United By Music North America is a group of musicians of disability and the mentors that support them, united in a powerful performance that brings audiences to tears.

Cascade Blues Association Hall of Famer Kevin Selfe is whose skills as a captivating story teller and passionate performer are surpassed only by his deft mastery of blues guitar.

Four times in the last six years, Alabama-born David Vest has won Canada's Maple Blues Award for Piano Player of the Year.

A singular intrumental blend of funk, soul, psychedelic rock, R&B, progressive jazz, and Afrobeat played by an impossibly tight and virtuosic eight-piece.

Fusing fiery funk, simmering soul, and improvisational inventiveness, this Denver crew reinvents funk sounds for a new generation.

Horace Trahan, the maker of 1999's hit single, “That Butt Thing,” is a world-renowned Cajun and Zydeco artist, respected for his ability to pull the hell out of an accordion and belt out vocals that will give you chills

With four Grammy nominations to their name, Rolling Stone called southwest Louisiana's Pine Leaf Boys “the best new, energetic, and fun Cajun band in a very long time.”

After experiencing this concoction of blues, 70s funk, rock and roll, and good-ole Louisiana zydeco flavor, you’ll know why they say, “there ain’t no party like a Chubby party!”

Dexter Ardoin is true zydeco royalty, hailing from a family responsible for the first recording of zydeco accordian, and plays in the pure tradition of the rural Creole sound

Founded in 2001 and hailing from Duson, Louisiana, Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys play a traditional style of zydeco with a touch of funk. In the title song of the most recent album, Terry sings "The Bad Boys, they make you feel so good," and that sums up the response his music gets at festivals and dance halls in Southwest Louisiana.

With four Grammy nominations to their name, Rolling Stone called southwest Louisiana's Pine Leaf Boys “the best new, energetic, and fun Cajun band in a very long time.”

Horace Trahan, the maker of 1999's hit single, “That Butt Thing,” is a world-renowned Cajun and Zydeco artist, respected for his ability to pull the hell out of an accordion and belt out vocals that will give you chills

After experiencing this concoction of blues, 70s funk, rock and roll, and good-ole Louisiana zydeco flavor, you’ll know why they say, “there ain’t no party like a Chubby party!”

You don’t have to leave home to run away with the circus anymore! Drums roll, flags wave, a stilt walker hula hoops while horns bellow the sounds of New Orleans. It’s part marching band, part circus and a whole lot of fun!

Four times in the last six years, Alabama-born David Vest has won Canada's Maple Blues Award for Piano Player of the Year.

Lady Kat's low, rich, full-bodied voice evokes Etta James, with a little of Wynonna’s twang, and the depth of Della Reese!