Lineup for Blues Festival Set

In an environment perked up by performances from pianist Dr. John, singer Irma Thomas, guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan and singer/harmonica player John Mayall, the lineup for Benson and Hedges Blues, a weeklong blues festival to be held in the Southland in June, was announced Thursday at a press conference at the China Club in Hollywood.

Blues greats B. B. King and John Lee Hooker, along with John, Vaughan and many Los Angeles area musicians--Doug MacLeod, Bernie Pearl and Jimmy and Jeannie Cheatham among them--will take part in the festival, which will feature 10 performances from June 4-10 at area venues from Banger’s in Tarzana to Marla’s Memory Lane in Los Angeles.

The event is highlighted by a concert with King, Hooker, Joe Cocker, John and others at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa on June 9. The concert is also a benefit, as $1 from each ticket sold will go to Shelter Partnership Inc., an umbrella organization which aids a variety of groups that deal with the homeless in Los Angeles County.

This marks the first year that Los Angeles is a site for B&H; Blues, a combination of free and ticketed events which is presented in five cities this year and which debuted in St. Louis, Atlanta and New York in 1988. “We have met with such great response in the cities where we’ve held Benson and Hedges Blues that we wanted to expand to new markets,” said Jane Yusko, manager of the festival for B&H.; “We chose Los Angeles because of its heritage in the rhythm and blues field.”

The firm decided to sponsor the blues festivals, which are produced by George Wein’s Festival Productions, because “We want to bring the blues to the forefront of the music scene,” Yusko said. “This music is historically important. It’s at the basis of so much of today’s music.”

Blues musicians--like King, who often expounds about the lack of awareness of blues music in this country--are working with festival organizers, by being readily available for press interviews, for example, or by taking part in free workshops, to help bring the events off, Yusko said. “The musicians are taking this (festival) seriously,” she said. “It’s important music to them and I think that comes across in the festival.”

The festival begins June 4 with five “Stormy Monday” shows at five area venues, and includes other nightclub performances, a showing of blues films, a blues boat ride around the Los Angeles Harbor and a workshop on the art of blues songwriting. “We like to reach into different areas and have different programs to have community involvement and give it a festival atmosphere,” Yusko said.

For information: (213) 396-2797; for tickets, (213) 480-3232.