Artists Will Sing the Blues at Shoreline Park

Before blues festivals began appearing in Southern California like dandelions in summer, there was the Long Beach Blues Festival, born 13 years ago out of a KLON radio show called “Nothin’ but the Blues.”

About 600 people turned out for the first festival. This year, 30,000 are expected for the new and improved festival Saturday and Sunday at a new location: Long Beach’s Shoreline Aquatic Park.

The definition of blues is loosening a little this year too. Chuck Berry and James Brown will join traditional blues masters Joe Louis Walker, Honeyboy Edwards, Etta James and Snooky Pryor.

“It’s good to showcase a couple of blues-influenced artists who have stretched blues into another idiom,” said Ken Poston, the concert’s producer.

On Saturday and Sunday, gates will open at 10 a.m.. Music will start at 2 p.m. and stop about 9 p.m. Saturday’s artists will play in the following order: Popa Chubby band, winners of the festival’s National Blues Talent Search; Honeyboy Edwards; Joe Louis Walker and the Boss Talkers; Irma Thomas, and Chuck Berry.

On Sunday, the lineup will be: the gospel-influenced Mighty Clouds of Joy; Sunnyland Slim; Snookie Pryor and John Nicholas; Etta James and the Roots Band, and James Brown.

Shoreline Aquatic Park is on West Shoreline Drive at Pine Avenue in Long Beach. Tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 at the door. To buy tickets during the day, call (310) 985-5566; evenings or weekends, call (310) 597-9911. Tickets also are sold through Ticketmaster.