Blues Legends and Locals to Mingle at Fest

Etta James tops an eclectic lineup of blues and zydeco acts performing in September at the first Orange County Blues Festival, event organizers announced Tuesday.

Some of the 19 acts at the three-day event hail from the dance-hall circuit of Southwest Louisiana and the legendary Chicago blues club circuit. Southern California’s blues community will also be well represented, festival organizers said.

“We’ve got some big names that people know about and some really good names that people haven’t heard of in Southern California,” said Mark Liddell, who booked the lineup. “We brought in Delta blues, swing, zydeco and West Coast blues music to give Orange County a good taste of the blues.”

The event opens at Heritage Park on Sept. 24 with a “West Coast Harmonica Blowout.” The Friday evening show will feature Southland performers including Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Al Blake, former harpist for the Hollywood Fats Blues Band, and Lynwood Slim featuring Kid Ramos.

The Sept. 25 lineup features blues veteran Johnny Copeland, Canned Heat, Al Rapone & the Zydeco Express, Guitar Shorty, mouth harpist Latele Barton and the Taildraggers, a Los Angeles blues band. Also performing will be two acts from Chicago, guitarists King Ernest and Smokey Wilson.

Veteran singer Etta James will headline Sept. 26 on a bill with New Orleans blues man Earl Thomas, Beau Jocque & the Zydeco High-Rollers, a new zydeco band from Kinder, La., along with Southern California artists Robert Lucas, Juke Logan and Brenda Burns.

Single day admission is $5 on Friday and $11 for each of the weekend shows. A three-day pass is $15 in advance. Information: (800) 339-2547.