Benz World Blog » Blues

Ash Grunwald

Jason Benz — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 14:26:58 +0000

Aussie blues legend Ash Grunwald on the Crossroads stage at Bluesfest 2022. No blues festival would be complete without a performance from this prince of the pentatonic. He is from the southern hemisphere’s biggest music cauldron, Melbourne, although he saw the light in 2010 when he relocated to Byron Bay.

Ash has an amazing body of work, with a dozen studio albums over two decades. My favourite is his 2019 album “Mojo” for its raw blues energy, and a guitar tone so fat it is at risk of diabetes. The album also has a powerfully dark duet with Kasey Chambers which reminded me of the haunting duet between Nick Cave and Kylie Minogue, if you replaced the orchestra with a blues guitar.

I love it when musicians collaborate to create something new and unexpected. Bluesfest is designed to make this happen. Along with the latest acts and the international headliners, there is a core of Australian bands, like Ash and Kasey, who Bluesfest supports year after year. This makes Bluesfest its own music scene.

Ash Grunwald and Kasey Chambers will return one last time for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest in Easter 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: In 2026 Bluesfest will be the last in a line of major festivals closed from increasing headwinds. This began before covid, with the previous state government’s legislative “war on festivals“. The new government risks letting this trend continue through inaction. However, you can change this. If 20,000 signatures are received, the NSW Parliament must debate Bluesfest’s future. #savebluesfest if you live in the state Sign up here. For everyone else, there is an international petition on change.org Sign up here.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

Taj Farrant

Jason Benz — Wed, 21 Aug 2024 09:31:30 +0000

These are the magic fingers of Taj Farrant on the Delta stage on the Welcome Wednesday of Byron Bay Bluesfest 2024. Taj is a young Aussie blues guitar prodigy who can shred with the best of them. He began his set with Hendrix-Red House and SRV-Tightrope. These songs are familiar to anyone who has picked up a guitar and followed the blues greats. I remember learning Red House almost 40 years ago. It is reassuring that these blues standards are still inspiring kids today. Mastering these songs led to his first record deal at age 10.

Taj Farrant has been confirmed to play next Easter at the very last Byron Bay Bluesfest.

I am still reeling from the news that Australia’s best music festival will end. It has been such a big part of my life. At least there is one last chance to see my friends again and celebrate “blues, roots & beyond” in 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Taj Farrant will return to the festival in 2026. Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2026
1st artist reveal

Christone Ingram

Jason Benz — Sat, 07 Jan 2023 04:45:25 +0000

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram effortlessly channelled the original grandfathers of the Blues on the Crossroads stage at Bluesfest 2022.

Kingfish’s respect for the old masters is evident when you hear him play. He draws his inspiration from the earliest days of electric Blues.

With over 100 acts at Bluesfest, you can expect lovers of the original form to be well-catered for. The Byron Bay festival in Australia has a long history of attracting world-class Blues musicians from America’s Deep South. Kingfish is a great example, coming from Clarksdale, Mississippi, The heart of the Blues story. If you ever wondered what it would be like to go back in time and listen to Robert Johnson, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters and B.B. King craft the foundation of the Blues. A live performance from Kingfish can take you on that journey. (image download here)

Kingfish will return one last time for the final Byron Bay Bluesfest in Easter 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

UPDATE: Due to the success of Bluesfest 2025, its future has been confirmed. Discounted early bird tickets for the 2026 festival are available here.

Melody Angel

Jason Benz — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 11:56:49 +0000

This is Melody Angel rocking the Juke Joint at the 2017 Byron Bay Bluesfest. I have never seen anyone channel Jimi Hendrix and Lenny Kravitz with so much style. This was no tribute act, this force of nature from Chicago had plenty of authentic blues and soul in her music. (image download here)

Melody Angel will return to the festival in 2025, tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

Buddy Guy

Jason Benz — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 13:59:21 +0000

There are blues men and there is Blues Royalty. This is, without question, one of the last original Kings of the Chicago Blues. Bluesfest 2017 was honoured to have Buddy Guy playing on the Crossroads stage tonight. It was hard to believe he is 80 years old as he strolled around like someone half his age. Guy has been called the bridge between Blues and Rock and Roll as he links electric blues pioneers such as Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf with popular musicians like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix, who copied Buddy’s tricks of playing the guitar over his head and with his teeth.

UPDATE: If you would like to see the hands which shaped the history of music. Buddy Guy will return to tour Australia in 2023. 10th April in Melbourne, 12th April Sydney. Tickets from Bluesfest Touring

UPDATE: Buddy Guy will return to the festival in 2023, Tickets from the Bluesfest website.

UPDATE: Buddy Guy will return to the festival in 2026. Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

Byron Bay Bluesfest 2026
1st artist reveal

This image is available for download here.

Taj Mahal

Jason Benz — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 11:49:07 +0000

This is multi-instrumentalist, prolific recording artist and blender of the Blues, Taj Mahal, who pushes the envelope of what Blues is. Here in his favourite type of gig, a festival where people are free to dance, broadcasting his own brand of Blues on the Jambalaya stage at the 2016 Bluesfest in New South Wales, Australia.

Image download here.

UPDATE: Taj will be back at the festival in 2024, Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

Blues Brother

Jason Benz — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 21:41:45 +0000

This is original Blues Brother and band leader Blue Lou Marini on the Crossroads stage of Bluesfest 2016. If he looks familiar you may remember him washing dishes at Aretha Franklins cafe in the classic 1980 film The Blues Brothers. 36 years later they are still wearing sunglasses at night.

Today I applied for media accreditation at Bluesfest 2017 and hope to post daily images from the festival.

This image is available for download here.

Joe Bonamassa

Jason Benz — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 12:59:10 +0000

Bluesfest would not be a blues festival without a sharp suited guitar shredder to lay down some licks. In 2016 Joe Bonamassa stepped up to headline the Crossroads stage on the third day of the Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia. Joe’s career began opening for B.B. King when he was only 12. More recently he has been recording music with Beth Hart.

UPDATE: Joe Bonamassa will return to the festival in 2023, Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

This image is available for download here.

Tedeschi Trucks

Jason Benz — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 12:59:21 +0000

This is The Tedeschi Trucks Band putting on an awesome performance at the opening night of the Crossroads stage at the 2016 Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia. The husband and wife team of Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks were backed by a powerful brass section, a talented set of backing singers, duelling drummers and a Hammond organ fattening out their grooves. The spirit of the blues is certainly alive and kicking in this corner of New South Wales and there is four more days of music to come at this festival. Watch this space for more photography of the bands.

Image download here.

UPDATE: I am excited to hear the band will be returning to the festival in 2024, Tickets are available via the Bluesfest Website.

John Mayall

Jason Benz — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 12:59:22 +0000

Yesterday evening we saw the Grandfather of the British Blues movement, the one and only John Mayall. He put on an outstanding performance with his latest group of american bluesmen at the 2015 Byron Bay Bluesfest. He has launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac and many more blues stalwarts. During the performance on the Crossroads stage he played keyboard, guitar, harmonica and then found time to sign autographs and chat to the audience in the front row. It is hard to believe he is 81 !

This image is available for download here.