Bands Performing 2012

Red White & Blues

A View On The Blues
Program Schedule-Performer Lineup
Gates will open 11:00 AM

Shor'ty Billups & The Foxx Band

Headlining this years Blues Festival




Shor'ty Billups, Born in New London, Connecticut, February 1, 1932, Shor'ty Billups (pronounced Shor-tay), started at an early age singing and playing the piano . He started traveling and performing for our "Troops" at the age of 15 yrs old with the U.S.O. At the age of 18 years old he set aside his "dancing shoes" for the purpose of serving our Country for the next four years, never losing site of his vision.

You can check out his new CD called SHOR'TY'S GOT THE BLUES. He has written, sang and produced approximately 26-28 songs on his label SOLID GOLD and other various labels.

You can also check him out on the "BIG SCREEN" in Walls Have Ears, Office Rampage and a commercial on YouTube "Ideal Paint"

There are several footage of his performances on YouTube.



Gracie Curran & The High Falutin Band
"There was always music in my house growing up and I grew up singing in church. My mother was the choir director and a singer and loved everything from Bette Midler to Carly Simon. My dad was a Beatles and Dylan fan and gave me my first Beatles album. I became obsessed with music. I heard Ray Charles "I got a Woman" for the first time and I fell in love. I dove into Blues and Soul and Doo Wop- along the way took great inspiration from Etta James, The Shirelles, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, Candi Stanton, and my hero Miss Sharon Jones. I love the feeling that music gives me so much, I just want to pass that along through my voice and music. After singing with a live band for the first time, I knew that I was ruined for anything else. Along the way I was lucky enough to meet Geoff, Tom, Ross, and Joe and High Falutin' was born. I could not be happier and feel so lucky that I get to do what I love "

Gracie Curran- Singer
Tommy Carroll- Guitar
Geoff Murfitt - Bass
Ross Liberti- Drummer






The Mike Crandell Band, The International Blues Challenge entices the very best blues musicians from around the country to compete for the opportunity to participate in a three day musical event in Memphis, Tennessee, competing for cash prizes, recording opportunities, and recognition in the industry. Winners of each state’s competition are chosen as representatives to travel to Memphis, a path that the Mike Crandall Band has become quite familiar with. Crandall and company have won the Connecticut Blues Society Challenge to earn the prestigious honor to compete in Memphis not once but three times; 2000, 2003, and 2007. “It’s the blues version of American Idol”, describes Crandall of the International Blues Challenge event. Yet clearly, there is something to the Mike Crandall Band’s musical catalog that puts the band a step ahead of its peers.




The Soul of a Man Band, is an eight piece band dedicated to blues, funk, and soul music. The band includes musicians from all over the world including Demeyer Lauture (vocals), Mark Vialva

(trumpet), Jordan Maley (tenor saxophone), Greg Blair

(baritone saxophone), Dylan McDonald (guitar), Nate Hopkins

(keyboards), Nelson Leong (bass), and Pat Simard (drums).

Singing God Bless America:

Rosanna Turell, soprano, is a lively and talented member of the Sacred Heart Children's Choir under the direction of Mrs. Patty Lacerda. As well, she is a member of the South Shore Gregorian Chant Schola as one of it's youngest members! She is active in the Nichols Middle School choral program and has studied voice privately with Brendalyn Hartford for the last two years.

 

Brendalyn Hartford was a music educator in the Middleboro Public Schools for 35 years and has recently retired. As a choral singer and frequent soloist, she was a longtime member of the New England Conservatory Camerata under the direction of Lorna Cooke DeVaron, and studied composition at the NEC (New England Conservatory) School of Continuing Education for many years. She currently lives in Middleboro where she teaches piano and voice.