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Dutch Mason Blues Fesitval: ‘go big or go home’ – Metro US

Dutch Mason Blues Fesitval: ‘go big or go home’

It will be a unique way to mark end of the fourth annual Dutch Mason Blues Festival.

Garrett Mason — son of the late Prime Minister of the Blues — will perform a tribute to his father with April Wine’s Myles Goodwyn.

“It will be interesting to hear,” said festival artistic director David DeWolfe about the Goodwyn penned tribute to Mason, who died in late 2006.

“It was always probably a pet project for him to do this, and I haven’t heard the song yet, but Myles called me and said he has been working on a blues project for a couple years.”

The Sunday afternoon collaboration will be one of the highlights during this year’s festival, which takes place in Bible Hill from Aug. 8 through 10. The outdoor event will feature multiple Grammy-winner Bonnie Raitt, former Sun Record artist James Cotton, and legendary guitarist Hubert Sumlin.

Other performers include David Wilcox — who performed at last month’s tribute to Jeff Healey — band The Twisters, and 17-year-old guitar prodigy Jimmy Bowskill.

“When Dutch and I first started talking about this in 2004, the first thing he said to me was ‘Let’s really get some good names, because it’s the names that draw.

“‘So, let’s go big or go home when we do this,’” said DeWolfe.

“So, it’s all about getting the right names.”

Among the Atlantic Canadians taking part in the blues festival are Charlie A’Court, Thom Swift, Doris Mason, Theresa Malenfant, and Morgan Davis.

While the full roster of musicians performing in the festival are not all hardcore blues artists, DeWolfe said they have all been influences by this genre of music.

“It is a belief in some circles that blues is the godfather of modern day music,” he said. “When you think about the roots of it, and when you trace it back, even country music, rockabilly, jazz and hip hop, it all has the roots of blues in it.”

For more information, please visit dutchmason.com