25th Anniversary of Fredericton’s Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival

The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival has signed five new international acts to add to its 25th anniversary festival line up.  All of the groups, some of the most in demand new artists on the international festival circuit, will make their Harvest début at the 2015 edition of the Festival this September 15-20.

The announcement included Brooklyn’s wildly popular Grateful Dead affiliates Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, New Orleans funk-jazz-soul-hip hop masters the Soul Rebels, the royal musical lineage of Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers, Bonaroo veterans Greensky Bluegrass from Michigan and San Francisco’s premier funk showmen Con Brio, fresh from the SXSW festival. These five groups will join the growing roster of acts for the 2015 Festival, September 15-20, 2015, in Fredericton.

“These are some of the hottest emerging acts in North America. Brining fresh, new acts to Harvest audiences is a big part of what we do. And these five acts represent the future. This summer, they’ll be playing some of the biggest festivals on the continent from SWSX to Bonaroo and then they’ll wrap up their festival touring schedules with Harvest,” said Brent Staeben.

“Our 25th anniversary will have a lot of returning favorites, but our fans can also rest assured we’ll be introducing new hot acts as well. We have a long history of surprising people with great performances they didn’t necessarily expect. This year will be no different in that respect,” he added.

Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is slotted to wrap festival 25th anniversary Saturday night with a big party in the festival’s biggest venue, the Moosehead Light Blues Tent. Fifty years ago, the Grateful Dead set out on one of the most remarkable careers in the history of rock and roll. Half a century later, long-time Dead affiliates Scott Metzger, Tommy Hamilton, Dave Dreiwitz, Marco Benevento and Joe Russo have created the ultimate celebration: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. Not only do they play tight, vicious versions of some of the most complex songs in the Dead songbook, they play them with a rawness and energy absent from the stage since the Live Dead era. Joe Russo’s Almost Dead is undeniably wild and incredibly adventurous.

Dubbed “the missing link between Public Enemy and Louis Armstrong,” New Orleans institution The Soul Rebels play on their school-taught marching band skillset, incorporating influences such as R&B, funk and hip-hop in a unique, time-honored NOLA style. The band’s eclectic live show harnesses the power of horns and drums in a party-like atmosphere, while their weekly gig at Le Bon Temps Roulé has long been a New Orleans favorite. They’ve also toured the world over, sharing bills with icons such as Kanye West, Snoop Dogg, Green Day, Arcade Fire and Alabama Shakes.

Amy Helm’s deep musical roots were enriched by a lifetime of exposure to the finest expressions of American musical tradition. The daughter of the legendary Levon Helm, Amy wields a powerful voice that can both stir and soothe. Her lengthy resume is highlighted by many years of singing and playing alongside her father, with whom she conceptualized, launched and perfected the Midnight Rambles, a happening that still attracts fans and musicians from around the world.

The five members of Greensky Bluegrass have forged a defiant, powerful sound that, while rooted in classic string band Americana, extends outwards with a fearless, exploratory zeal. By playing up to 175 shows a year, mostly in rock clubs and at festivals like Austin City Limits, Bonnaroo and Telluride, where they won the coveted Telluride Band Contest, Greensky Bluegrass became a word-of-mouth underground sensation, cultivating a devoted legion of fans.

Propelled by young phenom Ziek McCarter, San Francisco’s Con Brio draws a clear lineage from the dance-heavy funk legacies of legends like Sly & the Family Stone and James Brown, while keeping an eye on R&B trailblazers like D’Angelo and Prince. With a relentless drive for experimentation Con Brio fuses pulsating rhythms, blazing guitar-work, soaring horns, the warm peal of a Hammond organ, and shimmering, sultry vocals with an unforgettable stage presence and seemingly limitless energy: altogether it’s one wild party.

These artists join the already announced Colin James, JJ Grey & Mofro, Galactic, The Record Company, Waylon Thibodeaux and Garrett Mason, with additional headliners for the 25th Anniversary Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival to be announced over the coming weeks.

Tickets and passes to the 2015 Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival will go on sale Saturday, May 9th at 9 am, available online at www.ticketpro.ca, through Ticketpro call centre at 1-888-311-9090, or at Harvest Central, 81 Regent Street in Fredericton, NB.

For more information on the event visit: http://www.harvestjazzandblues.com/