This year the Festival will be the biggest ever with 13 acts performing. There are 11 bands listed, but the Phuket All-Star Blues Band is comprised of three local bands so total is actually 13. It's a global fiesta with musicians imported from USA, UK, Australia, Malaysia, Norway and Sweden and it will be a great party with tremendous music, plenty of food and drink and other activities.

The 2011 headliner is the American who was honoured with the 2010 Male Artist of the Year Award at the Blues Foundation’s annual award ceremony (the Oscars of the blues industry) in Memphis in May 2010: Mr. Curtis Salgado. In 1979 when John Belushi was in Oregon filming ‘Animal House’, he caught Curtis' act and was very impressed. Curtis took the actor under his wing and schooled him on blues and R & B history, which Belushi soaked up like a sponge; he used Curtis' show as the basis for the Blues Brothers act he and Dan Aykroyd put together. The first Blues Brothers album was dedicated to Curtis Salgado and so was the movie character played by Cab Calloway.

Curtis has been lead vocalist for a number of top artists, including Robert Cray and Santana, and his current album ‘Clean Getaway’ is a soul/blues masterpiece and maybe his big breakthrough as a solo artist worldwide. Curtis will close the 2011 Festival Saturday night February 26. Backing him on the Thailand tour is the eminent Rich Harper and his band from Los Angeles, who will separately play Friday 25th as ‘Disraeli Gears’ – a CREAM Revival musical experience.

Another famous newcomer is legendary rocker Mason Ruffner (USA) whose 1987 hit ‘Gypsy Blood’ was featured in the 1988 movie ‘Steel Magnolias’ with Julia Roberts. Mason has toured with the likes of Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr and Santana, and Santana recorded Mason’s song ‘Angel Love‘ last year. Mason and his band will play Friday 25th.

From the UK comes The New Machine Plays Pink Floyd, a tribute band to the great Roger Waters, David Gilmour & co. Other newcomers are Torgny Sandgren Blues Band from Sweden, John Meyer’s Blues Express from Australia and acoustic duo Jim Paxton (of the Paxton Brothers) and Stuart Hill.

Returning are The Prodigal Sons from Norway, the amazing seven-member band AkashA from Malaysia and Robert ‘One-Man Johnson (USA).

Local musicians Rob Davies, Tony Wilson, George Cordeiro, Colin Hill and Patrick Chua have put together Phuket All-Star Blues Band including latino blues meister Andy Gonzales (USA) for the occasion, performing Friday 25th.

The festival is a charity event with funds donated to organisations dedicated to providing schooling for underprivileged local children, such as the Rotary Club of Patong.

Advance tickets are available for a reduced price from a number of local outlets. Please see www.phuketbluesfestival.com for details or contact Andy Andersen, 086 682 2639; email: phuketmusic@yahoo.com for the latest news.

Schedule:
Thursday February 24
15:00 Robert ‘One-Man’ Johnson – acoustic at Hilton Arcadia main lobby
15:30 Jim Paxton & Stuart Hill – acoustic at Hilton Arcadia main lobby
22:00 Festival warm-up show at Tai Pan night club, Patong
Friday February 25
15:00 Jim Paxton & Stuart Hill – acoustic at Hilton Arcadia lobby
17:00 Main Gates open – darts, other games; plenty of food & drink
18:00 Robert ‘One-Man ‘Johnson (USA)
18:45 Phuket All-Star Blues Band (Thailand)
20:30 Disraeli Gears (USA) CREAM Revival
21:45 Mason Ruffner (USA)
23:15 AkashA (Malaysia)

Saturday February 26
15:00 AkashA – acoustic in Hilton Arcadia Main lobby
17:00 Main Gates open – darts, other games; plenty of food & drink
17:30 Jim Paxton (USA) & Stuart Bush (Australia)
18:15 Torgny Sandgren Blues Band (Sweden)
19:15 John Meyer’s Blues Express (Australia)
20:15 The New Machine Plays Pink Floyd (UK)
21:30 The Prodigal Sons (Norway)
23:00 Curtis Salgado (USA)

Sunday February 27
22:00 Festival wrap-up show @ Location TBA

For more information contact:

Andy Andersen, Festival director
Tel: +66 (0)86 682 2639
Email: phuketmusic@yahoo.com Website: www.phuketbluesfestival.com