Over the past decade, the Southside Shuffle Port Credit Blues & Jazz Festival has developed into not only one of Mississauga’s favourite summer events, but one of the major stops on North America’s blues festival circuit.
It returns Sept. 5-7 with so much music, you can bop 'till you drop at some 50 venues around the village.
This year’s Memorial Park Main Stage lineup is headed up by:
• Grammy Award-winning Average White Band
• Motown’s best-kept secret, The Funk Brothers, who penned more No. 1 hits than the Stones, Beatles, Elvis, and the Beach Boys combined
• the Pat Travers Band (best known for the rock 'n blues classic, Boom Boom, Out Go The Lights)
• legendary harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite
• kiddie phenoms Homemade Jamz (the youngest act ever signed to a major blues recording contract)
“It has grown so unbelievably,” says Chuck Jackson, the festival’s artistic director and lead singer of Downchild Blues Band, who close out the Shuffle on Sunday (Sept. 7) at 7 p.m. on the Re/Max Main Stage. “We’ve got such a great, internationally famous lineup, the best lineup we’ve ever had.
“It’s an award-winning weekend. You’re not going to find a better lineup for the price anywhere.”
Beyond the Main Stage, there’s plenty of free music to be heard in the park – between the Mississippi South Stage and the new Dave de Eyre Stage. Between them, they'll present such perennial favourites as the Harp For Kids workshop and the Gospel Revue with Ken Whiteley.
Veteran local blues/R&B singer Virgil Scott, a longtime Shuffle emcee, puts this event’s success down to the fact that, “there’s a lot of musicians involved in putting it on. The artistic director is a musician, and he has been pleasing the public for a long time.
“It was timely too, for the village. The east end had a strong one in the Beaches, and we needed (a blues and jazz festival) in the west end. Where else are you going to do it (but by the lake).”
Working on his fifth CD, Juno Award-nominated Mississauga singer Johnny Max observes that, “the festival has got great legs. It brings people in from all over the world. We were in Scottsdale, Indiana last year and people were talking about it.
“People are lukewarm on blues because they don’t now what blues is. They think blues is sad music, but it’s not,” he continues. “(And now) there’s a whole revolution going on, with young stars like Joss Stone, and Amy Winehouse. People want soulful music, and these festivals are where you find it.”
That point was hammered home yesterday at the Shuffle press conference, at Lago Restaurant, when 10-year-old singer/keyboardist Mackenzie Boys-Eddy got the crowd clapping along to the old standard, Hit The Road Jack.
At the three-day festival, you'll also find the Louisiana Food Court, Vendor Village and the Molson Beer Garden in Memorial Park.
And, of course, there are bands playing at clubs and restaurants along the Lakeshore strip all weekend. That’s highlighted by the Fram Slokker Street Shuffle on Saturday, Sept. 6, when Lakeshore Rd. will be closed off to cars from 3-7 p.m., when you can walk and gawk at some 30 outdoor acts.
Traditional leadups to the Shuffle include the New Orleans Riverboat Gala on Sept. 3 at Oasis Convention Centre, an evening of food, music and dancing – to the swing and boogie woogie of Tyler Yarema, and Dinny’s Dixieland All-Stars.
Tickets are $175 per person, or 10 for $1,500.
Always a blast, the Beggars Blues Banquet goes Sept. 4 at Port Credit Legion. Things kick off at 7 p.m. with a Southern Style dinner, followed by the music of Homemade Jamz at 8 p.m., Chuck Jackson and Johnny Max Singin’ For Sick Kids at 9:30, and Clarence “Frogman” Henry at 11:30. Tickets are $60 per person.
For the Shuffle, admission to the Main Stage entertainment is $20 on Friday and Saturday, and $10 on Sunday, or $25 for a weekend pass.
For more information, visit www.southsideshuffle.com or call 905-271-9449.
