Five day 'weekend' brings best of Scottish blues musicians to Edinburgh

The 2020 Scottish Blues Weekend returns from Thursday 6 to Monday 10 February bringing together Scottish blues icons and students of the blues.

Curated by singer, Nicole Smit and guitarists Jed Potts and Sandy Tweeddale, three Edinburgh musical talents with their fingers on the pulse of what’s hot in Scottish blues, the event aims to showcase the best of the music happening in Scotland right now.

They say, “The Scottish Blues Weekend shines the spotlight on Scottish Blues and offers a platform for new projects. It's great to be able to showcase such a diverse range of blues, as well as a host of bands led by women. We hope that you'll enjoy the weekend, and we especially hope that you'll see someone you might not have seen before.

"Fresh from her sell-out performance at Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Nicole Smit delivers a standout concert embracing contemporary tunes and stellar interpretations of the classics made famous by the inspirational blues women of the past. She is joined by Cera Impala in duo with Lake Montgomery (Delightful Squalor).

"Female blues talent continues with a blues afternoon featuring the combined vocal power of Dana Dixon, Liz Jones and Charlotte Marshall who deliver different takes on the blues tradition. The Scottish Queen Of The Blues, Maggie Bell joins the Festival to talk about her life lived in music from stories about Miles Davis, The Beatles and Lulu".

The Weekend also features two trios of guitarists. First, Sandy Tweeddale, Jed Potts and Jon Mackenzie play stripped backed acoustic blues showcasing their dazzling technique. Secondly, Mike Whellans, Toby Mottershead and Allan Jones with Thomas Lucas delve back to the early roots of blues.

Jed Potts will also present his acclaimed band The Hillman Hunters who are destined to make waves in 2020 with their exciting and spontaneous shows focusing on 50's and 60's American blues.

Another power blues trio, the Aberdonian, Full Fat Band, play at St Bride’s Centre with a style combining blues, rockabilly and Jaco Pastorius, while Tim Elliott and Gus Munro join Sandy Tweeddale for a new project which is inspired by Elmore James through to Ry Cooder – masters of The Slide Guitar.

Based at St Bride’s Centre, the Scottish Blues Weekend moves away from Gorgie for its opening concert, which takes place at Leith Dockers Club, where John Bruce’s Safehouse will deliver hard rocking blues. Toby Mottershead will also eschew St bride's to present a concert for Alzheimer sufferers in North Merchiston Care Home.

Other acts to feature over The Weekend include music students from both the Edinburgh Blues Academy and the Gorgie Dalry Jam. Both courses run every week at St Bride’s Centre for amateur musicians.

Tickets for all concerts are available from www.edinburghjazzfestival.com and 0131-467 5200.

Full listings for the event can be found at

https://www.edinburghjazzfestival.com/winter/themes/the-scottish-blues-weekend.html