Jimmie Vaughan will headline the Greeley Blues Jam on Saturday, June 9th at Island Grove Park Arena in Greeley, Colorado. The festival, now in its hosting its 8th year, will continue the tradition of multiple headlining acts demonstrating the wide variety of music known as “the Blues”.

Guitar Player Magazine calls Jimmie “a virtual deity—a living legend”. This Texas multi Grammy award nominee has been playing guitar since he was 13. In 1969 he helped found the Texas Storm band, where his younger brother, Stevie Ray Vaughan, joined him on bass. In the mid 70’s, Jimmie co-founded the Fabulous Thunderbirds with Kim Wilson. Over the years, he developed friendships and performed with such guitar superstars as Eric Clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Carolos Santana. Joining Jimmie will be the Tilt-a-Whirl band and vocalist Lou Ann Barton, a founding member of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s band—Double Trouble.

Otis Taylor never fails to surprise the audience with his unique style and instrumentation (including banjo, cello, harp and guitar). Every album that Otis releases brings a new dimension to the world of blues. He is a multiple award nominee by the Blues Music Awards and was voted Best Blues Entertainer by Living Blues Magazine in 2004. Several of his songs have been featured in film and television song tracts. Otis always assembles a premier band, including Anne Harris—a violin player who reaches deep into the soul for an unforgettable performance.

The Soul Rebels Brass Band is an emerging powerhouse out of New Orleans, featuring a 7-piece horn band that has taken the tradition of the brass band to a whole new level of contemporary music. All of these musicians have been trained by and played with the best musicians in the Big Easy and are guaranteed to have everyone on their feet dancing and parading to their amazing performance.

Mary Bridget Davies’ voice explodes with soul-drenched blues. This band from Kansas City took second place in the 2011 International Blues Competition. In addition to her blues performances, Mary toured nationally playing the role of Janis Joplin in the off Broadway performance of ‘Love Janis” and toured with Janis’ band Big Brother and the Holding Company in 2008.

“Otherworldly”, “scorching”, “polyrhythmic” and “chilling” have all been used to describe Eddie Turner’s guitar playing. His ethereal style is an amalgam of the Afro-Cuban rhythms of his heritage and the music that influenced him as a teenager: Chicago blues, jazz, R&B and psychedelic rock, giving him his nickname of “Devil Boy”.

In addition, many of Colorado’s finest blues bands will perform on the Back Porch Stage as well as the Blues 101 stage, hosted this year by the Colorado Blues Society.

Friday night, June 8th, the Blues Jam kicks off in Historic Downtown Greeley at 5 pm, with the Mary Bridget Davies band playing on the plaza, followed by the “Beale Street” experience of free blues music in 10 venues from 8 pm to 1 am..

The Greeley Blues Jam is presented by the City of Greeley and the Greeley Chamber of Commerce and has become one of the premier blues festivals in the country. For information go to greeleybluesjam.com, or check our Facebook site. Tickets area available now at the UCCC box office, the Chamber of Commerce, or online at ucstars.com. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate. Discount ticket packages are available as well as limited preferred seating.