THE 2nd Annual

SOUTH ORANGE INTERNATIONAL BLUES FESTIVAL

CO‐HOSTEDBYTHEESSEXCOUNTYDEPARTMENTOFPARKS,RECREATION&CULTURALAFFAIRS

Welcome by Mike Griot -- Founder and Executive Director The South Orange International Blues Festival

What a ride!! It has been over four years since I first envisioned a blues festival in my hometown of South Orange, NJ – that epiphany happened on a typical day having coffee at Starbucks, and sitting downtown soaking up the morning sun. Traveling the globe as a professional musician, I’d had the great privilege of performing at some of the greatest festivals and exotic locations in the world, and it seemed to me at that moment that South Orange (and Essex County) was equally beautiful – and worthy of its’ own major blues event. The obvious obstacle was the economy… and I knew full well it wouldn’t be easy. I needed help… Armed with the spiritual support of a few visionary South Orange residents and others, we embarked together on a mission of love and purpose. The reception was PHENOMENAL; everyone we met agreed that it was an idea who’s time had come. The next few years were spent clearing the way legally and administratively, while we began the very necessary work of bringing on sponsors and strategic partners to “pay the bills” – after all, I always meant this event to be FREE TO THE PUBLIC. Today, we proudly present to you THE BLUES -- our great American art form, and hope you will explore all of the history and creativity this music has to offer. Thank you again for participating in this historic event!! Best in Blues, MIKE GRIOT FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THE SOUTH ORANGE INTERNATIONAL BLUES FESTIVAL

OUR 2011 FESTIVAL SPONSORS & STRATEGIC PARTNERS:

OTHER PARTNERS:

THE SOUTH ORANGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Special Thanks: Johanna Wright Debra Davis Ford Stacey Jennings Michael Bollinger Mike White Cecil Brooks III Gloria Buck Doug Newman Alex Torpey Julien Neals Alfred and Clarice Jackson And the FANTASTIC SOIBF team!! Gale Jones Daryl Harris Tracey Mitchell Linda Onorevole Kyle Winslow Richard Groves Darren Elijah Pia Winslow Joel Levin Kendal Whitlock Patrick Hilaire

Main Stage – CHERRY LANE/SOUTH MOUNTAIN RESERVATION - West Orange SOIBF 2011 LINEUP -- SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th *Celebrity Host -- the "Culinary Rocker" -- JOHHNY CIAO 11:00am – 11:30 DEAN SHOT 11:45 – 12:15 AL GOLD & SRK 12:30pm – 1:00 FULL CIRCLE BLUES BAND 1:15 – 2:15 SUFFERING BLUES BAND 2:30 – 3: 00 SHARI PINE 3:15 – 4:00 SARON CRENSHAW4:15–4:30YOUTHBLUESBAND

4:30 – 4:45 MIKE GRIOT/SPONSOR/ALEX TORPEY/JOEY D! 4:45 – 5:30 DAVE STRYKER & B2TB 5:45 – 6:30 MICHAEL HILL’s BLUES MOB (w/Colin John) 6: 45 – 8:00 POPA CHUBBY

POPA CHUBBY

Popa Chubby, born Ted Horowitz in 1960, is a native son of The Big Apple. His parents were candy store owners in the Bronx. The young Chubby would play the jukebox endlessly listening to the hits of the day. Motown, Stax Volt, Chess and Atlantic records spun endlessly through the young boy's head. "The defining moment came when my Dad took me to see Chuck Berry when I was 6. There's Chuck onstage larger than life. I see a bulge in his pocket and ask my dad what it is? ‘That’s Chuck's money,’ my dad said, and I was sold on the spot." Fueled by Chuck Berry and soul music, Chubby took up the drums but was discouraged from making noise. At 14 he got his first guitar and never looked back. The 70's were fertile ground with Blues Rock ruling the Arenas. Chubby, fueled by Led Zeppelin, Johnny Winter, Jimi Hendrix, Foghat, Cream and the Rolling Stones would put in long hours with his record player, learning the licks that would become his signature. In the late 70's Popa answered an ad for a guitarist in the Village Voice and became a mainstay of the early CBGB's Punk scene. He played, recorded and toured with Punk godfather Richard Hell, becoming an in demand session player on the New York scene. "I kept seeing the name Willie Dixon on records" say's Chubby in an interview, and indeed the spirit of Willie Dixon would be a guiding force in Chubby's music. In 1990, the Popa Chubby band was born after a jam session with P Funk's Bernie Worrell. Popa began playing east coast clubs and in a short time became the house band at the legendary Manny's Car Wash in NYC, where he worked with notable artists from Albert King to Odetta. In 1993 after winning first place in the KLON National Blues Talent Search (the runner up was Keb' Mo'); he signed a deal with the Sony O-KEH label and made the record, "Booty and the Beast" with Legendary Atlantic Records producer Tom Dowd at the helm. The record yielded a Billboard top 100 hit with "Sweet Goddess of Love and Beer." Chubby was on his way, and after the birth of his twin daughters Theodora and Tipitina, he began to tour the world. Popa Chubby became a mainstay on the European festival

scene where he has headlined such notable festivals as The Nice Jazz Festival, Freewheels Festival, Bos Pop festival, the Kolne Rhythm and Blues festival, The Montreal Jazz Festival, The New York State Blues Festival and many more. In the interim, Chubby made and produced a stream of work for Blind Pig and the French Dixiefrog Records, including the groundbreaking, "How'd A White Boy Get the Blues?" The New York Times review referred to Chubby as a post modern Muddy Waters. Chubby continued to tour relentlessly and garnered a W. C. Handy Award for his 9/11 inspired "Somebody Let the Devil Out," a tribute to the first responders in the great tragedy. Throughout, Popa Chubby has made and produced several CDs with his wife and long time Muse, Galea. Her 2003 Solo CD "Diary of a Bad Housewife" and 2008's "Vicious Country" stand as great works. A short time later, Popa was contacted by DreamWorks Productions and asked to audition for the role of Shrek on Broadway. He worked in two staged readings with Tony Award winning director Jason Moore before previous commitments took him back on tour. In 2009 Popa joined the Dutch based Provogue record label and released the Blues Rock masterpiece "The Fight Is On." 2010 saw Popa's highest grossing year to date with concerts in 11 countries. 2011 will see a new chapter for Popa Chubby, with the release of his second CD on the esteemed Provogue Label. In 2011 Popa Chubby will mount the Monsters of Blues Rock Tour with the legendary Walter Trout, in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the U.K. There is talk of bringing the tour to North America. Popa Chubby is an artist who stands for musical and personal integrity. Audiences worldwide all say the same thing: "This is the best show I have ever seen!"

Michael Hill’s Blues Mob

With the release of their first Alligator album "Bloodlines" in 1994, Michael Hill's Blues Mob immediately established themselves as a cutting-edge, premier contemporary blues band with original music of uncommon power and conviction. "HILL AND COMPANY RETURN THE VOICE OF PROPHECY, AS WELL AS THE OUTRAGED HEART OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, TO THE MODERN BLUES TRADITION", exclaimed Living Blues. "Bloodlines" went on to earn the Living Blues Critic's award for Debut Blues Album of the Year, as well a slew of other rave reviews. The next four years saw the band release two more highly acclaimed albums on Alligator Records, with "Have Mercy!" (1996) and "New York State Of Blues" (1998) collecting their own choruses of excellent reviews. The cheering continued on the road: Michael Hill's Blues Mob has always been a dynamic, crowd-pleasing live act, receiving much love from audiences and lighting up the stage at the Chicago Blues Festival, Memphis In May and other festivals and clubs. They've been welcomed to stages all around the rest of the world as well, doing numerous tours playing festivals and clubs in England, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, France, Norway and the rest of Europe and Scandinavia as well as tours in Turkey, Russia and five trips each to Brazil and Australia. In November 2002 Michael performed in Beirut, where Lebanese audiences enthusiastically soaked up that Blues Mob New York energy. While the band has always drawn acclaim for Hill's songwriting and guitar playing, it's the state-of -the-art musicians in the Blues Mob who have brought the music to soul-stirring reality. The band's tradition of great musicianship continues: Bill McClellan has held down drums/vocals since 1999 and in January 2004, Michael Griot (who toured Europe with the band for a month in 1998) joined as a regular member playing bass guitar, electric upright bass and singing. Harmonica stylings are held down by the talented Dave Barnes. In addition, they've added acoustic music to their

arsenal, elevating even further the rich intimacy of their performances. And while cliché and imitation are acceptable to some, no doubt Michael Hill's Blues Mob and their unique New York-style blues will continue to be in the vanguard of keeping the blues alive and thriving in the 21st century with originality, real life conviction and full-throttle fun.

Dave Stryker & Blue to the Bone

Dave Stryker grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and moved to New York City in 1980. After establishing himself in the local music scene, he joined organist Jack McDuff's group for two years 1984-85. From 1986-1995 he played with the legendary saxophonist Stanley Turrentine at all the major festivals, concert halls, and clubs throughout the world. He is featured on two Turrentine CD's (Stanley recorded Stryker's tune "Sidesteppin"). With Turrentine, Stryker was able to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard. The ten years playing alongside the tenor legend helped Stryker realize the importance of having his own sound. Dave continued to work with Stanley and was with him during his final week at the Blue Note in NYC, when he passed in Sept. 2000.

Dave continues to perform with his working unit The Stryker / Slagle Band as well as his other projects: The Dave Stryker Organ Trio, and The Blue to the Bone Band. Recent gigs for The Stryker / Slagle Band have included a recent week at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola at Jazz at LIncoln Center, the Monterey Jazz Festival, The Blue Note in Las Vegas, The Jazz Bakery in LA, and a 2003 tour of Japan.

Recent sideman work has included vocalist Kevin Mahogany's group, with Dave writing and arranging music for Kevin's latest Telarc release Pride and Joy and Another Time, Another Place on Warner Bros and tours of Europe, Japan, Brazil, Poland and Carnegie Hall. He also has worked with Blue Note saxophonist Javon Jackson and pianist Eliane Elias. He has appeared on over 50 CD's as a sideman.

Colin John

"It's really honest music and it speaks from the soul and I think that's why it connects with people from every walk of life". An accomplished, versatile musician, John commands the stage with both his guitar prowess and passionate singing honed from years steeped in Memphis' rich music community. His infectious, genre-defying style was described by the British music magazine Mojo as "ferociously entertaining funked - up R&B" and a reviewer in Akron's Beacon Journal suggested John sounds like "Albert King channeling Steve Vai". In Memphis playing lead in the house band on Saturday afternoons at B.B. King's Beale Street club, Colin would often back visiting artists from Hank Ballard to James Cotton to Pinetop Perkins and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Moving to London in 1993, Colin spent ten years in the U.K. playing with some veteran musicians who worked with Eric Clapton- Henry Spinetti - one of Eric's old drummers who also played with George Harrison and Paul McCartney; Dave Bronze, who plays bass on and off with Eric and Gary Brooker from Procol Harum. Dean Shot

Amazing guitarist/vocalist Dean Shot is an artist of the highest form hailing from the NY/NJ area. Dean's singing and playing explode with soul, self-expression, emotion and

creativity. Incorporating many diverse influences and his unique take on life, he delivers a strong style that is all his own. He has been described as "mature beyond his years...Dean plays from the heart... with sheer power and passion behind every note...and a terrific showman! Greg Piccolo of Roomful of Blues fame had this to say, "Dean is one hell of a mean guitar player, and I’ve stood next to some guitar players in my day...I know." Shari Pine (2010 Blues Battleground Winner)

The daughter of an opera aficionado and jazz musician, Shari Pine absorbed classical music as well as contemporary urban sounds, and everything in between. Shari Pine’s trademark sound delivers traditional and contemporary blues. As for her songwriting influences, she sites storytellers Bruce Springsteen and Van Morrison. Her audience has grown significantly since “The Painter”, her self produced debut release. New York City performances include, The Cutting Room, B.B. King’s, Birdland, Living Room, National Underground and Terra Blues."The Painter" is now available at cdbaby.com. Shari is currently cutting her third studio album and has a live album on the way including a collection of performances at BB Kings and other NYC venues. Shari is back again this year to bring her power and style to eager audiences! SARON CRENSHAW

SaRon Crenshaw learned to play guitar at the age of ten. He is an extremely talented guitarist who travels the country playing Jazz and Rhythm and Blues. In the 70’s and 80’s he made his living playing bass for several bands in New Jersey, New York and South Carolina. He has shared stages with talented recording arts such as Lee Fields, Roy Roberts, Denise LaSalle, Bobby Rush, Jessie James, Tyrone Davis, and Chuck

Roberson. SaRon’s love is the Blues and he has been inspired by some of the greatest singers and players of all time, B.B. King, Albert King, Albert Collins, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Buddy Guy to name a few. SaRon plays a Gibson “Lucille” model guitar signed by B.B. King himself. He is a powerful entertainer and is never afraid to take his performance straight into the audience. SaRon is Blues with a Soul twist! THE SUFFERING BLUES BAND

The Suffering Blues Band featuring: Heath Mensher (vocals, harp) and Benoir (guitars, vocals). Not pictured: Freddie McCondiche (drums), Kentucky Parkis (bass). Photo credit: Patrick Hilaire What does the Suffering Blues Band sound like? Well, with Heath Mensher on vocals and blues harp; Benoir on guitars and arrangements; Kentucky on bass; and Fred McCondiche on drums and percussion, they kinda sound like… 55 dirty angles crying into their whiskey! Heath Mensher and Benoir have been playing together since they were children, honing their blues skills in a small bus kiosk on Long Island. The Suffering Blues band was formed with renowned Bassist Kentucky Parkis and the irrepressible Freddie McCondiche on drums.The band stretches out with hard funk, but you can hear real pain when they turn to traditional gutbucket blues. FULL CIRCLE BLUES BAND

The Full Circle Band was formed in 1998.Many of the members are formally from the Black Widow Band.This six piece unit has shared the stage with the likes of Kool and the Gang, BB King, Parliament -Funkadelic, Meatloaf, Bobby Brown, Billy Hector, Tutu Jones, Stevie Wonder , Third World and many more . Members of the Jersey shore Jazz and Blues foundation since 1998, Full Circle provide a wide variety of different styles of music from funk ,nu-jazz, pop, rock, r&b and swing. This enables to give all fans a full circle of music in all styles.

AL GOLD AND THE SUBURBAN RHYTHM KINGS

Al Gold & the Suburban Rhythm Kings featuring: (l to r) Bobby Radcliff (guitar), Tom Rice (guitar, vocals, harmonica), Jerry Cordasco (drums, percussion), Terry Hemmer (bass, vocals), and Al Gold (guitar, vocals, mandolin). Al has occupied musical time and space with these great musicians: Mel Tones, Bill Barr, Bobby Radcliff, Mitch Eisenberg, Dave Angelini, Dan Courtenay, Eddie Taylor, Eric Braverman, Owen Plotkin, Monz Manasee the Mopes, Jerry Cordasco, Tom Rice, Terry Hemmer, Candy Apple, Homesick James Williamson, Mighty Joe Young, Johnny Long, Dave Stryker, Brian Lynch, Duane Eubanks, Clark Gayton, Steve Slagle, Bob Parsons, Bruce Barth, Jay Anderson, Adam Nussbaum, Ed Howard, Andy McKee, Bailey Gee, George Naha, Richard Lee, TS Monk, John Smatla, Mike King, Manolo Badrena, Bill Moring Tim Horner, Big Mike Davita, Randy Smith, Rocky Jr. and the Signifiers, Enzo & the Bakers, Kyle Kohler and many others... JOHNNY CIAO

Johnny Ciao did not get his start in the culinary world like most chefs who go to culinary school or work in restaurants, but by working behind the scenes in the entertainment industry. Ciao always loved to cook for his clients and after producing a book and video called ‘Cooking With Country Music Stars’, that went on to sell close to 1,000,000 copies. It featured recipes from 36 top country music stars from Hank Williams Jr. to Dolly Parton.

In the mid-80′s, Johnny moved his operation from the east coast to the west coast (LA/SF). His second home in San Francisco is what led Johnny to becoming more involved with his passion for food when he met the late concert promoter Bill Graham who asked Johnny to create some of his Inventive Cuisine Treats for Bay Area luminaries at his yearly Bammy Awards Show. There Johnny came in contact with the Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, Huey Lewis, Buddy Miles, Chris Isaac and many other music greats. He created backstage food and went on to cook for many of these artists one on one in their homes, at recording studios, on the road and wherever.

Johnny then received a phone call that changed his life forever. Pop Star/Music Icon Michael Jackson had collapsed on stage in the Far East while performing. He was weak due to a poor diet and improper eating habits. Johnny was hired to strengthen and change Michael’s diet. He proceeded to move into Neverland Ranch and created healthy, fun and Inventive foods for Michael and his many celebrity guests. It was truly an experience that will last with Johnny for a lifetime!

After improving Michael’s health and re-introducing him to fish and poultry items, Johnny decided it was time to stop representing the interests of others and focus on himself. He acquired a solid reputation as an articulate culinary artist and went on to work with one of the some of the entertainment industry’s biggest names including Willie Nelson, the late Marlon Brando and Gregory Peck, Whitney Houston, Dick Clark, Donnie and Marie Osmond, Mayor Ed Koch, Wayne Brady, Richard Kind, and many other music, sports and political figures.

After the release of his second book, ‘Koncert Kitchen’, Johnny began appearing on top television and radio programs throughout the world. Some of Johnny’s appearances include the Today Show, Regis, Wayne Brady, Donnie and Marie, several Dick Clark Specials, Entertainment Tonight, VH-1, MTV, BBC, RAI and countless network shows throughout the US and the World. To this day he continues to make appearances promoting his appearances, product line, books and charitable ties.

More recently Ciao has been traveling throughout the world filming an internet series, where he re-creates dishes indigenous to regions around the globe in his Euro-California style fashion. He also visits cool destinations, and cooks in the oddest of locations with celebrities and musicians.

Johnny also contributes much of his time doing benefits, golf tournaments and other appearances for ALS, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, Chi Chi’s Kids, CROC Alumni, The First Tee and many other organizations and schools in need.

Johnny Ciao performs on harmonica while he prepares food at his Famous Blues and Funk Buffet Events which have sold out at several House of Blues locations, as well as other top venues across the U.S. and abroad. Well-Known Musicians from major groups join Johnny as he presents and prepares a feast of food and music for hundreds of guests.