UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Music fans are in for a treat on Labor Day evening on Monday, Sept. 7, as the “Queen of Boogie Woogie” herself, Wendy DeWitt, opens for the sax legend Nancy Wright and her Rhythm and Roots Band at the annual Blue Wing Labor Day Blues Fest.
“With the Lake County Fair over and guests gone home, a little quality music in a relaxing outdoor setting is a great way to end the Labor Day weekend,” said Blue Wing owner Bernie Butcher.
The venue is the tree shaded garden between the Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Restaurant in Upper Lake.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts in the cool of the evening at 6:30 p.m.
The price of admission ($50 plus tax) includes the two bands plus a gourmet barbecue dinner.
“Wendy DeWitt is a master of the boogie woogie keyboard and a great entertainer,” said Butcher. “She’s toured with all the greats including Otis Rush and Hank Ballard. And now I understand that she is moving up to Ukiah from the Bay Area, so hopefully we’ll see more of her here in the future.”
The remarkable empathy DeWitt and Harwood have developed is evident throughout Industrial Strength, DeWitt’s seventh CD and first with the drummer.
For the past dozen years, DeWitt has presented an annual show called Queens of Boogie Woogie at Yoshi’s in Oakland and, for the past two years, she’s brought the show up to the Soper Reese Theatre in Lakeport to great reviews.
Nancy Wright is perhaps the most sought after session sax player in the Bay Area.
“We fell in love with Nancy several years ago as she would come up to the Blue Wing with many of our favorite Bay Area blues bands on Monday nights,” said Butcher. “Now she’s taken a giant step with her own formidable band and a lot of great original material.”
Well-established nationally as a top sax sideman, Wright released early this year a new blues/roots CD, adding vocal and songwriting dimensions to her artistry. “Putting Down Roots” consists of twelve originals (six instrumentals and six vocals) spanning blues, R&B, New Orleans, funk and gospel styles.
“Saxophonist Nancy Wright has been blowing ‘em away on Bay Area stages for decades, but who knew she could sing like this? 'Putting Down Roots' is a major breakthrough for this accomplished, beautiful lady,” wrote Joel Selvin, music critic at the San Francisco Chronicle, about Wright's new CD.
Backing Wright at the Labor Day show will be an all-star band consisting of guitarist Anthony Paule and keyboardist Tony Lufrano with Paul Olguin on bass and Paul Revelli on drums.
In addition, Wright has invited as a special guest the unique Japanese blues guitarist Takezo Takeda. A love for the blues brought Takeda to the U. S. in 1985. Since then, he has integrated into the blues scene here, developed his own unique style, and played with renowned artists such as Elvin Bishop, Angela Strehli, Joe Louis Walker and Norton Buffalo.
Tickets for the Blue Wing Labor Day Blues Fest may be purchased by calling the Tallman Hotel at 707-275-2244, Extension 0.
Tickets also may be purchased online (with a service charge) at www.eventbrite.com/e/blue-wing-blues-festival-labor-day-tickets-18185432117 .
For more information, call the hotel or check the Web site at www.BlueWingSaloon.com/concerts .