@WinterfolkBluesandRootsFestival worked out great in its new home in the Annex. Pretty smooth transition. I've been attending since it started and played it a few times including 4 plays this year. Unfortunately, when you play a festival, you don't get to hear that much because you're concentrating on your own sets. But I did grab some video clips of the acts I was able to catch and here they are - in the same order I recorded them.
Ken Whiteley was on stage when I arrived on Friday playing some inspirational new songs and inviting the fine young mandolinist (and bluegrass radio host) Graham Mansfield. The inimitable Wendell Ferguson (0:50) provided comic relief throughout the week-end and traded licks with me at the Campfire Jam. Mr. Rick (1:06) surfaced from his "semi-retirement" and did some official country blues at the fingerpicking workshop. Glen Hornblast, a mainstay of this festival and a real community builder gathered as many musicians as could fit on some of those stages. The beloved folk icon Lynn Myles (1:40) surprised everybody be bringing out bluegrass superstar Claire Lynch to sing harmony and sang a great tribute to Merle Haggard. Guitar wizard Kevin Breit (2:39) did some obligatory guitar pyrotechnics and a beautiful rendition of "Hang On" from his collaboration with Harry Manx. Jack de Keyzer (3:30) was everywhere and even called yours truly up to the stage and when I didn't have a guitar he offered up a '62 re-issue Telecaster which he had just bought but not yet played on stage. So I broke it in for him 
And what a fabulous new drummer he's got, Peter...from Hamilton. Carley Hope (4:03) is a very promising student inJohn Switzer's music programme at Seneca College. Donné Roberts (4:53) provided some infectuous Malagasy grooves and what a delight it was to hear a genuine legend of the golden age of Queen Street the Artsy Beat, Barbara Lynch (5:22). Heather Lynne Luckhart (5:56) was silky smooth in this setting but can belt out the blues with the best of them. That's Tony Quarrington backing her up, as he did numerous others and when he joined us at the Campfire Jam that added up to 20 hours of playing over the course of the weekend. Kudos to him and Brian Gladstone and Dougal Bichan and all the volunteers for putting on such a beautiful gathering. Everywhere I played, it was to a totally attentive "hear-a-pin-drop" audience. It was all peace and love except for one little dust-up when a rowdy audience member started harassing Danny Marks, who showed remarkable restraint thoughhe was ready to "take it out into the alley". I don't believe they did because Danny (6:36) was playing a set as I was heading out to the car. He invited a couple of "youngsters" he had heard earler (didn't get their names) and they joined him for an impromptu "Peeping and Hiding" which must have been the thrill of a lifetime for them. That "passing of the torch" is what I love to see at these festivals and it's what I try to promote myself with the Campfire Jams and elsewhere. That's why they call me the "Blues Booster" and I wore that title proudly over the course of the festival. I also had many total strangers coming up to me saying, "I'm Not Fifty Anymore!" because they heard my new tune at one of my sets so I'll leave you with that one (6:58). See you at Winterfolk 2021, whether I'm playing or not! More on my blog, www.torontobluesdiary.comand please subscribe to the (mostly)monthly Blainletter atwww.brianblain.com
And what a fabulous new drummer he's got, Peter...from Hamilton. Carley Hope (4:03) is a very promising student inJohn Switzer's music programme at Seneca College. Donné Roberts (4:53) provided some infectuous Malagasy grooves and what a delight it was to hear a genuine legend of the golden age of Queen Street the Artsy Beat, Barbara Lynch (5:22). Heather Lynne Luckhart (5:56) was silky smooth in this setting but can belt out the blues with the best of them. That's Tony Quarrington backing her up, as he did numerous others and when he joined us at the Campfire Jam that added up to 20 hours of playing over the course of the weekend. Kudos to him and Brian Gladstone and Dougal Bichan and all the volunteers for putting on such a beautiful gathering. Everywhere I played, it was to a totally attentive "hear-a-pin-drop" audience. It was all peace and love except for one little dust-up when a rowdy audience member started harassing Danny Marks, who showed remarkable restraint thoughhe was ready to "take it out into the alley". I don't believe they did because Danny (6:36) was playing a set as I was heading out to the car. He invited a couple of "youngsters" he had heard earler (didn't get their names) and they joined him for an impromptu "Peeping and Hiding" which must have been the thrill of a lifetime for them. That "passing of the torch" is what I love to see at these festivals and it's what I try to promote myself with the Campfire Jams and elsewhere. That's why they call me the "Blues Booster" and I wore that title proudly over the course of the festival. I also had many total strangers coming up to me saying, "I'm Not Fifty Anymore!" because they heard my new tune at one of my sets so I'll leave you with that one (6:58). See you at Winterfolk 2021, whether I'm playing or not! More on my blog, www.torontobluesdiary.comand please subscribe to the (mostly)monthly Blainletter atwww.brianblain.com