>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

Tab Benoit has a reputation as Louisiana's No. 1 blues export. ().

The eighth annual Bronze, Blues and Brews will take place Saturday at the city park in Joseph.

Gates open at noon, with music from 1 to 10 p.m.

The festival was named winner, Best Blues Event 2001, Inland Empire, and was nominated, Best Blues Event 2002, Inland Empire.

Online tickets are $20.50, which includes mailing charge; at the gate entry cost $25; kids 10 and under are admitted free. No pets or coolers are allowed in the park.

This year's featured breweries are the

following:

•Redhook Brewery www.redhook.com

•Barley Brown's Brewpub

•Terminal Gravity Brewing Company

•Deschutes www.deschutesbrewery.com

•Rogue www.rogue.com

•Alaskan www.alaskanbeer.com

•Big Sky www.bigskybrew.com

•Port Halling

•Laurelwood www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com

•Pelican www.pelicanbrewery.com

•Pike www.pikebrewing.com

•Bridgeport www.bridgeportbrew.com

•Budweiser www.budweiser.com

•Widmer www.widmer.com

The musical lineup ranges from Cajun blues to electric blues. The artists include:

Tab Benoit

Festival fans are in for a treat of red-hot Cajun blues laced with greasy guitar licks by Telarc recording artist and festival headliner Tab Benoit. It promises to be a bronze and bayou boogie.

Known for his high-octane performances before sell-out crowds, the roots and rockin' blues guitarist and singer is making a name for himself at home as well as across the country. With a reputation to uphold as Louisiana's No. 1 blues export, he's out on the road more than 250 days a year, often playing smaller venues. He shared the stage this past winter with Jimmy Thackery, performing songs from their CD "Whiskey Store."

Readers of New Orlean's Offbeat music magazine voted Benoit best blues band or performer, and best blues album by a Louisiana artist for "Wetlands." Guitar Player magazine said, "With a tone as thick as gumbo and licks as fiery as a tablespoon of cayenne pepper, singer-guitarist Tab Benoit may be the hottest thing to come out of Louisiana since Chef Paul Prudhomme. … Benoit's mellow Big Easy personality contradicts the tear-your head-off intensity of his performance."

He'll appear at Joseph with his rhythm section of bass and drums.

Debbie Davies

Hailed by critics as America's foremost female electric blues guitarist, Debbie Davies makes her Stratocaster sting with the best of them. The lady flat-out plays.

Davies, a W.C. Handy award-winner for Contemporary Blues Female Artist in 1997, is an alumnus of Albert Collins' Icebreakers for whom she played before starting her solo career in 1993. Davies has released eight strong CDs of her own since her debut as a leader. Her latest CD, "Key to Love," pays tribute to Brit bluesman John Mayall, who also had a strong influence in her development. The album features guest performances by James Cotton, Mick Taylor and Peter Green. Davies also teamed up with festival headliner Benoit on his 1999 release, "Homesick for the Road."

Collins and Davies played together again in 1993 on "Picture This" before he died of cancer at age 61. "There will never be another Albert," said Davies. "What I learned from him is that everything that comes out has to be totally wired to your soul no matter what."

Lloyd Jones Struggle

Lloyd Jones, a fixture on the Portland blues scene for three decades, describes his soulful and intelligent fusion of funk, blues, and R&B as "storytelling with a Memphis groove," also called guaranteed good times. His original material has been covered by Joe Louis Walker, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, and Coco Montoya.

Jones formed the Struggle in 1985 to explore his own songwriting after the demise of In Yo' Face, a popular Portland-based blues band that featured Jones and Curtis Salgado. Years before that, Lloyd took over for his brother as drummer in Brown Sugar, another legendary Portland band, that played behind touring blues performers and included the emerging talents of Jim Mesi, Paul deLay and Al Kuzens and eventually, Lloyd as second guitarist.

Nicole Fournier

and her 3-pound Universe

Guitarist and vocalist Nicole Fournier returns to Joseph fronting her own band

featuring Washington Blues Society Hall of Fame bassist Barbara Blue, formerly of Junkyard Jane. Nicole's playing, singing and compositional skills led to nominations for three 2003 Washington Blues Society Best of the Blues awards as a songwriter, female vocalist and best new or reformed band. Her 2002 CD, "Not Forgotten," displays her multiple talents and eclectic style on her all original material.

John Nemeth and the Jacks

Boise blues favorite John Nemeth and the Jacks will set the tone for this year's festival with a simmering set of Chicago-style rhythm and blues.

Nemeth first made a name for himself as Fat John and the Three Slims while still in high school. That band, led by Nemeth's smooth vocals and harp playing, was a surprise hit of the 1999 festival. He is no longer fat and the band has evolved with a sound that embodies the best of the Chicago style.

The Jacks, who are Mike Trail on guitar, Rob Wilson on drums, and John Simpson on bass, are featured on Nemeth's 2002 CD, "The Jack of Harps," and should be the perfect opener for a hot afternoon of summertime blues.