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diversions
Kickin' off your
shoes to the blues
Photos by Jeanne
Hoffa
Story by Jamie Rogers
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| Daniel
Stone, 14, roams the crowd and hands out free necklaces
and trinkets left over from a family excursion to
Mardi Gras. |
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While the annual
Long Beach Blues Festival is primarily about the music, it
is also about good friends, family and food. For 22 years,
KLON, the jazz radio station that calls Cal State Long Beach
its home, has been bringing the city top blues acts to celebrate
the summer.
The spirit of the
festival prevailed this year, although the acts tended to
veer a bit outside of traditional blues. Approximately 12,500
people showed up on Saturday afternoon to check out James
Harman, Guitar Shorty, Koko Taylor, Jimmie Vaughan, Bo Diddley
and Chuck Berry. About 10,500 fans arrived Sunday to see Solomon
Burke, Percy Sledge, Denise LaSalle, Howard Tate, Little Milton
and Bobby "Blue" Bland.
"We had a good
turn out," said Gary Chiachi, special events coordinator
for KLON. "I had a really good time. I hope everyone else
did too. Everything went off without a hitch. Everything started
on time and everything ended on time. It went really well."
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| Jackie
Solomon squeezes past the crowd to get an up-close
look at Bobby "Blue" Bland, who closed the
festival Sunday. She was on stage herself Saturday
interpreting in sign language for Solomon Burke.
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|
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| Gloria
Collins and her friends brought beach chairs, blankets
and a picnic lunch. Concert goers feasted on Louisiana
Catfish, sweet potato pie, Derricks Jamaican Cuisine
and Nate's Home Barbecue. |
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|
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| Severina
Britto and Charlie Cox kick up their heels during
the final act of KLON's Blues Festival. |
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