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blues
festival
KKJZ
gets ready to rock with blues festival
By Todd Leland
Summer Forty-Niner
KKJZ is enjoying
the spotlight once again with everybody’s all time favorite,
the 23rd Annual Long Beach Blues Festival this year.
“We have 12 bands set to play over two days, six each day,”
said Gary Chiachi, events director for KKJZ. “It will be all
music, all day, both days.”
The event has taken a great deal of time and effort by Chiachi
and his staff to come together, but it is definitely worth
the time, said Chiachi. The festival will have one large stage
to accommodate the talent, with each band playing sets ranging
from 45 minutes to one hour and 15 minutes long, Chiachi said.
“We employ some 100 people, plus volunteers to make this happen,”
Chiachi said about the festival.
The event takes place Saturday, Aug. 31 and Sunday, Sept.
1. The music will play, according to Chiachi, from 10 a.m.
to around 6:30 p.m. on both days.
Bands set to make appearances Aug. 31 are Arthur Adams, Otis
Rush, Robert Prey, Ohio Play and Ben E. King.
The second day of the event will feature Etta James, Doctor
John, Ike Turner, Tyrone Davis, Roy Gaines and Maple John.
The proceeds for the event help fund KKJZ throughout the year.
“How much we really make on an event like this is really hard
to say,” said Maryann Jenkins, KKJZ accountant. “We do it
for our members. Many of them just love blues. The event is
so fun, you can come out with your family, set up a picnic,
not to mention the great bands.”
In the festival’s 23rd year, Jenkins has been involved with
putting on the blues festival for the past eleven years and
said it is worth it to go.
“KLON has been doing the festival since 1980,” Jenkins said.
“I have a picture on my wall that displays the events from
‘80 all the way to 1999. If you have not gone, it’s very fun.”
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