D’Angelo announces second Bluesfest show
PRESS RELEASE:
Today, the 27th Bluesfest Byron Bay, held over the Easter Long Weekend (Thu 24 March – Mon 28 March 2016), at the Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm in the Byron Shire, announces a second performance on Easter Saturday for Soul superstar D’Angelo, a two time Grammy Award winner and 2016 Grammy Award nominee. Bluesfest also adds new performances to the ever-growing playing schedule from The Word, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, St. Paul and The Broken Bones and Janiva Magness.
Statement from newly awarded Order of Australia Medal Recipient (OAM) Peter Noble, Festival Director of Bluesfest;
“With three 2016 Grammy nominations, fans of D’Angelo will be over the moon to hear he is playing an additional show at Bluesfest on Saturday 26th March. D’Angelo is one of the great live performers, comparisons have been made to James Brown and Prince. On top of this Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, The Word and Janiva Magness have all announced additional performances.
We are overflowing with talent at Bluesfest this year, and with only eight weeks to go before the festival begins, we are pleased to say that in a year where festivals have experienced much lower than expected sales, and in some cases cancellations, that we are right on track to deliver one of, if not the best, well attended festivals so far.”
In addition to D’Angelo’s previously announced Bluesfest performance on Thursday 24th March, he will be joining a huge and varied line-up on Saturday 26th March, including The Decemberists, Joe Bonamassa (performing exclusively at Bluesfest), Kamasi Washington, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and Elle King, who’s hit Single “Ex’s & Oh’s” is up for two 2016 Grammy Awards and came in at #5 in ARIA Single Chart this week, just to name a few.
D’Angelo’s star has been rising since he dropped his debut, platinum selling album, Brown Sugar in 1995. From winning two Grammys in 2001 (for Best R&B Album & Best R&B Vocal Performance for his second album, Voodoo) and three Soul Train Music Awards in 1996 to his latest and universally acclaimed and 2016 Grammy nominated album, Black Messiah which marked his triumphant return to music after over a decade, debuting at number five in its first week of release on the Billboard 200 music chart. This multi-faceted, multi-talented, genre bending artist fuses the best of R&B, Soul, Blues, Gospel, Jazz-fusion and Psychedelic Rock. He has been described by Australian media as “one of the most incredible soul artists in history…” (Double J) and a “master of soul” (Music Feeds).
Improvisational gospel-jazz supergroup The Word, featuring pedal-steel guitarist Robert Randolph, keyboardist John Medeski and all three North Mississippi Allstars; guitarist Luther Dickinson, drummer Cody Dickinson, have added new shows at Bluesfest on Friday 25th March and Monday 28th March in addition to their previously announced shows on Thursday and Saturday.
Lukas Nelson and his band Promise of the Real have also added new shows to their Bluesfest run of dates. Lukas Nelson, who alongside with the band and his brother, Micah Nelson, recently recorded with Neil Young on his thirty-sixth studio album, The Monsanto Years (June 2015), and continue to perform with Neil Young as his touring band.
Alabama Soul sextet St. Paul & The Broken Bones have also added an additional performance at Bluesfest on Friday 25th March. Bluesfest Festival Director Peter Noble recently described leading man Paul Janeway as “The best white Soul singer since Van Morrison”. The band recently opened for The Rolling Stones and their high energy performances have amassed a huge following world-wide.
Blues fans will now have four chances at Bluesfest to see powerhouse performer Janiva Magness. Janiva has announced two new performances on Thursday 24th March and Saturday 26th March in addition to her Easter Sunday and Monday plays. Janiva Magness has had 25 Blues Music Award nominations and seven wins including winning the 2015 Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year for the fifth time. She also won the coveted Blues Music Award for B.B. King Entertainer of The Year (she is only the second woman to ever win this Award, Koko Taylor being the first).
You can check out the latest playing schedule at www.bluesfest.com.au and keep posted for additional Bluesfest announcements in the weeks to come.
All 5, 3 & 1 day festival and camping tickets are on sale through www.bluesfest.com.au or phone the office on 02 6685 8310.
Tickets are also available through Moshtix www.moshtix.com.au and Ticketmaster www.ticketmaster.com.au.