30th Annual Blind Willie Mctell Music Fest

A small festival with a big personality

2024 Lineup:

Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis is a world-renowned trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and a leading advocate of American culture. He presently serves as Managing and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Director of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School, and President of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1961, he is the son of jazz pianist and music educator Ellis Marsalis, Jr.

Visit https://wyntonmarsalis.org/about/bio for more details on Marsalis’ life and career.

He annually tours worldwide and will bring the Septet to McTell Fest. This ensemble will include Thomson’s own Chris Crenshaw on trombone. Crenshaw has been with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra since 2006.

Shinyribs

Shinyribs defies genres as a sonic melting pot of Texas Blues, New Orleans R&B funk, horn-driven Memphis Soul, country twang, border music, big band swing, and roots-rock. The Austin-based nine-piece (sometimes 10-piece) supergroup is led by Kevin Russell, the charismatic former frontman of longtime Austin band The Gourds. Russell never falls short of creating a cinematic experience with on-stage antics backed by Austin’s finest ensemble.

The Revelers

McTell Fest has had a great history of presenting Cajun music; the Red Stick Ramblers and the Pine Leaf Boys come to mind. The category is represented this year by The Revelers, headquartered in Lafayette LA, and dedicated to the holy trinity of Cajun Culture…. hot music, all-night dancing, and great food! Some of the band members are no stranger to McTell Fest, and this Grammy nominated combo comes as close to a Louisiana/Cajun/Zydeco/swamp rock supergroup as you will find. 

Jerron Paxton

Smithsonian Folkways artist Jerron Paxton is making his third trip to McTell Fest and is an absolute audience favorite. A multi-instrumentalist and great vocalist, Paxton's style draws from blues and jazz music from the early 20th Century. Paxton, an “old soul “ at the tender age of 35, does it all….playing guitar, banjo, piano and violin,, and probably some other instruments not listed, all with great humor and stage presence. We are happy to bring him back to play solo in the country blues tradition of McTell.  

Blair Crimmins and the Hookers

Blair Crimmins and The Hookers, who will open our show, are making their second appearance at McTell Fest. Crimmins and his band offer an incredible blast of high energy Ragtime and Dixieland music, filtered through a lens of Crimmins originals and rollicking covers from the early 20th century.

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