Carnival of Soul

The Ridgefield Playhouse has the Robert Cray Band on Saturday. Cray has been bridging the lines between blues, soul and R&B for four decades. He has five Grammy Award wins and more than 20 albums. The Blues Hall of Famer has done movie music, and was in Otis Knight’s band in Animal House. Opening for Cray is King Solomon Hicks, one of the talented players moving the blues forward.

The Madison Beach Hotel is holding a Blues and Brews Festival on Saturday, featuring Jake Kulak and the Lowdown with special guest Bob Margolin. Also joining in are Tom “The Suit” Forst and Chris Bergson.

Jake Kulak and the Lowdown represented Connecticut for four years at the International Blues Challenge Youth Showcase in Memphis. In 2018, they won the Connecticut Blues Society Band competition, and performed at the International Blues Challenge.

Tom “The Suit” Forst, attracts fans wherever he plays. He just released his latest album “World Of Broken Hearts.” Forst is holding a guitar master class at 4 p.m.

Doors open at 8 p.m. with the concert starting at 8:30 p.m. The hotel’s Wharf Restaurant will feature a special blues menu all weekend.

Thursday, Dan Stevens will be playing at the hotel.

Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m., Round 1 of the Connecticut Blues Society Band Challenge is at Black-Eyed Sally’s. The CTBS Band Challenge is a competition to determine who will represent the state at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.

The dates for the challenge are March 8, 15, 22 and 29. Each band has a 25-minute set. This week’s lineup includes the Redliners, Parkers Tangent, the Rich Badowski Blues Band and the Chicago Dawgs.

Judging is based on the criteria from the Blues Foundation, including blues content, instrumental talent, vocal talent, originality, and stage presence. The winners of the preliminaries will compete in the finals at the Black-Eyed and Blues Festival in Bushnell Park on June 20. The final winner will be awarded $2,000 as well as various gigs including a spot at the Connecticut Rhythm and Blues Festival, at the Farmington Marriott in November.

Norwich Arts Center on Wednesday presents the award winning Italian blues artist Roberto Morbioli. He is back for an encore Blues on Broadway performance. He is gifted and soulful, an incendiary guitar player. From the US and European blues circuits, his Connecticut appearances are eagerly awaited. His guitar playing masks his native Verona with Chicago riffs. Morbioli’s music is from the heart. His guitar playing excites and delights the crowd.

Friday, the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center presents The Band. They came together to play the Music of The Band.

Infinity Music Hall Hartford brings in Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters on Saturday. Earl is a four-time Blues Music Award winner as Guitar Player of the Year. He has served as an Associate Professor of Guitar at Berklee College of Music and has taught at the National Guitar summer workshop in Connecticut. The talented guitarist has surrounded himself with excellent musicians. The first female member of Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters is Diane Blue. She is a soul-stirring vocalist, skillful harmonica player and a crowd-pleasing entertainer.

Now move up to Norfolk, where there’s a multitude of shows. Friday, see Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, the man seen as leading the blues to the next generation. Taking the stage Sunday is Eric Gales. As a left-handed guitarist of extraordinary ability and an expressive vocalist, it is natural for people to look for comparisons. Gales has developed a unique hybrid blues/rock sound that also draws upon influences as diverse as Albert King and Frank Gambale.

Thursday, Gary Hoey journeys to Norfolk. His command of the guitar leads to scorching originals or classic rock covers, his solos are thrilling. He can attack his instrument or play something very soft and beautiful. His ability to mix feeling, phrasing, technique and tone is masterful.

The “Prince of the Blues,” Chris Beard, is back in Hartford on Friday at Black-Eyed Sally’s. Early on he learned one essential detail about the music he plays: play it live. Since he first stepped on stage, he creates musical art unique to that moment in time. True to all artistic creations, Beard’s art is powerful enough to share his intense emotion release with audiences or listeners who takes the time to hear what he plays. He brings a dash of fun to his is the core of pure blues.

Beard has a busy schedule. Monday, he is at the Narragansett Café and Thursday.

Sunday at The Falcon it is Brunch with Dave Keyes, performing the music of Leon Russell, Bob Dylan and his own creations.

Saturday, the Roaring Brook Nature Center Concert Series hosts Kerri Powers. She is a roots-influenced, soulful singer-songwriter. This is a chance to see her will before her tour in The Netherlands. With a cool grace to her stage presence, and a charm that grabs the audience, she sings with her Folk blues-style guitar picking. Powers’ talents have earned her appearances at many Folk Festivals and opening appearances for major acts like the Weight Band.

Saturday, in Bridgeport, it’s Music Mash ’20, the largest one-day Record Fair in New England. Fifty dealers and 1000’s of vinyl records, 45’s , CD’s collectibles will be available, as well as live music with WPKN DJs, and beverages and food.

As schedules and times change, it is good practice to call the club and confirm. Get the complete Blues Beat schedule on Thursday at the blog http://bluesbeatnews.wordpress.com/. Any questions or comments should be sent to Domenic Forcella at TWBlus@aol.com.