Meet the Riverfront Blues Festival 2015 Bands!

Three-Eared Dog has spent the past three years paying dues in the dive bars and roadhouses of Montana, all the while crafting original material. Boasting a full horn line, a steel guitar that would make your grandpa cry, an elemental rhythm section, guitar played the way guitar should be played, and the impeccable voice of Jr. Smith, the band is a veritable force of nature, compelling beautiful women to dance and everyone else to at least try. With influences ranging from the Brian Setzer Orchestra to Freddie King to Asleep at the Wheel, Three-Eared Dog boasts a danceable, high-energy set reminiscent of a simpler time when music meant real people playing real instruments with conviction. So treat yourself, listen to a song you’ve never heard before, get caught in an epic jam, experience something new and pure and beautiful – Three-Eared Dog.
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An active performer on the Seattle blues scene since she was a teenager, Stacy Jones started playing piano at the age of 4 and had picked up guitar and harmonica by the time she finished high school. She’s been nominated for more than two dozen “Best of the Blues” awards from the Washington Blues Society, winning Best Female Vocalist and Best New Band awards in 2009. In 2014, she was again named Best Female Vocalist while bandmate Rick Bowen picked up the award for Best Blues Drummer. Having made appearances at SXSW, Chicago Blues Festival, Beale Street in Memphis during the International Blues Challenge and several other national and regional festivals, her talent is awaiting the next level of recognition. Stacy has shared the stage with Elvin Bishop, Lee Oskar, John Nemeth, Ian Siegall, Charlie Musselwhite and more. Her wait for recognition won’t be long.
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Lionel Young is a high energy performer with a bent for the blues. Fans love the classically trained Young’s distinctive brand of blues on the electric violin. The band’s show features not only originals but also interpretations of blues classics by Willie Dixon, Leadbelly, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters and Magic Sam, among others. The strength and passion of Young’s playing combine with his smooth vocals for a singular blend like nothing you have ever heard. Young has had the honor of working with such famed performers as Count Basie, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Elvin Bishop, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Otis Taylor, Kenny Neal, Tommy Castro and Jimmy Thackery. The Lionel Young Band has won numerous awards in and around the Colorado region, and in 2011 won the International Blues Challenge band competition. Added to his victory at the 2008 IBC in the solo-duo category, that made Young the first double champion in the history of the IBC.
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Randy McAllister is one of the premier singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist to emerge from Texas. Heartbreak, humor, high hair and tall Texas tales all play a part in the song writing of Randy McAllister. His music has been hailed as some of the most original and innovative being made today. While comparisons are not easy, it has been said that his music is a cross between Doug Sahm, John Hiatt and Delbert McClinton, with a blues man’s background and sensibilities thrown into the mix. McAllister weaves material in the singer/songwriter tradition, with nods to a variety of styles. He is one of those rare artists who is able to meld genres such as gospel, blues, country, Tex-Mex, rock and zydeco together and come away with something that is uniquely him. In performance, his songs combine an uncontainable energy and intensity with lyrics that dig into the tough topics. From urban violence, homelessness and other harsh realities to more common concerns like love and dating, McAllister’s songwriting approach is particularly skillful, able to be both truthful and funny. McAllister takes universal feelings and translates them into today’s reality, with his own pointed style expressed through his distinctive, soulful voice.
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Her voice is as incredibly inspiring as… Etta James, Righteous Brothers, Gordon Lightfoot, Mavis, and Bad Company. This voice is the Pantheon of Magnificent Recorded Voices.” ~ Trina Shoemaker – Local Honey Suze Sims is a world-renowned blues, jazz and soul vocalist who has performed to audiences in eight countries and is the three-time best female vocalist for the Washington Blues Society. She is also a composer and drummer; you may have come to know her as a founder of the highly regarded Red Hot Blues Sisters. She is also the daughter of New York jazz royalty Pete La Roca Sims. She joins us this year with her brand new band and a new release that is selling out as pre-release LP. The full release is due out later this year. The best thing about Suze is she makes you feel everything she emotes. She is inspirational, a clever lyricist, and makes you dance, cry, hoot and holler in ways you cant resist. Don’t miss one of the best voices in the US.
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Kevin Van Dort is a notable ambassador for blues and soul music from Montana. KVD’s “High Mountain Soul Music” combines dirty Delta style slide with a rocking blues and a vocal styling reminiscent of the 50’s and 60’s Blues Men. Van Dort has performed on stage with likes of Keb Mo, Cash McCall, Jimmy Rogers, and Robert Randolph. He has also shared a stage with Lukas Nelson, Taj Mahal, and Tony Furtado and other greats. Wether it’s a soulful solo show, or a dance all night boogie band performance, KVD will be sure make the night memorable. The combination of a smooth groove rhythm section and a gritty barn wood tenor guitar produces a new/vintage sound that will shake your soul. “His voice is raw and pure and has the tonal quality of Ray Charles.” Montana Standard
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Guitarist, singer and songwriter James Armstrong was born to play the blues. His mother was a blues singer. His father played jazz guitar. Born in Los Angeles, Armstrong formed his first band in the seventh grade and by the age of 17 he was touring the country. Today he travels the world and continues to infuse his voice and guitar playing with his unique personality and seasoned skills. Over the years Armstrong has performed in many countries including North America, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia and the Middle East. He has worked beside Albert Collins, Keb Mo, Chaka Khan, Coco Montoya, Walter Trout, Tommy Castro, Roy Brown, Shemekia Copeland, Charlie Musselwhite, Ricky Lee Jones, Joe Louis Walker, Mitch Michell, Peter Tork, and Jan & Dean, just to name a few. Seen live, Armstrong has a confident stage presence that combines grace with mischief. Few blues artists know how to play the crowd as James can, shifting dynamics from a whisper to a growl. Wherever he travels around the world his magnetism continues to hush a noisy rabble or entice a crowd to follow him out into the street or down the length of a beach. Little wonder he’s been dubbed “The Ambassador of the Blues.
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High-energy stage performance. Sizzling hot guitar solos. Smooth and soulful vocals. Backed by a rhythm section that is second to none, this is Dennis Jones. Dennis’s feet are firmly rooted in the past, yet his heart and soul are connected to the present. He writes songs that seamlessly blend the best of both worlds, presenting a unique and contemporary style of American rock and blues. His influences include Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, BB King and Albert King. Born and raised in Baltimore, and now based in Los Angeles, Jones continues to pursue his musical dream of becoming a top entertainer in his field. With four well-regarded CD releases to date, and a fifth to be released later this year, his dream has never been in clearer focus.
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