New England Winter Blues Festival
Curtis Salgado (Headliner), Sugar Ray Norcia, GA-20, Gina Sicilia
Friday, February 21
Show: 8p | Doors: 7p
Tickets: $20 advance / $25 door ($2 Service Charge Included With Online Tickets. All sales are final, no ticket refunds or exchanges. Seats are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and seats are not guaranteed with ticket purchase.)
Curtis Salgado, Headliner
Award-winning soul, blues and R&B vocalist Curtis Salgado’s earth-shaking vocals and forceful harmonica playing have been devastating audiences around the world for over 30 years. NPR calls him “a blues icon” with a “huge voice.” Salgado quickly developed into a player and singer of remarkable depth. In his 20’s, he was co-leader of the Robert Cray Band. In 1977, Salgado met actor John Belushi while the comedian was filming Animal House. Salgado and Belushi spent hours playing old records, with Belushi soaking up the music like a sponge. He used his new blues knowledge to create the The Blues Brothers. Salgado joined forces with The Robert Cray Band, and shared stages with many of his heroes, including Muddy Waters, Bobby Bland, Albert Collins and Bonnie Raitt. He fronted Roomful Of Blues, before forming his own band.
Salgado won three 2013 Blues Music Awards including the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year. He also won for Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year, and for Soul Blues Album Of The Year. In 2017 Salgado won three more Blues Music Awards: Soul Blues Album Of The Year for The Beautiful Lowdown, Song Of The Year for Walk A Mile In My Blues and Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year.
Sugar Ray Norcia
Sugar Ray Norcia is a real deal artist. His deeply emotional vocals and harp playing are heard on numerous albums released by his band the Bluetones from the 1970s to the present. Early in their career, the Bluetones were the backup and/or touring band for Big Joe Turner, J.B. Hutto, Roosevelt Sykes, Otis Rush, Big Mama Thornton, Big Walter Horton, and Sunnyland Slim. Hubert Sumlin, Ted Harvey and Doug “Kid” Bingham are all alumni of the band. Bingham left the Bluetones to replace Jimmie Vaughan in the Fabulous Thunderbirds. As if that weren’t enough, Norcia himself has recorded with Joe Louis Walker, Al Basile, Pinetop Perkins, Sax Gordon, Debbie Davies, Jimmy Rogers and Al Basile, among other.
“SUGAR RAY IS THE REAL DEAL. THERE IS NOBODY BETTER TO REPRESENT THIS MUSIC.”
“SUGAR RAY HAS GREAT TONE AND PHRASING, SINGING AD PLAYING THE HARP. ONE OF MY FAVORITES.”
GA-20
A modern blues guitar trio formed by friends Pat Faherty and Matthew Stubbs in Boston, GA-20 is a raw, passionate and honest performance, both on stage and in the studio. GA-20 released their debut album “Lonely Soul” in 2019 with the album debuting at #2 on the Billboard blues charts. Stubbs has spent the past 11 years as guitarist for Blues legend Charlie Musselwhite. During that time he has also backed up and toured with such Blues giants as John Hammond, James Cotton, Junior Watson and James Harman.
Gina Sicilia
Dynamic singer/songwriter, Gina Sicilia’s music is a testament to her evolving love and practice of blues and country music. “I have always tried to write blues-influenced songs with pop sensibilities and pop hooks—catchy songs that people can sing along to. SICILIA integrates down-to-the-roots inspirations seamlessly within her 2018 album Heard the Lie's bluesy moments. Since nabbing a Blues Music Award nomination for Best New Artist in 2008, SICILIA has enjoyed great chart and radio success in the genre. Tug Of War reached #3 on the Contemporary Blues Album chart and was the #1 roots album in Tennessee. "Abandoned" reached #2 on the Contemporary Blues Song chart, "He Called Me Baby" reached #1 on the Soul Blues Radio chart, “I Don’t Want To Be In Love” reached #3 on the Contemporary Blues Radio chart.