Tag Archives: Springing the Blues

Sam Veal wasn’t trying to build one of the biggest music festivals in the country. He just wanted to create an event that paid tribute to the blues in his own backyard. Fast forward 30 years, Springing the Blues is a monument to the blues movement, even if he doesn’t see it that way. When Veal met with the Beaches Museum about installing a small marker near the SeaWalk Pavilion stage, Executive Director Christine Hoffman suggested they go bigger with a permanent, stone memorial to formally honor the significance and contribution of the festival that welcomes thousands to the city …

Growing up, multi-instrumentalist Colin Harden showed an early aptitude for music. The 16 year old started by plinking around on his grandmother’s basement piano and evolved into a classically trained pianist before he was of legal age to drive. “She figured for my seventh birthday she’d get me my first piano lesson,” he says. “Since then, I’ve just been playing music my entire life.” Harden now counts–literally he has to pause to tally the number–the piano, guitar, mandolin, drums, bass and ukulele among the instruments he plays. The teen will showcase his guitar skills on the s stage as the …

When you think of the rich landscape of blues history, palm trees and sandy beaches might not be the first place that springs to mind. is a distant cultural cousin of the birthplace of the blues, far removed by geography and tradition. Yet, there’s an inextricable current connecting the past and present that exists at the annual . It’s all part of the same story. The 29th Annual Springing the Blues Festival is held April 5-7 at the SeaWalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach with Danny Delves & the Deadly Nightshades kicking things off on the SeaWalk Pavilion stage. Weekend performances …

PLAYING SEPT 22 AT MOJO KITCHEN IN JACKSONVILLE BEACH It’s 90 degrees inside but bluesman Selwyn Birchwood is effortlessly cool. The Florida native is in his hometown of Orlando post Hurricane Irma where he is waiting for the power to be restored, an inconvenience he’s taking in stride with the same down-to-earth appeal that he displays on stage. Birchwood, 32, most often plays in a t-shirt and jeans rocking bare feet and his signature afro. He laughs when asked if his decision to play sans shoes is merely for comfort or a connection to the vibrations of the music. “The …

The is changing the way we look at public transportation. TryTransit is a new campaign designed to encourage new ridership with a series of upgrades to boost service of the fixed route buses, the downtown Skyway system, the St. Johns River Ferry, the Paratransit system for handicapped customers, and trolleys. JTA has introduced the TryTransit Challenge open to Jacksonville residents to show their support of public transportation by encouraging customers to take a selfie and post a challenge with the hashtag #TryJTA using social media. Once the challenge is posted, challenge colleagues, friends and family to do the same within …

This year celebrates the 26-year tradition of sun, fun, and music. Exciting changes are underway for , the free outdoor blues music festival at the , April 1-3. It’s now known as and will spotlight the youngest array of talent ever. As the new title sponsor, Belk will help contribute to a greater talent reach and an increased production value. “They are very, very big into southern music and of course, that’s what Springing the Blues is all about,” says festival founder .   Veal shared some of their excitement about the partnership: “Belk is honored to be the title …

Event: Tuesday Night Blues Club Location: Dirty Reds’, 1451 Atlantic Blvd. Date/time: Tuesdays at 7pm Contact: www.facebook.com/dirtyredsfla // (904) 374-9438 In the early 20th century, traditional blues traveled by word-of-mouth from one performer to another through the Mississippi Delta. Artists would infuse old songs with new lyrics, with simple hymns sung in the fields growing into what are now considered the foundation of modern blues music. Many of Jacksonville’s most talented blues musicians today also rely on word-of-mouth via social media to generate what is quickly becoming a sought after weekly gathering of local players. The  was born of the …