Southside Johnny, James Cotton and Matt "Guitar" Murphy To Provide Sizzle For This Month's Newport Blues & BBQ Festival

July 16, 2013 – The Newport Yachting Center event venue and marina will bring the blues back to the waterfront with a sizzling Newport Blues & BBQ Festival line-up that spans the generations -- from true blues legends to a teenager breaking into the scene. Performing at the Festival on Saturday, July 20th are Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, the James Cotton Blues Band, Matt “Guitar” Murphy with Rick Russell and the Cadillac Horns, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters and Quinn Sullivan, as well as The Big Cat Blues Band.  Gates open at Noon and the music continues until 10:00 p.m.  General admission tickets are available for an advanced ticket price of $45 through July 19th or $55 the day of the Festival. The Festival is FREE for children under the age of 12 as long as they are accompanied by an adult.  Those interested in the Newport Blues & BBQ Festival can purchase tickets online by visiting www.newportwaterfrontevents.com, by calling 800-745-3000 or by stopping by the Newport Yachting Center Box Office which is open 7 days a week at 4 Commercial Wharf on America’s Cup Avenue in downtown Newport.

Concert-goers can also upgrade their admission ticket with a BBQ Alley Pass available for $30 which includes a choice of four different tastings of BBQ specialties from the area’s best smokers and grillers along our own dedicated BBQ Alley section, including: Preppy Pig BBQ, Eddie’s BBQ, the Smoke House, Julian’s Smoker, Kinfolks BBQ and Central Falls Provisions.  In addition to the great music and finger-lickin’ food, guests can take a picture with the famous Blues Mobile restored by local mechanic, Jerry Carlson.

The Jersey Shore band, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, has been popular since they began recording hits like “Having a Party” and “Sweeter Than Honey” in the mid-1970s.  The group has long been closely associated with Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band as they have recorded and performed several Springsteen songs, including “The Fever” and “Fade Away” and Springsteen and other E Streeters have performed and recorded with the Jukes.  The band’s latest studio release is entitled Pills & Ammo.

Featured at the Festival is the James Cotton Blues Band, named for its master harp player and Grammy award winner.  Cotton got his start by opening for blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson and then Howlin’ Wolf in juke joints across the South.  In the mid-1950s he accepted an invitation to be Muddy Waters’ harp player and remained a featured member of the band for 12 years.  In the 1960s, Cotton became a bandleader and made a name for himself as a showman on stages throughout the country while cutting numerous records, including Pure Cotton.  Towards the end of the decade, he opened or played with Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin and Santana, among others.  After numerous Grammy nominations, Cotton finally received a Grammy of his own for the album, Live From Chicago: Mr. Superharp Himself in 1984 and earned another Grammy in 1996 for Deep in The Blues. Cotton’s latest album release is the Grammy nominated, Giant,

Matt “Guitar” Murphy played in the bands of blues legend Howlin’ Wolf’s and jump blues pianist, singer and composer, Memphis Slim.  He also performed session work with many musicians, including Muddy Waters, James Cotton, Etta James and Chuck Berry, and in 1978 joined The Blues Brothers and can be seen in the films The Blues Brothers and Blues Brothers 2000.  His most recent album release is Last Call.

Ronnie Earl got his start playing the Boston blues scene and several years later joined Roomful of Blues as its lead guitarist.  In the late 1980s, the two-time Blues Music Award Guitar Player of the Year formed his own band called The Broadcasters and they have been touring and cutting records ever since.  The band’s latest album release is Just for Today.

Quinn Sullivan is a young blues guitarist with regional roots in New Bedford, Massachusetts.  He made a guest appearance on Buddy Guy’s Grammy-nominated album, Skin Deep, in 2008 and then opened for his mentor’s East Coast tour in 2009 at age 10.  Sullivan has since played his own set at Lollapalooza and the Austin City Limits Festival and performed at Madison Square Garden with Guy during the first night of the 2013 Crossroads Guitar Festival.  He will also share the stage with Buddy Guy on August 9th at the Newport Yachting Center.  Sullivan’s debut album is entitled, Cyclone.

The 2013 Nantucket Nectars Sunset Music Series is also currently in full swing at the Newport Yachting Center.  The remaining line-up is as follows:

Date: Wed., July 17; Performer: Doobie Brothers; Ticket Prices: $45.50; 65.50; 79.50

Date: Tue., July 30; Performer: OneRepublic with Mayer Hawthorne & Churchill; Ticket Prices: $39.50 & 59.50

Date: Sun., Aug. 4; Performer: Under The Sun Tour                                         - Smash Mouth, Sugar Ray and Gin Blossoms with Special Guest Fastball; Ticket Prices: $49.50; 59.50; 69.50

Date: Fri., Aug. 9; Performer: George Thorogood & The Destroyers and Buddy Guy; Ticket Prices: $49.50; 59.50; 79.50

Date: Sat., Aug. 17; Performer: The Fab Four - The Ultimate Tribute; Ticket Prices: $25.50; 35.50; 45.50

Date: Thur., Aug. 22; Performer: Styx; Ticket Prices: $49.50; 59.50; 69.50

Date: Wed., Aug. 28; Performer: Tony Bennett; Ticket Prices: $80.50 & 100.50

Date: Sat., Aug. 31; Performer: Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo; Ticket Prices: $39.50; 49.50; 65.50

The Newport Yachting Center is located on the waterfront in the heart of historic downtown Newport right on America's Cup Avenue.  The venue features a covered concert tent and ample open air space with stunning views of Newport Harbor.  Guests can enjoy “The Point”, a dockside lounge with expanded bars and good eats.

Sponsors of the Newport Blues & BBQ Festival include Barefoot Wines, Deep Eddy Vodka, Jim Beam, Karma Water, Lipton Pure Leaf, Nirvana Water, Shellback Rum, American Lamb Board and Tribe Hummus.

For more information on the Newport Blues & BBQ Festival, please contact Rich Travis at (401) 846-1600 Ext. 206 rtravis@newportyachtingcenter.com.  To receive future Music Festival or Sunset Music Series presale opportunities or exclusive packages, sign up at newportwaterfrontevents.com and become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/waterfrontevents.

The Newport Yachting Center’s 2013 line-up to-date includes the Great Chowder Cook-Off (June 1); the Sunset Music Series (starting in late May through the end of August); the Newport Summer Comedy Series produced by RocJo Productions (starting in June through the end of August); the Newport Blues & BBQ Festival (July 20); the Newport Waterfront Reggae Festival (August 10); the Newport Celtic Rock Festival (August 24), the Newport International Boat Show (September 12-15), and the International Oktoberfest (October 12-13). All the events are held at the Newport Yachting Center in the “city by the sea” where beach-going, shopping, dining and enjoying the nightlife are often a part of the pre- or post-Newport Waterfront Events activity.  Visit us at newportwaterfrontevents.com, become a fan on Facebook at facebook.com/waterfrontevents and follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/newportevents.