In a way, we’ve all been singing the blues the past 18 months. So while area blues fans will be in heaven with the return of the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival this weekend, it’s even more meaningful for two of its performers – Toronzo Cannon and Selwyn Birchwood. The Alligator Records artists, both Blues Fest veterans, had most of their 2020 touring schedules erased due to Covid and are happy to be back at it in 2021. Cannon, 53, of Chicago, is scheduled to perform 8:15 p.m. Friday at LeClaire Park, while Birchwood, 36, of Orlando, Fla., is on the Main Stage at 3:45 p.m. Saturday. “Just... Read More

UPDATED: Though the Mississippi Valley Blues Society (MVBS) in 2020 had to cancel its annual blues festival and Blues in the Schools education program, it was hardly idle. The completely volunteer-run nonprofit organization, founded in 1984, completely revamped its website, mvbs.org – with much more content than before. It’s also returning to Davenport’s LeClaire Park (later this year than usual), Sept. 17-18, with its signature event, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. The website overhaul (led by the Rock Island-based design firm Pixouls) is broken into three main sections: Listen Most... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: Though the Mississippi Valley Blues Society (MVBS) in 2020 had to cancel its annual blues festival and Blues in the Schools education program, it was hardly idle. The completely volunteer-run nonprofit organization, founded in 1984, completely revamped its website, mvbs.org – with much more content than before. It’s also returning to Davenport’s LeClaire Park (later this year than usual), Sept. 17-18, with its signature event, the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. The website overhaul (led by the Rock Island-based design firm Pixouls) is broken into three main sections: Listen Most... Read More

Eleven cultural organizations and three artists in the Quad-Cities were among those to receive a share of $7 million in new grants announced Tuesday by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. A total of 267 cultural organizations and 152 artists serving 118 Iowa communities will get funding, made possible by the Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, on Dec. 2. The department launched the Iowa Arts & Culture Recovery Program the same day and received more than 550 requests totaling more than $36 million by the Dec. 11 deadline. The list of recipients includes some of Iowa’s... Read More

Do you have a young aspiring musician in your home? Give them the gift of guidance and joy this holiday season! The Ellis Kell Winter Blues Camp takes place at the River Music Experience (129 N Main St. Davenport) this Wednesday Dec 26 through Saturday Dec 29 from 1 – 5 p.m. This annual Winter Blues program features vocal and instrumental workshops (guitar, bass, harmonica, keyboards & drums), as well as concentration on blues composition and improvisation. Sessions are open to area musicians from 8-18 years old. The cost is just $175. These sessions will be led by RME’s Bret Dale with... Read More

Do you have massive amounts of musical trivia in your memory bank? Wonder if you’ll ever have any use for them? Well here is your chance of a lifetime! The River Music Experience and Mississippi Valley Blues Society have teamed up together to bring you Music Trivia Night! Come test your musical knowledge on Sunday Jan 14 at River Music Experience, located at 129 Main Street Davenport. Doors open at 2 p.m. and questions will begin at 3 p.m. This all ages trivia event will consist of teams with 4-8 people. The cost per person is $10, or you can receive a $5 discount if 8 spots are purchased at... Read More

They may have only gone to the crossroads to catch the school bus, and the darkest indigo lyrics they’ve sung are likely about not getting what they wanted for Christmas, but that won’t stop a number of local kids from learning about playing and singing the blues Saturday during the Blues Skool Program at the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest. “BlueSKool is one of the best things we ever came up with,” said Stan Furlong, a member of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society and an organizer of the event. “It’s important because we don’t want people in the future to be ignorant of the source... Read More

Drenched by rain and pushed around by the rising river, organizers of the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest have had ample reason to sing down-on-their-luck dirges over the past few years, even having to cancel last year’s event, but festival organizers are singing a happy tune going into the 31st annual fest this weekend. (For more info, see their site at http://mvbs.org/fest/.) “We feel good and optimistic about this year’s Festival,” said Stan Furlong, a member of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society and an organizer of the event. “The river is about six feet below the sidewalk in LeClaire... Read More