Photo by Greg Cristman
Gregory R. Cristman

Neko Case, Buddy Guy, Charles Bradley, others playing free outdoor fest @ World Financial Center

Neko Case in Long Island in 2011 (more by Greg Cristman)
Neko Case

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BUDDY GUY, NEKO CASE TO HEADLINE FREE OUTDOOR BLUES FESTIVAL ON HUDSON RIVER WATERFRONT, JULY 11-12

Second annual Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival, NYC’s only free summer blues festival, returns with stellar lineup of living legends and groundbreaking new stars

Brookfield Office Properties today announced that Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy, fresh from jamming with President Obama at an all-star concert at the White House last month, will join celebrated chanteuse Neko Case to headline a free two-day blues music festival in Lower Manhattan on July 11th and 12th.

Cementing its status as one of the city’s premiere free summer festivals, the second annual Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival will return to the spectacular outdoor plaza at the World Financial Center with full headlining sets from Buddy Guy and, in her first concert of 2012, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Neko Case. The two-day free concert will also feature an exceptional lineup of renowned blues acts and rising stars like John Mayall, Charles Bradley and the Extraordinaires, He’s My Brother She’s My Sister, and Quinn Sullivan.

Charles Bradley also has shows coming up at Beacon Theater, in Asbury Park and elsewhere.

Full Lowdown Hudson Blues Fest lineup by day with more info, below….


Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival

WHEN: Wednesday, July 11 and Thursday, July 12, 2012
TIME: 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. EST
WHERE: World Financial Center Plaza
220 Vesey Street (West Street and North End Avenue)
WEB: www.worldfinancialcenter.com/arts-events
COST: FREE – No tickets or reservations required
PRESENTER: Brookfield Office Properties

lineup by day….

WEDNESDAY, JULY 11

Buddy Guy – At age 74, Buddy Guy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, and a pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound. He has been awarded 23 W.C. Handy Blues Awards (the most any artist has received), the Billboard magazine Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, the Presidential National Medal of Arts, and 6 Grammy Awards, including “Best Contemporary Blues Album” for his 2010 album Living Proof. Rolling Stone ranked him in the top 30 of its “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.”

Quinn Sullivan – Quinn Sullivan is a 12-year-old blues guitar prodigy who has toured with Buddy Guy and been featured on several national television shows, including Ellen, Oprah, The Today Show, and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

John Mayall – John Mayall is often referred to as the “Father of the British blues.” Founded in the 1950s, his band, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, has served as a launching pad for such legendary artists as Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, Peter Green, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Mick Taylor, and many more.

THURSDAY, JULY 12

Neko Case -Grammy nominated singer and songwriter Neko Case has developed a sound all her own: a mix of country, gospel, torch, and pop, and her five full-length solo albums (not to mention her two live collections and Canadian Amp EP) have won her critical acclaim and countless devotees.

Charles Bradley and the Extraordinaires – 63-year-old Charles Bradley released his debut album No Time For Dreaming in 2011 and has since gone on to win accolades for his haunting, soulful voice, and is one of the leading lights on the esteemed label, Daptone Records.

He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister – Led by brother and sister Rob and Rachel Kolar, He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister also includes tap dancer Lauren Brown and cellist Satya Bhabha. Together, they create a mix of folk, glam and western swing, and their live performances are full of dancing, humor, nostalgia, and great vibes.