The Uptown Music Collective is set to present its fourth annual Blues-A-Thon fundraiser, which will be held Aug. 3 and 4.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. on Pine Street as part of Williamsport's First Friday festivities before moving to the Uptown Music Collective. 848 W. Fourth St., at nightfall, and ending 24 hours later at 7 p.m. that Saturday.
The Blues-A-Thon is a fundraising event that was started in 2009 as a way to raise money to support the Collective. All funds raised will go directly to support the programs and operations with the greatest need. An important aspect of the Blues-A-Thon is that it provides student participants with the unique opportunity to perform alongside established blues musicians.
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The Uptown Music Collective is set to present its fourth annual Blues-A-Thon fundraiser, which will be held Aug. 3 and 4.
Previous guest performers have included celebrated guitarists Bob Margolin (2011) and Tas Cru (2010). This year's guest performer will be piano player Dave Keyes. Keyes, a prominent member of the New York and mid-Atlantic blues scenes and celebrated pianist, will perform throughout the 24-hour event with UMC faculty and students as well as opening and closing the event.
The Blues-A-Thon is a marathon blues jam, with 24 hours of continuous music based around a 12-bar blues progression. In previous years, participants have explored styles as diverse as Delta blues, rock blues and bebop over the course of the 24 hours under the direction of UMC teachers, guest performers and area musicians.
Participants of the Blues-A-Thon will pledge to perform for a set number of hours and will seek sponsors to support them on a per-hour basis, much like the Relay For Life programs developed by the American Cancer Society. This year, as in the past, the individual bringing in the highest number of sponsorship dollars will receive a Blues-A-Thon prize pack. The event is open to musicians of all ages, styles and instruments who know how to play a basic 12-bar blues riff. The event is open to the public throughout and will be simultaneously live-streamed to the internet via UStream (www. ustream.tv/channel/uptown-music-collective). Donations in support of the school from the general public will be accepted during the event and on the school's web page via PayPal.
Guest performer Keyes is a keyboardist and bandleader from New York City who has been an important part of the New York music scene for more than 20 years, playing with some of the most prominent figures of blues, roots and folk music. His playing, though rooted in the spiritual sounds of southern blues, incorporates elements of soul and classic boogie-woogie as well as more contemporary sounds. He recently released his fourth CD, "Roots in the Blues." The album features Keyes' songwriting and his award-winning band augmented by the guitar work of Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Levon Helm) and mighty bluesman Popa Chubby.
This year's Blues-A-Thon will feature a variety of different segments including a blues jam for beginners, a Chicago blues jam and a Stevie Ray Vaughan-style jam. Also included will be segments featuring female singers, different Uptown Music Collective workshops and local blues talents such as Doug McMinn and Sean Farley.
For more information, call 329-0888 or visit www.uptownmusic.org.
