Mini-Blues Festival to rock Nassau Valley Vineyards Aug. 13
Nassau Valley Vineyards will present a one-day blues festival Saturday, Aug. 13, featuring headliner Gaye Adegbalola, founding member of Saffire, The Uppity Blues Women.
An afternoon concert from 4 to 7 p.m. will feature one of Delaware’s favorite blues men, Jimmy Pritchard. The opening act will be Sussex County youth sensations and Lewes natives, The Williams Brothers. Admission for this concert is $15.
Adegbalola will play from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Evening concert tickets are $25.
Proceeds from both shows will benefit True Blue Jazz youth music programs. To reserve tickets or learn more, go to nassauvalley.com or truebluejazz.org or call 302-645-9463.
Food vendors and artisanal craft vendors will be on site. The bars will feature award-winning Nassau Valley Vineyards wines and sangria, local craft beers and craft cocktails. No coolers, outside food or beverages, or pets will be permitted.
As a young adult, Adegbalola found the music of Nina Simone and Bessie Smith, and immersed herself in the repertoire of classic blues women of that era. It was later in life that she picked up slide guitar.
Adegbalola is an activist who has fought for social justice her entire life. In her songwriting, she tries to provide a voice for those who have been marginalized by society. However, many of her songs are known for their biting humor. Cape Region locals and visitors alike attended many saucy, spirited Saffire shows at the original Sydney’s Jazz and Blues Restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. Adegbalola has won numerous awards including the prestigious Blues Music Award, formerly the W.C. Handy Award – the Grammy of the blues industry.
A bassist, Pritchard has established himself as a true force in today’s blues scene, delivering the talent, charisma and drive needed to keep audiences engaged and grooving to the music. From the moment he caught B.B. King on an episode of Sanford & Son at age 11, the Delaware native knew blues music was something special. That wide-eyed moment was one he would never forget. He picked up his first bass shortly thereafter, sparking a musical career spanning 40 years.
Nassau Valley Vineyards is located at 32165 Winery Way, Lewes.
