Blues Night on Civic Plaza Featuring Sue Foley & The Texas Horns; Zenobia; & Felix y los Gatos FREE

Name: Blues Night on Civic Plaza Featuring Sue Foley & The Texas Horns; Zenobia; & Felix y los Gatos FREE
Start: 2024-09-21T18:00:00-06:00
Location: Downtown Civic Plaza

Schedule

Sat Sep 21 2024 at 06:00 pm

UTC-06:00

Location

Downtown Civic Plaza | Albuquerque, NM

6 pm: Zenobia — Opening this evening's concert is blues singer and keyboardist, Zenobia who made her Broadway debut in the rock musical “HAIR” at age 18 and toured the U.S. in Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. A backup singer in the recording studio and live performances for artists like James Blood Ulmer and Gene Pitney, she debuted the disco hit, “It’s Raining Men” in 1982 and later became a producer in advertising, which led to a career producing award-winning work for Radio and Television commercials. She has composed music for jingles and underscores for film, has directed plays, produced songs for other artists, and was a Casting Director. Zenobia can be seen acting in several New Mexico film productions, including Longmire, Better Call Saul and The Brave. Zenobia’s music focuses on the Blues, as well as standards and songs that she interprets as Blues, and some of her favorite artists, whose songs she covers, include Etta James, Jimmy Reed, Tedeschi & Trucks, Big Mama Thornton, and The Stones.

7pm: Felix y Los Gatos — Felix y Los Gatos, who refer to their sound as “Green Chile Gumbo” Blues, is a national touring band with their roots in the desert Southwest. With 20+ years of stage experience, the Gatos, led by their two core members – Felix Peralta (lead vocals and guitar) and D.B. Gomez (button accordion), boast an improvisational style that is uniquely their own and they perform a unique blend of Latin, Blues, Tejano, New Orleans Swing, “New Mexico Ranchera,” and rockin' outlaw country. Felix “Gato” Peralta has toured and recorded with many Grammy Award- winning artists including John Popper of Blues Traveler, Paul Pacheco of Ozomatli and Michael Franti. He was invited to perform his award-winning song “Dos Corazones” for Arts Across America at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and through his songs, he shares the unique history of New Mexico to diverse audiences. The band features Felix Gato Peralta, guitar/vocals/accordion; Brant Leeper, keyboards; Justin Bransford, bass; & Thomas Primozic, percussion.

8:15pm: Headlining tonight's concert is multi-award-winning musician, and one of the finest blues and roots artists working today – triple threat, Canadian-born guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, Sue Foley, who has a long history of defying convention while being a positive role model for aspiring, young female musicians. Working professionally since the age of 16, Foley relocated to Austin, TX at the age of 21 where she began recording for Antone’s—the esteemed blues label and historic nightclub that helped launch the career of Stevie Ray Vaughan and many others. In the decades that have followed, she has been touring and recording steadily and has been honored with many awards, including the prestigious Juno Award (Canadian equivalent of the Grammy) in 2001. She holds the record for the most Maple Blues Awards, including her recent 2024 Blues with a Feeling/Lifetime Achievement award, and has earned three Trophees de Blues de France as well as garnering several nominations at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, TN. The 2023 Blues Music Award winner for Best Traditional Blues Female – Koko Taylor Award, her third consecutive win in that category, Foley has released 13 albums since her 1992 debut, including. her latest, One Guitar Woman (2024), which pays tribute to pioneering female guitar players who remain an inspiration to her.Foley, whose playing is playing is described as “pristine and powerful” deserves her hard-earned status as a musical virtuoso, Pop Matters writes, “Foley is much more than a blues player. She can croon, swing, and rock…Undoubtedly, she is one of the finest guitar players on the blues circuit.” Accompanying Foley is the widely recognized as the preeminent hard-blowing three-piece blues, soul and roots music horn section, The Texas Horns. Based in Austin and San Antonio, they have performed live with literally hundreds of artists at major festivals and world class venues and over the past 25 years, have performed frequently with Marcia Ball, Earl King, Ronnie Earl, Lonnie Brooks, Sue Foley, and many more. They recently toured with Jimmie Vaughan, opening for Eric Clapton in September of 2021, and their extensive session work includes stints with Grammy nominated Delbert McClinton, Anson Funderburgh, Jimmie Vaughan’s Grammy-nominated Baby, Please Come Home, and Sue Foley’s The Ice Queen.The Texas Horns have released their own albums as well, including their critically acclaimed 2019 album, Better Get Here Quick, and their most recent, Everybody Let’s Roll (2022). They also recently released a cross continental collaboration with the Ghanaian por por (honk-horn) group entitled Horn To Horn. Winners of the 27th Annual Living Blues Critics Poll for Most Outstanding Musician (Horns), The Texas Horns feature Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff, tenor sax, harmonica and vocals; John Mills, baritone sax and flute; and Al Gomez, trumpet and flugelhorn. FREE!