Mark Hummel’s Blues Blowout w/ special guests

21+ Bar opens one hour before showtime. Show starts at 7 pm, with three 30-minute sets. 

Five incredible blues artists, one night! This epic Blues Blowout is being helmed by Grammy nominee and Bay Area blues harpist extraordinaire Mark Hummel. Hummel is considered one of the premier blues harmonica players of his generation. Known for his Blues Harmonica Blowout™ which has featured every major harp legend, Hummel has toured or recorded with Charles Brown, Charlie Musselwhite, Lowell Fulson, and earned high praise from Curtis Salgado and Chris Cain. He will be joined by:  

Oscar Wilson - With a powerful voice that “harkens back to the golden age of Chicago blues” (Blues Music Magazine), Oscar Wilson is a natural-born entertainer. He grew up in the company of many famous blues artists: Junior Wells, Elmore James, Big Smokey Smothers and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Wilson has been honored with many blues industry awards and nominations, and in 2007, he joined the acclaimed group Cash Box Kings.  

Anson Funderburgh - One of contemporary blues music’s most influential guitar players, Anson Funderburgh has been an unstoppable force since his debut album with The Rockets launched the Black Top label in 1981. For 20 years Anson & The Rockets toured continuously all over the world and went on to win ten Blues Music Awards. Over the years, Anson has caught the attention of some of the most influential musicians in the business, performing with Snooks Eaglin, Delbert McClinton, and Boz Scaggs. He’s been touring since 2010 with Mark Hummel in the Golden State-Lone Star Revue.  

Diunna Greenleaf - Influenced by the soul and gospel styles of Koko Taylor, Aretha Franklin, and Sam Cooke, Diunna Greenleaf and her band Blue Mercy have opened for and performed with Keb Mo, James Cotton, Anson Funderburg, Bernard Allison, and numerous others. Diunna has been nominated for and won several Blues Music Awards over the years, and she was named Living Blues Magazine's 2015 Female Artist of the Year. Her latest album reached #1 on several US and international Blues charts.  

Junior Watson - With his diverse influences and uninhibited energy, Junior Watson has reached cult status with his unique and original guitar voice. Besides his mastery of blues and swing, he often adds his own cartoon-like twist to everything he plays. He played with both The Mighty Flyers and Canned Heat for ten years, and he has backed up and recorded with the who's-who of the blues including Big Mama Thorton, Jimmy Rogers, Charlie Musselwhite and many more. 

See them live at Almost Famous Wine Lounge, an award-winning, new tasting room and venue located on Vasco Road in the heart of Livermore's wine, spirits and brewery district. Almost Famous Wine makes fifteen wines in diverse styles, and earned over 50 top industry awards since our debut in 2021.

ABOUT MARK HUMMEL

Grammy Award Nominee and winner of two Blues Music Awards, Mark Hummel started playing harmonica in 1970 and is considered one of the premier blues harmonica players of his generation, thanks to over thirty recordings since 1985 including the Grammy-nominated 2013 release Remembering Little Walter. Mark Hummel's Blues Harmonica Blowout™ started in 1991 and has featured every major legend (Mayall, Musselwhite, Cotton, etc.) on blues harp as well as almost every player of note on the instrument - a who's who of players. Hummel has toured or recorded with blues legends Charles Brown, Charlie Musselwhite, Lowell Fulson, Billy Boy Arnold, Carey Bell, Lazy Lester, Brownie McGhee, Eddie Taylor, Luther Tucker and Jimmy Rogers.

“Mark Hummel knocks it out of the park again! This man has been recording and bringing the top players in blues music for 39 years. You can’t go that long unless you have the respect of the best in the business. And Mark has it.” ~ Curtis Salgado

“Mark Hummel is a true master. His tone, phrasing and, most of all, his soul are all part of what makes him one of the most important purveyors of blues harmonica.” ~ Chris Cain

“It’s so nice to hear straight ahead blues instead of blues rock! You got some good tunes and I applaud Mark for doing Elvin’s tune “What The Hell”!” ~ Charlie Musselwhite

ABOUT OSCAR WILSON

"Oscar Wilson’s powerful and deep voice harkens back to the golden age of Chicago blues.” –Blues Music Magazine

A captivating singer, born in Chicago with the blues in his blood and with an encyclopedic knowledge of almost every blues song known to man, Wilson is a natural-born entertainer. Born in 1953 on Chicago’s 43rd Street (aka “Muddy Waters Drive”), Wilson grew up in the company of many famous blues artists. Junior Wells, Elmore James, Big Smokey Smothers and close family friend David “Honeyboy” Edwards were all regulars at weekly Friday night fish fries/jam sessions at the Wilson home. Throughout his adulthood, Wilson held regular jobs but was always welcome sitting in with Chicago blues mainstays like Melvin Taylor and Johnny B. Moore. His vocal inspirations range from Muddy Waters, B.B. King and Albert King to Jimmy Reed, Jimmy Rogers and Little Walter, but he mostly sings like Oscar Wilson. When he performs, The Chicago Tribune says, “Oscar Wilson brings a dominant, magisterial presence.” He pairs indisputably authentic South Side Chicago blues vocals with gritty, street-smart songwriting chops and a charismatic, larger-than-life presence. Oscar has been honored with many blues industry awards and nominations, and in 2007, he joined the acclaimed group Cash Box Kings.

ABOUT ANSON FUNDERBURGH

Anson Funderburgh has been an unstoppable force on the national blues circuit ever since he teamed up with Darrell Nulisch in 1978 to form Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets. The band was the inaugural artist on Hammond and Nauman Scott’s New Orleans-based Black Top Records, one of the leading contemporary blues labels throughout the 1980s and ‘90s. When Sam Myers took over as The Rockets’ dynamic front man, Anson embarked on his most bountiful period, issuing one spectacular album after another. Anson also guested on Black Top recordings by Snooks Eaglin, Nappy Brown, Joe Hughes, Grady Gaines and James “Thunderbird” Davis. The Rockets even appeared in the 1994 feature China Moon, starring Ed Harris, which featured several of the band’s songs on the soundtrack.

For 20 years The Rockets, along with Myers, toured continuously all over the world and went on to win ten Blues Music Awards from the Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee. Over the years, Anson has caught the attention of some of the most influential musicians in the business, performing alongside Delbert McClinton and with Boz Scaggs on Night Music. He has also produced albums for John Nemeth, Andy T, the Ruff Kutt Blues Band, Dany Franchi, and Jonn Del Toro Richardson’s Tengo Blues, which won the 2017 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist Debut.

Funderburgh undeniably remains best known in the blues field for his extraordinarily concise lead guitar attack. In addition to anchoring his latest iteration of The Rockets, he’s been touring since 2010 with Mark Hummel in the Golden State-Lone Star Revue. Another frequent musical cohort is Eric Lindell; they’ve recorded and toured together on a regular basis, including six appearances at the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Funderburgh’s unmistakable style, tone and sensibility has made him one of contemporary blues music’s most important guitar players. Once a clean-cut up-and-comer on the national blues scene whose crisp, biting guitar licks belied his soft-spoken manner, Anson has developed into a legacy artist and his influence on countless guitarists is immeasurable.

ABOUT DIUNNA GREENLEAF

Diunna Greenleaf, the leader of Blue Mercy, is a native Texan (Houston) who has a background steeped in gospel music. Influenced by the likes of Koko Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Rosetta Thorpe, Sam Cooke, Charles Brown and her own parents Ben & Mary Ella Greenleaf (Gospel), she has developed "Diunna's style of Blues," combining intricate patches of jazz, gospel and heartfelt soul to create a kind of blues that takes one on an emotional roller coaster ride.

Diunna and her band Blue Mercy have performed throughout the United States and internationally. She has opened for and performed with the likes of Bob Margolin, Keb Mo, Willie “Pinetop” Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, James Cotton, Carrie Bell, Big Bill Morganfield, Smoking Joe Kubek and B’NoisKing, Anson Funderburg, Sam Meyers and the Rockets, Bernard Allison, Odetta, Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers, I.J. Gosey, Sherman Robertson, Kenny Neal, Percy Sledge and the late great Teddy “Cry Cry” Reynolds, and numerous others.

Diunna has been nominated for several Blues Music Awards over the years, including "Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year" and "Traditional Blues Album," and was the winner of "Best New Artist Debut" in 2008 as well as the "Koko Taylor Award - Traditional Blues Female" in 2014 and 2017. She was named Living Blues Magazine's 2015 Female Artist of the Year. Her latest CD "Trying To Hold On" reached #1 on XM/Sirius Radio Bluesville Chart, #1 on French Blues charts, #1 on Living Blues charts for an entire month, and reached the top of Blues charts in UK, Australia and USA.

ABOUT JUNIOR WATSON

With nearly forty years of experience, Junior Watson has reached cult status. With influences as diverse as Tiny Grimes, Oscar Moore, Bill Jennings, Rene Hall, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Jimmy Rogers, Eddie Taylor, Guitar Slim, Earl Hooker and others he has truly created one of the most unique and original guitar voices to come along in years. Besides his mastery of blues and swing, he often adds his own cartoon-like twist to everything he plays. You'll never know what he will do and when asked he doesn't know himself. His energy and playing gives you a feeling of reckless abandonment. As he was once quoted: "like a train off the tracks".

His artist resume is as large as it is impressive. A founding member of The Mighty Flyers, he stayed with the band for ten years. He then left to join Canned Heat for ten years. He then toured for a while with LA-based harmonica player/vocalist Lynwood Slim. All along the way he has backed up and recorded with the who's-who of the blues, including Big Mama Thorton, George Smith, Jimmy Rogers, Shakey Jake, Luther Tucker, Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, William Clark and many more.

VENUE INFORMATION

There is a two drink minimum for each guest. With a menu of 15 wines in diverse styles and sophisticated non-alcoholic options, there's something for everyone.

Set times and ticket prices are subject to change, and sales are final.

Dancing is encouraged at Almost Famous, and usually takes place in front of and to the side of the stage. If a dance party breaks out, we cannot guarantee a completely unobstructed view to those sitting in the bistro table seats.

Please visit www.almostfamous.wine for our other venue policies.

Host or Publisher Almost Famous Wine Company