Again this year, Steve Lund, with the Rainbow and the efforts of some of Ottawa's finest local artists and the event sponsors will launch yet another two fun weekends of great live music.

Last year, this normally one weekend event, had to be expanded to get in more of the many excellent bands who wanted to be a part of the festival.

In 2003, each night has some of Ottawa's most talented bands. Showcasing the wide variety in Ottawa's R&B scene, Funk, Zydeco, Jump, Delta, Ska, Chicago & Louisiana Boogaloo. Click on a photo to connect to the related web site.

As Steve says, "This event is pretty much a primer of the who's who in the Ottawa Blues & R&B scene for the seasoned blues buff or new residents to the area. This is where they can find tons of talent in the shortest time span.

A new feature this year, on Oct 10th we're kicking off the Fest with the Mega Blues Jam featuring, at last count, 21 of Ottawa's finest blues performers.

This event should be an amazing show! About 20 years ago, jams like this sparked a whole new Blues Community, from "Blues Tues" at The Downstairs Club to The Rainbow to Cisco Systems Blues Fest. This is how it all started.

Most of the players this night were at these jams 20 some years ago. Some of the new faces, weren't even born at the time. The response from these musician to do this, was overwhelming. Everyone is looking forward to play with people they haven't seen, or jammed with in a long, long while.

Jams like this were a common occurrence, at the birth of the Ottawa blues scene, but not anymore, this will be an incredible and rare evening." Steve Lund

Left is Steve celebrating a past Rainbow anniversary with Maria Hawkins, Ottawa's very active blueslady who will be among the many great Ottawa artists joining the Mega Blues Jam.

Steve, besides organizing the R & B fest each year soon after the summer festivals are over, is bandleader/drummer of popular groups, Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo and Zydeco Loco as well as Gator's Groove that is a project of his and Johnny Russell's. He's available for any media interviews on this mini blues/R & B fest that's been taking place for six years longer than its somewhat bigger Ottawa cousin. His contact info is at the end of this page.

Here is the line - up of the 16th Ottawa R & B Festival:

Fri Oct 10th - Sun Oct 12th

Fri Oct 10

• 9:30 - The Mega Blues Jam

  In the spirit of the downstairs club jams of 20 years ago Tony D, The Mighty Popo, Trevor Finlay, Matt Sobb, Joe Hawkins, Sean Burke, George Prendergast, Mike Ktenas, Johnny Russell, Peter Brown, Billy Mitchell, Guy del Villano, Steve Lund, Maria Hawkins, Andrea Karam, Jed Rached, Dean Dupuis, Southside Steve, Mark Rehder, Wayne Mills, Brian Magner.

Sat Oct 11

• 9:30 The Smacks ... hammond organ combo

• 11:00 The Hammerheads ... cosmic-disco-funk

Sun Oct 12

• 3:30 Fat City 8 ... big band blues
• 9:30 The Mellotone Organ Sextet ... orgasmic hammond frenzy

Fri Oct 17th - Sun Oct 19th

Fri Oct 17

• 9:30 Tony D's - Juke Joint ... kitchissippi blues
• 11:00 Mumbo Jumbo Voodoo Combo ... new orleans R & B and zydeco
• 12:30 Rudeboy ska/reggae

Sat Oct 18

• 9:30 Fine Fat Daddy ... blues
• 11:00 Gator's Groove ... bluesiana boogaloo
• 12:30 The Mudboys ... jump-boogie

Sun Oct 19th

• 3:30 The Kathy Kennedy Band ... blues - rock
• 9:30 The Crowd ... R & B with attitude soul revue

Contact for info or interviews:

Steve Lund
Founder & Co-ordinator
Mumbo Jumbo Web Site
stevemumbojumbo.ca
613-256-1661
1 Rosamond St. E. apt. 201
Almonte, Ontario Canada K0A 1A0

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