The Rainbow again this year hosted Steve Lund's Annual R & B Festival from 22nd to 25th November 2001 that just completed it's 14th year. This fest's eclectic mix of R & B, blues, swing, soul, funk, zydeco and and sometimes other musical forms is almost as old as the Rainbow's now 17th year of providing live blues and other music seven days a week.

The Fest began with Ottawa's internationally known Tony D performing acoustic blues. Francine performed R & B and songs from her recently released CD. Fat City 8 and the Jivewires performed big band blues, jump jive and swing. Zydeco Loco added it's Louisiana style Cajun approach to the thing with Mighty Popo adding his Worldbeat blues and Johnny Russell tossing his barrelhouse piano flair into the R & B gumbo.

The fest ended Sunday with Drew Nelson, one of Ottawa's original bluesmen, hosting an all star jam with artists like Jarhead and young guitar master Eric Walker.

Thanks, Steve Lund for pulling all the musical threads together into another successful four days. I look forward to the possibility of getting more days and bands into the festival next year such as The Crowd, L'il Al's Combo, Todd Harper and the Jukes and let's get back more female acts next festival for a better balance of the male & female acts available in Ottawa.

Here is a sampling of the acts that took part in the 2001 festival.

Jim Roy

Tony D Acoustic      Ball and Chain Bowin' it at the Rain

Mud Boys      Johnny Russell band

The Jivewire's      Fat City 8

Zydeco Loco      The Drew Nelson All-Star R & B Jam

15th Annual R & B Festival Line-up

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