2026 Trinidaddio Blues Fest Line Up

	Trinidaddio Blues Fest Line Up Friday August 28 & Saturday August 29, 2026
	Vanessa Collier! Singer/songwriter Vanessa Collier’s sixth album Do It My Own Way comes out September 13 via Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers. Second single “Wild As a Rainstorm,” which dives deep into soul territory, powerfully gives advice to women and people who feel left out to ignore the naysayers and “Be a tapestry of dreams.” The track been added to Spotify’s official Retro Soul playlist. The groove and horns would make Willie Mitchell proud, and indeed features legendary Hi Records organist Rev. Charles Hodges. The vocals are powerful, awe-inspiring, and undeniably soulful vocals. Talking about the album, Collier adds, “It’s a warmer and darker sounding a record, recorded intentionally to reflect a throwback to older school soul, R&B, blues, and to the days of great songs and songwriters, tube amps and analog gear.” Do It My Own Way takes listeners back to the heyday of music with Memphis soul-influenced horn arrangements, layers of vocals for color, with poignant and powerful saxophone solos that deliver a quietly powerful undercurrent to each song and the album as a whole. Minor key Americana/noir “Take Me Back” served as the first single. The album kicks off with the funk workout “Elbow Grease.” On an album full of incredible grooves, “Shoulda Known Better” stands out while “Just One More” sways to a rhumba beat. The gospel-tinged “Rosetta” pays tribute to one of Collier’s heroes, electric guitar pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Collier sings, “She’s carried the torch so I can see a little bit better… There’d be no Elvis or Chuck Berry. Sometimes the women do it best. She tackled all the inequities. And fought with strength and audacity.” Kicking off on resonator guitar before the full band joins in, album closer “Warrior” paints the picture of a powerful woman and is both a universal message about the strength and experience of women and a tribute to Collier’s mother. The anthemic, slinky third single and title track artfully commenting on the sexism she’s encountered in life and in the music industry. Collier has encountered calls from members of the industry to dress in sexy clothes and to not rock the boat, but has successfully taken hold of her own career. Read More
	Selwyn Birchwood *Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues* “Selwyn Birchwood is one of the preeminent voices in contemporary blues. He plays like a man possessed…cleverly blending elements of traditional blues, funk, Stax-flavored R&B and psychedelic rock into a cohesive and compelling, expansive and cathartic artistic statement.” –Guitar Player *“Birchwood is one of contemporary blues’ foremost innovators. Funky, Southern-flavored electric blues…infectious rhythms and inventive soloing.” –Blues Music Magazine* *“Selwyn Birchwood is one of the best blues players today. Ferocious blues guitar…powerful voice…blistering licks galore.” –Vintage Guitar* Rolling Stone calls award-winning Florida musician Selwyn Birchwood “a remarkable, contemporary bluesman…a powerhouse young guitarist and soulful vocalist.” Now, this mesmerizing guitarist, lap steel master and cinematic songwriter unleashes the powerful new self-produced album, Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues, further blazing his own musical trail. Birchwood’s sound is an intoxicating mix of deep blues, blistering, psychedelic-tinged rock, booty-shaking funk and sweet Southern soul, played and sung with true blues passion. From an emotionally devastating whisper to a soul-baring scream, Birchwood’s vocals command attention. Schooled in the blues’ storied traditions (he toured with and was mentored by the famed Sonny Rhodes), Birchwood maps out a dazzling future for the blues with his visionary music. Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues features 10 wildly imaginative, laser-focused, vibrant original songs, produced by Birchwood and recorded in Florida. From the psychedelic soul sermon The Church Of Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues to the wide-open honesty of Damaged Goods to the up-to-the-minute observations of All Hail The Algorithm and Talking Heads, Birchwood and his band play with relentless intensity. On Labour Of Love he looks at the pains and joys of parenting, while The Struggle Is Real serves as an anthem for our times. Birchwood’s tough, slide guitar opus, What I’ve Been Accused Of, the slow burning, romantic Soulmate and the blazing Should’ve Never Gotten Out Of Bed, all show Birchwood as one of contemporary blues’ most prolific, significant and innovative artists. Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues is Birchwood’s own fully realized artistic statement, and the first of his Alligator albums that he has produced by himself. “Producing allowed me to really take the wheel and steer the music to the exact destinations that I wanted to go. It allowed me to present these songs with the full, three-dimensional sound that I have wanted all along. This album is the full realization of the sound I have been cultivating. It tiptoes the tightrope between gritty gutbucket blues and contemporary grooves to create a soundscape that honors the roots but allows listeners to experience the music from a modern vantage point. Sharing songs with this much honesty allows us all to connect to music on a higher level…to feel a little less isolated and a little more ‘seen’ in what can be a hard life at times.” Live, Birchwood is a true force of nature. A favorite among blues fans and jam band fans alike, his ability to win over an audience—any audience—is proven night after night. With his warm, magnetic personality, Birchwood is as down-to-earth as his music is electrifyingly jaw-dropping. With his band feeding off his energy, the 6’3” musician roams the stage barefoot, ripping out memorable guitar licks with ease, his soulful, rocks-and-gravel vocals impossible to ignore. When he sits down to play his signature model Caladesi lap steel, he magically lifts the crowd into a sweat-soaked state of blissful elation. Mega-star Joe Bonamassa raves, “Selwyn Birchwood has become one of my favorite discoveries. He puts on a great show.” With Electric Swamp Funkin’ Blues, Selwyn Birchwood and his band perform with an irresistible urgency. Live, as they travel the world, they bring the joyful intensity of their music directly to their fans. As Birchwood sings in the title track, “the music is the mission.” It’s a “creation of joyful jubilation.” Says Birchwood, “You would be hard-pressed to find an album or a band that sounds exactly like mine, and that has been and always will be the goal. I pride myself in writing songs so that when you hear a band like us, you hear a band that sounds just like…US!” Bio written by Marc Lipkin Read More
	Harrell “Young Rell” Davenport HOW DOES A 17-YEAR-OLD KID raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi play his first gig in Chicago and wind up with 165,000 views and 4,000 shares of his performance on Facebook? Well, if you are HARRELL ‘YOUNG RELL’ DAVENPORT, who started playing harmonica and guitar at seven years, the answer is easy: he is a rising star in the blues world. A dexterous and inventive guitarist and a fat-toned harmonica phenom, Young Rell is already a commanding vocalist and a poetic and poignant songwriter. Whether he is accompanying himself on guitar while playing harmonica on a rack and singing, or alternating between guitar and harmonica with an ensemble, Young Rell sings his songs with sincerity and without a hint of affectation, working the stage with the poise and charisma of a veteran performer. A prolific and engaging presence on social media, Young Rell has created a global community of fans and followers who have not only praised his talent but engaged enthusiastically with him on the subject of musicianship, musical instruments and past generations of famous and obscure blues inspirations. As a child, Rell navigated personal struggles and trauma by immersing himself in music that was born in response to oppression and hardship. He found solace studying and expressing himself in the blues. His community building and graceful social interaction have landed him relationships and experiences with the greatest blues artists alive today. He has been championed by Billy Branch, Kingfish Ingram, Bob Margolin, Bernard Allison and many others. He has already performed at the King Biscuit Blues Festival, both of Morgan Freeman’s Ground Zero Blues Clubs in Mississippi, Red’s Juke Joint in Clarksdale, and many more. This blues singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is fired up and bound for your venue…all you got to do is call!! Read More
CHICAGO – JUNE 09: Guitarist Dave Specter performs on the Pepsi Front Porch during a “Tribute to Hubert Sumlin” at the Chicago Blues Festival in Chicago, Illinois on JUNE 09, 2012. (Photo By Raymond Boyd/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)	Special Guest! Dave Specter! “In its June 2000 issue, Illinois Entertainer named Dave Specter and The Bluebirds’ 1994 studio album, Blueplicity, as one of the Top 10 blues albums of the 1990s. Chicago guitarist Dave Specter is considered one of the modern masters of Chicago blues guitar. With a recording career spanning more than 35 years on the legendary Delmark Records label, Specter has become an internationally respected performer, songwriter, and bandleader. His latest album, Live at SPACE (Delmark Records, 2025), has received widespread critical acclaim and chart success, including a #1 position on the Living Blues Radio Chart and the NACC community and college radio charts. Specter has also received Living Blues Album of the Year recognition, a DownBeat Magazine Editor’s Pick, and major international praise from Soul Bag Magazine in France. Throughout his career, Specter has collaborated with artists including Jorma Kaukonen of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna and has been featured in Vintage Guitar, DownBeat, Blues Blast Magazine, and major blues publications around the world. “In its June 2000 issue, Illinois Entertainer named Dave Specter and The Bluebirds’ 1994 studio album, Blueplicity, as one of the Top 10 blues albums of the 1990s. [1] The album was released on Delmark Records and featured Tad Robinson on vocals and harmonica.” Read More
	Delmark Recording Artist Ken Saydak! Chicago-born pianist, organist, accordionist, vocalist, and producer Ken Saydak has spent more than five decades performing and recording with some of the most respected names in blues music. After performing at the very first Trinidaddio Blues Fest in 1999, Saydak relocated to southern Colorado, first near Trinidad and later in La Veta, where he became a beloved fixture of the regional music community for more than 25 years before moving to Tucson, Arizona in 2025. A recording artist for Delmark and Evidence Records, Saydak has appeared on more than 70 albums and has worked alongside legendary artists including Johnny Winter, Otis Rush, Bo Diddley, Lonnie Brooks, Willie Kent, and Lurrie Bell. His international touring career has taken him across Europe, Africa, Israel, and Japan. Among his acclaimed releases are Love Without Trust, Foolish Man, It’s My Soul, and the Live in La Veta series. Billboard Magazine described Saydak as “a gripping frontman,” while France’s Soul Bag Magazine called him “a worthy heir to Otis Spann.” He also hosts The Trinidaddio Blues Hours weekly on KCRT-FM in Trinidad. Read More
	The Delta Sonics featuring Al Chesis The Delta Sonics music takes a Chicago Blues base and seasons it with Swing, Delta, N’awlins R&B and some early Rock n’ Roll . They were Westword’s best blues band in Denver the last six of eight years. The band made the semi-finals in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis 2012.The band has also played in Kansas City, St. Louis and New Orleans among other cities. Averaging 250 gigs a year before 2020, they’re comfortable playing large events and concerts as well as smaller venues. The band has played the Taste of Colorado, the Boulder Creek Fest, the Greeley Blues Jam, Pearl St. Blues & Brews, the Five Points Jazz Festival, Triniddadio, Bohemian Nights, the Cherry Creek Arts Fest and many others. Al Chesis supplies vocals & foot stomping showmanship but it’s his harmonica playing that grabs you. He has been a Hohner endorser since 1992. Bob Pellegrino supplies the dazzling, slide guitar. Bob was the Colorado Blues Society’s best slide guitar player in three years in a row. Alissa Chesis on bass and Stefan Flores on drums ‘drive the bus’. The Sonics have been THE Mile Hi ‘go-to’ band for touring Blues national acts for nearly 15 yrs. The band has backed national blues acts like Big Bill Morganfield, Steadyrollin’ Bob Margolin, Ronnie Baker Brooks, grammy -nominated Lurrie Bell, grammy-nominated John Primer, the late Pinetop Perkins, and the late Bo Diddley. The Delta Sonics opened for BB King (twice), Robert Cray (three times), and Jimmy Vaughn (twice) among many others. Al Chesis also guests on Big Head Todd’s album “Black Beehive” on the cut “I Get Smooth” Al has played in Colorado since the mid-1980’s after moving to Denver from Washington, D.C. He played in the Mojo-Matics for five years, opening shows for Albert Collins, Elvin Bishop, Taj Mahal, Canned Heat and others. Al was featured at SPAH (Society for Preservation & Advancement of Harmonica) in (2006)(2015) and Mark Hummel’s Harmonica Blowout in 2009 with Kim Wilson, Magic Dick, Jason Ricci and Mark Hummel. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Colorado Blues Society in 2022. He has also done studio work for two PBS movie soundtracks and Denver area radio stations, including KBCO, KUVO and the FOX. Al has toured locally and nationally with Muddy Waters’ son Big Bill Morganfield, appearing at venues in Canada, Utah, Florida and Wisconsin, as well as at the prestigious Chicago Blues Festival in 2002. Al toured regionally with Pinetop Perkins, Steadyrollin’ Bob Margolin, Lurrie Bell and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith. Al has been a Hohner Harmonica endorsee since 1992. Photo by: Rob Stuehrk Read More
	Trinidad’s Native Son Zakk DeBono! & the Broken Circle Trinidad native Zakk DeBono has emerged as one of southern Colorado’s most exciting young blues-rock guitarists, building a reputation for electrifying performances and a distinctive blend of modern blues-rock energy with a vintage 1960s sound and vibe. A D’Addario-endorsed artist, Zakk has attracted significant industry attention for his powerful stage presence, dynamic guitar work, and ability to connect with audiences. Zakk’s rising career has already taken him to some of the nation’s most recognizable stages. He has performed at iconic venues including the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood and Stone Brewing’s Sunset Sessions in San Diego, while sharing stages with and opening for an impressive list of nationally recognized artists. His credits include appearances with Paul Gilbert at the Oriental Theater, Buddy Guy at Legends in Chicago, and Robby Krieger of The Doors at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go for two consecutive years. He has also opened for George Lynch, Stephen Pearcy, FUEL, Ana Popovic, Michael Allman, Jimmy D. Lane, Lance Lopez, Great White, Winger, and many other prominent artists. His talent has earned strong praise from within the music industry. Zakk has collaborated with Tony Valentino of the legendary band The Standells, who called him “the best new thing music has to offer.” He was also ranked the number one Blues/Rock artist on ReverbNation for three consecutive years and has built a loyal following of more than 60,000 fans. With an upcoming recording project alongside Valentino and a rapidly expanding profile beyond Colorado, DeBono continues to gain momentum as one of the region’s brightest young artists and a performer poised for even greater national recognition. This year, Trinidaddio Blues Fest audiences will see that momentum firsthand as Zakk DeBono returns to his hometown to headline Friday night at Trinidaddio Blues Fest, bringing one of the festival’s most anticipated performances to the stage. Read More
	Allison August Southern California-based singer-songwriter Allison August is one of the rising names in Blues Americana music. A 2026 Blues Music Award nominee for Best Emerging Artist Album for August Moon, August blends blues, Americana, soul, jazz, country, funk, and classic singer-songwriter traditions into a deeply personal and emotionally resonant style. Raised in a four-generation musical family, August began writing songs at age nine and performing professionally as a teenager. Her early band, Barebones, developed a strong following in California during the 1990s. Her 2025 album August Moon, produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Tony Braunagel, features an all-star cast including Sugaray Rayford, Teresa James, Jimmy Z, Gregg Sutton, Billy Watts, and Bryan Head. The release has received widespread acclaim for its authenticity, musicianship, and powerful storytelling. August’s music reflects themes of resilience, motherhood, perseverance, and hope, delivered with soulful vocals and a commanding stage presence that has quickly earned sold-out performances and growing national attention. Read More
	Jaquie Gipson Trinidad guitarist Jaquie Gipson has become one of southern Colorado’s most distinctive acoustic performers through her innovative “Touche Guitar” technique — a style blending fingerstyle guitar, melodic tapping, and percussive elements. Performing on both six- and twelve-string acoustic guitar, Gipson has released four studio albums: Just Guitar, Home Town, Images, and Through the Wood. Her music reflects the deep artistic spirit and creative traditions of Trinidad itself, making her a beloved hometown favorite. Read More!