The Rez Blues Workshop invited to The Gathering Of The Good Minds Aboriginal Festival in London Ontario Canada

since May 6, 2004

For Immediate Release: September 16, 2005

Rez Bluez at `The Gathering of Good Minds¹ in London, Ontario

(OHSWEKEN) The Rez Bluez showcase and workshop have been invited to be part of `The Gathering of Good Minds¹ in London, Ontario, on September 23rd & 24th, 2005. This Gathering is a bi-annual festival which features First Nations Elders, traditional teachers, artists, dancers, singers, storytellers, filmmakers and writers.

The Rez Bluez showcase: Will be held at London¹s home of the blues Downtown Kathy Brown¹s, (228 Dundas Street between Clarence & Wellington) on Friday, September 23rd.
We¹ll feature the superb blues talents of: Robbie Antone¹s Blues Machine at 9:30 p.m.; and 2005 JUNO Nominees The Pappy Johns Band with Murray Porter at 11:00 p.m. Earlier that evening, The Pappy Johns Band are performing at the Oneida Fair, just west of London. Rez Bluez Doors open at 9 p.m. Music starts at 9:30 p.m. All tickets $10 at the door.

Rez Bluez is now in its 13th year as an on-going showcase for grassroots Native blues musicians. Just this past year, Rez Bluez has traveled to Ottawa, and this is our third show in London. Also, for the first time Rez Bluez ventures east to Halifax in October, hosted by Nations in a Circle more info soon on Rez Bluez East. We return to Toronto on Friday, November 4th back to our old stomping grounds, The Silver Dollar.

Robbie Antone¹s Blues Machine and The Pappy Johns Band with Murray Porter are featured in different episodes of the upcoming Rez Bluez TV Series, which will begin broadcasting on Saturday, October 8, 2005, at 10 p.m.(EST), for 13 consecutive weeks on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (www.aptn.ca ). The Pappy Johns Band and the Rez Bluez workshop will be part of Blues sur Seine, in Mantes la Jolie, France from November 18-20, 2005. (www.sonicbids.com/pappyjohnsband )

The Rez Bluez workshop: On Saturday, September 24th, from 3:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m., at the London Museum of Archaeology, 1600 Attawandaron Road. This workshop will explore
the very little revealed history about the possibility of a Native musical influence on the formation of the early blues. In most history books written on the blues, there is no mention of the cultural exchange and inter-mix that happened between runaway African slaves and Native
Americans. Some musical examples, both traditional and contemporary will be shared by a panel including Elaine Bomberry, Music/Radio/TV Producer; Brian Wright-McLeod, Radio Producer/Host/Author The Encyclopedia of Native Music and Murray Porter from The Pappy Johns Band. There is no fee to attend the workshop.

The Rez Bluez projects are honoured to be included in the programme for "The Gathering of Good Minds". Nya:weh, Chi-miigwetch to Dan and Mary Lou Smoke for this invitation.

Hope to see you in London in the Gathering of Good Minds!

Note: Line-up subject to change.

For more Rez Bluez info contact: Elaine Bomberry
mbomberry@sympatico.ca

Tel: 519.445.4497