The 2006 Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival lineup.

By Uncle Ray Varner

This year's Waterfront Blues Festival in Tom McCall Park in downtown Portland will run from Friday June 30th through Tuesday July 4th.

In no particular order the outatowners include:

• John Fohl - originally from Montana, by way of Eugene, Oregon, now from NOLA.
• Soul divas Marva Wright and Irma Thomas.
• The Rebirth Brass Band
• The Soul Stirrers, minus Sam Cooke, of course.
• Ivan Neville and Dumpstaphunk
• Buckwheat Zydeco
• Henry Grey
• Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur from the jug band days.
• Roomful of Blues with Lonesome Jerome.
• Jimmy Thackery
• Little Feat
• Terry Hanck
• Porter, Batiste, and Stoltz

The last one may require some additional info. Porter would be George Porter Jr. of the Meters and elsewhere. Batiste would be drummer David Batiste, a third generation representative of one of NOLA's premier musical families. Stoltz would be guitarist Brian Stoltz formerly of the Neville Brothers.

The above is, by no means, a complete list of acts. Mo' news later. Drop by the Workshop Stage, that I am proud to host, and say hello to...Uncle Ray

Left: William Clarke at the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival - July 1988.