Ben Harper & John Butler guest program Bluesfest

Ben Harper and John Butler – both defining Bluesfest performers – have worked with Festival Director Peter Noble to help program a highly personalised and musically dynamic range of artists on both Saturday April 11 (before Ben Harper’s headline appearance) and Sunday April 12 (before John Butlers headlining set).

Guest programmed by Ben Harper to play prior to BEN HARPER and RELENTLESS7 on Saturday April 11, 2009:
Grace Woodroofe, Tom Freund, Tinariwen, and AYO.

Festival director Peter Noble said, “It’s been fantastic to throw open the Bluesfest program to other ideas from exceptional artists. Ben Harper is arguably the most important international performer to ever play Bluesfest – the way he connects with people, he quite simply embodies the spirit of the event. When I asked him to play our 20th birthday event, he said he wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

Speaking about his opportunity to help program the main stage on Saturday night, Ben Harper said, “It’s a huge honour… (and) it’s exciting as hell. I am so confident of the music I’m putting on, I would do that for Peter (Noble) every year because I love him and I love the festival.  One of my favourite up and coming singer and songwriters that I’ve programmed is Grace Woodroofe, and (there’s also) a friend of mine called Tom Freund from Venice Beach.”

Ben Harper proudly introduces two new artists, Grace Woodroofe and Tom Freund – and to round out the bill, welcomes two artists in the tradition of Bluesfest, Tinariwen and AYO.

The connection between talented 20 year old indie-blues chanteuse Grace Woodroofe and the distinctive and engaging Tom Freund, is that Ben Harper is currently producing Grace’s album, and has recently finished producing Tom’s new album, due for release here soon. Significantly, fellow Perth native (now LA based) Grace Woodroofe was Heath Ledger’s first signing to his Masses Music Co, a label Ledger had started with his close friend Ben Harper. The album will be released elsewhere following the tragic demise of Heath Ledger in January, 2008. Tom Freund is Ben Harper’s latest discovery – and someone All Music Guide calls, “one of the great singer-songwriters.”

Harper’s welcoming of African world blues desert band Tinariwen, and soul-folk reggae wunderkind AYO, speaks volumes about his recognition that these are major artists – right now and for the future.

A reminder that Ben Harper’s new band BEN HARPER and RELENTLESS7 is appearing exclusively twice at Bluesfest, there will be no other Ben Harper Australian festival or theatre appearances. The band also plays at Bluesfest on Monday April 13 – another big day that also features Jason Mraz, Missy Higgins, Xavier Rudd, Augie March and many more.

Guest programmed by John Butler to play prior to John Butler Trio on Sunday April 12, 2009:
Paul Kelly, Blue King Brown, Saltwater Band featuring Geoffrey Gurrumul, State Radio, Jeff Lang, Ngaiire, and Nicky Bomba.

Peter Noble continued, “And if we’ve got a serious international Bluesfest artist programming part of the event – we’ve got to have without doubt our most important Aussie too. John Butler has become a fantastic defining artist at Bluesfest and has been with us for a long time, moving from our smaller stages to today, where he headlines our Mojo main stage. In short, he’s Australia’s number one independent musician and someone very much at home at Bluesfest.”

Like Ben, John Butler was honoured to have been invited to present and program part of the day’s main stage entertainment – especially as a tribute to Bluesfest’s 20th birthday. The John Butler Trio weren’t scheduled to play any shows in 2009, recording an album instead, having toured for much of 2008 playing theatre shows and major international festivals including the New Orleans Jazz Festival, Lollapalooza, Coachella and more. But for Bluesfest and luckily for its audience, John Butler decided to make an exception.

John Butler said, “The East Coast Blues is one of those festivals an artist dreams about playing. When we first played in 2000 it was one of those pivotal life-changing moments for us. To this day it is still one of my favourite shows and it literally launched my band nationwide. There’s something special about this gig and to be asked to program a day is a great honour. I am thrilled and humbled to have Paul, Jeff, Blue King Brown, Ngaiire, Nicky and State Radio all sharing the bill with us. There’s nothing like doing one of the best festivals in the world with peers that have inspired you let alone all them being mates.”

New artists announced for Bluesfest
This announcement signals seven more great new names set to appear at Bluesfest 2009. Grace Woodroofe, Tom Freund, State Radio, Jeff Lang, Ngaiire, and Nicky Bomba are announced here for the first time. See their individual bios for more information.

Bluesfest’s 20th birthday bash will take place at Belongil Fields in Byron Bay between Thursday April 9 to Monday April 13, 2009 over the Easter long weekend.

For full line-up details and to purchase tickets, visit www.bluesfest.com.au, or also buy tickets by phoning the Bluesfest office on 02 6685 8310.