The Piedmont Blues Preservation Society is proud to announce a milestone in its two decade-plus history: The Carolina Blues Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary, making it the longest running blues festival in North Carolina.

Fans enjoy great blues at the 2005 Carolina Blues Festival

The 20th Annual Carolina Blues Festival returns to downtown Greensboro at Festival Park, next to the Cultural Center, on Davie Street, on Saturday, May 6th, 2006. This festival will be part of the 3rd Annual Piedmont Jazz & Blues Festival. Gates open at 1:00 pm and the blues will begin at 2:00 pm.

Headlining the 20th Annual Carolina Blues Festival will be West Coast blues masters Rod Piazza and the Mighty Flyers. One of the genre's most influential and talented blues harp players, Rod Piazza fronts a top-notch blues-swing band that also features his wife, Honey Piazza, on piano.

The line-up also includes Maria Muldaur, one of the brightest stars in today's blues scene, whose last two CD's have been nominated for a Grammy award for Best Traditional Blues Release.

Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin, the Triad's direct connection to Muddy Waters, will also appear. Margolin has been nominated this year for a Blues Music Award for Best Instrumentalist in the category of guitar. Performing with Margolin will be vocalist Nappy Brown (who performed and toured with Bob in that classic Muddy Waters Band lineup).

Zydeco returns to the stage with the dynamic Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys. In a male-dominated genre, Rosie has carved a significant niche for herself with her spirited accordion playing, her sultry singing voice, and her sometimes bawdy material.

Winston-Salem's Peter May has become a fixture in the local and regional blues scene as a solo artist or fronting his two regular bands; the Rough Band and Terraplane. At this year's Festival, Peter will be accompanied by Terraplane, which features one of the area's best harp players, Mike "Weso" Wesolowski, and legendary bass player Bobby Kelly.

Rounding out the Festival line-up is the 2005 PBPS Blues Challenge winners Mighty Lester. A raucous 8-piece blues/swing band with a three-piece horn section, Mighty Lester has earned a reputation as a first rate live act.

In our continuing efforts to educate children about the blues heritage, the PBPS once again will have a kid's area, which will include storytelling and performance, face painting and arts and crafts. Peter May will perform at the Kids Area this year. Note that there's free admission for kids 12 years old and under who enter with a paying adult.

The Fairlanes will perform at the official Carolina Blues Festival After Party at Europa Café right next to Festival Park, starting at 11pm. There will be a $5.00 cover for all Festival goers who still have their wristbands. Festival volunteers will get in free.

Check out this website for more information on this event, or call (336) 275-4944.