The Town of Silver City through the Mimbres Regional Arts Counciljust hosted their 13th Annual Silver City Blues Festival this Memorial Day. This year the weather was absolutel perfect and the music was again... sometimes too good to even describe.

But, there were some great surprises that kept the many blues fans on their feet and many of them dancing. One happened early in the weekend. Pat "Guitar Slim" Chase and his band were scheduled to play for the crowd at the Buffalo Dance Hall opening dance Friday night.

"Slim" and company got the ball rolling and then the Albuquerque Blues Experience showed up and "Slim" was kind enough to let them take a set. They weren't scheduled to play until Saturday, so it was a real treat to see them and enjoy their great style of blues. "Slim" came back up later and he was all pumped up and really wowed the crowd until nearly 1:00 A. M.

The crowd was more new people than recognizable fans from years before. One blues addict and her friends came all the way from Phoenix, Arizona.

The schedule on Saturday was world-class and it kept the crowd in a state of exhilaration. It was difficult for some people to take in all of the evening performances. Zac Harmon (Photo: at right) and Sherman Robetson (Photo: at above left)were a one-two punch that almost left the fans overwhelmed.

Some fans said that they were almost completely satisfied after Zac Harmon rocked thier souls with some riveting blues riffs. His newly formed latest version of his band was also a crowd pleaser.

Robertson had a tough job to follow Harmon and yet he gave it all he could and performed brilliantly. But, when he got down off of the stage and walked into the crowd, instead of being mobbed by the crowd as Lucky Peterson was last year, Robertson played as we photographed but we both ended up at the sound engineer booth... alone.

It was just a case of most of the crowd being too full of great blues. Wow... can you belive that? It is hard to imagine for those of you who were not there... how great the music was.

For a view of the 2007 Silver City Blues Festival enjoy a virtual tour 2007 Silver City Blues Festival

For a upcoming special feature of the 2008 Silver City Blues Festival... coming soon. 2008 Silver City Blues Festival

Prepared by UVB staff.

(Photos: Brax - Valley Publishing Company)

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