Blues On The Mesa

The talent lineup features regional and national talent. Opening the festival, from Evergreen, Colorado, is piano player extraordinaire Scott “Shack” Hackler, a 2019 International Blues Challenge finalist and 2018 & 2022 Colorado Blues Challenge Solo/Duo Champion. Next on stage is the Austin Young Band. Austin began playing guitar and singing in front of Colorado Springs and Pikes Peak region crowds since he was 13. Nowadays, the 24 year old is performing on blues festival stages with what could only be called the top blues artists on today’s scene. Deborah Stafford & the Night Stalkers is an 8-piece show band, playing a mixture of danceable Blues, Roots Rock, and Soul with a mixture of great originals and recognizable covers. This Longmont, Colorado band won the Colorado Blues Society’s Blues Challenge for the second year in a row and have just returned from Memphis and the 2023 International Blues Challenge.

The first national recording artist and headliner is Too Slim & The Taildraggers. Tim “Too Slim“ Langford is a monster guitarist and unabashed blues rocker whose influences run the gamut from Lightnin’ Hopkins, Freddy King, Duane Allman, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Robin Trower. He is a prolific singer/songwriter whose songs have now yielded an impressive 14 studio albums, 2 solo albums and several live CD’s on the Vizztone and his own Underworld Records labels. Damon Fowler with Special Guest Jason Ricci closes out Blues on the Mesa. Florida’s Gulf Coast blues sensation Damon fowler is a masterful singer, guitar player and songwriter. He has gained the respect of his peers given his featured slot in Butch Truck’s Freight Train band and his side gig as guitarist in the Dickey Betts Band. Critics have compared Fowler’s guitar work to Johnny Winter and Jeff Beck, while his slide guitar is reminiscent of the late Duane Allman. Joining Damon on stage is Jason Ricci, an award winning and decorated American singer and harmonica player. Ricci has appeared as a guest harmonica player on albums with Johnny Winter, Ana Popovic, Joe Louis Walker, Cedric Burnside, Walter Trout, Mike Zito, JP Soars, Nick Moss, Peter Karp, Nick Curran, The Mannish Boys, Too Slim and The Tail Draggers, Walter Trout and many, many more. Ricci has toured with his own band, Jason Ricci and the Bad Kind. Simply stated; Jason Ricci is one of the most influential, recorded, celebrated, interviewed and famous harmonica players working in the world today.