Every April, VersoFest brings music of all kinds to the Westport Library.
Every October, StoryFest does the same for storytelling.
Next month, the 8th annual literary festival — one of the biggest in the Northeast, drawing scores of authors and hundreds of readers, writers, and fans in a celebration of the story in all its forms — adds a musical storytelling element.
On October 17 (6:30 p.m.), a special screening of the documentary “Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues” will be followed by a concert featuring songs from the film.
Legendary bluesman James Montgomery produced the film. His legendary James Montgomery Blues Band performs the post-film concert.
They’ll be joined by Saturday Night Live “Beehive Queen” Christine Ohlman, saxophonist Crispin Cioe (a Westport resident who has played with the Rolling Stones and J Geils Band), and other special guests.
The event kicks off StoryFest’s main weekend.
The full event runs October 13 to October 20. It features the debut of Oscar-nominated Julian Brave Noisecat’s memoir, We Survived the Night, on October 13, along with a full day of panel discussions, author signings, book talks. and podcast recordings on Saturday, October 18.
StoryFest ends with the 10th anniversary celebration of Shonda Rhimes’ memoir, Year of Yes, on Monday, October 20.
James Montgomery, Christine Ohlman, Crispin Cioe, Julian Brave Noisecat and Shonda Rhimes are the latest in a long line of high-powered StoryFest participants.
They include R.L. Stine; Roxane Gay, Michael Lewis, Mitch Albom, Nic Stone, Tiffany Jackson, Sheila Nevins and Victoria Kann.
“Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues” portrays the untold story of a legend who helped shape the Chicago Blues style.
Cotton’s life tracks American history from the post-Depression cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta to Chicago, and on to today’s live music scene in Austin.
In between are tours with Janis Joplin and Paul Butterfield, and sessions with the Stones, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Steve Miller, B.B. King and many more.
James Montgomery
“Blues music was really a music of empowerment,” says Montgomery. “Cotton is one of the first guys to say, ‘I’m not going to play just 12 bar blues anymore. I’m going to play soul music.’”
Ohlman adds, “The blues was perhaps America’s first storytelling genre.”
Lead singer, harp player and frontman Montgomery has collaborated with Johnny Winter, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Tyler and B.B. King. He has toured with the Allman Brothers , Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, J. Geils, Steve Miller and others.
Tickets for Cotton/Montgomery are $30; click here to purchase, and for more details. For full StoryFest details, click here.
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I saw james Cotton in ‘69 at the Texas International Pop Festival in Dallas a few weeks after Woodstock! Later I worked with his sax player in LA.
Saw them both- my hometown of Waterbury CT had great music in the ’70’s at a divey dance hall called The Wooden Goblet.
saw these guys at the Shaboo Inn in Willimantic back in the day. A great spot for blues and soul music in the 70’s