The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert

General Admission, limited seating on a first come, first served basis - Doors Open at 6:00 pm

The area's best musicians will be paying tribute to the music of

The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 participating musicians are:

About This Year's Concert

The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will be a held at a new venue this year (the previous 6 concerts were held at The Palace Theatre). One of Syracuse’s newest venues, Middle Ages Brewing Beer Hall is located at 120 Wilkinson Street in Syracuse and is a new 8,000 square-foot music and events place on the second floor of the Middle Ages Brewing Co.

Concert 7 Tributes

Kim Simmonds & Savoy Brown

The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will be paying a special tribute to Kim Simmonds & Savoy Brown, the Blues/Rock institution that was formed in London, England in 1965 by band leader & guitarist, Kim Simmonds.

Savoy Brown was a big part of the British Blues boom of the '60s, along with Fleetwood Mac, Cream, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, The Yardbirds and a host of other U.K. bands that brought the Blues back to popularity in both Europe and the United States.

Savoy Brown was a huge touring concert attraction in the States after breaking out in Detroit on their first U.S. tour in 1969. They stayed based in London until the late '70s when Kim Simmonds moved to the States where Savoy Brown’s popularity was the greatest. The late '80s found Kim moving to the Central New York area and finally settling down in Oswego, NY after marrying Oswego native Debbie Lyons and together they resided in Oswego, raising a daughter, Eve Simmonds. Kim lived in Oswego until his untimely passing on December 13^th, 2022.

Kim Simmonds was a big part of the Central New York music scene and often employed many local area musicians in the ever-changing line-up of Savoy Brown. These included such local legends as former Kingsnake, Pete McMahon, vocalist extraordinaire Joe Whiting, the late drummer, Dave Olsen of The Robert Cray Band fame, as well bass player Pat DeSalvo and drummer Garnet Grimm, the latter two still being members of Savoy Brown at the time of his passing and the rhythm section of Savoy Brown the last two decades. Grimm and Whiting will be taking part in the GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 paying tribute to their former bandmate.

Savoy Brown’s legacy will continue to live on with a catalog of over 40 albums recorded including two albums on Baldwinsville’s Blue Wave label who also released three of Kim’s solo albums. Kim Simmonds will always be considered one of the greatest Blues/Rock guitarists of all time and Kim’s handprint is enshrined on Hollywood’s Walk Of Fame.

Ann Peebles

The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will also be paying tribute to Memphis Soul great, Ann Peebles, who is best known for writing and singing the classic hit song, “I Can’t Stand The Rain” made most popular by Tina Turner in 1984. Ann Peebles retired from touring after suffering a stroke in 2012. Vocalists Marcia Hagan and Donna Colton will be handling the vocals on seven of Ann’s greatest songs at the GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7.

Skip James

On the acoustic stage, The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7 will pay tribute to the Delta Bluesman, Skip James, a Blues Hall of Fame artist who recorded in the 1930s and continued to record in the Blues revival of the '60s after being rediscovered. Skip James passed in 1969, but his songs lived on, including his often-covered gems, “I‘m So Glad“ (covered most famously by Cream), “Devil Got My Woman“ and “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”. Woodstock native and New York Blues Hall of Fame artist, Elly Wininger, will be performing four of Skip James’ classics at The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert 7.

Austin John Doody, Great Salt City Blues Concert 2

Austin John Doody
(Photo by John Herr)

The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert is an annual event held the day after Christmas. A series of 10 GREAT Salt City BLUES Concerts will be presented. This is concert #7 and each concert has been performed in front of a full capacity audience.

Each concert is unique and never to be repeated with a changing line-up of performers featuring some of the area's greatest musicians. Each concert is a thematic show honoring some of our greatest Blues Artists with participating musicians chosen specifically because they are best fitted for the show.

Like and follow The GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert on Facebook to stay up to date on next year's honorees and participating musicians.

Check out this great interview conducted by Warren Linhart with the GREAT Salt City BLUES Concert producer Greg Spencer for The Syracuse Post Standard/Syracuse.com. Learn about the philosophy and inner workings of this unique show.

Dawana Zahn, Great Salt City Blues Concert 2

Dawana Zahn
(Photo by John Herr)

THE SEVENTH GREAT SALT CITY BLUES CONCERT

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Middle Ages Brewing Beer Hall - 7:30 pm

The area's best musicians will be paying tribute to the music of