Bournefest 2024 - KENT BLUES FESTIVAL

ALBERT CUMMINGS (USA)

We are very fortunate to be able to welcome Albert Cummings as our headline act for Bournefest 2024.

Albert Cummings is a guitar wizard whose skills have drawn comparisons to legendary axe legends like Albert King, Freddie King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He has shared the stage with
luminaries such as Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, and B.B. King, while collaborating with notable producers like Jim Gaines and David Z and Chuck Ainlay.
With a tight tone and powerful vocals, he incorporates the influence of his idols while maintaining a distinct, genre-bending style.
With seven studio albums, two live records, and a new label, Cummings is set to release his latest project, in 2024.
Raised in Massachusetts, Cummings started playing blues with his band, Swamp Yankee, and released his critically acclaimed debut album, The Long Way. He then released his first solo record, From the Heart, with the help of Double Trouble members Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon, along with Reese Wynans.
With his dynamic personality and exceptional blues musicianship, Albert Cummings has cultivated a loyal fan base worldwide.

ALASTAIR GREENE

Guitar virtuoso Alastair Greene has artfully managed a dynamic solo career while contributing to the music of notable artists such as Grammy-winner Alan Parsons and soul blues Grammy nominee Sugaray Rayford. Greene's latest release, STANDING OUT LOUD, is a commanding declaration poised to solidify his position as a seasoned veteran in the blues rock world.

With STANDING OUT LOUD (his 11th solo record), Greene set out to create an honest,
no-nonsense record that recalls the spirit of his favorite music from the 1960's and 70's.
For that purpose, he headed to Nashville in January 2024, knocking out eight of the
album's eleven songs. His partner in this endeavor was Nashville stalwart JD Simo, who
co-produced with Greene and engineered the tracks in his own House of Grease studio.

With a strong batch of original songs rooted in blues and southern rock traditions, STANDING OUT LOUD builds upon the momentum created by his critically acclaimed solo releases of recent years. "Teaming up with Ruf Records for this album feels like a natural and perfect fit for the progression of my career," says the California native and multi-charting Billboard artist that Blues Music Magazine called "a major talent in the blues-rock category."

With the album complete, Greene is itching to hit the road. His 2024 tour schedule will include festival and club dates across the U.S. and over 40 European dates. “I've toured Europe many times as the guitarist with the Alan Parsons Live Project, and I'm excited to be bringing my music to the people.”

MCHALES PERMANENT BREW

CONNOR SELBY BAND

Young troubadour Connor Selby signed to Provogue Records in December 2022 and has released his major label debut, the self titled Connor Selby to critical acclaim. One of the brightest talents on the UK blues scene.

 He has been voted “Young Artist of the Year” at the UK Blues Awards for the last three consecutive years (2020, 2021, 2022) and he already has an impressive venue checklist, including Wembley Stadium, where he opened for The Who in July 2019 and has since gone on to play Hyde Park, London, with Pearl Jam, Stereophonics and Johnny Marr in the summer of 2022. Connor has also had a productive 2023 touring the UK as the opening act for Blues and Rock Luminaries Robert Cray and Beth Hart.

TRUE STRAYS

2023 saw the lifelong friends and americana, roots rock n roll duo from Bristol take their songs further afield than ever before. Armed with their crowd funded debut album‘Heart of the Matter’ and latest release‘Live from White Noise;’they toured the UK, supportedLukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real, rocked theJoe Bonamassa Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea Mediterranean Cruisealongside the man himself, completed their first tour of Sweden all whilst paying the bills with their day jobs.

True Strays love modern and retro sounds. They are currently recording and self producing their next album in their home studio shed, aptly named Little Pink (A nod to The Band and Bob Dylan’s legendary house studio), giving them time to hone in on the sounds they love and desire. High voltage blues guitar riffs and melodic soul driven bass lines; tied together with harmonic vocals, surging 70s rock Hammond and shimmering psychedelia that takes you down the highway to the sunset and beyond….

Their songs focus on the dirt that life throws at you and how struggle can be transformed into something better. The prolific songwriting duo draw influences from classic sounds such as Neil Young, Muddy Waters, Fleetwood Mac and modern retro inspired acts likeAlabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jrand theBlack Keys.

THOMAS HEPPELL