Singer, guitarist, composer and performer Chuck Berry is perhaps the musician, as rock music stands in the greatest debt to. Just think of the Beatles and Stones: when they started in the late 1950s, Chuck Berry was their role model. His roots were blues and R'n'B, but his approach to the genre transformed the style to the extroverted, dynamic rock 'n' roll, as generations after him have built further on. And what self-respecting rock or blues band haven't played Chuck Berry numbers sometime in their career.

Chuck Berry's songs appealed to a wide spectre of youth, black as white, his bright and clear diction and style all the way forward in the sound-scape meant that every word could be heard and understood. The texts stands today as a classic 50 's lyrics with iconic songs like School days, Sweet little sixteen, Johnny B Good, Roll over Beethoven, etc. etc. His guitar riffs and solos have formed school for every rock and blues guitarist since. This applies in particular to the use of themes such as intro and solo, respectively, in his easily recognizable songs. Also his stage performance was unique with the famous ' duck walk ', which is copied to this day, among other things. by among others ACDC, and incidentally of Marty McFly in the 80s classic ' Back To The Future '. Along with Elvis, Chuck Berry would both shock and delight, and the concept of sex, drugs (drinks) & rock 'n ' roll, did not come out of nowhere.

Berry was one of the first, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. The same year he 60, Keith Richards gathered a large group of musicians for an anniversary concert at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, to pay homage to The Father of Rock 'n' Roll. The event was immortalized in the award winning documentary film about Berry and his music, ' Hail! Hail! Rock'n Roll ', as the Cinematheque presents as a prelude to this year's Copenhagen Blues Festival.

A host of well known artists are with on stage and Berry preforms all his classics. With on stage is, among others, Etta James, who gives an enthusiastic version of ' Rock and Roll Music ', and Eric Clapton, which bestows the audience with a slow and heartbreaking ' Wee Wee Hours '. Berry preforms the classics ' Maybellene ', ' Johnny b. Goode ', ' Roll Over Beethoven ', and more - and sings a duet with John Lennon's son Julian. Director Taylor Hackford draws a parallel to Berry's history, through archival clips and interviews with Jerry Lee Lewis, Bruce Springsteen, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and others.
We say congratulations with the 90 year on October 18th.

Copenhagen Blues Festival, Amager Bio, Mojo, ROSA and JazzDanmark
are looking forward to presenting the winners of the two prestgious blues awards:

Last year's awards, "Danish Blues Musician of the Year", went to Big Creek Slim, and "Danish Blues Album of the Year" went to Mike Andersen.
It will be exciting this evening, to see who receives the two awards this year.

The award ceremony and the after party double-concert was quite a hit last year,
so again this year we are firing up the boilers with a splendid After Party Show
with performances by a variety of soloists and musicians.
First of all, the new award winner "Danish Blues Artist 2016" gives a taste of his or
her musical abilities.

Other special guests of the evening count a few previous recipients of the two blues Awards,
most prominently, 'Grand ol' man' of Danish blues,Troels Jensen, well known from Delta Blues,
Band, The Healers and countless other constellations over the last 50 years. He was the first to
receive the Blues Artist award way back in 2002.
Thorbjørn Risager got this award in 2005, and in addition, he has won the DMA Blues twice.
From London comes the soul and blues star Samantha Antoinette, and a couple of surprises
can probably not be ruled out. After the award ceremony the evening continues with an amazing After Party show.
To set events in motion we have one of the country's longest existing live bands,
Smalltown Blues Band - this special night extended with the former band member,
organist Kjeld Lauritsen.

Krolle Erik started his blues band back in 1980 in the environment around ”Huset” and
Jazzklub Vognporten, but the musicians on stage this evening share a history, that goes
back even further.
Krolle Erik and Claus Boehling began playing together as early as 10-year-old. Since then
they each have appeared in many bands, but their musical paths often cross each other.
Boehling associated by many with bands such as Secret Oyster, Masala Dosa, Hurdy Gurdy
- the band that got Donovan to write Hurdy Gurdy Man. In the rhythm section, you will find
Mik Schack, who has played with Curling Erik since ' 71.
Beside his work as a writer, cartoonist, painter and journalist, among other things, with
Mik Schack home service, Mik is extremely capable on washboard, and plays with the
Peruna Jazzmen and with Billy Cross and Flemming Ostermann, amongst others.
Tonight's crew also counts Ivan Barrels, who perfectly rounds the band of with both
distinctive and melodic bass. Ivan is also known to have gotten 280,000 hits on
YouTube by playing Daft Punk on the block flute.

Arr. by Music House Bronshoej

Nisse Thorbjørn who has toured in Europe with several well knownAmerican blues artists,
John Primer, Lurrie Bell et al., is one of the proud winners of the award "Danske Blues Artist".
He has released solo album "CPH Slim", which got 4 Hearts of Politiken's reviewer.
Nisse Thorbjørn is perhaps best known together with his orchestra 'Copenhagen Slim Band',
but also solo tours, and with Robert Johnson Tribute ant many others.
Sahra da Silva over the last 10 years has been a familiar face on the Copenhagen music
scene. She has played a numerous gigs, with her old band, The Jagged Soul, released an
EP and album, and appeared in the 'Dr's Talent 2010'. Somewhere in the middle of soul,
blues and jazz stands Sahra da Silva rock-solid as a still budding singer with a voice that
grows bigger and more beautiful every day.

After almost 30 years, the charismatic New Yorker, born 15. July 1946 in Manhattan, with the characteristic guitar sound, has a large place in the Danes' hearts, very much so, because he manages to convey the best from different musical worlds, from blues to rock, and from New York to Nykoebing Falster. Few can, as he, deliver a live show, which both contain dirty southern blues and pure rock'n'roll, when it's best, and ballads so heartfelt that even Angels get goose bumps. Always delivered with energy and surplus, just as unadulterated and infectious as when Bob Dylan was first captivated by Billy Cross in the late '70s, and subsequently brought Cross with him in the studio on 2 albums and on tours around the world.
For three decades Billy Cross has been a driving force in Danish musical life, both on stage, in the studio, in front of and behind the control desk, where names like Doctor Hook, Dalton, Björn Afzelius, CV J, Pretty Maids, Anne-Dorte Michelsen, Henning Strong, Johnny Madsen, Lars Lilholt and Søs Fenger all have benefited from Billy's unique ear and music appreciation. But it is live on the stage, that the talent and experience are most strongly expressed. In his more mature age he has taken up performing solo, and with great success. He peppers the music with colourful stories from 40 years in the music business.

On this first day of the Blues Festival these two young blues talents dig into the music's roots.
On the basis of old masters as T-Bone Walker, Lightnin' Hopkins and B.B. King they mold something completely new and fresh together.
Their studies in the authentic blues have among other things led them to "apprenticed" with Denmark's own super guitarist Ronni Busack-Boysen.
Look forward to hearing the band’s new interpretations of Jimmy Reed, Otis Rush, Elmore James and much more! Come and hear "the new kids on the block" -it will be "when old school meets new school"!

With solid backing from his swaying band, The Spicy Gang, Thorlann Lea takes his audience on a guided musical journey to Rhythm'n'Blues and gospel music's home country. The travel backdrop is the melodramatic American music landscape, and the inspiration, the soul and nerve, personally experienced and brought back home from the United States, comes clearly to the fore in the Lea's and the band's shows, characterized by charm, diversity and rhythm, as rarely seen on this side of the Atlantic. Lea's powerful vocals often get critics to draw comparisons with Janis Joplin. In 2009 the band's début album was released, "Untitled", all songs written by Lea, who, over the years has been active on the Danish music scene, both as lead and backing vocalist, live and in the studio. In addition to The Spicy Gang, she is also one of "The Bells of Joy" with Troels Jensen & the Healers, and have for many years sung with Ladies Sing the Blues, which was nominated by the Danish Music Award for the year's best Blues release 2009.
Roots Zone wrote: "Lea Thorlann mixes by a charming way blues, rock, jazz and gospel, on the more than promising debut-album, with both humour and attitudes"
GAFFA wrote: "Sizzling, charming, charismatic mix of blues, soul and gospel"