Blues On The Range

MISSION

Our mission is to celebrate Blues music and expand awareness of the blues as a uniquely American art form.  Through performance and education we celebrate the music and performers, past and present.

OUR ORGANIZATION

The Granite State Blues Society is an all volunteer grass roots organization and the work we do comes from our love of Blues Music.

Formed and incorporated in 2002, we are a 501c3 non profit organization and an affiliate of the Blues Foundation, an international organization headquartered in Memphis.

WHAT WE DO

GSBS supports the Blues with our annual Blues Challenge, Festival, and Blues Education programs.

Our Annual Festival is the Saturday August 5, 2023 

Festival FAQ's:

Guests will be allowed 1 unopened bottle of water or a refillable vessel
No other outside food or beverage permitted
See Marty's FAQ's for venue policies regarding FOOD & BEV as well as PARKING other important venue info!
Children 12 & under free admission. 
https://www.therangemason.com/concert-faq 

The Willie J Laws Band
Featuring Roberto Morbioli

A Texas guitar “gun slinger”, vocalist and song writer following in the footsteps of T-Bone Walker, Lightning Hopkins, Albert King and many others. This music is the kind of real Texas soul, all mixed up with classic R&B, country, blues/funk that grows from the Texas soil. Willie has performed nationally and internationally, including 2 tours of Russia at the invite of the US Consulate in St Petersburg. Once the house band at The House of Blues/Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas and Margeritaville in New Orleans.  Winners of the Mass Blues Society Challenge 2011, Semi-finalists at the International Blues Competition 2012 and Beale St Kings Awards. A two time nominee for New England Music Award - Best Blues Act 2015 and 2016, 2015 Nominee for Boston Music Award - Best Blues Act 2015. Come see what many are calling the "Real Deal".

Roberto Morbioli plays the Blues.

He can breathe fire from his axe like a young Clapton or Stevie Ray. Crowded, noisy bars hush a bit when he steps up and folks look around to see who this is making such a holy wail.
His personality and unique playing style shine through all his interpretations so much that, even while recalling the styles of blues greats such as Freddy King, Albert King, B.B. King, Albert Collins, T-Bone Walker, you see and hear that every note is coming straight from the heart. And it’s so infectious that you’re caught up in it before you realize what’s happening.

His guitar playing is nothing short of magic, and as a singer, his powerful voice recalls Sam Cook, Otis Redding, Robert Cray and Donny Hathaway. You don’t even think about it, you just know that the blues flow so naturally for Rob, and his guitar playing and vocals are so polished, he sounds as if he grew up closer to Chicago than Verona, Italy.

Rob was born in Verona, Italy and picked up the guitar when he was very young. He has played at some of the biggest European festivals like the Amsterdam Blues Festival, New Orleans Music Festival in Ascona and San Remo Blues Festival.

Gina Coleman & The Misty Blues Band
Band founder and lead singer, Gina Coleman, entered the music scene in the early 90’s as the lead singer of the folk/rock group Cole-Connection. It wasn’t until 1999 when she played a gospel singer in the Williamstown Theatre Festival production of A Raisin In The Sun that she was steered down the path of blues. The lead actor in the production, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, told Coleman that he felt her... voice was well suited to sing classic blues. This sentiment was echoed by actor/singer, Mandy Patinkin, who sought her out after seeing the opening performance of the production. After actress Gwyneth Paltrow commented on her performance, Coleman knew a musical shift was imminent. Guitarist Jason Webster and bassist Bill Patriquin from Cole-Connection were on board and thus began Misty Blues.

Frankie Boy & The Blues Express
Winners of The 2022 Granite State Blues Challenge - Band Category
Frankie Boy & The Blues Express recently represented New Hampshire in Memphis, TN at the International Blues Challenge!

Downtown Dave & The Deep Pockets
Downtown Dave & The Deep Pockets are impassioned in Blues and R&B music. They have been playing their hearts and souls out throughout NH for over ten years. They play honest, fun, real, and up-tempo music. A mix of powerful, infectiously grooved originals, and one-off covers, done in their own Pocket’s style. They love to see people having fun on and off the dance floor, contributing to their unique shows. The Pockets thrive on a solid rhythm section, passionate guitar, inspiring harmonica, and heart felt vocals. Energetic and fun, with great respect for room volume and dynamics.  They continue to connect with many great new fans and friends at every show.

Erin Harpe CBD (Country Blues Duo)

Winners of the 2022 Granite State Blues Challenge; solo/ duo Category, Erin Harpe CBD (Country Blues Duo) recently represented New Hampshire in Memphis, TN at the International Blues Challenge! Erin Harpe has been called “one of the most dynamic, talented and exciting roots rocking blues women on the scene” by Living Blues Magazine. The singer, songwriter, guitarist, and band leader was recently named New England’s “Blues Artist of the Year”.

Once described as “Bonnie Raitt on modern performance enhancing drugs” for her work with her award-winning electric blues band Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers, more recently Erin has been gaining attention as a celebrated acoustic guitarist and purveyor of 1920's and 30's finger-style country blues. Erin grew up learning the style from her dad, Neil Harpe, and watching local Piedmont blues luminaries such as John Cephas & Phil Wiggins, Archie Edwards, John Jackson, Eleanor Ellis, and Warner Williams, at Washington DC’s famed Archie’s Barbershop.

Erin gets back to her roots in acoustic blues for her new Country Blues Duo (a.k.a. “CBD”) with longtime partner/bassist Jim Countryman. Appropriately dubbed “shit-kicking blues” on a recent UK tour, the new duo creates a very full sound with their down-home duo, which features Erin on acoustic guitar, vocals, kazoo & foot percussion, with Jim on ukulele bass and backing vocals. Their energetic performances transport the audience to the Delta, with vintage classics by the likes of Memphis Minnie, Mississippi John Hurt, Tommy Johnson and Blind Blake – elevated by Erin's own interpretations, and mixed in seamlessly with original compositions and country blues takes on other popular songs. Erin Harpe CBD is a must-see roots act that will get any crowd moving!