Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Carmelo Torres at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Steve Berlin at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Steve Berlin at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Bobby and Carmelo Torres at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
David Pinsky and Phil Newton at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Portland Police Chief Mike Reese with The Usual Suspects at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Tracie Andrusko of The Usual Suspects at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Mike Kuykendall of The Usual Suspects at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
The Usual Suspects at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
The Usual Suspects at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Rae Gordon at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lisa Mann at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Diane Blue with Lisa Mann at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Mac Potts at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Margo Tufo at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Bruce Williamson with Margo Tufo at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Amy Keys Struck with Margo Tufo at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Pete Moss and David Miller with Margo Tufo at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Doug Rowell with Margo Tufo at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Phil Wagner of The Strange Tones at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Andy Gauthier of The Strange Tones at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Guitar Julie of The Strange Tones at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Guitar Julie of The Strange Tones at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Volcano Vixen Jenny Hauser of The Strange Tones at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Volcano Vixen Shannel Williams of The Strange Tones at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Andy Stange of The Strange Tones at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
David Kahl at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Bill Rhoades at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Dave Mathis at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Chuck Laiti at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Newell C. Briggs at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lady A at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Andy Stokes at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Henry Hill Kammerer of Hillstomp at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
John Johnson-Junk Contraption of Hillstomp at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Max Ribner with Lilla D’Mone at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Matthew Flowers with Lilla D’Mone at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lilla D’Mone at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lilla D’Mone at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lilla D’Mone's band at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Richard Lawrence with Lilla D’Mone at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Ramsey Embick with Lilla D’Mone at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Joe Hall with Lilla D’Mone at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lilla D’Mone's band at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Devin Phillips with Lilla D’Mone at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lisa Mann at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Andy Stokes and Lisa Mann at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Ragen Fykes of Ural Thomas & the Pain at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Moorea Masa of Ural Thomas & the Pain at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scott Magee of Ural Thomas & the Pain at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Bruce Withycomb, Nicole Glover and Dave Monnie of Ural Thomas & the Pain at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Ural Thomas & the Pain at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Ural Thomas & the Pain at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Steve Cheseborough at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Liz Vice at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Steve Pringle of KINK at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Vyasa Dodson with Curtis Salgado Band at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Curtis Salgado at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Tracy Arrington with Curtis Salgado Band at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Curtis Salgado at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Curtis Salgado at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Curtis Salgado at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Simon Tucker Band at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lloyd Jones at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Hillstomp at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Lil' Ed and a young fan at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014
OFB check presentation at the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 6, 2014

Scenes from the Waterfront Blues Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 3-6, 2014

Photos by John Alcala

July 14, 2014 1:00pm

Words by Don Campbell

July 2, 2014 11:57am

The biggest names in blues and roots music have graced its stages—John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Taj Mahal, Robert Cray, Hubert Sumlin, Otis Rush, the Blind Boys of Alabama, even Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant. The power of its draw has filled the coffers of the Oregon Food Bank to the tune of $9.5 million and 800 tons of food during its 25-plus-year run. And it’s become one of the largest, best-run and internationally... read more