Come join us on June 20th for a music packed Vermont Blues Society picnic, concert and blues jam in beautiful Manchester, VT. Bring your families, bring your instruments. It's free - donations welcome. It's also VBS board president Bob Stannard's birthday! 

Saturday, June 20, 2 PM

Manchester Community Library

138 Cemetery Avenue

Manchester, VT

The event was recorded for Greater Northshire Access Television (GNAT-TV) and you can watch it here. 

The Vermont Blues Society sponsored “History Of The Blues and History Of The Harmonica” on April 29 at Manchester Community Library in Manchester, VT.  The event was hosted by Scott Dubois, aka Missiquoi Slim, and VBS president Bob Stannard, and consisted of both music performance and talk.   The talk went into some depth regarding the origins of the blues, its influence on American music, and how it is intertwined with the history of the harmonica, an instrument that was invented in 1821 by a 16 year old German boy.  It is part of a program by the Vermont Blues Society to bring blues education to schools, libraries and other community venues. Missiquoi Slim is a northern Vermonter who plays a variety of instruments, collects rare guitars and musical equipment, and has shared the stage with acts like Dickey Betts, Rod Piazza, Delbert McClinton, and more.  Bob Stannard is also a Vermonter and singer/harmonica player who has fronted his own group for decades and has shared the stage with BB King, James Cotton, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and more.   

The Corey Harris/Sunny Lowdown show at Next Stage Theater in Putney, VT on 2/28/2026, co-sponsored by the Vermont Blues Society, was a big success.  The audience, seated in a beautiful historic church equipped with a superb sound system,  was treated to solo blues in many forms, and responded with spirited enthusiasm. Sunny Lowdown's set was capped off by a finale with guest harp players Spencer Jarrett and VBS board president Bob Stannard.  Harris regaled the audience with stories about the American South, Africa, and blues history, accompanying his percussive playing with a booming voice that filled the theater.   It was a great night for all who attended, and the Vermont Blues Society intends to co-sponsor more of these types of events in the future. 

L-R:  Sunny Lowdown, Corey Harris, VBS Board President Bob Stannard

L-R: Spencer Jarrett, VBS Board President Bob Stannard, Sunny Lowdown

VBS board president Bob Stannard sat down with Gina Coleman at GNAT TV to talk about her career in the blues, as well as blues singer Ida Cox.  Gina Coleman has been nominated for two Independent Blues Awards. She recorded with Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers and blues singer/guitarist Joe Louis Walker, and has  opened shows for Tab Benoit, John Primer, Albert Cummings and Michael Powers.  

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