• Wednesday 11 June to Sunday 15 June,
  
  Five years since its debut, and still FREE!, WESTFEST has been extended to five days To mark this achievement. The festival's prime focus this year will be "A Celebration of Canadian Aboriginal Women in Music." An estimated 50,000 people will stroll through the community of Westboro Village taking in music, visual art, theatre, literary readings, dance, spoken word, and performance art on Richmond Road, between McRae and Golden Avenues, in Ottawa.  For acts and timing, see schedule on the web site.

• Wednesday 11 and Friday 14 June, Souper Jazz is first on Sparks St. Mall at the Kent St. kiosk - near Bank of Canada and then at Westfest Friday. Listen to some enthusiatic live traditional/dixieland jazz and if the spirit moves you, feel free to make a donation to a worthy local cause.
  

• Friday 13 June, FATHEAD, a multi-award winning band that has played the top blues rooms, concert halls and music festivals from coast to coast is at Tucson's. Their music is steeped heavily in the blues, married with elements of r&b, funk and soul, and possesses a unique ensemble sound that is immediately recognisable as their own. They have recently won a Juno for 2008 Blues Recording of the Year "Buliding Full of Blues"
  

• Saturday 14 June, Wicked Grin appears at Tucson's. Formed in late 2003 around the fierce vocals and stellar guitar work of Murray Kinsley and driven by the rhythm section to die for of Leigh-Anne Stanton and Richard Wielusiewicz, Wicked Grin combines blues, groove, rock and a little funk to give you "Blues With Bite".
  
  

   

This is just a short sample of what's on in Ottawa and area this week. For more on these events and the others posted to my the Ottawa Blues, Jazz & Swing Guide DIY calendar for this month, click this link:

Besides what's on the calendar, there's more detail on the individual venue web sites.

There's other news, now an the Ottawa Blues, Jazz & Swing Guide Group on Facebook accessible below or on the www.ottawabluesjazz.ca main page.