At 6pm on Saturday, August 2, 2025, Grammy Award Nominee and legendary harmonica blues musician Jerry Portnoy will be joined by Monster Mike Welch & The Wicked Lo-Down at the East Bay Music Fest/ Pierce Stadium, East Providence, RI. Portnoy has performed in twenty-eight foreign countries on six continents, including performances at the White House, Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, the Smithsonian, the Newport Jazz Festival, and other major jazz and blues festivals worldwide. He was a Grammy Award nominee in 1996 for his work with the Muddy Waters Tribute Band on their recording You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Dead and Gone, and released an instructional package, Jerry Portnoy's Blues Harmonica Masterclass, in 1997. In 2001, he released his second solo album, Down in the Mood Room. Known for his dark, amplified tone, he has long been a favorite of both critics and peers. The New York Times (1987) said, "Mr. Portnoy crests like an alto saxophone." Down Beat Magazine (2002) said, "Portnoy has few equals as a harmonica player, blues or otherwise." Rick Estrin, a leading professional player as well, was quoted in Blues Revue (2002) as saying, "He can get so much sound out of that harp — such a beautiful, just enormous, fat, rich tone." In 2004, Portnoy appeared on the album Me and Mr. Johnson with Eric Clapton. Jerry played on several Grammy Award-winning albums while recording with a wide variety of artists, including Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Hubert Sumlin, Bill Wyman, and many others… A show not to be missed! https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/epheritagearts/east-bay-music-fest (fb)

Come join us on August 2nd at the East Bay Music Fest! Soulshot with the incomparable Duke Robillard, performing 3-4pm. Tickets are just $12; children 12 & under are free! Available at the gate or online at www.epherigearts.org (fb)