Long Beach Blues Festival Going On Hiatus

B.B. King at the 12th annual Doheny Blues Fesitval in 2009

​The Long Beach Blues Festival, a 30-year-old tradition delivered by local jazz and blues station KKJZ-FM (88.1), is going on hiatus this year. The two-day fest, which has featured legends such as B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley in the past, said the hiatus was due to tough economic times.
Still, if you're a blues fan, there is an alternative. KJAZZ announced it will stage the KJAZZ Blues Bash this year at the Cal State Long Beach campus. Scheduled for Sept. 4, the Blues Bash will be smaller, have a free outdoor fair featuring food and local music, then end with a ticketed concert with Keb' Mo', Guitar Shorty and Jon Cleary. KKJZ station manager Stephanie Levine said, "the Blues Festival hiatus was a tough decision." She added, "But we will continue to work toward bringing back the festival in all its glory."