Gloria Hardiman presents A Blue Christmas

Blues Legend Miss Gloria Hardiman will host the A Blue Christmas at the Mill. It's a full night of the blues with Robert "One-Man" Johnson opening the show. A 2014 Iowa Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, he was inspired by a 1966 Jesse “Lone Cat” Fuller performance and began practicing the simultaneous playing of guitar, harmonica, hi-hat cymbals and a homemade bass “foot piano.” In 1970, he began touring nationally as Robert “One-Man” Johnson and has been touring ever since. He has released ten albums on his own Housedog Music label since 1976 and has appeared on “A Prairie Home Companion” 5 times. Over the past 40 years he has performed at clubs and festivals all over the U.S., as well as in Istanbul, Shanghai, Bangkok, and Nagoya.

Tanya English has been listening to the blues since her teen years. Koko Taylor, Dakota Staton, Mavis Staples, Bonnie Raitt, all made a big impact. After sitting in for years with George's Monday Night AllStars, she's been fronting her own band for six years now. Known for her high-energy show, Tanya will be joined by friends Bruce Teague and Saul Lubaroff during her set. A featured performer at this year's North Liberty Blues and BBQ Fest, Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, and the inaugural NewBo Women's Music Festival, Miss Tanya knows that the blues is a healer. 

 

Mississippi-born bluesman Hal Reed delivers a high-powered show based primarily on the influence of his Delta and Chicago urban blues upbringing. He was born just a few miles from the Mississippi Delta and grew up surrounded by legends of blues music. His playing brims with the stamp of authenticity with a soulful, triple-fisted attack of Mississippi, Gospel, and Chicago style blues. A master of the blues harp and a powerful singer, he's gained a new reputation of late as a blues educator. Working with the Blues in the Schools outreach of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society and River Music Experience, Hal aims to keep the blues alive, sharing America's musical roots music with the next generation. His band, Mississippi Journey, consists of first call players passionate about their their craft. Hal always delivers the goods. Featured performers this year include QC guitar phenom, Zach Harris, keys ace Ethan Good, with the rhythm section of Roger and Frank Alexander rounding out the line-up.

 

Miss Gloria Hardiman, an Alligator Records legend and long-time Iowa City resident, will host the event and serve as emcee. She got her start as a teenager on the Chicago blues scene and is still going strong. A powerhouse performer, she's also an inspiration and mentor, encouraging people to creatively express themselves. She'll drop into the mix and sing a few songs as the night unfolds.