Jontavious Willis

Hailing from Greenville, Georgia, Willis grew up singing Gospel music at the Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church with his grandfather. Since an early age, he had the talent and passion for the music and the ability to sharpen his skills fast. At the age of 14, he came across a YouTube video of Muddy Waters playing “Hoochie Coochie Man” and was instantly hooked on the blues. He got his much-needed break from the living legend Taj Mahal, who described him as the “Wonderboy” and “the Wunderkind.” In 2015, Mahal asked Willis to play on stage with him. That appearance resulted in a roaring response from the audience and led Willis to bigger stages and broader opportunities, including an opening slot at select shows along the TajMo tour, featuring his musical mentors Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’. Many fans of Willis regard him as an old soul. His style of playing the instruments and his voice touches the very roots of country blues. He brings back the true soul of the music. A newspaper headline once called him a “70 - year-old bluesman in a 20-year-old body.”
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Janice Harington

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Janice left us awestruck with her extraordinary energy and phenomenal stage presence last year! Welcoming her back to Vienna for BFF26 fills us with excitement and anticipation!
Mrs. Harrington's performance embodies a fusion of these iconic figures: the stage presence of Ma Rainey, the energy of Tina Turner, the naughty girl image of Millie Jackson and the Humor of Moms Mabley.

Gisele Jackson

RAPHAEL WRESSNIG & Soul Gift
feat. GISELE JACKSON
From New Orleans-style funk to soul and rhythm & blues, Wressnig's percussive and greasy Hammond sounds conjure dynamic, high-voltage music. Old-school and new-school rendezvous in his style and sound combining authentic soul and deep blues with a contemporary funk edge for a unique listening experience. His fluency in soul, funk, jazz and blues has garnered him the attention of an international claque of critics and multiple nominations, over the past decade, for both the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls as "Best Organ Player of the Year".

There are about 20 albums in Wressnig's catalog including two live records and highlights such as "Soul Gumbo" or "Chicken Burrito". "Soul Gumbo" was recorded in New Orleans and features prominent luminaries from the Crescent City like Grammy winner Jon Cleary, George Porter, Jr. (The Meters), drummer Stanton Moore and R&B legend Walter "Wolfman" Washington. "Chicken Burrito" is a tour de force in groove featuring longtime collaborator Alex Schultz on guitar and legendary funk drummer James Gadson. Together with his group, Soul Gift, he showcases the vibrant potential of soul, blues and funk in a modern world. Raw and hard-hitting, the band features the skills of celebrated guitarist Enrico Crivellaro and drummer Eric Cisbani.

Gisele Jackson started her career in the background choir of Ray Charles and in the bands of Donna Summer and James Brown. The blues & soul powerhouse hails from Baltimore and later found her home in Brooklyn. The international diva and the acclaimed organist are offering the audience a fresh way to experience these classic genres.


Raphael Wressnig - Hammond B-3 organ, vocals
Enrico Crivellaro - guitars
Eric Cisbani - drums
Gisele Jackson - leadvocals

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Stefano Ronchi

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Stefano “Slidin’ Wolf” Ronchi is an Italian blues guitar player and singer living in Berlin. His way of composing and arranging is grounded in old black folklore music from the 20’s and 30’s, from Delta Blues and Piedmont Blues, through old Spirituals, stomp and “swamp” sounds.

Passionate about slide guitar, he looks at the tradition with his personal, modern and respectful attitude. He is constantly touring around the World, playing in blues clubs, Festival, and blues dance events as solo artist or collaborating with other great musicians and bands, such as Tony Coleman, The Baseballs, Dan Nash, Marcos Coll, Marko Jovanovic, Micha Maass, The Lonesome Millionaires, Jessie Gordon, The Roaring Rag Beastie, and many more.

and more...