On September 19, the inaugural North Central Florida Blues Festival is born, and co-presenters the North Central Florida Blues Society and Heartwood Soundstage bring to Gainesville, Florida and Alachua County a new, exciting all-day Blues Festival.

The lineup for North Central Florida Blues Festival includes many award-winning acts, and includes Doug MacLeod, E. G. Kight, Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones, Sheba the Mississippi Queen & the Bluesmen, the Josh Miller Blues Revue, JC & the Backscratchers, JW Gilmore, and Dr. Jules’ Cool Blues, proving a mix of national touring acts and Florida Blues favorites.

One aspect that sets this Blues Festival apart is that four acts will play the outdoor stage at Heartwood Soundstage, and four acts play inside the famous Heartwood Soundstage listening room. Doors open at 2, the music starts at 3 pm, and eight fantastic Blues acts play until 10:45.

Gainesville and Alachua County has a historical link to Blues music, and the North Central Florida Blues Society and Heartwood Soundstage plan to build on that history with this festival.

Performing inside the listening room:

 Doug MacLeod

 E. G. Kight

 Dr. Jules’ Cool Blues

 JW Gilmore

Performing on the outdoor stage:

 Doug Deming & the Jewel Tones

 Sheba the Mississippi Queen & the Bluesmen

 The Josh Miller Blues Revue

 JC & the Backscratchers

General Admission & VIP Tickets Available.

VIP Tickets Include:

Reserved premium seating in the listening room

A commemorative poster signed by festival performers

An NCFBS t-shirt

One complimentary drink ticket good for a house wine or draft beer

Doug MacLeod

Two-time 2026 Blues Music Award nominee for Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year, Doug MacLeod is an internationally acclaimed Blues singer/songwriter, guitarist, and storyteller known for his soulful vocals, masterful guitar

work, and riveting live performances. At the heart of his music is storytelling, bringing deeply human characters to life with honesty, wit, and soul. An eight-time Blues Music Award winner, MacLeod was born in New York City, and has made Memphis, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Northern Virginia his home, among others, and all of these cities helped shape his artistic vision . His songs have been recorded by Albert King, Albert Collins, Joe Louis Walker, and Eva Cassidy, and featured in film, television, and theater. As his mentor Ernest Banks taught him, “Never play a note you don’t believe, and never write or sing about what you don’t know.”

E.G. Kight

Over the years, E.G. Kight has emerged as a preeminent voice in roots music. CityBeat Cincinnati writes that Kight is “a cross between Bonnie Raitt’s bourbon-stung growl and Phoebe Snow’s emotive warble.” With her rich vocals, captivating guitar style, and hefty catalog of well-crafted original songs, she has entertained audiences around the globe in true southern style, and has garnered 21 music industry nominations, including 3 for "Song of the Year". Kight is an indisputable triple threat – as singer, songwriter, and guitar player - with her own unique blend of country-flavored southern fried Blues, her music appeals to fans across the genres. Her songwriting is a true strength, evidenced by her original songs being recorded by Koko Taylor, Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women, Dorothy Moore, and Ann Rabson & Bob Margolin, among other luminaries.

Doug Deming

Eastside Detroit native Doug Deming, now hailing from Bradenton, Florida, has garnered widespread attention for his deft guitar work and memorable songwriting. With a nod to the likes of T-Bone Walker and Charlie Christian, as well as Luther Tucker and Robert Jr. Lockwood, Doug leaves his own mark whether swingin’ on the big jazz box, or playing straight up Blues on the solid body Fender guitar. He has gained renown for his impeccable taste; Deming knows what to play and what not to. Leading his band The Jewel Tones, Doug continues to bring noteworthy traditional and original roots music to his audiences. Since playing the local Detroit scene beginning in the early ‘90s, "The traditions of American Blues and jazz music are very, very important, and staying true to that is paramount to me.”

Sheba the Mississippi Queen

Sheba the Mississippi Queen was born Martha Booker in Sunflower Mississippi to a sharecropper family, whose father was a gospel singer. As a teenager, she and her twin sister came to South Florida in a migrant’s worker bus. The family started working in the tomatoes, bean fields, and lime groves in Homestead, Florida. Sheba formed a singing group that she named the Grove Girls that would sing in all the fields and on the bus on their way to and from work.

She later moved to New York City to form a band The Swingers, which recorded with New York Jazz Big Bands. Later she restarted her career in Miami, playing Jazz in supper clubs, but returned to her Blues roots with the band Sheba and The Rhythm Kings. She formed the band Sheba the Mississippi Queen & the Bluesmen in 2018, and was an International Blues Challenge semifinalist in 2019. Her band the Bluesmen, which includes guitarist Keith Caton, boasts top musicians steeped in the Blues that have played alongside Bo Diddley and other musical luminaries.

Josh Miller Blues Revue

The Josh Miller Blues Revue is a presentation of what a Chicago Blues Band is all about, by guys who knew and loved the giants of the music. As simple as it sounds, it’s a rare occurrence nowadays. Most of the giants are gone, and most blues bands today are influenced by modern contemporaries, incorporating modern sounds. The Josh Miller Blues Revue is more akin to single-barrel aged spirit: steeped in tradition, carefully crafted, and revered by professionals and aficionados alike —made to be enjoyed and savored, but not so pretentious that you can’t toss a shot back if the feeling gets you.

JS and The Backscratchers

JC and The Backscratchers is a seasoned Chicago Style Blues band, playing a great variety of danceable Blues tunes from the 40s to the present. The band performs originals, and covers by Jr. Wells, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, James Harman, Gary Primich and many more. The Backscratchers are led by frontman harmonica player, JC "Chris" Balding. Chris is backed by three skilled musicians: Zavian Orton on guitar, Dave Messer on bass, and Deborah Berlinger on drums.

JW Gilmore

JW Gilmore is a master storyteller, a demon on the harp, a well-versed musician and, above all, a showman extraordinaire. From slow dirty Blues to frenetic swing, JW keeps audiences laughing, smiling and dancing into the night. He has been playing harmonica for over 20 years, from Baton Rouge to Ft. Lauderdale, playing with greats like Tabby Thomas, Chris Thomas King, Louisiana Red, Todd Hart, and Joey Gilmore. JW Gilmore has won the Florida harmonica championship five times.

Dr Jules' Cool Blues

Dr Jules spent almost 30 years in academia as a graduate student and faculty member. 20 of those years were spent as a Historical Linguist at the University of Florida. He brings this same interest in history to music, and the result has been his affection for the Blues as well as his desire to preserve and promote the Blues. After failing to catch on in Nashville as the “Weird Al Yankovic of Country Music”, he moved to the Hill Country of Texas and discovered the Blues. Little David Thornton was “born in the Blues”. Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, he spent his earliest days riding in his father’s car hearing the best of Muddy Waters everywhere they went - with a harmonica in his lap. At his first show and tell in grade school he performed “Hoochie Coochie Man” - much to the chagrin of the teachers and the resident nuns at the school. Unlike a lot of acts that throw the word "Blues" into their description, Dr. Jules' Cool Blues actually play The Blues for you. Whether it's covering the classics in their own way or playing Dr Jules' original "decompositions", you'll hear that distinctive Blues swing, and you'll dance (or at least tap your feet) to that classic Blues shuffle.

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