By Marc Loison 
On the shores of Lake Lucerne, the Lucerne Blues Festival 2025 once again brought together some of the finest acts on the international blues scene. Three big nights at the Lucerne Casino, mixing jump blues, Chicago blues, Texas soul blues, and a crop of promising young talents. Blues Actu was there and brings you the story!
👉 Read also our interview with Martin « Kari » Bruendler, President of the Lucerne Blues Festival
Across the festival’s eight days, in addition to three brunches at the Schweizerhof hotel, a free late Wednesday show and sponsor-only concerts, three ticketed evenings are offered to the public in the Casino’s main hall. With its generous size, a long corridor for food and lively chatter, and multiple screens so you don’t miss a thing on stage even from the lobby and merchandising area, conditions are ideal for both audience and artists.
Late-night sets (sometimes until 3 a.m.) take place at the Casineum, a slightly smaller room but beautifully built like a balcony theatre, perfectly designed for a direct view of the stage. What follows here are the three nights in the main hall.
Thursday, November 13 – Skyler Saufley, Kid Ramos and Brian Templeton, Rosewood Soul
Skyler Saufley
Skyler Saufley arrives as a young, elegant representative of a revived 1940s–50s jump blues, backed by the talented pianist Anita Fabiani, the impeccable upright bassist Abdell B Bop, and the razor-sharp, attentive drummer Denis Agenet. The young guitarist (he’s the same age as the festival) leads with confidence, drawing heavily on T-Bone Walker and friends, while also dipping into Jimmy Reed and primal rock ’n’ roll. A set with no dead moments, a few welcome bits of mischief, all delivered with finesse and skill. Bravo!
Kid Ramos & Brian Templeton featuring Johnny Ramos
Brian Templeton is a fabulous soul singer who preaches gospel and spits out blues with authority, though he struggles to match the sheer volume of a very talkative Kid Ramos on guitar, even when Kid is playing rhythm. Son Johnny Ramos cuts a dashing figure in a refined style that evokes Richie Valens, with a high, clear vocal tone and an alert, punchy guitar attack. With the inspired organist Dave Limina and a bass-drum engine (Mike Turturro and Stephen Hodges) packing serious firepower, the band delivered an apocalyptic, breathless finale that will stick with everyone!
Rosewood Soul feat. Sean “Mack” McDonald, Stephen Hull, Xavier Shannon
With authority and effortless poise, Sean McDonald takes the helm without question, closely followed by a laid-back Stephen Hull and a more reserved Xavier Shannon, whose guitar work is convincing even if it doesn’t quite reach the stratospheric peaks of his peers. Two short walks through the room, searing solos, nonstop energy, hilarious and inspired banter in a shared joy, constant crowd interaction, deep blues culture with nods to Albert King and Albert Collins: all the ingredients are there for these very young bluesmen, born between 1997 and 2001. Brought together as “Rosewood Soul” by Eddie Stout of Dialtone Records, this is a remarkable meeting point between the present and the future of blues!
Friday, November 14 – Matthew Skoller, BB & The Blues Shacks, and Dallas Soul Revue
Matthew Skoller & Chicago Wind feat. Precious Taylor
Matthew Skoller is generous on harmonica and vocals, which is fair for a leader, but we would have liked to hear more from the excellent guitarist Tom Holland. Classy drummer Melvin “Pookie Styx” Carlisle, bassist Felton Crewes, and keyboardist Tim Gant provide a precious, absolutely flawless backbone. Even if the vocal lineage isn’t obvious, Koko Taylor’s niece, Precious Taylor, delivers perfectly, and her engaging stage presence never falters. In the end, it’s an excellent “Classic Chicago Blues” set. A great moment!
Dallas Soul Revue with the Texas Horns feat. Tutu Jones, Captain Jack Watson & Gregg A Smith
The fabulous Texas Horns are in the spotlight throughout the set: baritone sax for John Mills, tenor sax for Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff, trumpet for Al Gomez. The very young and discreet Xavier Shannon handles the six-string, alongside the steady Michael Weston on bass and unflappable drummer Damien Llanes. Then come three legends from Dallas and the surrounding area, three top-tier vocalists. Johnny B Livingstone aka Tutu Jones delivers a highly electric segment, giving photographers little time to capture his wild performance, with forceful vocals and an overdriven guitar. Wearing a sparkling suit “à la Rufus Thomas” and a chuckberriesque cap, the mischievous Captain Jack Watson leaves the memory of a possessed soul-blues singer, clearly enjoying the enthusiastic reactions of a complicit crowd. Gregg A Smith, the elder of the three (born in 1951), offers a more measured stage approach but a powerful, thrilling soul voice. The last two return for a grand final; the crowd wants more…
BB & the Blues Shacks feat. Knockout Greg
Born in Germany, the Arlt brothers’ band has been tearing it up for over 36 years. Quite possibly the best European blues band today, across all substyles, they arrive in Lucerne with an energy and a contagious joy of sharing. Michael Arlt (vocals, harmonica), Andreas Arlt (guitar), Fabian Fritz (keys), Henning Hauerken (bass and upright bass), and Andre Werkmeister (drums) are a band that is tighter than tight. All five pull in the same direction: serving a repertoire that is by turns danceable or laid back, between BB King-style touches and deeper cuts.
The icing on the cake was the participation of the Swede Knockout Greg (vocals, harmonica, guitar) on a few songs, often inspired by the great and dearly missed Sven Zetterberg, in perfect symbiosis with the Germans, delivering a blues-soul that is moving, confident, and bold. A must!
Saturday, November 15 – Austin John Band, Jerry Portnoy, and Vanessa Collier
Austin John Band
Austin John Doody loves Otis Rush and big, feeling-soaked blues. A very fine performance, dynamic and modern, with a band that pushes hard at every moment, though powerhouse drummer Arjuna Contreras could benefit from pacing his energy a bit more. Henri Herbert on piano and Jimmy Sutton on upright bass bounce, support, and erupt through a blues set, leaning toward seminal rock, brilliant and relentless. A complete and remarkable show!
Jerry Portnoy’s Chicago Blues All-Stars feat. Bruce Katz & Rusty Zinn
He first set foot on a European stage in Juan-les-Pins in 1974, as part of Muddy Waters’ band. At 82, slightly stooped and moving slowly, but still sharp on vocals and warm harmonica, Jerry Portnoy remains imposing. Smiles and sharing are the order of the day, in a classic mood, as the superb Bruce Katz on keys, the versatile Rusty Zinn on guitar, Jessy Williams on upright bass, and drummer Kenny “Beedy Eyes” (son of the legendary Willie, companion of Muddy) spin their fine lines and take us back to the golden years of post-war electric Chicago blues. Classic and timeless…
Vanessa Collier feat. Laura Chavez
The highlight of the night, and maybe of the whole festival! The youth and fire of Vanessa Collier, fiercely intense on sax and commanding on vocals, never lose their infectious smile, and she knows how to raise the stakes with striking explosiveness. The other side of the quartet is the exceptional Laura Chavez, one of the rare guitarists able to fuse rhythm and lead in every move, with solid volume and huge feel, pushing the show even higher. With the impressive Byron Cage (drums) and the excellent, rock-steady Justice Guevara (bass), the chemistry is total. Everyone has clearly absorbed that each person’s energy can give the show a near-cosmic dimension. The rapport between the two young women is obvious and spontaneous. Introduced by Vanessa Collier with grace and plenty of detail, the songs roll by like a whirlwind. The audience gave them a full-on triumph!
A 30th edition of the Lucerne Blues Festival that fully delivered on its promises! With experience and deep blues culture serving a perfectly balanced, bright, and relevant lineup, the team led by Martin “Kari” Bruendler will convince fans of real, beautiful blues sounds that you absolutely have to come to Lucerne in 2026 for the 31st edition.
All details: https://www.bluesfestival.ch
Live report – Lucerne Blues Festival
📆 November 13–16, 2025
📍 Lucerne Casino (CH)
📷 Aigars Lapsa
Read also our interview with Martin Bruendler
Walter Trout at Le MEM in Rennes, undiminished energy
At 75, Walter Trout remains a force on stage. At Le MEM in Rennes, the American guitarist combined songs from Sign of the Times, tributes to his musical companions and memories of a life devoted to the blues.
Lire la suite