By Marc Loison 
Every November, the Lucerne Blues Festival confirms its status as Europe’s leading showcase for American blues. Its director, Martin “Kari” Bruendler, explains to Blues Actu the choices that define the festival’s identity: unwavering loyalty to the blues, full ninety-minute concerts, exemplary hospitality, and strong support for emerging talent. An interview that sheds light on the longevity of an event now essential on the international blues scene.
👉 Also read our full live report of the three evenings at the Lucerne Blues Festival
Martin “Kari” Bruendler is one of the founding pillars of the Lucerne Blues Festival. Having joined as a volunteer during the second edition, he gradually took on coordination, then artistic direction, before becoming president. Over three decades, he has built an extensive network within American blues, working with musicians, managers, producers, and journalists. His vision relies on three pillars: absolute loyalty to the blues, exemplary artist hospitality, and promotion of young talent. Under his leadership, Lucerne has become one of the most respected festivals on the international scene.
A festival faithful to American blues
How many years have passed since your first visit here as a spectator, and when did you become the head of the festival?
I joined the organisation during the second edition. I had been invited to the first festival and saw what was happening on stage at the time. I then asked the organisers if I could help. At the second festival, I began as a driver. A few years later, I took over the festival direction. And after twenty years, when Guido Schmitt, the founding president, decided to step back, I took over the presidency ten years ago.
Why has the Lucerne festival become a nerve centre for blues in Europe?
I think there are two reasons. First, since our beginnings, we have remained true to the same programming principles. We really focus on American blues artists and have never tried to book rock or other genres. For 30 years, we have stayed strictly loyal to the blues. I think that’s what makes us unique in Europe. Second, our three-night programming is special. We offer up to five concerts each evening. This means a festivalgoer in Lucerne can see at least 12 bands in three days. I think this is also why so many people come to Lucerne. Otherwise, they would need to attend three or four other blues festivals to see that many American artists. These two reasons explain our uniqueness—or rather, our longevity over these 30 years.
You let artists play full concerts. How did this format become the norm?
When we started, and even 15 years ago, the first concert lasted 60 minutes, the second 75, and the next two 90 minutes. We noticed that artists preferred playing 90 minutes because they could offer a more complete, more polished show. So we decided to change the format. We asked the artists their preferred duration, and that’s what emerged: 90 minutes. That’s why we switched to 90 minutes, so every artist now plays 90 minutes—regardless of whether they’re a young emerging act or a blues legend! And it’s the same on our poster: all names appear in the same size. We don’t highlight a headliner. Managers often ask me, “Who’s the headliner this year?” And I tell them: we have twelve. Because we believe it’s a matter of respect that all artists appearing at Lucerne are named or printed in the same size, simply in the order they appear on stage.
“Thirty years ago, all the old blues bands were still around”
How do you build your programming? How do you combine veterans and the new generation?
When we started thirty years ago, all the old blues bands were still around. In fact, over 30 years we have hosted 374 bands in Lucerne, and 90 of the singers who performed here are no longer alive. So it’s not that we don’t want young artists, but rather young talent. The legends of the past are no longer here. So how do we bring them in? How do we find these young musicians? For 30 years, we have had an extensive network, even in the United States. Musicians and journalists who have played in Lucerne call or email us to say: “I saw this artist somewhere. Check them out!” Nowadays, you can find videos online, on YouTube, etc. So that’s our main source: this American network, which helps us highlight emerging talent. And as long as we can bring in older artists, we will. It would be easy to book 12 American bands for our festival, but as I said, with four or five concerts a night, we can’t schedule three in a row. That’s a key point of our programming. We look for young / less young, white / Black, women / men, and we must shape a captivating evening for the audience. That’s what makes things a bit complex. We start brainstorming ideas sometimes more than a year before the festival. As soon as we have an artist in mind, we need to book them a year ahead, sometimes more. Then, around that artist—say, for the third slot of the night—we try to program the acts before and after in a way that creates a balanced evening.
Why do artists often stay for several days?
Over time, Lucerne’s reputation has spread across the United States. And this is something we established from the beginning: it was essential for us to treat artists as well as possible. That’s why we fly them in at least one or two days before their first concert. This helps us better manage flight issues and react quickly if something goes wrong. But the other advantage is that they can adjust to Lucerne with the time difference. And we noticed that the earlier artists arrive, the better their concerts are. Often artists even ask: “Can I come with my wife?” This year, for instance, Austin John Doody came with his wife and his one-and-a-half-year-old son. They get to enjoy a few days of vacation in Lucerne during the festival. But that’s part of who we are! We always take into account fees, travel, and hotel. We offer an all-inclusive package, and that’s one of the things that makes our festival unique.
Do they perform better when they know their family is nearby?
I don’t know. Probably, yes. Maybe that’s one of the reasons…
Why don’t you organise special editions for festival anniversaries?
We’ve never organised a big show or fireworks for an anniversary—for the 10th, the 20th—because we always ask ourselves what we’ll do the following year… You know, people say: “That was the best lineup ever!” for the 20th anniversary, then for the 30th, and the next year, the 21st or 31st, they say: “Oh, last year was better!” That’s partly why we don’t go big with anniversary celebrations. I think our programming is always strong, whether it’s the 24th or the 30th… Yes, but the main reason is that after doing something spectacular for an anniversary, the effect is inevitably less impressive the year after. That’s why we don’t do it. We try to book one or two artists we’ve been hearing about for a long time—that’s great when it works—but we don’t shape the festival around the 30th or 20th anniversaries.
Which departed artists would you book if they were still alive?
Certainly, without hesitation, Otis Clay!
Otis Clay was a very close friend, and he played four or five times at Lucerne. Whenever we travelled to Chicago, he would invite us, and we would go to church with him. So Otis Clay would definitely be one of them. And regarding Koko Taylor, this year—and this wasn’t by chance, it was intentional—we have her niece, Precious Taylor. Precious Taylor, the niece of Koko Taylor… the circle is complete, as they say! But Koko Taylor… having invited her to Lucerne was truly a milestone in our festival’s history. And I would love for Koko Taylor, the great Koko Taylor, to be present at this special gathering—absolutely! It carries a special meaning…
“Thirty years on, the blues is still here”
Who are you most proud of this year?
That’s hard to say! In recent years, with the growing arrival of young artists, the most striking moment was yesterday evening with Eddie Stout’s Rosewood Soul showcase featuring Sean Mac McDonald, Stephen Hull, and Xavier Shannon. All these young musicians, around twenty-five years old, represent the new generation of the blues. When we started in 1995, journalists told us: “Lucerne? A blues festival? The blues is dead.” And yet, twenty years later, thirty years later, the blues is still here. And I’m convinced: in thirty years, great blues artists will still be performing on stage in Lucerne. The blues will never die.
You seem very optimistic about the future of the festival.
You have to be optimistic to organise this festival. No one earns any money here. We do it with passion, with heart and soul. And that’s why we do it: to make people happy when they come to the festival.
All details: https://www.bluesfestival.ch