The 18th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival, in partnership with the City of Albuquerque, is bringing blues back to downtown’s Civic Plaza for a free concert on Saturday, September 21 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Headlining the event is Sue Foley & The Texas Horns. Foley is an award-winning musician and one of the finest blues and roots artists working today.
Event schedule:
6 p.m. – Zenobia
7 p.m. – Felix y Los Gatos
8:15 p.m. – Sue Foley & The Texas Horns
Canadian-born Foley is a triple threat — guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist — who has a long history of defying convention while being a positive role model for aspiring young female musicians. Working professionally since the age of 16, Foley relocated to Austin, Tex. at the age of 21 where she began recording for Antone’s, the esteemed blues label and historic nightclub that helped launch the career of Stevie Ray Vaughan and many others.
In the decades that have followed, she has been touring and recording steadily and has been honored with many awards, including the prestigious Juno Award (Canadian equivalent of the Grammy) in 2001. She holds the record for the most Maple Blues Awards, including her recent 2024 Blues with a Feeling/Lifetime Achievement award, and has earned three Trophees de Blues de France as well as garnering several nominations at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tenn.
“Having the Jazz Festival on Civic Plaza makes it fun and accessible for everyone, bringing folks all across the city together to enjoy downtown,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “It’s a great way to spend one of the last evenings of the summer together.”
“Blues Night on Civic Plaza, a free event for the public – thanks to our partnership with the City of Albuquerque -, is truly one of my favorite events of the festival every year,” said Tom Guralnick, Outpost Performance Space & NM Jazz Festival director.
Opening the evening’s concert is blues singer and keyboardist Zenobia, who made her Broadway debut in the rock musical HAIR at age 18 and toured the U.S. in Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar. Zenobia can be seen acting in several New Mexico film productions, including Longmire, Better Call Saul, and The Brave. Zenobia’s music focuses on the blues, as well as standards and songs that she interprets as blues, and some of her favorite artists, including Etta James, Jimmy Reed, Tedeschi & Trucks, Big Mama Thornton, and The Stones.
Next up is Felix y Los Gatos, a local favorite who refer to their sound as “Green Chile Gumbo” blues. Led by their two core members, Felix Peralta (lead vocals and guitar) and D.B. Gomez (button accordion), the group boasts an improvisational style that is uniquely their own and they perform a unique blend of Latin, blues, Tejano, New Orleans swing, “New Mexico Ranchera,” and rockin’ outlaw country.
Blues Night on Civic Plaza is made possible through the generous support of sponsor McCune Charitable Foundation. The event is free. Lawn chairs are permitted.