19th Annual Lowcountry Blues Bash

February never looked so blue.

Organized by Gary Erwin, who performs as Shrimp City Slim, the Lowcountry Blues Bash returns for its 19th year starting Friday, assembling contemporary and traditional blues musicians in a variety of venues.

Erwin borrowed the concept from the Guinness Jazz Festival, held in Cork, Ireland. Guinness booked several acts at pubs and restaurants, allowing folks to crawl from one venue to the other, one concert to the next. Erwin figured the idea would translate to Charleston.

"Back in those days, the early '90s, downtown Charleston had a lot of really cool, family-run independent eating and drinking establishments," Erwin said. "You could really go and make friends with those people and tie the whole thing together."

The first year, the festival — if you could call it that — lasted one night, featuring four acts at the old King Street Palace.

Since then, Erwin has continued to broaden the festival's reach, scheduling more acts and more venues. This year, the Blues Bash counts 44 performances at 19 locations, including such wide-ranging spots as the Charleston County Library, the Mills House, the Blind Tiger, Home Team BBQ, A Dough Re Mi and Wet Willies.

It lasts 11 days until Feb. 16 and has become one of the longest-running cultural events in the area.

"We have a real dedicated audience," Erwin said. "We have people for the blues fest that come from all around the country almost like clockwork."

The festival itself draws from a global basin of talent, with artists from America, Canada, Sweden and France, their craft honed through decades of work.

Take blues mama Beverly "Guitar" Watkins, still plucking the guitar with her teeth and duck-walking at 69. She sharpened her chops under Piano Red as an original member of his infamous '60s band, Dr. Feelgood & The Interns (she was the nurse).

Her approach?

"I'm a hard-stumping blues guitar player," said Watkins, a lung cancer survivor. "I play like a man, but the reason because of that is, I was taught very well. When people see me every day, I'm just Beverly. But when they come to a show, they'll recognize me by my stage presence."

Also on board this year:

--Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones, who apprenticed for the legendary Freddie King, one of Rolling Stone's picks for greatest guitarists of all time.

--Acoustic guitarist Paul Geremia, who draws from such old-timey inspirations as Blind Lemon Jefferson, Robert Johnson and Blind Willie McTell.

--Drummer/vocalist Donald Ray Johnson with Maurice Vaughn. Johnson won a Grammy with "Taste of Honey" in 1979 — anybody remember "Boogie Oogie Oogie"?

"The thing about the blues — it's all about credentials and resume and history," Erwin said.

Little concession is made to age, as many performers follow a tradition set by their predecessors — playing, forever playing.

"In this business, it's all about the passion, the love affair," said Johnson, who turned 60 in November. "John Lee Hooker was still performing — he was in a wheelchair. Big Joe Turner was on crutches — he was performing."

But during the past 20 years, many first- and second-generation bluesmen have died, leaving a void to be filled by younger artists.

"I really miss the old days. It was the real thing," Watkins said.

"The blues, when they played the blues then, had a feeling and it told a story."

The sound is fresher, more energetic and funkier in some cases now, Erwin said. In effect, the Blues Bash has become part festival and preservation effort, honoring those old cats and welcoming new ones.

"We just say the blues will never die," Erwin said. "To the credit of the art form itself, the blues is such a resilient music. It can weather all those changes — the changing of the generations, economic times. The blues goes in and out of style, but the main thing is the blues will continue on."

The debt is owed to folks like Erwin, Watkins and Johnson.

"It's a love affair. I have no other way I can explain it," Johnson says. "I know how it makes me feel. I can pretty much say for the people long-term who are in this particular genre or music, it has to make them feel the same way too."

Perhaps Watkins describes it best: "The blues is an original thing. It's not a made-up thing. My style is playing direct from my heart from what I learned in the older days."

Schedule through Feb. 11

FRIDAY

The 19th Annual Southern Comfort Lowcountry Blues Bash runs through Feb. 16. For a more detailed schedule list, including addresses and phone numbers, visit www.bluesbash.com. Many of the shows are free.

Charleston County Library, noon-1 p.m.: Donald Ray Johnson & Maurice John Vaughn-BJ Emery Band

Charleston County Library, 2-3 p.m.: Beverly Guitar Watkins

Mad River, 4-7 p.m.: Donald Ray Johnson & Maurice John Vaughn-BJ Emery Band

Mills House, 7-9 p.m.: Robert Paige & the Holy City Sinners

Sticky Fingers, 7-10 p.m.: Juke Joint Johnny Band

Aromas, 7:30-10:30 p.m.: Cotton Blue Band

Blind Tiger, 7:30-10:30 p.m.: Drink Small

A Dough Re Mi Pizza, 8 p.m.: Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones

The Mill, 9 p.m.-12 am: Hitman

Hometeam BBQ, 10:30 p.m. : Lil Dave Thompson

SATURDAY

Mills House, 5-7 p.m.: Robert Paige & the Holy City Sinners

Isle of Palms Rec Center, 5-8:30 p.m.: Drink Small, Hitman, Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones

Sticky Fingers, 7-10 p.m.: Beverly Guitar Watkins

Aromas, 7:30-10:30 pm: Cotton Blue Band

A Dough Re Mi Pizza, 8 p.m.: Donald Ray Johnson & Maurice John Vaughn-BJ Emery Band

The Mill, 9 p.m.: Liz Mandeville

Pour House, 9 p.m.: Tinsley Ellis

Wet Willies, 10 p.m.: Elliott & the Untouchables

Ron's Hometeam BBQ, 10:30 p.m. : Big Bill Morganfield

SUNDAY

Ron's Home team BBQ,, 2-9 p.m.: All-Star Blues Jam & Oyster Roast, with Drink Small, Jeff Norwood, Tommy Thunderfoot, Skye Paige, Stone Cold Sarah Cole, Whitt Algar & John Picard, more.

Isle of Palms Rec Center, 2-5:30 p.m. : Liz Mandeville, Beverly Guitar Watkins, Donald Ray Johnson & Maurice John Vaughn-BJ Emery Band

Circular Church, 6 p.m.: Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones

A Dough Re Mi Pizza, 8 p.m.: Jeff Liberty & Electric Mud

MONDAY

Charleston County Library, 12-1 p.m.: Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones

Charleston County Library, 2-3 p.m.: Liz Mandeville

Mad River, 3-6 p.m.: Dr. Pickup avec Kola

Blind Tiger, 7:30-10:30 p.m.: Hugh Price

A Dough Re Mi Pizza, 8 p.m.: Liz Mandeville

Ron's Home team BBQ, 9 p.m.: Shrimp City Slim & Juke Joint Johnny

TUESDAY

Charleston County Library, 12-1 p.m.: Cotton Blue Band