Deanna Bogart
On Saturday, April 9 at 8 pm, the Mainstay in Rock Hall, Maryland welcomes Deanna Bogart and the Blusionaires to their stage. Deanna Bogart has performed at the Mainstay numerous times over the last twenty years and is “easily one of our most frequently requested artists” according to Matt Mielnick, Director of the Mainstay. Deanna plays a fusion of several different genres of 20th century music, culminating at the intersection of blues, jazz, soul, boogie-woogie and a whole lot more. She calls this mix “blusion.” She is renowned for captivating audiences with her smoky vocals and prowess on both keyboards and saxophone. Her band, the Blusionaires, features Dan Leonard, Eric Scott, and Deren Blessman.
The middle of five daughters, Deanna’s family relocated frequently, and she called Maryland home for several decades, a rootedness that she still revisits regularly.
As a youth she was exposed to a variety of music from Muddy Waters to Ella Fitzgerald to Freddy Fender to Pete Seeger and more. As a young musician she moved to Hollywood and worked making pizzas, taking carnival jobs, and at Paramount Studios to support her music interests.
In short order, Bogart was handling keyboards and singing three-part harmonies and lead in local bands, playing on stages alongside Commander Cody, Asleep at the Wheel, Roy Orbison, and Marshall Tucker.
As vital as that band was to her development, she credits her introduction to the music of Jay McShann as a game-changer. Early in the 20th century, McShann and his contemporaries incorporated Dixieland, ragtime, big band, jazz and swing elements in their music – tunes delivered with a relaxed, walking feel. In so doing, they gave birth to what’s now known as the golden era of Kansas City jazz.
Deanna learned to play the saxophone in her late-20s. She went on to become a four-time Blues Music Association horn player of the year.
Showtime for the live concert event is 8 pm. Tickets are $25 in advance of the show and can be purchased online at mainstayrockhall.org. Phone reservations are accepted by calling (410) 639-9133 (tickets reserved by phone are $30 when paid at the door). The Mainstay is located at 5753 N Main Street in Rock Hall, Maryland. Its regular calendar of local, regional, and nationally touring artists features a live performance every week of the year (February through December) in a variety of music genres.
The programs of the Mainstay are supported with funds from the Maryland State Arts Council and the Kent Cultural Alliance.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.