Blues at Timbuctoo delivers a generously spirited, deeply meaningful day of the Blues usually held at the home of abolitionist John Brown at the 270-acre John Brown Farm State Historic Site in Lake Placid. This year however, we are holding the event online. We couldn’t let a pandemic keep us from, as bluesman Jerry Dugger pleaded to a Lake Placid audience a few years earlier, “rebooting” a national conversation on race and what can and does connect us today.

Blues at Timbuctoo 2020 is a professionally recorded film of nationally renowned vocalists, instrumentalists, performers, and storytellers. This year’s lineup includes co-founder Jerry Dugger filmed at the John Brown Farm, and performances filmed around NY by Michael Hill, Alexis P. Suter, Dave Keyes, and Yacouba Sissoko, with Karl Schwarz and Ray Grappone.

The film is live on the John Brown Lives! YouTube channel and for Covid-safe viewing.

On Saturday, November 14, there is special, free online event. We will screen the film at 3 pm followed by an interactive panel discussion with Martha Swan (executive Director of JBL!), Jerry Dugger (musician and co-founder of Blues at Timbuctoo), and Margaret Washington (Professor of American History at Cornell University) and moderated by Lavada Nahon (Culinary historian for NYS Parks). You will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panelists.

Click here to register