The first annual Otis Taylor Trance Blues Jam Festival is a weekend of public workshops and jams for musicians and fans of all levels and ages who wish to join world-renowned guitarist Bob “Steady Rollin’” Margolin, Tony Trischka (International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year), multi-instrumentalist Don Vappie, bassist George Porter, Jr. (Meters), guitarist/vocalist Standing Bear, Cassie Taylor and renaissance bluesman Otis Taylor.

The event, held Friday-Sunday, November 25-27, begins with a pre-Trance Jam hosted by Taylor, Margolin and Vappie at the Boulder Outlook Hotel on Friday at 8 p.m.

“You don’t have to be a musician to get involved with the Trance Blues Jam Festival,” says Taylor, a Boulder resident and festival founder. “We would like to see the festival evolve to include artists hosting sessions slanted towards many different styles of music. The more types of participants we have, the better,” Taylor says. “The goal is to fill the hills with the sound of music of all genres: classical, blues, jazz, pop, world, rap, spoken word; [and] instruments of every type: horns, strings, percussion and even street instruments like cans and buckets.”

Taylor and the visiting artists will lead weekend workshops both Saturday and Sunday, ranging in size from 40 to 60 students. Saturday’s Boulder Theater workshop culminates with the Saturday Night Trance-Blues Jam, an open-to-the-public audience-participation jam session with hundreds of musicians, steered by Otis Taylor beginning at 6 p.m.  A special concert will follow on Saturday night at 9p.m. at the Boulder Theater. Video of a similar workshop held last year can be found at otistaylor.com