The following is an article by Carol A. Stephen that will be published in the August 2007 issue of The Humm.

CARLETON PLACE August, 2007- Sue Foley headlines Sounds of Downtown fundraiser September 8th in Carleton Place!

Excitement is building in Carleton Place as the programme for Sounds of Downtown, 2007 falls into place. If you attended last year's event you know what a great time it was! The evening takes place Saturday, September 8th, starting at 6:30 p.m. Entertainers will be performing in various venues on Bridge Street till about 9:30 p.m., followed by the Town Hall Concert at 10 p.m. Unlike last year's event, all performances will take place simultaneously, no staggered start times. That means you can start at either end of Bridge Street to enjoy the entertainment and free munchies at each location.

This year's lineup of talent is so fantastic we wanted to tell you about it early enough so you can make note to get your tickets early. During The Bridge Street Bazaar August 4th, Arts Carleton Place will have a table outside Page & Turners Bookstore from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to kick off the sale of passports. Passports to all venues including the concert at 10 p.m. are $25.00. Secondary passports for $15.00 will also be available permitting entry to all venues except the final concert.

And what will you get for your money?

Lux Gallery will feature Aestival String Quartet, along with the beautiful, dynamic work of Craig Angus, local glass artist. The Heritage Inn has booked Odd Man Out, a Classic Rock group formed last year, featuring Mike Maher from Page & Turners, Tony Stuart, Francois Richer and Marvin Flowers. These fellows, according to Donna Maher, "have a knack for getting you up and dancing to the songs you know and the songs you should know. If you don't feel like dancing, your toes will start tapping instead."

A perennial favourite, the Mississippi Blues Society will be on hand at The Thirsty Moose, with their usual great blues tunes. Just across the street, there will be musical entertainment from the duet of Robert Catalfamo and David Lajeunesse at The Good Food Company. Robert plays violin/fiddle, while David's repertoire includes guitar, mandolin and bodhrán, an Irish drum of ancient origin, similar to drums of the Mediterranean or North African regions.

The Virtual Art Market and Surrounding Memories will be featuring an exhibit of Arts Carleton Place artists, with original art, collectibles, wonderful items available for sale and live music too!

St. James Gate promises to keep things jumping with the jazz duo of Mick Collins on trumpet and David Paton on piano. Further along Bridge Street, at Screentex, the Mississippi Mudds will present the "Mississippi Mudds Sing OUT!" highlighting songs from previous shows and favourite gospel songs. In between Mudds' sets, the lithe and graceful Parvaneh Rowshan will wow us with her Middle Eastern dance interpretations.

Next stop, Page & Turners for some rap, hip-hop style Spoken Word from the Ottawa Poetry Collective, in a return engagement to share their Slam style poetry. If you managed to catch them last April at Read's Bookshop, you already know how fantastic they are. And no, it isn't strictly rap, for those of you who missed it. Come out and see what the fuss is all about! And let's not forget our local poets and writers who will also be on hand to take part in the literary event of the evening.

Continuing along, Ballygiblin's has arranged to present Fandango, a Latin/World Music trio that I hear is absolutely wonderful! This year, another new location, (in more ways than one!) is the Moore House, now found just across the street from Town Hall. Outside, the Carleton Place and District Community Band have put together an 8-member ensemble called Gesundheit to offer rousing German music. Polka, anyone? Also at this location, the Carleton Place and Beckwith Historical Society will offer information about the Mississippi River, Town Hall, and the Moore House itself.

And what do we plan for Town Hall? How does Sue Foley sound? Well, of course, we all know she sounds fantastic. Arts Carleton Place is thrilled to present her in concert as our Sounds of Downtown headliner!

Sue Foley is an internationally renowned blues/roots performer: singer, songwriter, highly accomplished guitarist and Juno award winner to boot. She is considered to be a leading talent in contemporary blues. Sue has been a working artist for more than 20 years, although still only in her thirties. And she's a local! Sue was born and raised in Ottawa, part of a large, music-loving family, and her first gigs were at local clubs. Leaving home for the West Coast at 18, Sue soon began touring across Canada to a warm reception. Then she found her way to Memphis, where her performance in front of club- and record label owner, Clifford Antone from Austin, Texas, led to a demo and then a recording contract. Her first album in 1992, Young Girl Blues showcased her extraordinary vocal style as well as her skill on guitar. Sue Foley moved to Austin to pursue a recording career, as well as touring Europe and Japan.

In 2000, Sue released Love Comin' Down on the Shanachie label, winning her the Juno for Best Blues album. That year she also won FIVE trophies from the Maple Blues Awards for: Recording of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Guitarist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year. That same year, Sue was honoured with the Trophée de Blues de France for Best Female Guitarist. In 2002 she took another five trophies from the Maple Blues Awards.

Sue has 10 CDs out, plus a new collaboration CD released in May 2007, "Time Bomb", with Roxanne Potvin and Deborah Coleman. She also has a DVD: "Sue Foley, Live in Germany". And there is a book underway, a work about women guitarists, past and present.

This is going to be a fantastic concert. Last year's event was a sell-out. With a headliner like Sue Foley, you'll want to pick up your tickets as soon as possible!

For more information on the local arts scene check out www.artscarletonplace.com.