StoryFest, The Westport Library’s annual literary festival, has always been about celebrating storytelling in all its forms, dating back to its inception in 2018. And this year it’s adding something new: A special screening of the renowned documentary, Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues, followed by a concert featuring songs from the film.
Legendary bluesman James Montgomery produced the film alongside Judy Laster, Jacklyn Hairston Cotton, and Bestor Cram. His band, the James Montgomery Blues Band, will be performing the after-film concert, joined by SNL Beehive Queen Christine Ohlman, celebrated saxophonist Crispin Cioe of the Uptown Horns (Rolling Stones, J Geils Band), and other special guests.
The event will kick off StoryFest’s main weekend on Friday, October 17. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased here. Doors open at 6 pm, with the film starting at 6:30 pm and the concert to follow.
StoryFest 2025 runs October 13 to October 20, featuring the debut of Oscar-nominated Julian Brave Noisecat’s memoir, We Survived the Night, on Monday, October 13; followed by the screening and concert on Friday, October 17; a full day of panel discussions, author signings, book talks, and podcast recordings on Saturday, October 18; and the 10th anniversary celebration of Shonda Rhimes’ memoir, Year of Yes, on Monday, October 20.
Now in its eighth year, StoryFest is the largest annual literary festival in Connecticut and one of the biggest in the Northeast. It is a celebration of the story in all its forms and storytellers from across all media, each year drawing scores of authors and hundreds of readers, writers, and fans.
Past participants include National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds; Goosebumps author R.L. Stine; acclaimed essayist and memoirist Roxane Gay, New York Times best-selling authors Michael Lewis, Mitch Albom, Claire Messud, Angie Kim, Stephen Graham Jones, and Caroline Kepnes; young adult superstars Nic Stone, Tiffany Jackson, and L.L. McKinney; Emmy Award winner Sheila Nevins; best-selling memoirist Isaac Fitzgerald; Kirkus Prize recipient Saeed Jones; and Pinkalicious author/illustrator Victoria Kann.
Bonnie Blue: James Cotton’s Life in the Blues is an emotionally evocative feature documentary that portrays the untold story of James Cotton, a legend whose musical influence shaped the Chicago Blues style.
Cotton’s life tracks a swath of America’s history — from the post-depression cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta to tough Chicagoland’s era of brilliant artistic reinvention to today’s live music scene in Austin, Texas. In between are tours with Janis Joplin, Paul Butterfield, and sessions with the Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Santana, Steve Miller, B.B. King, and many more.
“Blues music was really a music of empowerment,” said Montgomery. “Cotton is one of the first guys to say, ‘I’m not going to play just 12 bar blues anymore. I’m going to play soul music.’ He is one of the pioneers. He masters Sonny Boy, he masters Little Walter, he plays with Muddy [Waters]. I mean, the best credentials in the world — you can’t get better blues cred than that.”
Said Ohlman: “The blues was perhaps America’s first storytelling genre. It has certainly proven to be one of our country’s most enduring — and the legendary James Cotton was one of its masters.”
The lead singer, blues harp player, frontman, and bandleader of The James Montgomery Blues Band, Montgomery has collaborated with a host of star performers and recording artists throughout his remarkable career, a who’s who of musicians that includes Johnny Winter, Mick Jagger, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Tyler, and B.B. King. In addition, Montgomery has toured with the Allman Brothers Band, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raiit, the J. Geils Band, the Steve Miller Band, and more.
Together, the James Montgomery Blues band has recorded 12 albums, with Montgomery recording three more solo records. Past and current band members include Billy Squier, Wayne Kramer, Jeff Golub, Jim McCarty, Nunzio Signore, Steve Strout, Jeff Pevar, Bobby Chouinard, Ted Nugent, Jeff Levine, Tom Gambel, George McCann, and David Hull.
Ohlman, nicknamed the Beehive Queen for her towering blond hairdo, has been a featured vocalist with the SNL Band for 34 years, appearing on the 25th, 40th, and 50th Anniversary SNL telecasts. She has also been a regular guest and host at the Library’s annual VersoFest music and media celebration, including serving as host for this year’s oral history podcast with Paul Shaffer.
Dedication to preserving the soul in rock n’ roll has been the hallmark of Ohlman’s work. In total, her band, Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez, has released six albums to date: The Hard Way (1996), Radio Queen (1997), Wicked Time (2000), Strip (2003), Re-Hive (2008), and The Deep End (2010).
