The term "living legend" fits Buddy Guy as accurately as anyone. A leader of Chicago's West Side blues school (as distinct from South Side blues), Guy began recording in the 1950s and has never stopped. Still, "Damn Right I've Got the Blues," released in 1991, somehow felt like a comeback, with a rejuvenated band, a fresh set of songs and nary a cliche. While a few of the releases that followed tried too hard to reach a broader audience, last year's "Sweet Tea" found him returning to a rootsier sound. On stage, Guy has boundless energy, reeling off chorus after chorus of explosive solos.
Vaughan (older brother of Stevie Ray) formed the Fabulous Thunderbirds in Austin, Texas, in the late '70s. The band took urban blues down to its gutbucket essentials for a rock-and-rolling sound. Their raucous live shows packed countless roadhouses, college clubs and blues joints during the '80s. Vaughan eventually left the Thunderbirds to pursue his own guitar playing and recordings with B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana and little brother Stevie Ray (check out "Family Style" for string-bending sibling rivalry at its finest). His release of last year, "Do You Get the Blues?," drips with atmosphere, slinky organ work and crisp blues guitar, earning him a Grammy for best traditional blues.
Peter Green, the third headliner, was an original member of Fleetwood Mac. One of the most respected rock guitarists in the late '60s and early '70s, his career hit a long list of snags and digressions. In the past few years, though, he has recorded the entire work of master acoustic bluesman Robert Johnson in a reverent exploration of the spirit of the blues. He just might throw in the carnival's most exciting moments.