NORWICH – For all intents and purposes, the 14th Annual Chenango County Blues Festival will begin next week when their free and open summer concert series leads-off in downtown’s West Park with Ithaca’s own J-san and The Analogue Sons.

The official two-day festival, featuring numerous renowned blues musicians, doesn’t takes place until August. But continuing with their mission to “foster an appreciation of uniquely American music forms,” the Chenango Blues Association just couldn’t wait that long.

For three consecutive Thursdays beginning July 20, outstanding musicians as diverse as America itself will be chasing the night air with sounds from the cultures and intricate life histories that have inspired their varying styles.