Haberdashery's night of blues promises to encapsulate the party atmosphere of a Delta juke joint, the sonic intensity of a South Side club, and the world-class musicianship of road-tested veteran artists. With the same spirited whirlwind of exuberance typified by the holiday season, Sumlin and Johansen, backed by New Jersey's own award-winning blues guitarist Billy Hector (and his band), will stage an unforgettable night of sizzling, uplifting electric blues. Trenton 's Paul Plumeri and Joe Zook will kick-off the night at 8pm with an acoustic blues set.

Haberdashery's blues debut couldn't be more timely and festive: this holiday-season performance comes on the heels of Sumlin's 77th birthday � a celebratory musical event that's certain to endear fans and admirers alike to Sumlin's penchant for extemporaneous musical composition, fan-friendly persona, personal determination, and boyish grin.

Sumlin, one of the genuine sweethearts of the blues community, spent a quarter of a century ripping his searing, idiosyncratic and plectrum-less solos under the auspices of his mentor and musical complement, Howlin' Wolf, which have inspired a gaggle of guitar gods -- everyone from Eric Clapton and Frank Zappa to Jimi Hendrix, Jack White, Peter Green, Carlos Santana, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page, Stevie Ray Vaughan and countless others. Throughout his career, Sumlin has shared recording studios and stages with such blues and rock 'n' roll luminaries as Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Les Paul, Jimmy Reed, Sunnyland Slim, "Pinetop" Perkins, Eddie Taylor, and James Cotton.

Today, Sumlin is experiencing much-deserved critical recognition and solo success, a condition in part sparked by the release of his 2005 record About Them Shoes, his winning of a 2008 Blues Foundation's Blues Music Award, and his continued ability to soldier on in the wake of cancer surgery, which has left him with only one lung. As Sumlin is fond of saying, "I ain't through yet."

Musical master chameleon and Ray-Ban-donning Johansen, whose creative vision has helped to shape and create influential acts such as Buster Poindexter and New York Dolls (not to mention his own critically acclaimed solo career), has appeared on the big and small screens in feature films including Scrooged, Freejack (with Mick Jagger), Married to the Mob, and Tales from the Darkside: The Movie and as a vocalist for SNL's house band. With Sumlin by his side, Johansen, in Wolf-esque sandpapery voice, will soulfully and successfully interpret timeless blues.

Blues aficionados and casual fans alike are anticipating a delicious Cajun-spiced menu and great music to match the buzz Haberdashery is generating. Tickets, priced sensibly at just $49, are an invitation to a glorious evening of great entertainment, including an evening of blues and the above-mentioned dinner. Music only entry after 8pm is also available at $29.50.

Haberdashery, an exciting milestone in Trenton's ongoing revitalization effort to feature original American musical artforms in New Jersey's capitol, heralds a dazzling new chapter in and further fortifies the cultural refinement of the state's rich jazz history, which runs the gamut from famous home-grown personalities (such as Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Cozy Cole, Joe Pass, and Sarah Vaughan, among others) to thriving nightclubs dotting all points from Newark to the Atlantic City Pier.

For tickets call The Patriots Theater Box Office at (609) 984-8400 or online at thewarmemorial.com or tickets.com (800) 955-5566.

Patriots Theater At The War Memorial
George Washington Ballroom
1 Memorial Drive
Trenton , NJ 08608