Popular bluesman highlights free Seaside concert series.

Every summer the city of Seaside transforms Laguna Grande Park into a rocking concert venue with its popular Blues in the Park series, which began last week and runs every Sunday until Aug 7. This week, local favorites Rollin’ and Tumblin’ open the festivities. The five-piece group was the overwhelming crowd favorite of all players at First Friday in Pacific Grove earlier this month, as they scorched the outdoor blacktop patio of the 17th Street Grill on Lighthouse, ultimately creating a full-on dancin’ in the street scene. The band’s name comes from the 1929 Delta blues masterpiece by Hambone Willie Newbern, one of the most frequently recorded blues tunes of all time, prominently covered by Muddy Waters, but also reimagined by such rock royalty as Cream, Jeff Beck, Clapton and Bob Dylan.

Headlining this Sunday is ace blues guitarist Chris Cain, who has been a perennial fixture of the Bay Area blues scene for decades now. The self-taught San Jose-bred player’s ears were steeped in the blues from the very beginning.

“When I was a kid,” Cain says, “my dad would be mowing the lawn with the stereo blasting. There was always music playing at our house – Muddy Waters, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, all the blues greats.”

After studying and teaching jazz at San Jose City College, Cain mastered piano and bass, along with clarinet and alto and tenor sax. The combination of his bluesy upbringing and these advanced jazz studies cemented a guitar and vocal style that is unique and crowd-pleasing.

The soiree begins every Sunday at 1pm, and in addition to the free music, there are arts and crafts vendors and food for sale. Concert organizers invite guests to bring chairs or blankets, with the reminder that no dogs or alcohol are allowed in the park.

ROLLIN’ AND TUMBLIN’ and CHRIS CAIN 1-4:30pm Sunday, July 17. Blues in the Park, Laguna Grande Park, 1249 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Seaside. Free. 899-6800.