<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>HOWDY Y'ALL... AND NOW THE NEWS FROM CAT HEAD DELTA BLUES & FOLK ART IN HISTORIC CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI!</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">(PHOTO: "M for Mississippi" goes to Norway - Jeff Konkel, LC Ulmer, Robert Belfour, Kari Jones and yours truly, Roger Stolle at wonderful Notodden Blues Fest recently.)
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<br />Welcome to another sporadic edition of the CAT HEAD UPDATE e-newsletter, coming at you live from the Mississippi Delta. As always, there's plenty to report about recent and future blues, Cat Head and Mississippi happenings.
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<br />First off, some THANKS from the bottom of my heart:
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<br />- Thanks to the wonderful organizers and amazing volunteers who made our recent "M for Mississippi Revue" to the Notodden Norway Blues Festival possible. How those young female volunteers put up with those old men making constant passes at them, I'll never know! (Not me or Jeff... but rather T-Model, LC and Mr. Belfour!!)
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<br />- Thanks to the faithful organizers and volunteers of the annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival held last month in Clarksdale; great job as always, friends. Please keep up the important work.
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<br />- Thanks to all of the friends and customers who made the 7th Anniversary of Cat Head in Clarksdale such a fantastic celebration during Sunflower weekend. (That includes a special thank you to Mark Camarigg and Brett Bonner at Living Blues magazine for those freebie giveways... as well as another extra special thanks to Chris Kruse for painting the anniversary poster and Chuck Lamb for photographing it...)
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<br />- And finally, thanks to the organizers of the "Delta Dialogue" event last Friday in Greenville, MS; thanks for asking me to be a presenter on the "Heritage Tourism" panel. I enjoyed it.
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<br />On to other news... Sadly, there has been way too much of a need for blues benefits and artist fundraising lately. Hopefully, things will get better soon in that arena, but please read on below about how you can make a difference by helping out while the need exists. Thanks.
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<br />Finally, just a reminder to blues fans and musicians everywhere that your new Delta home (or home away from home) still awaits you in Clarksdale, Mississippi, and now it will cost you even less. That's right, the house I have for sale near our bluestoric downtown is receiving my own "economic stimulous" plan -- a nice markdown that gets it into the 70s price range. See for yourself below. It is a cool, craftsman-style home and plenty comfortable (just ask my bluesmen friends who've stayed here... from T-Model Ford and LC Ulmer to Gearshifter and Paul Geremia!).
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<br />Happy blues travelings,
<br />Roger Stolle at Cat Head
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<br />PS - Recent "Happy Birthdays" go out to a couple truly amazing bluesmen -- Mr. LC Ulmer (81 years young) and Robert "Wolfman" Belfour (69 years young)! Also, thanks to Red Paden at Red's Lounge for throwing some nice little birthday parties for both Mr. Belfour ... and Mudpuppy Recordings' Kari Jones (who's also my favorite super-cute girl).</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.cathead.biz" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">VISIT THE OFFICIAL "CAT HEAD" WEB SITE (click here).</a></font></p>
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<a name=article_2></a><a href="http://www.cathead.biz/livemusic.html"><img src="http://img.mynewsletterbuilder.com/userdata/rogerstolle/images/abhflogo300.jpg" hspace="4" border="0" align="left"></a>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>DELTA BLUES FESTIVALS CONTINUE! NEXT UP... HELENA, ARKANSAS!</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">BLUES FESTIVAL SEASON ISN'T OVER YET IN THE DELTA... PLAN NOW TO ATTEND... AND VISIT CAT HEAD WHEN Y'ALL COME THRU!
<br />Last month, Clarksdale celebrated its umpteenth Sunflower River Blues Festival, yesterday Greenville held its annual MS Delta Blues & Heritage Fest (see article below), and in-between, folks in West Point and other regional towns have held true-blue festivals... But... That's not all. There are still some stellar events to come. Come on down to the Delta and enjoy 'em for yourself!
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<br />IN HELENA, ARKANSAS...
<br />10/8-10 - Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival (formerly King Biscuit) - Historically, it's perhaps the biggest of the Delta area blues fests; it's so big in fact that it fills up all of Clarksdale's hotels (which is why C'dale has so much killer, late night blues all that week/weekend). The festival has been hit hard by economic factors so will charge a small fee this year, but it will be well worth it. You can pre-buy a three-day pass right now at http://www.bluesandheritagefest.com. Here's the Helena 2009 FESTIVAL LINE-UP...
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<br />SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON MAIN STAGE:
<br />Thursday, 8 October 2009
<br /> 12:00 pm- Emerging Artists
<br /> 1:00 pm- Kings of the Delta- 2008 Emerging Artists Winner
<br /> 2:00 pm- Charlotte Taylor and Gypsy Rain
<br /> 3:00 pm- Johnny Billington
<br /> 4:00 pm- J.P Soars & The Red Hots- 2009 International Blues Challenge winners
<br /> 5:00 pm- Lucious Spiller
<br /> 6:00 pm- Sterling Billingsley
<br /> 7:15 pm- Lil Dave Thompson
<br /> 8:50 pm- John Primer
<br /> 10:30 pm- The Cate Brothers
<br />Friday, 9 October 2009
<br /> 12:00 pm- Harmonica Shah
<br /> 1:15 pm- Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys
<br /> 2:35 pm- Sam Carr with Dave Riley
<br /> 4:00 pm- Red Holloway
<br /> 5:30 pm- Hubert Sumlin & Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith Band
<br /> 7:00 pm- Billy Boy Arnold
<br /> 8:45 pm- Michael Burks
<br /> 10:30 pm- Bobby Rush
<br />Saturday, 10 October 2009
<br /> 12:00 pm- Willie P & The NTO Band
<br /> 1:15 pm- Hamilton Loomis
<br /> 2:35 pm- Reba Russell
<br /> 4:05 pm- John Hammond
<br /> 5:40 pm- Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets
<br /> 7:10 pm- Pinetop Perkins & Bob Margolin
<br /> 8:45 pm- Mitch Kasmar
<br /> 10:30 pm- Jackie Payne & Steve Edmonton
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<br />LOCKWOOD-STACKHOUSE STAGE:
<br />Friday, October 9, 2009
<br /> 12:00 pm- Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry
<br /> 1:20 pm- Lil Biscuit Band
<br /> 2:40 pm- Donna Herula
<br /> 4:00 pm- Andy Coats
<br /> 5:30 pm- Arthur Williams
<br /> 7:00 pm- US Army Jazz Band
<br /> 8:30 pm- James ‘Super Chickan’ Johnson
<br /> 10:00 pm- Lonnie Shields
<br />Saturday, October 10, 2009
<br /> 12:00 pm- Vince Cheney
<br /> 1:20 pm- TBA
<br /> 2:40 pm- Robert Belfour
<br /> 4:00 pm- Big Jack Johnson
<br /> 5:30 pm- Spoonfed Blues
<br /> 7:00 pm – Gwen White
<br /> 8:30 pm- Don McMinn
<br /> 10:00 pm- Blind Mississippi Morris
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<br />ALSO DURING FEST WEEKEND but in CLARKSDALE, MS:
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<br />WED-SUN, 10/6-1/10... SEE CLUB AND JUKE JOINT LISTINGS at http://www.cathead.biz/livemusic.html ... BUT NOTE that Big George Brock will be at Hopson, Super Chikan at Ground Zero Blues Club, Big Jack Johnson at Red's Lounge, KM Williams/Washboard Jackson at My Brother's Bar, Bob Stroger & Friends at Tricia's, etc etc -- all in Clarksdale! Amazing real-deal Mississippi blues action like you probably won't see again till Juke Fest next April. Don't miss it all.
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<br />FRI-SAT, 10/8-9 - Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art
<br />Clarksdale, Mississippi - http://www.cathead.biz
<br />- Friday at noon - La La (one-woman blues band)
<br />- Saturday at noon - Sean "Bad" Apple (pre-War/Hill Country blues)
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<br />SUNDAY, 10/10 - Cat Head Mini Blues Fest III
<br />Clarksdale, Mississippi - http://www.cathead.biz
<br />Always fun, always free... starring Big George Brock, Lucious Spiller, Anthony "Big A" Sherrod and more... under tents (rain or shine!) out front of the Cat Head blues store in historic downtown Clarksdale -- just 30 minutes from Helena, AR. Kicks off at 9am. Food available from Big Red on the sidewalk.
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<br />SUNDAY, 10/10 - Pinetop Perkins Homecoming
<br />Hopson Commissary, Clarksdale, Mississippi - http://www.pinetopperkins.com
<br />Annual afternoon/early evening festival honoring bizillion-year-old blues piano legend Pinetop Perkins (who once drove a tractor at Hopson).
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<br />SUNDAY, 10/10 - Annual End-of-Weekend Blues Jam
<br />Red's Lounge, Clarksdale, Mississippi
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<br />A SAMPLING OF OTHER FESTIVALS COMING UP SOON... DON'T MISS 'EM...
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<br />9/26 - Wing Dang Doodle
<br />Gaddis Park Forest, MS - www.forestareachamber.com
<br />Chicken Wing Cooking Contest and Blues Festival - 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Blues by Mr. L. C. Ulmer, and Jimbo Mathus & Tri-State Coalition in afternoon.
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<br />10/16-17 - Tommy Johnson Blues Festival
<br />Crystal Springs, Mississippi - http://www.tommyjohnsonblues.com
<br />Pre-War blues legendTommy Johnson's niece Vera Johnson-Collins organizes this wonderful, annual blues and R&B event.
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<br />10/16-17 - Bukka White Blue Bluff Festival
<br />Aberdeen, Mississippi - http://www.bukkawhitefestival.com
<br />Jimbo Mathus, Kenny Brown, Cedric Burnside/Lightnin Malcolm, Big T, Big Joe Shelton, Terry "Harmonica" Bean, The Electric Mudd, Cadillac John/Bill Abel and more play this tribute to Bukka.
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<br />10/31 - 3rd Annual Hambone Festival
<br />Clarksdale, Mississippi - www.hambonefestival.com
<br />Annual event features blues and roots music out front of Hambone Art Gallery in historic downtown Clarksdale. Small related events Thurs-Sun.
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<br />"DELTA BLUES FESTIVAL" WRAP-UP ARTICLE COURTESY OF DELTA DEMOCRAT TIMES:
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<br />"Blues fans brave gray skies [at Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival]"
<br />By Terry Ferguson Smith terriferguson@ddtonline.com; Saturday, September 19, 2009
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<br />GREENVILLE — Blues fans were undeterred by wet fields and cloudy skies Saturday at the 32nd annual Mississippi Blues and Heritage Festival. Bobby Rush, always popular with blues enthusiasts, enjoyed meeting fans before his concert and said he's always glad to play this festival. "I believe that I'm the only artist that’s headlined this as many times as I have," Rush said. "I believe I've headlined it three of 24 times I’ve been here. I'm like a piece of the furniture in the house. I'm home.” Greenville audiences want to be entertained, but they want the real thing, he said. "You can't fool them, you can't jive them," Rush said. "You either have it or you don"t have it. You're either hot or cold. They either like you or they don't like you." Shirley Stewart of Rolling Fork said this was the second time she attended the blues festival. "Bobby Rush, T.K. Soul, Shirley Brown, all of them," Stewart said, when asked to name her favorites. She and her friend Yvonne Bee, of Greenville, were happy with the acts this year. "I like the original Mississippi Delta-style blues," Bee said. "I'm here to enjoy all the acts." She was particularly glad to see that the event was dedicated to the late Malcolm Walls, who was instrumental in promoting the festival for many years. "He was a very good organizer and a person with a very big heart. He had an actual love for the blues," Bee said. "I was very happy to see this dedication. That made my day." When announcing the dedication, Howard Boutte, CEO of Mississippi Action for Community Education, the sponsoring agency of the festival, said Walls was a "major force in making the blues festival an international event." Several thousand blues fans turned out Saturday for the festival, which was headlined by Bobby Blue Bland and also included Charlie Musselwhite, Homemade Jamz Blues Band, The Kattawar Brothers, John Horton III, Eddie Cusic and Mississippi Slim.
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.cathead.biz/livemusic.html" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">FULL LIST of upcoming blues events in the Delta (CLICK).</a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>BLUESMEN (AND BLUESMEN'S FAMILIES) IN NEED OF YOUR ASSISTANCE, PLEASE.</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">(PHOTO of Ben Wiley Payton courtesy of www.pbase.com. Thanks.)
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<br />1.) BLUESMAN BEN WILEY PAYTON RECOVERY FUND...
<br />Contribute at: Regions Bank, 158 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS 38655; 662-234-4751. Acct 0122636293 Routing 065305436 Wire - ABA 062005690
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<br />2.) WESLEY "JUNEBUG" JEFFERSON MEDICAL/FUNERAL BILLS...
<br />Help family pay at: Sympathies and donations (for medical/funeral expenses) may be sent to Wesley Jefferson's widow - Mrs. Sarah Carr, 737 Maple Street, Clarksdale, MS 38614. Mr. Wesley's long illness has left the family in a challenging financial situation.
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<br />3.) ROBERT "BILBO" WALKER HOME-REBUILDING DONATIONS...
<br />Mr. Walker is hoping to raise funds to rebuild his CA home which burned to the ground recently. Cards and donations may be sent in Walker's name to: Bertha Partee, attn. Robert Walker, 1581 Alan Drive, Clarksdale, MS 38614.
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<br />4.) BIG GEORGE BROCK "BLUES BUS" ENGINE REBUILD...
<br />Big George needs financial assistance to rebuild/replace the blown engine in his tour bus. Send donations to: Big George Brock, 3223 Dodier St., St. Louis, MO 63107.
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<br />5.) MUSICIAN/PRODUCER JIM DICKINSON PASSED AWAY RECENTLY...
<br />From his wife: "If people want to participate in keeping Jim Dickinson's dream alive, they can donate to friendsofjimdickinson@gmail.com through Paypal or mail to: Mary Dickinson, P.O. Box 1015, Coldwater, MS 38618. Visit www.zebraranch.com <http://www.zebraranch.com/ for more information."
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<br />6.) KEEP WILLIE "RIP" BUTLER AND SAM CARR IN YOUR THOUGHTS:
<br />Willie "Rip" Butler is best known as the bassist and a singer in the late Wesley Jefferson's band. Sam Carr is, of course, the legendary Delta blues drummer. Both have spent a little too much time in the hospital recently. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.musicmaker.org" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">ANOTHER blues-supporting organization to donate to... is Music Maker (CLICK).</a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>GENERAL BLUES MUSIC, ART AND (mostly) MISSISSIPPI NEWS</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">(PHOTO: new Duck CD with photo by Lou Bopp; info below.)
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<br />CD RELEASE PARTY FOR NEW JIMMY "DUCK" HOLMES CD:
<br />Event: Release Party for new Jimmy "Duck" Holmes CD!
<br />Host: Jeff Konkel (Broke & Hungry Records), www.brokeandhungryrecords.com
<br />Time/place: Thursday, October 8 at 9pm at Red's Lounge in Clarksdale, Mississippi.
<br />To see more details and RSVP, follow the Facebooke link below: http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=134338841821&mid=1135b4bG27d4c555G6bc5848G7
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<br />PHOTOGRAPHER LOU BOPP POSTS DELTA BLUES VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE (thx Lou):
<br />If you aren't familiar with Lou's fabulous photo work, go to http://www.loubopp.com/#a=0&at=0&mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=0&p=10
<br />Then, when you have a sec, check out his casual videos featuring blues favs like LC Ulmer, Mr. Johnnie Billington, Bill Abel and others (interviews and some music, etc.) at http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=photobopp#play/ . ALSO, be sure to check out Lou's killer Jimmy "Duck" Holmes photos featured in the new Broke & Hungry Records' Jimmy "Duck" Holmes CD release at http://www.brokeandhungryrecords.com; view the cover photo above. (We're also getting early release copies of the new Duck CD at Cat Head later this week!)
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<br />READ CAT HEAD'S "DOWN IN THE DELTA" COLUMN ON BLIND MISSISSIPPI MORRIS:
<br />Clarksdale-born, Memphis-livin' bluesman Blind Mississippi Morris has a new web site at http://www.mojoartist.com/artists.php, and on it, there is a PDF reproduction of my column featuring his story in Blues Revue magazine. Read it at http://www.mojoartist.com/bmm/Blues%20Revue%20Issue%20114%20Interview.pdf . (If you like it, please consider subscribing to Blues Revue magazine to read my "Down in the Delta" column in every issue -- http://www.bluesrevue.com .)
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<br />BAREFOOT WORKSHOPS RETURNS TO CLARKSDALE, MS, THIS WEEK:
<br />Chandler Griffin and crew will with with a group of filmmakers and students to teach moviemaking and capture the Mississippi Delta yet again for the ages -- September 20th - October 3rd, 2009. "This workshop is designed for new documentary filmmakers who want to launch a career in film and television documentaries, or for those with previous experience who are looking to expand their skills. Producers, cinematographers, editors, and writers with narrative experience who are considering working in non-fiction filmmaking are also encouraged to enroll." Read more about it or see some clips of past work at http://www.barefootworkshops.org
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<br />TRICIA'S OPENS WITH BLUES AND ITALIAN FOOD IN CLARKSDALE:
<br />Earlier this month, Steve Kolbus and his lovely wife Tricia opened Tricia's Italian Restaurant on Yazoo Avenue in historic downtown Clarksdale, Mississippi. In addition to tasty Italian food and award-winning pies, Tricia's also books in real-deal blues each weekend. Steve actually started booking blues back in July -- including Little Pink Anderson, Bilbo Walker, Big T, Big A, Stan Street and more. On the same night a week ago, the roster included Bilbo, Big T, TCB, Little Pink and even the legendary "Oil Man"... Big Jack Johnson -- all together! They plan special blues music during the upcoming festival in nearby Helena as well.
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<br />CLARKSDALE'S DELTA BLUES MUSEUM TO CELEBRATE "MUSEUM DAY" (thx Shelley 2):
<br />On Saturday, September 26, the Delta Blues Museum will participate in the fifth annual Museum Day, sponsored by Smithsonian magazine. On that day, visitors who have a Museum Day Admission Card will be admitted free. The card can be downloaded from the Smithsonian Magazine website www.smithsonian.com/museumday and in the September 2009 issue of Smithsonian. Each card provides admission for two visitors. Established in 1979, the Delta Blues Museum is Mississippi's oldest music museum. Among the many artifacts on display are guitars formerly played by John Lee Hooker, B. B. King, Jimmie Burns, James 'Son' Thomas and many early Stella guitars, the likes of which were favored by classic Delta blues musicians Charley Patton, Willie Brown, Skip James and a host of others. The Muddy Waters' cabin from Stovall Plantation is also on display as well as the Muddywood Guitar, crafted from a plank from the cabin for use by the famed rock group ZZTop. Numerous other blues artists are featured with instruments, performance attire, and photographs. For more information about the Delta Blues Museum or Museum Day, call 662-627-6820. To learn more about the Delta Blues Museum, visit the website www.deltabluesmuseum.org. The Delta Blues Museum is located in downtown Clarksdale in the historic railroad freight depot at #1 Blues Alley. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and by appointment.
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<br />CANADA'S "REAL BLUES" MAGAZINE LISTS TOP 100 BLUES CDs:
<br />Within the top 15 are several Mississippi Delta-connected releases including both CD soundtrack from the blues movie "M for Mississippi" (featuring the late Wesley "Junebug" Jefferson, 89-year-old T-Model Ford and others), the new Pat Thomas CD ("His Father's Son") and Big George Brock's "Live at Seventy Five" (recorded at Clarksdale's Ground Zero Blues Club). Further on down the list are other Delta favs like Super Chikan, T-Model Ford and others (even more Big George!). More info at: http://www.realbluesmagazine.com
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<br />HAL REED RETURNS TO MISSISSIPPI; PLAYS GZBC:
<br />Check out singer/harp player (relative of Lucious Smith) Hal Reed playing at Ground Zero Blues Club last Friday night with Sean "Bad" Apple and company. (Nice "cat Head" caps on everybody, by the way!) Thanks to Will for the video link at http://www.youtube.com/johnnyelgato#play/uploads/0/EaQeUgvp8TY
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<br />GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB LIVE MUSIC FEEDS (via GZBCmusic):
<br />"Please help spread the word to your local musicians, societies and blues lovers... ****FREE LIVE FEEDS**** are every We-Sa 8-12 pm Stay tuned for the great blues JAMS from the great musicians from around the world at Clarksdale. We will also be having live drawings in the near future for LIVE FEED MEMBERS.... http://www.groundzerobluesclubmusic.com/ 1st step in helping keep the blues alive Till the Last Note Lonnie, Lon@GroundZeroBluesClubMusic.com"
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<br />NEW "LUCKY TO BE LIVING" CD OUT BY DAVE RILEY & BOB CORRITORRE:
<br />Dave Riley and Bob Corritore’s sophomore album, Lucky To Be Living, is a natural progression of the duo's five-year musical and personal relationship that developed out of the Deep South. CD RELEASE PARTY... Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 3 p.m. Delta Cultural Center, 141 Cherry St, Helena, AR 72342, www.deltaculturalcenter.com, 870.338.4350. Show in conjunction with the Arkansas Blues and Heritage festival.
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<br />FOX 13 NEWS VISITS CAT HEAD FOR STORY ON SAM COOKE; FESTIVAL:
<br />Check out this TV news segment out of Memphis. They were covering the Sam Cooke tribute during the Sunflower River Blues Fest last month when they dropped by Cat Head. http://www.myfoxmemphis.com/dpp/news/tennessee/080709_Sam_Cooke_Honored_at_Clarksdale_Festival
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<br />RECENTLY, "JUS BLUES MUSIC AWARDS" HELD IN MEMPHIS, TN:
<br />From Jus Blues Music newsletter:
<br />Memphis, Home of the Blues and the Birthplace of Rock & Roll has hosted another spectacular music special event. Blues & Soul music celebrities, executives and fans came together to network and celebrate the accomplishments of their peers at this year's Jus Blues Music Awards Show. The night was celebrated by Denise LaSalle (Jus' Blues & Soul Female Artist of the Year) and Latimore (Jus' Blues & Soul Male Artist of the Year). The Jus Blues Music Blues & Soul Male & Female awards categories were presented by Chuck D of Public Enemy. There were many great performances from artists like Lonnie Brooks, Donnie Ray, Bobbye "Doll" Johnson, Betty Padgett, Wilson Meadows, Otis Clay, Tyree Neal, and a special performance by one of our big winners Ms. Karen Wolfe who took home the Southern Soul Artist & Southern Soul Song Performance of the Year. http://www.jusbluesmusicfoundation.org
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<br />NICE PHOTOS FROM "CLARKSDALE CARAVAN MUSIC FEST" ON FACEBOOK:
<br />Via Tim Burge (via Theo Dasbach): http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2032275&id=1312497938
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<br />EARLY BLUES LEGEND TOMMY JOHNSON STILL LACKS PROPER HEADSTONE AT GRAVE SITE:
<br />The Mount Zion Memorial Fund's Skip Henderson informs us that the Tommy Johnson headstone generously paid for by Bonnie Raitt in 2001 is still in the Crystal Springs, MS, library and not at Johnson's grave site due to issues with the Copiah County Board of Supervisors and county attorney's refusal to "let family members enter the appropriated Warm Springs Methodist Cemetery to place the headstone on Johnson's grave." Henderson adds that, "Any assistance in the effort to place Tommy Johnson's headstone on his grave will be greatly appreciated."
<br />PLEASE CONTACT: The Mount Zion Memorial Fund (501c3), p.o. box 3872, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70117-3872. COMMENTS CAN ALSO BE DIRECTED TO: Elise Munn / Atty. Board of Supervisors, 100 West Gallatin Street, Hazlehurst, Ms 39083, 601-894-2202.
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<br />INFO ON A JACKSON, MS, ARTS COLLECTIVE (thx Ron):
<br />What: Autumn Blues Festival
<br />Where: 930 Blues Cafe (street will be closed off)
<br />When: Oct. 3 1:00-9:00
<br />There will be only 10 spaces open for artists or craftsmen--audience will be very blues oriented. The Jackson State vs. Southern game is that weekend and the alumni groups of both schools are pushing this event, so attendance should be big. Booth space is free. 601-594-8997 or 504-905-6565.
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<br />FERRIDAY, LOUISIANA, "SONG FEST" EVENT (thx Tommy):
<br />2009 Ferriday SongFest. All-day education workshop with host Tommy Polk (Clarksdale-native, Nashville songwriter). $20. Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 9am-5pm in downtown Ferriday, Louisiana, at the Arcade Theater. To take part call 601-431-6665 or email tommypolk@ferridaysongfest.com
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<br />BLUES NEWS LINK FROM CAT HEAD CUSTOMER MIKE LUCAS:
<br />"Thought you might like to see the article in Charleston Gazette on Super Chikan, Hubert and others." http://www.wvgazette.com/Entertainment/200909090238?page=2&build=cache
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<br />FILMMAKER ROBERT MUGGE MOVES; PLUS MUGGE MOVIE UPDATES:
<br />"Deep Blues" and "Last of the Mississippi Jukes" filmmaker Bob Mugge has been named the Edmund F. & Virginia B. Ball Endowed Chair in Telecommunications at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. "I'll be teaching documentary filmmaking while continuing to work on my own music-related films," he says. His "Deep Sea Blues" (blues cruise) film plus bonus performances will be released on DVD by Micro Werks (a division of Shout! Factory) on October 6th. Mugge will also be showing films at Chris Thomas King's Blues Symposium in Baton Rouge, LA Oct. 11 through 13.
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<br />HENRY TOWNSEND BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE (thx Mary Beth):
<br />Henry Townsend's 100th Birthday and Memorial Celebration, "Celebrating the Life and Career of one of The Late Great Grammy Winning Delta Bluesman." This event is planned to start at 8:00 pm on Oct 27, 2009 at BB'S Jazz, Blues, And Soups in St. Louis, MO. (CAT HEAD NOTE: Man oh man... I used to love to go to Henry "Mule" Townsend's birthday bashes at BB's in St. Louis when I lived there. Of course, Mr. Townsend passed on a couple years back just shy of his 97th birthday (essentially on the way to a gig!), so he won't be at this event in-person. Still, I'm sure he'll be there in spirit. If you aren't familiar with Townsend's music, go to YouTube.com and search it out...)
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<br />NEW "OXFORD AMERICAN" MAG ISSUE AVAILABLE (via web or at Cat Head, by the by):
<br />It's their (oddly enough) 'first-ever issue on Southern Lit'! Some articles from the new issue are available for FREE at http://www.oxfordamerican.org.
<br />
<br />CNN.com STORY ON ABE'S BBQ, RACISM AND BLUES (thx Shelley 2):
<br />"Pat Davis was just 10 years old when two black men came into his father's barbecue joint in the heart of the Mississippi Delta in 1947. A huge fuss ensued, with four racists shouting every name in the book..." Full story at http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/09/04/mississippi.lebanese/index.html
<br />
<br />OXFORD, MS, BLUES SCHOLAR SCOTT BARRETTA HOSTS "MISS. ARTS HOUR":
<br />Larry Morrissey and others host a wonderful Mississippi Public Broadcasting radio show every week called the "Mississippi Arts Hour." Recently Scott Barretta was a guest host, and his show as well as others can be heard via podcast at http://www.arts.state.ms.us/podcast or subscribe to the weekly "Arts Hour" podcast through iTunes.
<br />
<br />INDIANOLA, MS, BLUES CHALLENGE IS COMING; SIGN UP NOW (thx Janet):
<br />"It is time for bands to start signing up for our Challenge. Please pass the word… The date is Saturday, October 24th. All the info and entry forms are on our website… www.indianolablues.org (IBC info: www.blues.org/ibc). If a band or duo has a young person who is eligible for the Youth Showcase, we will sign this young person up to participate, if desired." -- Janet Webb
<br />
<br />"2009 BLUES BLAST MUSIC AWARDS" COMING IN OCTOBER:
<br />Where: Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60605, 312.427.1190
<br />When: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 7:00 p.m. (Doors 6:00 p.m.)
<br />Tickets: $25 and are available online at http://www.thebluesblast.com/.
<br />Contact Information: Bob Kieser (309) 267-4425 or info@illinoisblues.com
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.highway61radio.org" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">OTHER BLUES INFO and a great radio show on HWY 61 RADIO BLOG (click).</a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>BLUES NEWS EXCERPTS COURTESY BLUESWAX.COM</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">BLUES TRAIL MARKERS CONTINUE IN MISSISSIPPI:
<br />Papa Lightfoot Honored with Mississippi Blues Trail Marker: George "Papa" Lightfoot became the latest Mississippi native to be honored with state Blues Trail Marker. On Friday, September 4, 2009, the State of Mississippi held the unveiling ceremony in his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi at Jack Waite Park on McCabe. The Mississippi Blues Trail eventually will be composed of more than one hundred and twenty historical markers and interpretive sites located throughout the state and will continue to be developed in phases as funding becomes available. Phase 1 of the Trail consists of nine markers that were funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The second and third phases are being funded by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration. Additional support for each marker has been provided by the Mississippi Development Authority/Tourism Division, Delta State University, and local communities. Other marker sites include or will include honors for B.B. King, Big Joe Williams, Big Walter Horton, Bo Diddley, Bobby Rush, HoneyBoy Edwards, Howlin' Wolf, Jimmie Rodgers, Robrt Johnson, Jimmy Reed, Son House, and Robert Nighthawk.
<br />
<br />"M FOR MISSISSIPPI FILM" DEBUTS ON GULF COAST:
<br />An award-winning film celebrating the raw, raucous spirit of Mississippi's surviving Blues scene will have its Mississippi Gulf Coast premiere at The Mary C O'Keefe Cultural Center of Arts and Education, 1600 Government St., Ocean Springs, Mississippi 39564 on Saturday, September 26 from 7:30 to 11:00 p.m. The film, M for Mississippi: A Road Trip through the Birthplace of the Blues, takes audiences through the heart of Mississippi's current Blues scene - from cotton fields to juke joints. Following two self-proclaimed Blues fanatics, Jeff Konkel and Roger Stolle, on a week-long road trip across the state, M for Mississippi explores the thriving underbelly of an American art form in the land where it began. Visit the event page at http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/4410115/?invitation=c8c922e460
<br />
<br />BLUES FEST IN HELENA, ARKANSAS, EXPECTS 65,000 ATTENDEES:
<br />Formerly known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival, The Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival was founded in 1986. This year¡¦s event, the festival's 24th anniversary, will be held in historic downtown Helena, Arkansas. ABHF officials have projected attendance figures for this year of around 65,000.
<br />Formerly a free festival, this year¡¦s main stage tickets will cost $5 a day and $10 for a three-day pass. All other stages and areas of the festival, including vendors, will be open to the general public.
<br />Tickets are available for presale online and in Food Giant and Tobacco Warehouse stores starting September 10. For more information, please contact the festival office at 870.338.6583 or 314.580.3764.
<br />
<br />LELAND, MISSISSIPPI BLUESMAN CRACKS TOP 3 ON XM RADIO'S BLUESVILLE:
<br />Bill Wax listed Leland, Mississippi bluesman/folk artist Pat Thomas at number 3 recently... for Pat's wonderful new, country blues CD, "His Father's Son" on the Broke & Hungry Records label. (CAT HEAD NOTE: Ok. Full disclosure. I'm a huge fan of Pat Thomas and Broke & Hungry Records. I was also lucky enough to help a little with this production. Those disclosures aside, this is one of my absolute favorite blues releases of 2009. It is simple, sweet and totally real-deal. I first met Pat in the late 1990s and have waited for this record ever since. Pat may be 'his father's son,' but he also adds a lot of his own crazy-self to the picture. If acoustic, Mississippi blues is your thing, don't miss this below-the-radar gem of an album. -- Roger at Cat Head)
<br />
<br />"DEEP SEA BLUES" DVD SET TO RELEASE:
<br />Deep Sea Blues, documentary filmmaker Robert Mugge’s two-hour portrait of Roger Naber’s January 2007 Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise to the Caribbean (nowadays considered to be the true 'Woodstock of the Waves') captured many of the seventy performances by fourteen artists. The festival featured Blues performers Bobby Rush, Buckwheat Zydeco, Tab Benoit, Tommy Castro, Otis Clay, Taj Mahal, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Commander Cody band, Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials, Michael Burks, Deanna Bogurt, Ruthie Foster, Phantom Blues Band, Joey Gilmore, Mel Waiters, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Watermelon Slim, Mitch Woods, Earl Thomas, Leon Blue and Tasha Taylor. The commercial DVD of Mugge's film is set for release October 6, 2009.
<br />
<br />GUITAR LEGEND LES PAUL PASSES AT 94 YEARS OLD:
<br />"Les Paul, guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away Thursday, August 13, from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plain, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He was 94. Paul was one of the foremost influences on twentieth century sound and responsible for the Les Paul model guitar. His career in music and invention extended from the 1930s to the present. Although one of America's most popular, influential, and accomplished electric guitarists, Les Paul is best known as an early innovator in the development of the solid body guitar. His design was the template for Gibson's best-selling electric, the Les Paul model, introduced in 1952. Paul's other contributions in the technological realm, include developments in multi-track recording, guitar effects, and the mechanics of sound in general. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Les Paul Foundation, 236 West 30th Street, 7th Floor, New York, New York 10001." (CAT HEAD NOTE: Sad, sad news from back in August. Les Paul was a personal favorite, and a trip to New York City was never complete without a Monday night visit to the Iridium where Les held court every week. Besides recording in the jazz, blues, country, and pop music realms, Les was -- as you see above -- quite the inventor and innovator. He was also a charismatic performer in the burlesque-meets-medicine-show tradition! His quirky humor extended not just to his often archaic jokes but to his sometimes laugh-inducing guitar lines as well. He also had draw-dropping guitar licks, of course, but I mostly preferred the ones that made ya smile. One of the greats has left the building, and he will be truly missed.)
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.blueswax.com" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">FOR EVEN MORE blues news, go to BluesWax.com today (CLICK).</a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>"M FOR MISSISSIPPI" UPDATES: INTERNATIONAL SCREENINGS, 2ND SOUNDTRACK CD, MORE AWARDS!</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">"M FOR M" RECEIVES TWO "LIVING BLUES AWARDS" (DVD OF THE YEAR):
<br />Thanks to both the Living Blues magazine critics and its readership for recognizing "M for Mississippi" with two Living Blues Awards. We certainly appreciate it and share these honors with the true stars of the film -- the bluesmen and juke joint owners. Full list of winners at http://www.livingblues.com.
<br />
<br />"M FOR M" MOVIE TO SCREEN IN OCEAN SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI:
<br />Sat, Sept 26th - Public screening of the Blues Music Award-winning "M for Mississippi: A Road Trip through the Birthplace of the Blues" film at the Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center in Ocean Springs, MS. 7:30pm showtime. Info at themaryc.org or 228.818.2878. Also - http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/4410115
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<br />"M FOR M" CHOSEN FOR FILM FESTIVAL IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA:
<br />Blues fans in the Atlanta area take note! "M for Mississippi" will be featured in the Peachtree Village International Film Festival (Woodruff Arts Center & Underground Atlanta) on Sun., Sept. 27th at 3pm. Details at http://www.pviff.com
<br />
<br />"M FOR M" MOVIE FEATURED AT "ALAN LOMAX TRIBUTE" IN BELGIUM:
<br />Oct. 21st and 23rd - Screening as part of Alan Lomax Tribute that includes the films "Land Where Blues Began" and "Genghis Blues." http://www.abconcerts.be/en/alan-lomax-cinematek
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<br />"M FOR MISSISSIPPI REVUE" RETURNS FROM NORWAY FESTIVAL:
<br />Jeff Konkel (Broke & Hungry Records), Kari Jones (Mudpuppy Recordings) and me (Roger at Cat Head) presented the movie as well as three of its stars -- T-Model Ford, LC Ulmer and Robert Belfour -- at the Notodden Blues Festival recently to fantastic audiences and an excellent response. My favorite memory is probably the first nighttime performance by the trio of "M for M" blues characters... when T-Model, LC and Belfour all battled it out from the stage to impress the young female volunteers who were charged with transporting them, etc. It was like school kids on a playground -- the boasting, bragging and showmanship. Lots of fun from 237 combined years of bluesmen!
<br />
<br />2ND "M FOR MISSISSIPPI" MOVIE SOUNDTRACK CD AVAILABLE:
<br />If you don't yet have it, you may want to pick up "More Music from the Motion Picture" -- the second and final CD soundtrack from "M FOR M." For that matter, if you don't have 'em yet, you still may want to pick up the original, award-winning DVD movie and first, highly-acclaimed CD soundtrack. They make great birthday or Christmas gifts for fans of blues and Mississippi, by the way. Order any one of them or all of them at http://www.mformississippi.com. (Or, call or drop by Cat Head!)</font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.mformississippi.com" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">BUY "M for Mississippi" DVD or CD soundtracks (CLICK HERE).</a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE E-NEWSLETTER EXCERPTS</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">- FOR BLUES NEWS UPDATES, subscribe to the Blues Festival Guide e-newsletter by going to their web site at http://www.bluesfestivalguide.com
<br />
<br />ON THE ROAD WITH CHERYL AND TOM... IN MISSISSIPPI:
<br />This week we're still in Mississippi… Once there it's hard to leave! From live music to museums, there is so much going on – and NEVER enough time! Our week in the Mississippi Delta included visits to the B.B. King Blues Museum in Indianola and the Highway 61 Blues Museum in Leland, and a visit with Shelly Ritter from the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. Each museum offers its unique slant on the rich culture of blues music, and all are musts for blues lovers visiting the area. We capped our week in the Delta with live music by Delta native Robert 'Bilbo' Walker at Ground Zero Blues Club and at Red's Lounge for a 69th birthday party for northeast Mississippi native Robert Belfour, who played for his party guests. Saturday was spent at the 18th Annual Mississippi Gulf Coast Blues & Heritage Festival in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where the music was concentrated toward the 'Southern' (soul) end of blues and the food emphasized local Gulf fare such as huge boiled shrimp. ... A special treat on the way back from the Gulf was a side trip to the Howlin' Wolf Blues Museum located in West Point in eastern Mississippi, only a few miles down the road from Wolf's birthplace of White Station. The museum is sponsored by the Howlin Wolf Blues Society and bears the fruit of the labors of the society's Program Director/Vice President, Richard Ramsey. Richard is a West Point native who can remember selling Howlin Wolf (Chester Burnett) hunting licenses and supplies at his dad's hardware store as a kid. ... Back on the blues highway, Cheryl & Tom
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<br />DICK WATERMAN PHOTOGRAPHY ROLLS OUT NEW WEBSITE:
<br />Dick Waterman's newly updated website will offer a glimpse into the vast catalog that Oxford, Mississippi-resident Waterman has created in his over 45 years of photographing music legends. This site will be growing quickly with the addition of some new and old photos each week. The gallery will also be growing into a store where you can order prints, books and t-shirts. So sit back, turn on some music and take a click through Waterman's virtual gallery. Go to: http://www.dickwaterman.com
<br />
<br />BUDDY GUY'S LEGENDS (CHICAGO BLUES CLUB) TO MOVE:
<br />Buddy Guy's Legends is moving up the block from its present South Loop location at 754 S. Wabash to 700 S. Wabash, a building that housed the jazz and world music club HotHouse until mid-2007. Renovation is under way on the two-story building, which more recently was used by Kinko's and an art supplies store.
<br />
<br />NEW BOOK ON ST. LOUIS BLUES HISTORY BY KEVIN BELFORD:
<br />St. Louis artist and author Kevin Belford, who has made local musicians a frequent subject of his work over the course of his career, has a new book coming out that chronicles St. Louis blues musicians of the 1920s and 1930s. Issued by St. Louis-based Virginia Publishing, Devil at the Confluence: The Pre-War Blues Music of St. Louis is a coffee-table book recounting the stories and songs of legends including Peetie Wheatstraw, Henry Townsend, St. Louis Bessie and many other pre-World War II era performers. The product of years of research, the book is illustrated with Belford's original paintings, plus vintage photographs and other material he unearthed during his digging. As a bonus, there's also an accompanying CD of rare recordings of St. Louis blues legends, produced by former St. Louisan Bob Koester's label Delmark Records.
<br />
<br />iTUNES SELLS 25% OF ALL U.S. MUSIC AND 69% OF DOWNLOADS
<br />Seattle (Hypebot) -- A new NPD MusicWatch study shows that now iTunes leads the U.S. with 25% percent of total music sold including downloads and CDs That's up from 21% in '08 and 14% in '07. Wal-Mart remains in second position with 14% and Best Buy ranked third. iTunes continued to also solidify its lead in digital downloads sales grabbing 69% of market in the first half of 2009, followed by AmazonMP3 at 8%. Wal-Mart leads all sellers of CDs with a 20% percent share followed by Best Buy at 16% and Target and Amazon tied at 10% each. CDs still comprised 65% of all music sold in the first half of 2009 with 35% going to digital. But CD numbers are falling rapidly. By comparison, in 2007 paid digital music downloads comprised just 20% of sales. "Many people are surprised that the CD is still the dominant music delivery format, given the attention to digital music and the shrinking retail footprint for physical products," said Russ Crupnick, vice president of entertainment industry analysis. "But with digital music sales growing at 15 to 20 percent, and CDs falling by an equal proportion, digital music sales will nearly equal CD sales by the end of 2010." "The growth of legal digital music downloads, and Apple's success in holding that market, has increased iTunes's overall strength in the retail music category," said Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for The NPD Group. "But the importance of the big box retailers shouldn't be dismissed, as long as the majority of music consumers continue to buy CDs." (CAT HEAD NOTE: All I can say is... Let's all go out this week and buy an actual CD with actual liner notes at an actual "record store" -- not a big box store, but a record store -- where the enthusiastic face behind the counter can actually recommend something that doesn't begin with "Kanye" or end in "Spears." Sound like a plan?)
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.ecndigitaledition.com/magazine.aspx?eid=1565" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">Read ENTIRE BLUES FESTIVAL GUIDE 2009 ON-LINE (click here).</a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>CAT HEAD DELTA BLUES & FOLK ART NEWS AND UPDATES...</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">ADVERTISE TO CAT HEAD'S CUSTOMERS AND BLUES FANS WORLDWIDE:
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<br />Web banner space at www.cathead.biz or ad space in my "Cat Head Update" e-newsletter (limited to one ad total per issue) is now available to market your business, band, property or whatever... and help us pay the bills and justify the time it takes to keep y'all informed of Delta blues news past, present and future! (Ad subject matter should be somehow related to blues, music, history, Mississippi, Clarksdale, etc... In other words, something relevant to music and Mississippi fans around the globe.) This e-newsletter issue's sponsor is The Clark House, a cool, new residential inn located right here in Clarksdale, Mississippi -- America's blues crossroads. See The Clark House ad below, and check 'em out. Email me at roger@cathead.biz if you are interested in Cat Head advertising opportunities. Thanks so much, Roger Stolle at Cat Head
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<br />BUY NEW MUSIC, MOVIES, BOOKS, TEES AND MORE FROM CAT HEAD STORE
<br />(call or email for prices/details/shipping):
<br />
<br />- New CDs include "M for Mississippi" 2nd soundtrack, Homemade Jamz "I'll Play the Blues for You," Watermelon Slim (country album!)... AND recent release from Clarksdale's Big Jack Johnson and Leland's Pat Thomas.
<br />
<br />- Also, Cat Head now stocks some fine products from our friends over at Dust To Digital, including their award-winning "Goodbye Babylon" box set. It consists of five CDs featuring 135 Songs (1902-1960), one CD featuring 25 Sermons (1926-1941) and a 200 page book lyrics, liner notes and more! It's all reverently packed with raw cotton and housed in a deluxe cedar box. It makes a splendid gift. OH, ALSO... we have DTD's latest "Take Me to the River" book of vintage baptism photos and spirituals CD.
<br />
<br />- New book-related stuff includes the latest 2010 R. Crumb artwork calendar featuring blues, country and gospel musicians from Crumb's fabulous "Heroes of the Blues" collector card set (which we also carry). ALSO, the recently released "Blues Shots" photo book is in stock and wonderful. In addition, I just restocked on sets of blues quiz cards; lots of fun. And... JUST IN... "ABCs of Mississippi Blues" children's book by Jennifer Shelton Caldwell.
<br />
<br />- New magazines include new Blues Revue (including Cat Head's own "Down in the Delta" column on Big Jack Johnson), Oxford American "Southern Literature" issue and Delta Magazine (published in nearby Cleveland, MS).
<br />
<br />- Special "Cat Head" logo product now includes shot glasses, beverage coasters and even children's Cat Head/Crossroads T-shirts... as well as our usual logo'd adult size tees.
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<br />LIVE DELTA BLUES MUSIC UPDATES FROM CAT HEAD EVERY THURS. ON THE RADIO:
<br />
<br />- 8:05AM (central time) on Thursdays, I'll update you on the upcoming weekend's happenings on 1450AM WROX as well as on-line at http://www.wroxradio.com. You can also hear even more music and information during my "Cat Head Delta Blues Show" on Sat 7-9pm and Sun 10pm-midnight.
<br />
<br />- 4PM (central) on Thursdays, I'll do the same -- even more in depth -- on XM Radio's BB King Bluesville with Bill Wax. We'll talk about this week as well as upcoming blues festivals in the region on XM channel 74. (Sorry... but we're skipping this week; check in next week, tho.)
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<br />NEXT "CAT HEAD MINI BLUES FEST" COMING UP IN OCTOBER:
<br />
<br />Plan now to attend the next fun 'n free Cat Head Mini Blues Fest on Sunday, October 11th, in the street in front of world-famous Cat Head store. Confirmed acts include Big George Brock, Lucious Spiller and Anthony "Big A" Sherrod! That same weekend, it's the Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival in Helena, AR, as well as the Pinetop Perkins Homecoming at Hopson Commissary in Clarksdale. And more...
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.cathead.biz" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">VISIT the official Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art web site (CLICK).</a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>THE CLARK HOUSE... A RESIDENTIAL INN. NEW IN CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI!</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">The Clark House…...…a Residential Inn
<br />Business or Blues … affordable comfort and convenience
<br />
<br />Originally constructed in 1859 by Clarksdale founder John Clark. It was the first home built in Clarksdale, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Clark House has just been extensively refurbished and beautifully redecorated as a residential inn.
<br />
<br />The Clark House offers four elegant bedrooms in the main house, and three bedrooms in the cottage, just behind the main home. Each room features a private bath, desk and sitting area. All rooms enjoy the use of the beautiful parlor, library and dining room. A continental breakfast and internet access is included.
<br />
<br />The Clark House is located in the historic residential area, just two blocks from Downtown Clarksdale’s government, business and entertainment center.
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<br />Rooms are available from $75, and reservations can be made online at www.clarkhouse.info or by calling the Innkeeper at 662-621-1632.
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;"></a></font></p>
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>MISSISSIPPI-BORN BLUES LEGEND BIG GEORGE BROCK TO RETURN TO DELTA IN OCTOBER</b></font></p>
<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">(Photo credit: Thanks to Carol Boss -- shown with the St. Louis blues king -- for painting Big George's amazing new bus and for helping publicize his recent "Repair The Bus" fundraiser.)
<br />
<br />BIG GEORGE BROCK TO RETURN TO DELTA DURING HELENA FEST WEEKEND IN OCT.:
<br />Sharecropping took him through the cotton fields of Mississippi in the 1940s. Boxing found him towering over a pummeled Sonny Liston in 1952. And blues has taken him all over the world since his comeback in 2005. Big George Brock is a big man with a big personality and a story to tell. See him in his element when he returns to the scene of the crime -- Hopson Commissary in Clarksdale, Mississippi -- on Saturday, October 10th. If you're coming down to the the Delta for the big fest in Helena that weekend, then take a break and catch this 77-year-old, 5-time Blues Music Award nominee. You'll be glad you did. (Oh yeah, Big George will also perform the next day around noon at my Cat Head store as part of my Mini Fest there...) Info on Hopson at: http://www.hopsonplantation.com
<br />
<br />CDs AND DVD AVAILABLE AT CAT HEAD IN CLARKSDALE:
<br />We stock Big George's Blues Music Award-nominated comeback classic "Club Caravan," follow-up w/Hubert Sumlin "Round Two," and Sunshine Sonny Payne introduced "Live At Seventy Five" CDs ($15 ea.) as well as his critically-acclaimed "Hard Times" DVD (regularly $20 but on sale for $15) at Cat Head. Just call us at 662-624-5992 to order your copies today... or drop by the store.
<br />
<br />SELECT BIG GEORGE BROCK CONCERT DATES:
<br />- Sat., 10/10, 2009 - Hopson Commissary, Clarksdale, MS: Big George Brock.
<br />- Sun., 10/11, 2009 - Cat Head Mini Blues Fest, Clarksdale, MS: Big George Brock & others!
<br />- Fri., 10/30, 2009 - BB's Jazz Blues & Soups, St. Louis, MO: Big George Brock.
<br />- Fri., 11/6, 2009 - BB's Jazz Blues & Soups, St. Louis, MO: Big George Brock.
<br />- Thurs., 12/31, 2009 - Highway 61 Roadhouse, Webster Groves (St. Louis), MO: Big George Brock's Annual New Year's Eve Blues Bash! Contact club early for reservations.
<br />
<br />SEE THE BIG GEORGE BROCK'S NEW TOUR BUS AT:
<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_pCIZkmA_0
<br />http://www.fox2now.com/news/morningshow/ktvi-big-george-bus-blues-080709,0,2032947.story
<br />(In case you don't know, Big George recently got an awesome "new" tour bus that St. Louis artist Carol Boss painted up for him. Unfortunately, the engine blew on a tour run. Fortunately, his brother Jeff installed a new engine, and it's back on the road... headed to the Delta in October!)
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<p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvl9JlEtFvw&feature=related" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">BIG GEORGE jams with musicians at Farmer's Mkt in St. Louis (CLICK).</a></font></p>
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<td align="left" width="150"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><a href="#article_1" STYLE="color: #000000">HOWDY Y'ALL... AND NOW THE NEWS FROM CAT HEAD DELTA BLUES & FOLK ART IN HISTORIC CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI!</a></b></font></td>
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<td align="left" width="150"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><a href="#article_8" STYLE="color: #000000">CAT HEAD DELTA BLUES & FOLK ART NEWS AND UPDATES...</a></b></font></td>
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<td align="left" width="150"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><a href="#article_1" STYLE="color: #000000">THE CLARK HOUSE... A RESIDENTIAL INN. NEW IN CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI!</a></b></font></td>
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<td align="left" width="150"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><a href="#article_10" STYLE="color: #000000">MISSISSIPPI-BORN BLUES LEGEND BIG GEORGE BROCK TO RETURN TO DELTA IN OCTOBER</a></b></font></td>
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<td align="left" width="150"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><a href="#side_article_1" STYLE="color: #000000">CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI HOME FOR SALE -- New Low Price $79,900</a></b></font></td>
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<td align="left" width="150"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2"><b><a href="#side_article_5" STYLE="color: #000000">SAMPLING OF "LIVE" BLUES COMING SOON TO THE DELTA!</a></b></font></td>
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<td align="left" width="150px"> <p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI HOME FOR SALE -- New Low Price $79,900</b></font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI HOME FOR SALE -- New Low Price $79,900. Go to this web link for more details and photos: http://rogerstolle.vflyer.com/home/flyer/home/2548360. The listing web site is http://www.middletonrealtyinc.com.
<br />
<br />NO WORRIES... CAT HEAD AIN'T GOIN' NOWHERE...
<br />My Cat Head store is now a 7-year-old fixture of Clarksdale, and it ain't goin' anywhere. My girlfriend and I are just trying to consolidate our two households, so I'm selling my house at 111 Catalpa Street in blues-rich Clarksdale, Mississippi, so we can get one together that we can truly call "ours." I've lived in this wonderful abode for 7 great years and found it perfect for both relaxing and hosting blues fans, journalists and musicians from around the world. The floor plan makes it possible to host guests without everyone stepping on everyone else. (The dining room and front porch/yard are briefly shown in the movie "M for Mississippi," by the by.) There is also a very large, covered front porch and an equally large wooden side deck. The backyard is mostly fenced and features a useful tool shed. The house itself features central air conditioning and central forced air heat. There are a bunch of rooms and such -- including 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room, butler's pantry, kitchen, walk-in kitchen pantry, laundry room, back office and even a small bonus room... plus a spacious attic, multiple closets and a long hallway. Oh, and I have a really great, long driveway that runs beside the house, bridging Catalpa and Maple Streets; this makes it easier to have a party or visitors and not "trap in" your friends' cars! The house is located just 3 minutes by foot or 1 minute by car from downtown -- just across the Sunflower River, where all the action is. Colorado Rockies-born John "Riverman" Ruskey of Quapaw Canoe Company lives across the street; another couple from out of town bought the cute little house behind me; and a California-transplant (we'll call her B.G.) lives at the start of the next block. They (and many others) have moved here because they love the blues and the the people who keep this town interesting and a tourist-destination... And you can too! You might even consider turning my house into a B&B.
<br />
<br />THE HOUSE I'M SELLING IS LISTED...
<br />with friend and realtor Joe Middleton of Middleton Realty. The original listing price was $85,000... but hey, this ain't exactly an economy that helps sell a home. So, I'm instituting my own "economic stimulous" price reduction. The new price is a buyer-friendly $79,900 -- pretty much a deal for such a large, cool home that's so near Clarksdale's historic downtown entertainment and business district. Here's what Mr. Middletown says about my house: "Great home! Has 3 bedrooms, and 2 baths. Located next to the downtown area. It is approximately 2250sq.ft. It has nice built-in bookcases. The backyard is fenced in with a patio and porch."
<br />
<br />WHAT'S UP WITH CLARKSDALE'S FUTURE?
<br />Good question. Downtown is currently buzzing with new businesses, new construction, planned renovations and more live blues than ever before (seriously). Recent weekends have featured live blues shows at an unprecedented 4 venues, and there is now reliable live blues in Clarksdale, Mississippi, from Tuesday through Saturday (and often Sunday) nights! Current renovations/construction/new businesses downtown include Tricia's Italian Restaurant (opened by ex-Indiana couple at 226 Yazoo; it held it's Grand Opening 9/4-5 and is excellent), The Lofts At Five & Dime (Bubba O'Keefe's loft condos, retail and restaurant space in the old Woolworth's building), the former Club Champaign building (amazingly turned into a classic "Main Street" looking store/restaurant front -- beautiful and ready to rent!), the former golf cart building next to Delta Amusement (the future location of Sun House Art Gallery), the former Brick Gallery building (where a new and interesting Stone Pony Pizza & Brick Bar will open next month), the former Rampant Lion building (now Delta Creations and just stripped down to its historic brick exterior), old Stackhouse Record Mart aka Cream Boat building (Charles Evans has crews working on it as I type), Rust Restaurant (in old Delta Eye location; not new but not old either; really great), etc. etc. Oh yeah, the "Clarksdale Farmer's Market" continues to grow, by the way, with the semi-permanent shade covering added to the park in the 200 block of Delta Ave. Other key businesses that continue to grow include Cat Head (my store), Ground Zero Blues Club, Rock N Roll & Blues Heritage Museum (Dutchman Theo recently bought a second building downtown as well!), Shackup Inn (in the past two years, it has grown into dang near a city out there; amazing), Delta Blues Museum (which has plans for a new Muddy Waters wing addition), etc. etc. We now have two newspapers here, more music festivals than ever before and as much international publicity as ever. Jump on board, and enjoy the ride. Make Clarksdale your next home.
<br />
<br />WANT TO HEAR MORE OR SEE THE HOUSE AT 111 CATALPA?
<br />Please contact Joe or Brett Middletown today at middletonrealty2003@yahoo.com, cell 662-902-1678, office 662-627-7311. (Maybe you can schedule a viewing while you're here for some live blues, good eats and Delta tour fun?!?)
<br />
<br />Thanks so much!
<br />Roger from Cat Head</font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://rogerstolle.vflyer.com/home/flyer/home/2548360" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">MORE ON THIS CLARKSDALE HOME LISTING (click here to see).</a></font></p></td>
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<td align="left" width="150px"> <p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>BLUES TRAVEL BLOGGER VISITS CLARKSDALE (RIVERSIDE HOTEL, ETC.)</b></font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">(PHOTO: Blogger's photo of Frank "Rat" Ratliff of the Riverside Hotel)
<br />
<br />TRAVELLING RIVERSIDE BLUES: Robert Johnson, the blues and Clarksdale, Mississippi
<br />
<br />The intersection of highways 61 and 49 near Clarksdale in northwest Mississippi doesn't look particularly special: there's a car yard, a service station, a couple of kids listlessly kicking a ball outside Abe's barbecue shop . . . Just the usual stuff. The only thing to distinguish it from hundreds of other such intersections in the state is the odd looking monument-cum-sculpture thing at the middle: only when you look closely can you decipher it. Guitars on top of a column. "Hey brother, you got change for coffee?" barks a broke-down guy in overalls outside the service station. I dig for a piece of folding, he shuffles off down a pathway between the mesh fences and wind-blown litter. This, and nearby Clarksdale, is what we have driven up Mississippi to see. This is the crossroad. Not just any crossroad, but The Crossroad, the one where bluesman Robert Johnson allegedly made his pact with the Devil on a lonely midnight hour some time around 1930. What is now a suburban sprawl of drycleaners, fast-food joints and rundown houses was once empty fields on the flat, almost featureless plain that is the Delta. It must have been kinda spooky at midnight -- although if you believe the sign on Abe's which says it's been there since 1924 then maybe Johnson and the Devil sat down for a plate of ribs. Robert Johnson is a figure conveniently shrouded in myth: only two known photographs, poisoned by a jealous rival, and a formidable reputation that rests on a little more than a couple of dozen songs recorded, many of them eerie and haunted. Recent research shows however that Johnson was a marginal figure in his time and the story of his Faustian pact may have actually been inherited from Tommy Johnson, an earlier singer and no relation. But his music provided a cornerstone for the British blues revival in the mid 60s and a rediscovery of this seminal music. When a teenage Rolling Stone Keith Richards first heard Johnson play he wondered who the second guitarist was. The Stones, Eric Clapton, John Mayall and hundreds of others have recorded versions of Johnson's often spooky songs. It's a safe bet that fewer people know Johnson's music than his story: how he was a laughably inadequate young guitarist who disappeared for a while then came back full of spectral songs like Hellbound on My Trail and If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day. His sound was so innovative, and unexpected, that rivals said he'd made a pact with the Devil. His songs Me and the Devil Blues and Crossroad Blues hinted at it. Conveniently feeding the legend is that Johnson has two graves in Mississippi -- one near Morgan City, the other south of Greenwood -- and some say the song Crossroad Blues has a curse on it. They cite the deaths in groups like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers who covered it, and Clapton's troubled life as evidence. This is the stuff of myth, and Clarksdale -- widely considered the crucible of the blues -- is steeped in it. Clarksdale is where Bessie Smith died in 1937, but it is another blues myth that she was fatally injured in a car accident and turned away from the whites-only GT Thomas Hospital on Sunflower Avenue. Not true, it was a black hospital and she was admitted, but died anyway. The old hospital was turned into the Riverside Hotel in 1944 -- and that's where we are aiming to stay, knowing nothing about it ... CONTINUED AT: http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/absoluteelsewhere/1801/travelling-riverside-blues-robert-johnson-the-blues-and-clarksdale-mississippi/</font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/absoluteelsewhere/1801/travelling-riverside-blues-robert-johnson-the-blues-and-clarksdale-mississippi/" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">READ the entire travel article on Clarksdale by CLICKING HERE.</a></font></p></td>
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<td align="left" width="150px"> <p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>DELTA NEWS from CLARKSDALE PRESS REGISTER and CLARKSDALE BLUES-STAR...</b></font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">RECENT BLUES AND DELTA ARTICLES IN THE CLARKSDALE PRESS REGISTER
<br />(Subscribe at http://www.pressregister.com):
<br />
<br />"MUD DOG BLUES" FILM TRAILERS IN CLARKSDALE, MS
<br />By Andy Ross - Wednesday, September 16, 2009 - If it wasn't for the fact that it was taking place in Clarksdale, the film crew and actors busily working outside of Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art this Monday might have been a strange site. As yet another sign of the cinematic appeal of Clarksdale's natural environment, scenes from a movie-in-progress entitled "Mud Dog Blues" began on Monday. ... FULL ARTICLE AND PHOTOS: http://www.pressregister.com/articles/2009/09/16/news/doc4ab14756e7c5e973795936.txt
<br />
<br />OTHA TURNER LEGACY IN COMO, MS
<br />Friday, September 4, 2009 - Photo submitted by Panny Mayfield - The legendary Rising Star Drum and Fife Band founded by the late Otha Turner and led by his granddaughter Shardee Turner, left, marches in procession down Main Street in Como, Saturday to unveil the Mississippi Blues Trail marker honoring his contributions to American music. The procession followed a program honoring Turner featuring music by Jimbo Mathus and talks by Turner friends and relatives. The band has performed at every Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival in Clarksdale since it was founded in 1988. Turner and his daughter, Bernice, died on the same day in 2003, and the 2003 Sunflower River Festival was dedicated in their memory.
<br />
<br />GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB OFFERS VIDEO STREAMING ON WEB:
<br />By Andy Ross, Staff Writer - Wednesday, August 5, 2009 - While there is nothing which can substitute the experience of catching a live show at Ground Zero Blues Club, there is now a close second thanks to a partnership between Texas–based Evolution Fuels and Gary Vincent of Clarksdale's Vincent Productions. Beginning this Friday and coinciding with opening day of the Sunflower River Festival, Ground Zero will be offering web-based video streaming of all performances at the club. Those accessing the Ground Zero website can grab their own virtual front row seat through the technology provided by Vincent and Scott Doucet of Vid BlasterUS. Included in the set-up are three high definition cameras which will be able to capture sound and video images of the highest quality. "In keeping with the club's rustic decor, the cameras have been placed where they are hardly visible, keeping the attention of the audience on the stage," Vincent said. "Every aspect of this is cutting edge, high-end technology." Bill Luckett, who co-owns Ground Zero along with actor Morgan Freeman and Howard Stovall, says it is exciting to know that blues fans from all over the world will now be able to experience the music. "This is the next step for the club to offer our guests -- even those who can't be here in person -- the chance to participate and enjoy the music that makes this part of Mississippi so special," Luckett said. Ground Zero Blues Club has been open in Clarksdale since May 2001 and offers live music Wednesday through Saturday nights. The club has been featured on CBS's 60 Minutes, The Food Network, The Travel Channel and numerous other broadcasts. Every year since 2005, it has been named one of the "Top 100 Bars and Nightclubs in America." A Friday night performance by local blues group Big T and the Family Band will kick off the web cast which can be accessed at http://www.groundzerobluesclubmusic.com. Vincent Productions and Evolution Fuels are in the process of merging to form Evolution media.
<br />
<br />ROCK N ROLL & BLUES HERITAGE MUSEUM ANNIVERSARY:
<br />Last month, the Rock 'n Roll & Blues Heritage Museum is celebrated its third year in Clarksdale. The museum, located at 113 East 2nd Street, was founded in the Netherlands in August 1997. Museum owner Theo Dasbach has met many artists since moving to Clarksdale. As a result, he has collected more memorabilia. The latest addition is a display on Robert Bilbo Walker featuring his shoes, his guitar, and a complete stage worn suit featured on his record "Rock the Night" and his wig, which he wore on many stage performances. ... FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.pressregister.com/articles/2009/08/08/news/doc4a7b1b6f3f4e8286287222.txt ... (CAT HEAD NOTE: Congrats to Theo and Cindy for creating such an awesome monument to the history of blues and rock 'n roll! Best of luck for the future. Music fans owe it to themselves to pay your wonderful museum a visit.)
<br />
<br />SUNFLOWER RIVER BLUES & GOSPEL FESTIVAL A SUCCESS:
<br />By DARYL BELL, Managing Editor - Wednesday, August 12, 2009 - Richard LaMantia lives in Grenada but he loves the blues. And there's something about the blues and Clarksdale that go together for LaMantia. To him, a pilgrimage to Clarksdale to hear the sounds of O.B., Buchana, James "Super Chikan" Johnson and Bettye LaVette is an opportunity that he had to experience. "I've been coming here every year, with exception of a few times, since 1996," said LaMantia. "What can I say? I love the blues and I love Clarksdale." The 22nd annual Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival went off smoothly. Several thousand fans braved hot steamy temperatures at dawn and surprisingly sultry evenings. Festival co-chairman John Sherman was pleased with the event and said that it was "a success." Mayor Henry Espy, who on behalf of the city dedicated the festival to the legendary crooner Sam Cooke, a Clarksdale native, was more than pleased at the turnout. "The crowds have been great and the people have been fantastic," Espy said. "I've had nothing but compliments from our out of town guests commenting on what they thought of the city and how well things were running." ... FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.pressregister.com/articles/2009/08/12/news/doc4a8305a655764608775475.txt
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<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.blues-star.com" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">PLUS, MORE NEWS AVAILABLE FROM "CLARKSDALE BLUES-STAR" (click).</a></font></p></td>
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<td align="left" width="150px"> <p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>BLUES FOUNDATION NEWS AND UPDATES FROM NEARBY MEMPHIS</b></font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">The Blues Foundation
<br />Elects First-Ever Female President and
<br />Adds Seven New Board Members from the Business Community
<br />
<br />Memphis, TN - September 8, 2009
<br />The Blues Foundation, the non-profit organization dedicated to the past, present and future of blues music, has completed the annual election of its Board of Directors and its officers, electing nine individuals to lead and assist The Blues Foundation in establishing a permanent home in downtown Memphis. The plan for a permanent home proposes to centralize the Foundation's educational, audio-visual and retail opportunities, in addition to housing its staff and operations. The new board members elected will contribute their respective expertise in finance, marketing, consulting and development to the Foundation's efforts through 2012, and as Foundation members will continue to provide the worldwide Blues community with support, information and news.
<br />
<br />Newly-elected Board President Pat Morgan
<br />The membership of the current Board voted to fill the nine available seats in this year's election, including seven new members: Phil Barkett, a Chicago area financial analyst, Steve Bryson, Chairman and CEO, Global Electronic Technology, Cypress, CA; Smart City Consulting, Memphis; Tom Jones, Stefan Levy, Big Cat Search, Barrington, IL; Craig Ray, Mississippi Development Authority, Jackson, MS; Eric Simonsen, AlixPartners LLC, Providence, RI; and Laurie Tucker, Senior Vice-President of Corporate Marketing, FedEx, Germantown, TN. The Board members re-elected two current members: Dorothy Moore, a Grammy-nominated performer, Florence, MS; and Kevin Kane, President and CEO, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau. All recently-elected members will begin three-year terms October 23 at the next Board meeting in Nashville, TN.
<br />
<br />Following the Board election, the new Board selected the following Board members to leadership positions, who will serve for one year each: the Board's first female President Pat Morgan, artist manager for Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, and Vice President Bill Wax, programmer and on-air host of Sirius XM Satellite Radio's B.B. King's Bluesville channel. Additional members of the Executive Committee are: Gary Anton, a Tallahassee, FL attorney and owner of Bradfordville Blues Club, Kevin Kane, and Gaynell Rogers, a Nevada City, CA marketing & publicity consultant. In addition, Clay Purdom, an attorney with the Memphis law firm of Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston, is the Treasurer.
<br />
<br />The newly-elected members and officers join fellow Board members Barbara Blue, Betsie Brown, Thomas Cain, Jostein Forsberg, Zac Harmon, Jerry Mason, Karen McFarland, Thomas Ruf, Joey Sichting, Ricky Stevens, Cassie Taylor and C. Sade Turnipseed.
<br />
<br />For more information about The Blues Foundation
<br />Please contact
<br />Jay Sieleman
<br />Executive Director
<br />The Blues Foundation
<br />901-527-2583 ext. 12
<br />jay@blues.org
<br />or visit our website at www.blues.org</font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.blues.org" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">VISIT THE NEW BLUES FOUNDATION WEB SITE (click here).</a></font></p></td>
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<td align="left" width="150px"> <p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><b>SAMPLING OF "LIVE" BLUES COMING SOON TO THE DELTA!</b></font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2">(PHOTO CREDIT: Shot I took of Mr. LC Ulmer in Norway recently. He'll be performing at the Wing Dang Doodle fest this weekend. See info below. - Roger)
<br />
<br />Mississippi State Blues Trail Marker Dedications, www.msbluestrail.org
<br />9/23 - Charles Evers/Medger Evers - BB King Mississippi Homecoming, 11pm (Fayette, MS).
<br />10/2 - Sam Chatmon and Hollandale Strip, 3pm (Hollandale).
<br />10/5 - Ace Records, 3:30pm (Jackson).
<br />
<br />Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale, MS, www.groundzerobluesclub.com
<br />9/23 - Stan Street & Hambone Blues Band
<br />9/24 - BLUES JAM w/Sean Apple
<br />9/25 - Bill "Howl-N-Madd" Perry
<br />9/26 - Josh "Razorblade" Stewart Blues Band
<br />9/30 - La La BIRTHDAY BLUES BASH!
<br />
<br />Reds Lounge, downtown Clarksdale, MS (Sunflower Ave. & MLK Dr.)
<br />9/20 (Sun) - Big A & the Blues Allstars
<br />9/25-27 - TBA live blues
<br />
<br />Tricia's Italian Restaurant, Clarksdale, MS (226 Yazoo St. • 662-627-3677)
<br />9/25-26 - TBA live blues
<br />
<br />Hambone Art Gallery, Clarksdale, MS, www.stanstreet.com
<br />Tuesdays - Live music at 7pm!
<br />
<br />Hopson Commissary, Clarksdale, MS, www.hopsonplantation.com
<br />9/27 - Shaun Murphy (worked with Little Feat), 3pm-7pm.
<br />10/10 - Big George Brock returns!!
<br />
<br />The Senator's Place, Cleveland, MS (1028 S. Davis, Hwy 61)
<br />Friday night blues, 7:30pm
<br />
<br />Rooster's Blues House, Oxford, MS (114 Courthouse Square)
<br />Tuesdays - Open mic.
<br />Wed-Sat - Live music (blues on weekends).
<br />
<br />Foxfire Ranch, Waterford, MS, www.foxfireexperience.net
<br />Music Sundays, 4pm:
<br />9/20 - Guitar Mikey & the Real Thing
<br />
<br />930 Blues Cafe, downtown Jackson, MS, www.jesdablues.com
<br />9/25-26 - King Edward, Dennis Fountain
<br />
<br />Bottleneck Blues Bar, Ameristar Casino, Vicksburg, MS, www.ameristarcasinos.com
<br />9/26 - Kenny Wayne Shepherd (blues/rock)
<br />
<br />9/25-26 - Oxford's Town BBQ Throwdown, Oxford, Mississippi, tourism@oxfordcvb.com
<br />Annual festival features BBQ and music.
<br />
<br />9/25 - Buddy Guy And Jonny Lang, Horseshoe Casino (Bluesville), Tunica, Mississippi
<br />www.ticketmaster.com; Live blues performance, 8pm.
<br />
<br />9/26 (Sat.) - "M For Mississippi" Screening
<br />Mary C. O'Keefe Cultural Center in Ocean Springs, MS
<br />themaryc.org - 228.818.2878
<br />Public screening of the Blues Music Award-winning "M for Mississippi: A Road Trip through the Birthplace of the Blues" film featuring Q&A with the producers. Called "easily one of the best films about blues in years" by Blues & Rhythm magazine. 7:30pm showtime.
<br />
<br />9/26 - Wing Dang Doodle, Gaddis Park Forest, MS, www.forestareachamber.com
<br />Blues by Mr. L. C. Ulmer, and Jimbo Mathus & Tri-State Coalition in afternoon.
<br />
<br />-----
<br />
<br />A FEW OCTOBER HIGHLIGHTS TO PLAN FOR NOW...
<br />
<br />Miss. State Blues Trail Marker Dedications, www.msbluestrail.org
<br />10/2 - Sam Chatmon and Hollandale Strip, 3pm (Hollandale).
<br />10/5 - Ace Records, 3:30pm (Jackson).
<br />10/16 - Bukka White, 10am (Houston).
<br />10/16 - Aberdeen Mississippi Blues, 4pm (Aberdeen).
<br />10/22 - Gold Coast/Cross The River, 9am (Brandon, MS).
<br />10/26 - Roma Wilson and Leon Pinson (New Albany).
<br />
<br />Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale, MS, www.groundzerobluesclub.com
<br />10/1 - BLUES JAM w/Daddy Rich
<br />10/2 - Big T & the Family blues band
<br />10/3 - Blind Mississippi Morris & the Pocket Rockets
<br />10/7 - Bill "Howl-N-Madd" Perry
<br />10/8 - BLUES JAM w/Guitar Mikey
<br />10/9 - Mark "MUL MAN" Massey at GZBC during Helena blues fest weekend
<br />10/10 - SUPER CHIKAN & the Fighting Cocks at GZBC during Helena blues fest weekend
<br />10/11 - Sunday Blues Brunch w/Live Blues TBA
<br />10/14 - Stan Street & Hambone Blues Band
<br />10/15 - BLUES JAM w/Sean Apple
<br />10/16 - Phillip Carter Blues Band
<br />10/17 - HABITAT FOR HUMANITY FUNDRAISER w/Guitar Mikey & the Real Thing!
<br />10/21 - Bill "Howl-N-Madd" Perry
<br />10/22 - BLUES JAM w/La La & Element 88
<br />10/23 - Butch Mudbone Blues Band
<br />10/24 - Jimbo Mathus Knockdown South
<br />10/28 - All Night Long w/Mary Ann "Action" Jackson
<br />10/29 - Special pre-Hambone Festival BLUES JAM w/Stan Street
<br />10/30 - Earl the Pearl from Memphis, TN!
<br />10/31 - SPECIAL EVENT: Hambone Festival "Halloween Party" at GZBC w/Stan Street and special guests! 8pm. Get there early for great music and costumes!
<br />10/31 - Halloween Party w/Stan Street and Hambone Band (during Hambone Festival weekend!)
<br />
<br />Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Clarksdale, Mississippi, www.cathead.biz
<br />Free sidewalk music out front of Cat Head:
<br />FRI 10/9 (noon) - La La One-woman Band (Vocals w/keyboard)
<br />SAT 10/10 (noon) - Sean "Bad" Appel (Pre-War/Hill Country blues)
<br />SUN 10/11 (9am till) - Cat Head Mini Blues Fest III w/Lucious Spiller, Big George Brock, Clarine Wagner, Anthony "Big A" Sherrod, Big Dave and more! BBQ available out front from Big Red. Rain or shine under tents.
<br />
<br />Reds Lounge, downtown Clarksdale, MS (Sunflower Ave. & MLK Dr.)
<br />10/8 (Thurs) - Jimmy "DUCK" Holmes CD Release Party for "Ain't It Lonesome", 8pm-10pm. Followed by The Cornlickers band 10pm till.
<br />10/9-10 (Fr/St) - BIG JACK Johnson (2 big nights for Helena Fest Weekend).
<br />10/11 (Sun) - BLUES JAM w/The Cornlickers (evening).
<br />10/24 (Sat) - Acoustic blues guitar master PAUL GEREMIA returns!
<br />
<br />Hopson Commissary, Clarksdale, MS, www.hopsonplantation.com
<br />10/10 (Sat) - BIG GEORGE BROCK & the New Houserockers, 10pm.
<br />10/11 (Sun) - Pinetop Perkins Homecoming -- annual afternoon/early evening festival starring Bob Margolin, Willie Smith, Bob Stroger, Little Mikey, Bob Corretore and David Riley... and more!
<br />
<br />My Brothers Blues Bar, Clarksdale, MS (212 block Sunflower Ave.)
<br />10/9-10 - KM Williams & Washboard Jackson (2 nights!) from Texas.
<br />
<br />Tricia's Italian Restaurant, Clarksdale, MS (226 Yazoo St. • 662-627-3677)
<br />10/8 - Dave Riley
<br />10/9 - Bob Stroger w/spec. guest Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
<br />10/10 - Dave Riley
<br />
<br />10/2-4 - Historic Mobile Street Renaissance Festival, Hattiesburg, MS
<br />www.mobilestreetfestival.com - Annual Blues and Gospel music festival.
<br />
<br />10/3 - "Po Monkey's Lounge Anniversary Party" at Club Ebony, Indianola, MS
<br />Celebrate 53 years of business! Info at (662) 207-7498.
<br />
<br />10/3 - Mississippi Blues Fest II, Greenwood, MS
<br />www.greenwoodms.org
<br />
<br />10/8-10 - Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival, Helena, AR
<br />www.bluesandheritagefest.com
<br />
<br />10/10 - Big George Brock & The New Houserockers, Hopson Commissary, Clarksdale, Mississippi
<br />www.hopsonplantation.com
<br />
<br />10/11 - Cat Head Mini Blues Fest III, Clarksdale, Mississippi
<br />www.cathead.biz - Kicks off at 9am. Starring Big George Brock and more.
<br />
<br />10/11 - Pinetop Perkins Homecoming, Hopson Commissary, Clarksdale, Mississippi
<br />www.pinetopperkins.com
<br />
<br />10/16-17 - Tommy Johnson Blues Festival, Crystal Springs, Mississippi
<br />www.tommyjohnsonblues.com
<br />
<br />10/16-17 - Bukka White Blue Bluff Festival, Aberdeen, Mississippi
<br />www.bukkawhitefestival.com
<br />
<br />10/17 - Habitat For Humanity Fundraiser
<br />Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale, MS, www.groundzerobluesclub.com
<br />Special fundraiser event with music by Guitar Mikey & the Real Thing!
<br />
<br />10/24 - Miss. Delta Regional Blues Challenge, Indianola, Mississippi, jmwebb@techinfo.com
<br />Blues challenge event that feeds into the International Blues Challenge (IBC) that's held in Memphis each winter.
<br />
<br />10/24 - Delta Day, Tunica, Mississippi (662-363-6611)
<br />Annual event.
<br />
<br />10/31 - 3rd Annual Hambone Festival, Clarksdale, Mississippi
<br />www.hambonefestival.com
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<br />MORE MUSIC INFORMATION:
<br />http://www.cathead.biz/livemusic.html - http://www.msbluestrail.org</font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color="#000000" size="2"><a href="http://www.cathead.biz/livemusic.html" style="text-decoration:underline; color:#000000;">CLICK for FULL list of upcoming blues in Delta -- including live blues during Helena fest weekend!.</a></font></p></td>
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