Mississippi Blues Trail Notes

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Below is a recent ditty from CatHead.Biz on the Mississippi Blues Trail. For those who do not know, the Mississippi Blues Commission has established the Mississippi Blues Trail to honor the many great blues performers that came from Mississippi and some of the "holy sites" in Blues history in Mississippi. While it is a "work in progress, many of these markers have been put up. For info on their location and on the Mississippi Blues Trail, go to www.msbluestrail.org/blues_trail.

 

From CatHead.Biz (which by the by is the web address for a GREAT store in Clarksdale, MS--see their stuff at www.cathead.biz):

 

MISSISSIPPI STATE BLUES TRAIL CONTINUES TO GROW

 

- CLARKSDALE PRESS REGISTER ARTICLE ON TWO MARKER DEDICATIONS THIS PAST WEEK: Two new Blues Trail markers placed, By ANDY ROSS, Staff Writer. Thursday, February 14, 2008 10:43 AM CST... It was a bitterly cold, windswept afternoon in the North Delta Wednesday, but the spirit of the blues was hot as two new markers were added to the Mississippi Blues Trail. Markers were unveiled in both Tunica and Coahoma Counties as crowds gathered to witness the names of legends such as James Cotton, Sam Carr, Charley Patton, Son House, Frank Frost and Bertha Lee literally etched into history along the same roadsides that served as the backdrop for the creation of their music. Making the day even more significant was the fact that both ceremonies had living artists' present. The day began south of Tunica at the intersection of U.S. 61 and Bonnie Blue Road, where the 30th marker of the Mississippi Blues Trail was placed in honor of James Cotton, a.k.a Mr. Superharp, just west of his birthplace. Cotton, who was present at the ceremony and gave a short performance on his harmonica for the crowd of roughly 60 people, got his start opening gigs for Sonny Boy Williamson II as a teenager. He played in Muddy Waters’ band for 12 years in Chicago before he formed the James Cotton Blues Band in 1966. Over the years he honed his trademark high-energy harmonica style playing with artists such as Luther Tucker and Matt Guitar Murphy. Cotton earned a Grammy in 1996 for best traditional blues album and was elected to the Blues Hall of Fame in 2006. "I’m the happiest man in the world right now. I have been all over the world and to come back here to this spot; I'm just the happiest man in the world," he said as he pointed across the road to where he said he remembered a service station once being located. Among the guests present were Jim O'Neil, research director for the Mississippi Blues Trail, and Scott Baretta, former editor of Living Blues Magazine and the other lead researcher for the Blues Trail project. According to O'Neil, "This is such a wonderful project, especially when we can do this for the living musicians. The history of the blues is very old and when we can commemorate these musicians still living it is very special." The second marker unveiling took place later Wednesday afternoon in Lula at the corner of Front and Second streets and honored the numerous artists who once called the small Coahoma County town home, and rocked its juke joints. Among those named on the marker were Sam Carr, Charley Patton, Bertha Lee, Frank Frost and Son House. Carr, the widely acclaimed drummer and recent recipient of the Mississippi Arts Commission 2007 Governor Award, was present at the ceremony along with his wife Doris. A recording of Charley Patton's famous song "Dry Well Blues," which describes life in Lula during the drought of 1930, played in the background as O'Neil introduced Carr to the audience. "I'm not a talker, I'm a drummer," Carr said. "But I am glad to be here. At my age, I am real glad to be here." Carr, Frank Frost and Clarksdale musician Big Jack Johnson played in one of the Delta's most famous juke joint bands, the Jelly Roll Kings during the 1960s and 70s. Kappi Allen, director of the Coahoma County Tourism Commission, said this is the fourth marker in Coahoma County and there are at least six more expected. "I don't know that this will ever get old or mundane," Allen said. "Dedicating markers like this one is so significant because we still have Sam with us. He is so special and is just an icon." Other notable guests in Lula were musician’s C.W. Gatlin and T-Model Ford, and Luther P. Brown, the director of the Delta Center for Culture and Learning at Delta State University and member of the Mississippi Blues Commission. Gatlin, a renowned rock-a-billy and blues musician who currently lives in Helena, Ark., says he was born in a lucky spot and learned to play slide guitar from Robert Nighthawk, Sam Carr's father. "I played with Sam and Robert and Frank back then and we used to play all weekend long, all night long. They were like family to me," Gatlin said. Brown discussed his thoughts on the importance of the blues being passed down to younger generations and the direct lineage the blues has to modern day music and culture. "This trail is especially important to the young generation because many don't know much about the blues. It's not popular music for them and they might not know the names of these important artists who came from the same areas they are from. If they do't know about the music, then they can’t be empowered and uplifted up by it," Brown said.

 

- NEXT MARKER DEDICATION FOR BLUES LEGEND MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT: Saturday, February 23, 2008, 2:30 PM, Carrollton, MS; Marker Dedication at the Valley Store between Avalon and Teoc; reception details TBA.