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American Road Magazine
Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

Mississippi's Blues Trail


RoadDog
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An article in the June 1 Chicago Sun-Times (no author indicated) "Jackson, Ms.: Singing the Blues."

 

This was about the new Blues Trail with more than 40 markers up and a hundred more planned before they finish. The author went in search of as many as he could find of the forty existing ones.

 

They stretch from Tunica in the north to Gulfport where #24 marks WJZD, the first black-owned radio station in along the Gulf Coast. It even has one for Elvis. Number 36 in Natchez commemorates the 1940 fire at the Rhythm Club that killed over 200.

 

Something else to see if you can afford the gas. www.msbluestrail.org

 

 

SPEAKING OF THE BLUES

 

I don't know how many of you are blues fans such as me, but Chicago is hosting the 25th annual Blues Festival this weekend, June 5-8 at Grant Park (Route 66). It's FREE!!! Something you rarely see in Chi-Town.

 

Featured performers

5th- Johnny Winter

6th-- Koko Taylor, Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater

7th-- Buckwheat Zydeco, Lil' Ed & Blues Imperials

8th-- BB KING!!!

 

Lots and lots of others at the various stages.

 

www.chicagobluesfestival.org

 

Tonight, the voice of Chicago Blues, Tom Marker, will feature artists playing at the festival on his Bluesbreakers program on WXRT from 9-10 pm CDT. It streams live at www.wxrt.com.

 

It is based on the Civil War Trails markers in Virginia, NC, and Maryland.

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I'm sure everyone knows, by now, we've just lost another great blues man/rock & roller. Bo Didley is playing in that big jam session on the top floor.

 

Most everybody associates Bo with rock and roll, and, indeed, that's where he made his name. Many of the greats that followed him copied his work into their music. The beat, like that of Johnny Cash, is un-mistakeable.

 

But he was also a blues singer, at least in the beginning - his roots are in McComb, MS, deep in the heart of the Delta Blues Country. He was instrumental in the transition from blues to rock and roll. Indeed, it is said the term rock and roll began when Alan Freed introduced him at a concert in the 50's as "Here's a man that will rock and roll you out of your seats!!!"

 

Play on, Bo, play on - your music will live forever.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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