Blues Society of Western PA - Newsletter

-- Mahajebee Blues

The drive from Pittsburgh to the Delta was a more than enjoyable trip, especially knowing that we were actually going to Helena, Arkansas to play “The Biscuit!” Our final destination in Mississippi was Hopson’s Plantation (http://www.hopsonplantation.com/) just outside of Clarksdale. It proved to be worth all of the time and miles it took to get us there! Climbing out of the van, I wondered if the blues that I was hearing was in my ears or in my head. From that point until we left, there was blues music everywhere. We entered The Hopson Commissary and listened to The Marshall Drew Blues Band, a local group (of twenty–something’s) from Clarksdale who sounded fantastic! The Commissary is a large room full of history, antiques, and pictures. It was an acoustic lounge...a very cool place to relax and listen to music. Feeling the “van lag” from the trip, I decided to turn it in while some of the boys went to “Red’s Lounge” (http://www.jukejointfestival.com/venues.php). I guess I ignored the saying that I had heard quite a few times from the locals, “You can sleep when you die.”
I paid the price by not going to “Red’s” because as it turns out, “The Oil Man” - Big Jack Johnson (http://www.myspace.com/bigjackjohnsonblues) was playing there that night. Deak Harp sat in and lit it up blowing a mean harp (http://www.myspace.com/bigjackjohnsonblues). Jon, Lonny, and my brother Mike said that, “Going to Red’s juke and seeing Big Jack Johnson was the real deal, blues in its pure state!”
When I woke up on Saturday morning at The Shack Up Inn, there was still a buzz about how cool it was to go to Red’s Juke Joint. I was in a hurry to get to the balcony. The first thing I noticed was the Cadillac Shack with the bottle tree in front of it. That is the front cover of our CD and it was the first time I laid my eyes on it. Someone suggested that we get a beverage in a blue bottle, pass it around until it is gone and then put it on one of the unoccupied tree limbs. Another band member who happened to be more awake reminded him that we had a show in Helena to do. In retrospect, I think we should’ve done it. Off to the right of our balcony was a view of a beautiful cotton field and the cotton was in full bloom, matured and opened, as far as you could see. Just an unbelievable site!
Most of the guys were hungry for breakfast so we headed into town, Clarksdale, MS. It was literally like riding in a tour bus. Things like the Highway 61/49 signs were pointed out as well as the painted silhouettes of airplanes on the highway reminding you that a crop duster uses this road to LAND! Once in town our heads were on a swivel as my Brother Mike, the authority on Clarksdale to us, was pointing out The Cross Roads sign, The Riverside Hotel where many a great blues man stayed (Rat sez that Muddy walked out of the hotel and onto a train to Chicago), Red’s Juke Joint, Ground Zero and the Delta Museum. We couldn’t look quick enough to see everything. We parked in front of The Delta Amusement Lounge. Sitting on the bench in front was none other than Mississippi Delta blues man, Mr. Tater. http://www.myspace.com/mrtaterthegreatestmusicmakeralive
He seemed more than happy to meet us and take a picture.
He assured us that he would be in Helena later that day.

Our breakfast was the biggest, greasiest southern style breakfast you could order. The waitress was getting a kick out our accents. She informed us that “Big Daddy” makes his own jam…but don’t tell him otherwise she would have to deal with his ego all day. Once we were fueled up, we walked over to The Ground Zero Blues Club (http://www.groundzerobluesclub.com/). A few people were cleaning up. They informed us that they weren’t open yet but permitted us to walk around and check the place out. If I owned a club, I would design it after Ground Zero. From Ground Zero, straight across Blues Alley is The Delta Blues Museum which was (http://www.deltabluesmuseum.org/) our next stop. You can spend a day in the museum but our time was limited. There’s an amazing collection of artifacts, instruments, recordings, sheet music, posters, photographs, costumes, folk art and paintings. The Muddy Waters exhibit is really impressive and it includes the cabin that he once lived in!
We headed back to Hopson’s to get ready for the festival. Some of us walked around Hopson while we took turns getting ready to go to Helena. On the ride to Helena I could sense the excitement about playing in ABHF. You could see the smoke and smell the BBQ before we reached the Festival. After parking behind the Emerging Artist Stage, we agreed to meet 30 minutes before we were to go on. Walking around Cherry Street, checking the booths, street buskers, seeing The Delta Cultural Center (http://www.deltaculturalcenter.com/exhibitions/blues.asp), the second stage and the main stage, we knew that this was going to be a lot of fun. We ran into Dusty Blues for the first time and he told us that the first two days had been great. The blues were everywhere!
The sun was shinning on the Emerging Artist Stage when the first band finished their set. It was hot but the humidity wasn’t like the humidity at so many of the other festivals we played this past summer. We got all set up; they announced our name and the party began. The soundman did a tremendous job mixing the first band. I remember thinking, “If he has us tweaked like that, then this will be a blast!” Jon Paul and Lonny had a great stage sound, ear-to-ear grins and were ripping it. I’ve known bassist, Jack Rhyner, for years and there was no surprise that he and Junior sounded big and rock-solid. My brother, Mike, gave me the thumbs up that the soundman had us balanced and there was no looking back. I could see people in line for food turning around to check us out. Once they got their food they walked down toward the stage and stayed. The set was cookin’ and we were turning heads. Some people danced and others sang along. They really liked our version of Johnny Shine’s “Evening Sun” when we bring it down low and ask them to shout it out! “Where were you?” We split the groups into four sections, left, center, right and those inside the “Port O’ Johns”. They loved it. We followed that with our originals, “Blue Guitar” and “Lover Boy Blues,” Both songs were very well received. From the opening riff of “Little Man” to the last note of “Funkified Blues” we were living a dream. The set ran smoothly and the crowd was receptive to our feel for the blues. The sweat rolling down our faces felt good. Several people wanted to talk while we were breaking down and many of them met us at the van to talk and/or buy a CD. New fans from Mobile, Alabama, Little Rock & Helena, Ark., New Orleans and Texas l stopped by to chat. It was cool to meet people from the South who liked our music, encouraged us and told us who to contact in their hometown to play there. When all was said and done, it was time to get some BBQ!