Blues Goes to School

Avonworth High School held their third annual Multicultural Dinner & Festival March 19, 2011. The festival was designed to celebrate diversity and expose the Avonworth school community to other cultures. Food from various countries was prepared, including Italian, Irish, Asian, and Middle Eastern fair. There were student displays and presentations, and the evening was capped off with entertainment from three diverse acts with local bluesman Eugene Morgan headlining the event.

After short performances from the Bell Irish Dancers and the Oriental Dance School, Eugene took the stage with his amp and two guitars. For the next 45 minutes, Mr. Morgan took the audience through the history of the blues to play blues standards from the fields of the Delta to the electric Chicago blues. He went back and forth from his Stratocaster and a dobro and growled a Blind Lemon Jefferson song to kick off the evening. Songs in the set including Robert Johnson's "Sweet Home Chicago," Willie Dixon's "Little Red Rooster," Muddy Waters inspired "Got My Mojo Working," and Elmore James's "Dust My Broom." Eugene ended the evening with a soulful touching rendition of the Lead Belly inspired "Good Night Irene." Eugene Morgan was well received by the Avonworth crowd and had people on their feet wanting more.

~Ken Lockette, Principal Avonworth