2012 Beale Street Music Festival Lineup
Jane's Addiction
Saturday, May 5th | Bud Light Stage
One of the greatest, most creative bands to emerge from the late 1980s alternative music scene, Los Angeles rockers Jane’s Addiction turned the music industry upside down with the incendiary 1988 release of Nothing’s Shocking. Incredibly, after two break ups, Jane’s Addiction, as led by vocalist Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro, reunited for their fourth studio album, 2011’s The Great Escape Artist, and a subsequent 2012 tour entitled Theatre of the Escapists. Live, expect the new material to be peppered with plenty of classics, including “Jane Says,” “Stop!” and “Been Caught Stealing.”
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My Morning Jacket
Friday, May 4th | Bud Light stage
Led by enigmatic frontman Jim James, this Louisville, Kentucky-based rock band quickly crossed over from the indie rock underground to major label success with the release of 2005’s synth and reverb-laden Z, My Morning Jacket’s fourth album. Performances at outdoor festivals featured unforgettable – and wholly unexpected – covers of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone” and Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street,” which catapulted My Morning Jacket to international fame. Most recently, the band returned to its home turf – specificially, a church gymnasium in Louisville – where they cut their sixth studio offering, the psychedelic-influenced, Grammy nominated Circuital, which was recorded live with no overdubs.
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Florence + The Machine
Friday, May 4th | bud light stage
Intoxicatingly quirky and impossible to predict, Florence + the Machine shape-shifts from a two-person group to a full ensemble featuring seven musicians or more. Fronted by vocalist Florence Welch, who channels equal parts Kate Bush and P.J. Harvey, this artsy Brit-pop group got its first taste of fame via the single “Kiss with a Fist,” which was featured on television shows 90210 and Saving Grace. Today, Florence + the Machine have two albums under their belt – 2009’s Lungs and a 2011 follow-up, Ceremonials, which has yielded the singles “Shake It Out” and “No Light, No Light.” Live, expect ornate, melodramatic arrangements that showcase Welch’s theatrical intensity.
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Wiz Khalifa
sunday, may 6th | bud light stage
Pennsylvania-based military brat Cameron Thomaz was just fourteen when he began to reinvent himself as rapper Wiz Khalifa. Now, at the age of 24, he’s already weathered deals with Warner Bros. and Atlantic Records, shared stages with David Banner and the Game, and achieved mainstream success with the breakthrough hit “Black and Yellow,” a salute to Pittsburgh’s professional sports teams. While his second studio album, O.N.I.F.C., has yet to receive a release date, confirmed collaborators include Chris Brown, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, and Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J, as well as producers Drumma Boy, Pharrell Williams, and Lex Luger.
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Evanescence
friday, may 4th | orion stage
It’s tough to believe that multi-platinum hard rockers Evanescence got their start in Little Rock some seventeen years ago – and that it’s been nine years since the band released its seventeen-million selling debut, Fallen, which netted an astounding two Grammy wins and seven nominations. The band’s most recent, eponymously titled release was recorded in Nashville with Nick Raskulinecz (Marilyn Manson, Foo Fighters, Alice in Chains) and released in late 2011, but Evanescence still has roots right here in Memphis, where Ardent Records producer Pete Matthews helped the band get their start. Led by classically trained pianist Amy Lee, Evanescence combines goth and metal influences to create wrenching, emotionally raw song-stories like “The Other Side” and “Lost in Paradise,” that are sure to dazzle Beale Street Music Fest audiences.
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Primus
sunday, may 6th | orion stage
For the last three decades, Primus has followed in Frank Zappa’s footsteps to create music that’s both original and inventive. The San Francisco-based rock trio, which is fronted by vocalist and bassist Les Claypool, has been alternately described as “psychedelic polka” and funk metal. Last fall, Primus released Green Naugahyde, its seventh studio album, which features the comedic “Tragedy’s a’ Comin,” and the funky “Lee Van Cleef.” Live, the band is sure to pull material from their breakthrough 1990 effort Frizzle Fry, as well as their popular covers of XTC’s “Scissor Man” and Metallica’s “The Thing That Should Not Be.”
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Pitbull
saturday, may 5th | orion stage
Pitbull’s career has been years in the making: The tenacious rapper started appearing on Miami mixtapes when he was just a teenager, before he cut a few freestyle rhymes with Miami bass hero Luther Campbell. Dirty South hero Lil Jon invited Pitbull to guest rap on the platinum seller Kings of Krunk, which helped land a single, “Oye,” in the film 2 Fast 2 Furious. From his 2004 full-length debut, M.I.A.M.I. to his sixth album, last year’s Planet Pit, Pitbull continues to serve up Spanish-English party platters that have deep southern crunk and heavy bass roots, yet feature the smoking hot, spicy Latin flavor that has catapulted him to international stardom.
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Girl Talk
friday, may 4th | horseshoe casino stage
Pavement, Dolly Parton and Paul McCartney are fair game for Pennsylvania-born Gregg Gillis, who creates music under the alter ego Girl Talk. Rap, rock, and classic '70s and '80s-era pop music figure into the mix, veering from the Notorious B.I.G. to Elton John's "Tiny Dancer," or layering a down-and-dirty rhyme from 2 Live Crew's Luke Skyywalker over a selection of indie rock chords. He cut his teeth playing in noisy, experimental bands in junior high before graduating to his experiments on the computer a few years later. Today, Gillis uses loop-based software that enables him to compose a set list before the concert begins; once the party's started, he can sample, tweak, chop and mute samples as he mixes.
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Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
sunday, may 6th | horseshoe casino stage
Hot on the heels of her recent Grammy win and critically acclaimed, platinum-selling collaboration with Robert Plant, bluegrass phenom Alison Krauss returned to her roots with last year’s Paper Airplanes, recorded with her longtime group Union Station. Live, expect Krauss to pull out new material like Peter Rowan’s instant classic “Dustbowl Children” as well as her interpretations of traditionals like “Down to the River to Pray,” which, thanks to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, made this fiddler/vocalist a household name. Reunited with Union Station – Jerry Douglas on dobro and lap steel, Dan Tyminski on guitar and mandolin, Ron Block on banjo, and Barry Bales on bass – Krauss is sure to deliver a scorching set at Beale Street Music Fest.
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Al Green
saturday, may 5th | horseshoe casino stage
Musically, this Arkansas-born, Michigan raised, Memphis-based soul legend knows no boundaries. The brilliant vocalist-turned-man of the cloth-turned-comeback star can serve up hits from his own oeuvre, including “Let’s Stay Together” and “Tired of Being Alone,” shift gears to effervescent gospel numbers, and inspired takes on Hank Williams, Sr.’s country tunes, then throw in a jazzy take on Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World.” Hopefully Green, who seldom performs in his own hometown, will deliver a rendition of his 1974 smash “Take Me to the River,” which was co-written with his iconic guitarist Teenie Hodges and recorded at Willie Mitchell’s Royal Recording Studio, located just a few miles east of Tom Lee Park in South Memphis.
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MegaDeth
friday, may 4th | orion stage
Since 1983, thrash metal pioneers Megadeth have set the pace for other acts in the genre, establishing a penchant for speed with their debut Killing Is My Business… and Business is Good that has continued on through 2011’s Thirteen, their thirteenth album. In between, Megadeth has surfed plenty of controversy, ranging from founding musician Dave Mustaine’s drug and alchohol abuse to Megadeth’s feuds with other bands, including Metallica, Suicidal Tendencies, and Slayer. To the relief of metal fans everywhere, Mustaine and Megadeth’s original bassist, Dave Ellefson, have managed to bury the hatchet after an $18 million lawsuit, and not only entered the studio together for Thirteen but also joined Lacuna Coil and Motorhead for Gigantour 2012, which wrapped earlier this spring.
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The Civil Wars
sunday, may 6th | horseshoe casino stage
Born in a Nashville recording studio, this duo marries the sultriness of the White Stripes with the bare-bones acoustic sounds of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Their folksy debut, 2011’s Barton Hollow, quickly ratcheted up the Billboard and iTunes charts and netted The Civil Wars a pair of Grammy Awards in early 2012. An unlikely overnight success story, the duo is comprised of singer-songwriters Joy Williams and John Paul White, who see their band name as a play on emotional politics rather than a reference to the North vs. South conflict. Purveyors of stripped down, haunting tunes like the breakthrough single “Poison & Wine,” which first reached audiences via an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, The Civil Wars are at the cutting edge of 21st century Americana.
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Anthony Hamilton
saturday, may 5th | horseshoe casino stage
Like so many soul singers, Anthony Hamilton first found his voice in the church choir. After relocating from North Carolina to New York City, he lent his chops to D’Angelo, Nappy Roots and Jadakiss before getting his own shot at stardom with his first solo album, XTC, which was released in 1996. By the end of the next decade, Hamilton was a bona fide star, receiving three Grammy nominations and one win in the Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance category for “You’ve Got the Love I Need,” his duet with soul legend Al Green. Today, he’s still riding high on Back To Love, his fifth studio album, which was released in December 2011.
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bush
sunday, may 6th | bud light stage
One of the most commercially viable bands to emerge from the 1990s British rock scene, the mega-platinum Bush (Gavin Rossdale on vocals and guitar, Chris Traynor on guitar, bassist Corey Britz, and drummer Robin Goodridge) reunited in 2011 after a decade-long hiatus. “The Sound of Winter,” the lead track off the resulting album, The Sea of Memories, made history by becoming the first self-released song to hit the top spot on the Alternative Radio charts. Considered post-grunge, Bush are purveyors of no-frills, hook-laden rock that still sounds invigorating nearly 20 years after the release of their debut single, “Everything Zen.”
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Grace potter and the nocturnals
saturday, may 5th | bud light stage
In late 2010, a few hundred lucky Memphians were fortunate enough to see Grace Potter & the Nocturnals open for Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. Today, the Vermont-based multi-instrumentalist and her group are one of the hottest acts on the jam band circuit. Combining vocal riffs and powerful guitar hooks on crowd-pleasing rockers like “Medicine” and “Tiny Light,” Potter and the Nocturnals swagger and sway like the Rolling Stones, circa-early 1970s. Live, expect a few tidbits from the group’s upcoming album The Lion The Beast The Beat, a collaboration with the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, which is scheduled for imminent release.
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lupe fiasco
friday, may 4th | horseshoe casino stage
After a four-year hiatus, Chicago MC turned entrepreneur Lupe Fiasco returned to the stage with 2011’s LASERS (Love Always Shines Everytime: Remember to Smile), a revolutionary conceptual album that takes on politics, mass media, and the radio industry. One of the most exciting and dynamic performers in hip-hop today, Fiasco was discovered by Jay-Z while he was working on his first solo album, Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor. Heralded as one of the pioneers of the conscious hip-hop movement, his topical rhymes touch on topics endemic in the black community, including single-parent homes and poor nutrition.
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the cult
saturday, may 5th | bud light stage
While this British rock band first made waves with “She Sells Sanctuary” back in the mid-1980s, the Cult is no retro act. The band, which cites mystical and goth musical references, has weathered a break-up, reunion, and hiatus while lead vocalist Ian Astbury took time off to front the Doors. Last year, the Cult – with original guitarist Billy Duffy and bassist Chris Wyse and drummer John Tempesta – entered the Witch Mountain recording studio in the Hollywood Hills to cut a ninth album, Choice of Weapon, which will be released soon after the band’s appearance at Beale Street Music Fest.
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Herbie hancock and his band
sunday, may 6th | orion stage
“Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern music. Throughout his artistic explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice. In addition to being recognized as a legendary pianist and composer, his illustrious career includes an Academy Award for his Round Midnight film score and 14 Grammy Awards, including 2008’s Album of the Year. There are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz, R&B and modern rock. Many of his compositions, including "Canteloupe Island," "Maiden Voyage," "Watermelon Man," "Chameleon," and "Rockit" are contemporary standards that have had a profound effect on all styles of modern music. Now in his fifth decade as a performing artist, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: in the forefront of world culture, technology and music. Though one can’t track exactly where he will go next, he is sure to leave his inimitable imprint wherever he lands.”
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michael franti & spearhead
sunday, may 6th | orion stage
Reggae and hip-hop are the name of the game for Michael Franti and Spearhead, whose most recent album, The Sound of Sunshine, was released in 2010. Consisting of songs written soon after Franti’s appendix burst during Spearhead’s 2009 tour, the album represents everything that truly matters in life, and is intended as a buoyant song cycle for rough times. Produced with the input of legendary reggae stars Sly and Robbie, the album, Franti’s seventh, fuses optimistic lyrics with irresistibly sunny beats. Put on your dancing shoes – Spearhead are sure to get you moving at Beale Street Music Fest
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Coheed & Cambria
sunday, may 6th | bud light stage
Prog rock and punk meet science fiction in this Nyack, New York-based musical outfit, which, for the last decade, have released five studio albums based on a comic book storyline called The Armory Wars, penned by lead singer Claudio Sanchez. Citing such influences as Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin, Coheed and Cambria have built a following for their futuristic song-cycles. Whether or not you’re familiar with the details of The Armory Wars, you’ll be able to access the high-speed space battles, dreamy, atmospheric soundscapes, and deranged visions pulled from Sanchez’s imagination and converted into a malleable soundtrack.
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Buddy Guy
saturday, may 5th | orion stage
As Buddy Guy’s latest album, 2010’s Living Proof, attests, this guitarist from Chicago’s fabled West Side is a blues icon who has influenced some of rock’s biggest legends, including Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton. The album’s lead track, “74 Years Young,” also confirms that Guy, five time Grammy Award winner, 23 W.C. Handy Awards, and the Presidential National Medal of Arts, refuses to rest on his laurels. Live, expect a consummate showman whose flamboyancy is rivaled only by his guitar genius: this pioneer of American music is a loud, aggressive performer who plays with the same fire he first displayed at Chess Records in the late 1950s.
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Needtobreathe
friday, may 4th | bud light stage
Hailing from the unlikely burg of Possum Kingdom, North Carolina, musical brothers Bear and Bo Rinehart formed this Christian rock group while they were still enrolled in college. Signed to Atlantic Records in 2005, the band released Daylight, their debut CD, shortly before making their Memphis debut at the 2006 Beale Street Music Fest. Six years and three albums later, Needtobreathe are bona fide rock stars, with tracks like “Hurricane” and “Lay ‘Em Down” crossing over on the Hot Christian, Triple A, and Alternative rock charts. Currently touring on the strength of their 2011 release, The Reckoning, the Rinehart brothers have also landed singles on Fox Sports’ coverage of the 2006 World Series, CBS’ NFL programming, and in a bevy of TV shows including Cougar Town, Prison Break and Hart of Dixie.
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Childish Gambino
saturday, may 5th | bud light stage
As legend goes, actor Donald Glover – best known for his role as Community’s dimwitted Troy Barnes and his behind-the-scenes role as a writer on 30 Rock and The Daily Show – initially devised his rap project via a Wu-Tang Clan name generator. However, his hip-hop alter ego is no joke: with two mixtapes and three studio albums under his belt, Childish Gambino has garnered comparisons to College Dropout-era Kanye West. Live, expect an energetic performance that mines Glover’s inherent nerdiness via catchy tracks like “Heartbeat,” from his latest full-length Camp, which marries electro rhythms with inspired, yet hyper-critical self-deprecating lyrics.
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Kenny Wayne Shepherd
saturday, may 5th | orion stage
It seems like yesterday when this Shreveport, Louisiana blues prodigy exploded on the scene with his debut album Ledbetter Heights, cut when he was just thirteen years old. Now the towheaded performer who helped propel the blues genre back onto the pop radar is in his mid-30s, and a polished and passionate player to boot. Last year, he released his sixth full-length, How I Go, a collection of originals and cover tunes that run the gamut from a faithful rendition of Bessie Smith’s “Backwater Blues” to the grungy rocker “Come On Over” – delivered in a stinging guitar style that reminds us that the blues are far from dying.
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cold war kids
saturday, may 5th | orion stage
Long Beach, CA's Cold War Kids make music with roots that go deep and wide, embracing influences as diverse as Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Jeff Buckley, and the Velvet Underground. Matt Aveiro, Matt Maust, Jonnie Russell, and Nathan Willett began crafting their soulful, blues-inflected take on indie rock as Cold War Kids in 2004. The band's unique sound and impassioned live act generates a soulful sound that is sure to attract a ray of sunshine on the Mississippi River. In 2010 the band went into the studio with Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon). Their third album, Mine Is Yours, arrived in early 2011.
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three 6 mafia
friday, may 4th | orion stage
There’s a reason why Three 6 Mafia are the most revered group from the Dirty South: This group has had Memphis on lockdown for the last two decades, controlling the city’s rap scene with fertile minds and an iron fist. Masterminds DJ Paul and Juicy J have birthed a clique that claims talent like Project Pat, Lord Infamous, Lil Wyte and Young Buck, while, at the 2006 Academy Awards, they proved unbeatable as well, instantly catapulting from Most Known Unknowns to the most famous rap group in the world on the strength of “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp.”
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Son volt
saturday, may 5th | bud light stage
With his flannel shirts and nasal tenor, Son Volt vocalist Jay Farrar is an unlikely American idol. But that’s exactly what the former Uncle Tupelo frontman – who, along with his ex-musical partner, Jeff Twedy, spearheaded the alt-country movement – has become. Dropped from Warner Bros. shortly after the release of Son Volt’s third album, 1998’s Wide Swing Tremelo, Farrar turned his back on the majors and formed his own label, Transmit Sound, then reconfigured the band after a brief stint as a solo artist. Son Volt’s most recent recording, 2009’s American Central Dust, traverses familiar terrain popularized by classic rock veterans such as the Byrds and Little Feat.
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The head and the heart
sunday, may 6th | horseshoe casino stage
This Seattle-based Americana band, a true underground success story that sold more than 10,000 copies of their debut album by word-of-mouth before becoming one of the more recent signees to the uber-grunge label Sub Pop Records, has garnered favorable comparisons to the Decemberists and Iron & Wine. Featuring violin and piano alongside guitar, drums and bass, the Head and the Heart explore the harmonic territories previously established by the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, performing at the Beale Street Music Fest after critically acclaimed appearances at the Newport Folk Festival and Austin City Limits.
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yo gotti
saturday, may 5th | orion stage
This Memphis rapper possesses more than a baby face and a mouthful of platinum: Yo Gotti, born Mario Mims, also has a propensity for catchy rhythms and nimble rhymes, served up on street hits like “Dirty South Soldiers” and “Shawty.” With the long-awaited release of his major label debut, Live From the Kitchen, which hit stores earlier this year, Yo Gotti has crossed over into the mainstream to collaborate with artists such as Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, and Jadakiss. Today, the North Memphis native has emerged as a hometown hero who is just as likely to champion the Memphis Grizzlies as he is to glorify his experiences on the streets.
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Little Richard
sunday, may 6th | horseshoe casino stage
Little Richard- the originator, the emancipator, the architect of rock and roll. Exploding into the American consciousness in the mid-50s...."awop-bop-a-loo-mop-alop-bam-boom"...he single-handedly laid the foundation and established the rules for a new musical form: rock and roll. Driven by an incredible, hard-to-match energy which lends credence to his "wild man of rock 'n' roll image, Richard continues to tour extensively, delighting audiences with his unique blend of music and humor.
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John Hiatt & The Combo
saturday, may 5th | orion stage
John Hiatt has had such extraordinary success as a songwriter that, even if you haven't followed his career as a performer, you'll find you know most of these songs by virtue of their hit cover versions. Bonnie Raitt ("A Thing Called Love"), Suzy Bogguss ("Drive South"), Rosanne Cash ("The Way We Mend a Broken Heart"), Jeff Healey ("Angel Eyes"), and Aaron Neville ("Feels Like Rain") have all dipped into the Hiatt songbook with spectacular results. Hiatt's originals (plus a couple of new tracks) are terrific in their own right, thanks to his gritty vocal style and stellar accompaniment on some tracks by Ry Cooder, Nick Lowe, Jim Keltner, and Sonny Landreth. The only missteps here are a rerecorded version of "Have a Little Faith in Me" (the original is one of Hiatt's most powerful performances) and the inclusion of "Take Off Your Uniform," a distant memory from Hiatt's days as a new waver in the Elvis Costello mold.
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Black lips
saturday, may 5th | horseshoe casino stage
Within five short years, this Atlanta-based garage rock band catapulted from the bar circuit to appearing on Conan O’Brien, signed a contract with hipster label Vice Records, and gained an adoring audience that spans the globe. Miraculously, the all-male Black Lips – notorious for stripping down to their birthday suits, spawning sloppy onstage make-out sessions, and shooting off fireworks during their gigs – accomplished stardom without changing a thing. The group has now been together an astonishing thirteen years and released six studio albums, including 2011’s Arabia Mountain, produced by DJ Mark Ronson, in between a staggering touring schedule that has taken them to India and Israel, and put them in front of fans on the Caribbean Bruise Cruise and at the venerable South-By-Southwest Music Festival.
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the Chris Robinson brotherhood
sunday, may 6th | orion stage
Chris Robinson launched his solo project in March, 2011, rounding out the band with Black Crowes keyboardist Adam MacDougall, Burning Tree bassist Mark Dutton, Beachwood Sparks guitarist Neal Casal, and Memphis-based drummer George Sluppick. Alternating between country blues and hard driving rock, the Chris Robinson Brotherhood borrows from both the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead, mining the music of his southern roots then running that sound through a Topanga Canyon filter. Live, expect a gentler, more introspective slant on Robinson’s typically blistering blues act.
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Volbeat
friday, may 4th | orion stage
Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, Volbeat perform an unlikely amalgamation of rockabilly and heavy metal. Danish superstars since the release of their 2005 debut, The Strength/The Sound/The Songs, which includes a head banging cover of Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Wanna Be With You,” Volbeat’s fourth studio album, 2010’s Beyond Hell/Above Heaven features collaborations with Napalm Death’s Barney Greenway and King Diamond’s Michael Denner. Though they’ve yet to become a household name in the States, Volbeat are one of the most anticipated bands to take the stage at Beale Street Music Fest. With his rabid appreciation of Sun artists like Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis, it’s likely that Volbeat frontman Michael Poulsen is equally excited about his visit to Memphis.
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gary clark jr.
saturday, may 5th | fedex blues tent
This 28-year old acclaimed savior of the blues is the current leader of the Austin, Texas blues-rock scene. Combining his falsetto vocals with an effortlessly fluid guitar style, Clark cut his teeth at the legendary music club Antone’s, then quickly graduated to gigs such as the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival, where he performed alongside B.B. King, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, and Buddy Guy. Much ado is made of the fact that Clark is a 21st century musician who values Kurt Cobain’s grunge work as much as he worships Howlin’ Wolf’s traditionalist leanings, and delivers fiery axe-grinding licks that bridge both genres.
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johnny winter
friday, may 4th | fedex blues tent
A mainstay on the ‘70s era blues-rock scene, Johnny Winter cut his teeth playing with the legendary bluesman Muddy Waters and performing with hard rocker Rick Derringer. As a live performer who is content to stretch out on the road, this tattooed guitarist continues to astonish and amaze audiences with his relentlessly driving chords and fiery slide guitar techniques. Heralded as one of Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time, and honored as an inductee into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, Winter has just released a brand new album of old favorites entitled ROOTS, which pairs him with jam band favorites John Medeski and Warren Haynes.
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dr. dog
saturday, may 5th | horseshoe casino stage
In less than a decade, Dr. Dog has risen from low-fi alt-rock group to indie powerhouse, thanks in part to their opening slot on a 2004 My Morning Jacket Tour and the release of their fifth studio album and ANTI- label debut, 2010’s Shame, Shame. A sprawling rock outfit that’s as likely to reference the Eagles as they are Paul McCartney, Dr. Dog roams the crowded territory between alt-country and psychedelic rock populated by the likes of Wilco and Neil Young. Expect an audience sing-along on tunes like “Lonesome,” the lead track on Dr. Dog’s latest full-length, Be the Void, which was released in February.
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Robert randolph and the Family band
sunday, may 6th | fedex blues tent
Since he exploded on the New York jam band scene in 2000, pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph and his family band have gone from playing worship services at the Pentecostal-based House of God Church in Orange, New Jersey, to becoming one of the hottest roots music acts in the world. While gospel has remained his greatest influence, Randolph cites R&B and hip-hop as equal inspirations. Don’t miss his ten-minute plus jams on crowd pleasers like “New York City Freaks” and “If I Had My Way,” from his third – and most recent – studio album, We Walk This Way, released in 2010.
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Big K.R.I.T.
saturday, may 5th | horseshoe casino stage
The alter-ego of Meridian, Mississippi native Justin Scott, the much buzzed about Big K.R.I.T. (King Remembered in Time), launched his career with a 2010 mixtape that quickly caught the attention of Def Jam A&R VP Sha Money XL. In less than a year, Big K.R.I.T. was delivering vocals alongside the likes of David Banner and Ludacris, who guested on his critically acclaimed mixtape Return of 4Eva. He’ll appear at the Beale Street Music Fest hot on the heels of his early 2012 release 4evaNaDay, which combines jazz and funky blues into a seamless summer jam.
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North mississippi AllStars
friday, may 4th | bud light stage
Favorites on the jam band and southern rock scenes, the North Mississippi Allstars – anchored by brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson, who play guitar and drums, respectively, and bassist Chris Chew – might live across the state line, but in Memphis, they’re revered as hometown heroes. Influenced by the late hill country bluesmen R.L. Burnside and Otha Turner, the Allstars fuse roots-based traditions with contemporary rock. Today, their gigs are few and far between, as Luther serves as lead guitarist for the Black Crowes and Cody fronts his own band, Hill Country Revue. Fortunately for their fans, the brothers are using their free time to launch a digital single series, dropping the inaugural single, a raucous cover of the blues classic Rollin’ n Tumblin,’ in February 2012.
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breathe carolina
friday, may 4th | horseshoe casino stage
Bring on the vocoders: Colorado electronica duo Breathe Carolina, the brainchild of David Schmitt and Kyle Even, bring the Beale Street Music Fest firmly into the 21st century. An organic amalgamation born in a laptop computer and launched via MySpace, Breathe Carolina offers poppy, yet occasionally dark rave-worthy confections like “Hello Fascination” and “I.D.G.A.F.” Success came quickly, and after appearances at the South-By-Southwest Music Festival and a plug on MTV’s Buzzworthy blog, the duo inked a deal with Columbia Records and an opening spot on the 2012 Vans Warped Tour. Live, expect a full ensemble, including keytar, drums, bass, and guitar.
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old 97's
sunday, may 6th | horseshoe casino stage
These Dallas, Texas-based alt-country mainstays have chugged steadily along since making their debut in 1994 and signing to Elektra Records for a brief period a few years later. Despite frontman Rhett Miller’s success as a solo act, the Old 97’s never really hung up their straw hats, eventually emerging with 24 songs that were released as The Grand Theatre Volume One and Volume Two in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Best known for their erudite combinations of smart British pop ala the Kinks or the Hollies with old-school Texas country sensibilities (think Lefty Frizzell), the Old 97’s burn slow and bright, still turning on fans to classics like “Timebomb,” the lead track on their quintessential album Too Far to Care.
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Black Stone Cherry
sunday, may 6th | bud light stage
Kentucky-based rockers Black Stone Cherry, who combine southern iconography with head-banging hard rock, might be better known in Europe than they are on these shores, but that’s sure to change with the success of their third album, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, which was released on the Roadrunner label last May. Imagine what Ozzy Osbourne might sound like had he been born south of the Mason-Dixon line, and you’ll hit on the fiercely chugging riffs and rootsy regionalism that equals Black Stone Cherry. Expect a mosh pit in front of the stage during the band’s Beale Street Music Fest appearance.
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sponge cola
international salute to the philippines musical guest
friday, may 4th & saturday, may 5th | horseshoe casino stage
Hot off the release of their fourth full-length studio album, Araw Oras Tagpuan, Manila City-based pop-rock quartet Sponge Cola make their Memphis debut at Beale Street Music Festival. Expect to hear their latest single, an introspective ballad entitled “Kay Tagal Kitang Hinintay” (translation: “How Long Have I Waited for You”), as well as their stripped down version of Madonna’s “Crazy For You,” which helped break the band in their native Philippines back in 2003. Armed with circa-‘80s synthesizers, 21st century beats and loops, and strong boy-band influenced vocal chops, SpongeCola are sure to win over Memphis audiences as quickly as they’ve climbed up the Filipino charts.
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Bernard allison
friday, may 4th | fedex blues tent
The Chicago-born son of electric blues legend Luther Allison, Bernard Allison cut his teeth as axeman for the late, great Koko Taylor. Later, he worked with Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan. A working musician since his early teens, Allison recorded his first solo album, The Next Generation, in 1990. An introspective, yet energetic performer, Allison has blazed his own path as a blues guitar virtuoso. His most recent album, 2010’s The Otherside, solidifies his reputation as an agile interpreter who can easily shift gears from traditional Chicago barroom blues (“Leavin’ the Bayou”) to soul-funk (“Tired of Trying”) and even hard rock, via a spirited take on Jimi Hendrix’s “Fire.”
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Drew Holcolmb & the neighbors
saturday, may 5th | bud light stage
Since relocating from Memphis to East Nashville, singer-songwriter Drew Holcomb has steadily made a name for himself as a tour opener for the likes of the Avett Brothers, Los Lobos and Ryan Adams. Since inking a deal with the rootsy Dualtone Records label, Holcomb’s star has been climbing: He’s landed songs on United States of Tara and Parenthood, and his most recent album, 2011’s Chasing Someday, cracked Billboard’s Top 200. His triumphant return to Memphis – and the Beale Street Music Fest stage – will be capped by the performance of his most-requested track, “Live Forever,” an homage to his young niece and nephew.
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The Bo-Keys
saturday, may 5th | fedex blues tent
The Bo-Keys fluently glide between Memphis’ golden soul era of the 1960s and the 21st century. The players here are the real deal: Trumpeter Ben Cauley was aboard the plane that took Otis Redding’s life four decades ago, while drummer Howard Grimes has cut a wide swath in southern soul. Rounding out the group are the next generation of Memphis musicians: Keyboardists Al Gamble and Hubbie Turner, a crackerjack horn section that includes sessions men Jim Spake, Kirk Smothers, and Marc Franklin, and Bo-Keys founder Scott Bomar, a bass playing producer who scored Hustle & Flow and produced Cyndi Lauper’s last album, Memphis Blues.
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Prosevere
sunday, may 6th | bud light stage
Although Memphis hard rockers Prosevere have been together since 2006, the band’s career really took off in 2011 with the release of their full-length debut, Burn the City. Since then, Prosevere – which features vocalist Gary Segars, guitarist Eric Ashe, bassist Matt Riley and drummer Rocky Griggs – have been logging miles on the road with Godsmack, Sevendust, Papa Roach and Zach Myers of Shinedown, appearing at showcases in Nashville and New York City, and selling thousands of records along the way. This May’s Beale Street Music Fest appearance will be a highlight for Prosevere, who still cite their performance on a rain-drenched stage in 2009 as a career highlight.
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Charlie Musselwhite
sunday, may 6th | fedex blues tent
Kosciusko, Mississippi born and Memphis raised, Charlie Musselwhite rose to prominence as one of the few non-black bluesmen on the Chicago scene in the early 1960s. An agile harmonica player who built his reputation alongside legends like John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters, Musselwhite has expanded his repertoire in the last few decades to work with rock artists such as Tom Waits and INXS. In 43 years, he’s released more than 30 albums, including the 2010 roots rocker The Well, an emotional song-cycle that includes “Sad and Beautiful World,” an unforgettable debut with Mavis Staples.
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Valerie June
saturday, may 5th | fedex blues tent
A slow-blooming local success story, Valerie June spent several years honing her craft in Midtown Memphis, where she played guitar and banjo in local coffeehouses and landed a spot in the MTV series $5 Cover. After a much-talked-about appearance at the 2011 South-By-Southwest Music Festival, June relocated to New York City, then decamped for a Nashville recording studio, where she holed up with producer Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Before returning home for her Beale Street Music Fest appearance, the rootsy musician will have logged dates in Houston and New York, and made a triumphant return to South-By-Southwest.
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Zoogma
sunday, may 6th | orion stage
Oxford, Mississippi’s Zoogma combines the sonic diversity and precision of a DJ with the excitement and immediacy of a five-piece rock group. Energetic sets that appeal to fans of modern dance music combine live improvisation with the carefully crafted beats that can be heard on Zoogma’s debut album, Recreational Vehicles. Best described as an eclectic fusion of electronica, rock, jazz, world music, R&B, and hip-hop, Zoogma’s blend of genres runs the gamut from the guitar-driven “Okami” to the dub-influenced “Syllepsis.” Live, their extended instrumental jams are sure to appeal to crowds of all ages.
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Duke Robillard
sunday, may 6th | fedex blues tent
A guitarist, singer-songwriter, bandleader, session musician and producer, Duke Robillard is one of the most valuable players on the contemporary blues scene. One of the co-founders of the iconic group Roomful of Blues – and Jimmie Vaughan’s replacement in the Fabulous Thunderbirds – Robillard has backed Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Dr. John, and currently fronts his own group, the Duke Robillard band. Live, expect anything from a rousing cover of Sugarboy Crawford’s “What’s Wrong,” to a forceful remake of Guitar Slim’s “Later For You Baby.” Whichever direction he chooses to take, know that Robillard’s interpretations will be faithful, yet inspired – and sure to get the audience moving.
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Will Tucker
friday, may 4th | fedex blues tent
Memphis-born guitar slinger Will Tucker was performing at B.B. King’s Beale Street club long before he was old enough to drive. He cut his teeth performing alongside the Beach Boys and Charlie Musselwhite. Not long after cutting his first full-length, Stealin’ the Soul, at Ardent Studios, he met up with American Idol judge Randy Jackson, who tapped Tucker to work on soundtracks for The Jenson Project and A Walk in My Shoes. This weekend, Tucker returns to the Beale Street Music Fest stage – where he joined G. Love and Special Sauce for an impromptu performance in 2009 – for his own slot.
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jimbo mathus & the tri-state Coalition
friday, may 4th | fedex blues tent
Perhaps best known as the co-founder of the North Carolina-based retro swing conglomerate Squirrel Nut Zippers, Jimbo Mathus returned to his Mississippi roots in the mid-1990s to record the critically acclaimed roots-blues album Songs For Rosetta. A creative workhorse, the rangy and multi-talented Mathus has recently written a rock opera entitled Mosquitoville, formed the South Memphis String Band, a roots super group featuring Alvin Youngblood Hart and Luther Dickinson, and recorded the Creedence Clearwater-esque album Confederate Buddha. Live, expect a powerhouse performance that combines Delta blues with traditional country overtones.
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Larry McCray
saturday, may 5th | fedex blues tent
Arkansas-born, Detroit-based blues guitarist Larry McCray has moved from the assembly line at General Motors to the stage, where he delivers bold guitar lines and crunchy rock riffs along with his soulful vocal style. McCray made his recording debut on Virgin’s blues imprint Pointblank Records in 1990 with the release of Ambition, which was followed by the made-in-Memphis album Delta Hurricane three years later. Soon after, McCray established his own record label, Magnolia, and released the eponymous album Larry McCray in 2007. Heralded as a talented contemporary blues performer who combines tradition with a more modern vision, McCray is one of the most exciting guitarists on the scene today.
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alvin "youngblood" hart's muscle theory
sunday, may 6th | fedex blues tent
Born in Oakland, California in 1963, Alvin Youngblood Hart gained his affection for blues as he accompanied his parents on summer trips to his grandparents’ home in northern Mississippi. It was there that his lifelong passion for acoustic blues was first sparked. Hart’s first break came in February 1995 while opening for Taj Mahal at an Oakland jazz club. Hart was invited to Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir’s studio for an impromptu jam session. A demo he recorded caught the attention of Epic Records executives and Hart’s brilliant 1996 debut album, Big Mama’s Door, got his career as an international touring artist off the ground. Hart received five nominations at the 1997 W.C. Handy Blues Awards including Best New Artist. On his third album, Start With the Soul, in 2000, he again took a different approach focusing on a blues-rock sound. Hart received his first Grammy nomination for Down in the Alley as Best Traditional Blues Recording. The summer of 2007 saw Hart hit the big screen as a juke joint musician in the Denzel Washington directed film The Great Debaters.
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Alexis P. Suter Band
sunday, may 6th | fedex blues tent
Since honing their chops at Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble Sessions in Woodstock, New York, the Alexis P. Suter Band have dazzled crowds at festivals ranging from the populist Toronto Waterfront Blues Festival to the venerable Central Park’s Summerstage. Fronted by a Brooklyn-born bass vocalist who serves up raw emotion on classics like “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” as well as “All Over Again,” a riveting track from the band’s fourth album, Two Sides, this group shakes, rattles, and rolls, combining gospel powerhouse vocals with a soulful groove. With legends like Helm and B.B. King singing their praises, Suter, a nominee for “Soul Blues Female Artist” at this year’s Blues Music Awards, and her namesake band are not to be missed.
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Victor Wainwright and The Wildroots
saturday, may 5th | fedex blues tent
Memphis by way of Savannah, Georgia boogie-woogie pianist Victor Wainwright serves up powerhouse blues, Memphis soul, and rootsy rock-and-roll. Wainwright possesses what he describes as “a double major in boogie, a Ph.D in swing, and a master’s degree in rhythm.” Regardless of his pedigree, he’s a raucous, high-octane performer who, thanks to playing an estimated 300 gigs per year, really knows how to get his audience on its feet. Lit Up!, his 2011 debut, showcases raspy-voiced originals like “Ting Tang Bang” and “Big Dog’s Runnin’ This Town,” which are sure to please fans of blues and roots music alike.
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RObert "Wolfman" Belfour
saturday, may 5th | fedex blues tent
Heralded in the 1990s as one of the youngest artists on Mississippi label Fat Possum Records’ roster, today, this Memphis-based bluesman is one of the last men standing. Born and raised in the North Mississippi hill country, Belfour relocated to Memphis 50 years ago. His understated acoustic guitar style, considered a link between Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside, remains largely under the radar, but his studio albums, which include 2003’s Pushing My Luck, have received rave reviews around the world. At 71 years, Belfour is currently revered as an elder statesman of the blues, who, despite pushing retirement age, continues to appear at clubs and festivals in Europe and stateside.
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t model ford
friday, may 4th | soco blues shack
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist T-Model Ford (James Lewis Carter Ford)
plays a raw-edged, visceral style of blues from the Mississippi Delta,
accompanied much of the time by his drummer, Spam (Tommy Lee Miles).
Ford caught a break when he opened up on a national tour for Buddy Guy
and his band, playing respectable theaters and some festivals, but he's
been chronically under-recorded. He began playing guitar late in life
and hadn't really toured much outside the Mississippi Delta until the
1990s and into the new millennium. In recent years he's been
well-received at Antone's nightclub in Austin during the South by
Southwest Music Festival, at the Chicago Blues Festival, and on tour
with Guy and his band. When not on the road, playing mostly blues
nightclubs, T-Model Ford and Spam set their instruments and amps up on
Nelson Street in Greenville, MS, where they'll play for as much as eight
hours straight. Ford's sound is raw, unadulterated Delta blues, and the
music on his albums tends to sound sparse but is very rhythmic, given
that his sole accompanist is the drummer Spam. His albums, all for the
Fat Possum label, now based in Los Angeles, include Pee-Wee Get My Gun
(1997), You Better Keep Still (1999), She Ain't None of Your'n (2000),
and Bad Man (2002). After a six-year break from recording -- though he
toured regularly -- Ford returned to the bins on the Alive imprint with
Ladies Man in 2010; he followed it with Taledragger in 2011.
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blind mississippi morris
saturday, may 5th | soco blues shack
The hot, dusty Mississippi Delta and Memphis, TN, known alternatively as "the Eden of the Blues" and "the Home of the Blues", are prolific and legendary producers of unique and diverse Blues' greats like Robert Johnson, Elmore James, Jr. Kimrough and BB King. Drawing continously from that tradition comes Blind Mississippi Morris.Morris comes from a talented lineage. His cousins, Robert and Mary Diggs, led the famed Memphis Sheiks, and his Aunt Mary Tanner played with the "Harps of Melody". Morris is also a cousin of the late, great Willie Dixon. Blind since age 4, Morris is the very embodiment of the Delta Bluesman. He has been called 'a new disciple of the Delta' and the 'Real Deal on Beale' and, he was rated one of the 10 best harmonica players in the world by Bluzharp magazine.
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kenny brown
sunday, may 6th | soco blues shack
Kenny Brown has been a student of the Mississippi hill country blues for
most of his life. Born in Selma, Alabama, in 1953, his family moved to
Nesbit, Mississippi, when he was less than a year old. Kenny developed
an interest in playing guitar at the age of ten and began teaching
himself the basics. Two years later, the bluesman Joe Callicott moved in next door, and Kenny’s fate was sealed. His debut album, Stingray, was released on Fat Possum Records in 2003. Brown is currently a member of the Arts Commission's Artist Roster program. He also performed in and contributed music to the major motion picture, Black Snake Moan, released in early 2007.
Kenny has kept close to his roots; he still gives a nod to his old
mentor, the late Joe Callicott, every time he performs. But Kenny has
also managed to develop a style of his own. As he sees it, the music has
to evolve because you have to keep learning. Learning that the ties to
Mississippi hill country blues are definitely ties that bind.
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brad webb
saturday, may 5th | soco blues shack
Brad has played and
recorded with Local legends such as John Weston,Blind MS Morris,Fred
Sanders,Earl The Pearl Banks,
Willie Foster,Reba
Russell Band,Eddie Juke/UK,and many more.
David
"Hurricane" Hudson, Vocals and Harmonica toured with ZZ Top in the
early 70's with Nonconna and headed up Uncle Jam Band,
also more recent The
Hitmen with Memphis own Buddy Davis( from Target )has returned to the
Blues that he loves so much.
Brad and David do
anything from back porch style to full blown band and will make you feel what
Memphis Blues is all about.
Brad Webb Slide gtr.
David Hudson Vocals and
Harmonica.
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david evans with elmo lee thomas
David Evans has been performing traditional country blues since 1962. His first musical partner was the late Alan Wilson of Canned Heat. Although mostly known as a blues scholar with more credentials than Mississippi has mud, his skills as a vocalist and guitarist are astounding, having learned directly from many of the old-time blues musicians who were still performing during the 1960s and 1970s. Many of these musicians were ones that he recorded and interviewed in his research in Mississippi, Louisiana, and other southern states.
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Bill abel
friday, may 4th | soco blues shack
If you’ve ever been to one of the many blues festivals in the Mississippi Delta, you’re likely to have come across Bill Abel. If not booked as a solo performer on the festival or backing one of the great Delta blues musicians, he’s sure to be found playing in a nearby club or performing in a downtown street or park. This Belzoni, Mississippi native has been a fixture in the Delta and Hill Country for the past couple of decades. Growing up in Belzoni, he befriended a neighborhood welder and blues guitarist, Paul “Wine” Jones, who became his mentor. He’s frequently backed Big George Brock, Cadillac John Nolden, T-Model Ford and the late Paul ‘Wine’ Jones in performance and recorded with Big George Brock, Hubert Sumlin, Odell Harris, Sam Carr and Cadillac John Nolden, among many others.
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