Juke Joint Festival 2013

This was our 4th year to play at the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, MS.  It's turned into a very special trip for us each year.  It's a chance to see old friends, and make new ones.  It's a chance to reconnect with the Blues at it's heart.  And it's so much more.

The Juke Joint Festival is a truly great festival on many levels.  It features the "real deal" Blues players in a "real deal" setting....the authentic Mississippi juke joints.  This draws blues fans from around the nation and even overseas.  It also features a lot of family type activities, so as the old saying goes, there truly is someting for everyone.  For the Blues fan, Robert Belfour, and for the kids, the racing pigs and monkey's riding dogs. (They're a real hoot, by the way....even for the Blues fans...).

The important part of this festival is the celebration of the Blues masters because every year, sadly, there are fewer of them, and even this year, there were a few performers from the past who because of their health, were unable to perform this year, and we can only pray their health improves in the coming year.

We played again this year at the Delta Amusement Cafe, a quaint "joint" near Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club in downtown Clarksdale.  We reconnected with some old friends, such as The Beat Daddies, Blue Mother Tupelo, Tom from Florida, Elizabeth and William from Birmingham, AL, Joy from Paducah, Lanette from Evansville, IN and more!

With Tom from Florida

With Tommy Stillwell and Larry Grisham from The Beat Daddys

With William and Elizabeth from Birmingham, AL

 We played a nice gig, the highlight of which was Rip Lee Pryor joining us for a number.  Rip Lee is the son the legendary Snooky Pryor, who was my mentor in the Blues.  Snooky and I often talked about playing together, but for one reason or another, we never made it happen.  That's why it was so cool for Rip to join us.  Of course, I'd known Rip for years but also, for one reason or another, we'd never had the chance to play together either.  He dropped by after his set, harmonica in hand, and we launched into Snooky's "How'd You Learn to Shake It Like That."  Rip's eyes lit up and we took off!

Here's a short video clip!

I'll try to post more soon from our wonderful trip to the Juke Joint Festival!