 Heading
down South exploring the Blues Highway is always
an adventure! STLBlues recently attended the Paul
Butterfield Foundation gathering down in Clarksdale,
MS. The PBF was there for 2 reasons, to celebrate
Gabe Butterfields birthday, and to honor Sam Lay
with the 1st PBF Award for Musical Excellence. The
gathering took place just outside Clarksdale, MS.,
at the historic Hopson Plantation & Shack Up
Inn, and brought some of the best musicians together
for a great weekend of jams and networking!
STLBlues attended with a dual role in mind - to
give away the Interactive
Gig Calendar to all bands, and to showcase one
of St. Louis' finest young talents, 16 year old
Marquise
'Big Daddy' Knox! Marquise sat in on all the
jams, showing just what all the buzz is about! Hall
of Famer Sam Lay took a shining to the raw talent
of Marquise, and the two were inseparable the entire
weekend. Lots of musical knowledge was shared, turning
the weekend into a great artist development experience
for Marquise (the haunted Helena, Ar., Magnolia
Hill experiences aside).
Some side trips included a trip to the Blues Depot
- the old rail station where Muddy Waters caught
a train up to Chicago, and a stop at the Riverside
Hotel (the former G. T. Thomas Hospital ), where
Bessie Smith passed away in 1937 after a car accident
on her way to Clarksdale. Guided by the proprietor
Frank "Rat" Ratliff, the Riverside Hotel
tour is full of Blues history, and is within a mile
of Clarksdale's legendary "crossroads,"
Delta Blues Museum, Ground Zero Blues Club, Blues
Station, Sarah's Kitchen, Blues Town Music, Cat
Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Dela's Stackhouse
Records, Wade Walton's barber shop, the former WROX
radio station, the New World district, and more.
Sam recieved his award on Saturday night, and was
deeply touched by the moment! A nice tribute, for
a well-deserving legendary performer.Some musicians
on hand for the weekend included Sam Lay, Chris
James, Patrick Ryan, Bob Corritore, and many others!
Check out all these links, and learn more about
everyone involved!
--
RECOMMENDED LINKS --
Paul Butterfield Foundation - www.myspace.com/pbfs
Sam Lay - www.chamberblues.com/ssb_bio_sam.html
Bob Corritore - www.bobcorritore.com
Chris James and Patrick Ryan -
www.thebluefour.com
Clarksdale, Ms. - www.clarksdale.com
Shack Up Inn - www.shackupinn.com
Magnolia Hills bed and breakfast
- www.carriagesquare.net
Hopson
Plantation - www.hopsonplantation.com
Riverside Hotel - www.cathead.biz/riverside.html
Delta Blues Museum
- http://www.deltabluesmuseum.org
Ground Zero Blues Club
- www.groundzerobluesclub.com
Cat Head Delta Blues &
Folk Art -
http://www.cathead.biz
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