Final photos from US road trip

Here is the final batch of music photos from my US trip, featuring music bars and clubs in Memphis, Jackson and New Orleans.
1. On our first night in Memphis we caught Earl 'the Pearl' Banks at the Blues City Cafe in Beale Street playing with a band that included Hi Rhythm Section members Leroy Hodges and Archie Turner. Here are Earl and Leroy.

2. Here's one of me with keyboard player Archie Turner.

3. On our final night in Memphis we saw Preston Shannon at B B King's Blues Club in Beale Street.

4. Monday night is blues jam night at Hal and Mal's in Jackson when the Central Mississippi Blues Society holds its weekly jam session hosted by Pat Brown. Monday is not normally a good one for live music so it was great to visit there twice during the trip.Here is regular band leader/guitarist/singer King Edward.

5. Here is southern soul recording artist Pat Brown.

6. This is The Rock, a regular at the bar with an excellent soul voice.

7.  On our second visit Misty Blue star Dorothy Moore was in the house celebrating her 68th biirthday a few days earlier.

8. Every Monday various members of the audience get up to sing or play, many of them very good. This is one of them, Betty Holmes.

9. On to New Orleans where we visited Mulate's for a cajun meal. Playing was the Lee Benoit band.

10. Walter 'Wolfman' Washington plays every Wednesday at the dba club in Frenchmen Street.

11. Guesting with him was Marilyn Barbarin, who made some collectable records with Wardell Querzerque.

12. This is Alabama Slim at the bookstore  launch of a new photo book called We Are The Music Makers.

13. Rev John Wilkins played a great set of soul gospel at dba, along with his three daughters.

14. Here's another one of the Reverend.

15. His band included noted Memphis bass player Scott Bomar.

16. Finally, here is one of the John Mooney band, including British keyboard player Bob Andrews, at the Carrollton Station bar.

 

 

 

 

Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival photos

Here's a selection of photos of artists taking part in this year's free Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival which took place in Lafayette Square, New Orleans.
1. Little Freddie King kicked off the first afternoon at the festival.

2. This is Serbian blues singer (if that's not a contradiction in terms) Ana Popovic.

3. One of the early acts on a so-so second day, the first full one, this is King James.

4. Dressed in pink, this is 82 year old Leo .Bud' Welch, who I have now seen four times in just over a month.

5.. New Orleans singer/guitarist Papa Mali.

6. Walter 'Wolfman' Washington performed an excellent set.

7. Also good was Joe Louis Walker.

8. Headliners on day two were Los Lobos.

9. Day three kicked off with Luke Winslow King.

10. This is soul man Brother Tyrone.

11. Young New Orleans singer Mia Borders.

12. Here is blues man Vasti Jackson.

13. An up and coming Americana snger with a distinctive voice, this is Valerie June.

14. The last three acts really lit up the festival. Here's the first of them, the great Denise Lasalle.

15. A star of the chitlin circuit, this is southern soul singer Mel Waiters.

16. These are Mel's backing singers.

17. Always great fun and a fantastic performer, here's the headliner on the final day Bobby Rush.

18. Bobby's shows would not be complete without his booty girls. Here they are with Bobby.

King Biscuit and Clarksdale photos

Here's a batch of photos of artists on the final day of the King Biscuit Festival in Helena, which was cut short by an electrical storm meaning that the headliners on both main stages (Bobby Rush and Delbert McClinton) did not appear. Also some pix of various events around Clarksdale where we stayed.
1. Big George Brock at Helena.

2. Bob Stroger on the main stage.

3. Not all acts attracted big crowds: Scott Kirby performed to one man and a dog on the Budweiser Lockwood-Stackhouse Stage.

4. David Kimbrough Jr on the Front Porch Stage.

5. The Kenny 'Beedy Eyes' Smith Band, featuring (L-R) Bob Margolin, Omar Coleman, Bob Stroger, with Kenny on drums.

6. Nick Nixon with the Andy T band.

7. Steel guitarist Sonny Rhodes.

8. Veteran harmonica player James Cotton.

9. On to Clarksdale now and some of the acts we saw in and around the town. Here is 87 year old Cadillac John at Red's.

10. Also at Red's, here's Al 'Big A' Sherrod.

11. Here is James 'Super Chickan' Johnson at Ground Zero.

12. Super Chikan with the keyboard player in his all female band.

13. This is the Queen of Beale Street, Ruby Wilson.

14. Here's one of me with Ruby.

15. Playing on the streets of Clarksdale on Sunday morning, here is Leo 'Bud'Welch.

16. Here's one of me with Teddy Johnson, owner of Teddy's Juke Joint in Zachary, La, who was visiting.

17. This is Robert 'Bilbo' Walker.

18. Bilbo's guitar.

19. One of many blues artists playing at Hopson's Plantation for the Pinetop Perkins Homecoming on Sunday was Kenny Brown. I was there is 2005 where I met Pinetop himself.