Clarksdale, Mississippi's Juke Joint Festival is "half blues festival, half small-town fair, all about the Delta"

Clarksdale, Mississippi's 12th annual Juke Joint Festival unites crazy old bluesmen and leaky juke joints with paddling pig races and greasy soul food!   2015 LINEUP ANNOUNCED FOR CLARKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI'S WORLD-FAMOUS JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL   Clarksdale, Mississippi – Clarksdale, Mississippi’s Juke Joint Festival may only be celebrating its 12th edition, but it is already the stuff of blues legend.   “2014 was the biggest Juke Joint Festival yet, and so far, 2015 looks to top it,” according to festival co-organizer Roger Stolle. “Our annual festival now attracts attendees from almost 30 foreign countries, almost 50 states and over 50 Mississippi counties. Still, the most important number here is the number of bluesmen in their 70s, 80s and even 90s who play our fest."   JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL LINEUP: www.jukejointfestival.com   This year's from-the-old-school lineup includes blues legends like Cedell Davis, Big George Brock, Leo "Bud" Welch, Elmo Williams, Hezekiah Early, LC Ulmer, Cadillac John Nolden, Eddie Cusic, YZ Ealey, Robert "Bilbo" Walker and others. The festival doesn't ignore the upcoming young guns of the blues, of course — players like Clarksdale's 20-something Omar Gordon, 30-something Anthony "Big A" Sherrod and 16-year-old internet phenom Christone "Kingfish" Ingram.   "The first acts we book are our region's older, culturally-connected blues performers," explained Stolle. "Then, we spread out from there. There is an insane number of blues musicians in town during Juke Fest week! It's like no other event in the world."   This year's main event is Saturday, April 11th – all day and late into the night – with related events kicking off Thursday and continuing through Sunday night. The official line-up of events can be found on-line at www.jukejointfestival.com. Saturday's Juke Joint Festival itself features 100+ blues acts, 12+ daytime stages, 20+ nighttime venue stages, racing pigs, a 5K/8K run, multiple children's activities, history bus tours, arts & crafts vendors, Southern food offerings, a student art/writing contest and much more.   Daytime activities are free thanks in large part to major sponsors like C Spire (official technology partner), Isle of Capri (rooms still available), Clarksdale/Coahoma County Tourism Commission and Miss Del's General Store, among others.   PRE-SALE WRISTBANDS NOW ON SALE: www.jukejointfestival.com   Saturday's nighttime music requires a wristband. Pre-sale wristbands for the festival's 20+ Saturday-night "juke joint" venue stages are available at www.jukejointfestival.com — $15 pre-sale. (Wristbands go up to $20 on the day/night of festival — Sat., April 11th. Details on web site.).   “Juke Joint Festival is half blues festival, half small-town fair and all about the Delta,” said to co-organizer Nan Hughes. “There will be tons of official and related events all weekend long for both families and music fans. You literally cannot do, see and hear everything. It's completely overwhelming – in a good way.”   "MS HILL COUNTRY BLUES" THURSDAY KICK-OFF   The festival weekend starts early with Thursday, April 9th's free Juke Joint Festival Kick-off at 5pm featuring a festival poster signing by artist Cristen Barnard and live lobby blues by Preston Rumbaugh, followed by the annual Miss Sarah Awards.   Then, at 6:30pm, the free Kick-off moves onto the Delta Cinema Stage for a special Mississippi Hill Country Blues Tribute to fallen heroes Robert "Wolfman" Belfour and Martin "Big Boy" Grant — featuring Sean "Bad" Apple, Robert Kimbrough Sr., Andre Otha Turner, RL Boyce, Little Joe Ayers, Stud and more. This is followed by a performance featuring Clarksdale's own Dancing Divas of the Delta with music by bluesman character Watermelon Slim.   Wristbands and merchandise will also be available at the Kick-off event.   Then, on Friday, April 10th, Clarksdale's related events include educational activities at the Delta Blues Museum and book signings, live blues and more at other downtown businesses and entities, including the Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art and the Rock & Blues Museum. At night, Clarksdale's blues clubs and jukes will run till the wee hours.   After Saturday’s epic day/night Juke Joint Festival, itself, a Sunday of additional related downtown events will cap off the weekend – including the annual free Cat Head Mini Blues Fest and the Second Street Blues Party. The Rock & Blues Museum and Delta Blues Museum will be open as well as several downtown restaurants and businesses. The weekend wraps up with live blues at Red's Lounge and other venues that night.   HOTEL ROOMS STILL AVAILABLE AT ISLE OF CAPRI   According to tourism sources, all of the local hotel rooms have been booked up for months. Fortunately, official festival sponsor Isle of Capri in nearby Lula, Mississippi, still has hotel rooms available and will run a bus shuttle to/from festival on Friday and Saturday, 4pm-midnight. Special room rates are available by using the savings code "JUKE 15". Book special room rate at 662-363-4600. Info on hotel at http://lula.isleofcapricasinos.com    Full music line-up, event schedule, pre-sale wristbands, parking info, sponsor list and much more available on-line at www.jukejointfestival.com. Festival hotline (Mon.-Sat., 11am-4pm), 662-624-5992.   NOTE: The “Juke Joint Festival” name and logo are registered trademarks and cannot be used by outside parties without the express written consent of the Clarksdale Downtown Development Association/Juke Joint Festival. Third parties may not create unauthorized “Juke Joint Festival” products (e.g. T-shirts and apparel) or advertising (e.g. event banners and print ads).   #jukejointfestival #clarksdalemississippi #mississippiblues   ####   ARTWORK BY CRISTEN BARNARD (email roger@cathead.biz for jpg):

Clarksdale, Mississippi's 9th annual Juke Joint Festival is "half blues festival, half small-town fair and all about the Delta"

JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL CELEBRATES MISSISSIPPI LIVING DELTA'S BLUES HERITAGE

April 12, 2012 (Clarksdale, Mississippi) – Clarksdale, Mississippi’s Juke Joint Festival & Related Events may only be on its 9th edition, but it is already the stuff of blues legend.

“Last year was the biggest Juke Joint Festival yet, and this year looks to top it,” according to co-organizer Roger Stolle. “There were attendees from at least 21 foreign countries, 45 US states and 53 Mississippi counties... and not a hotel room to be found.”

This year's main event is Saturday, April 14th -- all day and all night -- with official related events kicking of Thursday and continuing on through Sunday. The official line-up of events can be found on-line at www.jukejointfestival.com.

MULTIPLE STAGES PLUS RELATED EVENTS

“We’ll feature over a dozen daytime stages and 21 nighttime juke joint venues on Saturday,” according to co-organizer, Nan Hughes. “Plus, we there will be tons of wonderful related events all weekend long -- for both familes and music fans. Then, there are all the nighttime juke joint venues as well.”

Tonight, Thursday, April 12th, the festival weekend kicks of early with just such a related event in the Delta Cinema lobby at 6pm. It's the annual Juke Joint Festival poster signing by artist Cristen Barnard plus free live blues by KM Williams. At 7pm, Grammy Winner Jimbo Mathus performs his iconic "Songs for Rosetta Patton" album live on the cinema’s main stage.

Then, on Friday, April 13th, related festival events include a Clarksdale Blues Hero marker dedication for the bluesman late Foster "Mr. Tater" Wiley, “Conversations with Big George Brock & Gearshifter” at the Delta Blues Museum, and a special free movie premiere of We Juke Up in Here: Mississippi's Juke Joint Culture at the Crossroads at Delta Cinema (11 Third St., downtown Clarksdale).

"It is the follow-up to 2008's M for Mississippi blues documentary and features Clarksdale's Red's juke joint prominently as well as several of the Delta's surviving, real-deal bluesmen," according to Stolle, also one of the film's producers. "We'll offer a free reception starting at 5:30pm along with live blues performances by some of the film's stars. Then, the free screening starts at 7pm." More information is at www.wejukeupinhere.com.

HALF BLUES FESTIVAL, HALF SMALL-TOWN FAIR

Saturday’s Juke Joint Festival itself will offer up more than just blues, notes the event’s third co-organizer, Goldie Hirsberg.

“Oh, we’ve got something for everyone – from visiting tourists to area families,” she explained. "Most of the daytime fun is free, and the nighttime 'Juke Joint Crawl' is just $15."

After Saturday’s Juke Joint Festival itself, a Sunday of additional related events will cap off the weekend – including the annual free Cat Head Mini Blues Fest from 10am till out front of the Cat Head blues store at 252 Delta Avenue.

“We want to thank all of the sponsors, volunteers, attendees and performers in advance for all of their contributions that make this event happen every year,” said Hirsberg. “The local community support in particular continues to amaze us. Clarksdale is not only a great place to live, it’s also a great place to hold a festival. Thanks to everyone, and see y’all there!”

Full music line-up, event schedule, pre-sale wristbands and much more available on-line at www.jukejointfestival.com. Festival hotline (Mon-Sat, 11am-4pm), 662-624-5992.

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My Friend "Honeyboy Edwards" - Correspondent Mike Packer

I have to admit I am probably one of the luckiest musicians in the world to be able to say I knew and played guitar with Honeyboy Edwards. I have been playing 2nd guitar with him for the last year and a half and sometimes with my band which was nicknamed "The Honeyboy Band". Even at 96 he could still play. His slide work was still top shelf."Sweet Home Chicago", "Dust My Broom". I certainly admired his playing, I was learning from the master but it was his manner, his voice and his storytelling was what I found most compelling.



Honeyboy knew and played with Robert Johnson. He was recorded by Alan Lomax for the Library of Congress in 1942. Those recordings are simply fabulous. Honeyboy was an american legend in blues history but it took years to gain the respect from the music world. It did finally happen. In 2006 he won a grammy for his "The World Don't Owe Me Nothing" CD and in 2010 he won the Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.



I went to Clarkdale Missisippi last April and played guitar with Honeyboy on the mainstage @ The Juke Joint Festival which was Honeyboy's last gig. I could actually see and feel that his touring days were coming to an end. I saw the plantations and the cottonfields and realized what he must have endured growing up. His grandfather was a slave and his father a sharecropper who bought him his first guitar at the age of 8. Honeyboy was the blues.



Honeyboy Edwards is the last of the true Delta bluesman. I am proud to say I knew and played guitar with him. I will keep his name alive by mentioning his name at every gig I play from now on until I meet up with him again down that blues highway.