Old time stringed music feature of August concert

Wildwood Express

Old-time string, bluegrass and country/folk music is the focus of the August "Concert on the Porch" Saturday, August 9, at the Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville. This month features singer/songwriter Ken Mallard followed by Wildwood Express. The concert begins at 7 p.m.

Ken Mallard

Appearing for the first time 'on the porch' is Ken Mallard of Jackson, Tenn. Mallard has been playing, singing and writing songs since his teenage years. He has performed with Nashville-based bands and fronted his own band, Chickasaw. His musical influences range from Rockabilly and country to bluegrass and gospel. He has a passion for sharing his music with shut-ins and performs regularly at area nursing and retirement centers.

Wildwood Express is an area favorite and will be taking the stage at 8 p.m. All members of the Jackson Tennessee Area Plectral Society, they specialize in performing and preserving the old time stringed music including bluegrass gospel, instrumentals and old time country. Their instruments of choice include the banjo, dulcimer, mandolin, upright bass and guitar. The band is made up of Grover Westover, Paul Jackson, Gary Spraggins and Coley and Marilyn Graves.

Bleacher seating is available or bring lawn chairs for the outdoor concert. Concessions will be available on site. You are also welcome to bring a picnic or visit the surrounding restaurants.

Concerts are presented free to the public once a month through September.

July concert features the Blues

Brownsville will be celebrating the blues Saturday, July 19, when  one of West Tennessee's most noted music historians and bluesman takes the stage at the Delta Heritage Center. Dr. David Evans, known as the "doctor of the Blues," will perform live on the porch of the Sleepy John Estes home. 

Joining Evans will be Zeke Johnson and Brownsville's own Alina Woods during the summer music series "Concert on the Porch" beginning at 7 p.m.

Evans has been performing country blues since 1962, having learned directly from many of the old southern blues musicians. One of those musicians was Brownsville bluesman Hammie Nixon. Evans toured with Nixon for five years. He is currently Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Memphis and is a specialist in American folk music, particularly the blues. In 2003, Evans won a Grammy Award for "Best Album Notes." He performs in Europe and South America, and can also be seen performing across the Mid-south with the Last Chance Jug Band.

"We're excited to have Dr. Evans back on the porch," says Center Director Sonia Outlaw-Clark. "It's magical to listen to him sitting on Sleepy's porch and singing some of the same songs that Sleepy would have performed."

Zeke Johnson began his musical career in 1963. Soon after, he was fortunate to meet the legendary Furry Lewis. With Lewis, Fred McDowell and Booker White as mentors, Johnson began to develop his musical skills and style. Fifty years later, he still performs around West Tennessee and has performed at the Gaslight in New York. His original Guild D-40 guitar has been played by a variety of music greats including Sleepy John Estes and Jessie Mae Hemphill and Johnson still performs using that same guitar.

Joining the bluesmen is 17-year-old Alina Woods. Woods began singing in the fifth grade and most recently placed in the top three in the local Haywood's Got Talent competition. She has won awards for song leading and dance. She describes her music style as a cross between pop and country with Blues undertones. Woods has performed many times on the Porch, including Exit 56 Blues Fest and Tina Turner Heritage Days.

Bleacher seating is available or bring lawn chairs for the outdoor concert. Concessions will be available on site. You are also welcome to bring a picnic or visit the surrounding restaurants.

Who will be the next deep-fried BBQ champion?

Contestants compete to see who can eat the most deep-fried barbecue bites in 10 minutes during the 2013 inaugural competition. 

Do you love barbecue? Have you tried it deep-fried? Registration is now open for those wishing to compete in this year's Deep-Fried BBQ Eating Championship. The competition will take place at 4 p.m., Saturday, May 24, during the Exit 56 Blues Fest held at the  Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville.

Drew Magruder of Brownsville, Tenn., won the title of champion last year when he was able to eat 60 deep-fried barbecue bites in 10 minutes. Magruder was among four who competed for the title during the inaugural event.

"People are always asking about our deep-fried barbecue," says Sonia Outlaw-Clark, director of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center. "It's really delicious and if you're a barbecue fan, you can't help but like the deep-fried version."

Contestants must be at least 18 years of age and will have 10 minutes to eat as many deep-fried barbecue bites as possible. Water and sauce will be plentiful to help wash it down. There is a $5 entry fee and the lucky winner will receive a trophy, t-shirt and prize package. Interested parties are asked to pre-register for the competition by May 23. Complete rules and registration can be found at www.exit56blues.com.

Along with great barbecue, festival attendees can spend the afternoon and evening listening to the Blues. Performers such as the Bonafide Blues Band, Eric Hughes, Elam McKnight, Lorina McMinn and the Myxx and headliners Little Boys Blue will delight with their special mix of authentic Blues music.

Car enthusiasts can cruise-in from 1-3 p.m., to compete for recognition such as "Cool Chrome" "Most Likely to Get a Ticket" and 12 other fun titles. There is no entry fee and motorcycles are welcome, too.

Arts and crafts vendors will also be on site throughout the afternoon for those wanting to add a little shopping to the Blues mix. Jewelry, woodwork and paintings are just a few of the items you'll find.

Admission to the festival is free. A complete schedule is available online at www.Exit56Blues.com.

Exit 56 Blues Fest announces music line-up

Little Boys Blue will headline this year's Exit 56 Blues Fest May 24. The festival is free and held annually on the grounds of the Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville.

Blues fans will gather May 24 at the Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville for the 4th Annual Exit 56 Blues Fest. The music festival continues to attract Blues enthusiasts from all over the region and is West Tennessee's only dedicated Blues festival outside of Memphis. The event is Saturday, May 24 and begins at noon. It will feature arts and crafts, car and motorcycle cruise in, a deep-fried barbecue eating competition and an eclectic gathering of West Tennessee Blues men and women.

This year's music line-up opens with Memphis Jones, a regular a B.B. Kings in Memphis and music historian who entertains the audiences with stories about the songs he sings. Also performing throughout the afternoon is West Tennesseans Lorina McMinn and The Myxx and  Dorothy Guinn and Savannah Shoals; along with Mississippi's Sean Apple and his All Night Long Blues Band.

Beginning at 5 p.m., the Elam McKnight Band will take the stage with a set of their own before backing up West Tennessee Bluesman Dudley Harris. Also making a first time appearance at the festival  is Tennessee Sax and the Blues Gentlemen. Many will know Tennessee Sax as Linzie Butler, a Jackson native who has performed all over the world.

The Eric Hughes Band takes the stage at 7 p.m. Hughes has played the festival since its inception in 2011 and this year brings his complete band to entertain with his special blend of Delta and urban blues. He recently released his fourth CD entitled "Drink Up."

Headlining this year's festival is Little Boys Blue, a band formed in 1993 by the award-winning team of Jimmy D. Taylor, of Brownsville, and Jackson's Steve Patterson. Accompanied by Mark Brooks, Dave Mallard, Dave Thomas and Alex Taylor, this band does "boogie blues with an attitude," encompassing a mixture of electric, acoustic country blues, rhythm and blues and Americana roots music. The group has just finished working in the studio and will soon release their newest CD, "Bad Love," on the Jaxon Record label.

Admission is free. A complete schedule can be found at www.Exit56Blues.com.

Memorial Day Weekend means Exit 56 Blues

  

Brownsville will celebrate its blues heritage Memorial Day weekend with the Exit 56 Blues Fest Saturday, May 25, at the Delta Heritage Center. The annual event will include an arts and crafts show, car cruise-in and live Blues music from the porch of the Sleepy John Estes home. The first performers will take the stage at noon and headliners Little Boys Blue and TeeDee Young hit the stage at 7 p.m.

Dylan Whitney performs at 1 p.m.

There will be several newcomers to the Exit 56 stage this year. Fifteen year old Dylan Whitney of Bixby, Ok., known as the "Whiz Kid of Blues" may be young but he is a very mature guitar player. Tyler Goodson of Jackson, Tenn., has been playing guitar most of his life, but didn't start "giggin" until he was 21. Now the 26-year-old plays regularly in Jackson and on Beale Street. Bluesberry Jam Band is a group of West Tennessee natives working to preserve the blues and roots tradition of the region. Pep Rally Losers, a duo with a West Tennessee connection, prides itself on playing the raw blues with a sprinkle of rock.

Sean "Bad" Apple performs at 3 p.m.

Clarksdale, Miss., performer Sean "Bad" Apple has studied at the feet of many historical bluesmen for more than two decades and is a regular performer at Ground Zero Blues Club. He'll reach back and draw from inspiration of blues past to deliver another high energy, driving performance at this year's festival. Northwest Tennessee band Blind Red Rooster is back for a repeat performance on the porch. They'll deliver their unique blend of Texas and Delta Blues.

Opening for the evening's headliner is Little Boys Blue, featuring the award-winning duo of Brownsville's own Jimmy D. Taylor and Jackson's Steve Patterson. Traveling and playing with some of the industry's finest has helped this duo hone their skills and develop a unique style that pays homage to the country blues tradition of the region.

Little Boys Blue - Steve Patterson and Jimmy D. Taylor
will perform at 7 p.m.

Headlining the Exit 56 Blues Fest is TeeDee Young. Young's dynamic stage presence and energy will put you in the mood for dancing. A native of Lexington, Ky., he has been performing since he was 14. By the time Young was 20, he was performing in such venues as The Cotton Club and later at B.B. King's. He maintains an authentic Blues style while writing and performing his own music, and is known for his command of the guitar, using it like a weapon to "fire down" the blues.

TeeDee Young
takes the stage at 8 p.m.

Select arts and crafts vendors will be onsite during the event and car and motorcycle enthusiasts are invited to cruise-in for the music from 1-3 p.m., and compete for some unique titles. Registration is free and can be made online or day of the event. You'll also find favorite festival foods and of course barbecue!

Admission is free and open to the public. A complete schedule can be found by visiting the Center's website, www.westtnheritage.com/exit56, or by calling 731-779-9000.