View Full Version : Blues on the Bluff July 19 Memphis
Staxsun
07-16-2008, 06:22 AM
This Saturday, WEVL is hosting our annual fundraiser, Blues on the Bluff. In previous years, we've had two different ones each Summer. This will be the only one this year. BOB will be held at the National Ornamental Metal Museum, one of the prettiest spots overlooking the Mississippi River. Entertainment consists of Robert "Wolfman" Belfour, Blind Mississippi Morris, and the Bo-Keys. More details can be found at www.wevl.org . If you are in the area, come by. We'll have a great time for a good cause.
Delta
07-16-2008, 06:44 AM
Oooohhhhh....that sounds like too much fun!
No day trips for this weekend planned yet so that's a distinct possibility. And since it's in the evening I can hit all the galleries and architectural salvage places on the trolley line during the day. There's this box of rusty skeleton keys I've had my eye on in one of those shops.........
Staxsun
07-16-2008, 10:37 AM
Oooohhhhh....that sounds like too much fun!
No day trips for this weekend planned yet so that's a distinct possibility. And since it's in the evening I can hit all the galleries and architectural salvage places on the trolley line during the day. There's this box of rusty skeleton keys I've had my eye on in one of those shops.........
That would be great if you could make it. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help persuade you.
Delta
07-16-2008, 10:51 AM
We'll most likely make a decision tonight and then let you know.
Delta
07-18-2008, 05:05 AM
There's a reason we had no day trips planned for this weekend. I'm teaching two workshops and he's going graving.
Let us know about stuff like this though because we love to hit the road on the weekend and Memphis is perfect since we have free lodging with my sis!
Staxsun
07-18-2008, 06:12 AM
There's a reason we had no day trips planned for this weekend. I'm teaching two workshops and he's going graving.
Let us know about stuff like this though because we love to hit the road on the weekend and Memphis is perfect since we have free lodging with my sis!
Will do. You'll be missed.
peteup
07-18-2008, 08:17 AM
Robert Belfour is great! Has he ever played at jazzfest?
Delta
07-20-2008, 09:28 AM
I hope y'all had a great turn-out yesterday and made lots of money for the station.
We're waiting for a report on it, too.
Belle
07-20-2008, 12:31 PM
We are waiting somewhat impatiently. Check in when you can Tom.
Staxsun
07-20-2008, 07:46 PM
Sorry about waiting so long to check in. It was quite a week, both good and very bad. On Wednesday, our beloved longtime blues programmer Dee Henderson, better known as Cap'n Pete, was found murdered. As it turns out, it was his adult grandson who lived with him who did it. Dee was the kindest, sweetest man you would ever know. He was about family, blues, and fishing. We have all been in shock since we found out. It took a couple of days before the case was solved, so during that time and since it has been quite a media circus around the station with the newspapers and tv reporters covering the story. On top of all this, we had to put on our only large fundraiser (aside from pledge drives) of the year. We decided to dedicate Blues on the Bluff to his memory. The event itself went well, and everyone had a good time, as Dee would have wanted us to. The family came and spoke to the crowd, and this helped to make it more of a cathartic event rather than a wake. The extra media coverage made things more difficult from a logistic standpoint, but it helped to provide one of the largest crowds ever.
It was hot, but there was some breeze. The sound guys delayed things, but things got rolling with Robert 'Wolfman' Belfour. He turned in a good shortened set of traditional blues.
The Bo-Keys followed with a great set mixing blues and the Stax sound they are known for. The band consists of many of the old Stax and Hi label musicians, including Skip Pitts (known for the guitar work on 'Shaft' and lots of other hits), and Ben Cauley on trumpet (who was the only survivor of the plane crash that killed Otis Redding and the other original BarKays). The leader of the Bo-Keys is Scott Bomar who has scored the music for several movies including Hustle and Flow and Black Snake Moan. Any of you who have ever been to the Ponderosa Stomp have seen Scott play bass.
Last up were Blind Mississippi Morris and the Pocket Rockets. Morris is one of the best and most underrated bluesmen out there today. This tight band including guitarist Brad Webb just smoked. They stayed late and kept the crowd with them dancing.
WEVL sold tons of merchandise, and Cap'n Pete's young grandson pulled the tickets for the blues CD raffle. The sunset was gorgeous, and it was a beautiful night on one of the prettiest spots on the whole Mississippi.
Everybody needed to have a good time, and it appeared to me that most everybody did.
Today I have just been spent. Aside from coming back to work after a week in PA and all of this, I also volunteered Thursday night at an event for the Beale Street Caravan syndicated radio show at the Memphis Ground Zero. The heat and the stress from emceeing last night just finished me off.
Sorry to hear that Tom. RIP Cap'n Pete!
btw- Watermelon Slim is headlining our bluefest next week- thanks for turning me on to them!
Delta
07-20-2008, 08:42 PM
I heard you mention it was "in memory" of Cap'n Pete Friday and then promptly forgot to ask you about it. I'm so sorry to hear of his murder and know how it affected you.
Staxsun
07-20-2008, 09:27 PM
I heard you mention it was "in memory" of Cap'n Pete Friday and then promptly forgot to ask you about it. I'm so sorry to hear of his murder and know how it affected you.
He was such a great man. You, Ohio, and a handful of others have that interview with him and Bobby Rush. You can get an idea what kind of guy he was from that.
He was such a great man. You, Ohio, and a handful of others have that interview with him and Bobby Rush. You can get an idea what kind of guy he was from that.
That interview was such a treat. I could have listened to them all day. Of course I'd prolly have had to pull out the sippin' whiskey and some 'other'...
Thanks again Tom!
glinda
07-20-2008, 11:10 PM
So sorry for your loss, stax. Sounds rough, but glad the music & festival was healing.
funkkjunkie
07-21-2008, 10:07 AM
RIP, Capn Pete. And tom, rest up after all that busy ness, k?!
Staxsun
07-21-2008, 11:03 AM
Sorry to hear that Tom. RIP Cap'n Pete!
btw- Watermelon Slim is headlining our bluefest next week- thanks for turning me on to them!
I hope you get to catch them. As good as the CDs are, they are even better in person.
Staxsun
07-21-2008, 11:05 AM
RIP, Capn Pete. And tom, rest up after all that busy ness, k?!
k. These code oranges and reds and this heat is making it hard for me to do anything. I'm in the high risk category, so I have an excuse to veg around the house. Unfortunately, I do have to work, etc.
Staxsun
07-21-2008, 11:33 AM
If you want to see a brief local news story (with a small bit of me in it) go to http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=8702880 . There are a couple of other stories there as well.
I hope you get to catch them. As good as the CDs are, they are even better in person.
I won't miss them, we even got a room downtown for the fest!
If you want to see a brief local news story (with a small bit of me in it) go to http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=8702880 . There are a couple of other stories there as well.
Thanks Tom.
Belle
07-21-2008, 07:01 PM
If you want to see a brief local news story (with a small bit of me in it) go to http://www.wmctv.com/global/story.asp?s=8702880 . There are a couple of other stories there as well.
The circumstances makes you wonder about mankind..hope you hang in there with the July heat and know this girl loves you. Sorry to have missed you this last trip.
RIP Captain Pete