The Sunflower River Blues Festival: Part 2

January 8, 2011 by DaleR
Filed under: Blues History

The second Sunflower River Blues Festival I attended went much better weather-wise. I remembe Charlie Musslewhite playing in the acoustic stage and provided a great performance. I believe this was one of my favorite concerts of all time. There were lots of local musicians that played sets and there was a local guy named Mr. Tater that – well I guess you just have to hear Mr. Tater to understand his music. I don’t know how to begin to describe it. I do know that he has been recorded. I don’t know if the recording is still available.

Another performer that stands out was a local man who made didley bows. This is a one string instrument that is

: Image by State Library and Archives of Florida via Flickr

played with a slide. It sounds similar to a slide guitar. These particular didley bows were electrifies and had a wonderful haunting sound. When I think about the didley bow, I think about how some of the early Blues players learned to play music by stretching a wire beween two nails and using slide to create notes while they plucked the wire. I also question whether a well-known Rock and Roll and Blues musican may have developed his stage name from this interesting intrument.

While I have only been able to attend two of these wonderful festival, I will take much of them with me. In a town full of impoverished citizens and bars that are created for the festival, I have watched racially mixed crowds intermingle and get along in perfect harmony. This is something we too often do not see in the rest of society.

I understand Morgan Freeman has moved to the area and has been instrumental in promoting the blues in the Mississippi Delta. I hope that these festivals are able to continue for a lot of years to come.