Summary of the Twelfth Meeting, February 19, 2004

Blues Highway Association

Ground Zero Blues Club, Clarksdale, Mississippi

Email announcements of the meeting were mailed to over 200 people.  Twenty-three people signed the attendance list, and several others came in late and missed the sign in sheet.

The meeting began at 10am, and lasted about an hour and a half.

Roger Stolle of Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art reported on several upcoming events in Clarksdale and other Delta towns.  Each of these is described in detail in handouts that Roger distributed.  These handouts are linked to this summary.  The events include:

• Juke Joint Festival and Planters Celebration, April 17^th, will be an organized attempt to foster attendance at locally owned clubs.  A bus will make continuous circuits throughout Clarksdale and a single fee of $10 provides unlimited admission to local clubs.
• The Highway 61 Blues Museum fund raiser at the Walnut Street Blues Bar in Greenville will be at 7pm on March 5^th.
• The Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival Fundraiser will be at Ground Zero on April 10^th.
• Other events include the Highway 61 Blues Festival, Crossroads Bikes and Blues Rally, and fund raising celebrations in Indianola.  All are described in the accompanying links.

I reminded everyone about the next Highway 1 Blues and Gospel festival, which will be the second weekend in August, and will focus attention on the small towns along the riverside.

Amy Evans described the upcoming events in Greenwood that are associated with the Blues Today Symposium presented by Living Blues Magazine.  A lecture on the status of the Blues today will be given at the Alluvian Hotel by Preston Lauderbach at 2pm on February 25^th.  It is free, and will be accompanied by photography by Bill Steber and comments by Carver Randall.  That night, Super Chikan will be featured at Club Ebony.  The next day there will be a tour, including lunch at Dockery Farms, and music by Cadillac John and Bill Abel.

I reviewed the proposal that has been submitted to The National Endowment for the Humanities  in support of The Mississippi Delta Blues Trail.  We have asked for funds to install 100 historic markers, and begin work on a map and coffee-table style book promoting the Blues in the Delta.  Some funds are also requested for an after school demonstration project that will be located in Indianola.  We will not know whether funds are forthcoming until August.  This project is a cooperative effort between our association, Delta State, the Blues Commission, the Mississippi Delta Tourism Association, and Communities in Schools of Greenwood Leflore.  It was made possible by the discovery of an appropriate RFP by members of the BB King Museum Foundation and Hammons and Associates in Greenwood.

I mentioned that The Delta Business Journal has included and editorial in the February issue calling for the creation of a Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area.  I also mentioned that Rolando Herts of Rutgers University is completing his PhD preparations, and intends to write his dissertation on the development of The Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area.  Its time has come.

Betsie Brown described The Blues Today Symposium.  Full details are available at the web site for Living Blues Magazine.

I described the status of The Mississippi Blues Commission, and mentioned the critical parts of the enabling legislation, which can be read in full here.  I also mentioned some of the highlights of the Commission’s report to the legislature, and emphasized in particular the importance of listing all Blues resources on our Registry of Blues Heritage Sites.  Anyone wishing to have additional resources listed should email me at lbrown@deltastate.edu. The existing Registry is available on-line. 

I mentioned that several people had called or sent messages indicating that they could not attend, but also pledging continuing support.

We discussed holding our next meeting on March 25^th, but I would like to propose changing that to April 8. 

Thanks again to Steve LaVere for keeping notes, and thanks to all of you who make this organization work.

Additional information is always available at www.blueshighway.org/bluesnews.htm