Clarksdale, Mississippi
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These portraits by artist Helen Thomas shown below along with dozens of others are arranged in a slide show on the "BLUES LEGENDS" page...most of these are sold but there are several still available at various venues in Clarksdale, Ms....or, you
may contact the artist for info concerning these or to commission others of your choice.
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Reverand Robert playing on Cherry St for "Helena Blues and Heritage" 2008
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2008 Helena Tensley Ellis
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October 2008 Helena Reverand Robert playing here with Deak Harp
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April, 2007 Clarksdale...The Juke Joint Festival. I was priviledged to spend a weekend during one of Clarksdales blues
festivals awhile back at The Riverside Hotel, which incidentally is an internationally known establishment. The man who
owns and manages the place ( Frank Ratliff) is also as well known and is a living, breathing, walking around Delta blues archives and always happy to take the time to tell you anything you want to hear about...and so much of it all happened
right there. Each of the many rooms in the hotel is named for the last blues legend who occupied it but the room in which Bessie Smith spent her final day has remained the Bessie Smith room.
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Granted it doesn't look like much, but it is an authentic connection to the early day's of the"blues."
There are rooms off each side of the long hall way, more downstairs, also individual bungalows on the property .
There are many actual objects of luggage, clothing, musical instruments, etc... which belonged to the now famous
guests, from way back in the earlier years. The owner and acting manager of this famous hotel grew up with many
of these past residents (has photos) and is always willing to revisit these memories with his guests.
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Ground Zero Blues Club during The Juke Joint Festival Clarksdale, Ms April, 2005
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A very special ( to me ) painting depicting the interior of GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB ( co-owned by Morgan Freeman)
is on permanent display at Madidi in Clarksdale, the painting was personally presented in 2005 by myself to...
the great man ................Morgan Freeman ! (Of course, that's why it's special to me).
The subjects in the painting are...Puttin' (Ground Zero Blues Club spoksman for the PBS documentary), and
Ryan Perry of Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Kenny Brown (seated) & in the upper right corner...Amos. (Sorry, I missed
the sax player's name)... these are some of the performers and local folks whom we met on one of our visits to Ground Zero,
there were other performers there that weekend but these guys stuck in my memory and I felt compelled to paint them, and
I began to do so just as soon as I returned to my studio in southern Maryland..
This photo of Morgan Freeman and myself was taken a few months later in Ground Zero Blues Club the same evening after I presented the painting to him ...everything just seemed to come together beautifully for me that weekend.
Don't you just love it when special events fall into place on a "best case scenerio" basis & without a hitch !!!?
Somehow I suspect many events involving Morgan Freeman may happen that way...
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Pott's Farm Ms. The North Hill Country Festival summer 2006
This photo of Kenny Brown was taken by a friend of ours and one of Kenny's biggest fans, right
up there with Tom and I, at the HILL COUNTRY PICNIC at Potts Camp, Ms. in 2007.
This is an annual event which was originated by Kenny Brown a few years back and has grown
tremendously each year to a series of smashing successes. Kenny brings in "very big talent"
each year who all feel privileged, I believe, to share the lime light with him.
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Here's another...I am not certain if I took this one or if Judy did, she is a very good photographer and I am not, so
since this one isn't as great as it could be, maybe she'll let me take credit for it...:-) Naw, it's hers too.
When you have a moment you might "google" Kenny Brown then surf his links to find the video clip from the movie
"BLACK SNAKE MOAN," in which Kenny was featured with R.L.Burnside, and Burnsides grandsonson Cedric
with Samuel Jackson, good sounds there!!!...pretty bad movie, though.
Also there is a really cool 3.48 min. sound video of Kenny and Burnside in conversation on a utube link...archive stuff !!
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2007 Cat Head Blues & Folk Art MINI FEST Clarksdale, Ms.
One visit to Ground Zero we saw these kids...Ryan, Kyle and Taya Perry...at the time Taya was playing tamborine
and has since gone on to drums for the group and even doing great with guitar. Couple of years ago these kids took
second place in the annual international blues competition held in Memphis and was each personally presented
signature guitars from B.B.King in addition all other awards (these photos were taken in 2007, Clarksdale, Ms.
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