Friday, October 28 and Sunday, October 30
This time at the Crossroads, it's a two-hour special focusing on Louisiana blues.
In hour one - musicians in New Orleans and South Louisiana who continue to perform both traditional blues and rhythm-and-blues—often despite poverty, ill health, and the impacts of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. In particular, we'll hear Carol Fran of Lafayette, Harvey Knox of Baton Rouge, and Little Freddie King of New Orleans.
Also sharing their thoughts are blues pianist and singer Marcia Ball; blues-and-funk guitarist Ernie Vincent; and Bethany Bultman, president of the New Orleans Musicians Clinic.
Then in hour two, we head to the hidden world of New Orleans corner joints—bars far from the French Quarter, in neighborhoods like Central City, Treme, and Pigeontown, patronized almost entirely by locals and nurturing a resilient blues and rhythm-and-blues scene that is often overshadowed by the Crescent City's legacy as a jazz town. Among the artists featured are Tommy Singleton, a vocalist who drove an oyster truck for a living; John T. Lewis, a former appliance repairman who now plays R&B guitar full-time; Ernie Vincent, a bandleader and guitarist who learned to play at the neighborhood fish fries of his childhood; and Deacon John Moore, a bandleader and guitarist who played on hundreds of R&B recordings in the 1950s and '60s. Also interviewed are bar owners Betty Fox (Mother-in-Law Lounge) and Guitar Joe Daniels (Guitar Joe's House of Blues), along with other veterans of the city's music scene.
