The 22nd annual Arkansas Blues & Heritage Festival on October 4, 5 and 6, 2007 brought legions of fans from around the world to Helena, Arkansas to again soak up Delta blues on downtown streets filled with food vendors and merchandise booths.
The festival featured artists on four stages which entailed lengthy walks that tested the endurance this year due to the hot weather. With temperatures in the high 80’s during the three days, the most popular beverage was water with beer a close second. 
Evenings were mild and everyone was happy that there was nary a sprinkle and there was no need for even a light jacket.  Since there had been speculation that the festival would not happen this year, all the “lifers” at the festival were just jubilant to be present once again. 
The line-up of talent was strong and anticipation was high as the early birds set up their chairs and got reacquainted.

Thursday, the festivities opened on the main stage with a showcase of emerging artists. Things are always a little more laid back on opening day and there was a mellow atmosphere. 

Charlotte Taylor & Gypsy Rain opened up with a rousing demon-stration of blues with Taylor’s powerful vocals. 
Melissa Sigler proved to be a revelation Her throaty vocals and radiating keyboard expressions were absolutely delightful as she poured though a set filled with original blues and Louisiana-flavored tunes. 

The Sean Carney Band, winners of the Blues Foundation’s 2007 Interna-tional Blues Challenge, made an impressive showing with Carney’s guitar finesse demonstrating a Texas-bent style.

Jonn Richardson & Diunna Greenleaf
Taking things to a whole other blues level was the incendiary performance of Diunna Greenleaf with her guitarist, Jonn Richardson, and the legendary Bob Margolin playing bass. Greenleaf lights up the stage with good humored attitude and opulent vocals filled with compassion. She and Richardson have a genuine rapport that enhances their live performances. A Texas native, Greenleaf’s blues heart is in the Delta with a spicy gospel influence resulting in a style that is peerless. She took us on a journey through the blues, which included a lovingly suggestive original tune “Tribute To John Lee Hooker.”  This was definitely one of the highlights of the festival.

Wayne Baker Brooks honed his craft alongside his father Lonnie Brooks, and his blues roots are deep. He obviously has found his own voice with a distinctively urban flavor. He had wonderfully rich vocals punctuated by sharply intense guitar styling and a stage presence that says he means business.
Blinddog Smokin’ with special guest Bobby Rush seemed like a mismatch but fortunately the band performed first before bringing Rush out to do a solo acoustic set.
It was hard to concentrate on Blinddog Smokin’ since Rush was the main attraction for me. 
However, a memorable member of the band was guitarist Gino Matteo who displayed imaginative intensity. Rush’s talents have been over-shadowed by his reputation as one of the raunchiest performers on the scene even though dedicated fans have been treated with small glimpses of his talent as a guitarist and harmonica player on many occasions. Thus, it is no surprise that he would take that talent to another level and this evening proved that it is a wise decision.  His delivery of tunes from his newest CD “Raw” was charming and laden with deep blues inflected vocals and expertise on guitar and harmonica. Rush is such a dynamic storyteller about life and his solo performance incorporated that along with his magnetic personality which just shines in everything he does. He even got in a few of his infamous dance steps.


















The Lee Boys closed out the evening with sacred steel which is becoming a popular attraction at many blues festivals recently. This ensemble is a family affair with brothers Alvin Lee on guitar, Derrick and Keith Lee on vocals and three nephews Roosevelt Collier on pedal steel guitar Alvin Cordy, Jr. on bass and Earl Walker on drums. They exhibited an infectious energy and Collier was impressive with his creative sounds on the pedal steel guitar leading the band through a satisfying set of blues-infused gospel and spiritual funk.
Friday’s show opened up with R. J. Mischo & His Red Hot Blues Band. Mischo is well schooled in the Chicago harmonica tradition and his set was riveting. Excellent support was provided by Jason Davis and Little Frank on guitars, David Watson on drums and Shorty on bass. 
Mischo’s delivery on “It’s My Life, Baby” displayed impressive vocal phrasing and his extended circular breathing on harmonica solo showed incredible strength. He closed out the set with a slow and soulful cover of the Sam Myers tune “Sleeping On The Ground.”  This was one of the better acts of the festival.

Lil’ Dave Thompson served up some southern-fried blues with his band in a good set showing off his exceptionally soulful phrasing and a stunning guitar solo on "Lil’ Girl" which got an appreciative round of applause. Lil’ Dave was not flashy but solid and I loved the way he delivers good blues of substance.



Raw blues were on display in Dave Riley’s performance. His gravelly vocals and rough-hewed guitar style cut to the core of what the Mississippi style is all about. In a poignant appearance, the legendary master drummer Sam Carr was brought to the stage in a wheelchair to play a short segment. He had been picked up at the hospital where he is undergoing therapy and was taken directly back after his short appearance.

Smokin’ Joe and Bnois King are the epitome of tough Texas blues and they reaffirmed their stature in this genre on this day opening up with “Burnin To The Ground” and proceeded to ignite the stage. On the slow burner, “That’s Where I Want To Be,” King’s vocals were crafted with a depth of soul and Kubek tastefully interpreted the melody with a searing intensity on guitar.  Paul Jenkins on bass and Dave K on drums gave incomparable support in this powerful performance. Kubek and King played off each other dueling on guitars with remarkable synergy. The audience demanded two well-deserved encores.
(see more photos at the end of the article)

Sherman Robertson took us on a journey with an energetic flair which featured his soulful vocals and commanding fluid control on guitar. 
Robertson roamed the stage and delighted the audience getting up close to the edge of the stage with intimacy. He covered “Tin Pan Alley” with an intense vocal like a man possessed. This was another showstopper performance.


Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials hit the stage ripping and roaring with their hard-charging brand of Chicago blues. Ed Williams is an engaging performer who showed us how wild and crazy and just plain fun that blues can be when in the right hands. His fantastic band consisted of Kelly Littleton on drums, Michael Garrett on rhythm guitar and vocals and James “Pookie” Young on bass. Lil’ Ed energized the crowd by taking an extended tour of the grounds almost immediately. As he hit a couple of guitar riffs, he said “Hey, I like that” and proceeded to respond with an incredible slide exercise full of texture and intensity. As he performed the witty tune “Icicles In My Meatloaf,” he bent down on the speakers while serving up piercing dissonant guitar sounds. This was one of the most engrossing and riveting performances of the festival.
Veterans were on hand for Bob Margolin’s Chicago review and featured Calvin “Fuzz” Jones on bass for a couple of numbers who then handed it over to Bob Stroger with Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on drums and Richard Rosenblatt on harmonica. 
Diunna Greenleaf joined the band for a couple of powerful vocals in a duo with Stroger. Then it was time for the gentleman of the blues, legendary Pinetop Perkins, to take over. 
Perkins is one of the last great Mississippi bluesmen with a distinct sound that contributed mightily to the Muddy Waters Band. He continues to be one of the most beguiling pianists in blues and his delivery on this day was strong and sure along with vocals that were delightfully expressive. It is always a high point of this festival when the originators of this music make an appearance and none is more widely loved than Pinetop Perkins.

A review featuring Michael Burks, Larry McCray and Carl Weathersby closed out the day’s festivities. This incendiary threesome on guitars provided spellbinding moments throughout with each trying to outdo the other, cutting each other and then doing their own thing consecutively as they rounded it out to closure together. Wild man Weathersby at one point broke a string and in frustration and more than a little drama proceeded to rip out all the guitar strings! Put together by Burks, this ensemble was extraordinary fun and a perfect ending to a day filled with magnificent performances. As I wrote in my notes. “now that’s magic.”


Saturday’s show opened with guitarist/vocalist Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges who had a smooth vocal style along with some interesting guitar work. His rendition of “Change Is Going To Come” was especially beautifully done as he vocally explored hitting high notes with precision.

Willie King & The Liberators evoked a juke joint session with his antics and rough and ready style. Opening up with “Mustang Sally,” he mugged for the cameras and pranced the stage. His philosophic lyrics were filled with wisdom honed by a harsh life. His Howlin’ Wolf styled vocals on “Spoonful” were extraordinarily authentic.

Terry Evans, Mississippi native, injected a load of soul into his commanding performance.  Evans left the heavy lifting on guitar solos to his talented guitarist, Slick Willie, and concentrated on vocals while lending a proficient hand on rhythm guitar. He testified on “Standing At The Crossroads” with a deep baritone vocal. On Eric Clapton’s “Take A Look At Yourself” Evans incorporated a rich vocal bite with falsetto voicing. This was an outstanding showing by a remarkable performer who reeks with soul.

Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets put on a crowd-pleasing performance which showcased various members of the band. It was bittersweet though since one always feels the missing link of Sam Myers.

Before the Robert Lockwood, Jr. Band took over, there was a touching ceremony with Lockwood’s widow, Mary, accepting the award from Sunshine Sonny Payne. This year’s festival was dedicated to Lockwood who passed away shortly after his performance last year. The most interesting aspect of the tribute band was the focus on two members of the ensemble, Wallace Coleman and Cleveland Fats. Coleman was the only harmonica player to ever join Lockwood’s band and Cleveland Fats was taught guitar by Lockwood and played with him for many years. They were both outstandingly original and represented their mentor with distinction.

Before his set, Hubert Sumlin received the 2007 Sonny Payne Award. 
He was then joined by an aggregation including Willie “Big Eyes” Smith on vocals and harmonica, Bob Stroger on bass, Buddy Flett on guitar and Pinetop Perkins on key-boards. 
Sumlin’s rendering of “Sitting On Top Of The World” was touching. He joined Flett in an astonishing rendition of “Dust My Broom.”  Sumlin always seems to have more fun on stage than anyone and this was no less an occasion where his good spirits infected everyone up there with him.
Louisiana swamp bluesman, Kenny Neal, is another infectious performer and his rousing mastery on guitar and vocals had the audience in a frenzy. He is well known for featuring family members in his shows and his talented brother Frederick Neal was on organ and keyboards this evening. His beautiful daughter, Syreeta Neal, almost stole the show with her red high heels and soulful vocals along with an amazing competence on guitar. Neal’s delivery on “Blues Falling Down Like Rain” was stupendous and reinforced my opinion that the blues could not be in better hands.



The Mannish Boys closed out the festival with an aggregation that included Kid Ramos and Frank “Paris Slim” Goldwasser on guitars, Randy Chortkoff on harmonica and vocals, with Johnny Dyer and Finis Tasby taking turns on vocals. 
The band served up some hard rocking blues with Ramos taking the lead on scorching solos. Dyer sat on a stool to deliver his Chicago-styled vocals with amazing dexterity. Tasby’s soul vocals were hauntingly beautiful with impeccable timing and control and his rendition of “As the Years Go Passing By” had such splendor that one could hear a pin drop. The Mannish Boys had the excitement and moments of elegance to close the deal on this festival in a big way and they delivered big time.

Although I spent most of my time at the main stage, there were so many other fine performers who graced the other three stages. There is so much to take in that it is an abundance of riches. 
There is no other festival in the world that exemplifies the spirit of the blues and the fact that it happens in the region where it all began makes it even more meaningful. It just doesn’t get any better than this!

----- Dorothy L. Hill
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