At the point of climax, in every great Blues riff, lies enlightenment.
Big guys and gals releasing hounds from plantation porches in North Mississippi and hard-knock guitars and harmonicas in the Arkansas Delta are the source of the Blues.
Stories like, “She’s got the Devil in Her.” Featuring Arkansas Delta’s, Jimbo Mathus on guitar, Buddy Guy sings about a woman who has the devil in her and feels like doing something wrong. It’s low down, dirty, and you feel rhythm deep in your soul.
Chicago’s blues scene may not be the birthplace of the heart-aching, soul-wrenching, dirty, nasty blues (this is the Delta), but to say Chicago Blues refined the genre’ into a widespread more cultivated art form is an understatement. Chicago was the destination point for the best blues musicians on Earth to showcase their talent.
It’s natural to digress, when delving deep into the blues. Chicago’s Southside, former landmark, The Checkerboard Lounge (owned by Buddy Guy) used to anchor juke-joint laden neighborhoods. Now, he owns Legends, one of the best music venues in all the land.
Follow highway 55 South to the back streets and alleys of St. Louis. There is The Fox Theatre and Blueberry Hill. Music consistent Springfield, Missouri and a double-double in Tulsa – Cain’s Ballroom and Mercury Lounge are all destinations on this historical blues highway tour chalking maps vertically.
At the peak of all things good, a gem in Northwest Arkansas. Fayetteville’s Walton Arts Center presents, “An Evening with Buddy Guy” Tuesday, May 23rd at 7pm.
Buddy Guy is the epicenter of Chicago Blues and the best guitarist alive today. Seven-time Grammy winner and 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Buddy Guy, age 79, is an icon. He’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a major influence on important guitar greats like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. His legendary electric blues performances in Chicago’s West Side will live forever.
To compliment your evening try a pre-concert dinner at Herman’s Rib House in North Fayetteville, stroll Dickson for a bit before the show and catch a band at famed Maxine’s Tap Room for a night cap.
No Harm 