5th Annual Mississippi Delta
Regional Blues Challenge
Presented by the Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola
Recorded Music Represents Challenge Entrants - November 2008
Solo / Duo
L.C. Ulmer & Chase Holifield, Laurel
L.C. Ulmer was born in Stringer, MS in 1928. He is a multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, keyboards, drums, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, kazoo, and harmonica. L.C. has met and/or played with some greats - Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf, and more. L.C. has been teaching, mentoring, and performing with 17-yr.old Chase Holifield for the past 3 years. "Keeping the Blues Alive" is a fitting description of this duo.
Lane Rogers, Greenville
Lane bought his first guitar at 15-yrs. old and was self-taught on the 60's sounds. He hit the road working as a professional musician from 1968 until the late 1980's. He has worked with Fats domino, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, The Guess Who, George Jones, Leon Russell, Gene Watson, Brad Paisley, and others. Lane currently is the Director of the Mid-Delta Regional Airport in Greenville. He plays throughout the Delta at festivals and special events.
Bill Abel, Duncan
Bill was born and raised in Belzoni. He has learned his style from the blues musicians he has known all his life. His most notable influence is Paul "Wine" Jones. Bill plays throughout the delta solo and in a group with his musician friends. He has accompanied and/or recorded with many legends: Honeyboy Edwards, T-Model Ford, Cadillac John, Hubert Sumlin, Big George Brock, and more… Bill received the MS Delta Blues Society of Indianola-2006 Blues Artist of the Year Award. Besides being an authentic delta blues experience, Bill is an accomplished potter. www.abelpottery.com
Terry "Harmonica" Bean, Pontotoc
Terry is one of 14 children and the son of blues guitarist, Eddie Bean. He grew up with informal music gatherings at his home and began playing & harmonica at an early age. Terry was a "natural" but stopped to focus on baseball. He became a star pitcher, but a professional career was curtailed by a motorcycle accident. Terry performs as a solo artist or with his band at festivals and special blues events throughout the U.S.
Bands
Walter Cooper & Ruff Ryder, Sallis
Walter Cooper-Lead Vocal/Guitar Orea Wade-Guitar Noel Redmond-Bass
Charles Sanders-Drums Curtis Price-Guitar
Walter was born in Durant and began performing as a musician at the age of nine in church. His first guitar came from the Western Auto Store. At eleven he was performing with the Gospel Crusaders from Durant. During this time he first met Lonnie Pitchford who was with a gospel group based in Lexington. In adult-hood their paths crossed again. He played with Pitchford in some regional and local events. Since Pitchford's death in 1998, Cooper has been leading his own blues band trying to keep the memory of his friend's music alive.
Dexter Allen, Jackson
Dexter Allen-Lead Vocal/Lead Guitar Frederick Robinson-BG Vocals/Bass Guitar
Nathan Barnes-BG Vocals/Keyboards Sam Johnson/Drums Phillip Coleman/Keyboards
Dexter was born in Crystal Springs the son of a preacher. He began playing the guitar at 10 and by 12 was traveling with his father's gospel group playing bass guitar. In 1995 he moved to Jackson continuing in the music industry. Dexter soon became lead guitarist for Bobby Rush touring with him for three years and he continues to make occasional international appearances with Rush. In 2008 Dexter decided to take his career to another level and become a recording artist. Dexter plays Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, and writes his own music. The result - "Bluezin my Way"….. a bluesy-soulful CD of stories about Love, Lust, Lies, and Alibis. This year he was awarded the 2008 Jackson Music Award for Male Vocalist of the Year.
The Grady Champion Revue, Canton
Grady Champion-Vocals, Guitar, Harp Marquis Champion-Vocals, Bass guitar
Calvin Wilson-Keyboards, Vocals Frank White-Drums Jarekus Singleton-Guitar
Grady was born and raised in Canton. In 1993 while living in Miami he was introduced to traditional blues. He began to buy and listen to Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and others. He found himself singing at the Monday Night Blues Jam at the oldest club in Miami-Tobacco Road. One thing began to lead to another. Grady learned the harp. He had the opportunity to go on The Blues Cruise and play his harp….then in 1998 he recorded his first CD, "Goin' Back Home." He toured with Johnny Winters in 2000 and 2001. In 2002 he returned to Canton and went back to school studying music at Hinds Community College in Raymond. Deciding to revive his career, Grady formed a band playing locally with much success. It was time to record again and his latest is a CD and DVD of a live performance entitled - "Back in Mississippi Live at the 930 Blues Café" recorded in Jackson on 07/07/07.
R.L. Boyce & Como Breakdown, Como
R.L. Boyce-Vocals, Guitar Sean Apple-Bass Steve Toney-Drums
Martin Grant-Harmonica
R.L. Boyce was born in 1955, one of thirteen. His music career began with gospel and the Jubilee Hummingbirds. Eventually, he found himself playing the drums with Jesse Mae Hemphill. He played on her album "She Wolf." His stomping ground was Junior Kimbrough's juke joint. Mississippi Fred McDowell, Son Thomas, Lightnin' Hopkins and others inspired him with their guitar styles and the blues. He is a self-taught guitarist and has been playing the guitar now for more than 20 years. R.L. and his band are a sure 'nough blues band from the Mississippi Delta.
Judges
Patty Johnson - Clarksdale
Dorothy Moore - Jackson
Greg Preston - Jackson
Roger Stolle - Clarksdale
Scott Barretta - Oxford
Melville Tillis - Clarksdale
