Mississippi Road Trip?

[ken1953clark]

Mississippi Road Trip

I've been into the blues for a long time and really want to visit the places I've heard about while I'm still reasonably fit and active. Don't want to do it by myself though, it would be more fun with a few or more like minded people in a car with resonators and harps in the trunk cruising through the Land Where the Blues Began.

I guess Memphis is a good entry and exit point as any with lots of local attractions, Beale Street, Graceland...
Out of season would be good to prevent clashes with family holidays. I'm thinking April, the Juke Joint Festival is April 11th 2015, an early birthday present for me.

Places I really want to see...

Tunica - Site of Clack's Store where Lomax recorded Son House in 1940 for the Library of Congress.
Clarksdale - Delta Blues Museum
Clarksdale - Juke Joint Festival (11-Apr-2015)
The Crossroads (take your pick, there's plenty)
Leland - Highway 61 Blues Museum (Johnny Winter, Jiimy Reed, Little Milton etc.)
Tutweiler - Where W.C. Handy first heard slide guitar
Tutweiler - Grave of Sonny Boy Williamson II, Aleck 'Rice' Miller
Como - Grave of Mississippi Fred McDowell
Holly Ridge - Grave of Charley Patton

Possibles...
Stovall Plantation (site of Muddy Water's cabin, now in Delta Blues museum)
Dockery Plantation
Parchman Farm
West Helena, Arkansas (King Biscuit Time)
Friars Point
Mississippi Hill Country blues - Oxford/ Holly Springs
Greenwood - Robert Johnson's grave (take your pick there's 3!)
Senatobia - Jessie Mae Hemphill

Also lots of other possibles in a compact location...
Tommy Johnson, Ishman Bracey, Joe Calicott, Memphis Minnie, Gus Canon, BB King, Albert King...

The list goes on and on and I'm sure you have your own ideas

My reference book is "Blues Travelling - The Holy Sites of Delta Blues" by Steve Cheseborough. Third Edition.

Anyone interested?

[Deleted]

Ken, although I dont think I'd be your ideal travelling companion, if I was in a position to tag along, I would put my name forward. But I have the kids / wife / job etc.
I hope you have a great trip with some great buddies.
TT

[ken1953clark]

Deuce: yes I understand it's not for everybody. I still have the job but the kids have grown which gives me a bit more flexibility :-)

[kiwi]

Jul 12, 2014 19:44:44 GMT ken1953clark said:

Deuce: yes I understand it's not for everybody. I still have the job but the kids have grown which gives me a bit more flexibility :-)

All I can say is if you have the ability to do it, I can't recommend highly enough how much this is a great trip. Back in 2008 I chucked my job, caught a plane to LA and drove across the USA for 3 months. A major part of the trip was following the blues trail through Mississippi. Photos here

s113.photobucket.com/user/k1w1_02/library/Mississippi%20And%20Louisianna?sort=3&page=1

The other was my interest in the civil war, toured many battle sites.

[pete1951]

Looks very interesting , my children have also left home etc.etc. so if you could stand the constant stream of bad puns and loud guitar I could be a possible (my wife is in Japan this week , she my have other ideas)
Pete T
(I travel very light, but do often bring the kitchen sink!)
Other `Sites of Interest` might be the homes of other forum members whos local knowledge, and guitars could well be worth a visit

[ken1953clark]

Yes Pete, I've seen your 'kitchen sink'. I'd like to see you get that through baggage control :-)

[davey]

Some folks from Saddleworth just over the hill from you have done the trip this year, so if you want to meet up and have a chat I can put you in touch.

[mitchfit]

Ken,

couldn't possibly get free to go with you, BUT...
no trip to Tennessee would be complete without
going to Gruhn's new store.

www.gruhn.com/

have a good time,
mitchfit

[Michael Messer]

Mitchfit, you're right that any trip to Tennessee should include a visit to Gruhn's Guitars, but I used to love the store on Broadway. My brother had a studio opposite George's store for quite a few years, it's a lot cheaper for me now that they are not neighbours!

I have visited some of those places, but not for many years. I went to Beale Street in the 70s before it was a tourist attraction. It was derelict and mostly boarded up. I am sure I still have the D from the Daisy Theatre neon sign somewhere in my attic. It was pretty pretty rough at that time and I remember a policeman asking me what I was doing there, he said it was unusual to see tourists in this part of town. It has changed a lot since then.

A few years ago I was in Liverpool with a day to kill, so I took myself on a Beatles trip, which for me was just as amazing as seeing Beale Street and Tutwiler station. Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, Mathew Street...etc.

Shine On
Michael

[Ian McWee]

...and if you do spend time in Nashville Ken, 20 minutes out of the main town is Artisan Guitars in Franklin - winner of the 'Best Acoustic Guitar Store' award from the Guild of Music Writers in America...don't take your credit cards....

www.artisanguitars.com

Slide On!

Ian.

[pete1951]

How long do you want to go for???
PT

[simonf]

Keep me informed folks. It's something I'd love to do. At the moment it's problematic but I'm hoping for job news in the next six months which might change that...

Always fancied the shack up inn as a place to stay. Clichéd perhaps but if you do it with knowledge and respect for what the plantations were really about I think it would be a great experience.

[gaucho]

I'm going to be in Nashville on a shoot this week and I'm really hoping I have time to visit Gruhn's and maybe Artisan. Fingers crossed!

[ken1953clark]

Pete: week to ten days I suppose. Michael, yes Liverpool is fun, was there in Feb and almost by chance did all the Beatles memorabilia nostalgia trip :-)

[Michael Messer]

Hi Gaucho,

Also check out Carter's Vintage Guitars

Shine On
Michael