B.B. King: One Kind Favor

Though he's created some of the most essential, elemental blues in musical history, B.B. King has never shied away from exploring different directions, and some might say he's occasionally ventured too far afield. ONE KIND FAVOR should silence those doubters; with the help of superproducer T-Bone Burnett's roots noir approach, it finds King delivering gritty, impassioned interpretations of the tunes that influenced him in the 1950s. From his soulful, syncopated take on Blind Lemon Jefferson's country blues classic "See That My Grave is Kept Clean" to the Chicago-style stomping takeover of the Mississippi Sheiks' "The World Is Gone Wrong," King proves that at the age of 82 he can still turn out fiery, energetic music as undeniably vital as anything being produced by artists a third of his age.

B.B. King Museum Grand Opening

Blues giant B.B. King will christen the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Miss., September 13 and 14 and just released a new CD. Get more info at the website.

Jimmy Reed Marker Unveiled Today

The Mississippi Blues Commission unveils a marker today at 4pm honoring the great Jimmy Reed in Sunleith, Mississippi at Collier Road. A mural unveiling will follow at 5pm on Broad Street in Leland and a reception at the Hwy 61 Blues Museum (307 N. Broad).

Mississippi Music Legend Honored

The Mississippi Blues Commission unveiled a blues marker honoring legend Bo Diddley Friday in McComb, Mississippi, Didley's hometown. Governor Haley Barbour declared the day "Bo Diddley Day" across the state in honor of the legend.

"He was elated. Tears came down, and he couldn't believe this was actually happening after all these years," Evelyn "Tan" Kelly, Diddley's daughter said.

Friday marked Bo Diddley's first public appearance since suffering from a stroke several months ago and his first time back home in McComb, Mississippi in more than a decade. Kelly took the stage with her dad, and they shared a family performance during the ceremony.

"Being his daughter, just being at home with the amplifier in my ear all the time. That's where I learned how to sing, and now I sing for the Lord," Kelly said.

Bo Diddley never allowed his children in the clubs where he performed. But the music he played found its way into their lives and now beats on in the third generation.

"It meant everything to him. If you know him, it just meant everything to him," Jatonne Mitchell, Didley's granddaughter said.

Mitchell has been playing the drums since she was six years old. Friday she got to play with her granddad for only the second time in her life.

The blues marker in honor of Diddley is part of the Mississippi Blues Trail honoring blues legends from Mississippi. Diddley is one of the few blues legends still alive to take part in the honor.

-By Emily Wood

David ”Honeyboy” Edwards to make historic performance

National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship Recipient, blues legend, and one of the last surviving primal Delta blues icons, David ”Honeyboy” Edwards, 92, is scheduled to make a historic performance for students in the Washington D.C. area. He will perform on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 12:30 p.m. at Georgetown Preparatory School, located at 10900 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, Maryland 20852. The program is being spearheaded by The Blue Shoe Project, a Dallas-based, nationally-recognized non-profit organization that educates children on the impact of blues on American music.

David “Honeyboy” Edwards, featured in Martin Scorsese's PBS series ”The Blues,” Eric Claptons Crossroads Guitar Festival, and in his own award-winning documentary film “Honeyboy,” is one of the most sought after bluesmen in the world. “Edwards is among the last authentic performers in the blues idiom that developed in central Mississippi during the second and third decades of [the 20th] century. Through him, an entire body of great American music lives on,” states Robert Palmer, author of “Deep Blues.” and former pop music critic of The New York Times.

Mr. Edwards will also perform a concert event and fundraiser the evening of Thursday, October 4th at 8:00 p.m. at Figge Theater located on the Georgetown Preparatory School campus at 10900 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda , Maryland 20852 . Tickets are extremely limited and may be reserved online at Georgetown Prep's website www.gprep.org or by calling 301-214-8610.

Willie Dixon gets his day in Vicksburg

It’s been a long time coming, but Willie Dixon gets his day in his hometown of Vicksburg, Mississippi on Thursday of this week with a jam session in his honor, a marker and a mural…all celebrating his life and music. The festivities begin at 3:00pm when the Mississippi Blues Commission will unveil the Willie Dixon Mississippi Blues Trail Marker. The trail is a collection of more than 100 historical markers and interpretive sites throughout the state to recognize Mississippi's blues heritage. The celebration will finish up with a Willie Dixon tribute jam session.