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Castro “Mr. Sipp” Coleman, of McComb, Miss., won the 2014 Gibson Guitar Award, and will be headlining First Thursday on April 2, in addition to his set Saturday April 11.
Got a woman or man who done you wrong? You tired of workin’ all day and all night for the man? Hurtin’ for someone’s love? If you answered yes to any of the previously mentioned situations, there’s a good chance you’ve got the blues.
Lucky for you, you aren’t alone. Entering its 13th consecutive year, Blues in the Natural State will be hosting award winning blues musicians from all over the country who will be playing their hearts out in Fayetteville on April 2, and the weekend of April 10-11.
“Blues music is an original American music art form,” said Roger Plourde, president of the Ozark Blues society. “We’re trying to preserve the rich heritage, and how it’s an integral part of American’s musical landscape. There wouldn’t be rock n’ roll, country, bluegrass or even pop and hip hop. Everything has its roots in the blues.”
New this year, the festival will incorporate into Fayetteville’s first Thursday on April 2 on the square for a free preview of some of Saturday’s events for all who come out.
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Nikki Hill, known for her rock n’ roll approach to the blues, will play the Blues in the Natural State festival Friday, April 10.
The featured performer on April 2 will be Mr. Sipp, the festival’s headliner. Castro Coleman, also known as Mr. Sipp, won the 2014 International Blues Challenge, and the 2014 Gibson Best Guitarist award. The award-winning musician both sings and plays the guitar, and is known for his high energy shows where he occasionally steps out into the crowd to mix things up.
Then on Friday April 10, starting at 6 p.m. at George’s Majestic Lounge, the theme of the evening’s events will be all about “Women in the Blues.”
The music starts with NWA super group Divas on Fire, who consist of 10 female blues musician from various projects throughout the area. Following the Divas is Nikki Hill and her band — who are more in the vein of rock n’ roll — and Kelley Hunt from Kansas City.
“Kelley Hunt is a phenomenal performer with an incredibly tight band,” Plourde said. “We had her come down to 21C in downtown Bentonville for a preview event. The people there went wild.”
Headlining the “Women in the Blues” night will be Shemekia Copeland. While only in her early 30s, the two-time Grammy nominee has opened for the Rolling Stones, headlined at the Chicago Blues Festival and numerous festivals around the world, shared the stage with such luminaries as Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Mick Jagger, and Eric Clapton, and has even performed at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama.
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Shemekia Copeland has been nominated for two Grammy awards, and will be headlining the Friday, April 10 “Women in the Blues” festival night.
On Saturday April 11, the music will start at 4 p.m. with the Blues Society’s solo challenge winner Buddy Schute, followed by Keith Nicholson Trio, for a New Orleans-esque take on the blues.
The third act will be a hand-picked ensemble of local musicians by Isayah Warford for an Isayah’s Allstars Allman Brothers tribute show.
The headliner will be Tulsa guitarist and Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame inductee Steve Pryor, followed by Mr. Sipp, headliners Tommy Castro and The Painkillers, and to close it all out will be a late night session with Earl & Them.
Arkansas’s delta region in the lower east side of the state is home to many blues greats in music history. Helena, Ark., especially, is home to the famous King Biscuit Time radio show and blues legends Sonny Boy Williamson II, Robert Nighthawk and Robert Lee McCoy. Al Green (Forest City), Levon Helm (Turkey Scratch) and Roy Buchanan (Ozark) are among some of the best from the state as well.
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Tommy Castro (left) and The Painkillers, who won the 2008 Blues Music Award for Entertainer of the Year award, will headline Saturday night on April 11.
“Down in the Arkansas delta, there’s lots of history there,” Plourde said. “King Biscuit Time still airs everyday and comes out of Helena. They’ve been doing the show since the 1930s or 40s. Last year, they did their 5,000th show. It’s one of the first stations that had live African-American blues musicians live on the air in Arkansas.”
Tickets for the event are now on sale at georgesmajesticlounge.com. Prices for the April 10 and 11 shows are $25 for each day.
For additional details, artist information and festival schedule, visit ozarkbluessociety.org.
