The 17th Annual King Biscuit Blues Festival

Oct. 10 - 12, 2002, Helena, Arkansas

Story and Photos by Gary W. Miller

They came by the thousands to this small town on the Arkansas side of the Helena Bridge, which spans the Mighty Mississippi. Here in the Delta, this musical home of the Blues draws fans to hear one of the mightiest Blues Festivals of all-The King Biscuit Blues Festival. This year's festival drew a larger crowd than last year and the weather held up great. It was a little muddy in Tent City and the cotton fields were flooded when we drove into the Delta. Nothing dissuades these Blues fans, however. This year's lineup was too good to miss; it included a lot of Louisiana artists and lots of Rhythm & Blues, but there were a ton of regular Blues artists, too. The important thing is that people got to hear these great artists.

The forty or more acts that graced the five stages of the Biscuit were some of the best to be had in America. Top headliners included Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm, Solomon Burke, Irma Thomas, Roomful of Blues, Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets with Sam Myers, Sonny Landreth, Luther Kent & Raful Neal, Mark Hummel's Harp Blowout with Carey Bell, Billy Branch, Mark DuFresne, Pinetop Perkins with Bob Margolin, Deacon John, Sean Costello with Jody Williams, Robert Lockwood, Jr. and others too numerous to mention. So many artists appear at the Biscuit that it takes five stages to house them all, plus a Gospel stage for those performers and the Sonny Boy Music Hall in town. Actually, due to some problems with the roof, this year the Music Hall events were held under a big white tent. The Festival is working to raise money to renovate the Music Hall. In addition to the Sonny Boy Williamson Main Stage, there is the Houston Stackhouse Acoustic Stage, the Robert Lockwood Heritage Stage, the Frank Frost Stage and the Sam Carr Stage. It's Blues Heaven, Man! And it's FREE!

Thursday opened up with the SBBS Talent Contest winner Alex Maryol and the winners of the International Blues Challenge, Chef Chris and the Nairobi Trio on the main stage. They were followed by a great lineup including Burton Garr, Floyd Taylor and Sonny Landreth. Luther Kent and Raful Neal closed up the first night with a great set!

At noon on Friday we started up again and the other stages got fired up and roared until closing around the midnight hour. The early afternoon was filled with Blues from the likes of Sam Carr and the Delta Jukes, Deacon John, Catfish Hodge and a great set from roots Bluesman Otis Taylor. The afternoon closed down with acts like Billy Branch and Bill Able with Cadillac John. The evening started early with favorites Bob Margolin and Pinetop Perkins whipping through some classics on the main stage. That stage never cooled down as it was soon filled with a Blues Harmonica Blowout hosted by harpmaster Mark Hummel and featuring Carey Bell. Roomful of Blues then took over with a hot set and then the King of Rockin' Soul, Solomon Burke, took his throne to close out the night. The Heritage Stage was closed down with jumpin' set by Rockin' Johnny and the Taildraggers. It was midnight but things were just getting cooking over at the Sonny Boy Music Hall's white tent where Raful Neal and Little Raful Neal were hosting a Neal family jam. This was a great highlight with some great guitar!

Saturday started off with some children's events on the Sam Carr Stage, as well as Kelley Hunt on the main stage and Dave MacKenzie on the acoustic stage. And Gospel, this was the day for the Gospel Tent, with far too many artists and great choirs to mention. If the devil was up the road at the Crossroads Friday night, he got chased home by the sweet sounds of down home religion all day Saturday!

Well maybe not, because it didn't take long for the Blues to start cookin'. Mem Shannon and the Membership got the afternoon rolling on the main stage, followed by Johnny Jones. He was followed by great jammin' session from Shawn Costello and Jody Williams. About this time Ms. Zeno got going over on the Frank Frost Stage and Precious Bryant was over on the acoustic stage! Wow! And that was just the beginning!

Saturday night was filled with acts all over the festival. Everybody was havin' a good time and the dancin' was getting started! On the main stage Robert Lockwood, Jr. was working into the night. On the Heritage Stage Ann Rabson was pounding 'em out, to be followed by Alberta Adams! Back at the main stage Anson Funderburgh and Sam Myers were firing up the Rockets Big Band for some fun! They were followed by Irma Thomas and the main stage was closed down by Ike Turner and Pinetop Perkins who left everybody wanting more. And more there was, because back at the Sonny Boy Music Hall Mark Hummell was reprising his Friday Harp Blowout. Whew, it was getting hot and getting late.

There were many highlights to this year's Biscuit. We got to hear Precious Bryant, who almost never leaves her home due to poor health. She plays and sings like a young gal, though. She was really funny at times, especially when she got on a Harley for pictures for the photographers. I was lucky enough just to get photos of her. Good Down Home Blues! Louisiana mojo queen Ms. Zeno and the Skydogs were a rockin' surprise, with her outrageous beauty and all out show. People were dancing their asses off in the street. Blue Mother Tupelo showed from Hendersonville, Tennessee. We love them in my hometown of Knoxville and they are nice friends. Micol Davis sings great and Ricky Davis can pick up a storm. We didn't get to hear everyone on the three stages, since it involves a lot of walking, but they were there. Da Biscuit is almost TOO big! It seems a shame to miss any of the talents that appear every year.

My friends, Mark, Lori and Tracey, were there, along with all the other Blues friends I have met over the years. That is one of the things about this festival - it is a gathering of the Blues family of friends and fans. Everyone eats barbeque, drinks beer, dances and listens to the Blues to their heart's content. There are thousands of people in the streets of Helena, and thousands more listening at every stage. People come from all over the world, including Morton Gjerde and my friends from Notodden, Norway. They come from everywhere, helping to spread the word about these artists. The King Biscuit drew more than 110,000 people during the three-day period of the Festival. We have to thank Jerry, Liz, Dick, Sonny, Bubba and all the other volunteers for the great work they did with this year's Festival--they made Blueswax feel at home and helped us in every way possible.

You would think that the Blues ended on Saturday night, with Pinetop on piano, Ike Turner on guitar and Audrey Madison, Ike's new protege, kickin' the Blues on the finale, but it just ain't so. We always stay for Pinetop Perkin's Bash at Hopson's Plantation Commissary on Sunday. This jam, just south of the Crossroads, featured Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets with Sam Myers, Pinetop Perkins, Mark Hummel and a host of others who come to jam. It's just the icing on the Blues cake. Read the article in this issue of Blueswax better yet, join us next year. The dates are October 9, 10 and 11. See you there!

(Published by Blueswax, 10/23/2002)
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