Photograph by Peter Wochniak, courtesy of Big Muddy Blues Festival
St. Louis’ reputation as a city that nurtured the blues is unimpeachable. Its name is right there in the title of W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues”; even if it wasn’t necessarily the very first blues song, it was among the first to bring the form to national attention and acclaim.
There have been times when St. Louis’ reputation as a blues mecca seemed to outstrip its present, but that’s no longer true. The National Blues Museum is hoping to give the blues a permanent brick-and-mortar home, and Bluesweek Festival and its attendant awards ceremony are now a solid presence downtown over the Memorial Day weekend.
Holding down the other end of the summer is the long-tenured Big Muddy Blues Festival on Laclede’s Landing. Claiming an annual draw of 60,000, the Big Muddy—which, true to its namesake, is on the very banks of the Mississippi River—is in its 17th year of presenting an impressive selection of national acts, with plenty of support from the local bands that keep the St. Louis blues scene alive 24/7/365.
The following artists are among this year’s headliners.
Dr. John: Even at this late date, Mac Rebennack is on a roll. He’s a master of New Orleans R&B, and in his guise as the Night Tripper, he made an eclectic brew of second-line rhythms and psychedelic voodoo funk that gave us the early ’70s hit “Right Place, Wrong Time.” His latest album, Locked Down, is one of the best of his long career. Produced by Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach, the album recaptures the good doctor’s growling vocals, gris-gris–tinged lyrics, and undeniable grooves.
Joe Louis Walker: Growing up in the San Francisco music scene of the 1960s gave JLW an eclectic musical education that can hardly be topped. For a time, he even roomed with late guitar great Mike Bloomfield. The schooling he received from Bloomfield, the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, and others still informs his wide-ranging blues style. Walker’s latest album carries the appropriately hot title Hellfire.
Ana Popovic: Yugoslavia probably isn’t the first place you’d look for an amazing woman blues guitarist, nor is it the second, third, or 456th. The fact of her birth doesn’t make her a mere curiosity, though. Popovic has paid her dues and is the real deal, as you can hear on her latest album, 2011’s Unconditional.
Royal Southern Brotherhood: A mixing of two of the most celebrated rock ’n’ soul bloodlines extant, Royal Southern Brotherhood’s lineup features Cyril Neville, known for his work with New Orleans’ legendary Neville Brothers, and Devon Allman—the son of Gregg Allman—who has for years led his own St. Louis–based band, Honeytribe. A third member of the triumvirate is a St. Louis native (and current Texas resident), guitarist Mike Zito.
Also in store are tributes to Chuck Berry and Etta James. Perhaps for legal reasons, the Big Muddy’s two tribute sets are billed as “Roll Over Big Muddy, A Tribute to the Father of Rock n’ Roll” and “At Last, A Tribute to Etta.” But with those titles, it’s clear to whom the organizers are referring. Billy Peek, a longtime Berry sideman, plays in the former, Kim Massie, Marsha Evans, and Renee Smith in the latter.
Among the St. Louis artists playing are Anita Rosamond, Rich McDonough, the Funky Butt Brass Band, the Soulard Blues Band, and Marquise Knox. Like last year, tickets for the main stage carry an admission fee, while the Morgan Street and Lucas Street stages are free. Some might object, but it’s hard to argue the fact that some fee is necessary to keep the lineups as strong as this year’s.
And hey—that’s the price you pay for having the blues. But it’s worth it.
Free side stages, $10 main stage, $25 VIP. 1 to 11 p.m., September 1 and 2, bigmuddybluesfestival.com.
