Are you a blues fan? You’re in luck! ExplorePineBluff.com now features more than two dozen video clips that explore the compelling history of blues artists with Pine Bluff connections.
The Freedom & Blues Experience: A Delta Music and Culture Encounter features the WA&P Radio Show, a collection of 26 videos relating to famous musicians with Pine Bluff and Jefferson County roots. Queen Sylvia Embry, Sippie Wallace, George W. Thomas, Bobby Rush, Janette Davis, and Jerry Lee Lewis are just a few of the many artists profiled.
“It’s not widely known that many of the blues, soul, gospel, and jazz sounds that we love today have their roots in Pine Bluff and Jefferson County,” said Sheri Storie, Executive Director of Explore Pine Bluff. “Thanks to the creative mind of Explore Pine Bluff’s Interpretive Coordinator, Jimmy Cunningham, and his encyclopedic knowledge of Pine Bluff’s music history, the WA&P Radio Show makes this rich history accessible to anyone with a smart phone or digital device.”
Access the WA&P Radio Show at https://www.explorepinebluff.com/wa-p-radio-show.
Sheri noted that more music-related digital historical products are slated to be added to ExplorePineBluff.com before the end of 2020, including the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway Spotify Playlist, and the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway Podcast featuring stories about the zany, tragic, and compelling world of the towns on the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Highway.
Visitors to ExplorePineBluff.com can view blues history in the making at the first ever Pine Bluff Virtual Blues and Soul Summer Sets. This virtual music series will continue on the second and fourth Thursday and Friday through August. Thursday evenings are dedicated to the best in Blues and Southern Soul deejaying, and Friday evenings feature performances from artists with Pine Bluff and Delta roots. Check out the August schedule and view past performances here: https://www.explorepinebluff.com/summersets.
“Rich Delta dirt served as the training ground for legends in every music genre,” added Sheri. “At ExplorePineBluff.com, we aim to share untold stories about how the mosaic of cotton blossoms, catfish farms, blues juke joints, and foot-stomping churches came together to create sounds and artists unlike any the world had seen before. These stories deserve wider recognition and that’s what we’re giving them.”
Explore Pine Bluff, governed by the Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission, is a destination marketing agency that promotes Pine Bluff as a year-round destination for leisure, business, group, and individual travel. In addition to raising a majority of operating funds for the Pine Bluff Convention Center, the Commission provides funding assistance to many Pine Bluff attractions, festivals, sporting events, and special events. For more information, visit ExplorePineBluff.com or call 870.534.2121.