FIFTH ANNUAL NORTH MISSISSIPPI HILL COUNTRY PICNIC
SET FOR JUNE 25TH-26TH
Festival continues celebration of Hill Country Blues with all-star lineup
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (April 22, 2010) – Now in its fifth year, the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic will be held June 25-26, 2010, off of highway 349 in Potts Camp, Mississippi. This year’s festival lineup features Hill Country musicians Kenny Brown, Duwayne Burnside, The North Mississippi All-Stars, Jimbo Mathus, Rising Star Fife and Drum Band and many more. The two-day festival takes place on an 1,100-acre site in the rolling hills of Potts Camp and will run from noon until after midnight both days.
The festival is the brainchild of Potts Camp resident and acclaimed bluesman Kenny Brown, who has witnessed first-hand the worldwide appeal and influence of Hill Country Blues through his long tenure with R.L. Burnside and travels with his own band. “I got to thinking about how much the music from this area has influenced so many,” says Brown, “and although there are a lot of festivals around, no one was focusing on real Hill Country Blues. Everyone I mentioned it to thought it should be done. So, this will be our fifth year—we’ve got a great lineup, and we hope people will come out to enjoy the music, workshop, food and camping.”
Prior to the festival, a hands-on workshop will be held for interested individuals who want to develop their musical skills and broaden their knowledge of roots music. The workshop, led by instructors Kenny Brown, Alvin Youngblood Hart, DuWayne Burnside, and Garry Burnside, will be held June 24th. Further information is available on the Picnic website.
In the mid-‘90s, the world discovered the power and distinctive sounds of North Mississippi blues via the recordings of R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Othar Turner. These elder statesmen have all since passed, but their music lives on through their contemporaries, family members, and fans and is solidified through the non-profit organization, North MS Hill Country Picnic, Inc. The goal of the organization is to enhance appreciation and educate the general public about the native art form of North Mississippi Hill Country blues music through performance, preservation, and interpretation. The Picnic is run by the non –profit and enjoys great support and sponsorship from North Mississippi communities.
The festival annually features artists with close ties to North Mississippi Hill Country blues. The 2010 festival lineup includes all of the major contemporary artists with direct ties to the three men noted above, such as The Kenny Brown Band, Duwayne Burnside, Burnside Exploration, Robert Kimbrough Sr. Blues Connection, Juke Joint Duo (with Cedric Burnside), Kent Burnside & the New Generation, and the
Rising Star Fife and Drum Band—led by Othar Turner’s granddaughter, Sharde Thomas. Also featured are North Mississippi musicians who have worked closely with Hill Country artists, including T Model Ford, North MS Allstars (Duoluco), Jimbo Mathus, Robert Belfour, Hill Country Revue, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Blue Mountain, Joe Ayers, Rev, John Wilkins, Eric Deaton, Shannon McNally, Rocket 88, Blue Mother Tupelo, and Jay Lang & the Ringers.
Camping onsite is encouraged for out-of-town visitors and will be allowed Thursday – Saturday nights. Coolers are permitted (NO GLASS: ICE CHESTS WILL BE CHECKED FOR GLASS), and onsite food vendors will sell local favorites including barbeque and fried catfish. Ice vendors will also be onsite. Ticket information for the workshop and festival is available on the festival website, www.nmshillcountrypicnic.com. Discount tickets are available online for early purchase. Sponsorship and donations are currently being accepted at drsarad@gmail.com.
For more information, please visit any of the following websites:
www.facebook.com/nmshillcountrypicnic
http://www.myspace.com/northmississippihillcountrypicnic
www.nmshillcountrypicnic.com