WATERFORD: Foxfire Ranch w/Blues Assembly - The Mississippi Blues Trail

BLUES ASSEMBLY EVENT featuring young, black bluesmen…

In the backdrop of a global pandemic and widespread racial and political unrest, bluesman Jontavious Willis reached out to Foxfire Ranch about hosting 8 black bluesmen for a week of sanctuary, fellowship, deep learning, storytelling and immersion in the blues. From these conversations the Foxfire Blues Assembly was born, as a vehicle for nurturing, connecting, and supporting the next generation of the blues vanguard. The attendees this year include Jontavious Willis (Georgia), Marquise Knox (Missouri), Stephen Hull (Wisconsin), Jamia “Jayy Hopp” Hopson (Georgia), DK Harrell (Louisiana), Sean McDonald (Georgia), Little Dylan Triplett (Illinois), and an additional Mississippi musician who will not be named at this time. Their ages range from 18 years old to the ripe old age of 29.

Over the course of July 12-18, these musicians will deepen their study of the blues, share protips on professionalism, and have intimate visits, story sharing, and dinners with an intergenerational cross-section of Mississippi blues musicians. The week will conclude with 2 nights of concerts that are open to the public, in an outdoor setting observing appropriate physical distancing protocols.

Foxfire Ranch is a black-owned farm and event venue located in Waterford, Mississippi in the North Mississippi Hill Country. These 80 acres have been in the Hollowell family for over 100 years. As we envision the next century we are holding Foxfire as a space for rest, retreat, connection, deep learning, and celebration. We are a resource for artists, healers, and lovers of justice. We are committed to the survival of our unique cultural traditions, art, and expressions.

Autonomous Black land spaces have always served a central role in preserving and sharing blues music and cultural expression. For the past 12 years, every Sunday from March to Thanksgiving, Foxfire Ranch has hosted evening concerts featuring Hill Country Blues musicians and culture-bearers. Through the support of our local community and blues lovers from around the globe, we have created a truly intergenerational and interracial space for everyone – full of wide-open joyful spaces, blue skies, tall knotty pines, and food that feeds your soul.

MORE INFORMATION OR TO DONATE: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-first-annual-foxfire-blues-assembly?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link-tip