CHRISTOPHER WYZE & THE TELLERS - LIVE IN CLARKSDALE
Christopher Wyze & The Tellers - Live In Clarksdale - Big Radio Records - christopherwyzeandthetellers.com
Publicist - Betsie Brown - Blind Raccoon- blindraccoon.com
"I can't wait for people to see and hear this band perform live.The sights,the sounds and the Juke Joint Chapel venue for this release are amazing," says Johnny Phillips,nephew of Select-O-Hits founder Sam Phillips of Sun Studios and Sun Records fame ."Our family's been in this music game a long time.It's great when you get to introduce unique and original music from a band like Wyze & The Tellers. I say to everybody who loves the blues,"Check out this new album and video." "Live in Clarksdale" -
An extraordinary project that captures the raw blues energy of the October 1 , 2024 performance from Christopher Wyze & The Tellers , showcasing the excitement generated at the historic Juke Joint Chapel Chapel music hall at Clarksdale's iconic Shack Up Inn. If this isn't enough for blues fans out there check out the accompanying DVD set . The 50-minute documentary,"WYZE in Clarksdale" , hosted by Christopher Wyze , is an unforgettable journey into the places,people,and stories of the birthplace and home of the blues, a very special combination of music , stories , and film.
"It's hard to find a blues-ier place to play our music,make an album and shoot film," says frontman Christopher Wyze.Among the infamous and legendary performers who have graced that historic stage- the Juke Joint Chapel music hall at the iconic Shack Up Inn - are Charlie Musselwhite,Christone "Kingfish" ingram,the North Mississippi AllStars , Tom Waits,Big Jack Johnson , Super Chikan,Ghalia Volt,Elvis Costello , to name a very short list.
Why the Mississippi Delta? Music is in the lifeblood of the Delta . It is here under some of the worst conditions humanly possible , that the blues was born , work songs,field hollers, and spirituals that reflected the hardships and struggles of the black community, backbreaking work in the fertile fields , songs that expressed themes of heartbreak,despair,and resistance . The Mississippi Delta is a powerful symbol of the blues' origins and a place of deep connection for musicians and fans alike. It is here in the Mississippi Delta , a mysterious and deeply spiritual place , where tall stories and legends mingle alongside ghosts and spirits , where the sound of live music drifts out from the front porch of a roadhouse into a wide Delta sky. The heat of a juke joint crowded with people dancing. The crunch of dirt under your feet at the grave of Robert Johnson . The feel of vintage vinyl under your fingers at Cathead Records. ( many thanks - check out - visit - visitthedelta.com/blues).
Can we talk about the infamous , legendary , Shack Up Inn ? The World's Oldest B & B (Bed and Beer) , where folks stay in restored sharecropper shacks , the original cotton gin is now the bar and lobby - https://youtu.be/3g3zNbY8BhY?si=D38GNI2Z8HqXiq90-As you sit in the rocker on the porch,tipping a cold one while the sun sinks slowly to the horizon,you just might hear Pinetop Perkins radiatin' the 88's over at his shack.Perhaps , if you close your eyes, even Muddy or Robert or Charlie might stop to strum a few chords in the night(shackupinn.com/ourstory).
The music is truly amazing , what the blues is all about , great stories and unique,original music , exciting , moving , and certainly unforgettable . Here is finger snappin', foot stompin' , blues music that is made for shimmying and swayin' . You will find yourself movin' , groovin' and singing along. Unleashing eight Roots Music Report(RMR) charting blues songs from the bands July 2024 debut album,"Stuck in the Mud", and two 1920's blues standards from Leroy Carr and Scrapper Blackwell , the band takes off like a spectacular firework , coloring the blues with a vibrant rainbow of textures, shades ,melodies, moods,and rhythms .
This is real-deal-blues , raw and exciting , performed by a band that is uniquely and creatively , wonderfully , original . If you love the blues , want to explore what is uniquely wonderful about this iconic musical art form , "Live In Clarksdale"is the place to be . Take this amazing musical journey with Christopher Wyze & The Tellers , check out the new album , enjoy the video , and get ready for the time of your life. I'll save you a seat !!
Review Written By - John Muller - Blue Notes and Conversations -
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