13th Annual Evening of Art & Blues: City Blues vs. Country Blues

Tickets are on sale now for the 13th Annual Evening of Art & Blues on February 24, 2023!  Please join us as we take you on a journey from “Country Blues” to “City Blues” at the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Headlining this event is Alabama Blues Hall of Famer, the John Bull Trio, featuring Peggy Walker.  Also performing are Little Lee and Alabama Blues Productions.  The event includes dinner, a cash bar by Casual Class, silent auction, and live auction with art and gifts from local artists and businesses.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

JOHN BULL

A dynamic blues, jazz, and soul singer/harmonica player, John stretches the traditional boundaries of blues harmonica over all these genres.  The result is a unique blend of American music that's both uptown and lowdown.  His relaxed delivery is the result of decades spent performing at festivals, clubs, restaurants, riverboats and juke joints throughout the southeast.  John teaches harmonica for the Alabama Blues Project and is a member of the Alabama Blues Hall of Fame.

LITTLE LEE (HANABLE L. GEE)

Little Lee was born and raised in a small country town, Carthage, Mississippi.  He began singing and playing music at an early age. In 1965, he relocated to Chicago, Illinois.  While living in Chicago he was influenced by Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters and many other blues players.  In the early 1970s he put together a blues band giving him the opportunity to work with great blues musicians such as Willie Kent, Lovely Lee, Sunny Land Slim, and Eddie Clearwater.  Blues music and lyrics have been a love of his life, and the more he plays and sings the more he wants to play.

PEGGY WALKER

Peggy Walker (nee Gaines) began singing through church, school competitions, and a variety of local and regional singing competitions, from around the age of 10.  By the age of 17, she was performing live with Bob Holmes’ band in several Nashville clubs.  Throughout the 1960s, she recorded R&B songs, both in her own name and under pseudonyms, on numerous labels including Giant, Hit, Caravelle, and Ref-O-Ree.  She also appeared on the televised music show “Night Train”.  Peggy moved to Alabama in the 1970s and has been singing with John Bull for several years.

ALABAMA BLUES PRODUCTIONS

"Alabama Blues Productions" is comprised of Alabama Blues Project students ages 6 to 18 who display a high level of dedication and improvement.  These young musicians receive a more intensive learning experience, having the opportunity to rehearse each week as a structured band.  While honing their music skills and working together, they also learn to recognize and play a variety of Blues styles and sometimes write original songs.  The first Advanced Band was formed in 2005 when 11 students, many of whom had joined After-School and Summer Blues Camps in 1998, surpassed beginning and intermediate lesson levels.  They set the stage for the Alabama Blues Project’s tradition of regularly performing at community events such as the Kentuck Festival of the Arts, the Druid City Music Festival, and the Magic City Blues Festival.