ALABAMA BLUES PROJECT at Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Friday evening we went to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to attend a four hour Blues Extravaganza at the Bama Theatre . The theatre appeared to have been redecorated/restored and we tried taking photos of it to show to you. However, we could not get very good pictures of it because of the low lighting during the time before the evening program. We attended this program to meet Gary's cousin's daughter, Debbie Bond, for the first time and to see what she is doing with the Alabama Blues Project. She has lived in Alabama since 1979 because she fell in love with the area and the rich historical music background of this area. She has worked closely with many well known Blues artists over the years. You can find out more about her and what she is doing at www.alabamablues.org/whoweare.htm and www.myspace.com/debbiebondblues Debbie is co-founder and executive director of ABP along with her husband, Rick, as well as being band leaders while giving much of their time to teach about the Blues and help the young build self esteem through music in the process. Debbie plays guitar, sings , and writes music in addition to her extensive travels around the US and Europe to play on tour. Rick plays harmonica, guitar and piano in addition to his extensive travels to play on tour also. I encourage you to check out the web sites to read all about them and about the Alabama Blues Project. Debbie and Rick along with other teachers helped the children present a very inspiring Blues program, broken into segments, with the first hour being the youngest children working their hearts out showing what they can do best, whether it be playing drums (note the five gallon buckets!) , the harmonica , the guitar or singing . They were great and their instructors helped us see their expertise by passing the microphones around as they performed. There were some very talented youngsters!! The second part of the program was the Intermediaries, comprised mostly of teenagers who have stayed with the program and continue to show much talent . We had difficulty seeing the little drummer who was much younger than the rest of the group, being only 10 years old. So Gary had to leave his seat to go closer to stage to get this photo of her . You can see that she takes this very seriously. I would imagine that some of this talent could continue to advance into great professional performers in the future. We certainly wish them the best! And we commend the adults who have this vision and give of their time to make this possible. I am sure that all involved will have many, many hours of enjoyment through this time well spent. These children will have much to pass down to their children about this music and about their American heritage. The evening began with the introduction of their masters of ceremony , Deontay Wilder, who at age 23 was the 2008 Bejing Olympic Bronze medal winner for boxing for the US, and the young lady emcee from a local radio station. Both of them encouraged the young fellow standing here with them to introduce entertainers as well as ask interview questions. The young fellow seemed very gifted in this area and not a bit shy! Deontay seemed to have a very good rapport with the children as he shared his experiences with them as well. He talked with many of them one on one as they asked for his autograph. I even got his autograph! The third segment of the program was the adult teachers , one who is J K Terrell who has been working with ABP for 9 years and is also their on-site coordinator. His skills as both an experienced harmonica player and as a licensed, certified Social worker have been invaluable to the work with at-risk youth in the community. They along with the directors gave an hour playing and singing for our enjoyment also! And the last segment was Bobby Rush singing while playing the guitar , who also played the harmonica to much foot tapping. His jokes and music never seemed to stop! He was good and very energetic for his 75 years young! Since Debbie was such a busy lady that evening, we were not able to visit much. So we made another appointment with them for Sunday evening and had dinner at their house where we met their friend, Sylvia from Italy, who is here for study at the University, and to do some sharing of family history. What a great evening! They encouraged us to come back in the fall when the area is very full of activity. We just might have to do that on our way west for the winter! But next we will see you on down the road for a season of Country music and it's history at Nashville, Tennessee.

JAZZ Museum Birmingham, ALABAMA

After arriving in Childersburg, Alabama, and settling in for a week, we decided to go in to the 4th Avenue District of Birmingham to visit the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame housed in part of the Carver Theatre on both the first floor and the second floor. When getting our tickets, we were offered a guided tour. We hesitated since it was just the two of us going through. However, that would have been a great mistake! Our guide, Frank "Doc" Adams , was fantastic. He not only entertained us with many stories of the Jazz "Greats", but also played his clarinet for us showing us many styles of music!

Prior to 1900 a "black business district" did not exist in Birmingham. During reconstruction in the southern cities, black businesses developed along side those of the whites. Thus the 4th Avenue District in Birmingham, which covered at least a 12 block square area. This area created a small world in which black enterprise was accepted during this time of segregation and discrimination. These black businesses and their successors continued to do well up to and throughout the 60's.

This district was not only "alive" during "daylight business" hours, but live entertainment at night was "the place to be". The theatres not only provided movies, but live stage shows with singers, dancers and vaudeville shows. "Doc" Adams pointed out the building across the street which was the "Colored Masonic Temple" as you can see on the stone above the windows . Much music and entertainment was provided in this building also.

When "Doc" Adams shared his beginning in music, he related a story of Fess Whatley requesting that his parents buy him a saxophone so that he could be in the Industrial School's Orchestra. He liked playing his clarinet and did not want to begin with saxophone. So he told his mother, in a very negative rendition, of Fess Whatley's request. However, she saw through his story and he was told that he would be in the Orchestra and they would buy him a saxophone. He was fortunate in that his parents provided a good living for the family. She was a teacher and his father owned and operated a printing business that published the first black newspaper in circulation in that area at the time.

Fess Whatley was a very tough task master and required the best from all of his students. He required that they all learn to read music. However, he had one student who always played by ear, which Professor Whatley did not realize until close to graduation. He demanded that he learn to read one piece of music in three days before graduation and he succeeded in paying it for the professor. However, unknown to the professor, he had ducked out to the restroom and heard the piece played and "again" played by ear! "Doc's" stories were humorous, no doubt.

"Doc" had played with "many" noteable orchestras in his lifetime including Duke Ellington's and Sun Ra's.

He continued with his antidotes as he made the rounds of other displays including those of the Clarke family, Louis Armstrong , Erskine Hawkins who penned Tuxedo Junction, Duke Ellington, Haywood , and a full display of Ella Fitzgerald. Ella Fitzgerald's display included her extremely thick glasses and a ball gown among other things. The museum received many of her gowns and memorabilia. "Doc" Adams told a little of her life including the fact that she had diabetes and over a period of years nearly lost her eyesight and also had her legs amputated.

As I said, all of his memories and stories were very interesting and we were glad that he was our guide!!