For more than 20 years, BSC has been capturing and exporting the sounds of Memphis and the Delta region. It is our mission to celebrate the culture of our region by sharing our music with the world.
This week we have Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band performing a tribute to his father, Bobby Blue Bland, recorded live at B.B. King’s Blues Club on Beale Street during the 2017 Blues Music Awards weekend. Special guests include John Nemeth, Sugaray Rayford, Janiva Magness, and Mike Ledbetter.
BSC contributor John Paul Keith returns with his series, Something on the Side
In a perfect world, this is the kind of straight ahead, power-trio, rock & roll that would blare from every car stereo on the planet. But until the rest of civilization catches up with discerning tastes, listeners can always count on Beale Street Caravan to deliver. Perennial favorite, Alvin Youngblood Hart, joins us this week and with him comes his Marshall half-stack, and the thundering accompaniment of his aptly named rhythm section, Muscle Theory. Later in the show, Pat sits down backstage with Alvin and we get an update on several projects he has in the works.
Also, BSC contributor, Eddie Hankins, returns with his series - American Studios: Memphis' Hit Factory.
Highlights from the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic featuring Kenny Brown, The Rising Star Fife and Drum Corp, Blue Mother Tupelo, Garry Burnside, and Alvin Youngblood Hart;Â Interview with founder and Executive Director Sara Brown
William Lee Ellis continues his series, Religion and The Blues
On this week's Beale Street Caravan we spend the hour with The Daddy Mack Blues Band as they celebrate the release of their album, Blues Central. Singer and guitarist, Mack Orr, has been a part of the Memphis blues scene for decades - originally playing in legendary group, The Fieldstones - and The Daddy Mack Blues Band delivers its blues real, raw, and funky. So, the party will be coming right at you through your speakers on this week's show.Â
This week BSC celebrates a true piece of music history with a tribute to the legendary Sun Records. John Paul Keith, Will Tucker, Chuck Mead, and a few more special guests come together on stage to perform some of the greatest songs recorded right here in Memphis. We also share an archived interview with the man who started it all, Sam Phillips.
Over the past few seasons, BSC has brought our listeners a lot of Memphis music from a funky Midtown dive known as BAR DKDC(Don't Know, Don't Care). On this week’s program we take a closer look at what makes a music spot special. We talk with the owner, restaurateur Karen Carrier, and we have killer performances from Reigning Sound and Lucy Woodward ! #ilistentomemphis
If you’ve ever found yourself walking down Beale Street in search of real deal, authentic blues music, chances are your ears led you into a club where you danced the night away with The Eric Hughes Band. Eric joins us this week in a performance captured at the Bonafide Blues Fest in Memphis, Tn.Â
BSC contributor William Lee Ellis returns to continue his series, Religion and the Blues.
This week on BSC we feature Scott Sharrard performing with Memphis' own Bo-Keys in Studio A at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music. Hi Records legend Don Bryant joins in for a couple of songs.
Also BSC contributor Preston Lauterbach continues his series the Chitlin’ Circuit and The Road to Rock n Roll.
This week on BSC we feature a performance by Bill Abel from the Mighty Mississippi Music Fest during Bridging the Blues. He's an accomplished potter and visual-artist, but most folks know him as an omni-present force on the Delta festival and jook joint circuit.
Also BSC contributor Preston Lauterbach continues his series the Chitlin’ Circuit and The Road to Rock n Roll.
This week on BSC we bring highlights from the finals of the Blues Foundation’s 2017 International Blues Challenge. For 33 years, Beale Street has opened it's hallowed music halls and bar rooms for one special week to hundreds of aspiring artists from around the globe. For many it's a shot at living the dream, for others it's the experience of coming to Memphis and playing the rooms and street corners that their heroes played. The level of talent is incredibly high, and the vibe and bustle on the street is electric. Listen in as we interview participants and air highlight performances from the finals.
Winner, Band Category - Â Dawn Tyler Watson, The Montreal Blues Society
Runner-up, Band Category - The Souliz Band featuring Sugar and Spice, Suncoast Blues Society
Winner, Solo/Duo Category - Â Al Hill, Nashville Blues Society
Runner-up, Solo/Duo Category - Brody Buster’s One Man Band, Kansas City Blues Society
This week on BSC we feature Greyhounds. Andrew Trube and Anthony Farrell have been collaborators in some form or fashion for over 15 years - as session musicians and songwriters, on the road backing other artists, and working together on a catalog of songs that they've released sporadically under the Greyhounds moniker.
Also on the program, we continue our series "The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll." This week, the late Sam Phillips talks about Rufus Thomas.
This week’s episode showcases two bluesmen whose music can be heard at blues festivals around the world, in documentary films, or performing at juke joints right in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.  Both play harmonica and guitar, and both were recorded during Bridging The Blues performances last fall. Listen as Watermelon Slim takes the stage at the Bonafide Blues Festival and Terry “Harmonica” Bean plays the Mighty Mississippi Music Festival.
BSC contributor Preston Lauterbach continues his series the Chitlin’ Circuit and The Road to Rock n Roll.
This week on BSC we feature a performance by Jericho Road Show from the Mighty Mississippi Music Fest during Bridging the Blues. The group is a collaboration between well-seasoned Americana Roots & Blues musicians Rambling Steve Gardner, Libby Rae Watson, Wes Lee and Bill Steber. All successful artists in their own right, together they create a powerhouse.
BSC contributor Preston Lauterbach continues his series the Chitlin’ Circuit and The Road to Rock n Roll.
This week we're featuring historical concert recordings from Bukka White, Furry Lewis, and Sleepy John Estes. These recordings are taken from the Memphis Blues Caravan tours of the early 1970's during the revival of each of these legendary musician's careers. Also this week we begin a new series from BSC contributor, Adam Hill. We are calling it Made in Memphis, and it's presented by Ardent Studios. Made in Memphis will be taking you behind the scenes to see how some of the most influential records in the world were made.
This week we catch up with the one and only James "Super Chikan" Johnson and his raw, electrified, Mississippi juke joint sound. This performance was captured at The Memphis Blues Society’s Bona Fide Blues Festival during Bridging the Blues.
Also on the program, BSC contributor, Preston Lauterbach, discusses the Chitlin’ Circuit and The Road to Rock n Roll.
Grammy nominated blues artist, Cedric Burnside, is back with us this week. Cedric is the grandson of the late, great R.L. Burnside, and he plays the Hill Country blues like nobody else. If your butt doesn’t shake during this week’s show, there might be something wrong with you. This performance was captured at The Memphis Blues Society’s Bonafide Blues Festival during Bridging the Blues.
Also on the program, BSC contributor, Preston Lauterbach, discusses the Chitlin’ Circuit and The Road to Rock n Roll.
Mississippi is still home to most authentic blues artists in the country. While some hopped trains headed north and became superstars in Memphis and Chicago, many stayed back to create that signature soundtrack for life in the Delta. We have two, living embodiments of that original Delta, country blues sound with us this week: Cadillac John Nolden and Pat Thomas in sets captured at the Mighty Mississippi Blues Fest in Greenville, MS during Bridging The Blues.
BSC contributor William Lee Ellis returns to continue his series, Religion and the Blues.
Blues, Soul, and Rock and Roll continue to evolve and inspire. While BSC tends to favor the veterans and living legends, this week we have two acts, Edward David Anderson and CATL that have dynamic, innovative and fresh approaches, yet deep love and reverence for the traditions of yesterday.
BSC contributor William Lee Ellis returns to continue his series, Religion and the Blues.
Last week we broadcast highlights from the Hill Country Picnic. This week we have the main event. Reigning King of the Hill Country, Kenny Brown, is with us with an incendiary set of gut bucket, hip-shaking blues.
BSC contributor William Lee Ellis returns to continue his series, Religion and the Blues.
The Love Light Orchestra featuring John Nemeth, interview with bandleaders Joe Restivo and Marc Franklin
William Lee Ellis continues his series, Religion and The Blues
Interview with John Paul Keith and Will Tucker, who plays the role of Scotty Moore in the upcoming series Million Dollar Quartet
Beale Street Caravan contributor William Lee Ellis begins his series, Religion and The Blues
One of Memphis' most loved acts, Deering & Down are with us to celebrate the release of their newest studio effort, Know Rhyme Know Reason on BAA Records.
Blues/soul upstarts Southern Avenue are with us in a inspired performance from the cutting room floor in Studio A at The Stax Museum of American Soul Music. In the interview they share their unique perspective on what Memphis music is all about. BSC contributor John Paul Keith returns for another installment of Something On The Side. This week he talks with Jerry and Halley Phillips about their family's incredible legacy and their ongoing efforts for Memphis music.
It's the biggest night in the blues and Beale Street Caravan is there. This week we feature select performances from winners and nominees at 2016 Blues Music Awards. We'll hear from The Cashbox Kings, Guy Davis, Ruthie Foster, Victor Wainwright, and more.
This week Beale Street Caravan features Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton. Jerron's music pulls from the African-American traditions of 20’s and 30’s when ragtime, jazz, and blues, combined in countless, shifting forms to become the spiritual vernacular of the American south. In fact, It’s hard not to be instantly transported to bustling, outlaw, 1930’s Beale Street when Jerron plays. BSC contributor John Paul Keith is also with us to continue his series, Something On The Side.
Soul survivors the Bo-Keys have gone country, y'all. No, not really. Not totally. But they've taken a carefully selected batch of roots oriented, country music songs and re-imagined them as hip-shaking and heart-breaking soul numbers on their new album, Heartaches By The Number, available now on Omnivore Recordings. BSC contributor John Paul Keith is back with us to continue his series, Something On The Side. This week he looks at the Memphis Horns.
This week's show takes us to the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic. It's two days of nonstop music and celebration held annually on the last weekend of June that draws music lovers from all over the world to a field tucked away in rural, Potts Camp, Mississippi. We'll hear performances from regional favorites that have graced that stage over the years: T-Model Ford, Shannon McNally, The Juke Joint Duo, and more. And John Paul Keith is back with us to continue his series, Something on The Side. This week he talks about Ike Turner.
This week we continue with an amazing display of Memphis' musical might as we feature performances from BSC's 2016 Star-lite Revue. Listen in as local heavies deliver the raw and authentic sounds of gospel, blues, and soul music as only Memphians can. This week we'll hear from The Memphis Ukulele Band, Jimbo Mathus, The Southern Sons, and Rev. John Wilkins.
This week's show is the perfect slice of Memphis as we feature performances from BSC's 2016 Star-lite Revue. Listen in as local heavies deliver the raw and authentic sounds of gospel, blues, and soul music as only Memphians can. This is part 1 of a two-part series and this week we'll hear from Sons of Mudboy, The Bell Singers, The Masonic Travelers, and The Ghost Town Blues Band.
Como is a small town. Just a tiny speck isolated within the struggles and hardships of rural Panola County, Mississippi. But the music that comes out of Como is another story. It's huge. So full of life affirming goodness and joy that it makes you want to shout and stomp your feet. The traditions on this week's program go back over 150 years, passed down through families in and around Como.
There's a righteously talented newcomer on the blues and roots music scene and her name is Julie Rhodes. She joins us this week at Bar DKDC in Midtown Memphis as she tours behind her new, self-released, debut effort, titled Bound To Meet The Devil. BSC contributor John Paul Keith is back this week to continue his series on the great sidemen in Memphis music history called Something On The Side.
The blues music world lost a true original when L.C. Ulmer passed away on February 14th, 2016 at 87 years old. L.C. played the fish fries, picnics, gas stations, and festival stages all over Mississippi and then took the music of the deep delta all over the U.S. He was a traveling solo musician, emcee, one-man band, and a band leader. L.C. was one of the funniest and most congenial people we've ever me, and as you'll hear in today's program, one of the best interview subjects we've ever had. BSC contributor John Paul Keith returns to continue his series, Something On The Side.
Three Memphis musicians hanging out and jamming after hours at Sun Studios, when one of them has this bright idea - hey, we should start a ukulele band! A year later, the magnificent results have outstripped anyone's expectations. The Memphis Ukulele Band join us this week in an amazing performance recorded in front of a live audience on the cutting room floor at historic Sun Studios. BSC contributor John Paul Keith is back with his series, Something On the Side.
This week on BSC we have the Blues Foundation's 2016 International Blues Challenge! For 32 years, Beale Street has opened it's hallowed music halls and bar rooms for one special week to hundreds of aspiring artists from around the globe. For many it's a shot at living the dream, for others it's the experience of coming to Memphis and playing the rooms and street corners that their heroes played. The level of talent is incredibly high, and the vibe and bustle on the street is electric. Listen in as we interview participants and air highlight performances from the finals.
This week Memphis meets New Orleans on BSC so join us to kickoff Mardi Gras with Marcella and Her Lovers. Marcella Simien is the talented daughter of Grammy award winning Louisiana-roots artist Terrance Simien. Music runs deep in Memphis and the bayou and it runs just as deep in this family, too. Father joins daughter on stage for a few numbers and it all makes for a BSC episode you won't forget. BSC contributor John Paul Keith returns this week with a new series called "Something On The Side" that looks at the sidemen that built the Memphis sound.
Despite its humble and mercurial origins in the deep Delta, blues music was destined to become an international art form. Need proof? Survey the crowds walking up and down Beale Street this week for the Blues Foundation's annual International Blues Challenge. Or, check out our programming over the last couple of seasons and you'll see the strong international presence. This week we add Norwegian blues star Daniel Eriksen to that list. We captured this performance smack dab in the heart of the delta with the banks of the Mississippi River serving as our backdrop.
BSC lost a longtime friend when soul music great Otis Clay passed away on January 8th. Otis began his career in Mississippi performing in gospel groups, but fate brought him to Memphis where he rose to prominence behind R&B hits such as "Trying to Live my Life Without You" and "All Because of Your Love," each of those songs birthed through the production genius of Memphis' Willie Mitchell and the Hi Records Rhythm Section. This week's program was originally scheduled to air in February, but with Clay's passing, we felt an urgency to release it now in his memory. Otis Clay was a great friend to
The prevailing stories would lead us to believe that all the great bluesmen hopped trains out of the Delta, landing in Memphis and Chicago to launch their careers, but that's not really the case. Countless artists remained to provide the soundtrack for life in the Delta. Artists made their careers in the churches, the juke joints, the picnics, and the house parties. We have two such artists with us as octogenarians Cadillac John Nolden and Leo "Bud" Welch bring their authentic, foot-stomping sounds to the airwaves this week.
Garage rock icon Jack Oblivian is with us this week! Jack's uncompromising brand of Memphis rock and roll represents one of our favorite facets of "The Memphis Sound." From his work as a member of The Oblivians, his prolific stream of solo and side projects, to the many artists and bands that he's influenced, Jack O continues to generate enormous appreciation locally and abroad. BSC contributor David Less will also be with us to take us through a new installment of his series, The Memphis Beat.
If you've spent any length of time of time in the Delta, chances are you've run into Belzoni, Mississippi-native Bill Abel. He's an accomplished potter and visual-artist, but most folks know him as an omni-present force on the Delta festival and jook joint circuit. The longtime sideman for country blues greats like Paul "Wine" Jones and T-Model Ford steps out on his own this week in a full band performance captured during Bridging The Blues and featuring Hans Theesink on second guitar. Also, BSC contributor John Paul Keith joins us again to continue his series, Made In Memphis.
There's only one Bobby Rush. Honed and refined (or unrefined, depending on your point of view) through decades on the Chitlin' Circuit, his self-described "folk-funk" act has become a headlining attraction at festivals and events around the world. But this week we've got something a little different - Bobby Rush, stripped down and raw, backed only by Super Chikan on guitar, and singing his hits and telling the stories behind the songs. Bobby has a career-spanning box set titled Chicken Heads: A 50 Year History Of Bobby Rush coming out on November 27, on Omnivore Recordings. BSC contributor John Paul Keith will also be joining us to continue his series, Made In Memphis.
He's just 16 years old, y'all. It's incredible. Yes, he's toured over in Europe and played for the Obama family at the White House, but tonight his loving mother sits on the front row, as she always does, and makes sure the show doesn't run over. Why? Because Christone "Kingfish" Ingram has to get up and go to school the next day just like any other 16 year old. We're excited to feature Kingfish on BSC and we have a feeling that he's got a long career in music ahead of him. Also joining us is recording artist John Paul Keith as he continues our Made In Memphis segment which takes a look at the behind the scenes stories of hit songs crafted in the Bluff City.
What better way to kick of our 20th anniversary than with perennial faves, the North Mississippi All Stars? Luther Dickinson sits down with us and talks about the evolution of the band's music, and reminisces about that time he, Cody, and father, Jim, recorded the BSC theme song (yes, that song you've heard on our program for 20 years is the NMAS!). Recording artist John Paul Keith begins a new series called Made In Memphis. John Paul takes a look at the colorful characters and special places behind the creation of hit songs recorded in Memphis.
When you mention "Beale Street" the first thing that comes to mind for most hardcore blues fans is the "Reigning Queen of Beale," Miss Barbara Blue. For blues fanatics the world over, and for the hundreds of thousands of music lovers that that flock to Beale each year, she is the genuine article amidst a sea of pretenders. Her new album, "Memphis Blues: Sweet, Strong, and Tight" just hit the shelves. It was recorded by Boo Mitchell at legendary Royal Studios in Memphis. Also on the program this week, we continue our series "Wex on Wax" about the rise of Atlantic Records into the greatest R&B label in the world.
This week Beale Street Caravan presents performances from this year's Star-lite Revue, a concert hosted in the Stax neighborhood featuring various traditional, Memphis gospel artists. We'll hear from local institutions like Rev. John Wilkins, The Bell Singers, The Masonic Travelers, and many more.
This week Beale Street Caravan features Memphis' own Ghost Town Blues Band. The band is touring behind their recent release, Hard Road To Hoe, and today they deliver one of the best performances we've had all season. BSC contributor David Less is also with us as he wraps up his series, The Memphis Beat.
This week on BSC we're at Shangri-La Records in Midtown Memphis and with us are the Sons of Mudboy. Everybody's here to mark Omnivore Recordings' rerelease of the album, Beale Street Saturday Night, originally produced by Jim Dickinson in 1979. Luther Dickinson starts the show off with a couple of solo numbers and then Sons of Mudboy take us home. BSC contributor David Less continues his series, The Memphis Beat.
Last Man Standing, CeDell Davis's brand new record, is aptly titled. The 89 year old may be the very last of a generation of itinerant musicians that once travelled the Memphis and Delta region playing blues in juke joints and on street corners. Also with us this week is BSC contributor David Less. David will be continuing his series, The Memphis Beat.
This week our production team heads down to Clarksdale, MS, to capture a night at Red's Lounge, one the last remaining, authentic juke joints in the U.S. We hear great sets from Anthony "Big A" Sherrod and Cadillac John Nolden. BSC contributor Jim Spake continues his series, Crazy About A Saxophone.
Our listeners are certain to love this week's feature artist. The Band of Heathens weave the wild essentials of soul. blues, and folk traditions into the most crafted and contagious sound we've heard in ages. We caught up with the guys at the Mighty Mississippi Music Fest in the heart of the Delta in Greenville where they stole the show. Also this week, BSC contributor, Jim Spake, continues his series, Crazy About a Saxophone.
