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A Night at Ground Zero Clarksdale by Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms
(Memphis, Tennessee) After a long afternoon in the sun playing with the Eric Hughes Band at the new Harley-Davidson dealership in Southaven, Mississippi, my brother, Jeffrey, and I re-grouped and headed even further south down the blues highway, Highway 61, to Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Photo above is of my friends Brandon Santini of Delta Highway and Josh Roberts of the Reba Russell Band. I had seen Delta Highway members Brandon Santini, Tom Lewis, Derek Bonn and Elliot Sowell at our gig in Southaven and these guys performance got canceled so Brandon decided to drive down to hang out with us at Ground Zero.
Here's an article I wrote about Delta Highway: http://www.ameriblues.com/2010/04/brandon-santini-and-delta-highway-by.html
Here's a link to their site: http://www.deltahighwayblues.com/fr_home.cfm
I will be writing an upcoming article on Delta Highway's live recordings that are taking place this week
After loading in we get down to business, playing for a sold out crowd of kind revelers and blues fans, many who had come from out of town and even some who had traveled from out of the country to visit the most famous juke joint in the delta.
The Reba Russell Band is releasing their new CD on the 15th of May and it is the band's best effort yet. It is being called "8" as it is their eighth CD and it is full of new bluesy songs and a couple of surprises. Get your copy at RebaRussell.com.
Wayne Russell behind the throbbing bass
During a break I shot this picture of Reba Russell and Mr. and Mrs. Bill Luckett
Reba Russell sings the blues off the band's new CD, entitled "8."
That's Josh Roberts playing slide guitar above.
The party thrives at Ground Zero.
Doug McMinn behind the drums
Reba Russell
Reba Russell
The Reba Russell Band without the keyboard guy who was taking the picture
Brandon Santini and Robert "Nighthawk" ToomsSorry, Beale Street, but you have done this to yourselves and I am not going to lie for you. It's not too late for Beale to come back to it's glory, but that's probably best left for another article. At this point the club owners are starving out the music scene to squeeze out higher margins for themselves and it has become just another alcohol experience for most visitors rather than the zenith of the blues mecca that it is purported to be.
our friend, Belinda Moore
that's Jay Moore's sweet mother, Doryce Moore, who comes often to see the band.
Brandon Santini, Jeffrey Tooms, Jay Moore and Brian LaPrade
Reba Russell, J. T. Lauritsen and artist/songwriter Sally Raburn
My brother and I stopped by Delta Donut after the gig, but sadly, they weren't open yet
World famous Abe's Bar-B-Que as seen on the Food Network
The crossroads where the two highways intersecthttp://www.groundzerobluesclub.com/home.php
© Robert "Nighthawk" Tooms, 2010
