BLUES BLABBING ITINERARY

All right, this is for all you who have said, “Jim O’Neal never says anything.” True, I would rather write words and listen to others’ words than speak them myself, but I do have a limited capacity for speech, and all it takes to get my mouth moving is an invitation to New Orleans, or Mississippi, or Chicago. Or Kansas City, Kansas, for that matter, even though it’s just a few minutes from my house. In fact I’ll be participating in panel discussions, symposiums and conferences in all those places. Want me to come to Texas or Florida or California? How about Acapulco or Hawaii or Jamaica? Call me – I’m easy! Brenda and I will be glad to be your guests.

Are you ready for STARTLING REVELATIONS??!! INSIGHTFUL COMMENTARY??!! Well, don’t count on me, but fortunately, there are some very interesting people on the panels listed below. So come on out and say hello, especially if you want to repay that loan I made you years ago or if you want us to take your Paramount 78s home with us because they’re taking up too much space in your house.

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PONDEROSA STOMP MUSIC CONFERENCE
The Cabildo, Jackson Square, New Orleans

Tuesday, April 29
3 p.m. Field Recordings Panel with Joe Bihari, Jim O’Neal, Ben Sandmel, and George Mitchell, moderated by Andria Lisle

Wednesday, April 30
11 a.m. Joe Bihari Oral History. Interviewers: John Broven & Jim O’Neal.
4 p.m. Louisiana Red Oral History. Interviewers: Mike Hurtt & Jim O’Neal

For more on the Ponderosa Stomp concerts and conference:
http://www.ponderosastomp.com/ponderosa_stomp_7.php

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BLUES & THE SPIRIT SYMPOSIUM, Dominican University
7900 West Division Street, River Forest, Illinois (just west of Chicago)

Thursday, May 22
7:00-10:00 p.m. Opening Plenary (Shaffer Silveri Atrium/Parmer Hall)
Welcome and Invocation
Donna Carroll, President, Dominican University
Janice Monti, Symposium Director
Imago Dei Gospel Choir

Elders Council: Chicago's Musical Legacy
Sterling Plumpp, Professor Emeritus of Literature, University of Illinois at Chicago
Timuel Black, Educator, Historian, Political Activist
Paul Garon, Author, Co-founder of Living Blues Magazine
Jim O'Neal, BluEsoterica Archives & Productions, Co-founder of Living Blues Magazine
Mrs. Willie Dixon, CEO & President, Blues Heaven Foundation
(Convener: Barry Dolins, Deputy Director of Neighborhood Festivals and the Chicago Blues Festival)
(Discussant: George Bailey, Professor of English, Columbia College Chicago)

Reception with music by Larry Taylor and the Family Band

For more details: http://www.dom.edu/blues/schedule.html
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CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL, Grant Park
Route 66 tent panels

Thursday, June 5:
Chicago Blues Festival 25th Anniversary (with other members of the original Chicago Blues Committee that booked the first festival in 1984)
The Centenarians: Louis Jordan, Tommy McClennan & Blind John Davis (celebrating the 100th anniversary of their births in 1908)

Friday, June 6:
“Sweet Home Chicago”: Anthem or Cliché?

Sunday, June 8:
B.B. King Museum/Mississippi Blues Trail
The Future of the Blues (with Larry Taylor & Nate Lawrence)

For a complete schedule of panels and performances at the festival:
www.chicagobluesfestival.us
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KANSAS CITY KANSAS STREET BLUES FESTIVAL

Saturday, June 28:
Kansas City Blues panel

Come support one of the best local festivals in the country. This one was originally modeled after the Sunflower River Blues Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi, as a tribute to a rich hometown African-American blues heritage. Come hear some fine blues acts you may not get to hear anywhere else and help the KCK Street Festival maintain its “real deal” policy. Which isn’t always easy in Kansas City . . .

Phone: (816) 529-6538
http://www.kckstreetbluesfest.com

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MISSISSIPPI DELTA TENNESSEE WILLIAMS FESTIVAL
Clarksdale, Mississippi

Sept. 26:
Clarksdale Blues History presentation

http://www.coahomacc.edu/twilliams/about.html

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MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL marker unveiling ceremonies

I make it to a few of these events, too – as travel plans develop, I’ll post itineraries. I have put some information on the Mississippi Blues Trail in another post.

www.msbluestrail.org