The music of America’s Deep South will be the focus of a very special evening at the Institute in Laxey this weekend.
Taking place on Saturday, October 8 at 7.30pm, Discovering the Music of the Deep South – from Liverpool to New Orleans: a Journey of Musical Discovery by Dr Phil, will see a presentation by music historian, musician and radio presenter Dr Phil Ratcliffe.
As part of the event he will also be playing actual early rare 78 rpm records on an early Victrola phonograph as well as performing some of the musical styles and tunes himself.
The evening will also feature live music from blues duo Blue John and Papa Cass (guitar player and singer John Gregory and harmonica player and singer Tim Cass).
Dr Phil, the biographer of guitar legend Mississippi John Hurt, first came to the Isle of Man in 2013 for a sold out event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the re-discovery of John Hurt.
It proved to be such a success organiser John Gregory, a guitar teacher and blues musician, has been aiming to bring him back to the island ever since.
Dr Phil said: “My personal journey of musical discovery began in Liverpool around 1950. This journey has taken me through a long appreciation of American music that began with me listening to my mother playing the piano at Saturday night parties in our house. I was about 8 years old.
“Between 1955 and 2016 I spent 61 years pursuing, locating and absorbing everything I could about this great music.
“My journey included seeing many of my heroes in live performances during the 1950s and 1960s; it took me all across the southern states of America on several pilgrimages to discover more about the old blues and jazz musicians and the lives they led.
“It resulted in me researching the life and music of one of my favourite blues and ragtime musicians - Mississippi John Hurt - and my biography of him, ‘Mississippi John Hurt: His Life, His Times, His Blues,’ was published in 2011.
“My quest continues to this day and my presentation tells the story of my journey with numerous visual and audio examples of what I consider some of the finest music ever recorded, along with my own examples of some of the musical styles.
“It weaves the story of the evolution of jazz and blues, work songs and gospel, western swing and Cajun from their early beginnings in New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta and across the southern states of America, up to the more recent development of rock ‘n’ roll.”
Tickets for the event are ?7 and are available from www.etickets.im/jg or by ringing John Gregory on 204320 or emailing him at bluejohnmedia@hotmail.co.uk
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Researching your Manx family history can be a very interesting and rewarding hobby. Trace your roots in the Isle of Man with our helpful of guide.
