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| First Annual Blues at The Moon Music Festival Pearl River Resort, the Southeast's premier luxury gaming and entertainment destination, will host the first annual Blues at The Moon music festival presented by Ground Zero Blues Club, at the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino on October 17 and 18. The festival comes in advance of the planned Ground Zero Blues Club, an initiative being spearheaded by Academy Award-winning actor and Blues enthusiast Morgan Freeman and scheduled to open at The Golden Moon in 2009. "The Blues at The Moon festival demonstrates Pearl River Resort's commitment to Blues music as we move forward with plans for the new Ground Zero Blues Club, " said Freeman, who co-owns the original Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, MS. "The club and the festival have the same goal: furthering the understanding of, and appreciation for, Blues music of all genres to all generations." The festival opens on the evening of October 17, featuring Blues sensation's The Fabulous Thunderbirds as the headliners at 10:30 P.M. who will perform their distinctive style of Blues music. Saturday's headline act is the legendary Solomon Burke who has been recording innovative blues for more than 50 years. Burke will perform at 10:30 P.M. Other acts include Big Jack Johnson, Deborah Coleman, Eddie Cotton, Jimmy Duck Holmes, Bill Howl-N-Madd Perry, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Bobby Rush and Ruby Wilson. A full list of musicians and scheduled performing times can be found at www.pearlriverresort.com. "Mississippi is synonymous with Blues music so when we decided to host a music festival, it was an obvious choice to celebrate the state's heritage with Blues at The Moon, " said Miko Beasley Denson, Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. "This festival - as well as the new Ground Zero Blues Club - is going to make the Golden Moon Hotel & Casino an important way station on the Mississippi Blues Trail." Award-winning artist John Robinette, a Memphis-based artist who focuses on Delta-inspired artwork, has created an original piece that will serve as the official festival emblem available for purchase on both T-Shirts and posters. And in the spirit of pairing great blues with great barbecue, a variety of barbecue and other Southern cuisine will be readily available as well. "Blues at The Schools" On Friday, October 17 festival organizers will include special "Blues at The Schools" lectures at Philadelphia City and Neshoba Central elementary schools, as well as several schools located on the Choctaw reservation. Led by Dr. Alfonso Sanders, head of the Fine Arts Department at Mississippi Valley State University, and recording artist Bill "Howl-N-Madd" Perry, the education sessions will help local students learn about the deep-seeded roots that Blues music has in Mississippi. On the evening of Thursday, October 16, Sanders and Perry will host a free open-to-the-public discussion on Blues history at the Old Ellis Theatre in Philadelphia. The evening also will be punctuated by a jam session with professional Blues musicians. Benefit to Delta Blues Museum To help support Blues education, Pearl River Resort will be donating $2.00 for every person who attends the festival to the Delta Blues Museum (up to $10, 000). Located at the intersection of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, MS - the legendary "crossroads" of the beginnings of Blues music - the museum is a place where visitors find meaning, value, and perspective by exploring Blues history and heritage. "The Blues at The Moon music festival brings great acts, storied music history and a touch of southern charm to The Golden Moon Hotel & Casino, " added Dale Hipsh, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Pearl River Resort. "This is the first year of what we hope will become the biggest music festival in the state of Mississippi. As good ambassadors to the state and huge fans of Blues music, we are honored to be in the position to make a charitable donation to an institution like the Delta Blues Museum that helps keep Blues music a thriving art form." Pearl River Resort, located in Choctaw, Mississippi, is the Southern United States' first comprehensive luxury gaming resort. The resort features the Silver Star and Golden Moon, two exciting hotel/casinos with nearly 4, 500 slot machines, more than 100 table games, 1, 074 hotel rooms, 16 restaurants, European spa facilities, shopping and live entertainment. Also featured is The Dancing Rabbit Golf Club with two championship golf courses and Geyser Falls Water Theme Park. Pearl River Resort is a development of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, a federally recognized, self-governing tribe with approximately 9, 600 members living on or near reservation land. write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |