Are you interested in the blues?
Piedmont, Chicago, Zyedco or Rhythm & Blues?
Ever wanted to play in a band?

St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation is seeking young people with musical talent between the ages of 13 and 16 to participate in a one week residency with MSG-The Acoustic Blues Trio to form the Bull City Youth Blues Band. M.S.G. The Acoustic Blues Trio will work with a selected group of students for a chosen middle school or/and those who audition from the community over the week residency to assemble the first Bull City Youth Blues Band (BCYB). Students will learn about the blues, how to play some of the traditional blues instruments, harmonica, washboard and guitar; and with the talents they already possess, will rehearse in residence to perform at the 23rd annual Bull Durham Blues Festival on Friday, September 10th with MSG-The Acoustic Blues Trio at the Hayti Heritage Center. Applications are currently being accepted through Tuesday, August 31st. To receive an application or for more information call (919) 683-1709 ext 21, or go to www.bulldurhamblues.org and download the application form.

The Bull City Youth Blues Band concept is a part of the annual Blues in the Schools (BITS) program promoted by the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. in celebration of the blues in Durham. BITS is a artist residency in which noted blues professionals conduct lecture-demonstrations, workshops and performances for a variety of audiences, including middle school, after school programs and or private/home schools. The focus of the residency will be to educate and enlighten our youth and community on the Piedmont blues style, known to have been developed and performed in the Durham and cities across North Carolina.

Through a balanced mixture of performance, lecture and participations, students will be introduced to the historical and cultural significance of blues music. Students will be instructed on the Piedmont style of blues techniques and fingering on guitar, beginning harmonica and basic washboard techniques in preparation for a performance at the annual Bull Durham Blues Festival which will consist of a couple of songs learned during the workshop sessions.

In the school residency activities, students will also be taught songs and explained the history of the blues genre that is appropriate to the age group. A few songs will be introduced to the groups to familiarize them with the forms (through warm up exercises, with concentration on only one or two songs for performance. During the lecture/workshops the artists will discuss the different types of blues and their early regionalism; i.e. pre- WWII and post-war blues, practitioners past and present. The lectures will also be augmented with audio clips and guitar demonstrations.

Studying the blues can give students a deeper understanding of the rural and urban American culture. Just as important as understanding the evolution of the musical structure of the blues understanding the ways blues music expressed individual emotions. Music reflects the feelings of the times. Through the blues, student listeners can happen in those times and know how to apply it today.

The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation seeks to apply these methods to enhance the current curriculum study by providing access to our core youth audience (K-12) in the Blues in the Schools programs. The goals of this presentation and those of the entire Blues in the School program are as follows:

• Share the Blues with children. Change any preconceived ideas of what the Blues are about and spark an interest in the music; Promote cultural awareness through self-awareness; Broaden the historical prospective of how Blues relates to rock music and other modern music; and Focus on blues music as a part of American culture and acquire a better understand of the African–American heritage.

M.S.G.- The Acoustic Blues Trio performs traditional Piedmont blues. Their style of music has been influenced by the likes of Archie Edwards, Etta Baker, and Cephas & Wiggins. This band can get you on your feet with some old-fashioned house party tunes, make you laugh with their witty originals and then make you weep with blues ballads! They all perform with the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation Band. They have performed at numerous regional festivals including: Blues in the ‘Burg, Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Artscape, and Bayou Boogaloo. They have also had the honor of performing on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage. Band members are Jackie Merritt, Miles Spicer, and Resa Gibbs.

Jackie, from Hampton, VA., is an accomplished musician and visual artist. She performs in several bands: M.S.G.-the Acoustic Blues Trio (harmonica, vocals, guitar & bones); Blues Xchange (bass & vocals) and The Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation Band (harmonica & bones). Jackie was Phil Wiggins’ harmonica teaching assistant for three years at Augusta Heritage Center “Blues Week” in Elkins, WV.

Miles, demonstrates the distinctive technique of the Piedmont style in his playing (alternating thumb and finger-picking). He’s from Riverdale, MD. Miles is currently the treasurer of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation. In addition to M.S.G., he also plays with the Riverdale Ramblers Cajun Band, and the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation Band.

Resa, the primary vocalist and percussionist is from Hampton, VA. She is known for her silky, soulful and heartfelt sound. Resa sang background vocals on Gaye Adegbalola’s Bitter Sweet Blues CD, produced by Rory Block and recorded by Alligator Records. She was for two years the lead vocalist with the Fever Blues Band and has been a featured artist with the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation for many years.

The Blues in the Schools Residency Program is funded in part by South Arts, Durham Arts Council United Arts Fund and Grassroots Programs, North Carolina Arts Council, a state agency, National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and Time Warner Cable.

The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is an African American cultural and educational institution deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. SJHF is dedicated to advancing cultural understanding through diverse programs that examine the experiences of Americans of African descent – locally, nationally and globally. The Foundation is committed to preserving, restoring and developing the Hayti Heritage Center, the former St. Joseph’s AME Church, a National Historic Landmark, as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Durham community. For more information call (919) 683-1709.

ABC 11′s “Heart of Carolina Perspectives” dedicates show to Durham Blues Festival.

The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation is seeking to performers or bands to perform for approximately 5-8 minutes between schedule acts during the 23^rd Annual Bull Durham Blues Festival on Saturday, September 11, 2010.  Show starts at 6pm and the Headliner for the night is Grammy award winner and Rock & Rock Hall of Fame inductee BUDDY GUY.

The Foundation is looking for Comedians, Poets, R&B/Blues Singers or Bands.  ALL performers must be 18 yrs of age or older.  Auditions will move quickly, artists will have a total of 5 minutes load in/load out and 5 minutes to perform during the audition. Judges reserve the right to extend or decrease the allotted time.  Artists who are selected to perform during the festival MUST have self-contained, low tech needs.

Auditions will take place on Saturday, August 28, 2010, 10am, Hayti Heritage Center.
$25 Registration Fee (5ppl max)

Click here to download registration form.

Click the “Donate Now” button below to pay the registration fee.

For more info 919-683-1709 ext 28 or jsellars@hayti.org.

The pride of the Tidewater, The Fleet Jazz Ensemble, and the Mid-Atlantic Region’s premier jazz ensemble will perform at the Hayti Heritage Center’s St. Joseph’s Performance Hall on Saturday afternoon, August 14th at 2:00 pm in honor of the US Navy B-1 Band Reunion. The concert is free and open to the public.

Under the leadership of Senior Chief Musician Jackie Friend, the Fleet Jazz Ensemble consists of eighteen members performing many diverse styles within the jazz idiom. The band’s repertoire ranges from the timeless classics of big band wing by Count Basie and Duke Ellington to the exciting contemporary jazz literature of Bob Florence and Gordon Goodwin.

Although the majority of the ensemble’s performances are public concerts and jazz festivals, the Fleet Jazz Ensemble also performs for high schools and college student clinics, master classes and military dances. Maintaining a reputation of consistent quality and versatility, the Fleet Jazz Ensemble endures as one of Virginia’s most respected jazz ensembles.

This concert will be one of the highlights of the day as the members of the U.S. Navy B-1 Band, the first African Americans to serve in the modern Navy at any general rank will come together at the Hayti Heritage Center.

(Chapel Hill, NC) “The United States Navy pre-flight school here today acquired the first and only all-Negro band in the navy when 42 Negro musicians reported for duty today.” Greensboro Daily News, July 31, 1942

“The story of the first all-Negro Navy band of this war dates back to April of 1942 when plans were being advanced to organize a 44 piece band for the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight school scheduled to be commissioned the following month at Chapel Hill, NC.”- The Cloudbuster Band in Pictures, 1944

The U.S. Navy B-1 Band was officially formed on May 27, 1942, when 44 young men- “the best, most talented musicians in North Carolina” – were sworn into service in Raleigh, North Carolina. Soon after their swearing in, they boarded a train for boot camp in Norfolk as, collectively, the first African Americans to serve in the modern Navy at any general rank. Although their service throughout the war as a segregated unit, the establishment of B-1 was a major move towards integration of the modern U.S. Navy.

With the aim of creating the band from the best negro musicians available in North Carolina, the Navy Department sent Chief Bandmaster C. E. Dudrow, USN (Ret,), to North Carolina to select the bandsmen and supervise their early training. Playing an important role in the organization of the band was a representative committee formed by NC Governor J. Melville Broughton and consisting of Lt. (jg) John P. Graff, USN (Ret.) Executive Officer of the Pre-Flight School (later Comdr. Graft, Commanding Officer of the School); William D. Carmichael Jr., Comptroller of the University of North Carolina, C.C. Spaulding, President of NC Mutual Life Insurance Co.; Dr. F.D. Bluford, President of the Agricultural and Technical College, Greensboro, NC; Dr. J. E. Shepard, President of North Carolina State College Teachers College for Negroes; Dr. J.W. Seabrook, President of the Fayetteville State Teachers College; and Harold M. Holmes, Principal of the Orange County Training School.

The 44-member all black contingent was drawn primarily from students at NC A & T State University in Greensboro, NC, Dudley High School in Greensboro, NC, North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC and Hillside High School in Durham, NC and housed in the present Hargraves Recreation Center, which was completed as a barracks housing for their 20th-month wartime stay.

Special assignments for the band during the 21 months of service at the Pre-Flight School included numerous regimental reviews; war bond rallies and parades in Raleigh and Durham NC; Army-Navy E-Award presentations; ship launching in Wilmington, NC. There were also summer concerts series, and music at baseball, basketball and football games.

After the tour of duty in Chapel Hill, NC, the band was transferred to Manana Navy Barracks, Pearl City, Oahu, Hawaii, on May 24, 1944, where it remained until the end of the war. After the war, the members became lawyers, doctors, teachers, businessmen, entertainers and excelled in many varied fields of endeavor. On Saturday, February 14, 1981, almost 40 years later, the members received Honorary Degrees from the US Navy School of Music, in a special ceremony, which was televised on nation-wide CBS-TV program.

(B-1 US Navy Band history and information provided by Mr. Win Tillery courtesy of Dr. Alex Albright historian, professor at ECU)

The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc., presenters of the annual Bull Durham Blues Festival (BDBF) will collaborate with the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) to present the legendary Buddy Guy at the 2010 festival. Not only is this a new collaboration but a change in venue, look and feel from the tradition festival now in its 23rd season.

Buddy Guy

“Blues All Around Town” will be the theme as the Foundation coordinates a host of events for blues lovers of all ages. Shows will be held at the Hayti Heritage Center on Friday, September 10th in the historic St. Joseph’s Performance Hall, and Saturday, September 11th we will move across town to the DPAC to some soul-stirring toe tapping, blues from Buddy Guy. This year’s festival will also feature five additional acts to be announced over the next couple of weeks. Blues after Hours social events will be held at selected restaurants leading up to the festival. Tickets will officially go on sale Friday, May 28th and more information is available at www.bulldurhamblues.org, or www.dpacnc.com.

“The decision to change the venue was not an easy one. However, the Foundation views this as a wonderful opportunity to forge a partnership with what is now one of the premier performing arts venues in the southeast. St. Joseph’s will also have additional opportunities in the future to leverage the partnership with DPAC and the City of Durham by hopefully expanding the festival into a showcase of the Blues among other venues in downtown Durham in the days leading up to the weekend events. Along with the continuation of the Blues in the schools program, through this partnership we hope to grow the festival in ways that maximize the exposure of this unique art form to both long time fans and other unfamiliar with the blues,” states Ed Gomes Board Chair of the Foundation.

The Foundation plans to have some of the traditional festival atmosphere at this year’s event, states V. Dianne Pledger, President/CEO. But most of all, our audience can count on great blues music from some of the best artists our country has to offer.”

“The Bull Durham Blues Festival has been a family tradition for so many people in Durham and throughout the region who are Blues lovers,” Tom Bonfield, Durham City Manager said. “I am excited that the tradition is continuing, with the 23rd annual festival. I join Dianne, who always puts her heart and soul into this festival, in encouraging people to make sure they put the festival dates on their calendars.”

This annual BULL DURHAM BLUES FESTIVAL, produced by St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc., has been successfully presented since 1988. It is nationally recognized as one of the premier Blues festivals in the country and was honored in 2000 with the “Keeping the Blues Alive Award” by The Blues Foundation in Memphis, TN. The event has become North Carolina’s largest celebration of the Blues, recognizing Durham’s rich musical heritage as an important center of Carolina and Piedmont Blues. The festival has attracted as many as 20,000 Blues lovers and has over a 3 million dollar economic impact on the Durham economy annually.

The St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation, Inc. (SJHF) founded in 1975, is an African American cultural and educational institution deeply rooted in the historic Hayti community of Durham, North Carolina. SJHF is dedicated to advancing cultural understanding through diverse programs that examine the experiences of Americans of African descent – locally, nationally and globally. The Foundation is committed to preserving, restoring and developing the Hayti Heritage Center, the former St. Joseph’s AME Church, a National Historic Landmark, as a cultural and economic anchor to the greater Durham community. Funds raised from the event support the programs and operations of the Foundation and Hayti Heritage Center.

About DPAC

The new Durham Performing Arts Center is a 2,700 capacity multi-use theatre that features the hottest Broadway and family shows, high-profile concerts and incredible special events. Currently listed in the top 50 in Pollstar magazine’s Top Worldwide Theater Venues, DPAC has become a beacon of energy in the Triangle and the region’s new home for world-class live entertainment. Operated under the direction of Nederlander and PFM, DPAC is also home of the SunTrust Broadway Series with over 10,000 season ticket holders and show stopping Broadway engagements of Wicked, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Disney’s The Lion King and Billy Elliot The Musical, and much more. For more information please go to www.DPACnc.com.

Seating Chart: http://www.dpacnc.com/default.asp?dpac=24