Slip Me A Biscuit

October 7 - 9 will is King Biscuit Time, and this Donkey is wound for sound!  

Anyone still smarting over Helena’s 2006 loss of the ability to use the “King Biscuit Blues Festival” name can take consolation in the fact that the “new” Memphis KB festival never got far off the ground, and, best as I can tell, is not on the books for this year.

In any event, get over it.  The Arkansas festival is flourishing, and, seems to me, has only gotten better since winding up with the moral high ground following the 2006 dispute.

To be sure, the 2010 line-up has some incongruities.   Paul Thorn?  The Kentucky Headhunters?  The US Navy Band?  I find it hard to believe that these slots couldn’t be filled with Arkansas roots and blues artists. 

But there are plenty of them, too.  Helena hometowner Willie “Big Eyes” Smith is a direct link to the Sonny Boy’s original King Biscuit Flower Hour.  Phillip Stackhouse is also from Helena and is the grandson of Houston Stackhouse.   And then you have former IBC winner Burks, Gwen White (Little Rock), Larry McCraw (Magnolia), Willie “You Don’t Love Me” Cobbs (Smale and Stuttgart), and Lonnie Shields (West Helena).

One thing that is missing is the Emerging Artists stage.  Instead, the “emerging artist contest winner” gets to open the festival at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, and that’s it.  If this is truly going to be a heritage festival, then it needs to encourage a relevant, living blues culture.  For this Donkey, that means bring back the small stage, make room for more than one “emerging artist,” and give them all more than one opportunity to shake it.

And Friday and Saturday night the main stage will be as tight and as good as you’re going to get – Friday night with Arkansan Michael Burks, then Marsha Ball, and then Dr. John; and then Saturday night Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Charlie Musselwhite, and Taj Mahal. 

I’m hoping Taj will revive his four-tuba diving duck horn section for this gig…so if you need me, I’ll be over here, a dreaming donkey on the low side of the road.

Here’s the full line up:

Main Stage – Thursday 10/7

11:30/12:15 – 2009 Emerging Artist Winner – Heather Cross


12:30/1:15 – 2010 SBBS Battle of The Bands Winner-Diddley Squat


1:30/2:15 – 2010 IBC Winner – Grady Champion


2:30/3:20 – Willie Cobbs


3:40/4:35 – Sterling Billingsley Band


5:00-6:05 – James Harman


6:25/7:30 – Reba Russell


7:55/9:05 – Paul Thorn


9:30/11:00 – BB King

Main Stage – Friday 10/8

11:30/12:30 – Sherrie Williams


12:45/1:45 – Big Jack Johnson


2:00/3:05 – Smokin Joe Kubeck with Bnois King


3:35/4:40 – Kentucky Headhunters


5:00/6:10 – Hubert Sumlin & The Willie “Big Eyes” Smith Band


6:35/7:50 – Michael Burks


8:15/9:30 – Marsha Ball


10:00/11:30 – Dr. John

Main Stage – Saturday 10/9

11:30/12:30 – Preston Shannon


12:45/1:50 – Larry McCray


2:05/3:20 – Bobby Parker


3:35/4:50 –  Pinetop Perkins & Bob Margolin


5:10/6:25 – Anson Funderburg & The Rockets


6:50/8:05 – Walter “Wolfman” Washington


8:25/9:40 – Charlie Musselwhite


10:00/11:30 – Taj Mahal

Lockwood Stackhouse Stage – Friday 10/8

11:00/11:45 – US Navy Band


12:00/12:45 – Phillip Stackhouse


1:00/1:45 – Andy Coats


2:00/2:45 – Johnny Billington


3:00/3:45 – Eden Brent


4:00/5:00 – Bernie Pearl


5:30/6:40 – Spoonfed Blues featuring Mississippi Spoonman


7:00/8:10 – Gwen White


8:30/9:40 – Mojo Buford


10:00/11:15 – Bobby Rush

Lockwood Stackhouse Stage – Saturday 10/9

12:00/1:00 – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes


1:20/2:20 – Rev. Roberts


2:40/3:40 –Austin “Walkin Cane” Charanghat


4:00/5:00 – John Hammond


5:30/6:40 – Lonnie Shields


7:00/8:10 – Wumpus Cats


8:30/9:40 – Don McMinn


10:00/11:15 – Earnest “Guitar” Roy