Blues Music
Take a road trip to these points of interest, venues, and festivals celebrating the Georgia blues.
Spend a day exploring Georgia blues, beginning with the early Paramount recordings of Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, known as the "Mother of the Blues," and those of her early pianist and arranger, "Georgia Tom" Dorsey. Then, spend time with Piedmont Blues stylists, including Blind Willie McTell, whose song "Statesboro Blues" became an Allman Brothers Band standard. A look at the blues from the Georgia/Alabama border would include Precious Bryant and George Henry Bussey. Finally, listen to the artists who have pushed the spirit of the blues forward in the last couple of decades, including Robert Lee Coleman, Danny "Mudcat" Dudeck, Tinsley Ellis, and Francine Reed, among others.
Below, find must-see music venues, festivals, and more points of interest, and listen to music by blues artists in the "Our Blues Picks" playlist.
Six nights a week, Monday through Saturday, Blind Willie's brings the heat to the pedestrian-friendly Virginia Highlands neighborhood with blues, jazz, and roots music. The schedule features touring acts and regular appearances by Georgia favorites.
There's no shortage of bars and entertainment in Savannah, but Bay Street Blues is a great bet for live music on weeknights.
Cue up the fun when you dive into hot blues and slow-roasted cuisine at Fat Matt's Rib Shack. Fat Matt's focus is on Atlanta blues. House rules? "If you must wear a tie, at least loosen the knot before entering."
Iron bars on the windows of the concrete block building, PBR flowing, portraits of music legends lining the walls, and live blues blasting out every night ... is it any wonder Northside Tavern quickly becomes the favorite dive bar of all who enter? The West Atlanta institution presents the sweet sounds of the blues seven nights a week.
The all-volunteer organization is dedicated to preserving the blues and providing educational opportunities about the art form. Atlanta Blues Society’s comprehensive online calendar of blues events, concerts, and open jams is a must-read before embarking on any Georgia blues road trip.
2. Ma Rainey House and Blues Museum
Known as the "Mother of the Blues," Gertrude "Ma" Rainey was born in Columbus in 1886 and began performing as a young teen. She toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and made the first of her over 100 recordings in 1923. Upon her retirement in 1935, Rainey moved home to a two-story shotgun house, but sadly, she died four years later. By 1991, the dilapidated house was in danger of being razed, but locals stepped in, purchased it, renovated it, and opened the museum in 2008 with restored rooms, memorabilia, music, and more. Ma Rainey is buried just a few blocks away in Porterdale Cemetery at 107 10th Avenue.
3. Blind Willie McTell Historical Marker and Gravesite
Born in 1901 in the Happy Valley community near Thomson, Georgia, Blind Willie McTell performed not only blues but also ragtime, folk ballads, spirituals, and popular music. Known for his clear tenor voice and fluid fingerstyle technique, he recorded nearly 80 cuts from 1927 until 1956 for labels including RCA, Columbia, and Victor. A historical marker honoring McTell is located on GA 17 at Happy Valley Road, five miles south of Thomson, near the Jones Grove Cemetery where McTell, who died in 1959, is buried.
On the last weekend in April, Calhoun, Georgia, hosts the BBQ, Boogie & Blues festival in conjunction with the annual Georgia String Band Festival and the Gordon County Fiddlers’ Convention.
2. Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival
The Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival in Thomson, Georgia, honors the community's native son every September. Staged in a huge grassy field surrounded by vendors selling barbecue, fried fish, fresh pork rinds, and more Southern fare, the event is all about the music. Each year, the collector-worthy posters advertise a stellar lineup of blues and roots artists that in the past has included Hubert Sumlin, Trombone Shorty, Marcia Ball, Delbert McClinton, Tab Benoit, Mike Farris, and more.
3. Blue Ridge Blues and BBQ Music Festival
Nothing's finer than September in the North Georgia mountains, yet it only gets better when the Blue Ridge Lodging Association presents its annual Blues & BBQ Festival. The Friday night Blues Crawl and the Saturday festival bring the party to Blue Ridge.
4. Chicken Raid
Every March in Atlanta, this festival honors the memory of Mr. Frank Edwards. From the early 1940s until his death in 2002 at the age of 93, Mr. Frank played and sang the blues. Each year, Chicken Raid (the title of one of Mr. Frank's songs), attracts dozens of artists and hundreds of fans who joyously celebrate one of Atlanta finest blues pioneers and live music patrons.
The pioneering vaudeville and blues artist Ida Cox, whose signature song "Wild Women Don't Have the Blues" has been performed by artists from Cyndi Lauper to Francine Reed, was born in Toccoa, Georgia, in 1896. Her hometown invokes her memory every Saturday night in June and July with a concert series featuring local and national acts.
6. WRFG Labor Day Blues Barbecue
Each year, Atlanta's 89.3 WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) presents its Labor Day Blues Barbecue as a fundraiser for the non-profit, community radio station. Hosted by all the good folks who host and contribute to WRFG's long-running, Monday through Friday program, "Good Morning Blues," the event is held at the Park Tavern in Piedmont Park.
