“The first authoritative documentary about McKinley Morganfield, an artist that paved the road for rock ‘n’ roll. It is a rich and compelling exploration of an American pioneer.”
Featuring Keith Richards, B.B. King, Chuck D., Bonnie Raitt, and Waters’ close family and friends.
Premiered on PBS American Masters 4/23/2003. Produced and Directed by Morgan Neville + Robert Gordon.
Thanks Marty, today we’re going to hear an original blues song written by two Arkansas musicians and played by an Arkansas band.
When I met Ben Ben Adler, way back in the nineties, he talked to me about bringing Mack Self and the Silver Dollar Band to Blues Fest. Well Mack was an American rockabilly singer, who recorded for Sun Records in the 1950s and that was a perfect fit for Blues Fest. It was great, Mack Self sang his rockabilly hits with his band including Ben Ben on drums.
When they came back again Ben Ben said he had a band too, and they would like to play, next year if posible. So I booked Ben Ben and when it was time for his set he got all spiffed up and came out with a guitar. After delivering a sizzling R&B set with his band and guest musicians I was a fan.
Well, I saw Ben Ben at the Levon Helm Down Home Jubilee last year and I talked to him about playing with Delta Legends. He was up for it and we got together at John Shepherd’s WhatEverLand studio outside of Wynne, Arkansas. We recorded in November and December and released two albums, “Mr. John B. Shepherd” and “Hog Jowl Blues”.
To close this circle, “Hog Jowl Blues” is a song that Ben Ben wrote with Mack Self. So we’re getting the Arkansas Roots all the way down. Just like turtles.
Hairy Larry and Lectric Liz Lottman outside of KASU where Liz just did an interview for Arkansas Roots. Liz is singing with Divas On Fire and has been featured on Something Blue.
Thanks Marty. Today we’re going to hear a Miles Davis song recorded right here at ASU at the Delta Jazz Workshop.
“All Blues” was written by Miles Davis and was first released in 1959 on the most popular jazz album of all time, “Kind Of Blue”. “All Blues” is a blues with it’s own sound, in 6/8 instead of 4/4, and using all 7th chords with an off chord at the turnaround. Jazz musicians love to improvise on “All Blues”. It’s so familiar and so interesting.
On July 12, 2016, Jay Shepherd played “All Blues” in the ASU Fine Arts Recital Hall as part of the jazz department’s Delta Jazz Workshop. Featured on piano on this song we will hear Jay’s partner in crime, Shane Chastain.
Now, Shane and Jay are back together again in a new band, Silver Wings, and I hope to record them again for Something Blue.
In December, 2025, I released this concert as a live album, “Jay Shepherd Live At The Delta Jazz Workshop”. It’s great, all the way through. I’ll post a link to it on the Something Blue website at sbblues.com.
Playing at the concert were:
Jay Shepherd – guitar Tyler Worsham – piano Shane Chastain – piano Terrell Montgomery – bass and Keyven Dunn – drums
All of them are from Northeast Arkansas.
So now, recorded on July 12, 2016, here’s Jay Shepherd Playing “All Blues”.
