BLUES LOVERS STEP UP TO SUPPORT MUSICIANS IMPACTED BY THE LOUISIANA FLOODS

The Music Maker Relief Foundation has created the Baton Rouge Musicians Fund (BRMF). The fund was created in partnership with the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation and will directly support musicians impacted by the Louisiana Flood.

Beginning August 12, 2016, heavy rains fell over the state of Louisiana. The record-breaking flooding, caused by the nearly seven trillion gallons of rain that fell, has damaged more than 60,000 homes.

One of the damaged homes belongs to 91 year-old blues pianist Henry Gray, a native of Kenner, Louisiana. Gray, who still tours both solo and with his band, Henry Gray and the Cats, has traveled the world playing the blues with the Rolling Stones, Howlin' Wolf and countless others. Despite his success on the global stage, Gray still lives in a humble home, and like 54 percent of home owners in the flood zone, has no flood insurance.

(Photo credit Jordan Hefler/Baton Rouge Blues Festival, click for high res)

As news of the historic flooding hit, Music Maker Relief Foundation Founder and President Timothy Duffy was quick to respond. “Music Maker has been helping roots musicians in crisis for more than 20 years, so when we heard that legends like Henry were impacted by the flooding, we immediately reached out to send aid," Duffy said.

When Clarke Gernon, Jr., president of the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation, heard Music Maker was helping Gray, he offered to partner with Duffy to help the many other Louisiana musicians in need. “Guitars. Keyboards. Amps. These among other instruments are the tools of the trade when you are a working musician in the Baton Rouge Blues community. When these items are gone, not to mention one's house and possessions, it really limits your ability to pay your bills. We hope this relief fund can help bridge the gap and get these suffering musicians back to playing the blues and not just feeling them,” Gernon said.

Duffy agreed and offered to mobilize Music Maker resources to set up the Baton Rouge Musicians Fund and assist these performers. "In a disaster like this, we first need to help stabilize an artist’s health and housing situation," says Duffy. "Then we can focus on getting instruments back in their hands and giving them access to stages so they can rebuild their livelihoods.”

Contemporary artists around the world recognize the significance of roots musicians from the South. Grammy-winning artist Taj Mahal is lending his support to the Baton Rouge Musicians Fund and hopes others will join him. "These musicians are the foundation of all popular music in the world. When disaster turns on them, it is not time to turn our backs. Let's show them the respect!," Mahal said.

Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Baton Rouge Musicians Fund through Music Maker at musicmaker.org.

Music Maker Relief Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit, preserves and promotes the musical traditions of the American South. Since 1994 they have partnered with traditional artists over 55 years old who survive on a yearly income of less than $18,000, sustaining their day-to-day needs while building their careers. Through Music Maker, our rich heritage of music will not be lost with the passing of time. Music Maker has been featured on PBS NewsHour, NPR Weekend Edition and CBS Evening News. More information at http://www.musicmaker.org/

Founded in 2002, the Baton Rouge Blues Foundation is a non-profit organization striving to promote, preserve and celebrate the Baton Rouge blues culture and bring the best of Louisiana swamp blues music to the world. Today the Foundation sponsors a Blues Education program, a Blues Music History Project, an annual Blue Carpet Blues Gala, and the annual Baton Rouge Blues Festival. More information at http://www.batonrougebluesfestival.org/brbf/

JUKE-JOINT SONGWRITER KEVIN GORDON TURNS TO FOLK ART FOR INSPIRATION, AS ON NPR'S WORLD CAFE SPINS NEW TUNES

DUE SEPTEMBER 4, 2015, GORDON'S SPLIT ACOUSTIC/ELECTRIC RECORD IMMERSED IN SOUTHERN CULTURE

Songwriter Kevin Gordon fills his newest album, 'Long Gone Time,' with the sounds and stories of the American South, pulling heavily from his own upbringing in Louisiana — as well as his acclaimed collection of folk art — for inspiration.

Called a "juke-joint professor emeritus" by Rolling Stone, Gordon has spent the past twenty years making swampy, bluesy music that bridges the gap between old and new, with one foot planted in his influences and the other inching toward something new. At the same time, he's also boosted his connection to the culture through his work as a folk art collector.

For Gordon, those two passions — making music and collecting folk art — have gone hand in hand. Released September 4th, 'Long Gone Time" continues his immersion in southern culture. The album was produced by Joe V. McMahan, features guitar by Bo Ramsey, and was recorded live, with Gordon splitting the album into an even mix of acoustic tracks and full-band performances.

Gordon has served as curator of the Nashville-based Gordon Gallery for years. Three months before the release of 'Long Gone Time,' he also staged an art show at the nearby Riverwood Mansion in Nashville. The exhibit, which was previewed in an article by 'Nashville Arts,' included selections from his folk art collection, as well as live performances from Gordon himself. "[I was reading] a survey of folk art from the South from 1930 to 1980, and I was fascinated. There were short biographies of all the artists, and I just got eaten up," Gordon says in the article, adding that he began cultivating personal relationships with a few of the folk artists who made appearances in the book.

Although folk art has always been a strong muse for the Americana/rock & roll songwriter, Gordon's own has inspired other artists, too, with musicians like Levon Helm, Keith Richards, Todd Snider, and Irma Thomas all recording his songs. Last week, NPR World Cafe broadcasted “GTO” and “Crowville” from the new album on its national show. Listen to it here.