The Blues By Budweiser concert series will feature Kent Burnside at 8 p.m. Aug. 2 at RJ’s Grill & Bar, 128 S. Main St., in downtown Pine Bluff.
The doors will open at 7 p.m. Port City Blues Society members are admitted free. Entry is $5 for others. The concert series is sponsored by MK Distributors.
Burnside was born in 1971 in Memphis and spent his early years in Holly Springs, Miss. He is the oldest grandson and one of the closest pupils of the legendary musician R.L. Burnside, according to a news release.
Burnside first heard the blues while watching his grandfather perform on the family farm to the locals.
The younger Burnside used to sell sandwiches to audience members for a dollar a piece during these performances. The first lesson R.L. Burnside taught Kent Burnside was that to be a bluesman you have to find your own rhythm on the guitar.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
“You can’t play someone else’s rhythm — as rhythm comes from your heart,” he was told.
Burnside got his start in the music business playing with Jimbo Mathus (Fat Possum Records) and going on tour with Buddy Guy in the early 2000’s.
“That was when he started developing his signature style of blues: dark, hypnotic, inviting and very danceable,” according to the news release.
He performed for Samuel L. Jackson to help Jackson prepare for his role in Black Snake Moan (2007). He has also worked on The Blues Brothers’ stage shows with Dan Aykroyd. Aykroyd is a huge fan and supporter of Burnside’s work.
Burnside has spent decades performing at festivals and has toured all over the world. He has performed at the Blues Rules Festival in Switzerland and played a two-week tour of Australia with The New Savages.
Burnside regularly performs at festivals around the U.S. with The Flood Brothers.
A new album by Burnside, “Hill Country Blood,” produced by Grammy winner Boo Mitchell, features eight originals plus covers of John Lee Hooker and Junior Kimbrough. Raw, soulful and high-energy, the record honors tradition while forging ahead. The new release will be available beginning Aug. 15.
Port City Blues Society, which promotes the concert series, is an affiliated member of The Blues Foundation. It seeks to preserve and promote blues music and the culture of Delta blues, and educate the public about the history of the blues in the region.
Port City Blues Society also hosts a free blues jam from 8-11 p.m. Wednesdays at RJ’s Grill & Bar. Details: pc-blues.com or facebook.com/PCBluesSociety.