The Blues By Budweiser concert series will feature Fonky Donkey at 8 p.m. Dec. 7 at RJ’s Grill & Bar, 128 S. Main St.
The doors will open at 7 p.m. Port City Blues Society members are admitted free. Admission is $5 cover for others. The concert series is being sponsored by MK Distributors, according to a news release.
The show will commemorate the release of the original song, “Down In The Bluff.” A limited-edition, commemorative poster by award-winning Arkansas artist Robert Bean will be available for purchase.
“Down In The Bluff” is the latest single from the award-winning Arkansas band Fonky Donkey. Written by Ben “Swamp Donkey” Brenner and Gil Franklin, this song celebrates the culture and musical heritage of Pine Bluff and the dedication of the Port City Blues Society to keeping that music alive, according to the release.
Fonky Donkey will feature the guitar playing of Gil Franklin, slide resonator guitar and blues harp playing of Brenner, guitar of Eric Struthers, the sax of Kevin Lewis, piano and organ playing of Curtis “JJ” Adams, the rhythm section of Lance “Bug Tussle Slim” Womack (drums) and Lynn Fitzgerald (bass).
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Fonky Donkey was formed in Little Rock in the spring of 2019. The band has performed at the Sonny Boy Blues Society’s Blues Challenge, the King Biscuit Blues Festival, the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, the Cotton Belt Festival, the Delta Roots and Heritage Festival, the Riverfront Blues Festival in Fort Smith and the Lum & Abner Music & Arts Festival in Mena. The band has also competed in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
Port City Blues Society, an affiliated member of The Blues Foundation, seeks to preserve and promote blues music, the culture of Delta blues, and educate the public about the history of the blues in the region. The society also hosts a free weekly blues jam at RJ’s Grill & Bar where area musicians converge to play live blues from 8-11 p.m. Wednesdays.
Details: pc-blues.com or facebook.com/PCBluesSociety.