A Magical Night in Durham


I almost forgot to tell you the story about our experience at the 26th Bull Durham Blues Festival in Durham North Carolina back in September.  The Bull Durham Blues Festival is one of the oldest running Blues Fests in the USA.  The Jimmy Haggard Band was honored to perform at the Hayti Heritage Center (www.hayti.org) in Performance Hall, on a stage that the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. stood upon to deliver his message. 



The Durham Blues Festival show started off with Jason Damico and the New Blue ripping it up with their brand of Texas style Stratocaster guitar slinging.  Then the Rhonda Robichaux Band (2012 Triangle Blues Challenge winner) gave the crowd a taste of her sultry, sexy and saucy blues, with her smooth New Orleans and jazzy grooves.  

The Jimmy Haggard Band was in the middle of the show card.  Wow!  The guys in the band were tight and on fire, playing those good ol' Electric Blues.  We had a full band that night, with Rodney Winley on Bass, Syneca Foster on Drums, Garrison Hunter on Keys, Gary Messenger on Harmonica, George Gray on Harmonica, and yours truly, Jimmy Haggard on Guitar and Vocals.  Our 45 minute set turned into an hour set, with a standing ovation and encore performance.  www.jimmyhaggard.com

 
 
We were proud to warm up the crowd for Claudette King, BB King's youngest daughter.  She kept the people grooving with her soulful and R&B inspired Blues. 

Big Daddy Wilson closed out the show as the headliner.  Big Daddy Wilson is the reigning International Blues Artist of the Year.  He brought it all down with his intimate performance of deep and heavy Acoustic Blues.  It was a perfect way to end the night. 

About a week later, I was talking on the phone with one of the ladies who attended the Durham Blues Festival about playing a private show.  She said that our Blues music is the kind that she and her friends love.  She also said, "We were talking and we thought you should have been the headliner."   Was I surprised?  No.  I was way beyond surprised, I was completely blown away.  Now, consider that this was coming from a black lady who was about 70 years old and looked like she probably attended church regularly.  That highlighted one of the big reasons that I love Blues music; Blues blurs the lines too often associated with age, race and religion.  It is music that brings everyone together, and I love that.

It was a magical night with memories that will last forever. 

Enjoy the Music!

Jimmy

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