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Grafton taps into its music roots

POSING WITH A DISPLAY of Paramount music memorabilia at Ozaukee Bankin Grafton were members of the Grafton Blues Association, which will present thefirst Paramount Blues Festival on Saturday, Sept.' 23, at Lime Kiln Park. Fromleft, are association treasurer Peter Raymond, vice president Ellen Zachariasand president Kris Marshall. Photo by Sam Arendt

• History-conscious groupsorganize fall blues festival,displays, programs salutingcommunity's rich heritageBy STEVE OSTERMANNOzaukee Press staff

- When blues musician and educatorMichael "Hawkeye" Hemlan came toGrafton last fall to perform aLschools andin concert, he spoke to local residentsabout their community as "a sleepinggiant."

Grafton, Herman told his audiences, hasa chance to acknowledge its place inAmerican music history and let the rest ofthe world know about a rich legacy thathas been overlooked by the genera] publicfor decades.

Herman's words - which echoed thesentiments of area educators who invitedhim to appear locally - have not fallen ondeaf ears. Since his September visit, agrowing number of residents haveembraced the mission of publicizingGrafton's musical heritage.

The result of their efforts is the forma-tion of groups that are organizing a sum-mer blues festival, park history displays,educational programs and a variety ofother activities they hope will teach,enlighten and entertain. The collectivegoal, volunteers said, is to pay tribute tothe Paramount blues artists and other musi-cians who recorded for the formerWisconsin Chair Co. 's music division,including at its Grafton factory studio inthe 1920s and early '30s.. 'The first Paramount Blues " • :,.Festival. to be held Saturday, Sept.23, at Lime Kiln Park in Grafton,will be presented by the newlyformed Grafton Blues Associationin cooperation with the GraftonArea Javcees.

Headlining the festival, whichruns from II :30 a.m. to II p.m.,will be nationally known artistsAlbert Cummings and Nora JeanBruso. The event will also featurepopular local blues musicians, lec-tures and workshops, historicalexhibits, food and beverage standsand other anractions.

"We wanted to have somethingthat is both educational and enter-taining," said Kris Marshall,Grafton Blues Association presi-dent. "We kept an open mind to alot of different ideas, but we knewwe wanted·tohave some big names. as well as loca1 talent, andacknowledge the history we havehere.

"Everyone should be able tofmd something they enjoy."

In addition to tradititmal blues perform-ers whose music echoes the Southemsounds of artists such as Charlev Patton,:S(jnHouse, Skip James and Blind Blake -.,

Atbert Cummings

all of whom recorded in Grafton - the fes-tival will feature rock-oriented music thatreflects blues roots.. Cummings, who wi]] take the stage as·

Nora Jean Bruso

the festival's fina1 act at 8:30 p.m., is anacclaimed guitarist from Massachusettswhose style has been likened to the lateStevie Ray Vaughan. On Cummings' firstalbum, he was backed by Vaughan's origi-nal Double Trouble band.

Bruso, who will perform at 6 p.m., isan award-winning vocalist who began her'musical career in Chicago and hasappeared throughout the United States andabroad. Her debut CD "Nora Jean Singsthe Blues" remained on the Living Blues. Radio Charts for six months.

Opening the festival stage acts at 11:30a.m. will be David Evans with Joe Filisko,a duo who perfonn Delta blues.

Herman, who will serve as the festi-val's master of ceremonies, will perform at12:45 p.m., followed by the Steve CohenBlues Band with Greg Koch at 2:15 p.m.and Reverend Raven and the ChainSmoking Altar Boys at 4:15 p.m..

Presenting educational programs. wiUbe Filisko, Evans and fellow Paramounthistorian Gavle Dean Wardlow.

Wardlow: a Florida resident, will pre--. sent a lecture on Paramount history from11:30 a.m. to 1:30p.m., followed by a har-monica workshop by Filisko at 2: 15 p.m.and a 3:45 p.m. workshop by Evans, a _Memphis University professor, on "TheGuitar in the Blues of the Deep South"

Wardlow and Evans have both writtenbooks on Paramount artists who recordedin Grafton as well as articles on pre-WorldWar n blues artists.

Alex van der Tuuk, a music historianand writer from the Netherlands, will alsobe at the festival to sign copies of hisaward-winning book "Paramount's Riseand Fall =- A History of the Wisconsin

Chair Company and its RecordingActivities:'

The musical entertainment andeducational programs will be pre-sented in separate tents on the parkgrounds. "The times will overlapwith one another, but the' tents willbe separated enough to have theirown space," Marshall said ..

Advance tickets are $30 forreserved seating. However, concertseats are not assigned and will befilled on a fust-come, first-servedbasis.

General admission is $20 inadvance and $25 at the gate.Children ages 10 and younger willbe admitted free when accompa-nied by a paying aduh.

Tickets can be purchased atlocal Ozaukee Bank offices, fromGrafton Blues Association mem-bers and on line at www.graf10n-blues.arg.

The festival will be held rain orshine. Gates will open at 10:30 a.m.See Legacy onpage 88

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