New York Guitar Festival announces Memphis Minnie tribute concert
Celebrating the pioneering electric blues guitarist’s life.
Image: Hooks Bros / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
Launched in 1999, the New York Guitar Festival has sought to explore the versatility of the guitar. And for its upcoming 20th edition, the festival is celebrating the life and music of the late blues guitarist Memphis Minnie with a free outdoor concert titled Memphis Minnie: In Search Of The Hoodoo Lady.
Minnie is regarded as a pioneer of electric blues. By being one of the first to take the electric route in 1942, she helped bridge the acoustic traditions of Delta blues with the raw, gain-heavy sounds of Chicago blues. As a testament to her pioneering influence, Minnie has been acknowledged by such blues greats as Chuck Berry, Muddy Watters, Bonnie Raitt and Big Mama Thornton.
Besides paying tribute to Minnie’s contributions to music, the New York Guitar Festival will also host a string of performances by notable artists, including Grammy winners like Vernon Reid, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Fantastic Negrito. It will also feature Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist David Bromberg, Canadian guitarist Kevin Breit (Celine Dion, Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash), as well as DJ Spooky, a hip-hop producer with experimental tendencies.
Memphis Minnie: In Search Of The Hoodoo Lady will take place on 1 June at Brookfield Place’s Waterfront Plaza, Lower Manhattan.
For more info about performance schedules, head over to newyorkguitarfestival.org.