By Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
BLUES HONOR ROLL
Deitra Farr and her band
M
any blues legends don’t receive
acknowledgment or honors until
they've passed away so it’s
important work that the Jus’Blues
Foundation accomplishes with its annual
Jus’ Blues Lifetime Blues & Soul Living
Legends Awards ceremony in Tunica,
Mississippi. With the mission of preserv-
ing blues heritage through the cultural
arts, the main objective for the non-profit
is to “acknowledge the originators of the
blues by archiving and preserving the
legacy of the artists who continue to
expand the ideas of the foundation of the
blues.” The 18th annual Jus’ Blues Awards
ceremony was held last month and it cele-
brated three of Chicago’s own blues leg-
ends.
Receiving the Koko Taylor “Queen of
the Blues” Award for preserving tradition-
al blues heritage, Deitra Farr is a fitting
choice. A certified blues queen who boasts
a career that spans over three decades, she
performs all over the world, expanding
blues heritage and awareness. She also
helped advance blues education, working
in the “Blues in the Schools” program for
years and helping mentor young blues
performers including Chicago blues radio
host and performer Jacob Schulz. Deitra
writes a blues artist interview column for
Living Blues and advocates tirelessly for
the preservation of blues history and the
advancement of the industry as a whole.
18 illinoisentertainer.com september 2017
Another unsung Chicago blues hero
has worked behind the scenes to sustain
the Southside blues club tradition. Ms.
Leola Grey was awarded the Benny
Latimore “Let’s Straighten It Out” Award
for working behind the blues scene. As
the owner of the legendary Lee’s
Unleaded Blues, a Southside landmark
that hosted everybody from Lefty Dizz,
Artie White and Vance Kelly to Queen
Silvia, Lee was regarded as blues royalty.
With a genteel but welcoming manner, she
danced with her regulars and made sure
that Lee’s Unleaded maintained the
“down home” feel she was used to as a
Mississippi native. One of the last original
Southside juke joints, Lee sold the bar to
Stanley Davis and it has since closed but
the legend and the blueprint for the ulti-
mate Chicago blues bar lives on through
Lee.
Ronnie Baker Brooks, son of late blues
guitar icon Lonnie Brooks, has earned his
own legend status with the Muddy
Lifetime Blues Award for outstanding con-
tributions to traditional blues. Literally
growing up with the blues, Ronnie has
been absorbing and interpreting blues cul-
ture for most of his life. With a reverence
for blues tradition, combined with a knack
for innovation, he’s been at the forefront of
the industry as a singer, guitarist, compos-
er and producer for decades. With his
father’s recent passing, he is certain to take
up the mantle and continue to represent
Chicago blues in all its variations.
Check out the Jus’ Blues Foundation at
www.jusblues.org to learn about the orga-
nization’s five city blues promotional
tour.
Castro Coleman, better known as Mr.
Sipp, has forged an innovative blues path.
Winner of the International Blues
Challenge in 2004, he’s developed a career
that includes a role playing B.B. King in
the CMT TV series Sun Records earlier this
year, a two decade career as a respected
gospel artist and composer and has also
managed to carve out a position as a pro-
gressive blue artist as well as blues club
owner in his hometown of Magnolia,
Mississippi. It’s a tall order but judging
from the polish of his latest release, Knock
A Hole In It (Malaco Records) Mr. Sipp has
it all under control.
His second offering after the revelatory
Mississippi Blues Child (Malaco Records),
the 13-track album showcases an expan-
sive talent that continues to progress. The
opening tune, the autobiographical title
track, roars with high emotions and blues/
rock riffs. A gifted singer and guitarist, Mr.
Sipp knows how to highlight both for a
complete package. “Bad Feeling” visits the
blues tradition of a cheating woman with
emotional vocals and stinging guitar while
“Stalking Me” recounts the troubles of
modern day groupies stalking social
media.
With rich, controlled vocals, heartfelt
ballads make up half of the album but
high energy blues, including the old
school blues boogie of “Gotta Let Her Go,”
and the hip shaking joy of “Juke Joint” bal-
ances it out. Highlights are the anguished,
love lost blues ballad of “Strings
Attached” and the pretty “ the elegant
soul blues of “Turn Up” and the kicker, a
soulful “Little Wing” cover. Filled with
real life situations, passion and sharp
musicianship, Knock A Hole In It delivers
everything that a 21 century blues album
should.