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" It's like watching the difference of an amateur skier tackle a mountain and seeing an Olympic gold medalist swoosh through gates on snowy slope. "
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By Norm Shaw
It's not uncommon to see a legend on the stage at B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street. B.B. himself drops in a couple of times a year. Members of the Rolling Stones have stopped by. The list of blues greats who have graced the stage could fill a page, starting with such luminaries as "Gatemouth" Brown, Luther Allison, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor and many, many more. But Sunday, April 28, will remain a highlight for sometime. There was greatness to behold at the second Beale Street Blues Society Jug Band Tribute, and it came from two people not as well knows as the others mentioned. But they are legends nonetheless. Yank Rachell, the original blues mandolin player, and Fritz Richmond, jug and wash-tub bass player extraordinaire, joined John Sebastian on stage for an hour's worth of some of the best music you will ever hear. The day opened with solid performances from several locals, including Lane Wilkins and the Last Chance Jug Band with David Evans. They set the stage for what was to follow. Richmond, a member of the original Jim Kweskin Jug Band, is an unassuming looking fellow, and as big around as the stick that attaches to the wash tub he plays. But when he puts the glove on his left hand and takes hold of the one-string bass, look out. As former Commercial Appeal music critic Larry Nager said, "We are in the presence of greatness." Where others just get a thumping sound from a wash-tub bass, Richmond gets notes and resonance. It's like watching the difference of an amateur skier tackle a mountain and seeing an Olympic gold medalist swoosh through gates on snowy slope. On the jug, Richmond is equally dazzling. A friend summed it up well when he said, "It shouldn't be possible to get those kinds of sounds out of a jug." After a couple of songs from Sebastian, former leader of the Lovin' Spoonful, and Richmond, Rachell was helped to the stage. Seated in a chair at center stage, he held his mandolin gingerly. Rachell recently turned 86, and he said he "belonged in a hospital more than I do on stage." But after accompanying Sebastian for one song, the years seemed to roll away and Rachell played and sang like a man half his age. It was magic. Rachell, a Brownsville, Tenn., native now living in Indianapolis, helped make the day a great success for the Beale Street Blues Society. A total was not available at press time, but it was believed to be one of the best fund-raisers to date. The money raised at this year's festival is earmarked to honor Memphis Minnie. For information on joining the Beale Street Blues Society, please call 274-5059.
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