Pastor Dawson Blesses the Grave of Charlie Burse

A major storm threatened to move the dedication of Charlie Burse’s headstone indoors until about 2:30 on Saturday afternoon, March 9, 2019.  The rain stopped, however, and at around 4:00 pm the sun came shining down onto the water-logged Rose Hill Cemetery.  By the time Christian Stanfield, of the Side Street Steppers, delivered his welcoming address to the seventy people who braved the inclement weather to attend, the sky was clear, blue, and bright.  Without a cloud in the sky, we had an amazing backdrop for the blessing and prayer of Pastor Leonard Dawson, the lone caretaker of the abandoned cemetery, who Mt. Zion Memorial Fund affiliate Bill Pichette tracked down in early 2018 to help organize the rehabilitation of the burial ground.

The blessing was followed by several speakers, including Memphis writer Tom Graves, National Jug Band Jubilee board member Michael Jones, the grandchildren of Charlie Burse, Cynthia and Perdido Burse, and Alan Orlicek, the Arcola stonemason who made the marker that everyone came to dedicate to a stalwart of the Memphis Jug Band.

The unveiling of the headstone was followed by musical performances by David Evans and the Last Chance Jug Band, Arlo Leach, Bill Steber and the Jake Leg Stompers, Moses Crouch, the Side Street Steppers, Tony Manard and Nancy Apple, all of whom joined together form the finale performance of  “Stealin, Stealin’” to close out the dedication and adjourn to the reception across town at the Midtown Grille.

It was an amazing event that almost never happened due to weather, but we made the right decision and stuck to the original plan, which proved a fitting end to a project that stands as an example of how the goals of community engagement, cemetery restoration, and the memorialization of musicians buried in unmarked graves are achievable with some patience, trust, serious research, and a little faith that the sun will coming shining through in the end.

Heavy Duty 24x14 Prints of Belton Sutherland

24 inches by 14 inches - Each one of these prints from the headstone dedication of Belton Sutherland was handprinted by old-time tuner, rounder, and artist John Fabke on extra heavy cardstock.  These prints look and feel amazing, and it gets no deeper into the blues than Belton Sutherland.

Up to Three

Option 1 $20.00 USD Option 2 $35.00 USD Option 3 $50.00 USD

Note: Overseas shipping costs are the same for 1 or 3 - $25

Why the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund is Important - An Open Letter

I've written posts before stating why I think Mt. Zion Memorial Fund is important to support. 

Here is another one. 

Not only citing the academic research, and the memorials created, I've also tried to relate the relief I felt to find an organization that was putting blues in the overall context of African American and world history...past and present! 

Also, I've pointed out the importance of MZMF to dig into issues beyond the surface, call out blues hypocrites, consult with community members before the placement of monuments to help them understand the goals of MZMF and including them so that they feel invested in the project--as opposed to just moving in and taking over in a quasi-blues Manifest Destiny manner. 

After making my posts, I then shared it with as many people as possible. I tagged blues fans, musicians, non-profits, blues organizations, blues FB pages, as well as civil & human rights groups, teachers, black arts groups. etc. I also strongly encouraged all to donate and reshare my posts with everyone in their network of blues and justice-minded people.

Every fan/member/follower/etc can do it.  It's easy. Plus, it's cathartic to one's soul!

The MZMF is breaking the blues out of the one-dimensional boxes that the power structure holds sacrosanct, that leads so many into thinking that the blues is irrelevant to current issues in the African American community--which are really ALL of our issues.  

The MZMF has also taken on the scourge of self-defensive, redneck, so-called blues lovers, who want zero to do with the reality that the blues--though many things to many people simultaneously--was always music of protest. Often those protests had to be masked in metaphor, but they were nevertheless still protests.

The efforts of MZMF--their hands-on, getting your hands dirty, deep in the Mississippi mud of things--to have these memorials built--for over a quarter of a century have been crucial to bringing so many of these truths to light.

Now, others are also carrying on the fight in their own communities from New York to Nepal, from St. Louis to Beantown, from Ottawa back to the Motherland of Africa!  We can all help but we all can't be in the critical areas of blues tourism where the battle is still being waged.  So keep bringing the fight to your own areas, and help support MZMF in every way possible to keep the fires burning, so they can keep the heat to the feet of those who must be warmed & woken. 

Let's hear your MZMF story. Just start typing.  Pretty soon your story will direct you.  Just like the blues.

 If you are new to MZMF please check out their FB page and web site.

You'll be blown away.

Sincerely, 

T.J. Wheeler

Stanley Booth, the Memphis Blues, and the Blood of the Lambs

The waves of outside interest in the blues have not been entirely harmful (a few of the old musicians made some money). Stanley Booth thought it even still could have more of a positive effect, but only if those interested in the blues care enough to temper their enthusiasm with understanding. He may have had a penchant for hyperbole, but he surely was not naive.

In the interest of belatedly paying some dues, it might be suggested that the posh Britons and atavistic hipsters might stage benefit concerts and help to fulfill the request of Lemon Jefferson----and see that the now marked and abandoned graves of the greats are kept clean---for which the blues foundations should foot the expenses, with the proceeds going to perpetual maintenance. If blues lovers wanted to do the right thing, they might go farther than throwing down some cash--and for something besides a trip to the IBC.  They might start with a little research, going deeper than the music, perhaps actually trying to understand some of the historical context so crucial to this vitally important music.  And so critical to maintaining the freedoms once so cherished.