The State Where Blues Music Legends Are Born

These locals are blazing a trail back to the legends that made Mississippi, specifically the Delta, a region that was (and is) vital to the development of modern music.  On this episode of Unpacked, British writer and fiddle player, Emma John, takes you on a musical odyssey through the Mississippi Blues Trail and its role in reviving a blues heartland and connecting travelers to the soul of the genre.  A special thanks to the late Raymond Earl "Pat" Thomas, the legendary musician featured in this episode who passed on February 12 at the age of 64. Mississippi, the Heartland of Modern Music In this episode you’ll learn:  The venues, museums and historical establishment you must visit on the Mississippi Blues Trail  The local legends surrounding original blues musicians like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and W.C. Handy The looks, sounds and feels of authentic Delta blues.  Juke Joints, Shotgun Shacks and the Soul of a Land Don’t miss these moments:  [06:19] The Bad Apple Blues Club might seem sketchy at first, but it’s got heart.  [11:40] This is where B.B. King insisted on being buried.  [27:07] Muddy Water’s nephew proves that in the Delta, the blues is always with you.  Listen to the Locals Who Carry the Legacy of Blues  Muddy Water’s great nephew, the son of celebrated bluesman John Thomas and a museum director who met B.B. King as a child—these are some of the local voices that steward the soul of blues on the Mississippi Blues Trail.  Listen along as fiddle player Emma John, gets a local legacy lesson and sees how the heart, soul, and pulse of Delta Blues continues to affect musicians and travelers, alike.  Meet This Week's Guests Big A and the Allstars  at Ground Zero Blues Club Roger Stolle, owner of Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art Sean Apple, owner of Bad Apple Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi Robert Terrell, director of operations at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center Barry Bays, professor at the Delta Music Institute Keith Johnson, aka “the Prince of the Delta Blues”  Pat Thomas, Delta blues guitarist and son of James Thomas who often played at the Highway 61 Blues Museum More Resources Read more about Emma John’s road trip on the Mississippi Blues Trail. Explore Emma’s website, buy her books and read about her musical origins on afar.com. Listen to this playlist featuring the artists from this episode.  Read the transcript of this episode. Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. ** New Opportunity: What's one tricky travel topic you want us to unpack? Send us a voice message here, for a chance to weigh in and be featured in an upcoming episode. **