Ghost Town Blues Band entertains students during Blues in the Schools

The Ghost Town Blues Band of Memphis, Tennessee, had the students of St. Anthony's School, Kincardine, clapping their hands and dancing to the beat, during Blues in the Schools, Thursday morning.

The band not only entertained, but taught a bit about the origin of Blues music, and a bit about Memphis which is home of the Blues and the birthplace of rock and roll.



The Ghost Town Blues Band performs at St. Anthony's School, Kincardine

Vocalist and guitarist Matt Isbell told the audience that Blues music sounds a little sad because its origin was with the slaves in the southern United States who sang it to pass their time in the fields, and it echoed the sadness they felt about their situation.

Isbell also showed the students a guitar made from a silver chest, and a percussion instrument made from a push broom and a can of peas.

Besides Isbell, the band features Suavo Jones on trombone, Preston McEwen on drums, Tim Stanek on keyboard, Matthew Karner on bass, and Taylor Orr on guitar.

The students thoroughly enjoyed the performance and lined up for autographs by the band members at the end of the show.



The Ghost Town Blues Band performs at St. Anthony's School, Kincardine

The Ghost Town Blues Band performed Thursday afternoon at Huron Heights Public School, Kincardine, for students from Huron Heights, Kincardine Township-Tiverton Public School, and Ecole Elgin Market Public School. Friday, the band performed in Ripley for the students from Ripley-Huron Community School and Lucknow Central Public School.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) donated $3,000 toward the Blues in the Schools program, as well as a donation of $5,000 toward the annual Lighthouse Blues Festival, in July.

Festival organizers Rick and Marilyn Clarke partnered with the Bruce County Blues Society to bring the Ghost Town Blues Band to Kincardine for the Blues in the Schools performances, and a Festival Launch Party at the Bruce Steakhouse, Saturday, May 13. Tickets for tomorrow night's performance are available at the Bruce and Jerome Flowers and Gifts.

“This is a high energy, entertaining Blues band that has played at The Bruce a couple of times in the past and on the festival's main stage two years ago," said Rick Clarke, festival president. “In November, 2015, with the support of OPG, we also took the band into our local schools and the kids loved these free concerts so with the support of OPG again this year, we’re able to repeat this musical experience.”

Horns, harmonies and homegrown instruments, combined with an energetic and roots-rich festival set, makes Ghost Town Blues Band one of the must-see live bands on the festival circuit today. A regularly-featured Beale Street band that tours extensively across North America to play major festival stages, the boys from Memphis performed at more than 24 festivals in 2016 and already have 20 festivals and five international tours booked for 2017. They will be on the Bruce Telecom Main Stage at this year's festival, Saturday, July 15.

Bruce County Blues has been providing its Blues in the Schools program to area schools every year since 2011. The program provides musical performances by professional musicians at no cost to the schools. It’s educational as well as entertaining, raising students’ awareness of the importance of music in their learning and the history and cultural significance of the blues genre. Bruce County Blues acknowledges the important financial support of OPG for this program.

Clarke said every year, he and Marilyn travel to Memphis to check out the bands at the International Blues Challenge. "Bands come there from all over the world and we want to see what world-class acts we can bring to the festival and to the Blues in the Schools program."