Blind Mississippi Morris

Friday, November 21 2008
By Jason Browne, Daily Times Leader

West Point turns 150 this week, and no celebration of this city would be complete without the blues. The hometown of legendary bluesman Chester "Howlin' Wolf" Burnett paid homage to the musical pioneer Wednesday night with a performance of some of Wolf's greatest hits by "Blind Mississippi Morris" Cummings -- one of the Top 10 players in the world -- and guitar prodigy Caleb Childs in Sally Kate Winters Park.

Only the most hardcore blues-heads stuck around in the cold for the entire seven-song set, which included unique on classic Wolf tunes. Morris handled harmonica and vocals while Childs picked out the tunes that made Howlin' Wolf one of the most influential performers in American music. Songs like "Smokestack Lighting," "Little Red Rooster" and "Forty Four" were punctuated by back-and-forth jams between Morris and Childs, giving the songs the unique footprint that only comes with live performance.

Morris and Childs almost left their footprints on the granite floor of the pavilion at Sally Kate Winters Park as they tapped their feet to keep time. After the second song, Childs noticed his shoe was untied and quickly tied it, but tapped his feet so feverishly that it was untied again by the end of the set.

Both men were obviously relishing the chance to play Howlin' Wolf's music in his hometown. Morris enthusiastically bantered with the crowd between songs while Childs simply wore a big grin for most of the show.

Neither seemed at all discouraged by the cold as they got down. Morris, who has personal ties to Wolf's family from his childhood in Clarksdale, always seems delighted to remember Burnett.

"It's the memory of him. His mama and my family go way back. She was like a second mama when my mama was trying to work them fields and work them houses and try to keep the rent paid. Miss Gertrude Young was down there tending to them children," said Morris.

During his performance he recalled how Wolf's mother would address him like a stranger when he came to visit. Young disapproved of Burnett's music and career.

Childs, from Louisville, was introduced to Wolf's music several years ago by his father and naturally gravitated towards it.

"I still got a whole lot of dues to pay and I figure this is the best way it is. Not a whole lot of people can be asked to come out here in the birthplace of Howlin' Wolf to do it," said Childs. "He's one of the most powerful performers we've ever heard."

Morris had met Wolf before he ever knew Wolf was famous.

"In the 50s I started hearing his stuff played on my folks' jukebox. My stepfolks owned the first black cafe in Clarksdale, the Do Drop In. And they played that stuff on the jukebox and it sounded so good and, I tell you, you wanna know who it is. You be cuttin' a rug, man." Luke Killebrew, 23, and Amber Pounders, 21, of Columbus were the youngest members of the audience Wednesday night -- with the exception of a few little kids -- to stay for the whole show.

Killebrew is researching Howlin' Wolf for a story for the Spectator, the Mississippi University for Women campus newspaper. "We're big blues fans. We've seen Mississippi Morris a few times," he said.

Pounders described the show and the music in general as addictive.

"I'm just about a year into liking the blues," she said. "They definitely put on a good show." - By Jason Browne, Daily Times Leader

"Blind Mississippi Morris is one of the top ten harmonica players in the world" - Bluzharp Magazine

"...a Harmonica Master" -Hubert Sumlin

"Morris sings as if he's inherited the Delta mantle from a century's worth of legends." - Bill Ellis, Memphis Commercial Appeal

"...seasoned experience lends the ability to mix the blues recipe of the old Memphis traditional sounds to the newer versions of today without compromising Delta influences." -Heartbeat Productions - Various