Location: Harlem New York, Bobby's Happy House

The Harlem Renaissance of the late 20's and 30's challenged racism in ways that had never before been seen and paved the way for African-American artists and intellectuals to celebrate black culture on their own terms. But even with the advancements made through the renaissance, it wasn't until 1946, when Bobby Robinson opened up a little record shop in the heart of Harlem, that real economic change occured...Then called Bobby's Record House, his was the first black-owned business on 125th Street and over 60 years later at the age of 90, Bobby is still going strong.

Robinson established six record labels between 1952 and 1962 under which he produced numerous records which sold millions of copies. In May 1959, Robinson produced "The Happy Organ" by Dave Cortez which shot to number one on the Billboard charts only to be knocked off a week later by Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City", another song Robinson produced. Robinson also produced some of the greatest records from legendary bluesman Elmore James, including "The Sky is Crying".

Years ago when Floyd arrived in New York City, he devised a way to bring his music to the streets. His idea was to take a car battery and hook it up to an inverter so he could have power anywhere he went. On this stop Floyd takes his show on the road up to Harlem which he called home for over 25 years. Every now and again he likes to go back to the old neighborhood to get a taste of the best soul food in the city and in return he gives the people a taste of real Mississippi blues. Even though Floyd does not play in Harlem as much these days you can always pop into Bobby’s and buy the albums.

Location: Brooklyn New York, Bedford Studios

After a two year hiatus the band decided it was time to get back to work on a new album. During that time Joel managed to write over thirty new songs and was anxious to get back into the studio. With everything the band had been through it was evident that this wasn’t going to be business as usual. Armed with a vintage Gibson lap steel, Joel unleashed a punishing unapologetic wall of sound on the first few songs... but what follows is a track entitled “Nella” where Joel unplugs and reaches down deep to deliver an emotional blues requiem. It was a moving experience.

Location: Memphis Tennessee, Sun Studio

What hasn’t already been said about the legendary Sun Studio. It’s the birthplace of Rock and Roll where the King himself, Elvis Presley, cut his first records…as did other notables like Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison. But what is often overlooked is the founder of Sun Studio, Sam Phillips, was consumed by the sound of the blues. In fact, it was the blues that lured Phillips to Memphis so that he could record black musicians from the Delta. In the early 50’s, years before Elvis came through the door, Phillips recorded the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Little Milton, B.B. King, James Cotton and Rufus Thomas.

Floyd had lived in Memphis as a kid so on our first trip down south we went to Memphis looking for his family. While we were there Joel wanted to go visit Sun Studio but nobody would go with him. On our next trip to Memphis, Joel was determined to visit Sun Studio so he booked a recording session. Hey for 85 bucks an hour to stand and record on hallowed ground seems like a bargain. There were no real expectations that evening other than letting Joel have a little fun. No new songs were attempted except for one little gem that surfaced at the end of the session. The result was a cross between the blues and an old time church spiritual…very eerie. Have a listen.

Location: Helena Arkansas, KFFA Radio King Biscuit Time

On our second trip back to Mississippi, Floyd was booked on the King Biscuit Time Radio Show which is hosted by the legendary Sonny Payne. Every weekday, Sonny Payne broadcasts from KFFA in Helena, Arkansas which is located just across the Mississippi River. KFFA started broadcasting throughout the Mississippi Delta region in 1941. Although owned by white businessmen the station gave a radio spot to a group of blues musicians provided they could garner a sponsor for the show. When the King Biscuit Flower Company agreed to a sponsorship the King Biscuit Time show was born. The first hosts of King Biscuit Time were Sonny Boy Williams II and Robert Jr. Lockwood. They would hit the airwaves at 12:15 to coincide with the lunch break of the workers in the fields. At the time KFFA was the only station that would play blues music and King Biscuit Time was seen as a major breakthrough for black music in general. The popularity of the program made Helena a major blues center and became a favorite spot for blues musicians on their way to Chicago.

Sonny Payne took over the reigns in 1951 and has hosted the show ever since. After 14,000 shows, King Biscuit Time is the longest running broadcast in American history… Over the years the biggest names in blues have been associated with the program and important blues artists continue to perform live on the show.

Location: Clarksdale Mississippi, Ground Zero Blues Club

Discontent with the available places to hear live blues music, actor Morgan Freeman and his business partner Bill Luckett opened the Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The idea was to bring back the look and feel of an old juke joint (sans the gambling and corn liquor) while creating a stable safe place where the best Delta blues could be heard. Before Ground Zero, impromptu gigs would spring up with little notice in Clarksdale...live music at best was a catch as catch can situation. Boarded up for decades, the building was once used as a cotton sampling and seeding facility but today, just steps from the old train depot where Muddy Waters left for Chicago, Ground Zero continues the tradition of serving up the blues from the spot where it all started.

While we were passing through Clarksdale, Morgan Freeman extended an invitation to the band to come and play. This show was the first time that I had ever heard Joel play slide guitar. After the show Sam Carr remarked that he had not “heard slide guitar like that since his daddy Robert Nighthawk played." A ringing endorsement considering Robert Nighthawk is considered the finest slide guitar player ever. Sit back and enjoy “Mean Ol’ Frisco”.

Location: Clarksdale Mississippi, Old WROX Radio Station

Days before we arrived in Clarksdale, Jimbo Mathus was busy setting up a new recording studio in the old WROX radio station. The WROX building had been boarded up since the early 50's and oddly enough everything looked as it did 50 years ago. Even the old microphones were still sitting in the same spot. In 1947, WROX hired Early Wright as the first black disc jockey in the south. The station featured many famous artists, including Elvis Presley and B.B. King, who would come by to play on the air and give interviews. The legendary blues artist Robert Nighthawk had a show and Ike Turner had his humble beginnings at the station working as a janitor. If there was ever a Mecca for the blues, Clarksdale is hands down the promised land.

 The Clarksdale recording session focused on some of the bands favorite classic blues tracks. But the song "Lights Out" was one of the few originals that they recorded that night. I had heard a rough take that Joel played for me over the phone before we left for Mississippi so I was anxious to hear how it would turn out with the lyrics. One thing to keep in mind about this session is that all of the songs recorded that night were unrehearsed…and what makes "Lights Out" even more astounding is that Floyd had never seen this song before. Look carefully and you can see Floyd is glancing down at the floor reading the lyrics. His ability to look at a song and immediately feel the words is something I have never seen nor heard before. It still amazes me to this day the magic that was tapped inside those walls that night and for the lucky few who were there to witness would agree.

Location: Clarksdale Mississippi, Hopson Commissary

Just outside of downtown Clarksdale is the Commissary, situated on the old Hopson plantation. The Hopson plantation was established in 1852 and at its height was one of the largest farms in the delta region. With World War II in full swing the demand for labor in the northern factories stripped the south of its workforce. Luckily, the Hopson plantation had already been experimenting with alternative farming methods for the past decade. In 1944, International Harvester introduced the first cotton picker on the Hopson farm. This made Hopson the first farm in the world to grow and harvest cotton completely by mechanical methods.

In the old days every plantation would have a commissary where share cropper families would purchase on credit everything they needed to live on the farm… Unfortunately, creative accounting practices on the part of the commissary plagued the share cropping system and at the end of every season the families tied to the plantation always seemed to be in the red.

 Today, the Hopson Commissary is one of the best places in the delta to hear live music...They usually get some of the best acts that roll into town. Legendary blues pianist Pinetop Perkins, who lived on the Hopson farm when he was a kid, still comes home every year to play at the Commissary. But for Floyd, Hopson was unfamiliar and considering he had not been back to Mississippi in 60 years there was some apprehension about playing on an old plantation. But in the end, Hopson was his favorite place to play...oh and make sure you sample the catfish they serve up.

Location: Merigold, Mississippi, Po’ Monkey’s

Our last spot is located 30 miles down highway 61 from Clarksdale in Merigold. Don’t expect to find directions to Po’ Monkey’s Lounge on MapQuest since it’s in middle of a cotton field. From best estimates Po’ Monkey’s started in the early 60’s and is considered to be one of the last original juke joints in the south. If at first glance Po’ Monkey’s looks like an abandoned share cropper shack... well it is. Not exactly the kind of place you want to take mom, but if you're looking for the coolest spot to hear blues, this has got to be it. By all accounts this was a really hot show...by that I mean not only was the band on fire that night it was also so hot inside that some of the ladies took off their clothes. Gives new meaning to stripped down blues.