If you love Howlin’ Wolf more than Harry Styles, you’ll be happy to know that the blues is alive and well in Charleston. Or more specifically, on Kiawah Island.
On April 19, the Blues By The Sea festival returns to the Village Green at Freshfields Village, with plenty of performers who are knee deep in the blues.
The most eye-catching ensemble on the bill might just be the first one: The Legends of Modern Chicago Blues features Freddie Dixon (son of blues legend Willie Dixon), John Watkins and Tim Taylor playing a set that brings together seasoned players steeped in the enduring electric Chicago blues tradition.
But don’t sleep on Greenville’s Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues. Arnold, who played with Muddy Waters and played bass on the theme song for the ‘70s sitcom Sanford and Son, wields a signature homemade gas can guitar and a killer ensemble. Hitman Blue, led by New York guitarist, singer and songwriter Russell “Hitman” Alexander, finishes the day with a more modern mix of blues, rock, funk and jazz influences.
This is the festival’s 20th year, and it’s organized by Gary Erwin, a lifetime blues fanatic and a performer in his own right under the name Shrimp City Slim.
In a recent interview with the Charleston City Paper, Erwin touted the low-key vibe and the low cost of Blues By The Sea.
“It’s a totally free event,” he said. “Folks can bring lawn chairs, and coolers are welcome, but we’ll have food and drinks available for purchase as well.”
There are few people more dedicated to spreading the gospel of the blues than Erwin, 72. He’s a longtime Lowcountry blues figure who’s been heavily involved in organizing and promoting events like this.
“I’m originally from Chicago,” he said. “And I’m a professional musician myself. So I’ve been listening to and playing the blues all my life. I love the authentic stuff. And when I moved to Charleston in 1983, there really was not any blues scene at all. And I really missed it.”
So he decided to make a scene himself, starting with a public radio show.
“I went on public radio in 1984 on WSCI 89.3 FM, which was on the aircraft carrier. Yorktown with a show called ‘Blues In The Night,’ ” he said. “And that really took off. So I got blues on the radio, now I’d love to go to a blues show, but there aren’t any.”
In 1986, Erwin started a regular concert series at the Queen Street Playhouse in Charleston, and the rest is history — a lot of history. Over the years, Erwin’s shows have brought iconic artists like R.L. Burnside, Honeyboy Edwards, Johnny Shines, Jessie Mae Hemphill, Big Boy Henry, Beverly “Guitar” Watkins and many more to Charleston.
And his passion was still apparent when he talked about this year’s festival lineup.
“Freddie Dixon used to play with his dad in the Chicago Blues All-Stars back in the day,” Erwin said. “And he is also a bass player, just like his father. So he’s steeped in the tradition, and that’s going to be some solid Chicago blues.
“And this year, I thought we needed to honor Mac Arnold and bring him back down to the coast,” he continued. “He’s very popular and very active in the Upstate, but we needed to bring him back down here. He’s 83 years old, but he’s at the height of his powers.”
As for the headliner, Erwin said that Hitman will wrap up the night perfectly.
“Hitman Blue is a Savannah band that brings the whole thing together because while it does play the Chicago blues, it also pays tribute to the more contemporary people like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan.”
Erwin said that the idea behind Blues By The Sea, and all of the events he’s organized, has always been the same.
“What I want the people to see is that the blues — the authentic blues — is still a vibrant art form,” he said. “Up and down the streets of this country and around the world, the music still speaks to them. It’s a kind of common musical language.”
IF YOU WANT TO GO: Doors open at 2 p.m., April 19, Village Green at Freshfields Village, 165 Village Green Lane, Kiawah. This event is free. freshfieldsvillage.com
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