In
1974 the founding of the Office of Folklife Programs at the North
Carolina Department of Cultural Resources began drawing the state's
attention to Durham's legacy. The department began introducing folk
artists such as John Snipes, a blues artist who had never played
before a white audience before, to schools and public functions.
The first North Carolina Folklife Festival in 1976 began drawing
audiences from throughout North Carolina and Virginia to hear blues
artists. The festival was such a success that Durham has held it
annually. Local papers, including a noteworthy article in the November
1972 issue of the Daily Tar Heel began covering a small blues festival
that was part of the Fine Arts Festival at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Representatives of the early Piedmont Blues style
still live in pockets of North Carolina. In Caldwell County, Elizabeth
"Babe" Reid, Cora Phillips and Theopolis
"The" Phillips continue the tradition of the first style.
As the pioneers age and many of the original blues settings disappear
into history, new Piedmont Blues musicians and fans keep the music
alive in styles that sometimes vary from the pure Piedmont Blues
that swept through Durham in the 1930s. A few of the 1950s era 'Juke Joints' still survive to this day, such as the All People's Grill on Guess Road in Durham. Blues musicians from around the state, such as Cool John Ferguson and Captain Luke, still play shows there on a regular basis. Since 1988, the Bull Durham Blues Festival has brought national and regional talent to the historic Durham Athletic Park, former home of the Durham Bulls baseball team. This annual event has now grown to become the largest blues festival in North Carolina and draws close to 20,000 fans each year. A relatively new band, the Carolina Chocolate Drops, has emerged in recent years as one of the few African-American stringbands that specializes in Piedmont style music. The Music Maker Relief Foundation of Hillsborough also hosts a number of blues events each year in various locations across the state.
In
1974 the founding of the Office of Folklife Programs at the North
Carolina Department of Cultural Resources began drawing the state's
attention to Durham's legacy. The department began introducing folk
artists such as John Snipes, a blues artist who had never played
before a white audience before, to schools and public functions.
The first North Carolina Folklife Festival in 1976 began drawing
audiences from throughout North Carolina and Virginia to hear blues
artists. The festival was such a success that Durham has held it
annually. Local papers, including a noteworthy article in the November
1972 issue of the Daily Tar Heel began covering a small blues festival
that was part of the Fine Arts Festival at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Representatives of the early Piedmont Blues style
still live in pockets of North Carolina. In Caldwell County, Elizabeth
"Babe" Reid, Cora Phillips and Theopolis
"The" Phillips continue the tradition of the first style.
As the pioneers age and many of the original blues settings disappear
into history, new Piedmont Blues musicians and fans keep the music
alive in styles that sometimes vary from the pure Piedmont Blues
that swept through Durham in the 1930s. A few of the 1950s era 'Juke Joints' still survive to this day, such as the