AXEL ZWINGENBERGER & LILA AMMONS
EDEN BRENT
JOHN TENNISON, BOBBIE OLIVER, CHRISTIAN DOZZLER, THE JIVE JUMPERS,
THE WILEY COLLEGIANS, THE RYAN ALLGOOD DANCERS
World-renowned master of boogie woogie piano, Germany's Axel Zwingenberger, and vocalist Lila Ammons, the granddaughter of boogie woogie legend Albert Ammons, along with Mississippi's Little Boogaloo Eden Brent will headline the first annual Birthplace of Boogie Woogie Heritage Festival on Saturday, April 13 at the Marshall Visual Art Center.
Besides his worldwide fame as a solo performer, Zwingenberger is also well known to fans as the “A” in Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts “ABC&D of Boogie Woogie" band. In 2012, jazz vocalist Lila Ammons and the band completed a one-week engagement in New York City with a performance at Lincoln Center. Axel has recorded and/or toured with Sippie Wallace, Big Joe Turner, Jay McShann, Johnny Otis, Champion Jack Dupree, Lloyd Glenn - and Axel has been called "the most important and influential boogie woogie artist in the world today," by musician/historian Dr. John Tennison.
A native of the Greenville, Mississippi area, Eden Brent grew up listening to and learning from some of the great Delta blues players of legend and developed a unique piano and vocal style that has been described as both gutsy and masterful. Her 16-year apprenticeship with the late Delta Boogie Woogie great Boogaloo Ames was the subject of a PBS documentary. Ms. Brent is a three time Blues Music Award winner and the 2010 Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year recipient. The Wall Street Journal called Eden "A force to reckon with... aggressive, sultry, hot and cool."
Musical guests include avante garde Boogie Woogie pianist Dr. John Tennison, Texas Blues King Bobbie Oliver, Boogie & Blues pianist Christian Dozzler, The Wiley Collegians and The Ryan Allgood Dancers. Marshall's own Jive Jumpers will debut their cover of "She Likes to Boogie Woogie Real Low", by Texas Blues pioneer Frankie Lee Sims, who grew up in Marshall and attended Wiley College before serving in the Marines during WWII. Marshall's musical heritage, as chronicled in the research by John Tennison, goes back to the 1870's, when boogie woogie piano emerged in the piney woods of East Texas, in close proximity to the T&P Depot headuartered here in Marshall. Lead Belly, Floyd Dixon, Frankie Lee Sims and Dave Alexander (aka Omar Sharriff) were some of the greats who lived in and around the birthplace making music, and we will celebrate this heritage in a festival evening not to be missed.
Proceeds from the concert will help fund a headstone at the gravesite of the late David Alexander Elam aka Omar Sharriff.
DOORS OPEN FOR THE CONCERT AT 5:30 pm. Get there early for a free swing dance lesson with Ryan Allgood. CASH BAR, FOOD, REFRESHMENTS
Come for the weekend and enjoy a visit to the T&P Depot Museum and other historic sites in Marshall, and activities all day on Marshall Main Street's Second Saturday, including free entertainment on the streets celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Words & Voices singer/songwriter program.. Dr. John Tennison will give a public lecture "The Heritage of Boogie Woogie" at 2 pm Saturday in the Art Center, with a screening of the short film, "A Town Full of Music." Free swing dance lessons will be offered by Ryan Allgood at 5:30. Enjoy a great jazz concert Friday night with the ETBU JAZZ BAND presented by ETBU and The Marshall Regional Arts Council, followed by a free concert on Telegraph Stage with WIRELIGHT.
HOTELS & LODGING:
Discounted rates for "Boogie Woogie" Visitors at Holiday Inn Express 1-800-315-2605
and FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES 903-938-7666
MORE LODGING INFORMATION AT VisitMarshallTexas.org
