The Lee Boys had to cancel its Downtown After 5 show this Friday because of a death in their immediate family. We send our condolences, and hope to see the sacred-steel ensemble onstage soon.
The Cedric Burnside Project will take the stage instead.
Here’s what Marshall wrote about Burnside prior to his Bele Chere appearance last month:
“First, this kind of authentic down-and-dirty north Mississippi blues might never play a Bele Chere stage again. Burnside, the grandson of blues legend R. L. Burnside, cut his teeth playing drums for his grandfather (“Big Daddy”) at age 13. According to Cedric’s bio, he’s been “playing music all his life, developing a relentless, highly rhythmic charged style with strong hip-hop and funk influences.” He has the arms to prove it: powerful muscle and sinew arms that look apt to pummel his drum kit into rubble. For a time, Cedric toured with bluesman Lightnin’ Malcolm as the Juke Joint Duo, but recently he formed his own band in which he plays drums, guitar and sings. Cedric’s younger brother, Cody Burnside, contributes rap and vocals; producer/multi-instrumentalist Jesse Hiatt plays guitar and drums.”
Read her review here. An excerpt: ‘At times it was just Cedric and Hiatt on stage, cranking out a blistering, raw, Mississippi-brand of blues that had little need for any instrumentation behind the two musicians.”
If you haven’t been out for one of the DTA5 free outdoor concerts, get on down to the bottom of Lexington Avenue this Friday. You’ve got two chances left this season, and you don’t want to miss this one. Burnside is a treasure.
Great replacement. DTA5 really pulled this one out well.