Published On: 05.09.14 | 

By: Michael Sznajderman

Alabama’s musical heritage rings true at multiple festivals

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W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival

If you like jazz in June, or crave the sounds of fiddles and country classics on a hot summer day, music festivals throughout Alabama this spring and summer offer a smorgasbord of culture, community and sound.

Some festivals, such as the W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival set for July 18-27 in Florence, have been around for years. Other festivals, such as the Steel City Jazz Festival set for Birmingham’s Linn Park June 5-7, are just getting started with the hope of becoming annual events.

W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival

W.C. Handy Blues and Barbecue Festival

New music event or one that’s tried and true, Alabama’s rich musical heritage is the backbeat that brings together people from across the state. It also attracts visitors from outside of Alabama who may not be as familiar with the state’s many amenities, tourism officials say.

For example, for several years now, a group from the Netherlands has been traveling to Florence to sample the sounds of the W.C. Handy Music Festival, said Nancy C. Gone, executive director of the Music Preservation Society, organizers of the event since 1982.

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“Alabama has a strong music heritage and it is celebrated throughout the state. The festivals give us an opportunity to show some parts of Alabama people may not know about,” says Gray Brennan, marketing and regional director for the Alabama Department of Tourism.

W.C. Handy

W.C. Handy

The W.C. Handy Festival celebrates the life of Handy and his contributions to the development of 20th century music as well as the history of the recording industry in the tri-city area of northwest Alabama, including Muscle Shoals – the focus of a recent, acclaimed documentary that has been showing on public television and across the country.

In the 1960s, Muscle Shoals build a reputation as the “Hit Recording Capital of the South” where artists as varied as Little Richard, Wilson Pickett and Duane Allman made music. More than 200 events are being planned over 10 days in three counties this year in the W.C. Handy Festival.

While festival goers enjoy some traditional venues for concerts, they also get to enjoy the lakes, parks and trails around Colbert, Lauderdale and Franklin counties where festival events are held, Brennan said. “It’s a boost for the state’s economy because people come from throughout the state and out of the state,” Brennan said. “You’ll also find a lot of local people taking time to enjoy a particular area.”

Eric Essix

Eric Essix

Jazz guitarist Eric Essix is looking to attract several hundred people Labor Day Weekend to Ross Bridge near Birmingham for his first Eric Essix Jazz Escape. The event brings a new music event to Ross Bridge, which also is home to a luxury resort. “I’ve played at festivals around the world, and I decided to take some of the elements of festivals, but make it more comfortable,” Essix said.

The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa is offering special lodging packages for the weekend, and the cost of the festival is separate, Essix said.

One of the biggest music events in the state happens on the beach in Gulf Shores May 16-18. The Hangout Festival attracts music lovers and those seeking sand and sun. It’s the fifth year for the festival that will include more than 70 acts over three days. It’s already sold out .

Performers include The Black Keys, The Killers, Outkast, Jack Johnson, Queens of the Stone Age, Pretty Lights, The Avett Brothers, Modest Mouse, and The Flaming Lips. http://hangoutmusicfest.com/ Here’s a sampling of other upcoming Alabama music festivals:

  • Steel City Jazz Fest, June 5-7, Linn Park, downtown Birmingham – featuring Johnathan Butler, Will Downing, Bobby Caldwell, and more. For tickets and information, go to: http://www.steelcityjazzfestbham.com/line-up/
Hank Williams

Hank Williams

  • Hank Williams Festival, June 6-7, Hank Williams Music Park, Georgiana – featuring John Conlee, Gene Watson, Mary McDonald, Whistling Dixie. Southern Legends, and more. For ticket information go to: http://www.hankwilliamsfestival.com/
  • Gadsden RiverFest, June 13-14, Gadsden – featuring Wynonna and the Big Noise, Black Joe Lewis, and more. For schedule and tickets go to: http://www.gadsdenriverfest.com/artists/
  • Rock the South, June 20-21, Heritage Park, Cullman – featuring Charlie Daniels, Little Big Town, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and more. For schedules and ticket information go to: http://www.rockthesouth.com/
  • Uptown Live Festival, July 26, Birmingham’s new Uptown district, (formerly the Schaeffer Crawfish Boil) – The lineup has not been announced. The event will be free and will include the availability of food trucks and craft beer.

— Sherrel Wheeler Stewart