MUSICIANS ON THE RECORDING

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JIMMI MAYES is an internationally acclaimed drummer famous for his shuffle. He is in the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame. He is a vocalist, songwriter, and an author. His career spans over 50 years performing all of the music genres: except gospel and jazz. Jimmi Mayes played and toured with blues legends like Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Pinetop Perkins, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Robert Junior Lockwood. He is on four of Jimi Hendrix cds. 

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 KERN PRATT plays lead guitar and is vocalist for his own band. He surrounds himself with some of the most talented musicians that Mississippi has to offer & provides you with a performance like no other! Kern has performed with artists such as the late & great Willie Foster, Mamie “Galore” Davis, Lil’ Bill Wallace, Mississippi Slim, Hubert Sumlin, Lil’ Dave Thompson, James “T-Model” Ford, Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds, Percy Sledge, Eden Brent, Steve Azar, & Grammy Award winner Bud Cockrell lead vocalist for Pablo Cruise. There are many festivals Kern Pratt has played in, including An Evening With the Blues, Bolzano, Italy; The Mississippi Delta Blues Festival, the Annual Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, MS, Batesville Music Fest in Batesville, MS, the Annual BB King Homecoming and the Sam Chatman Festival are just a few more festivals worthy of mention.

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ALPHONSO SANDERS is a multi-talented musician who excels on horns, harmonica and more. Chair of Fine Arts and Director of the B.B. King Recording Studio at Mississippi Valley State University.  Dr. Sanders is the founder of First Thursday's Jazz & Blues Night at the B.B. King Museum and the producer of the B.B. King Day at MVSU. Dr. Sanders has performed at many festivals including the Netherlands North Sea Jazz Festival; Montreux Switzerland Jazz Festival; Lucerne Switzerland Blues Festival; Mobile Jazz Festival; Ontario Canada Southside Shuffle Festival. He placed second at the International Blues Challenge in 2009 and 2010 in the Solo/Duo division and was selected by the MS Delta Blues Society of Indianola as the 2013 Blues Musician of the Year. His most recent recording projects are Mississippi Influences and Twice As Nice.

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JAMES EVANS sax player based out of Jackson, MS. James has toured with ZZ Hill, Played for two years in the Top Flight Band that backed Willie Clayton, he has backed Percy Sledge, played with the Jesse Robinson Band as well as many others.  He was in the video The Last of the Mississippi Jukes DVD as a member of the House Rockers. He has played with Eddie Cotton Jr. and is featured on Cotton’s “Live at the Alamo” recording.  He has recorded with many musicians such as Willie Clayton, Sam Myers, and Jimmi Mayes.

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MICKEY ROGERS    Mickey Rogers is featured in International and National Blues Magazines such as Rhythm and Blues, UK, IL Blues, Italy, and Big City Blues, US. Mickey Rogers is featured in Living Blues Issue #235 February 2015. Mickey is honored with a stone Mississippi Walk of Fame in Greenville, Mississippi and is featured in the Hwy 61 Museum in Leland, MS Honored by the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival Mickey Rogers has performed nationally and internationally for many years.

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 JIMMIE LEE JR. Jimmie Lee, Jr., a native of Indianola, Mississippi, began music at a young age. Jimmie is currently serving as the head engineer for B.B King Recording Studio at Mississippi Valley State University.  Jimmie has worked on as well as produced several projects / recordings including jazz trombonist, Delfeayo Marsalis “Sweet Thunder”, Ruthie Lee's "Due Season", MVSU's "A Valley Christmas" & “Keeping The Faith,  Alphonso Sanders' "Mississippi Influences", Nu Alfa “Back On The Wheel Experience, AVP “Get Lifted”, Jimmi Mayes “My Whole Life’s A Shuffle” and many more. He is a master performer on many instruments and a vocalist. Jimmie is the state organist for the Northern Mississippi Jurisdiction of the C.O.G.I.C.

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