MONROE COUNTY, MI (WTOL) - Monroe County Library System kicks off it's 29th year of its Black History Blues Month Series on Tuesday, Feb. 2 with a free concert featuring harmonica legend Sugar Blue.
This Grammy-winning musician has played with Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa, Willie Dixon, the Rolling Stones and many more. His interest in music stemmed from accompanying his mother to her job at the Apollo Theater and before long, he was playing to songs he heard on the radio and studying jazz musicians like Dexter Gordon and Lester Young.
Sugar Blue performed as a street musician before his recording debut in 1975 with Brownie McGhee and Roosevelt Sykes. His talent on the harmonica gained notoriety as he recorded on multiple albums with the Rolling Stones (Some Girls, Emotional Rescue and Tattoo You) and Willie Dixon and the Chicago Blues All-Stars.
He received a Grammy in 1985 for his Blues Explosion album which was recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
"An Evening with Sugar Blue" starts at 7 p.m. at Ellis Library & Reference Center - 3700 S. Custer Rd. in Monroe, MI.
For more information, contact the Monroe County Library System at 734-241-5277.
