In 2004, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi.
We all know the tragedy that resulted from the storm, both politically and personally.? New Orleans will never be the same, no matter how hard it tries.
What gets lost in the rhetoric about the storm and the effects is the fact that New Orleans musicians and recording companies which inspired virtually all of the music that has shaped American (and world) musical sensibilities have been impaired and may never recover.
Whether you like Hip Hop, Hard Rock, Country or Soft Rock, all of these idioms derive from the music of New Orleans.?
In the 1940s and 1950s, New Orleans Jazz, Mississippi Blues and African American Gospel were fused in that city to create a whole new musical idiom – which became Rock n’ Roll, Rhythm and Blues and then expanded to all the other musical forms we enjoy today in popular music.
Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones and countless others have talked about the influences that these early New Orleans artists have had on their souls, their music and their performances.
Introducing the Mudbugs. This is a group of local musicians, all with ETSU ties, who have put together a project to honor and perform the original music that came from New Orleans which started it all.
On lead vocals and piano we have Mike Knowles, a former WETS radio personality; on drums Phil Leonard, ETSU graduate of the Mass Communication department and program director of WETS for many years; on bass CSCI faculty Sam Burke, an ETSU graduate in the engineering department and on baritone and tenor saxophone is ETSU neuro-anatomy professor Ron Baisden.
Everyone in the band has played separately and together in many other popular local and regional bands including the Normaltones, the GrooveMasters, Blue Rapture, the Brother Boys, Apartment #9 and several of them were associated with ETSU graduate and mega-super-country star, Kenny Chesney.
Walking into the back of MontClair Studios at an undisclosed location (in other words,?Phil’s house) I came upon the middle of practice and was mesmerized by the set up and the music.
The bluesy feeling in the music and the rustic environment of the surroundings was amazing.
What does Mudbug mean?
“Its an old Cajun slang for crawfish,” said Ron. “We are trying to re-create the music of early New Orleans rhythm and blues.?
“We want to keep alive the music of those artists which include Fats Domino, Huey “Piano” Smith, Professor Longhair and like Dr. John,?most of whom have ties to the New Orleans music that underlie the foundations of modern day Rock n’ Roll and Rhythm and Blues.”
I can only attempt to offer a notion of the amount of talent each band member possesses, the only way for you to actually know is to see or hear them play.
Each one of the musicians in this band have been playing for longer than I have been alive, and have come close to perfecting their craft.
You can check them out online at www.myspace.com/mudbugmusic.?
If you are a? fan of the blues, of early N’awlins music or want to know more about the real roots of Rock n’ Roll,? then you should fall in love with this phenomenal quartet of veteran musicians.
Right now, they play sporadically in the Tri-Cities area.?They will be at the Acoustic Coffeehouse following the Subdudes performance at the Blue Plum festival, this summer, on June 7, but you should look for them before then.

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