Vicksburg High students got a rare chance to perform with an award-winning professional blues band during a workshop Friday sponsored by the Vicksburg Blues Society.
About 50 VHS band members got to jam with New York blues musician Tas Cru and his band during the program that started at 11 a.m. Friday in the high school band hall. Cru spent a few moments teaching groups of the students the basic blues scales for their instrument before letting trombonist, trumpeters and clarinet players sit in with the band.
“The blues is all over. A lot of people all over the world know more about blues than Americans do,” Cru said.
Perhaps the most excited were the small group of drummers who sat in formation with Cru’s musicians.
“I didn’t expect to be doing this,” said Paul Auttonberry, a sophomore drummer.
Cru told students that the music might not be familiar to them, but all popular American music — from hip hop to country —has roots in the blues.
“It all comes from the blues. It’s not just in the rhythm but the sound of the notes and the feeling,” Cru said.
Cru, who won the national Keeping the Blues Alive education award in 2014 performed Friday and Saturday during the blues society’s ongoing series at Ameristar’s Bottleneck Blues Bar, said Shirley Waring, president of the blues society.
“None of you can come, so we brought him to you,” Waring told the group of students.
Casinos are only allowed to admit customers who are over 21, leaving high school students and other teens unable to attend the concert series. Because of age restrictions, Waring said, the society is looking at more events for students.
“I want to involve you any way I can,” Waring told the high school band members.
Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said he welcomed the opportunity to educate young people about Mississippi heritage.
“This is a great opportunity to get first-hand knowledge of the blues, which originated right here,” Flaggs said.
Cru’s visit to Vicksburg is part of his “Sun PLEASE Shine On Me Tour” which has the band performing throughout Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee and includes three blues education programs.