"Poor Howard" Stith and Mike "Bullfrog" Rogers brought the blues to Berwick in November. Their program, “A Walk Through the Delta,” was both educational and entertaining, mixing music and folk humor, and showing how this distinctly American music has gained international popularity.
Howard is a scholar of early blues and has been performing for over forty years. Exposed to the music of Leadbelly at an early age, Howard carries on the 12-string guitar style that emerged in the 1930ʼs, and also plays steel guitar in the “bottleneck” style made popular by Son House and Robert Johnson. In 2012, Howard represented New Hampshire at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis.
Mike Rogers is a harmonica virtuoso who draws on the styles of the playing of Sonny Terry and John Sebastian, and although he has mastered many styles from folk to country, he captures perfectly the southern country blues of the depression era. Mike brings the harmonica alive with such songs as “Run, Bead, Run” about a chicken chasing dog, and “Shortninʼ Bread”, a classic to get kids dancing. Mike has also competed in the International Blues Challenge, representing Maine in 2006.
Together, Howard and Mike bring alive this important era of music. Special thanks to Berwick Community Media for filming this program.
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