Boy, this "Mississippi: River of Song" series on PBS is "Don't Miss
TV" for the VCR. This week's episode kicked off with John Hartford, who wrote
"Gentle On My Mind" and drives a riverboat two weeks out of the year (I never
knew that); bluegrass in Hillsboro, Ill. (especially some hot picking by the
Bob Lewis Family); a high school marching band in St. Charles, Mo.; Fontella
Bass, who wrote "Rescue Me," singing gospel in St. Louis (didn't know that,
either); a look and tribute to R&B giant Oliver Sain, with Ike Turner making a
brief appearance in concert footage; a percussion artist in East St. Louis;
some sort of caroling group in Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and lastly, Festus, Mo.'s
favorite sons, the Bottle Rockets. Can't fault the film's producers for a lack
of variety.
Can't wait for the final two episodes as they head down to Memphis,
the Mississippi Delta, Cajun country and New Orleans.
Ron Warnick
NP in my head: "Get down, river, river get down ..."
