Uncle Jessie White, an influential Detroit bluesman, kept the blues alive at his home in Detroit at a time when the city was torn with racial strife in the late 60s – 80s. He and his family hosted jam sessions at his home on 29th Street from Friday evening until Monday morning. They only stopped so the musicians could go back to their jobs on the assembly lines in Detroit’s auto plants. These jam sessions spawned some of Detroit’s local favorite blues artists – Johnny Bassett, Butler Twins, Johnnie Yard Dog Jones, Eddie Burns, Johnny Lee Hooker, Mississippi Al and many others. For many years after the Detroit uprising, Uncle Jessie White and his racially diverse jam sessions, demonstrated how music and culture could keep the communities together.
The documentary shows some great interviews about Uncle Jessie's infamous 29th street jam sessions!
The documentary shows some great interviews about Uncle Jessie's infamous 29th street jam sessions!