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Cooking up the blues

Sage Merritt / News Virginian
Published: August 15, 2007

He's been called "a prodigy" and "a talent to reckon with," and has shared the stage with B.B. King. This Friday, he'll join African percussionist Darrell Rose at a cultural event designed to draw visitors to downtown Waynesboro.

Nelson county native musician Eli Cook will bring his brand of down-home American blues to Waynesboro for the August Third Fridays event this Friday at Willow Oak Shopping Center at 801 West Broad Street, in the old Radio Shack building next to the Artisans Center. The Artisans Center is hosting the event and will have extended hours during the performance, to be held from 6:30-8 p.m.

"We're happy he's coming," said Clair Myers, executive director of the Wayne Theatre Alliance and chairman of the Waynesboro Cultural Commission, both organizations sponsoring the Third Fridays series. "I'm also happy that we can have the event moved over to Willow Oaks and be hosted by the Artisans Center."

The Third Fridays series, previously held in an open retail space on Main Street, was revived this spring by the Waynesboro Cultural Commission, Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc. and the Wayne Theatre Alliance.

"We've tried to get a good mix of musicians for the events," Myers said. "Eli Cook brings the blues to the whole array of things we've done. Darrell Rose and Eli Cook both have a following here in town, so we're happy."

Artisans Center Executive Director Michael Dowell was pleased to hear that Cook would be headlining the event.

"I have a great affinity for the blues, which is what Eli plays," Dowell said. "He does play excellent music. He's a young fella, and I'm just astounded by the grasp he has for blues music. I grew up in the deep South and went to college in Memphis, Tenn., and heard Memphis blues for four years. I'm just amazed that such a young guy coming out of Nelson County has just a great grasp of blues, as he seems to."

Cook recently released his debut CD, "Miss Blues' Child," through the Valley Entertainment label. The CD pays its dues to traditional delta blues and names such as Mississippi John Hurt and Robert Johnson.

The event is free. Refreshments will be for sale during the performance.

Contact Sage Merritt at 932-3559.