Evening of blues closes museum exhibit

By J. Lynn West

Editor

An overflow crowd spilled out into the halls and adjoining room Friday to hear the blues, jazz and boogie-woogie stylings of Mississippi artist Eden Brent.

Brent with her husband, Bob, on trombone, was performing at the Union County Heritage Museum to mark the closing of the Cast of Blues exhibit featuring facial life casts of notable blues musicians. A local highlight of the exhibit was the casting of the face of blues artist Sam Mosley, which also will be used to make a bronze casting of Mosley.

Audience members listen as Eden Brent performs a wide variety of musical styles.

Audience members sipped wine and munched on cheese and other snacks in the darkened meeting room lighted by flickering candle lights on the tables and obtained at least psychological warmth from a roaring fire displayed on the large TV monitor.

Greenville native Brent has been compared to Bessie Smith, and Aretha Franklin and is nicknamed “Little Boogaloo” from her mentorship by Abbie “Boogaloo” Ames. Recording on the Yellow Dog Records label, she is said to combine ferocious boogie-woogie with piano blues, sophisticated jazz, juke joint blues holler, soul, gospel and pop – all of which was evidenced Friday. She also has been featured on PBS documentaries, won numerous awards and appeared in such venues as the Kennedy Center, Republican National Convention, 2005 presidential inauguration with B. B. King and others.