Memphis legends team up with music's rising stars | Arts & Culture

(WMC-TV) -  A standing room only crowd savored the sweet sounds of Memphis music, old and new, at the Levitt Shell in Overton Park recently.

"Royal Studios Presents: This is Memphis!"  featured performances by 82-year-old Bobby "Blue" Bland and 9 year old "Lil' P-Nut," an up and coming Memphis rapper whose real name is Benjamin Flores, Jr.

Royal is the name of the recording studio in South Memphis where trumpeter and band leader Willie Mitchell recorded singer Al Green backed up by the Hi Rhythm Section.

Rev. Green was elsewhere for this outdoor concert but the Hi Rhythm Section laid down a beat that served as a toe tapping undercurrent for artists  as diverse as Stephanie Bolton, Dennis Graham, Otis Clay, Lil’ P-Nut, 79-year-old bluesman Bobby Rush, Frayser Boy (author of Three Six Mafia's "Hard Out Here for A Pimp") and Bobby "Blue" Bland.

Those in attendance also saw a clip from a documentary featuring many seasoned artists paired with up and comers. The clip showed Stax artist William Bell and Snoop Dogg performing with students from Stax Music Academy.

The documentary makers were at Levitt Shell Thursday night, June 28th and shot material that may compliment an impressive collection.The film (and accompanying soundtrack) features the following collaborations:

"Ain't No Sunshine" - Bobby Blue Bland featuring Yo Gotti with Hill Country Revue

"I Forgot to be Your Lover" - William Bell Featuring Snoop Dogg with the Students of  Stax Foundation Music School

"Wish I Had an Answer" - Mavis Staples with the North Mississippi Allstars

"Come Away with Me" -  an original Terrence Howard composition with the Hi Rhythm Section

"Suppose to be" - Booker T featuring Al Kapone with the North Mississippi Allstars

"Be Like Me" - Bar- Kays Featuring 8 ball and MJG

"Push + Pull" - Bobby Rush featuring Academy Award winner Frayser Boy(Three 6 Mafia)

"Crosscut Saw" - Dennis Graham  featuring Drake with the Hi Rhythm Section

"Knock on Wood" - Kirk Whalum, William Bell with Lester Snell and Charles "Skip" Pitts (Lester Hayes Band) with Students from the Stax Foundation

"Trying to Live My Life Without You" - Otis Clay featuring P-Nut with the Hi Rhythm Section

"If I Should Have Bad Luck" - Charlie Musselwhite with the City Champs

"Tired of Being Alone" - Stephanie Bolton with IFFY and the Hi Rhythm Section

"Curb Feeler" - City Champs featuring Charlie Musselwhite

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