Bluegrass featured at August “Concert on the Porch”

Join the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center in Brownsville, Tenn., for the fourth in its 'Concert on the Porch' series Saturday, August 20, beginning at 7 p.m. This month's concert will feature Wildwood Express, a group of five area musicians who perform the old time stringed music of yesterday. Also appearing with Wildwood Express will be 11-year-old Emma Webb of Memphis.

The concert will open with Webb. Webb is part of the Generation Next series of the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission and she is also the youngest member of the Memphis Songwriters Association. Webb has been performing in the Memphis area since she was 8. Her performances include music from the 80s to current pop songs plus some originals.

Wildwood Express performs the old time stringed music including bluegrass gospel, instrumentals and old time country. Their instruments of choice include the banjo, dulcimer, mandolin, upright bass and guitar.

The band is made up of Grover Westover, of Brownsville, who does vocals and plays guitar. Paul Jackson is from Bells, Tenn., and does vocals and plays mandolin. Gary Spraggins is on the upright bass and is from Alamo, Tenn. Coley and Marilyn Graves are from Bartlett, Tenn.; Coley does vocals, guitar and banjo, while his wife, Marilyn plays the hammered dulcimer. All are members of the Jackson Tennessee Area Plectral Society whose main purpose is the preservation of old time stringed music.

Everyone is invited to this free event. Bring your lawn chairs or blanket and enjoy an evening of old-time music. For more information, call the Center at 731-779-9000 or visit online at http://www.westtnheritage.com/.