Christy Scott Cashman's script DIXIE STORMS called for a blues bar. We looked to the famous Beale Street in Memphis. Neither Christy nor I had ever been there. Over the past year, I've traveled to the Delta eight times to scout locations, speak with musicians, blues experts and interview crew.


Teamster Memphian Drew Clarke who was Matt Damon's assistant on GOOD WILL HUNTING among other films on the roof on the Madison Hotel overlooking the Tennessee - Arkansas bridge and the Mississippi River.	What was first called “race” music evolved to blues, R&B, soul to what is now called L.A. casting director Linda Phillips Palo who worked for Francis Ford Coppola for 18 years and convinced him to cast Mat Damon over Ed Norton in a career defining role in THE RAINMAKER, shot in Memphis in 1995.

Now immersed in the packaging phase of development, we are rallying blues artists to work with us to produce a cutting edge soundtrack that combines the "elder statesmen" of the genre with young pop and rap singers who want to cross over. Because characters in the film sing songs, we are beginning the process of selecting and licensing music.

The Delta is the area that envelops Northern Mississippi, Eastern Arkansas and Western Tennessee. Memphis was the first stop out of the cotton fields for the original blues men at the beginning of the 20th century. From there, some ventured further north to St. Louis or Chicago.

Tito Jackson, the amazing composer and guitar player for the JACKSON FIVE, has always been a blues man, inspired by his uncle Luther. Bobby Rush has become a blues icon, especially after his star turn in the ROAD TO MEMPHIS episode of the PBS miniseries MARTIN SCORSESE PRESENTS THE BLUES.

I attended the 10th Annual Blues Ball at the Pyramid on the Mississippi River with Michael Hausman, producer of the PBS episode, THE ROAD TO MEMPHIS, who also produced THE FIRM in Memphis, and director Dick Pearce, who has a long history with music as one of the cinematographers on WOODSTOCK. There I met Isaac Hayes and his writing partner David Porter. I also spoke with B.B. King whom I'd met on several occasions when I lived in Los Angeles. We were so impressed with Ruby Wilson "Queen of Beale Street" who sang with B.B. King that Christy wrote her into the script.

Bobby Rush, Laura Bernieri, and Tito Jackson discuss
uniting the younger musicians with the older blues artists in Memphis in November 2004

Memphians Judge D'Army Bailey, also an actor in THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT shot in Memphis in 1995 and HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK, and Nick Nichols who played Benecio del Toro's juvenile delinquent in Memphis-shot 21 GRAMS

Blues songstress and keyboard artist Di Anne Price at the Blue Monkey in Memphis.

In October, the independent film DEATH & TEXAS opened the 2004 Indie Memphis Film Festival. Memphis Country Film Commissioner Linn Sitler, film's director Kevin Di Novis and Suzanna Leigh who as British ingénue acted with Elvis in PARADISE, HAWAIIAN STYLE.

Actrss Pam Chapman at Slamdance 2004 in Park City Utah with DEATH & TEXAS prouder Stephen Isreal after the screening of their film which stars Charles Durning.

Memphis Teamster Transportation Coordinator Steve Moffett (who was brought up to Boston to work on BLOWN AWAY) visits a church in Marion,Arkansas, scouting with Bernieri

New England Blues Society President James Montgomery, a veteran singer and blues harmonica player for over four decades, has written a song entitled "Dixie Storms."

Laura Bernieri with Bernard Lanksy, featured in Scorsese's ROAD TO MEMPHIS episode at his blues clothing shop where he used to outfit Elvis. In the background are some of the autographed guitars by the greatest blues musicians, living and dead.

Muddy Waters biographer and writer of Scorsese's ROAD TO MEMPHIS episode, Robert Gordan watching the duck parade at the Peabody Hotel.

Queen of Beale Street Ruby Wilson entertaining at her birthday party in February at B.B. King's Blues Club on Beale Street in Memphis on Academy Awards night 2004

The development process of Christy's film has been an exciting odyssey that reconnects me with my first year in Hollywood working on SOUL TRAIN. What was first called "race" music evolved to blues, R&B, soul to what is now called "urban." In many ways, the story of the blues is the story of civil rights in America, a theme underscored in DIXIE STORMS.

Memphis-based Actress Pam Chapman (RAINMAKER) with Bernieri in February at the Grand Casino in Tunica Mississippi where they met Bobby Rush and saw him perform.The casino is surrounded by historic cotton fields where descendents of West African slaves gave birth to the blues

Writer/Actor Christy Scott Cashman on the phone in her office on Boylston St. in front of a map of Memphis.

New England native blues singer and harmonica artist James Montgomery at the Grog in Newburyport, Massachusetts in December 2004.