Pub to debut DVD of Blues Patrol

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

LITTLE ROCK — We Walked the Streets Like Giants, a DVD about The Blues Patrol, a central Arkansas blues-rock band popular in the 1980s, will be the subject of a debut celebration at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Cornerstone Pub and Grill, 314 Main St., North Little Rock.

Cover charge is $2; anyone wearing a vintage-issue Blues Patrol T-shirt will be admitted free.

The DVD will be sold for $15, or half price for those in Blues Patrol T-shirts.

For more information, call (501) 851-6278.

During the celebration,some 10 minutes of the 68-minute DVD will be shown.

The DVD includes interviews, photos and early video clips from original band performances. Formed in 1982 by Gil Franklin, who played lead guitar and sang lead vocals, the group included Earl Sorrells on guitar, Rocky Gunn on bass, Mike Gill on drums and Carroll Dee Bland on harmonica. Other musicians who were later in the band were Walter K. Smith, Cecil Parker and Ricky "Quicksand" Martin.

Franklin will be featured in the DVD, telling his life story and performing his originalsongs, including "Party of One," "My Side of Town," "Too Known to Brag On" and "Fool's Lullaby."

Members of the band will be at the event to perform blues classics, including "Sweet Home Chicago," "Take Out Some Insurance on Me Baby," "Walkin' Blues," "White Port Wine" and others.

A jam session involving other local musicians will precede and follow the Blues Patrol performance.

Jeff Weeden, organizer of the weekly Arkansas Blues Connection jam sessions, will host.

Weekend, Pages 89 on 05/30/2008