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Miss. hosts NYC picnic, sends blues to Chicago

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Phil Hardwick said the picnic offers Mississippi expats in New York a chance to get a taste of home, and it gives New Yorkers and tourists a chance to sample a taste of the South even if they've never crossed the Mason-Dixon line.

"For those who are in Central Park that day who happen to pass by, they look and see a Mississippi I don't think they've seen before," he said.

Mississippi performers scheduled for the Chicago Blues Festival include Johnny Rawls, Eddie C. Campbell, Vasti Jackson, Mark "Muleman" Massey, Terry "Big T." Williams, The Delta Music Institute, Dexter Allen, The Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, Pat Brown, Eden Brent, Patrice Moncel and others, according to the state's economic agency, the Mississippi Development Authority.

"Our Mississippi Juke Joint Stage will be filled once again with amazing artists that span from across our beautiful state offering the crowd a taste of where the blues all started," said Alex Thomas, program manager for the Mississippi Development Authority's music trails program.

The Mississippi stage will also host panel discussions, including one about Jackson-based Malaco Records.

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Online:

Mississippi picnic in Central Park: http://bit.ly/KBImxW

Chicago Blues Festival: http://bit.ly/KBIcqj

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