Along with smoke, there's music in air

Ralph Stanley

Ralph Stanley

Bobby "Blue" Bland

Even if you're not tempted by the sweet, delicious aroma of slow-roasted pork, you could still head down to the Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest this weekend to hear two of the leading lights of American music.

At 7:30 Friday night, bluegrass pioneer Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys take the Sharp Main Stage to deliver material from his 60-year career, including songs from the career-resurging "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack.

Closing out the night's entertainment at 9:15 is Simplified, a Charlotte, N.C.-based jam band whose sound incorporates elements of reggae and acoustic music.

Then at 8 p.m. Saturday, its Memphis' own Bobby "Blue" Bland. B.B. King's onetime chauffeur, Bland emerged from his friend's shadow in the late 1950s to become a star in his own right, his performances on songs like "Farther Up the Road" and "I Pity the Fool," earning him the title "the Sinatra of the Blues."

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