Freight & Salvage proudly presents the inaugural DeFord Bailey Legacy Festival, commemorating the harmonica virtuoso’s remarkable contributions to country music and beyond.

Curated by Grammy® award-winning artist Dom Flemons and Freight Artistic Director Peter Williams, this 3-day festival includes talks, workshops, interviews, free community events, and evening concerts. In addition, the Freight has partnered with the Berkeley Public Library to present Westward Bound, an exhibit of art and craft highlighting African-American country music history and country lore, curated by Vania Kinard.

Supported, in part, by California Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Civic Arts Grant from the City of Berkeley.

Presented in partnership with KALW Music 91.7 FM

Learn more about the event on our DeFord Bailey Legacy Festival page.

Save with a DeFord Bailey Legacy Festival 3-Day Pass!

Jerron Paxton

Genre: Blues, Jazz, Folk

Jerron "Blind Boy" Paxton is a masterful multi-instrumentalist and captivating storyteller, renowned for his ability to transport audiences back to the 1920s with his rich blend of blues, jazz, and folk. Born in Los Angeles, Paxton’s musical journey began with deep Southern roots, influenced by legendary figures like Fats Waller and Blind Lemon Jefferson. His performances are a vibrant tapestry of sound, featuring banjo, guitar, piano, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion, and more. Praised for his authenticity and humor, Paxton has graced stages at major festivals across the globe, including the Brooklyn Folk Festival and the Calgary Folk Festival. His recent appearances in the acclaimed documentary American Epic have solidified his reputation as one of the leading voices of his generation. With an uncanny ability to revive traditional sounds and make them resonate today, Jerron Paxton continues to be a shining star in the world of acoustic blues.

Dom Flemons

Genre: American Roots, Folk, Blues, Country

Known as "The American Songster®," Dom Flemons is a versatile musician whose repertoire spans over a century of American roots music, including country, folk, bluegrass, Americana, and blues. Based in the Chicago area, he is a multi-instrumentalist, historian, actor, and podcaster. A founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Flemons has earned a GRAMMY Award and multiple nominations. His latest album, Traveling Wildfire, was released on Smithsonian Folkways and includes original songs and detailed liner notes. Flemons recently narrated the documentary series “The Real Wild West” on CuriosityStream, bringing the diverse stories of American pioneers to life. With a deep commitment to cultural preservation, Flemons continues to explore and celebrate the rich tapestry of American music.

Fantastic Negrito

Genre: Blues, Soul, Rock

Born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, by now much has been made of Negrito’s own unique story—his early years growing up in an orthodox Muslim household, the doomed major label deal that turned him off of the music industry altogether, the near-fatal car cash that permanently damaged his guitar playing hand—as well as the remarkable redemption arc that began in 2015, when he won the first ever NPR Tiny Desk Contest. In the years that followed, Negrito would go on to take home three consecutive GRAMMY Awards for Best Contemporary Blues Album, tour with everyone from Sturgill Simpson to Chris Cornell to Bruce Springsteen, collaborate in the studio with the likes of Sting and E-40, launch his own Storefront Records label, perform at Lollapalooza, WOMAD, Glastonbury, Newport Folk, Byron Bay Blues, and nearly every other major festival on the map, and found the Revolution Plantation, an urban farm aimed at youth education and empowerment. 

Negrito’s latest release is “Undefeated Eyes” featuring the legendary Sting. The track was born when the two artists met backstage in Taos, New Mexico and connected on the topic of relationships. Sting visited Negrito’s studio in West Oakland, Storefront Records, and the song was recorded in one day. Four years later, it has finally been released to the public. 

“I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors, both black and white, who showed me that anything is possible,” says Negrito. He draws inspiration from where “the gods of Africa meet the ghosts of Mississippi”.