Honeydripper, a film by John Sayles

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Arthur Lee Williams is a native of Tunica, Mississippi. As a boy he moved to Chicago with his family, and there, inspired by such neighborhood greats as Sonny Boy Williamson II and Little Walter, taught himself to play harmonica. He began gigging in the mid ‘50s, sitting in with luminaries such as Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Eddie Taylor. He returned to Mississippi and his country roots after high school, breaking in on Memphis radio with Barber Parker and the Silver Kings and played countless dates in juke joints and roadhouses similar to the one depicted in Honeydripper, eventually partnering with Frank Frost and Sam Carr on several blues records. Relocating to St. Louis in the early ‘70s, he formed the Bluesmasters and became a vital part of the Midwestern music scene.

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Eddie Shaw and the Wolf Gang

Eddie Shaw has played his tenor sax with many of the legends of the blues, including Hound Dog Taylor, Freddie King, Otis Rush, Muddy Waters and a long run with Howlin Wolf. He continued with many of the members of that band to form the Wolf Gang. His son Eddie ‘Vaan’ Shaw is a guitarist, while his son Stan Shaw has become a highly-regarded film actor. While Shaw’s appearance in Honeydripper is his first film work, he has long been known for his dramatic, powerful playing style.

Hailing from the Windy City, Kel Mitchell began his acting career at the young age of 12 with the ETA Creative Arts Foundation. Young Kel wowed audiences with his on-stage performances in Chicago theatrical productions such as Kasimu & the Coconut Palm and Dirt. But it was his outstanding performance in Eden at the historic Victory Gardens Theater which caught the attention of a prominent talent agent.

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Singer-songwriter and guitarist Keb’ Mo’s music is a living link to the seminal Delta blues that traveled up the Mississippi River and across the expanse of America - informing all of its musical roots — before evolving into a universally celebrated art form. Born Kevin Moore in South Los Angeles to parents originally from the deep South, he adopted his better known stage name when he was a young player who became inspired by the force of this essential African-American legacy. In the storied tradition of bluesmen before him including Muddy Waters — formerly McKinley Morganfield — and Taj Mahal, who began his days as Henry St. Clair Fredericks, Moore became known as Keb’ Mo’. His acclaimed self-titled 1994 debut album introduced that now famous appellation to the world, and his latest album, 2006’s Suitcase, brings it to new heights.

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Sean Patrick Thomas recently wrapped production on The Burrowers for Lionsgate, a unique take on the western genre about a band of courageous men who set out to find a family of settlers that have vanished from their home under mysterious circumstances. Prior to that, he shot the TV adaptation of Raisin in the Sun opposite Sean Combs, Phylicia Rashad, Sanaa Lathan and Audra McDonald.

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John Huston once said of Stacy Keach that “Stacy is not a star. He is a constellation. The audience will come to see whatever character he portrays.”

Versatility embodies the essence of Stacy Keach’s career. As an actor he has expressed his talent in the theatre, in film and television, and the range of his roles is remarkable.

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Mary Steenburgen won an Academy Award for her role in Melvin and Howard. She will soon be seen in Nobel Son, starring opposite Alan Rickman and Bill Pullman, and Numb, starring Matthew Perry. Both films will have their premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Steenburgen starred for two seasons on the Emmy nominated CBS series, Joan of Arcadia. In February 2006 she was seen in the David Mamet directed play Boston Marriage at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

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Emmy Award-nominated actor and director Vondie Curtis-Hall has had memorable performances in film, television and theater. Probably best known for his portrayal of series lead Dr. Dennis Hancock for four seasons in the top-rated CBS drama Chicago Hope, Curtis-Hall also captivated viewers and earned an Emmy Award nomination for his role as a suicidal transvestite in NBC’s ER during the 1994-95 season.

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Yaya DaCosta made her feature film debut in the New Line Cinema film Take the Lead opposite Antonio Banderas and Rob Brown. She previously appeared in Isaac Mizrahi’s short film SuperModelHero. DaCosta’s work in television includes roles in the Nickelodeon pilot, Always There and UPN’s Eve.

Born and raised in Harlem New York, DaCosta graduated from Brown University with a degree in Africana Studies/International Relations.

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Gary Clark Jr., recently named Best Blues Artist at the Austin Music Awards, is one of the most exciting young guitarists in the country. Self-taught, he hit the Texas music scene in 1998 at the age of fourteen, and since has opened for talents such as Gatemouth Brown, Jimmie Vaughan, Bobby Bland and Joe Ely, while steadily building a substantial club following of his own. A singer/songwriter who also plays bass, harmonica and drums, Clark is working on his fourth and most ambitious CD and has begun to write soundtrack music for films. Honeydripper is his first appearance in a movie.