ASHLEY HILL The Marietta Times “Big James” Montgomery and the Chicago Playboys perform Friday night during the Blues, Jazz and Folk Music Society’s Chicago Blues Party at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta. The event was a fundraiser for the Blues in the Schools program.

The sound of blues music filled the Lafayette Hotel on Front Street in Marietta Friday night during the Blues, Jazz and Folk Music Society’s Chicago Blues Party. Hundreds of blues fans, including Parkersburg resident Bea Corra, attended the event, which featured “Big James” Montgomery and The Chicago Playboys. “I love the blues. It’s my favorite kind of music,” Corra said. “I listened to a lot of it when I was in college and it brings back old memories.” All of the proceeds from the event will go toward the Blues in the Schools program, which was created to introduce area students to the history and importance of blues music. “Children need to be educated about the fact that blues is the root of all music,” said Helen Holt, a member of the music society’s board. John Gifford, also a member of the society’s board, said that through the Blues in the Schools program, well-known blues performers go into the local schools to teach the students about blues music.