The Black + Blues offer a rock edge to Southside soul.

Guest blogger Sarah Crisman is a Denton-based music writer.
Thursday marks the Kessler’s third installment of Geno Young‘s Camp Wisdom concert series. It’s inspired by the neighborhood that produced some of the music industry’s most influential artists, including Erykah Badu, N’Dambi, Robert “Sput” Searight and Shaun Martin. The story behind this series, which involves multiple Grammys and the sale of millions of records, is as compelling as the music itself.  While insiders in Los Angeles and New York appreciate the contributions the Dallas community has made to the music industry at large, local support has been staggering and downright discouraging.  Fortunately for Oak Cliff, we have advocates like Jeffrey Liles and Edwin Cabaniss ready to showcase the neighborhood savants, both established and emerging.

To date, Camp Wisdom has welcomed IvorY JeaN, a modern throwback fronted by former Badu musical director Gino “Lockjohnson” Iglehart; Deonis, the energetic vocalist/producer filling the void left by D’Angelo and J Dilla with just a twist of Prince thrown in; and a rare performance from Madukwu Chinwah, the Grammy-winning producer whose work with N’Dambi legendarily sparked the Indie Soul movement in the early 90s.  This week, Geno welcomes the all-girl Beauty and the Beats, Melody Memory and the Black and Blues.

Make a full night in the X+ and pop by author Ben Westhoff‘s book signing before the concert (and just across the street) at the Cliff Notes Prolonged Media book store (6 p.m.; 1230 W. Davis Street).  Westhoff’s new book, Dirty South, is about the Southern rappers who influence hip-hop.  In it, he journeys across the south in a small Hyundai, partying with famous rappers and documenting the emergence of southern hip-hop music, which now dominates the east and west coast styles.