Mike Baytop    9/25

Mike Baytop is President of the Archie Edwards Blues Heritage Foundation. He performed with his teacher and mentor Archie Edwards at the Smithsonian Institute's 150th birthday celebration and at the Rocky Gap Festival, and many other events. Baytop performed at the first Bluebird Festival at Prince George's College in 1994 and at the 11th annual DC Mayor's Arts Awards in 1995. He has played at the Bull Durham Blues Festival, Blues in the Burg Festival, DC Blues Society Festival, the Smithsonian National Folklife Festival, and the Folk Festival at Ferrum College. He participated in the opening of the John Hurt Museum in Avalon, Miss. In 2007, he played the role of "Guitar Man" in African Theater Continuum Theatre's acclaimed presentation of Nora Zeale Hurston's tales in "Spunk" at Atlas Theater. In 1998, he played the role of the Bluesman in the play "I Am A Man."  His duo CD with Rick Franklin, "Searching for Frank" was nominated for a 2007 WAMMIE as best blues recording by the Washington Area Music Association.