Blues guitarist Melvin Taylor and actress Maxine Maxwell will give free performances during Coastal Carolina University's 2002 African-American Celebration series.

Taylor, who mixes jazz chords and rock influences into his tapestry of electric blues, will perform Saturday, March 2 at 6:30 p.m. in Wall Auditorium. In the early 1980's Taylor joined the Legendary Blues Band following the departure of Muddy Waters. His recordings for Evidence Records further enhanced his reputation as one of the best blues guitarists on the scene.

Maxwell will present Echoes of The Past and Voices of Hope on Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m. in Wall Auditorium. These one-act plays weave in and out of history to explore the turning points in the lives of five African and African-American women. A graduate of Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts, Maxwell has toured throughout the country and has worked in New York as both a solo artist and a member of performing ensembles.

For more information, contact Coastal's Office of Multicultural Student Services at 349-2863.