The St. Louis Blues Society isn’t the only game in town for preserving local blues.

The St. Louis Rhythm & Blues Preservation Society is getting off the ground with its mission to “preserve, recognize and promote the R&B heritage of the St. Louis region.”

And by R&B heritage, the new organization is putting the heaviest emphasis on the blues.

“There’s a deep, rich history here with so many artists from the area,” says the group’s founder, Reginald Dickson, who runs Reggie’s Backstage restaurant in Grand Center (522 North Grand Boulevard). His business partner is Cornelius Washington.

Did we mention there’s already a St. Louis Blues Society?

“I’ve heard of them,” says Dickson, adding that his goal is to create a “specific place to go see blues memorabilia and archival material.”

(The not-for-profit St. Louis Blues Society is “dedicated to preserving blues music, to fostering the growth and appreciation of blues music, and to providing blues artists with an opportunity for public performance,” according to its website.)

Dickson, who wanted to do this long before he ever thought about opening a restaurant, says his group is like a “three-legged stool,” focusing on archiving, teaching and performing.

Reggie’s Backstage closed last month for renovations and will return in September as a performance venue and restaurant. Dickson is hoping to bring in Bobby Rush for the grand opening.

“Bobby loves the concept, and he wants to be helpful,” Dickson says.

He also plans to feature Big George Brock, Bobby Bland, Denise LaSalle, Shirley Brown and Floyd Taylor, among others. Dickson and Washington hope to have performances Friday and Saturday nights, every other weekend, mixing it up between local, regional and national acts.

The stage at Reggie’s, which was located in the middle of the venue, will be moved to the rear. The venue will be able to fit 140 people, not including the bar area.

“It will look totally different,” Dickson says. “It’ll be more blues flavored, and blue light will be a prominent part of that.”

The menu, by chef Peter Barken, will change to “casual fine dining,” with some R&B soul food such as chicken and waffles.

The memorabilia will be housed in a different location and will include costumes, instruments, photos and original sheet music.

“A lot of people who are blues lovers in this town have this stuff at home and desire for it be put in a museum so it can be appreciated by others,” Dickson says.

The educational component will involve going to schools and talking to students.

He says there is a special need for an organization like this because St. Louis R&B continues to go unheralded.

“We want to be known for having great blues festivals on an annual basis and attract people from all over the country,” Dickson says. “If you take a look at Memphis or Clarksdale, Miss., they’re known for having great blues festivals.”

Some of what the new group plans to do, particularly the performance and educational aspects of it, seems to mirror Jazz St. Louis, housed on the same block as Reggie’s Backstage. Dickson, who is on the Grand Center’s board of directors, says he has talked with Jazz St. Louis executive director Gene Dobbs Bradford.

“We want to be supportive, not competitors,” Dickson says.

St. Louis Rhythm & Blues Preservation Society • randbpreservation.org

Area blues man David Dee (left) and Reginald Dickson