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At the Crossroads of Blues History in Rosedale

Rosedale figures prominently in Mississippi blues lore. It is thought to be the hometown of Robert Johnson’s woman that lived “by the riverside”, and its Bruce Street was a small-town version of Memphis’ Beale Street or Jackson’s Farish Street. What is not clear is what has happened to Bruce Street. Most of the buildings are gutted, empty walls, or just foundations. As for the juke joints still standing, it seems not at all clear as to whether they are still open for business, or if they too have been abandoned. On one set of walls was spray-painted the name “Poor Eddie.” I was wondering if he had been the owner of the building before what ever happened to it happened, but I soon met Poor Eddie, who was standing with a group of men near the only joint that looked as if it might still be in business. Eddie took it upon himself to be my tour guide (expecting to be paid a little something of course), but he reconstructed the street in my mind’s eye as he named the owners of each building and what went on in them when they were up and running. In my haste to get to Greenville where relatives were waiting for me, I forgot to ask him what had happened to Bruce Street. Perhaps it was simply what had happened to the rest of the Delta-farm mechanization, extreme poverty and people moving away. All a little sad. But I gave Poor Eddie a couple of dollars for a “cold drink” and headed on down Highway 1.

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Da Plugg Music and More in Tallahassee

Is there still a place in the music industry for the concept of record stores? Clearly some young entrepreneurs think so. Da Plugg Music and More is a really-cool new record store on South Adams Street in Tallahassee, not far from the FAMU campus. They have all the latest hip-hop releases, as well as mixtapes, magazines and DVDs. They are worth a visit.

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Hi-Fi Jazz Cafe, Tallahassee

When i got to Tallahassee, near the Florida A & M campus on Adams Street, I happened upon this really cool-looking jazz cafe. Unfortunately, it was not open on Thursday night, but I took some pictures anyway.

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Album Review: Mississippi Fred McDowell “Come And Found You Gone”

Mississippi Fred McDowell, of course, is a legend. He was one of the first country bluesmen to be rediscovered and recorded by scholars, and toward the end of his life toured across the country and overseas. Although he would claim “I don’t play no rock-and-roll music”, songs he performed like “Get Right Church” were covered by the Rolling Stones, and he guest appeared on an album with Don Nix. So for the fan of Mississippi traditional blues, the first commercial issue of these field recordings made by the eminent blues scholar Bill Ferris is a welcome discovery. McDowell’s home community of Como is stuck just where the hill country meets the Delta, and likewise, McDowell’s blues style seems to cross-breed the hill country and Delta styles. There are familiar standards here, of course, like “John Henry” and “Little Red Rooster”, but also unusual original compositions like “Dream I Went to the U.N.” where the lyrics say he went to “set the nation right.” There are also gospel tunes, including “Get Right Church”, “I Got Religion”, “You Gonna Meet King Jesus” and McDowell’s take on “Where Could I Go?” a tune that springs from the white country gospel tradition. On various tunes, McDowell is joined by his wife Annie Mae, and his friend Napoleon Strickland on harmonica. On the final track is an excerpt of an interview with Bill Ferris regarding these recordings. Extensive liner notes and photos increase the value of this lovingly-conceived issue of recordings that resurrect a voice from the grave. To listen to “Come and Found You Gone” is almost like spending an afternoon with Mississippi Fred McDowell on his front porch.

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Mixtape Review: OG Boo Dirty “The Story of OG”

I’ll admit that I had never heard of OG Boo Dirty until the now-infamous confrontation that apparently occurred between him and some of Yo Gotti’s people at the Level II. And I honestly wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary when I downloaded this mixtape. And besides that, I am, and have always been, a fan of Yo Gotti. But I have to admit that this mixtape surprised me for its consistent quality. For one thing, the production quality is stellar, with first-rate beats throughout. And, even more to my surprise, OG Boo Dirty is a better-than-average rapper, and while street rap usually seems tired and redundant to me these days, he does it well. Obviously, the high points of the mixtape are the two songs that are starting to be heard everywhere in Memphis these days, “She’s A Freak”, and “South Memphis Stand Up” another anthem for those on the Southside alongside Gangsta Blac’s legendary “South Parkway.” Altogether not a bad mixtape. Click on the cover to download and enjoy. 

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