Juke Joint Fest: Murals and Vendors
Although we had been told to expect a “modified” Juke Joint Fest due to the pandemic, the actual event proved to be not much different …
Travel
Juke Joint Fest: Starting The Day With Joe and Trenton Ayers
In previous Juke Joint Festivals, Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art has been sort of the nerve center for the festival, but this year …
Juke Joint Fest Journal: Friday Night: Frank “Guitar” Rimmer Jr. at Red’s; Robert Kimbrough Jr at Bluesberry Cafe
After dinner, I began my first night of the Juke Joint Fest at Red’s Blues Lounge in Clarksdale to catch Grenada bluesman Frank “Guitar” Rimmer …
Kicking Off The Juke Joint Fest With A Leisurely Dinner at Kathryn’s on Moon Lake
The announcement that 2021’s Juke Joint Fest in Clarksdale, Mississippi would actually be held in person and not merely virtually online was a sign that …
Australia Jones “Honeybee” Neal: A Powerful New Female Voice in the Mississippi Blues
I am not sure how my friend Sherena Boyce became aware of Australia Jones “Honeybee” Neal, but at some point a couple of years ago, …
Quarantine Images
The sudden closure of everything in mid-March due to Covid-19 had a devastating effect on all live music, including the blues. Nearly everything was closed …
Ash Wednesday in Madisonville
Any day that I am leaving New Orleans tends to be depressing, and Ash Wednesday always seems doubly so. Perhaps it is supposed to be …
All On A Mardi-Gras Day: “You Know How It Goes”: Closing Out The Holiday With The TBC Brass Band
The approaching end of any holiday can be depressing, but there is no better way to close out a Mardi Gras Day than with what …
All On A Mardi-Gras Day: A Backyard Party Uptown with TBC Brass Band
The house where TBC was to play at 4 PM looked like a fairly ordinary Uptown home from the street, but it was abuzz with …
All On A Mardi-Gras Day: “I Run Through Water and Swim Through Mud”: Black Indians Uptown
The gangs of Black Indians (sometimes called Mardi Gras Indians) who appear in elaborate costumes on the streets of New Orleans on Mardi Gras, St. …