Memphis got another great serving of New Orleans music and culture at last night’s George Porter Jr. and the Running Partners performance at the Levitt Shell in Overton Park. The only thing better than great music is getting to hear it for free!
music
Pursuing the Hill Country Blues Tradition in Como
Perhaps no town is as much a part of the Hill Country Blues tradition as the small town of Como, Mississippi in Panola County. It was the hometown of Mississippi Fred McDowell, and of Otha Turner, whose Rising Star Fife and Drum Band may be last band of its kind in America. Today, it is home to great restaurants like the Como Steak House and the Windy City Grill, the Como Inn bed-and-breakfast, and Jimbo Mathus’ Delta Recording Service, where great music is still being recorded. It’s also worth noting that at some point, Tallulah Bankhead briefly lived there!
Burnside Blues Cafe, Waterford MS
Burnside Blues Cafe, juke joint owned by the children of legendary Hill Country bluesman R. L. Burnside, May 21, 2011
Jimbo Mathus (@JimboMathus): Clinging to the Roots at the Levitt Shell (@LevittShell)
Jimbo Mathus and the Tri-State Coalition, kicking off the Levitt Shell season at Overton Park on May 14, 2011 with a set of songs from his upcoming new album “Confederate Buddah” on Memphis International Records, out May 24. The crowd particularly enjoyed the eerily-prophetic “Cling to the Roots and You Won’t Wash Away” and “Too Much Water Under The Bridge”, which were both written more than a year BEFORE the Memphis flood!
3-19-2011 Last Day of SXSW
With Saturday being my last day in Austin, I grabbed a breakfast at 24 Diner and then began making the rounds of record stores. I …
3/18/11: Third Day of SXSW
For me, the third day of South By Southwest started with a breakfast at The Tavern on Lamar Boulevard just at the north end of …
3/17/2011: Second Day of SXSW
Day 2 of South By Southwest 2011 was also St. Patrick’s Day, which made everything all the more crowded, as well as a sea of …
3/16/11: First day of SXSW
My first day of South By Southwest each year tends to follow a pattern. I usually start the day with a visit to The Omelettry, …
3/15/2011: From Shreveport to Austin
In the old days, when I was in Shreveport, I would have grabbed a breakfast at Murrell’s or Joe’s Grill, but both of them were …
3/14/11: Heading to SXSW Through Monroe and Shreveport
The drive from Memphis to Austin for the annual South By Southwest conference is usually one of my favorite days of the year. Although I …