To Jackson, Tennessee for a Birthday Celebration
Although I did not have the money to take a long trip out of town, on the day after my birthday, I decided to drive …
Vinyl
Vinyl Lives in Downtown Memphis at River City Records
In 1967, the Memphis Housing Authority warned Ruben Cherry that he would have to close or move his legendary Home of the Blues Record Store …
Seven Hours in Jackson, Mississippi
On a recent August Saturday, I had occasion to drive to Jackson, Mississippi’s capital city, and it gave me an opportunity to spend an afternoon …
Hot Weather and Hot Blues at the Mississippi Hill Country’s Biggest Weekend
Each year, on the last weekend in June, blues musician Kenny Brown and his wife Sarah host the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic at Betty …
Two New Hotels, Two New Bars, Exquisite Coffee and a Bakery in Memphis' South Main District
On a recent Sunday afternoon, I headed down to the South Main Arts District in Memphis in search of brunch. The old Central Station has …
Mayor Jane Rule Throws a Birthday Party For David Katznelson With Blues and Fife and Drum
San Francisco-based David Katznelson is the owner of Birdman Records, a really cool group of blues and roots labels, which includes subsidiary labels Birdmanophone and …
The Rev. John Wilkins at Beale Street Caravan’s Big Night
Lightnin Malcolm was playing in Merigold at Crawdad’s, and the original plan was for me to head to Senatobia and pick Sherena Boyce up, and …
A Wet And Busy Juke Joint Fest in Clarksdale
I usually enjoy myself quite a bit at the annual Juke Joint Fest in Clarksdale, but this year’s festival was both wet and harried, as …
Hezekiah Early and Robert “Poochie” Watson at the Juke Joint Festival
Blues veteran Hezekiah Early is associated with Natchez, Mississippi, and with the towns on the other side of the river, like St. Joseph and Ferriday, …
Jukin’ at Cat Head in Clarksdale
Juke Joint Fest weekend in Clarksdale is generally rain-free, but the last couple of years have been an exception. 2017 was a complete wash-out, and …