Living Mississippi

MAC goes YouTube

2011-10-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our in-house, multi-media genius, Susan Dobbs, the MAC now has a YouTube Channel. Check out our channel and stay in tune with all the fun video projects taking place at the MAC.

http://www.youtube.com/user/themsartscomm

Susan goes to Film School

2011-09-13T13:59:00.001-07:00

MAC PR Director Susan Dobbs is wrapping up her final week as a student in the Barefoot Workshops documentary film course held bi-annually at Clarksdale's Shack Up Inn. Susan is working with photographer (and now filmmaker) David Rae Morris on a film about legendary Mississippi rocker and artist Duff Dorrough. Check out the film's debut this Friday night at the Shack Up Inn!

Boys of Summer

2011-08-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

I ran into this group of young men on a Saturday walk in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson. Each and every one of the guys could do flips and back handsprings. It was a beautiful sight to see!

Meeting these young men reminded me of my own childhood and the ways my brothers and I filled our long summer Saturdays. I was a mud pie gal, myself. My brothers, on the other hand, had machetes and would carve trails through the dense cane thickets near our rural home. It makes me think a bit about the way we "play" here in Mississippi. What are some of the folk traditions in our state that serve as ways to play? Would we consider games like "Red Rover" a folk tradition? Surely mud pies fall into the folk! What about clover necklaces and catching lightening bugs? Do you have any to add?

One Night Only!

2011-08-23T13:41:00.001-07:00

Creative Economy Summit

2011-08-17T13:55:00.001-07:00

The MAC has been in partnership with the Mississippi Development Authority for quite some time on a very big project: an all encompassing study of the creative economy in Mississippi. Such a study is quite an undertaking and it took lots of brain power and research to explore the vast creative jobs and industries based here in the Magnolia State. Last week, we unveiled the study and its revealing results to a knock-out crowd at the Jackson Convention Center. We heard about the importance of creative jobs in the information age from Governor Barbour and our hopes for new, creative industries were increased by the words of Mary Peavey. MAC directory Malcolm White mapped out the creative nooks and crannies of our landscape and helped us all to better understand the true creative goldmine that is Mississippi.

The attendees were engaged, excited and diverse: The Creative Economy Summit was not a place for a free boxed lunch and a day away from the computer. It was truly a moment of enlightenment, of hope and inspiration. Attendees experienced an intense "speed dating" session of varied creative economy topics, in-depth break-out sessions and an all encompassing panel discussion on best practices for growing the creative economy in your community.

At the end of the day, everyone in attendance was asking for more. The presenters, the attendees, the staff and the artists... everyone wanted more of the enrichment that only a creative economy can bring: One that nourishes the soul and pads the pocket book.

Go here to listen to Governor Barbour talk about the "creative assets" of our state.

Go here to download the full Creative Economy study.

In the meantime, a few facts:

In Mississippi the relative concentration of people employed in all creative enterprises was 32 percent higher than Alabama, 15 percent higher than Kentucky, 14 percent higher than South Dakota and 54 percent higher than west Virginia.

60,704 people are employed in Mississippi's creative economy, including both employees of creative companies (ie: Viking Range) and employees of other companies who work in creative occupations (ie: graphic designers).

Mississippi's creative enterprises (ie: McCarty Pottery) are responsible for the employment of 40,284 people in just under 3,000 establishments with almost one in three of these people 9,580-- working in a creative occupation.

Arts Service at its Best

2011-08-01T10:39:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to MAC staffers Lee Powell and Shirley Smith on their dedicated service to the arts. In July 2011, Lee marked 10 years at the MAC and Shirley marked 25 years at the MAC. The day-to-day operations of this agency rely on the experience and expertise of these two bright women and we are very proud to call them our own. Congratulations, Lee and Shirley, and thank you for all you do for the arts in Mississippi.

Malcolm presents Lee with her award certificate from Governor Barbour.
Malcolm and Shirley stop for a smile in the MAC conference room. Thanks for 25 years, Shirley!

Folk Arts Apprenticeship Site Visit

2011-07-26T14:47:00.000-07:00

I decided to take the heat to another level this morning during a site visit to the blacksmith shop at the Mississippi Agricultural & Forrestry Museum. Master blacksmith Bill Pevey and his apprentice Butch Hand were wrapping up a few final lessons to complete the year-long MAC Folk Arts Apprenticeship program. The coal fire was blazing upon my arrival, and Butch was forging steel as Bill was laying out several of the tools that the two crafted during the apprenticeship. To see the full collection of their work from the apprenticeship, make sure to visit us here at the MAC offices on Thursday, August 4 from 2-4 p.m. for the Folk Arts Apprenticeship Gallery Reception. We'll have metal arts and quilts on display in the gallery. We'll also experience a peformance by the Irish dance apprenticeship, featuring master artist Catherine Sherer Bishop and apprentice Tavia Ethredge.

Butch and Bill at their stations in the blacksmith shop.

The nucleus: coal.

Butch heats the steel until it is hot enough to be shaped.

Butch begins the lengthening process by hammering the hot steel.

Bill steps in to supervise.

A few of the finished products from the Folk Arts Apprenticeship program include: hammers, knives, forks, spoons and various blacksmithing tools.

Mississippi Cultural Crossroads

2011-07-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Summer Interns from Mississippi Cultural Crossroads in Port Gibson visited the MAC offices on July 11 during a field trip to Jackson. The students came to learn more about the arts in state government, and to see the work of fellow Port Gibson resident, quilter Tammy McGrew. Pictured from Left to Right: Mississippi Cultural Crossroads Director Tara Wren, Brianna S. Wren, Jarrius Brandon, Jarvis Sims, Dabreona Monroe, Wally Curry and Tamara Bell. We wish these students the best of luck and a bright future in the arts as they enter the upcoming fall semester!

Grassroots Blues Festival

2011-07-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

The 9th Annual Grassroots Blues Festival in Duck Hill got started around noon this past Saturday, July 9. I traveled north on Highway 55 and took the Duck Hill exit, immediately sighing a breath of releif to be cruising up and down rural Highway 404through the lush, green hills of Montgomery County. Upon arrival, I met the most friendly folks. The people working the gates were happy to see me and knew I was coming to see all the good things taking place in their small community of 750 folks. The MAC's own Larry Morrisey was backing up bluesman Louis Arzo "Gearshifter" Youngblood on drums, where they wrapped the set with a soulful "Happy Birthday" for festival organizer Al White. Al is the director of Action Communication and Education Reform, an arts and social activism organization he spearheaded in the early 1990s. (Learn more about Al and his organization by downloading my Mississippi Arts Hour interview on podcast.)

Excellent music continued throughout the day, including a set from duo Alphon so Sanders and Bill "Howlin' Madd" Perry, both artists on the MAC's Artist Roster. I was especially excited to see that Bill's daughter has joined the band and was jiving on keys.

The unexpected favorite for me, however, was a group out of Baton Rouge: Leroy Conish and Band featuring Nicol e Jackson. This group offered a smooth, soul blues sound and Nickee was on fire: This lady was built to perform. No two ways about it!

Last, but certainly not least, there was good food everywhere. Lots of the festival-goers brought their own grills, but vendors were there providing foodways for folks like me who left the grill at home. I bought a gallon zip-lock bag of freshly made pork skins and MAC PR director, Susan Dobbs, opted for the fried catfish plate.

In my opinion, the only way to beat the heat in Mississippi in July, is to lather on the blues and soak up the fried food!

MS Follklife and Folk Artist Directory: UPDATES!

2011-06-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

The Mississippi Folklife and Folk Artist Directory is the brainchild of my predecessor here at the MAC, Larry Morrisey. When Larry launched this site, he provided folk artists and traditions an online venue to be documented, celebrated and explored. Many researchers and enthusiasts look to the directory as a way to learn more about folklife in Mississippi, and we are very proud of the growing list of entries.

Fans of the Folklife Directory have a lot to look forward to this summer. We'll be adding nearly 30 new entries to the Directory covering a range of topics including blues, old-time string music, Celtic flute, Choctaw storytelling, folk art painting and luthiers. You'll get bio information, images and in some cases, audio and video, to help you better understand folklife in the Magnolia State. Documentary research was conducted by blues historian Scott Barretta, ethnomusicologist Chris Goertzen and writer Melanie Young.

Stay tuned and check back often for updates to Mississippi Folklife and Folk Artist Directory!

Arts Advocacy at Our Nation's Capitol

2011-06-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

While in Washington DC to perform at the Homegrown Concert Series at the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center, Ben Payton and the Thundering Harps stopped in for a visit with Senator Roger Wicker. Pictured from left to right are Ben Payton, MAC's Mary Margaret Miller, Sen. Roger Wicker, Kendrick Hart, Cyndi Clark and Steve Chester.

Sirius in DC

2011-05-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

As a part of our adventure to DC, blues musician Ben Wiley Payton recorded a few songs in the SiriusXM Satellite Radio studios. I traveled with Ben and served as liaison and folklorist for his performances at the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage as part of the American Folklife Center's Homegrown Concert Series. I'll post soon with all of the wonderful details.

Cultural Heritage in Belzoni

2011-05-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

Highway 49 is one of my favorite routes out of the Capitol City. Growing up in Greenwood, we always too Highway 55 south to Jackson. We hardly ever traveled 49 to the "City with Soul." Once I moved to Jackson and found myself living in the heart of the city, I started using 49 as my main thoroughfare to the Delta for work trips, and for pleasure.

I've been obsessed with the Flood of 2011, and rightfully so. My friends and brethren in the Mississippi and Arkansas Deltas, as well as Memphis and eastern Lousiana, are having a tough time watching the waters rise as they pack everything they own into trailers and haul it all to higher ground. Facebook, particularly this page, has been very helpful in keeping up with the developments surrounding the flood. I've also enjoyed following the photograghs posted by blogger Kallie Dreher on her site, Hello Delta.

I got to see some high water for myself yesterday, as I once again took 49 out of Jackson and headed northeast to Belzoni, Catfish Capitol of the World. My destination was the Hooper Community Center on Silver City Road, where I'd be meeting with Helen Sims, a lady who wears many hats. Today she was convening a meeting of the Culture-Heritage Consortium, a grassroots organization that works to promote heritage tourism in Belzoni and Humphreys County. Sims has started an entrepreneural training program for unemployed, underemployed and part-time workers. The program brings in guest speakers to share information about various avenues to economic development. I was a guest speaker for Thursday's meeting, and shared some ideas about heritage tourism in Mississippi, and the great potential to build a creative economy in Humphrey's County. I presented alongside Marvin Haire, director of the Delta Research and Cultural Institute at Mississippi Valley State University.

It was inspiring to see so many young faces in the crowd. While I realize these individuals were present because they are unemployed, underemployed or part-time, the ideas circulating through the room and the greater sense of pride in place was remarkable. One girl shared her love for designing and tayloring clothes, as well as a special barbeque marinade that she hopes to bottle and mass market to tourists. After the meeting we all gathered in the cafe at Hooper Community Center and shared an amazing meal of southern soul food. Truly, I tell you, the BEST butterbeans I've ever had. Hands down. Next time you are traveling 49, make sure to stop in the Hooper Community Center Cafe and get a good meal. They are open Monday-Friday for lunch. You'll thank me later!

Delta Blues Museum's Debut Album

2011-05-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

Our friends over in Clarksdale at the Delta Blues Museum have a lot to celebrate. They broke ground in March on the Muddy Waters Addition, a long anticipated bricks and mortar project which expands the museum by 7,000 feet. The Muddy Waters Addition will be home to the remains of Muddy Waters' cabin and other interpretive materials surrounding the life and creative work of the famed Mississippi bluesman. "The Muddy Waters Addition represents the museum's ongoing commitment to our mission, honoring the history and heritage of Delta Blues music, musicians and their important influence," said DBM board president William Gresham in a press release issued by the museum.

And while honoring the history and heritage of the blues is a big part of what happens at the DBM, you'd be remiss to overlook the energy and youth that is also central the the museum's mission. The Arts and Education Program has grown tremendously under the guidance of museum director Shelley Ritter and her staff of dedicated blues musicians. The purpose of the DBM's Arts and Education Program is to continue the great musical tradition born in the Mississippi Delta: the Delta blues. Students are taught to play the blues on the instrument or instruments of their choice.

The MAC invited the DBM Band to perform during our 2009 Day at the Capitol advocacy campaign, and they knocked the socks off our state senators and representatives. We even had people dancing on the Capitol floor! Over the past two years I've seen the DBM band perform at festivals around the Delta and they keep getting better and better.

Hence, the release of their first studio album, From Clarksdale to Kansas City, Vol. 1. This 12-track CD covers a range of classic Delta blues tunes such as Muddy Water's Catfish Blues and Memphis Slim's Everyday I Have the Blues. More contemporary R&B hits like Bill Withers No Sunshine show off the band's groovability, and special guests Charlie Musselwhite and Bill Abel help to nicely tie the ecletic mix together.

Album artwork was created by the students themselves, and liner notes by Robin Rushing make it clear that the blues is alive and well in the Mississippi Delta. Rushing writes,

"One of the grittiest andmost natural forms of musical expression, the blues borrows a lot from nature. and nature teaches us that simply because a plant is not in full bloom that doesn't mean it's dead; it simply means it's preparing for the next season. As the seasons turn, something that once seemed withered suddenly bursts forth in a luscious green, bearing flowers, fruit, bounty. Bearing beauty. The same applies to the blues, and the DBM's Arts & Education classes are simply nutrients that supplement the natural progression of this important, everlasting musical form."

All proceeds from the sale of the album benefit the Arts and Education program, a worthy way to update your music collection and help the greater good of arts, music and culture in the Mississippi Delta!

For more information about the CD, the Delta Museum Band or any of the museum's programs, please call (662) 627-6820, or visit the Museum web site at http://www.deltabluesmuseum.org/. (Note: the website is a great resource for blues news, educational materials and site-seeing.)

Farewell Gwen Magee

2011-04-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

(photo courtesy Roy A. Adkins, www.lightandglass.net)

We got word at the MAC offices this morning that textile artist Gwen Magee has died. Gwen, known for her strong spirit and her powerful narrative quilts, was honored with the Artistic Excellence award at the 2011 Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts. Gwen's work often depicts the harsh realities of African-American life in the American South. Her work can be found in the Smithsonian, the Missississippi Arts Center and the Mississippi Museum of Art's "Mississippi Story" exhibition. She was recently interviewed by Géraldine Chouard and Anne Cremieux, two French documentary filmmakers, who are working on a feature about Gwen and her work. (See their short film on quilter Riche Richardson here.) She was 67.

Read today's Clarion-Ledger story on Gwen's legacy.

Spring Scenes

2011-04-26T09:32:00.001-07:00

A tiny water lily bloom in my parent's pond. Decor for the frogs.

Honeysuckle vine growing near my parking space at work. Smells so sweet.

Attala County Naturalist

2011-04-21T12:45:00.001-07:00

I spent the afternoon with self-taught painter and naturalist James Sanders last fall. James started out paining landscapes on canavas. He now uses craft paint to intricately decorate ceramics and pottery he finds at second-hand stores. James is inspired by ancient Chinese painting and the natural wonders of his surroundings outside of Kosciusko in Attala County.

James inspects one of the many of the tumbled stones that he has painted and made part of his home collection.

Why I Love Martha Foose

2011-04-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons I love Martha Foose. First off, one of my early feature stories for Delta Magazine was a profile on Martha and her then restaurant and bakery, Mockingbird, in Greenwood. At the time she had a baby boy named Joe (who's now grown into a young man of 8 years) and was getting her initial taste for managing professional life with motherhood. She served me a pimento cheese with unsweet tea on Donald's (her husband) perfected sourdough bread and shared with me that it was his bread, not his charm, that first won her heart during their courtship in Oxford, Mississippi.

Donald would soon become a dear friend of my father (who is well 30 years Donald's senior) and the two became somewhat staple figures of the local farmer's market. I'd call home from Nashville and find that Daddy and Donald had been drinking Scotch on the patio at the Alluvian, or that he and my brother Preston had killed a hog the weekend before. After my parents moved to Jackson, I think they missed the Foose/Bender family more than neighbors they'd known for years.

Martha is a character. She can tell you a backroad dirty joke with one hand and feed you French cuisine from fine china with the other. She loves a good band and a good party. She could choose to live in NYC or LA and be the toast of the town, but she cherishes her Mississippi roots and elects to stay here in her native land. These are reasons why I love Martha Foose. These are reasons based on a short friendship I had with her in the Delta, and one that has continued to grow through our interviews for the Arts Hour radio show.

But there are other reasons I love Martha Foose. Reasons that I most likely share with anyone who ever thumbed through, or cooked from, her first cookbook, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea. She is a storyteller. She captures the places, personalities and peculiar ways of the Delta in a conversational style that makes you feel like you are listening to an old friend. But then, man oh man, she pairs those stories with recipes and ingredients that get even the most seasoned cook excited to bring down the cast-iron skillet or light the grill. (I am no baker, but I can only imagine what her desserts do for the sweets and treats type.)

Martha is running the road ragged touring her new book, A Southerly Course: Recipes and Stories from Close to Home, and the party is following close behind. And I don't mean to say that Martha has an entourage of rockers sipping Budweiser at the back of the bookstore (or does she?). What I mean to say is that as soon as you pick up A Southerly Course there is going to be a party quickly to follow: at your house, in your backyard, with family, with friends, with neighbors and strangers who follow their noses into your kitchen and into your life.

So thank you, Martha. I'm your biggest fan in Fondren. Maybe in all of Jackson.

And your Peanut Chicken recipe won me some strong praise at my deck party last night. Just another reason I love Martha Foose.

Tune to MPB Radio Sunday, May 8 at 3 p.m. to hear Martha and I jive about food, music, family and all things Mississippi.

Rev. Dennis' Day at the Capitol

2011-04-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Y'all have heard me talk about Margaret's Grocery more than once by now. While my first visit to this techni-color folk architectural dreamspace was only a little over two years ago, I've been passionate about seeing it saved from the elements of time and decay ever since.

Historic preservation is uncharted territory for the Mississippi Arts Commission. We once had a line item from the state legislature to offer a grant called the "Building Fund for the Arts." This grant helped arts organizations revitalize historic spaces for use as auditoriums, arts co-ops, theatres, etc. My cousin Zeb and his wife Haley had one hell of a wedding shin-dig at the E.E. Bass School Auditorium in Greenville, Miss., one of the many brick and mortar projects the Building Fund for the Arts helped fund. But, alas, the days of government subsidizing the preservation of historic spaces is long gone, and my efforts to help save Margaret's Grocery have been slow and relatively unfunded.

And, yes, although Miss Margaret is gone now and Rev. Dennis spends his days preaching the gospel to his colleagues at the convalescent home in Vicksburg, I'd be remiss to say that there isn't any energy swelling around the movement to save Margaret's Grocery. Two individuals in particular have worked hard to start a 501c3 non-profit and to see that Preacher is in good hands. My hat goes off to photographer Suzi Altman and attorney/filmmaker Robbie Fisher for their help in keeping the momentum high. If it wasn't for Suzi and Robbie, and some good governmental karma, we would have never gotten the recognition we did on March 22 from Gov. Haley Barbour and the Mississippi House of Representatives and State Senate.

As part of the MAC's annual advocacy initiative, Day at the Capitol, Rev. Dennis and Margaret's Grocery was recognized by Gov. Barbour with a proclamation naming March 20-26 "Rev. Herman D. Dennis and Margaret's Grocery Appreciation and Awareness Week." (See this story on the blog Deep Fried Kudzu.) A joint Senate-House resolution was also put in place, and Senator Briggs Hopson and Representative George Flaggs made speeches, kind remarks, and promises to help save Margaret's Grocery.

It was a great day for folk arts in Mississippi. I think Rev. Dennis was pretty pleased as well.

(All photos by James Patterson)

The Spirit of the Delta

2011-04-11T12:10:00.000-07:00

Malcolm and self-taught painter Carolyn Norris in front of her ever-changing garage doors on Andrews Street in Cleveland, Miss.

Look for the new book on her work-- Spirit of the Delta: The Art of Carolyn Norris-- (University Press of Mississippi)

Clarksdale Peeps

2011-04-11T11:49:00.001-07:00

A Painter's Passage

2011-04-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Take a break from the work day and enjoy this short documentary film I created in February at the Barefoot Documentary Film Workshop in Clarksdale. I had the amazing opportunity to work with LA-based write Adelle Walker and Nigerian filmmaker Wale Oyewole.

Robin Whitfield: A Painter's Passage from Barefoot Workshops on Vimeo.

National Geographic Gives Nod to Margaret's Grocery

2010-08-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to National Geographic Traveler's travel blog for sharing the word about the Margaret's Grocery Preservation project. Check out the entry here.

Miss Margaret on My Mind

2010-08-13T11:32:00.001-07:00

I first visited Margaret's Grocery in Vicksburg, Miss., when I started working at the MAC. I made the quick drive over from Jackson and met with Lesley Silver of Attic Gallery. She drove me over to the "Castle," along with two curious tourists who'd learned all about Vicksburg on Yelp.com. At the time, both Rev. Dennis and Miss Margaret were still living at the house; both age 93 at the time. Rev. Dennis started our tour with a lesson on the Ark of the Covenant, which sits on his front porch. I don't have a picture of the Ark, but I'm sure there is one out there on the world wide web. The tour continued onward, but I stayed back and spent some time with Miss Margaret.

We talked a bit about the name Margaret, about the unique way they'd chosen to decorate her one-time grocery store and about the upcoming Easter Sunday. She was one of the kindest people I'd met in a while. She reminded me of the salt-of-the-earth Delta people I knew as a girl growing up in Drew, Miss. There was a certain kindness in her demeanor that reminded you of the good in the world. Miss Margaret died about six months later, on October 5, 2009, and Margaret's Grocery hasn't been the same since.

I attended her funeral on a cold, wet Saturday. It was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. The church members invited me to sit with the family. We sat for a bit, then everyone walked outside. I wasn't sure what was happening. Four ladies in what looked like old-timey nurses uniforms guided us back into the church. That's when I understood that I was part of a procession. We followed the pallbearers back into the church as they gently moved Miss Margaret's casket to the front of the sanctuary. We each had a moment to touch her cold hands, peer at her peaceful face, admire the pink satin lining on the pink and chrome casket.

During the service I learned that Miss Margaret had been a pillar there at Cool Springs Church, which sits directly behind her home, Margaret's Grocery. She hadn't missed a meeting in 50 years. Several of the present-day deacons recalled Miss Margaret teaching them their alphabet and subsequently, teaching them to read. The service was long. It was sweet. It was sad.

Rev. Dennis didn't make it to the service. He told the nurses at the nursing home where he and Miss Margaret had been living for the past month that he was sick and couldn't' go. I'm sure he was. Grief will make you physically ill; we all know that.

The following January a young film-maker from LSU screened his documentary, God's Architects, at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center. Rev. Dennis was a featured artist in the film, and a deacon from Cool Springs made sure he was in attendance. I started to cry when Rev. Dennis called out at the sight of Miss Margaret on the screen. It was the first time he'd seen her since they took her away from the room they shared at the nursing home on Cherry Street in Vicksburg.

Since then, a small group of folks have been working together to organize a grassroots effort to save Margaret's Grocery. You can see some bright and vivid images of Margaret's Grocery in its prime here. You can see images from this past December on the Facebook page I created to draw interest in this preservation project.

We have organized a community forum around Margaret's Grocery on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center, so please join us if you can.

If you aren't familiar with Margaret's Grocery or the Rev. H.D. Dennis, or the late Miss Margaret, then please take some time to put them into the "google machine" and learn a bit more about this fantastic folk art site on old Highway 61. A good way to get started is by reading this article by an Atlanta-based photojournalist.

Holmes County Vegetable Farmers

2010-08-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to spend some time in Holmes County in July, getting to know a group of African-American farmers. The article below is about my experiences there, particularly with Calvin Head, the director of the West Holmes Community Development Organization. The article is a little long, but well worth the read.

Lexington Mayor Robin McCrory stands with Rev. Tom Collins (left), Calvin Head (right) and two youth members of the WHCDO vegetable farming initiative. This image was taken at the first farmers’ market Friday in Lexington on July 9. Mayor McCrory said she’d seen a cross-section of Holmes County citizens at the market that morning. She also said their hope was to open the market earlier in the summer, but their new civic center had been occupied by the Red Cross since mid-April when deadly tornados devastated much of the county.

Calvin Head’s cell phone rings constantly as he steps into the driver’s seat of a white passenger van. As director of the West Holmes Community Development Organization (WHCDO), Head wears many hats, most often at the same time.

Today he is taking me on a tour of the 12 minority-owned vegetable farms in west Holmes County that are participating in the WHCDO farm initiative. Yesterday, he signed off on a federal housing grant and tomorrow he’s heading up a meeting of the community water board. Since 1996, Head has been leading an effort to bring food, jobs, education, housing and hope to the 14 unincorporated villages that make up the poverty stricken region.

“Holmes County has the highest retention of minority-owned land in the country,” says Head as he starts the van. “Because, remember, this was 100 percent owned by blacks after the resettlement deal came in; the 40 acres and a mule concept. The Milestone Cooperative was the farm initiative that started in 1942 and it was a spin off from the Farm Security Administration project. I started as an Americorp Vista and my job was to reorganize the cooperative and get more farmers back into the process.

Head says that in the late 1990s, the new generations of Holmes County residents were not interested in agriculture as their forefathers had been. They began to rent their land to the large landowners in the area as a way to make profit. As part of reorganizing the cooperative, Head took on the task of showing locals that their biggest resource in reaching financial stability was their legacy to the land. He now has 12 farmers on board (ranging in age from 19 to 75) in the vegetable garden process.

“The vegetable gardening initiative is the nucleus of the process,” says Head of the initiatives at the WHCDO. “It is how we generate a lot of our resources and it is where we want to go in the future in terms of wealth creation, to have a place here in the western part of the county that we can bring fresh produce to, to distribute to different entities and industries within and surrounding this county.”

The biggest obstacle now facing the WHCDO is not convincing farmers to grow vegetables, it is getting their storage facility outfitted with the right equipment. Head says once a storage facility is open, more farmers will be willing to participate. According to Head, opening a storage facility will allow them to supply larger markets (the WHCDO has been approached by both Wal-Mart and the local school district) and encourage other farmers to join the vegetable gardening initiative.

“If we can get the storage facility open, with all the markets we have identified, they will see that there is an actual outlet that they can literally take their stuff to; then it will be an incentive for them to grow produce and be a part of the vegetable growing process. So like I say, getting this facility, where they can actually drop their stuff off and see it moving, I think that is going to be the thing that makes them get involved more.”

One of the WHCDO’s biggest markets for fresh produce is through the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program. The US Department of Agriculture’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, generally known as WIC, provides supplemental food (among other services) at no cost to low-income mothers and children. Head says Holmes County has the highest voucher redemption rate in the state for the Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program, and young people are learning more about healthy eating to boot.

“Most of the people who participate in the Farmers Market Nutrition program, particularly the WIC recipients, they are probably on average 25 to 40 years old. The first year we started, about five or six years ago, they didn’t want to eat the greens and squash and sweet potatoes. They wanted bananas and grapes and apples and things like that. But now they have come around, and I have noticed that they are buying more peas and more greens and more sweet potatoes and more corn and more tomatoes. So, yeah, even the younger generation is understanding that the fast food industry is not the way to go all the time.”

The WHCDO has also seen success through the vegetable gardening initiative by implementing a youth farming and business program. Over 22 young people, roughly between the ages of 15 and 25, have been employed by the WHCDO where they rise early to help the farmers in their fields or meet after the morning’s labor to help distribute the day’s harvest. A youth mentor works with the new participants to help train them for both harvesting and market distribution and pricing.

“The young people have something to do [through this program] to earn money during the summer months and even after school,” says Head. “They participate in the Farmers Market Nutrition program like are now. The young people provide a labor force for the farmers who are used to equipment doing all the work. But the fact is that vegetable production is such a labor-intense process that you have to have some labor as part of the growing process.”

Starting August 1, the WHCDO will take on another USDA initiative to provide senior citizens with fresh produce. The initiative will be implemented through vouchers, the same as the WIC program, but will also place a higher demand for vegetables during the hottest month of the year.

Head says such conditions make the need for a storage facility and refrigeration unit all the more imperative. Although demand is high, the hot weather stresses vegetable growth and makes it difficult to keep the gardens irrigated. The farmers also have less time in the fields as heat index advisories are issued daily. To top it off, Mother Nature is calling for the fields to be plowed and fall crops to be planted.

Head’s cell phone continues to ring and as we drive back to the WHCDO office, his optimism remains high despite the challenges he faces with the hot weather, high demand and limited resources. As he puts the van in park, he lists the benefits that the vegetable growing program has already put into action.

“Getting other farmers to participate, seeing them earn extra money for diversifying, seeing young people and regular people in the community work and earn money so they don’t have to be a burden on their parents, these are the benefits I’m seeing,” says Head.
“We are able to show people the benefits of eating healthy, local-grown produce versus what we are eating that comes from other places. We are trying to grow the community from the inside out by using the resources we have in the community to benefit the people in the community.”

Two Interviews Now Online

2010-05-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Old-time banjo and upright bass player Valley Gordon inside the MPB studio.

Listen to my Arts Hour interviews with roots musician Valley Gordon and blues harp player Grady Champion via podcast.

Shout Out from Highway 61 Radio

2010-04-30T11:55:00.000-07:00

The Arts Hour got a shout out from the talented folks over at Highway 61 Radio. Check it out, and some podcasts, too!

one great daddy

2010-04-14T08:42:00.001-07:00

Realizing I haven't posted in nearly 15 days, I thought I'd share a bit of my personal life with y'all. Here is a picture of my brother Preston sharing a hotdog with his sweet little girl Lilly Claire (whom I affectionately call LC). I'm constantly amazed at Preston's natural parental instincts, and mighty proud of this cute, friendly and funny little lady.

Mother Mound

2010-03-30T09:00:00.001-07:00

The big boss man, Malcolm White, and I traveled northeast on March 18 for a meeting at the Tribal Headquarters of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (MBCI). We were graced with a gorgeous day, good coffee from Cups in Fondren, and an inadvertent new route to the Pearl River Reservation. We were welcomed upon arrival by our new friend Fred Willis, an intern in the Public Information office of the MBCI, and taken back to the conference room. The path to the conference room was lined with shelves of Choctaw baskets and portraits of past Princesses.

After a great meeting with representatives from the Choctaw Cultural Preservation Program, Roseanna Thompson and Bobby Smith, as well as the Public Information Director Wilma Simpson, we took a tour of the Chahta Immi Center in the Town Center of the Pearl River Reservation. The Chahta Immi Center is in the middle of an exciting expansion where a new archive is being built, as well as an interpretive center and performance space. Right now, the Center is home to various courses in traditional craft (open to both Tribal members and the public), as well as youth education center where the wee Choctaws are taught their original language.

Malcolm White, Roseanna Thompson (MBCI Cultural Preservation Program), myself & Fred Willis (Public Information Office) at the Chahta Immi Center on the Pearl River Reservation.

During our meeting, Wilma shared with us that the Choctaw Nation is a very young tribe. Of the 10,000 members, 50% are age 25 or younger. Nearly 200 Choctaws are born every year and about 100 die. As many of you may have seen in the papers, Chief Philip Martin, who started gaming on the Reservation died in February, just two years after being defeated from his 28-year reign as Chief. Tribal Miko Beasely Denson took office in 2007, becoming the third democratically-elected Chief since the adoption of the Tribe’s modern constitution.

Truly, though, the highlight of our excellent day in Neshoba County was a journey across the county line to the Nanih Wayia Mound, the Mother Mound, in Winston County. Before the journey, Malcolm, Fred and I stopped in for lunch at Peggy's in Philadelphia where we talked family, friends, and food over a gracious plenty of fried pork chops, rice and gravy and corn bread sticks laden with butter. Again, the drive from the Pearl River Reservation to that of the Bouge Chitto Reservation was beautiful. Flowering quince and jonquils dotted property lines. We must have come on leaf burning day, because old men, small families and little ladies alike were all raking the remnants of winter into small, smouldering piles in their front yards.

The Mother Mound sits at the mouth of the Pearl River, a tiny little swamp where the Nanih Wayiah Creek and the Pearl Creek meet to form the river than runs all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. The Mother Mound was returned to the Choctaw Nation from the state of Mississippi on August 8, 2008, and is considered to be the sacred ground from which the Choctaw people emerged. I won't try to retell the hitory of this hallowed land, but you can read it for yourself here.

The mouth of the Pearl River.

From atop the Mother Mound, the world was quiet and the air was cool. We saw hawks and egrets and little strange mounds of spiked grass that hurt to the touch. We walked around the top of the mound, wondering how many others had since been destroyed by time, weather, man. Fred told us stories of the mound and its connection to the creation of the Choctaw people. He told us of the great joy and celebration upon the return of the mounds to the Choctaws, and the funny tales of people too afraid to enter the cave that neighbors the Nanih Wayia Mound.

Fred and Malcolm at the foot of the Mother Mound.

Malcolm once canoed the length of the Pearl River. Maybe I'll hike the innards of the cave.

It's Time: Myles Family Singers on Arts Hour

2010-03-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

My Arts Hour interview with the Rev. Marvin K. Myles aired on March 7 on MPB Radio. Rev. Myles is the patriarch of the Myles Family Singers, a family gospel group out of Kosciusko, Miss. The Myles' are originally from Friars Point, a tiny Delta town not too far from my hometown of Drew.

After starting a family in the late '60s, Rev. Myles and wife Olivia moved to Memphis to work. They continued to travel home to Friars Point for Sunday church, and after several years, Rev. Myles could no longer deny his calling to the ministry. Rev. Myles began his ministry in Friars Point, but now serves in Kosciusko at Christian Liberty Baptist Church.

Download the podcast of our interview, and hear about Rev. Myles experiences growing up in a rural community where church was the center of life. Listen to how he raised his children to be singers, and how their family group's repertoire has evolved and developed over the years. Learn more about gospel music as Rev. Myles explains the difference between hymns, gospel songs and Southern gospel music.

Contact the Myles family directly at Christian Liberty Baptist Church to purchase their new album, It's Time, or click here to purchase, MyleStone, their 2001 release.

Mosquitoville Cast Round-Up

2010-03-08T14:29:00.001-08:00

Photo by Jameson Hollister.

Mosquitoville

2010-03-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of respect for Como-based artist Jimbo Mathus. He was one of my first guests on the Arts Hour, and has been a big supporter of my work here at the MAC. Back in July 2009, Jimbo invited me and friend Spooky Cole out to his Delta Recording Service to cut a few tracks. Spooky and Jimbo made fast friends, sharing stories about rural Mississippi music. Spooky plays on Friday nights at the Sparta Opry, a dinner theatre of sorts in Houston, Miss.

Starting tonight, Jimbo is taking the stage in his own original musical theatre production, "Mosquitoville: Mississippi Songs and Stories." The production will debut this evening with two show times, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m., at the Panola Playhouse in Sardis.

"Mosquitoville is based on some local history around the 1880s in Quitman County in the early timber industry before the cotton was planted," said Mathus in Scott Barretta's weekly Clarion-Ledger column. "It's based on a journal of a guy from Sledge, Miss., named John Parrot.

While Jimbo's reputation often precedes him as a rapscallion, anyone who's spent time with the man knows he's a kind, gentle soul with a deep connectedness to his Mississippi roots. He's used blues, country, rock and rap as avenues to tell his story, and that of the Mississippi people. The thing I like most about Jimbo, is that he's always trying something new; whether it be a new alias (he's gone by Jas. Mathus, James Mathus, Jimbo Mathus, the Knockdown Society, the Tri-State Coalition), a new musical genre or a new approach to music altogether. Lyrics from past albums prove he's a storyteller, but the Mosquitoville project affirms he's as much a folklorist as he is an entertainer.

To bring Mosquitoville to your community theatre, contact Jimbo's guitarist/studio manager and get ready for a true heritage experience that'll have you laughing, dancing and above all, feeling what it means to be a Mississippian.

the office

2010-03-04T14:46:00.000-08:00

A great shot of the MAC staff at the Governor's Mansion by Jackson-based photographer Roy Adkins.

Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts

2010-02-25T09:18:00.000-08:00

The Mississippi Arts Commission presents the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts annually to honor outstanding writers, artists, performers, craftsmen and educators who have made significant and lasting contributions through their work as well as to corporations or organizations on the basis of their dedication to arts advancement.

The 2010 winners include David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Wyatt Waters, Bessie Johnson, Lenagene Waldrup and Grassroots Radio Host Bill Ellison. Listen to interview with each of these winners on the Mississippi Arts Hour podcast.

The 2010 Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at Galloway United Methodist Church in downtown Jackson. It will begin at 1:00pm and is free and open to the public. A reception will be held immediately following the ceremony in the fellowship hall of the church.

This evening we'll have our annual Party Arty at Hal and Mal's. I'm hoping to get a picture with Honeyboy and to have a dance with George Berry, one of Mississippi's finest woodcarvers who also happens to be red hot on the dance floor. We'll have music by soul stirrers Wiley and the Checkmates.

Look for lots of pictures and a full update on today's events here at Living Mississippi.

Buttermilk Pie

2010-02-21T15:29:00.000-08:00

My good friend Tobie Baker is going to make me a star. Check out my debut as a cooking show host in Tobie's short film, Mary Margaret's Buttermilk Pie.

when it snows in mississippi...

2010-02-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

You aren't going anywhere. This is an image of the catastrophic snowfall at Jackson-Evers International Airport on the morning of Friday, February 12. These mere three inches kept me from a long overdue trip to visit my best friend in Boston-- a place where a little bit of snow doesn't stop the show.

black & gold weekend in new orleans

2010-02-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

We headed down to New Orleans on Saturday morning to celebrate the Saints. After a quick stop in Manchac, Louisiana, at Middendorf's for some po-boys and peel 'em & eat 'em shrimp (oh, and Abitas, of course), we headed into the Big Easy to join our fellow Saints fans. We teamed up with some friends at the Whitney Hotel and walked down to Canal to see one of the first of the many Mardi Gras parades already unfolding.

While New Orleans has a reputation for debauchery during the Mardi Gras season, there was an entirely different vibe during the weekend of the Saint's first Super Bowl. The city was full of fans in black and gold, hollering Who Dat! and having a good time, but rather than being out-of-control, the crowd was moreso over-joyed. We didn't cross a single sullen face the entire weekend. Everyone was (and still is) celebrating their "boys," especially quarterback Drew Brees, whose face was everywhere-- including this George Rodrigue painting of Brees and Blue Dog.

Truly, though, the highlight of our evening (besides tasting my first Pimm's Cup at Napoleon House) was making our way to the Official Saint's Pep Rally at the House of Blues. We got free entry for wearing our Saints gear, and the staff couldn't have been kinder. DJ Captain Charles had us moving on the dance floor like never before! I lost count on the number of brass bands that took the stage, but I didn't forget the funky sounds of the Stooges Band, a hot second line brass band on the New Orleans scene.

on the up and up

2010-01-29T12:59:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite musicians in Oxford, Mississippi, have paired up as a string duo. Their calling themselves Fussell & Hollister, a self-titled band name that beckons to the yesteryear, which is where their musical inspiration can be found. They've been playing regularly in North Mississippi, but I was lucky to catch them in Oktibbeha County at one of my favorite drinking holes, Dave's Dark Horse Tavern.

Fussell & Hollister opened for the semi-defunct Mayhem String Band (listen to my interview with the Mayhem on the Arts Hour), playing a few original tunes such as the heart wrenching "Troubles" and the more playful tune "Donkey Riding." I really dig Jake Fussell's voice-- simple, compelling, warm-- and over the years I've watched Jamison Hollister grow into a fine fiddle player. The duo also played one of my favorite traditionals, "Raggy Levy," and it may be my favorite version yet. Listen to Jake singing "Raggy Levy" on a 2007 episode of Prairie Home Companion.

This is one group I'm going to keep up with in 2010. You should, too.

food, art & music from around the world-- in mississippi!

2010-01-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

Catholic Charities, Jackson Mississippi Diocese, celebrated National Migration Week by hosting an international festival in the Leggett Center at Millsaps College. My culturally minded colleague, Diane Williams, drove us over for the festivities, which included foods from around the world, international crafts and salsa dancing. I especially enjoyed a heavily gingered Taiwanese noodle dish. Other interesting dishes included the Yemen desserts and fried cheese from Peru.

The highlight of our lunch outing was a performance by Salsa Mississippi, a Fondren-based studio that hosts beginner to advance lessons, with a dance party every Saturday night to boot! If salsa dancing is nearly as fun & healthful as it seems, lessons may be in my near future.

jack & johnny podcast now available

2010-01-21T09:30:00.000-08:00

If you weren't able to tune in for the interview with old-time musicians Jack Magee and Johnny Rawls, then take advantage of modern technology and download the podcast. You'll find more of my Arts Hour interviews, as well as those of my colleagues Malcolm White, Diane Williams & Larry Morrisey.

Old-Time on the Arts Hour

2010-01-08T08:11:00.001-08:00

Tune in to the Mississippi Arts Hour this Sunday at 3 p.m. on Mississippi Public Broadcasting for my interview with old-time music players Johnny Rawls and Jack Magee.

Johnny Rawls is a long-time resident of Mendenahall, but he grew up in Stone County in a musical family. Johnny is a multi-instrumentalist, but he's best known as a banjo player.

Jack Magee is a lifelong resident of Magee where his family has roots stretching back to the early 1800's. Jack has been playing music since an early age, lighting up audiences with his spirited approach to old-time fiddle.

I'll talk with Johnny and Jack about the old-time music scene in Mississippi, and where they find their inspiration. We'll also hear some tunes for the duo-- live from the MPB studios.

Tune in to your local MPB station, or listen online at http://mpbonline.org/. To learn more about Johnny Rawls and Jack Magee, check out their bios on the Mississippi Folklife and Folk Art Directory

sunday morning coming down

2009-12-30T09:36:00.000-08:00

We drove to the Delta on Sunday morning to celebrate the marriage of two dear friends, Hunter & Shara. The gathering was in an old farm house near Schlater, Miss., and right in the middle of my stomping grounds as a teenager. Growing up in Greenwood, it was more than common to find yourself "around the world:" a trail of dirt roads and two-lane highways that takes you through three counties and many forgotten communities.

One forgotten community is on a small dirt turn-row known as "Snake 88." Snake 88 is my favorite backroad in the Delta, and when I interned at the Greenwood Commonwealth in 2006, I often found myself on this road at sunset. An abandoned one-room church sits snugly among unkempt graves and overgrown oaks. Late one afternoon in the summer of 2006, I drove by the church to find the front door wide open. I stopped, peaked my head in (nervously), and closed the door. A month later, a similar scenario unfolded and upon closing the door, I noticed the sanctuary had been scavenged and vandalized. The pulpit was turned over and the two recliners that once stood at the front of the church were gone. It broke my heart.

Ironically, on this most recent trip down Snake 88, I found this piece of an old electric organ sitting next to a tree about 500 yards from the church. I'm not sure if it washed out or carried out, but I decided to keep it. Maybe this isn't the most ethical decision I've ever made, but if I were to return it to my beloved abandoned church, what would its future be? Today, I'm going to hang the keyboard on a wall in my home. It serves as a reminder of my former home, the Mississippi Delta, and the many sacred spaces across our state that have been forgotten, dozed over and desecrated.

Tax Time

2009-02-11T18:22:00.000-08:00

Robert Washington on the Square in Lexington, Miss. 1 February 2009.

I spent the better part of 2008 working on contract as a freelance writer, so I'm not very excited about filing my taxes this year. That being said, running into Robert Washington in front of the Holmes County courthouse is just about the only way to make me smile when it comes to filling out a W-2.

festival workshops, inspiring venues

2009-02-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

The MAC partnered with the tourism department of the Mississippi Development Authority to host the annual Festival & Event Workshops. We were pleased to have nearly 150 participants between the workshop's two locations: the Mississippi Crafts Center in Ridgeland and the B.B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola.

Festival Workshop at B.B. King Museum

(This space is the actual cotton gin where Riley "B.B." King once worked.)

Folks around the state are already working hard to plan festivals, and with the downward economy its harder than ever to find sponsors. But the spirit to bring the community together and offer entertaining and memorable events for the hometown team is still in tact, and I hope everyone will get out and sponsor their local/regional festival this spring and summer. Even if you can't give monetarily, please try to give your time or talent.

I met some fantastic people from around the state during the workshops, but one of the folks I was most excited to run into was my dear childhood friend Jack McWilliams. He is now the sound tech man at the B.B. King Museum, but you can also catch him playing percussion with the Delta jam band Electric Mudd.

Native Plants+Draft Beer+Hip Quits=Hub City

2009-02-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

I passed through the Hub City, Hattiesburg, for the evening and had a chance to catch up with some old friends, and even make one new friend. I spent the night at my buddy Knox's house, a 9-acre habitat for native plants, trees and shrubs. Much like his parents, Knox is a naturalist and practices good habits of holistic medicine, gardening and cooking. Although his place is a rental, the looks of the landscaping and love he's put into the grounds is quite impressive. We started the evening with some cold beer (and gravy cheese fries) at the End Zone, a staple in Golden Eagle night life.

The next day, we met up with our good friends Beau & Jennifer, who've made a home in Hattiesburg for the past decade or so. They married a few years back, and like Knox, have put a lot of soul into their landscaping. Jennifer is an accomplished French teacher who will leave soon to finish her graduate studies in France. Beau is a true Renaissance man with a knack for nurturing seedlings of all sorts. He started this oak tree from a seedling nearly five years ago.

Beau, Jennifer & Gypsy

Jennifer's good friend, Chatham, is an artist, teacher and curator of the Lucile Parker Gallery at William Carey University in Hattiesburg. We met the night before and hit it off instantly. Among the many, many exciting art projects in her life, she is currently exhibiting the work of Piney Woods quilter/fiber artist Martha Ginn. Although some of Ms. Ginn's quilts exemplify traditional patterns and technique, the majority of her work is contemporary and bold. Her color schemes are often bright, at times funky, and always refreshing. Some of her quilts are narrative, others introspective. She'll be showing at the MAC gallery this spring.

Chatham and her family of artists (literally she, her mother and father) will be exhibiting a "family show" at the Gore Gallery at Mississippi College in Clinton. Their gallery opening is this Sunday at 2 p.m.

Bluegrass-Gospel in the Piney Woods

2009-02-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

I checked out of the Uptown Motor Inn and headed south on I-55 toward the Piney Woods region of the state. My destination was the Magnolia State Bluegrass Association (MSBA) Winter Show. I was warmly greeted by Bertie Sullivan, MSBA president and nominee for bluegrass promotor of the year, at the Columbia Ag Expo Center. Folks started arriving in Columbia days before, parking their RVs and setting up camp for a weekend of old-timey bluegrass and gospel. Between MSBA meetings and more formal performances, pickers of all experience levels gather casually to play.

Among the groups performing that Saturday (Jan. 24), were the Larry Wallace Band, Shallow Creek and the Mississippi Bluegrass All-Stars (Bertie's hand-picked selection of players). One of the state's most acclaimed old-timey fiddlers, Fiddlin' Bill Rogers performed with several groups, including the All-Stars. He is a kind man who has served as a Master Instructor to many young folks across Mississippi as part of the MAC's apprenticeship program. When Bill introduced himself, he was dressed comfortably in a baseball cap and jeans. The next time I saw him, he was sharply decked in coat and tie, and burning the bow to the traditional tune"Roly Poley."

(Please note: I have a new camera and shot this video holding the it vertically. However, the video will only play horizontally. Sorry for the neck ache, but its worth a watch!)

The bluegrass community in Mississippi is larger than I realized, with many groups playing both secular and religious songs. String instruments ranging from stand-up bass, mandolin, fiddle, guitar, and banjo are played in almost every group. Because Mississippi's bluegrass community gathers so often, audience members are devoted and know much about the groups performing, including set lists, family ties and work life.

Folks were especially excited to hear Shallow Creek, a bluegrass-gospel group out of Picayune. From what I understand, a group of three brothers make up the core of the band. The brothers are all registered nurses who specialize in emergency room care. The audience was truly taken with Shallow Creek. Many sung along and swayed in their camping chairs. The mood felt much like an unofficial worship service, and in many ways it was.

Hot Tunes, Cold Winds in Clarksdale

2009-02-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

I met up with my friend Randy, proprietor of the world-famous Ajax Diner in Oxford, on Jan. 23 for a night of revelry in Clarksdale. We started the evening at the Uptown Motor Inn on 2nd Street. Clean, $50/night, and walking distance to Ground Zero, the Uptown Motor Inn is a great option for an overnight stay in Coahoma County. Our friend Cleta joined us for dinner at Madidi, followed by the Oxford American Music Issue release party at Ground Zero. We missed bluesman R.L. Boyce and Wiley & the Checkmates (their 2008 release, "We Call It Soul," is a hip shaking album perfect for late night dance parties), but we arrived just in time for Dale Hawkins, originator of "Susie Q"... baby I love you....

Later, we walked over to Red's, one of my favorite juke joints in Mississippi, to hear the dear "taildragger" T-Model Ford and his grandson (?), Stud, play a few tunes.

I'm not sure how old Stud is, but I'm guessing he is still in the single digits. He keeps a good beat, but doesn't seem too interested in the crowd. He watched infomercials on a television near the bar throughout the set. The kid is super-cute, and must be kind hearted and patient to play all these late-night gigs with a man eight-times his senior. T-Model seems to be doing well, although he is more frail each time I get to see him play.

Our walk home that night to the Uptown Motor Inn was not near as pleasant as our early evening stroll through town. The wind picked up and the sleet came down in icy sheets. We stopped back by Ground Zero where the staff was closing shop, and a kind young man gave us a lift back to the hotel.

This view of the Greyhound Bus station in Clarksdale is one I won't soon forget.

welcome friends!

2009-02-01T18:17:00.000-08:00

Living Mississippi is a blog devoted to the ordinary and extraordinary adventures of my return to the Magnolia State. After a brief appearance in Nashville, I'm at home in the land of hospitality where I'm lucky to be employed by the Mississippi Arts Commission. My new job as Heritage Programs Director bestows me with the opportunity to travel the state in search of living cultural treasures: Musicians. Artists. Cooks. Gardeners. Craftsmen. Creatives of all sorts.

Check out the Mississippi Folklife and Folk Art Directory, a quite cool and very accessible online archive of the people, places and artistic traditions of Mississippi.