Legends Apr/May '14 by Shawn King

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THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI

F  Mc

AN EVENING OF BROADWAY’S GREATEST MOMENTS

FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 7:30 P.M. LAKE TERRACE CONVENTION CENTER HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI

TICKETS 800.844.8425 southernmisstickets.com

Celebrating 50 Years of The Beatles coming to America! STARRING The Classical Mystery Tour

All You Need Is Love

SATURDAY, MAY 10 Natchez City Auditorium , 7:00p.m. TICKETS 601.446.6631 or www.natchezfestivalofmusic.com

CELEBRATING OUR 70th ANNIVERSARY SEASON PRESENTS

Marty Stuart

F E A T U R I N G

AND THE FABULOUS SUPERLATIVES

7 JUNE 2014 • 7:30 P.M. SAENGER THEATER

Mac McAnally PRESENTS

AND MEMBERS OF THE

Coral Reefer Band

14 JUNE 2014 • 7:30 P.M. SAENGER THEATER

GIACOMO PUCCINI’S

OSCA

WickedDivas PRESENTS

21 JUNE 2014 • 7:30 P.M. • SAENGER THEATER STARRING

BROADWAY’S

ELPHABA AND GLINDA

W W W . F E S T I VA L S O U T H . O R G

WWW.MSOPERA.ORG

PUBLISHER AND PRESIDENT ��Marianne Todd CO-PUBLISHER AND DIRECTOR OF MARKETING ��Ken Flynt CREATIVE DIRECTOR / LEAD DESIGNER �� Shawn T. King WEBSITE DESIGNER ��Sally Durkin ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER ��Kim Glicco ADVERTISING SALES Jeff Martin, Memphis - 901-834-9111 Jeff@ReadLegends.com Cindy Thompson, Director of Sales Jackson, Hattiesburg, Meridian, Vicksburg - 601-479-6202 Cindy@ReadLegends.com David Battaglia - Jackson, Vicksburg - 601-421-8654 David@ReadLegends.com Carol Ann Riley - Natchez, Louisiana - 601-431-8000 Carol@ReadLegends.com

CONTENTS APRIL / MAY 2014

MUSIC 8

Contributing writers: Chris Staudinger, Kara Martinez Bachman, Stephen Corbett, Riley Manning

Bonerama

Cover Story: The Sound of Culture

The Homemade Jamz Blues Band

The Natchez Festival of Music

Contributing photographers: Chuck Cook, Michael Barrett, Joe Worthem, Caterina Mendolicchio, Anthony Ladd LEGENDS welcomes your calendar submissions. Submissions are posted free of charge on our website at www.ReadLegends.com. Calendar submissions for consideration in LEGENDS’ print calendar may be sent to Kim@ReadLegends.com. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without express permission from the publisher. The opinions and views expressed by our contributors, writers and editors are their own. Various views from other professionals may also be expressed. Neither LEGENDS nor Blue South Publishing Corporation is endorsing or guaranteeing the products or quality of services expressed in advertisements. All advertisers assume liability for all content (including text representation and illustration) of advertisements printed and assume responsibility for any resulting claims against LEGENDS or its affiliates. Materials, photographs and written pieces to be considered for inclusion in LEGENDS may be sent to P.O. Box 3663, Meridian, MS 39303. Unsolicited materials will not be returned. LEGENDS is sold on bookstore shelves from New Orleans to Chicago and Austin to Atlanta. Blue South Publishing Corporation provides 10,000 free copies in its coverage area to tourism offices, welcome centers, hotels, restaurants, theaters, museums, galleries, coffee shops, casinos and institutions of higher learning. If your business, agency or industry would like to be considered as a LEGENDS distribution point, or for a list of retailers, please contact us at Editor@MississippiLegends.com.

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The New Orleans funk rock band that will stir your soul

Bringing home the bread to the sweet sound of music

They’re not kids anymore

From Geocomo Puccini to Leotyne Price, a month of crowd pleasing music

A Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On

The Mississippi Chorus

Fans set to converge on Tupelo for Elvis tribute artist competition

Scenes from Handel’s Messiah

FEATURES 32

In Mississippi’s Faded Past

The Art of Kennith Humphrey

For more information, write to Editor@MississippiLegends.com. More information, including a comprehensive, up-to-date calendar, may be found at www.ReadLegends.com

ABOUT OUR COVER Street musician Wael Elhalaby plays classical music on his violin for tips in front of the Cabildo and St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square in New Orleans. The classically-trained violinist plays with an almost religious conviction, believing his music can heal. Photograph by Chuck Cook / LEGENDS.

Bluegrassers compete for top honors in New Albany

Marketing - 601-479-3351 Ken@ReadLegends.com Editorial - 601-604-2963 Editor@ReadLegends.com

Down from the Hills

Americana along the cultural U.S. Highway

The Vicksburg artist who brings to life everyday moments

CULINARY 54

Brooksville’s Mennonite Bakery

The sweet busy little shop in the middle of nowhere

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Sat. 3/22/14

Rosanne Cash 7:30 p.m. | Pre-Show 6 p.m. Southern Soul Assembly

Thurs. 4/3/14

Featuring Luther Dickinson, Anders Osborne, 7:30 p.m. | Pre-Show 6 p.m. Marc Broussard, and JJ Grey Sat. 4/12/14

John Prine with Holly Williams 8 p.m. | Pre-Show 6:30 p.m. Fancy Nancy the Musical Fri. 4/25/14 Family Show 7 p.m. Fri. 5/2/14

Amy Grant 7:30 p.m.

Cinderella Tues. 5/6/14 Moscow Ballet 7:30 p.m. For more information scan the QR code.

Sat. 5/31/14

Clint Black 7:30 p.m. | Pre-Show 6 p.m. Thurs. 6/26/14

Eric Benét 7:30 p.m. | Pre-Show 6 p.m. The Heart Behind the Music

Tues. 7/15/14

Featuring Deana Carter, Billy Dean, 7:30 p.m. Collin Raye, and Bryan White

Sat. 7/26/14

Tony Bennett 7:30 p.m. | Pre-Show 6 p.m. “SHADOWS OF THE 60’SSM” Fri. 8/1/14 A TRIBUTE TO MOTOWN SUPER GROUPS 7:30 p.m. Join us for Pre-Show Parties in the Grand Lobby before select shows. MSU Riley Center Box Office | 2200 Fifth Street | Meridian, MS 39301 Facebook.com/RileyCenter 601.696.2200 | www.msurileycenter.com

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STORY FROM NEW ALBANY, MISS.

Jared Spears leads his Oxford-based band, The Cakewalkers, with bassist Greg Johnson and harmonica player Adrian Baron-Robbins.

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MUSIC

By Riley Manning

Photographs by Joe Worthem

Call it a hodge podge,

call it a skiffle. Call it the best bluegrass this side of Appalachia. Come May, bluegrass bands and enthusiasts from across the southeast will converge on the little town of New Albany for the Down from the Hills Heritage Music and Folk Life Festival to shake things up with music that’s hard to pin down. The Oxford-based bluegrass band, The Cakewalkers, plan to be there, producing its own skiffles – a core music punctuated by a variety of instruments. It’s what the band specializes in, says bandleader READLEGENDS.COM

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Jared Spears. “Our harmonica player hails from England, and he brings this calypso, island-type sound somehow. It’s crazy that something like that can fit right in with skiffle, which was actually started right here in Mississippi,” he says. “It’s a hodge podge for sure, but it’s very rhythmical, very danceable. There’s so much room for improvisation. Caleb Russell, a New Albany native crowned last year’s guitar champion, grew up immersed in bluegrass under a mother who sings and plays piano and a fiddle-playing uncle. Russell picked up the guitar at age 7 to join in the music-playing that took place around the holidays. “I’m lucky I had enough people who knew enough to get me started,”

he says. “Bluegrass was my mom’s side. My dad’s side was more rock ‘n’ roll.” At the Down from the Hills Festival, Russell says what astounds him most is the talent among the children. Last year’s youngest competitor was only 5. “It’s humbling that some of your stiffest competition can be over there making mud pies,” he says. “But some of these kids had a fiddle in their hand as soon as they were big enough to hold it.” Russell says what sets the bluegrass genre apart is the secret language almost all bluegrassers share. “All it takes for one person who knows the chords to say ‘Key of E,’ and pretty soon everyone’s joining in on their

 Top, The Cakewalkers plan to perform competitively at the Down From the Hills Festival. • Below, Adrian Baron-Robbins bring a calypso, island-type sound to the group of bluegrassers.

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own instruments,” he says. Standard tunes like “Blue Moon of Kentucky” or “Rolling in my Sweet Baby’s Arms” take on lives of their own with each player contributing a unique spin. Some of the best music ever played, Russell says, happens when no one is recording. “When it’s organic and something clicks, it becomes more than the sum of its parts,” he says. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen. It’s an art form that happens in that moment, and if you’re not there, it’s just gone. You missed it.” Even at the competition, the real show takes place between performances. Players almost miss their cues to go on stage, at times, to carry on a solid jam session in the shade of a barn or a cluster of trees. Cody Farrar and Britt Sheffield are part of Breaking Grass, a fivepiece bluegrass band from Northeast Mississippi who took the title of best band at the 2012 Down from the Hills Festival. Unlike Russell, Farrar and Sheffield came from country and rock backgrounds. “I never thought I’d be in a bluegrass band,” Sheffield says. “It’s simple and more complex at the same time. If you strip down other types of music, you got nothing. Bluegrass is a much more raw sound.” In its seven years, Breaking Grass has played everywhere, from Loui Caleb Russell, a New Albany native, was last year’s Down From the Hills guitar champion. He says the competition can be humbling with the stiffest competition coming from youngsters who make mud pies in between sets. READLEGENDS.COM

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Photograph by Anthony Ladd.  From left, Tyler White, Thelton Vanderford, Cody Farrar, Britt Sheffield and Zach Wooten make up the Booneville bluegrass band, Breaking Grass.

siana to Virginia. Rain or shine, they say, a bluegrass show always draws fans. “There’s some die hard grassers out there,” Farrar said. “Seems like no matter where you play, some of the same people are bound to turn up.” Farrar says he was continually surprised to find bluegrass fans from France, Canada and Japan. Their showing at the Down from the Hills Festival has created opportunities. The band is currently in the process of signing with Mountain Fever Records in Virginia. “Bluegrass is just different from anything,” Sheffield said. “It’s refreshing, when it seems like every song on the radio is about the same old thing.” As far as Russell is concerned, the festival is the perfect place for grassers to shine. “I think it’s the coolest thing in Mississippi. Period,” he says. “It’s exciting because finally we have something geared toward us, and it brings some of the most incredible musicians.” Especially in New Albany. The city – which these days boasts about 8,000 residents – was burned to the ground during the Civil War but held on to its folksy heritage during Reconstruction. Fittingly, Down from the Hills is also a platform for artisans to showcase their pottery, quilting and jewelry-making skills. The festival celebrates the dignity of small-town life, and so does bluegrass. It is story-telling music about lonesome railroad work or falling in love with a girl from town. It was born in what Jill Smith calls ‘BT’ time (before television), when people had to be creative about expressing

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themselves. Smith, who is director of the Union County Heritage Museum in New Albany, says bluegrass is a tradition of heritage passed on from parent to child. “I think what’s captivating is that it’s so elemental,” Smith says. “The early grassers used what they had to make music – a wash tub, a wire stretched across an open barn door. Down from the Hills celebrates the things that make us forget what keeps us apart. Life without music would have to be the most miserable thing in the world. “The hills are alive around here with people who have music as their full time gig, but at its roots, bluegrass came from people picking while they sat on their porches or in church.” The May event, in its fifth year, will serve as the state competition for bluegrass musicians, recognizing the best in show on the fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, Dobro and as a band. “It’s a competition, but it’s more of a celebration really,” Smith says. “Bluegrass is really ingrained into this area. Most people around here have a Scots-Irish heritage, and if you listen you can definitely hear those Celtic minstrel roots.” L

Want to go? The Down from the Hills Heritage Music and Folk Life Festival is scheduled for May 16-18 at the Union County Fairgrounds in New Albany. Admission is $5. For more information, contact the Union County Heritage Museum at (662) 538-0014.

n o s n h o J t r e Rob ND LEGACY TOUR LIFE A

He lived twenty-seven years, recorded twenty-nine songs, and changed music forever. Scan here for our FREE self-guided tour map.

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*Offer expires March 27, 2014 and is valid on new bookings only. Not valid on Group bookings and may not be combined with other offers. The 2-for-1 offer means first passenger in cabin pays full cruise fare and second passenger pays no cruise fare when paid-in-full at time of booking. Cruise fare does not include taxes, port charges, insurance, gratuities, or airfare. Only American Queen cabin categories of C, D, E, F, G, H, and I are available for this offer and only on February and March 2014 voyage dates. Only American Empress cabin categories of C, D, and E are available for this offer and only on April or May 2014 voyage dates. Additional terms and conditions may apply – call for details. 16 • APRIL // MAY 2014

STORY FROM NEW ORLEANS

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“

It’s a different kind of energy. It’s heavy. The sonority is real thick,” Mullins said of the horn that has defined his life, “But it can be so sweet and so pretty and beautiful and delicate at quiet volumes.

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 Mark Mullins belts out “Whipping Post” at the Natchez Balloon Festival. (Photograph by Marianne Todd / LEGENDS)

here are two people in the entire world who are allowed to touch Mark Mullins’ trombone. They’re proven instrument repair technicians, and the Croatian plumber on the cruise ship MSC Divina was not one of them. But Mullins, the co-founder of the New Orleans-based funk band, Bonerama, was desperate. He combed the industrial passages of the ship for anyone who could fix his broken horn. The accident that led to the plumber is one of many tour stories Bonerama has collected over its 16 years of musicmaking. The six-group outfit was just setting sail under sunny Miami skies on Jam Cruise, a floating music festival that has sold out for its last 12 sailings with big-name entertainers. Bonerama was the first act of the cruise, set to play its second year on the ship, when a strong wind knocked over Mullins’ trombone and dented its slide. “It’s right before the beginning of the cruise,” he says, still exasperated, “You want to be able to sit in with everybody and play with everybody. And suddenly …,” he says, his words turning into a mimic of an explosion. The next day, he got wind of the Croatian plumber and wound his way through the ship’s recesses. “We finally found the right guy. And the plumber couldn’t speak English, you know. We hand him this trombone. And it looked like he’d never seen a trombone or handled a trombone in his life. But then we started explaining to him the dent, the rod. And he’s like, ‘Ah!’ and he pulls that rod off ... Then he takes out his blowtorch.” Mullins has played the horn, which was birthed in the mid-1950s, for the past 20 years. It’s a delicate relationship hinging on millimeters of metal in perfect alignment. Craig Klein, Bonerama’s other co-founder, says, “It’s like your baby, it’s like one of your kids.” “He didn’t quite blow a hole in it.” Mullins says, “He came real close.” The morning LEGENDS visited Klein’s house in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans, he had just returned from his daughter’s early morning orthodontist appointment in Baton Rouge. He had been up until three the night before at a jazz gig on Frenchmen Street. We sat in the living room of his new place, with long windows, chipped paint and Italianate woodwork. Mullins propped his coffee on an unpacked cardboard box and sat in a folding chair while two large speakers played jazz from WWOZ radio. The chance birth of Bonerama began as such: After a READLEGENDS.COM

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phone interview with Harry Connick Jr., Mullins and Klein landed spots The postcards may have helped solidify a Bonerama following, but in his big band. Connick’s popularity quickly skyrocketed, and Klein it’s undeniably the band’s love of the sound that has led to what writers and Mullins, both in their early 20s, found themselves jetting to shows have called a “rabid fan base.” Craig recently wrote in a Bonerama blog and staying in nice hotel rooms. That would all change on a Monday post, “If you think of a trombone, it’s one long pipe that starts at the night in New York City, when Klein stumbled into a club featuring a mouthpiece and gradually tapers out at the bell. Latin jazz band fronted by a five-trombone horn section. It was a trom- “The sound is generated from inside your body, you know, the air bone player’s dream. “I came back the next day and told Mark. And and the vibration of your lips. And the horn is just the amplifier.” He next thing you know, Mark came the next day with an arrangement,” he says that people experience the energy of the sound differently than that said. of other instruments. “People can feel it.” They knew New Orleans would Some call the music “prog funk,” provide fertile ground to grow a hornothers call it “trombone rock.” Whatbased band, but they couldn’t have ever it is, it’s drippy and heavy-hitting, imagined how rich it would be. On and the horns moan with a melancholy the first night of what would become bark. Visually, the long instruments Bonerama’s existence, they started warp into extra projections of the muoff with seven or eight trombones on sicians’ bodies, arching and crouching stage. “The rest of the trombone playwith the sounds. ers in the city were mad at us cause we The band has changed over the didn’t call them,” Mullins says. years. Matt Perrine has returned to his By the end of that night, there were post on the sousaphone, next to Bert 20 people on stage with trombones. Cotton on guitar and Alvin Ford Jr., The living room story was interon drums. The horn section has been rupted by the door bell. whittled down to three (Klein, Mullins Not your garden variety Whirlpool and Greg Hicks, who joined in 2009), technician, Jerreau “Couzin” Fouras they work toward a more refined nette appeared young, sporting a flat kind of call. “Five or six, it just bebrimmed hat, clean tennis shoes and came more like driving a truck down a Grammy nomination. “I play in the the road,” Mullins said, “You couldn’t Hot 8 Brass Band. I play trombone,” really hear what everyone was doing.” he said. “I saw the name, I saw the “It’s a different kind of energy. It’s name on the invoice. I follow you on heavy. The sonority is real thick,” MulFacebook!” Klein beamed and conlins said of the horn that had defined gratulated him on Hot 8’s recent al- TOP: Matt Perrine on sousaphone. • BOTTOM: Bert Cotton on guitar. his life, “But it can be so sweet and so bum, which had been nominated for pretty and beautiful and delicate at the Best Regional Roots Music Grammy weeks before. “We were rootin’ quiet volumes.” for you,” Klein told him. That ethos shines through in their 2013 studio release, “Shake it The band’s popularity may have been explosive, but its growth has Baby.” It features visits from Dr. John, George Porter Jr., Dave Malone been more like a Jimmy Robertson quote that they like to remember. (The Radiators), and Mike Mills (R.E.M.). Hints of gospel and jazz show “It ain’t easy being a musician. If it was, everybody would be doing it,” through, as well as some Latin beats that may look back to a Monday Klein said, shortly after Fournette left. night at the Village Gate in New York City. “It’s supposed to be the other way around,” Mullins said, of their Klein said a kind of “mental telepathy” is necessary for the band to cushy start with Connick. “We started off as kids, like, boom, right there get “off the page” and into its ideal state of dreamlike improvisation on on tour buses and big houses and all that stuff.” The departure meant the stage. It’s this adventure of the music that has kept fans coming to lower pay, long road trips in old vans, and late nights in Kinkos. “I Bonerama’s shows for the last 16 years. L might as well have been working there, man … We would be lining up flyers and labels. Mailing them out. The stamps. Staying up all night.” Want to know more? He described the copy shop as if it were a nightmare. Visit Bonerama at www.boneramamusic.com.

2014 May Fes tival season all you need is

l ve featuring

M a y 10

FeatURinG: the Beatles 50th yeaR tRiBUte ClassiCal MysteRy toUR A Night At t h e O s c Ar s i th e g r e a te s t so n g s o f ho l l y w o o d M ay 3 iNfl ueNc e Of t h e c h u r c h O N M u s i c Of t h e W e s t e r N W Or l d P e r f o r m e d by P i a n i s t J o n a t h a n le v i n M ay 4 r O s s i Ni P u c c i Ni & M A r t i Ni s a t t h e eo l a h ote l M ay 4 O l ' M A N r i Ve r th e M u s i c o f J e r o m e K e r n M ay 9 t he Beatl e s 5 0 t h Ye a r tr i b u te c l A s s i c A l M Y s t e r Y t O u r M ay 10 A t r i Bu t e t O sO P rA NO l e O N t Y N e P r i c e M ay 11 r O ss i Ni Pu c c i Ni & M A r t i Ni s a t t h e eo l a h ote l M ay 11 i N the MO O d A B i g B A N d B Al l a t t h e eo l a h ote l B a l l r o o m M ay 16 g i l b e r t & su l l i v a n ' s h . M . s. P iN A f Or e M ay 17 A Musi c A l Wi N e tA s t i Ng a t M a g n o l i a B l u f f s ca s i n o M ay 18 t h e W Or l d Of M A r i A c Al l A s M ay 2 3 g. P u c c i n i ' s t O s c A M ay 24

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STORY FROM NEW ORLEANS

Street musician Wael Elhalaby plays classical music on his violin for tips in front of the Cabildo and St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square in New Orleans. The classically-trained violinist plays with an almost religious conviction, believing his music can heal.

22 â&#x20AC;˘ APRIL // MAY 2014

COVER STORY

ger in d u a t S is r h By C ook

Chuck C y b y h p a r g o t o Ph

deOrleans w e N o venl guide t PA trave of street s r W e 8 ll 3 o 9 h 1 and the s from rhymes o climb e h h w t s n e a scrib ’s a wom y “with y. There amed cit it t c n e u h t t e y a dors in aist” and oods of nd her w y backw u h o s r r a a n m hio sings the l.” She ypsy-fas e g v d a r e t k c y t s skirts tu ces of du er fruit: wing tra to sell h o t h e s e r s t g s in the “bare le

ies, lady, lackberr b t o g I , ss and fine three gla ies, lady, ies – fresh r r r r e e b b k k c c “Bla I got bla de vine, m o e, fr sh ies.” Fre fo’ a dim lackberr b s, ie r r e b got black erries, I b k c la b that I got radiated t a h t s balconie newnes and here are o t t s w le o b N b co plifiers. nd hip The e fine am cranks a k a le c m y l ic il b music st layers of ifts with mbient lyrics dr a g , s n o d s n r u er so aterial fo . Raw m ic s u m hop

J. n a i r o t s i h n a b Ur ys a s r e h t u o S k Mar ns’ music, New Orlea Disneyland, much like e deliberate was a moron... constructi

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 Members of Forgotten Soul Brass Band play music in front of St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square in New Orleans.

passersby. Two cooks walk from their shifts in stained baggy uniforms. One says, “Two weeks from now. Guess what’s in town?” “What?” says the other. “The swinger’s convention.” “You’re kidding.” He probably wasn’t. People have different theories about New Orleans’ musical origins: sailors at the port, bargemen from the river, Germany’s military bands, Voodoo conjures, Baptist preachers, the list goes on. Urban historian J. Mark Souther says New Orleans’ music, much like Disneyland, was a more deliberate construction, helped along by an influx of tourists and shrewd business decisions. Author Tom Robbins has a different explanation for the otherness of

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New Orleans. In his book “Jitterbug Perfume,” he writes, “The minute you land in New Orleans, something wet and dark leaps on you and starts humping you like a swamp dog in heat.” The only thing you can do to shake the dog, he says, is to eat. (He’s writing about food.) Others would argue you can dance the dog away just as well. Regardless from where it comes, New Orleans is full of music. There is in fact so much music that the city isn’t quite sure what to do with all of it. Until January, a quiet battle had been simmering between residents of the city’s most visited district, the French Quarter, and the noise of its streets. The VCPORA (Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents and Associates) community group that represents the some 4,000 residents of the Quarter, wrote, “Most of our members love all aspects of our culture, especially music and live entertainment. But the biggest problem that drives

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people out of their homes in the French Quarter is excessive sound. It is often said that you can go home, shut your curtains and ignore the t-shirt shops … you can stay in your courtyard to get away from the trash … but sound is a problem that comes inside your home.” They say the bass-heavy deejay music pulsing from Bourbon Street clubs late into the night has worsened as New Orleans’ tourism industry has flourished. The New Orleans City Council hired an acoustician to help revise existing sound ordinances, and they’ve created a new environmental health program tasked with enforcing noise violations. With news of a beefed-up sound ordinance, music advocates responded decisively and had little trouble mustering popular support against the measure. The council quickly tabled the ordinance, but 300 musicians and demonstrators, led by trombonist Glen David Andrews, still stormed the council chambers in second line fashion. They tapped cowbells and revved sousaphones, chanting “Music ain’t a crime! Music ain’t a crime! Go get the mayor! Music ain’t a crime!” Then they played a mock dirge, “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” to bereave the tabled ordinance. For their part, the residents maintain the ordinance is not meant to stifle the culture of the city, emphasizing that live music will not be impacted. Stuart Smith, a vocal supporter of the ordinance, summoned the greats in a blog post defending the residents: “The new codes won’t stop the next Jelly Roll Morton or Mahalia Jackson or Aaron Neville from emerging from the sidewalks of the Crescent City — as some folks have suggested in recent days.” In the midst of the polemic, “culture” and “street music” have been used by both sides to argue their points. With every mention, the meaning of those words has been dulled down. When I was younger, and my family went to restaurants at night in the French Quarter, the tap dancers on the street corners were mesmerizing. As the drama of the noise ordinance amplified, I wondered about the tap dancers. It had been a while since I have seen them, perhaps since before Katrina.

“

When asked where he was from, he answered elusively. “Everywhere,” he says. Three years ago, he landed in New Orleans because of a chance romantic encounter he had with a woman in St. Louis. “Next thing you know I’m here,” he says. He has played music on the street in Georgia, New York, Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis. “Every big city, that’s their main attraction. They want people to travel there and love the city.” But the difference here, he said, is that “people in New Orleans make a living off of it … they love it. It’s a part of them.” His saxophone hummed alongside Davide Martello, a German pianist, who had pedaled his grand piano into the French Quarter with a custom-welded bicycle trailer. Martello made national headlines last June when he dragged his piano into Istanbul’s Taksim Square during huge protests against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “People stopped to listen. The restless crowd began to calm and organize around Martello. Soon photos and videos of the performance were zinging around the globe,” the New York Times reported. As he left the square, a cloud of tear gas sent him running, and when he returned, his piano had been confiscated. There seems to be no lack of money for music on the streets of New Orleans. None of the performers LEGENDS encountered had a day job, and most called themselves professional musicians. That’s not to say it isn’t hard work that nears a hustle. “For some people it’s about the money,” Street says, “but if nobody makes it sound good, ain’t nobody gonna pay their band.” Wael Elhalaby, a classically-trained violinist who has been in the city for six months, makes no bones about the money he earns. He says that he makes enough to only play when he really wants to. But he plays with an almost religious conviction, with the belief that his music can heal, so he’s on the street often. “Playing is really the only thing I want to do, you know, the thing I want to do in this life,” he says. One day after finishing one of his characteristically high-energy songs, a woman asked him to touch her arm. “She was like, ‘You, you gave me chills. I have goose bumps all over my body from just listening to your song for just two minutes,’” he says. With such a love for performance, he’d more likely be expected to grace a place like New York or Los Angeles. He was in fact playing the

There seems to be no lack of money for music on the streets of New Orleans. None of the performers LEGENDS encountered had a day job, and most called themselves professional musicians.”

The French Quarter In front of St. Louis Cathedral, Anthony Street stood next to a piano in a gold-fringed black robe with crimson swirls. He swayed as he played his saxophone, and the sequins on his robe blinked with the streetlights.

 David Leonard plays for tips in front of the French Market shops in New Orleans.

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 Street musicians Sophia, Clint and Bender play bluegrass music on the sidewalk on Decatur Street in New Orleans.  New Orleans is one of the few remaining cities in America where musicians can openly ply their trade on the streets. In places like New York and Chicago, noise ordinances prevent street music from happening without strict permit requirements.

streets of New York City recently, where he says he was offered auditions for various shows. But New Orleans fits more with his style, he says. “When I was in New York, everyone’s always stressed out, you know, they have to go to work … but in this city, it’s like you know, it’s just fun.” He acknowledges that vacationers help. But he doesn’t mind who’s in his crowd, as long as he has one. “My most favorite spot, I can’t play there anymore,” he says. “It was on Bourbon and Canal. It was at nighttime … I would have crowds, big giant crowds. Sometimes I would just shut off the whole street at Bourbon.” Now that he doesn’t play at night, he doesn’t have much trouble with the law. But he says he struggles with the rush to find a spot to play. He contends with a long list of performers vying for space. The Drunken Catfish Ramblers, Nathan Rivera, Todd Day Wait’s Pigpen, Yes Ma’am, Dick Deluxe ...

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The duo Roselyn Lionheart and David Leonard has been playing the streets of New Orleans regularly since 1973. In the PBS Documentary “River of Song,” David says, “There’s so many people wanting to play the streets now, we’ve got to come out at six in the morning.” Playing music was their full time job, and they spent up to 12 hours a day on the street to support their three kids and buy a house. “We’re very middle class,” he adds. “David’s very middle class,” Roselyn says, “I’m upper class.”

The Brass Bands Kermit Ruffins was still in high school when he became a professional musician. The group that came to be called the Rebirth Brass Band started off like most high school bands with practices at a friend’s house. But things changed when the teens took it to the streets. “When we found out that we could make a little money, we started

doing it every day of the week, playing on the street and learning the street at the same time,” Ruffins explained in “Musical Gumbo: the music of New Orleans.” The band eventually found a regular gig, which exposed them to a wider audience, including an agent from New York who booked them at the Lone Star Café on Fifth Avenue. “On the first night in the big city, the youngsters did what they were used to doing back home; they marched outside and began playing on the street,” Grace Lichtenstein and Laura Danker write in “Musical Gumbo.” “Before you knew it, we had police all around,” Ruffins said, because you can’t play the streets of New York without a permit. Ruffins is now a vanguard performer in New Orleans’ local music scene. He’s released 13 albums, and, in January he re-opened the late Ernie K-Doe’s famous Mother-in-Law Lounge, which had been closed for three years. Roy Lancaster is only 28, but he’s already seen the way kids are transformed by music, starting with the streets. “I watched them get jobs with bigger bands, based on just coming out in the street and playing their horns,” he said. He’s taught in the Orleans Parish school system and spent the last five years playing trumpet with the Young Fellaz Brass Band. “There’s already a huge cut in the arts in the public school system in New Orleans,” he says. “A lot of kids that don’t learn (music) in school learn out on the streets with these bands.” He himself learned after he heard music from outside floating into his house. “I used to hear kids play under the bridge. You know, playing their horns at each other.” His band is a staple on the corner at Chartres and Frenchmen streets, a burgeoning musical corridor off the eastern edge of the French Quarter. “We were born off Frenchmen Street. That’s pretty much home to all of us. That’s our spot.” One night, he says, “the whole part of the Seventh Ward over there, the lights went out. We were over there playing. And since we were the only entertainment, everybody came outside.” Unimaginable, since their typical crowd is large, even as they compete with the ten or so other “stages” that attract huge audiences. As you walk up the street, you can hear them long before you see them. A loose, bobbing, semi-circular crowd surrounds them, and all you might see of the band is the top of the tuba. When the Saints won the NFC Championship game that sent them to the Superbowl, the city was bound to go into a frenzy. But Lancaster

is proud to say that Young Fellaz helped it along. They led a second line parade from Frenchmen Street, across the French Quarter, and into Canal Street, where traffic was snarled with women shaking in the street and car horns blaring. “Bourbon just spilled on Canal,” Lancaster says, “People went everywhere.” The police came through to part the crowd, he said, but “We just got back together and kept following line.” He says the police are more successful when they part the Young Fellaz’ Frenchmen Street crowd. Ever since 2010, when the city began enforcing an 8 p.m. curfew on street performers, Young Fellaz was shut down fairly often. But despite periodic pressure from law enforcement, they still play. After the January march on the council chambers, enforcement has waned. Lancaster says it’s a tough message to swallow. “It’s something that we been doing for years in a city where you learned this craft … and all of the sudden, somebody comes up and (says) ‘Oh, you can’t do that here.’ I think it’s kind of unfair to the music scene because not only is it killing a cultural idea but it’s also taking money from professional musicians.” Kyle Genkayo, who plays saxophone for New Creations Brass Band, says that he’s noticed a similar lull in enforcement since the protest. His band has regular gigs, but they still play the streets, which represent a unique “creative opportunity,” he says. “The thing about playing on the streets is you’re free to do whatever you want, literally.” For him, it’s “to have brass band music sprout out of something where there’s no order and come up with something where there is order that people enjoy.” The streets of New Orleans have always had a lawless quality about them. A light rain may change them from solid to liquid. Fortunately for the city, strokes of beauty have at times risen from the chaos. As the story goes, Louis Armstrong was out singing on Rampart Street on New Year’s Eve in 1912 or so. When his friend pointed a gun towards him and fired a blank, Louis retaliated by shooting a live .38 caliber pistol into the sky. He was sentenced to a stay in the Colored Waifs’ Home. Armstrong apparently flourished with the discipline of the place. It was there that he learned to lead a band. Music has come from the streets, and people have fallen in love with it. They’ve done so with such passion that it has grown even bigger, won Grammys, clogged the streets, and woken neighbors in the night, perhaps creating a little chaos of its own. L

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Springtime Is Festival Time In TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI April 17-19 tupelo film Festival Arts, Music & Food

May 2-4 Tupelo Blue Suede Cruise Classic Cars

May 9-11 Gumtree Festival Film, Music & Parties

June 5-8 elvis ® presley Festival It’s ALL About Elvis Plan a weekend getaway of fun to TUPELO by scanning the code or visiting www.tupelo.net or call 800-533-0611! 30 • APRIL // MAY 2014

STORY FROM TUPELO, MISS.

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them to a two year contract. Despite their young ages, listeners are attracted to the maturity with which they play the blues and their homemade instruments, hence the name behind the band. Their guitars and basses were created from Ford automobile parts and still bear the Ford logos on them. “That idea came from my dad,” Ryan says. “He was a mechanic until he retired. He was helping me fix a car and ordered a muffler. He ripped out the pickups of an electric guitar and

“Despite their young ages, listeners are attracted to the maturity with which they play the blues and their homemade instruments, hence the name behind the band. Their guitars and basses were created from Ford automobile parts and still bear the Ford logos on them.”

n a field dominated by more mature artists, it might be easy for one to assume International Blues Challenge competitors were musicians in their 30s and beyond. But when the Homemade Jamz Blues Band entered this competition in 2007, the siblings who make up this trio, were still children. “We won second place out of 157 bands. It was a dream come true,” says Ryan Perry, guitarist and vocalist for the Tupelo-based band. At the time, he was 16, his brother Kyle (bassist) was 14 and little sister Taya (drums) was only 9. At this 23rd International Blues Challenge, the Homemade Jamz Blues Band was the youngest band to ever compete. They also became the youngest blues band to secure a record contract when the Toronto-based based label NorthernBlues Music signed

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put them into the muffler. Dad originally decided to use it as a conversation piece, but it sounded so good that I started playing it.” These days, Ryan has 15 guitars built as such. The majority of them were made from cheap single neck or double neck electric guitars – most of which contain the single coil pick-ups that were taken from the original guitars. The electronics on the guitars have not been modified even though the bodies are unique, and despite the cheap electronics, Ryan channels his influences perfectly. In some songs, one would almost believe that the ghost of Albert King was present. “Albert King’s tone and playing style was amazing,” Ryan says. “I love him. Most people our age were probably not listening to the blues, but our dad brought the blues to us. We would always hear him playing B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughn – stuff like that. I guess we just gravitated towards it because we heard it so much. Plus growing up in Tupelo, we were kind of in the center of a lot of blues. We were so close to Muscle Shoals and the Delta.” The group started with Ryan and Kyle playing with an unrelated drummer. It wasn’t long before the group became a family affair, playing wedding receptions and parties.

“We originally told Taya that she was too young to play with us. Once we finally heard her playing, though, we swallowed our pride and asked if she would join the band.” Now, the band boasts a B.B. King testimonial on its website: “These young kids have got energy, talent and do the blues proud with their own flavor. I believe they’ve got a great future ahead.” The group’s father, Renaud Perry, was the primary influence on their first three albums, writing all of their original material and playing harmonica. On the band’s latest release, 2013’s “Mississippi Hill Country,” Ryan took over the role of primary songwriter. “It was extremely scary,” he says. “The main influence behind that was my parents getting a divorce. One thing lead to another, and I felt the need to write. It was a very humbling experience. Dad doesn’t do music with us anymore. Hopefully one day he can sit in with us, because I know how much he misses us.” After their two year contract ended with NorthernBlues Music, the trio began recording and distributing their music independently with their mother, Tricia Perry, acting as manager. “The one thing we learned is how much money it actually costs to promote your music,” Ryan says. “It’s one of the things we miss about being on a label, but it also makes us work harder. We’ve also been able to open ourselves up and include other influences as we’ve gone on. We like to grab people who aren’t into the blues and have them go deeper.” “I am hoping that soon Kyle and Taya will step up and write songs also. I am really glad that we can do this as a family. I don’t want to play with anyone else but them, and it comes through in our performances. We feed off of each other’s facial expressions. It is an amazing chemistry that we have.” L

Want to hear them? Upcoming shows include: April 12 - The 100 Men Hall, Bay St. Louis, Miss. May 31 – Western Maryland Blues Festival, Hagerstown, Md. June 14 – W.C. Handy Blues & BBQ Festival, Henderson, Ky. August 9 – Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, Clarksdale, Miss. August 16 – Jackson Rhythm & Blues Festival, Jackson, Miss. For more information or to purchase releases, visit www.hmjamzbluesband.com.

 Ryan Perry, vocals and guitarist;  Kyle Perry, bassist;  Taya Perry, drums, were the youngest performers to ever compete in the acclaimed International Blues Challenge competition. READLEGENDS.COM

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STORY FROM COLUMBUS, CARROLLTON, GREENWOOD AND GREENVILLE

The historic Rosedale mansion, Columbus, Miss.

34 • APRIL // MAY 2014

By Kara Martinez Bachman

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Columbus photography by Caterina Mendolicchio.   During Spring Pilgrimage in Columbus, guests stroll through a number of historic mansions. Each is exquisitely decorated with period furniture and furnishings. The event is one of the southern city’s largest attractions, garnering thousands of visitors each year.

ast year, U.S. Highway 82 became the first “cultural highway” in Mississippi. As the state works on giving more thoroughfares such titles of distinction, Mississippi Heritage Highway 82 today stands alone as a single paved path to Mississippi’s – and hence, America’s – past. The road begins at the Alabama/Mississippi state line in northeast Mississippi as it angles downward and traverses the width of the state, ending at the Mississippi River and the Arkansas line. Along the path lie historical treasures, little gems in the crown of Mississippi’s past. By putting the pedal to the metal on 82 -- and occasionally stopping here and there to study this past – there’s a lesson to be found about simpler times in America.

Historic Columbus is the first stop along the east-west trek.}

“We have three historic districts with over 650 properties that are on the National Register of Historic Places,” said Nancy Carpenter, executive director of the Columbus Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. Carpenter’s passion for the city is evident in her excited tone as she explains how Columbus adds to the Hwy. 82 story. “From a leisure standpoint, we feel that we can offer the ultimate experience for a visitor,” said Carpenter, whose office faces an important spot in the story of the South, the childhood home home of Tennessee Williams, now in use as the city’s welcome center. The more distant past comes alive for visitors during Columbus’ Annual Spring Pilgrimage, taking place Nancy Carpenter

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“To understand the world, you must first understand a place like Mississippi.” -William Faulkner

Lasting contributions to America’s musical and literary legacies were forged in the Mississippi Hills, and our Civil War and Civil Rights heritage is of national significance. The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area highlights the historic, cultural, natural, scenic and recreational treasures of this distinctive region. Plan your itinerary today! Visit www.mississippihills.org or stop by the MISSISSIPPI HILLS EXHIBIT CENTER

Open M - F • 10a.m. - 4p.m. 398 East Main Street • Tupelo, MS 38804 (662) 844-1276

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 Downtown Carrollton, Miss., is reminiscent of the late 1800s when its former resident, Sen. J.Z. George, penned the state’s constitution. (Photographs by Marianne Todd / LEGENDS)

March 28-April 12. In its 74th year, the pilgrimage gives visitors a glimpse of the past with many sites recreating American life in the 1800s. Tours of more than a dozen historic homes combine with a series of special events to give travelers following 82 a true sense of the American South of old. The schedule includes a range of happenings, from lectures and parties to tours of the Friendship Cemetery, site of the Confederate Decoration Day that gave rise to the poem, “The Blue and the Gray.” Another must-see stop is Rosedale Mansion. Built in 1856, the home is constructed of 500,000 handmade bricks. It is available for touring not only during Pilgrimage, but at any time of the year. “Rosedale is thought to be the finest Italianate mansion in the South,” Carpenter said. “The home houses the largest private collection of John Henry Belter furniture in America, and houses only American-made pieces. The most notable are Roux, Meeks and Herter Brothers.” Another notable spot in Columbus is “Catfish Alley,” with its namesake festival, The Catfish in the Alley Festival, held there in March. The event commemorates the history of the spot while offering blues music and Mississippi-raised fried catfish. “Catfish Alley is the oldest African-American business district in the state,” Carpenter said. “This is where African-Americans would bring the catfish they caught in the Tennessee-Tombigbee River. They would bring them up to this Catfish Alley, which is four streets up from the river. It became known as an important business and entertainment center for African-Americans.”

Stepping back in time in Carrollton.}

Once motorists hit the blacktop again and continue west, consider the road’s next Americana nexus, the town of Carrollton. There’s the

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Carroll County Courthouse. There’s the Carrollton Presbyterian Church and the Grace Episcopal Church. There are a number of things that point to our distant past as a Southern porch sittin’ and lemonade sippin’ society reliant on simple ways and simple things. There’s Gee’s store, which is the oldest business site in Carroll County. There’s the Masonic Lodge, circa 1899. There’s the Merrill Museum. In North Carrollton, visitors find Cotesworth. Built circa 1840 as a stagecoach stop inn for travelers journeying between Carrollton and Grenada, Cotesworth may be the best known site in the Carrollton area. The property has stood sentinel in North Carrollton for generations and has witnessed the old America of the antebellum South, the Reconstruction years, the Victorian era and the early days of the 20th century when the great American highways and interstates overtook old stagecoach roads as our major byways. The state’s constitution was largely penned in the library there under the authorship of Sen. J.Z. George. Cotesworth was used as a location for the film “The Help,” which gave a glimpse of life during times that were less-than-perfect for minorities in the American South.

A diversion to a good time gospel hour.}

Travelers who happen to be in the south Carrollton area on the right night … say, the third Saturday of the month … would be treated to a bit of unparalleled Americana that harkens to days past. It happens at an old building called the Black Hawk School. “The current building had its first classes beginning in August of 1921,” said Spann Robertson, self-described as “the only male member” of the Black Hawk Homemakers Club, a group tasked with keeping the old school building alive. “It [the school] was continuous until it closed in the late 1950s. The Board of Education deeded the building to the

Black Hawk Homemakers Club. I don’t know when it started, but I can tell you the club was in existence when my mother was young … and I’m 79 years old. “On the third Saturday of the month, there are two bands. Country, bluegrass or gospel. Black Hawk ladies run the kitchen, the bands play and the people clap their hands. It’s a good clean atmosphere, always. There’s no alcohol or tobacco inside the building.” The feeling of old time America really comes to pass every four years, when Black Hawk hosts a large political rally. It’s like the old-time Southern rallies of yesteryear, the kind seen in movies and on TV. Last year, there were 77 speakers. “It all dates back to the days before TV,” Robertson said.

And don’t forget the pie.}

Every good road trip is accompanied by really good road food – and maybe a bit of shopping. Look no further than Greenwood. On the Hwy. 82 corridor, the Crystal Grill in downtown Greenwood is perfect for a sit-down lunch. The restaurant serves up heaping plates of steaks, chicken, seafood, pasta and sandwiches with all the trimmings – along with a heaping dose of Southern hospitality and constant sweet tea refills – but they’re best known for their mile high pies. Take your pick of chocolate, coconut or lemon icebox, and while you’re at it get another for the road. Just down the street, meander into Turnrow Book Co. for a good read of the area’s history or into the Mississippi Gift Company next door to take home a souvenir. Places seen in scenes from Hollywood’s popular movie “The Help” abound. Grab a map from the local Convention and Visitors Bureau and see the sights at your own pace. There is a special map just for locations in “The Help” available at the CVB.  Visitors to the 1927 Flood Museum in Greenville learn how populations and agriculture were vastly changed in the massive flooding that claimed 27,000 square miles of land. (Photographs by Ken Flynt / LEGENDS)

The flood that changed America.}

Further west lies Greenville. In this Delta town, visitors explore the 1927 Flood Museum, located in the oldest structure in downtown. The museum tells the story – through photos, exhibits and film – of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, when the “Great River” showed that it held nature’s trump card when she overflowed her boundaries. Flooding 27,000 square miles and affecting millions of people in ten Southern states, the flood was a precedent-setting event for the nation. Although ripples of the flood were felt throughout the South, the end result was the the spread of African-Americans to other states as they sought dry ground and work. With these people, the culture of Mississippi became further intertwined with that of the rest of America as the music and ways of the state were carried away in this unfortunate, but ultimately influential, diaspora. The past that has shaped this country will hopefully serve as an old school primer, not unlike those that may have been in the quaint Black Hawk School of Carroll County. But instead of teaching ABCs, the history learned in these places of “Americana” will help to grow an informed and positive future for Mississippi. The road may end in Greenville, but lessons to be learned along 82 never end. Sarah McCullough, culture and heritage program manager for the Mississippi Department of Tourism, was part of the team that labored to make 82 the first highway of cultural distinction in the state. Although she won’t reveal which highways are currently under consideration, she does acknowledge selection criteria is created from preserved and diverse cultural sites. Sites can fall into several categories, among them are architecture, music, literature, culinary or military heritage. On all counts, Hwy. 82 fits the bill. L

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STORY FROM NATCHEZ, MISS.

his Festival typically opens with a larger-than-life music event, and this year is no exception. Opening night on May 3 features a red carpet reception at the Historic Natchez Foundation with A Night at the Oscars following. After drinks and hors d’ oeuvres, guests can stroll to the First Presbyterian Church for a performance of the greatest songs of Hollywood. There, the Natchez Festival Orchestra and vocalists will perform songs from some of Hollywood’s most memorable films. A Festival favorite, Rossini, Puccini and Martinis is on the calendar for May 4 and 11, and gives audience members a chance to rub elbows with their favorite performers. Hosted by the Eola Hotel, the grand lobby will come alive with live performances and flowing martinis for this relaxed event. Natchez loves Jerome Kern for his musical productions, but particularly Show Boat, which was filmed in the historic river  Rossini and Puccini are celebrated with martinis at Rossini, Puccini and Martinis, one of the Festivals favored events. Held at the Eola in downtown Natchez, the event features live music and flowing martinis.

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MUSIC

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Natchez Festival of Music Schedule of Events

24TH SEASON MAY 3-24, 2014

city. “Ol’ Man River” grabs the soul and takes the audience to the multifaceted personality and memories of the mighty Mississippi River on May 9. Participants will enjoy Kern’s great musical scores while feasting on the cuisine of Natchez Chef Regina Charboneau. Charboneau will feature recipes from her book Mississippi Current and host a book signing to boot.

Saturday, May 3 Red Carpet, Opening Night Reception A Night at the Oscars, $35 Sunday, May 4 Sanctuary - Jonathan Levin, piano, $20

Rossini, Puccini and Martinis Free admission. Cash bar. Friday, May 9 Ol’ Man River -The Music of Jerome Kern, $100. Includes fare and adult beverages. Saturday, May 10 All You Need Is Love - Celebrating 50 Years of The Beatles Coming to America. Starring the Classical Mystery Tour Floor seating, $45, stadium seating, $25 Sunday, May 11 A Tribute to Leontyne Price, $30

Rossini, Puccini and Martinis Free admission. Cash bar. Friday, May 16 In the Mood - Big Band Ball Event, $40 Saturday, May 17 H.M.S. Pinafore - Gilbert and Sullivan, $30 Sunday, May 18 Festival Musical Wine Tasting, $50

A Tosca Weekend

Friday, May 23 The World of Maria Callas, $35 Saturday, May 24 Tosca, $35

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Classical Mystery Tour

On May 10, All You Need is Love. The signature event features the Classical Mystery Tour, celebrating 50 years since the Beatles arrived on American soil. John, Paul, George and Ringo are the fab four touted as the best Beatles tribute artists in the nation. The event is slated at the Natchez City Auditorium. For Mother’s Day, plan to attend A Tribute to Leontyne Price. Known for her vibrant and soaring voice, the Mississippi soprano rose to international acclaim in the 1950s and was one of the first African-Americans to become a star at the Metropolitan Opera, the company that would become her artistic home. After more than 50 years, Price still holds the record for e ic the longest standing ovation ever given at the Leontyne Pr Met, lasting more than 42 minutes. Relish her celebrity and lifetime of achievement as singers present a breathtaking and inspirational tribute performance recital in the historic Temple B’Nai Israel. On May 17, the Festival kicks up with a comedic performance of H.M.S. Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan. This hilarious story of love between two classes takes place aboard the British ship H.M.S. Pinafore when the captain’s daughter falls in love with a sailor. The production is packed with musical pieces with trifling lyrics that immediately draw the audience into the plot with hearty laughter. The event is slated at the Margaret Martin Performing Arts Center. The music of Maria Callas, one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century, comes alive on May 23 in The World of Maria Callas, performed by favorite MaryAnn Kyle of the University

Mid 20th Century to Contemporary Jewelry • Art • Pottery • Glass • Metal arts American mid 20th century jewelry by Henry Steig (cuff), Art Smith (pin), Jack Nutting (ring)

Natchez

Come celebrate Azaleas, Architecture

and

America’s History!

For ticket information, private guides, group tours and other information on all things Natchez, call or visit our website.

NATCHEZ PILGRIMAGE TOURS

1-800-647-6742

415 Main Street, Natchez, Mississippi 39120 601-304-9684 • 228-424-7274 www.mschon.com marbeth1@aol.com

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Homemade Soups, Sandwiches, Cakes, Muffins, Coffee & Teas, Fruit Smoothies and much more!

509 Franklin Street ~ Natchez, Mississippi ~ (601) 304-1415

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Also offering design, upholstery, drapery, and refinishing services. 107 North Commerce Street | Natchez, Mississippi (508) 579-3571 | Kevin Miers Brodeur

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The

BLUES and HOME COOKIN’ It’s like

MISSISSIPPI 101 Walnut Hills Restaurant is the one place you MUST eat during your visit to Vicksburg! World famous food, and live blues every weekend!

1214 Adams Street, Vicksburg • 601-638-4910

www.WALNUTHILLSMS.com 44 • APRIL // MAY 2014

of Southern Mississippi.. “Nearly 30 years after her death, she’s still the definition of the diva as an artist – and still one of classical music’s best-selling vocalists,” wrote Opera News. Callas was seductive and intriguing, the woman in the life of Aristotle Onassis before Jackie Kennedy. Maria Callas While publicly she was dynamic and glamorous, privately she was very different. This performance offers a glimpse into the side of Callas not regularly shown to the public. The finale of the Festival is Tosca, a passionate story set to some of Puccini’s most beautiful music. It is a tale of a woman caught between her fugitive lover and the malicious police chief who is chasing him. It is a dynamic musical drama filled with lust, pain and evil. Don’t speak Italian? No worries. English supertitles will be provided over the stage at the Margaret Martin Performing Arts Center. L

TICKET INFORMATION ONLINE: www.natchezfestivalofmusic.com or www.natchezpilgrimage.com MAIL: Natchez Pilgrimage Tours, P.O. Box 347, Natchez, MS 39121 or Natchez Festival of Music, P.O. Box 2207, Natchez, MS 39121 PHONE: (601) 446-6631 or (800) 647-6742 TICKET PACKAGE OPTIONS: Ultimate Package, $320 (Beatles floor), $300 (Beatles Stadium) Includes all events Encore Package, $250 (Beatles floor), $230 (Beatles Stadium) Includes most Applause Package, $160 (Beatles floor), $140 (Beatles Stadium) – Includes main events Young Adult Patron Package, $50 (Beatles Stadium) – Includes main events (ages19-45) Student, college and military ID tickets are available for most events; Group rates, hotel and bed & breakfast packages are available for certain events. For more information, visit www.natchezfestivalofmusic.com

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STORY FROM VICKSBURG, MISS.

Kennith Humphrey at work in his Vicksburg studio.

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FEATURE

By Kara Martinez Bachman Photography by Michael Barrett

In Vicksburg, life inspires art. It may be something small, like the way water puddles around cobblestones in the old part of town. It may be the flow of the river. It may be the light, or the smile of someone who has lived in town for decades. For artist Kennith Humphrey, this inspirational muse can be sensed in his painting. When paintbrush meets canvas, the people and places of Vicksburg come alive. The people walk. They talk. They go to church. They make music. They do the things – usually ordinary – that people do. “We have a rich history,” said Humphrey. “It’s like Mayberry with a twist. That would inspire anybody.” When looking at a Humphrey painting – with it’s use of vibrant, sometimes jarring color – and a penchant for cubist-esque forms and vertical lines, including highly stylized human figures with long legs and tall inner spirits – there seems to be more “twist” than “Mayberry.” It’s the “everyday” that inspires the artist. “Everything. People. Everyday people,” said Humphrey. “People in bad situations, people in good situations.” As an African-American living in the often depressed, but often creative state of Mississippi, it’s no doubt the artist has seen a lot of both. The self-taught Humphrey has had successful gallery showings in San Francisco, Martha’s Vineyard, Atlanta, Anchorage and other cities. He was selected as the official artist of the USA International Ballet Competition in 2002 and his work hangs in the American Embassy in Portugal. Humphrey has done commissioned work for the Vicksburg Military Park, Jackson Arts and Music Foundation, and the American Heart Association, to name a few. But when talking about art with people in Vicksburg, it is clear he is a

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 Humphrey’s work can be found in the Attic Gallery in Vicksburg. The artist is fond of everyday life scenes.

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hometown favorite. His work can be seen and purchased locally at The Attic Gallery in Vicksburg. “The Attic Gallery of Lesley Silver is one of the oldest established galleries in this region. Lesley has had it since the early 1970s,” said Tom Pharr, co-owner of the Anchuca Historic Mansion and Inn in Vicksburg. “She represents regional and local folk artists that aren’t formally educated in art, but have got hidden talents. She represented William Tolliver for some time, and now represents his half-brother, Kennith Humphrey, who has a wonderful style of his own.” Tolliver’s work is collected worldwide and is featured in the permanent collections of museums such as Corcoran Museum, McKissick Museum, Hampton University Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art and the Zigler Museum. “You can see the relationship between the two brothers through their work,” Pharr elaborated. “Although, I have a pretty good feeling they’d both like to be recognized singularly and not together. Their art is different, they’re both quite unique.” Humphrey was raised in an environment that valued art, and he had access to art books and other tools. But according to Humphrey, Tolliver held his own knowledge close to his chest; young

VB.KeytoEntertainmentAd2014.3.85x9.875.qxp:Layout 1 2/25/14 9:42 AM Page 1

Humphrey was left to learn the fundamentals of art – and develop his own personal style – without much help. “He taught me absolutely nothing,” said Humphrey, of his wellknown half-brother. “It was like, whatever you’re trying to do, you’ll learn on your own.” Humphrey did. “He’s [Humphrey] much younger … a different generation. It’s in the genes, obviously,” said Pharr, as he points to paintings in his home by both artists. “He’s a wonderful Mississippi artist. I’m proud to display them both here at Anchuca, especially since this is their hometown.” According to Silver, it was rough for the artist when he first started selling his work. “He came in here a little over 16 years ago,” said Silver. “Nobody had ever shown his work long-term. They had taken some of his work to California, sold it, but then said, ‘We don’t owe you any money, because the frames cost so much. So we’re not sending you any money.’ “Everyone we have here has a story, and we like to talk about our artists to people so they know why the person did what they did,” said Silver. “In the gallery, we not only have the art … we have the artist … it’s really part of the landscape, because we love the artist. When you buy the art, you buy the artist also.” L

VISIT

VICKSBURG The Key to Entertainment

March28-29& April 4-5, 11-12 Gold in the Hills

April 3-26 Tapestry: ThePilgrimage to Vicksburg April 12 Alcorn State University Jazz Fest

“William Tolliver, who is a native son of Vicksburg, is an important artist for our country. He now has a permanent exhibit at the Smithsonian. European visitors really enjoy William’s art. They are here to discover America’s music … William grew up under the same circumstances as most of our blues entertainers. He was self-taught. His circumstances allowed him to have the same feeling and emotion put into his art as the American blues musician puts into his music. While you may not be able to hear it, you can see the heart and soul of America’s music as interpreted in William Tolliver’s art. Music industry giants, CEO’s, collect his work. William is significant for this region, for the state, and for the country. He would be really pleased to know they [the paintings] are so prominently displayed in an antebellum tour home, because a few decades ago that’s an idea that someone wouldn’t have entertained at all. But it’s all part of this community.”

– Tom Pharr, Anchuca Mansion, Vicksburg

April 25-26 RiverFest Music and Arts Festival

April 26 Old Court House Flea Market

Scan this QR to visit our mobile site and get your keys to Vicksburg.

www.VisitVicksburg.com

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odney D. Bennett, president of the University of Southern Mississippi, briefly traded his desk job for a spot in the 29th Annual Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo as a grand marshal. Bennett, who celebrates his first year in office this month (April), was the first grand marshal to enter the arena on horseback. When not riding broncos, Bennett is charged with the weighty task of caring for every facet of institutional operations at USM. (Photograph by Chuck Cook / LEGENDS).

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Come to Greenville-Washington County to re-boot your energy with a full lineup of revelry to renew your spirit. Authentic Delta blues, food, festivities—dare we say paradise?

23rd Annual Crawfish Festival, Leland / May 10 Mississippi Delta Dragon Boat Festival / August 8-9 37th Annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival / September 20 4th Annual Sam Chatmon Blues Festival, Hollandale / September 27 2nd Annual Mighty Mississippi Music Festival / October 3-5 3rd Annual Delta Hot Tamale Festival / October 16-18 4th Annual “Jim Henson” Frog Fest, Leland / October 25

Convention & Visitors Bureau

www.visitgreenville.org 1-800-467-3582 READLEGENDS.COM

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STORY FROM TUPELO, MISS.

Because of its huge popularity, Elvis Tribute

Artist Concerts and Competitions have been moved from the downtown Lyric Theatre in Tupelo, Miss., to the BancorpSouth Arena to accommodate more fans.

The festival is slated for June 5-8 as the 16th

anniversary of the festival brings tribute artists and fans together for a musical explosion. Contestants competing in the 2014 Tupelo event are vying for the 2014 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition to be held in Memphis. Each night, former Tupelo winners will perform their tribute to the King of Rock ‘N’ Roll. Performers this year include Brandon Bennett, Bill Cherry, Cody Slaughter and Jay Dupuis.

The Tupelo Elvis Festival is known worldwide

for hosting the best Elvis tribute artists based on talent, performance and likeness to the King. Drawing thousands of fans from multiple countries, visitors during the festival are sure to get a peek of Elvis’ birthplace, still standing near its original location, the downtown drugstore where Elvis bought his first guitar and the hamburger stand that still boasts the Elvis booth that was his favorite table when he lived in the northeast Mississippi city.

As of press time the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, which hosts the event, had not announced its entertainment lineup. To purchase tickets for the Tribute Artist event, or for more information, including entertainment announcement dates, phone (662) 841-6598 or write to jessica@tupelomainstreet.com.

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THE 2014 LINE-UP Thursday, June 5th @ 7:00 PM Opener- Memphis Jones Headliner- Cody Slaughter Friday, June 6th @ 10:00 AM: Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Preliminary Competition- Round 1 Friday, June 6th @ 7:00 PM: Opener- Sonny Burgess and the Pacers Headliner- Brandon Bennett and Bill Cherry Saturday, June 7th @ 10:00 AM: Conversations with Tom Brown Saturday, June 7th @ 1:00 PM: Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Preliminary Competition- Semi-Final Round Saturday, June 7th @ 7:00 PM: Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Preliminary Competition- Final Round Headliner- Jay Dupuis Sunday, June 8th @ 10:00 AM: Elvis Gospel Brunch featuring Memphis Jones & the Unity Choir

Home to blues legends like Kenny Brown, Joe Callicott, Memphis Minnie, Don McMinn and more, the blues have deep roots here in DeSoto County. Come catch a live show or travel back in time along our historic Blues Trail. For a free vacation guide, call 662-393-8770 or visit SoDeSoto.com.

Blues Trail

Museum

Great Venues

Shopping

In Northwest Mississippi, minutes from Memphis and Tunica. With 38 hotels, 7 B+B’s, 250+ restaurants and lots of fun activities, a great time is just a phone call away.

SOULFUL!

DeSoto County, Mississippi H E R N A N D O · H O R N L A K E · OLIVE BRANCH · SOUTHAVEN · WALLS

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STORY FROM BROOKSVILLE, MISS.

The sweets of

Brooksville The busy little bakery in the middle of nowhere BY RILEY MANNING PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARIANNE TODD

riday morning is the busiest time of the week for the Ole Country Bakery in Brooksville. Run by a crew of Mennonites, the small shop is a speck amid the surrounding northeast Mississippi cotton fields, pieced squarely together like a humongous quilt. Its saccharine pleasures draw customers from all over the state. “When I tell people I’m from Brooksville, they have no idea, but when I ask if they know the Mennonite bakery, they light up,” said Ethel Coleman, a regular at the bakery since it opened in the 1980s. Locals and passersby alike line the counter, peering over the glass-covered treats. A few peruse shelves of Amish friendship bread, a sweet bread made from a 10-day starter, pies, butter horn rolls  Friday morning at the Brooksville Ole Country Bakery. The little shop is situated on a lonely stretch of U.S. Highway 45 but daily garners customers from around the state.

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Come. Let one of the nation’s finest collections of historic homes and attractions take you to another world, in a world-class cultural heritage festival that offers inviting excitement and fun for all ages, all interests. It’s all here at the 74th annual Spring Pilgrimage, in the city that has it all: Columbus, Mississippi! Festivals and fun. Grand and gorgeous historic homes. Birthplace of America’s greatest playwright,Tennessee Williams. Ghost tours that tingle the spine and touch the imagination. In a recreational paradise, the hunting and fishing are superb, and in a city of legendary artists, the music and magic are never-ending. So shop, dine, and savor – Columbus, Mississippi.

Year-Round Daily Historic Home Tours • March 28-April 12 Annual Spring Pilgrimage Home Tours • March 29 Catfish in the Alley • April 2-9 Tales from the Crypt • April 5-6 Air Show featuring U.S. A. F. Thunderbirds • April 12 NEW FOR 2014 Pilgrimage Half-Marathon and 5K Run • May 2-3 Market Street Festival • June 20-21 Juneteenth • July 3-4 Southside/ Townsend Park Blues Festival • July 10-12 Crawford Cotton Boll Festival • August 2014 Artesia Days • August 16 Possum Town Triathlon • August 22-23 Roast N’ Boast • September 8-14 Tennessee Williams Tribute • October 3-4 7th Avenue Heritage Festival • October 17-18 Caledonia Days • October 24-26 Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium • October 30-November 1 Decorative Arts & Preservation Forum/ Antiques Show & Sale • November 2014 Ghosts & Legends • January 2015 DREAM 365: MLK Celebration

Tennessee Williams Home & Welcome Center 300 Main Street • 800-920-3533 www.visitcolumbusms.org

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“Maybe it isn’t so hard to trace his penchant for watching things rise and grow under the care of laboring hands. Bakers arrive at 4 a.m. each day to begin rolling out dough for donuts. Next come the apple fritters, breads and butter horn rolls.”

% and locally made honey. Others are there for a fresh sandwich made with homemade bread, a salad or freshly-cooked soup. At least three or four days a week, Coleman sidles in from the nearby Crawford community and orders a cup of coffee along with an 89 cent donut, or maybe a cinnamon roll. She won’t reveal her age, but she says the food reminds her of her mother’s sourdough bread. “She was constantly feeding and tending to it. When she’d make biscuits, she’d pinch a little bit of the dough off and use it in the mix,” Coleman said. “I think that’s what people like about this place. It’s like coming home.” In 2012, west Kansas native Les Decker bought the business with his wife, Sheila, after moving to Brooksville in order to be closer to his wife’s family in Macon. He bought the bakery, he said, because he was, “Just looking for something different. Lots of recipes come out of our social circle. We just continued what was working.” Decker grew up on a farm, raising cattle, hauling silage and making compost. Maybe it isn’t so hard to trace his penchant for watching things

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rise and grow under the care of laboring hands. Bakers arrive at 4 a.m. each day to begin rolling out dough for donuts. Next come the apple fritters, breads and butter horn rolls. An hour later, the rest of the staff has clocked in to prepare the salad and breakfast bar. Doors open promptly at 6 a.m. “It takes a lot of doing to get everything to come out every day. And sometimes it turns out wrong. It’s not the same every day. I wish it were, but it’s not,” Decker said. Then, after a thoughtful pause, “It’s better to go from start to finish.” People can taste the difference, he said, and they appreciate the Ole Country Bakery-type effort because it is getting harder and harder to find. The Ole Country Bakery has operated in such a way for the past 33 years, according to Joyce Kehn, who is six years into her tenure as pie maker there. “A local woman named Geneva Nightingale started it all by herself,” Kehn said. “She prayed for the Lord to give her something to do so she

could support her family, so she started baking.” It began as part of a service station, peddling various types of bread, then donuts. It grew and grew into what it is today. “We’re still living on those prayers,” Kehn said. No day is the same, and the staff of a dozen or so couldn’t be closer. Even the occasional mishap yields its pleasures. “Waste not, want not,” Kehn said. “For instance, if dough stays too long in the freezer, we make bread pudding. People go crazy for it.” Her most popular pie is the classic pecan, but her favorite is coconut creme. “Everyone likes a pretty pie with a tender crust,” she said. “It’s a challenge to make so many the same way you would make a pie for one person, but we do our best.” Decker is quick to credit his workers as a well-oiled machine, transacting between 300 and 400 purchases each day. He’ll tell you he’s there for moral support, and to smooth out the kinks when they arise. Repeat customers are evidence his business is on track. He looks forward to meeting them one-on-one. “Plenty of people who come in stop by every time they make a trip

to Starkville or the coast, even if it’s a little out of their way,” he said. “We try to make an impression, and I think we do a good job.” His favorite item? The caramel nut roll. L

Want to go? The bakery, located at 135 U.S. Highway 45 North, Brooksville, is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (662) 738-5795.

 TOP TO BOTTOM: Kendra Koehn gives lemon squares a good dusting of confection sugar. She has worked at the Brooksville bakery for four and a half years. • Bakers make everything from specialty breads and pies to birthday cakes. • Sandra Peaster decorates a cake in the kitchen. Peaster has been with the bakery for seven years.  LEFT TO RIGHT: Caramel nut rolls, white country bread, donuts, cinnamon rolls and cheese bread line the shelves.

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Chorus members through its 25 year history joined voices recently in celebration of The Mississippi Chorus’ silver anniversary. The Chorus capped its 2013 year with a reunion performance of Song Eternal II: Handel’s Messiah under the baton of artistic director Michael Hrivnak. This famous oratorio remains a staple in The Chorus repertoire, having performed it first in 1989 under the direction of founding artistic director Martin Bittick, who was recognized for his contributions to The Mississippi Chorus that evening. The Chorus’ next scheduled performance is Monteverdi to Mendelssohn, Eternal Song III, Mozart’s Requiem, on Saturday, May 3 at the Wesley Biblical Seminary in Jackson, Miss. For information and tickets, visit www.mschorus.org, or phone (601) 278-3351.

 Artistic Director Michael Hrivnak

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 Stephen Johnson, William Stilly

 Randy Langley, Picton Greg Evans

 Jon Anderson

 Ryan Rogers

 Steven Hyland

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JCV8261-2 Freedom Summer LEG 7.875x4.85.indd 1

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3/12/14 4:35 PM

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wa ak Act II with Adiarys Almelda and Nelson Madrigal

April 27, 2014 • 2 p.m. • Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center • balletms.com

BILOXI • April 4............................................... LeAnn Rimes, Hard Rock Casino. Admission: $49.99. (877) 877-6256 or (228) 374-7625. • April 17-20 & 24-27.................. 22nd Annual Mississippi Coast Coliseum Crawfish Music Festival, Miss. Coast Coliseum (800 ) 726-2781 for ticket information. All events held rain or shine.

CLARKSDALE • April 11............................................ Stacey Mitchhart Blues Band, Ground Zero Blues Club, 9 p.m., www.groundzerobluesclub.com • April 10 – 13................................. 11th Annual Juke Joint Festival. For more information www.jukejointfestival.com or (662) 624-5992.

COLUMBUS • March 28-April 14..................... 74th annual Columbus Spring Pilgrimage, (800) 920-3533 or www.visitcolumbusms.org for schedule and ticket prices.

GREENVILLE • May 3................................................ Southern Halo on the lawn at “Beats at Bass” from 2 - 4 p.m. Contact (662) 332-2246 for more information.

GULFPORT • May 3................................................ Bear Creek Music Festival, enjoy delicious Southern food and exciting Coast music from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., $12 day, $15 night, $20 all day. (228) 897-6039 for more information. • May 9-10......................................... 4th Annual Gulfport Music Festival, Jones Park Hwy. 90, (228) 388-2001 for ticket information.

HATTIESBURG • April 17-26..................................... Southern Mississippi’s Department of Theater, The Tempest, 7:30 p.m., www.usm.edu/arts

JACKSON • April 3............................................... 2014 Crossroads Film Festival presents a Music Video Showcase followed by live music at Hal & Mal’s, 7 p.m., $5 admission. • April 24............................................ Mississippi Museum of Art presents Downtown Jazz from 7 - 9 p.m. Cost: $5 nonmembers, free for members, cash bar. (601) 960.1515 • April 27............................................ Ballet Mississippi presents Swan Lake, 2 p.m. at the Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center.

MEMPHIS, TENN. • April 12............................................ Overton Square Crawfish Festival, great music all day, large arts and crafts market by regional artists and crawfish. Madison Avenue in Overton Square, (901) 281-6468. • May 2 - 4......................................... Memphis In May Beale Street Music Festival. Downtown Memphis, (901) 525-4611. • May 15 - 17.................................... Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, Tom Lee Park downtown Memphis. Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000.

MERIDIAN • April 12............................................ John Prine with Holly Williams, MSU Riley Center. Admission $68, $62. (601) 696-2200, www.msurileycenter.com. • May 15 - 17.................................... Jimmie Rodgers Festival, Singing Brakeman Park. Contact Jimmie Rodgers Museum (601-485-1808) for more information.

NATCHEZ • April 25-26..................................... Natchez Bluff Blues Festival, a weekend party set in one of the most unique venues in America: 200 feet above the Mississippi River. Visit www.visitnatchez.org.

NEW ORLEANS, LA. • April 10 – 13................................. French Quarter Festival. The largest free music festival in the South. www.fqfi.org for information. • May 16-18...................................... Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo held along the banks of historic Bayou St. John. www.thebayouboogaloo.com.

OCEAN SPRINGS • May 2-4............................................ 8th Annual MayFest - Music, arts and crafts festival. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Government Street - Downtown Ocean Springs, (228) 369-4582.

OXFORD • April 25 -26.................................... Double Decker Arts Festival; art, culinary and music. www.doubledeckerfestival.com

PASCAGOULA • April 12............................................ Pascagoula River Festival 10 - 6 p.m., free admission. (228) 218-5894 for information.

SOUTHAVEN • April 22-26..................................... Southaven Spring Festival. Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 4-10 p.m.; Friday, noon to midnight; Saturday, 9 a.m. to midnight. (662) 280-2489. • May 10............................................. 2nd Annual Heads-n-Tails Beer & Crawfish Festival. Tickets on sale at the Snowden Grove Amphitheater Box Office, www.ticketmaster.com, or call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000.

TUPELO • May 2 – 4........................................ Tupelo Blue Suede Cruise for cruising and good old rock ‘n’ roll music. All entertainment is free to public. (662) 213-8873, www.bluesc.com. • May 10 – 11.................................. 43rd Annual GumTree Festival. Outdoor celebration of the visual arts, music and writing around the courthouse square. (662) 844-2787, www.gumtreefestival.com.

VICKSBURG • April 4............................................... This year’s International Blues Challenge Winner, Mr. Sipp “The Mississippi Blues Child,” Bottleneck Blues Bar, Ameristar Casino, 9 p.m. (636) 940-4300, www.AmeriStar.com.

AUGUST 15,16 — MS AGRICULTURE & FORESTRY MUSEUM — LAKELAND DRIVE — JACKSON, MS WHEN jackson’s jumpin’

with this

Where to find me! IIV V B B L L L L E E B B E

E O O V V E E D D E

Y GY Z ZIIGG G L E Y EY

L ES R R A A M MN E Y J A M O R E

OTH

BAND S S A TH BR SARD REBIR OUS R B C MAR DOR

SH Y RU B LE B SAL BO A L ISE O DEN

D ALGA S S S I T ES CUR AGN M A JANIV ADE JAMZ EM HOM

Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets and online at www.ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone 800-745-3000 www.JacksonRhythmandBluesFestival.com

Ticket prices: Friday $25 / Saturday $35 / 2-Day Pass $50

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LLE LL CHE I E T M S E TE ISET R H ER C WALK

OUIS L E LS O J RAW Y N JOHN IMER PR JOHN

1-800-353-7695 JacksonRhythmandBluesFestival.com #jxnrandbfest