Legends November/December 2012 by Shawn King

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You Know She’s Worth It

The South’s leader in Estate Jewelry and Diamond Solitaires Located in Historic Downtown New Albany, MS

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november. december 2012

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Contents november / december 2012

Music 6 Publisher ��Marianne Todd Editor �� Buffy Gabrielson Creative Director �� Shawn T. King Designer �� Shawn T. King

Janet Bixler - 808-256-3177 Janet@MississippiLegends.com

The Voice's Brian Fuente

Bobby Rush

The Amazing Jimmi Mayes

The Mississippi Jamboree

David Battaglia - 601-421-8654 David@MississippiLegends.com Ken Flynt, Director of Marketing - 601-479-3351 Ken@MississippiLegends.com Editorial - 601-604-2963 Editor@MississippiLegends.com Contributing writers: Stephen Corbett, Jason Armstong, Kara Martinez Bachman, Annie B. McKee, James Denton, Joe Lee Contributing photographers: Ken Flynt, James Edward Bates, Michael Barrett

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

A New CD Follows his Television Debut

The Electric, Folk-Funk, Raw Blues Artist of Mississippi

Sideman to the Stars

The Temple Theater Kicks Up its Heels with a Brand New Country Gig

Features 16

From the Mind of Hewitt Clarke

A Lovely Vision

Walthall County Sweetness

Saving Mississippi's Theaters

Changes on Tap

Web calendar tech: James Sharp (www.MississippiLegends.com) Email calendar submissions to James@MississippiLegends.com Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or reprinted without express permission of 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 free and distributed through tourism offices, welcome centers, restaurants, theaters, casinos, and institutions of higher education. If your business, agency or industry would like to offer LEGENDS, please contact us at Editor@MississippiLegends.com.

Meridian Symphony Orchestra Rings in the Season

Advertising Sales Lynn Johnson - 662-523-0201 Lynn@MississippiLegends.com

Peppermint Pops

The Mississippi Writer Who Digs up the State’s Past

Clarksdale’s Rosalind Wilcox at Sun House Studios

Where the Art of Syrup Making Still Thrives

This Building NOT Condemned

Craft Beer Fans Tip Their Steins to Progress

culinary 39 A Step Back in Time

Join us at Jackson’s Mayflower

About our cover Bobby Rush has been entertaining fans for decades. Comfortable in a high-energy electric setting or with an acoustic guitar and harp, this Mississippi artist is one-of-a-kind.

november. december 2012

letter from the staff Dear Readers, In October, after a lengthy illness, Legends lost longtime friend, contributing writer and distributor Duff Dorrough. Duff was an amazing friend, musician and artist who gave of himself with great generosity and who never left us without a smile. He will be very much missed. See you on the other side, brother. Play on.

The Staff at Legends

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Peppermint Photographs by Marianne Todd

november. december 2012

Pops

music feature

Meridian Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas classic and family favorite An unforgettable evening

of festive

music ensues Dec. 8 as Meridian Symphony Orchestra guest Conductor Maestro Peter Rubardt leads the MSO and Chorus in favorites ranging from Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” to selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite.”

Maestro Peter Rubardt Maestro Peter Rubardt, in his 15th season as music director of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra, has raised the orchestra’s artistic level by serving the Pensacola community pops, chamber orchestra and family concerts. He played a central role in leading the successful renovation of the historic Pensacola Saenger Theatre. Rubardt’s current season includes debuts with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and Japan’s Yamagata Orchestra as well as a return to Japan’s Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra, where he previously performed for the Imperial Highness, Princess Hitachi of Japan.

Dr. Bob Hermetz Director of the Meridian Symphony Chorus and Cambiata Singers, Dr. Bob Hermetz is conductor of the Meridian Symphony Chorus mississippilegends.com

and the Meridian Cambiata Singers Youth Chorus. He has directed the Symphony

harmonization and enhancements of traditional songs of the holiday.

Chorus, formerly known as the Meridian Community Chorus, since 1971. He has twice appeared as tenor soloist with Robert Shaw and the Atlanta Symphony in Penderecki’s St.

Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah (George Frederic Handel)

Luke Passion and Haydn’s Creation Mass.

George Frederic Handel was a German-born British Baroque composer whose “Messiah” and orchestral “Water Music” remain enormously popular.

The Meridian Symphony Chorus

His three-act oratorio

“Messiah” ends its second act with the acclaimed “Hallelujah Chorus.”

The Meridian Symphony Chorus is an auditioned ensemble comprised of singers from throughout East Mississippi and West Alabama. The chorus averages three concerts a year

Selections from The Nutcracker (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)

with music ranging from contemporary styles, theatre, oratorio, opera choruses and other

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” is one of the most beloved ballets in the

classical forms. In 2009, a group of MSO choristers performed at Carnegie Hall in New

world and is a perennial favorite during the holidays. Its memorable music includes the

York City, returning for the third time under Hermetz’s 39-year tenure. In 2010-2011,

likes of the swift “Trepak,” the “Mirlitons,” the gentler “Arabian Dance,” and the delicate

the chorus presented a fall program of sacred selections, sang with the MSO Peppermint

“Waltz of the Flowers.”

Pops, premiered Len Bobo’s “Requiem” in May and concluded with Beethoven’ s “Choral

Go Tell It On The Mountain (arr. by John Rutter)

Fantasy” with the MSO.

“Go Tell it on the Mountain” is a familiar spiritual dating to 1865. Many famous artists

The Meridian Cambiata Singers

have recorded their own variations. John Rutter’s chorale arrangement veers from the

Meridian’s Cambiata Singers consists of voices ranging from ages nine to 18. This

simplicity of the gospel version by integrating classical harmonies with the revered melody

auditioned chorus was formed in 2007 as a non-profit arts group for youth with emphasis

and lyrics.

on education and performance. Repertoire includes music from sacred and secular forms and spanning all periods, including traditional American songs, popular and Broadway

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane)

styles.

This seasonal favorite was first sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 musical “Meet Me In St. Louis.” In 1957, Frank Sinatra, recorded a version with lyrics modified by Hugh Martin,

Peppermint Pops for 2012 holiday favorites:

and since that recording, the song has gone on to become one of the most requested Christmas songs of all time.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Medley (arr. by Custer)

What Child is This? (William Chatteron Dix)

“The Twelve Days of Christmas” is a 1780 traditional classic based on the twelve days

This carol by William Chatterton Dix was originally written in 1865 after his bout with a

between the feasts of Christmas and Epiphany. It is a cumulative song, as days are added

near-fatal illness. Built around the English ballad “Greensleeves,” the hymn’s lyrics allude

to every verse, starting with the first day of Christmas, until all twelve days have elapsed.

to the circumstances of the birth of Christ.

A particular treat is offered on each day, and the final verse encompasses each of the twelve days and the twelve treats. The guest soloists will share the days of the selection, and the

Farandole (Georges Bizet)

chorus will interject starting on the fifth day (five gold rings).

Georges Bizet (1838 –1875) was a French composer and winner of many prestigious awards whose unique style could have revolutionized French opera had he not passed away

Sing Noel, Sing Hallelujah (M. W. Smith)

at the age of 36. His “Farandole,” the fourth movement of the second suite of his music

Michael W. Smith is a Christian musician and three-time Grammy recipient. In 2007, he

for Alphonse Daudet’s play “L’Arlésienne,” is an upbeat and energetic piece based on the

released the critically acclaimed album “It’s a Wonderful Christmas.” This album includes

community dances of the same name from Nice, France.

“Sing Noel, Sing Hallelujah,” a choral and orchestral piece evoking the spirit of the season.

Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson)

Five Christmas Carols (arr. Sir David Willcocks)

Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” is a light orchestral winter favorite. Its lively and spirited

Sir David Willcocks is a British choral conductor with more than 50 honorary degrees

tone brings to mind images of a ride through a bright and snowy winter’s day, enhanced

and is known for his tenure as Director of Music at King’s College in Cambridge,

by the way the instrumentation creates sound effects mimicking sleigh bells and the clip-

United Kingdom. His arrangement “Five Christmas Carols” includes comprehensive

clop of horse hooves.

Want to go?

Tickets for this annual sell-out concert are available at the MSU Riley Center Box Office (601) 696-2200, or online at www.meridianso.org. For more information call the MSO offices at (601) 693-2224.

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november. december 2012

The Four Tops

Friday, November 16, 2012, at 7:30 p.m. By the time they signed with the Motown label in 1964, these four Detroit harmonizers—Levi Stubbs, “Obie” Benson, Lawrence Payton, and “Duke” Fakir—had been singing together for 10 years. They kept recording well into the 1990s, with hits such as, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” and “Baby I Need Your Loving.” Today they tour with the original member,” Duke” Fakir, and three additional singers who help keep the Motown sound alive.

For Fans of: The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes

John Tesh Big Band Christmas Saturday, December 15, 2012, at 7:30 p.m.

Multi-talented entertainer John Tesh is backed by his band for this family-friendly holiday show. Christmas classics get the big-band treatment while Tesh’s considerable singing and keyboard skills bring extra charm to the production. Known for his welcoming personality and audience interaction, Tesh and his band will make your holiday swing.

For Fans of: big band music, swing-style music, holiday musicals

www.msurileycenter.com www.facebook.com/rileycenter 2200 5th Street | Meridian, Mississippi | 601-696-2200 mississippilegends.com

artist profile

The Voice of

Brian Fuente A new CD follows his national television debut

By Stephen Corbett Photographs by Michael Barrett

rian Fuente may not have been the season two winner of NBC’s hit

Newmatic. After four years of knocking on doors trying to get noticed, he was

show The Voice, but he certainly isn’t letting it slow him down. On

beginning to grow weary of Music City.

Oct. 16, he released his latest EP, “1983” at Nashville’s famed venue,

3rd and Lindsley.

from all genres, but it is still primarily country and Christian music. I’d go from

“Nashville’s a different town than it used to be. There’s a good mix of musicians

“The Voice has changed my life forever,” said the Ridgeland native. “Thirty

door to door and get a lot of ‘You’re good, but I don’t know what I can do with

seconds after they aired my performance, my followers on Twitter went from 150

you.’ Last year, I just got burnt out and stopped writing. Then in July or so, I got

to about 3 or 4,000. The results were that immediate. Now my goal is to convert

a call from my publishing company asking me if I wanted to audition for The

the TV fans into true Brian Fuente fans.”

Voice. I told them to let me sleep on it, because I didn’t want to leave the band.

It’s been a long road for Fuente, who began performing music at an early age.

Our bass player had been in another band where he lost a lead singer to American

He started playing guitar when he was 9 years old and began writing songs shortly

Idol. So, when I finally made the decision to do it, he was the last person I told,”

thereafter.

he said with a laugh.

“My dad was a guitar player and my mom was a jazz singer,” he said. “My

The decision turned out to be a good one for Fuente as he was able to gain

mom used to play at clubs in Jackson, and she’d let me sit-in and play in between

exposure in a way he couldn’t have imagined. While The Voice falls behind

her sets. My family members are mostly all musicians. There must be something

American Idol in ratings, it still has a large draw with an average of 11 million

in the water in Mississippi. It’s like a breeding ground for musicians.”

viewers each week.

Fuente moved to Nashville in 2007 to pursue a career as a full-time musician.

He’d been there less than a year when he formed his first Nashville-based band,

november. december 2012

“The Voice took me to a new level, and I’ve never been happier, but it doesn’t

do as much for you as an artist as Idol does. The show is in some ways more

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 Brian Fuente with his mother, Lisa Palmer, who accompanied him for his appearance on The Voice.

focused on the coaches than the contestants. There’s so much banter between the coaches,

like a retro-act. He also accomplishes the amazing feat of putting together a collection

and they get so much more airtime compared to the judges on Idol. So, you don’t get as

of songs that are entirely different from each other, yet still sound as though they belong

much recognition, but it helps them tremendously.”

together, which is something that is becoming increasing rare in an era where a lot of new

Fuente gained a spot on the show by auditioning with the Grace Potter & the

albums sound like mixtapes.

Nocturnals 2010 song “Paris (Ooh La La).” He was chosen to be on country star Blake

He is also using the knowledge he gained on The Voice to his advantage.

Shelton’s team.

“I learned a lot about the industry in eight months,” he said. “It’s not just about what

“I couldn’t believe it when I was chosen by Blake Shelton. He’s one of the biggest stars

an artist sings or writes, it’s about a business. You have to deal with numbers every day. You

in country music. He said that he wanted a rock singer, and I was glad that he chose me.”

have to get a buzz so that you can get guarantees from clubs. Being on The Voice doesn’t

The next step for Fuente was participating in the “battle round,” in which coaches pair

mean an instant record deal either. The record industry has gotten used to reality TV. It

their contestants with each other in a duet. In episode 6, Fuente was paired with Jordis

isn’t novel like it used to be.”

Unga to perform Alanis Morissette’s hit “Ironic.” Unfortunately, he was eliminated.

Despite his new found fame, Fuente hasn’t forgotten his Mississippi roots.

“I’ve made a lot of friends in Nashville who are also from Mississippi. My friend Jeremy

“It wasn’t a good song choice for either of us. It isn’t really a rock song, and Jordis and

I are both rock singers. I didn’t really feel comfortable with it.”

Lister sings background vocals on ‘Why’d You Have to Be So Beautiful’ and ‘Sidelined.’

After his elimination, Fuente formed his first solo outfit: Brian Fuente and the

It really brought that home vibe in from Jackson. I actually played in Mississippi a few

Shadows. He also began working on his self-released EP “1983” and signed on to a Los

weeks ago and saw so many old friends and family. The biggest influence that Mississippi

Angeles based PR firm in hopes of capitalizing on his new found exposure.

has had on me is Southern hospitality. Everyone wants to help one another. There’s no

concern with the business aspect of it. When you co-write with people, there’s no talk

“I had about 25 or 30 songs to choose from, and I went with the top five. I invested

in some recording equipment and was able to record most of it in my house. I decided to

about splitting the writing credits. It made it very easy for me to develop as an artist.”

call it ‘1983’ because of the vibe I went for. It gets me back to when I first got interested in music,” he said. “We recorded with real drums but replaced the snare with a digital snare

Want to hear him?

to give it that ‘80s feel but with a modern twist. We did want every song to be different on

More information on Brian Fuente’s upcoming performances can be found at

this, though. I didn’t want to be pigeonholed.”

www.brianfuente.com. “1983” is available from his website, as well as Amazon

and iTunes.

From the saxophone solo in “Sidelined” to the guitar tones and Prince-like guitar solo

in “Josie,” “1983” definitely captures the feeling of the early ‘80s without ever sounding

november. december 2012

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feature

From the mind of a true Mississippi writer Hewitt Clarke digs up the state’s pasti By Annie B. McKee Photographs by Marianne Todd

ecause he’s lived in Texas for 35 years, some might be inclined to call him a Texas

20 years ago. “It was during the 1970s that I became interested in family history,” Clarke

author. But Hewitt Clarke is quick to make the correction.

says. “I came to the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library to research my family. I

“I’m a Mississippi writer,” he says. “My wife and I will be buried in the St. Patrick’s

decided that I needed to write a book, but I was still many years away from publishing.”

Catholic Cemetery, Meridian, alongside my great grandfather and grandfather.”

Clarke, who was in Meridian during this writing to promote his newest book, “Blood

at Meridian High School. “That planted a seed in my head and I got a kick out of it.”

and Money,” has written seven books, each one focused on East Central Mississippi.

In 1995, he published his first book, “Thunder at Meridian.” The story begins with the

“I put myself in my books. Writing is so intense – running around in my head. I

Choctaw settlements prior to Mississippi statehood and continues with the development

research and talk to anyone who will talk with me,” he says. “Some of the stories -- and all

of East Central Mississippi until the second half of the 20th Century. The book explores

of them are true – are so disturbing that a lot of people will not talk about those times, and

the area’s leaders and people as they deal with European invasion, waring with other tribes

the people who will, only speak in whispers. Some people are mad at me for digging into

and how they lived and died.

those long ago secrets, and most of today’s young people do not know any of the history

“Bloody Kemper” reveals the heady history of Kemper County -- nicknamed Bloody

that I have written.”

Kemper because of Hatfield & McCoy nature of families there – and details the struggles

Clarke, a former intelligence officer for the U. S. Army, did not consider writing until

to regain a lawful community.

november. december 2012

Until that point, Clarke’s sole writing experience had been for The Wildcat newspaper

“He Saw the Elephant,” chronicles the story of Confederate Naval Officer Lt. Charles

during the Meridian riot – reinforcements were sent by train.” According to Clarke, it was

Read. His courage and emboldened spirit captured the attention of both North and

a time of great political unrest, injustice and murder.

South.

“My favorite book -- the one I enjoyed writing the best, is ‘The East End Tea Room.”

and recently sold 900 books in four days at three different book signings. East Mississippi,

The tea room was a gathering place for “good old boys,” where trouble brewed and

in particular, has continued to support Clarke’s written work – although the books are sold

notorious plots ensued. “At the time, if you lived north of 20th Street (in Meridian), you

nationwide.

were called a Hootchie. A Hootchie was not allowed in the tea room, and if one tried

In his two upcoming books, “Behold a Pale Rider” and “The Death and Trial of Dr.

entrance, at the very least, he suffered a black eye.”

Lipscomb – A Poisoning in Kemper County,” Clarke focuses on U. S. Highway 45 history,

“War Stories from Mississippi” follows the stories of East Central Mississippi soldiers

the street fights and outlaws of both Lauderdale and Kemper counties. The story lines of

who fought and died during World War II and beyond. Clarke interviewed veterans so

both books include FBI searches, outlaws living for years under assumed names “under

that he might write the real Mississippi stories of the soldiers and their fight for liberty.

the noses of law enforcement. A woman sheriff made the arrest. There were some songs

“When a soldier is shot, he bleeds. People want to know the stories of the real people,

written about this outlaw. His name was Kenny Wagner.”

not just the Generals.” All of Clarke’s books are based on war, either on the battlefields or

in communities. His characters are real and his research is intense. Although some might

Penitentiary, he was given the job of training dogs. He escaped with a dog to help him hide

disagree, he claims his writings are fact-based through interviews and documentation.

out. “He wound up living in a hunting camp near Wahalak,” Clarke says. “He lived on

“The public’s favorite book is ‘Bloody Kemper.’” Clarke ordered a reprint of the book,

According to legend, Wagner was convicted in Meridian for murder, and at Parchman

“I want all of my books to be historically correct with the politics of the day, to defend

and off with a family who lived nearby. He had an assumed name, but everyone knew who

the great State of Mississippi against the liberal writer that has attacked so viciously. My

he was. People were afraid to turn him in. He lived for seven years with this family – until

great grandfather, David Hewitt Clarke, worked for The Meridian Mercury Newspaper.

the woman sheriff arrested him.”

He and others, that included Col. Horn, telegraphed Livingston, Ala. in 1871 for help

Although some might disagree, Hewitt Clarke says his writings about Mississippi's sordid past are fact-based through interviews and documentation. To date, Clarke has authored seven books about the colorful past of East Mississippi people and events. His newest book, "Blood and Money," is currently on newsstands and in bookstores.

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Photograph by Chad Edwards

Thomas Jackson’s Bridgeburner

Scott Chism & Better Half’s Long Haul Steady

Recorded at Bogalusa’s legendary Studio in the Country, Bridgeburner is honest Americana with an amazingly clean mix. Thomas Jackson, who hails from northeast Mississippi and who currently lives in Hattiesburg, has assembled a number of high-end, next-level musicians for this CD. Great musical surprises punctuate this well-written music -- piano, horns, banjo, a Hammond B-3 all wind their way through the songs of Jackson’s growing up. While Jackson claims influences of country music and clamorous British rock, it's the likes of artists like Dylan and the band Wilco who are present. The featured songs are eclectic with the CD ending on the inspiring acoustic/harp/ vocal Sara Beth Blues.

The talented duo Scott Chism and Lynsey Terry cooked up an epic listening adventure with this country/bluegrass/Americana/folk release. For everything Chism is as a guitarist, Terry matches or (sorry, Scott) exceeds in amazingly beautiful raw vocal talent. The quality and energy of this CD rolls off the first track with the bluegrass tune We’ll Turn Into Ghosts and is surprisingly kicked up a notch with Terry’s vocals in Hobo Blues, which she performs with an incredibly honest quality. Great harmonies in Good King Josiah are also a special treat as is Chism’s penchant for great story telling through his lyrics. Trained in north Mississippi, the duo now hails from Hattiesburg.

Where to find: Available online, at T-Bones Records in Hattiesburg and the Main Attraction in Tupelo. november. december 2012

Where to find: T-Bone's Records and online on iTunes, Amazon and more.

Tony Pasko’s Band of Elves Just in time to get into the spirit of the season is Band of Elves, a 12-song instrumental holiday CD from Meridian session guitarist Tony Pasko. Don’t let the ukelele opening fool you, though. The CD visits just about every musical genre sans rap – from the electric Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian for Merry Christmas) to the classic Silent Night. Pasko said the project was the result of a dare from his wife to play 12 traditional Christmas songs in 12 differing styles. We think he won that bet. Where to find: www.downboysrecords.com

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Cover Story

From folk-funk to raw blues, the artist that

refuses to be defined By Stephen Corbett

Bobby Rush is in many ways the consummate blues musician.

Maybe I hate her because she hasn’t left me yet, and she stayed too

He is a complex man who combines the bravado of Muddy

long. That’s realness.”

Waters with the humility of B.B. King, but possesses a talent entirely

his own. Over the course of his career, he has created a singular take

his age or birthday, knows a lot about changing times.

on the blues he refers to as “folk-funk,” but Rush’s musical output is

far more complex than that. He has performed various forms of the

in Homer-Hanes, La. A lot of places say I was born in Homer, but I

blues – from acoustic Delta blues to electric Chicago blues -- funk and

wasn’t. I was born between Homer and Hanesville in an area that isn’t

soul. He also has played some of the more urbane and slick sounds of

even on the map. They are 11 miles apart from each other, so I claim

rhythm and blues. Artists with his diversity are few.

them both, you follow me? I’ll tell you this about my age, I’m over 75

but not I’m not 80. And I’ve recorded 249 records, which means I

“All I’ve done is modify my sound over the years,” Rush says. “I

Over a career stretching from the 1950s, Rush, who doesn’t admit “I’ll tell you where I was born, but not when,” he says. “I was born

guess some people could say I’ve got two halves, but I don’t really see

started when I was 6 months old.”

any difference in what I do. I’m still singing the same stories I always

have. It’s like back in the ‘40’s when we still had outdoor toilets, and

which would put his age somewhere squarely between the two ages he

now we go inside. What’s really changed? You do the same thing with

cites. He was born Emmit Ellis Jr. and lived in Louisiana until 1947

an indoor toilet that you did in the old outhouses. It never changes.

when he moved to Pine Bluff, Ark.

The only thing that changes is the look. So, I modify but it’s the same

old blues. It’s still songs about making love, being in love, my woman

one in Arkansas. He would travel back and forth between the two

left me, my woman loves me. Maybe I hate her because she left me.

churches. We stayed in Arkansas until the early ‘50s, when we moved

november. december 2012

Most sources put the year of his birth as either 1935 or 1940,

“My daddy was a pastor at two churches – one in Louisiana and

Photograph by Marianne Todd mississippilegends.com

Photograph by Ken Flynt Photograph by Ken Flynt

Photograph by Marianne Todd

to Chicago.”

and I sing him the first verse: Daddy told me on his dying bed

While in Chicago, Rush played with blues legends Luther

Give up your heart, but don’t you lose your head

Allison and Freddie King.

You come along, girl, what did I do

“I changed my name once I started playing out in clubs, because

I lost my heart, and my head went, too

my daddy was a pastor and he was the senior. When I was a kid, I just knew I was going to have a hit record one day, and I didn’t want

it to affect my daddy’s preaching. He didn’t ask me to, I just did it

this, it don’t have nothing to do with a chicken, you follow me? The

out of respect. A lot of people back in those days that was into the

B-side to it was another song I wrote called “Mary Jane.” If you’re

church thought that the blues was the devil’s music. My daddy didn’t

from the South, you know that song ain’t about a woman at all. All

feel that way. He was the one who taught me how to play the blues

of this went over their heads. When he asked me to sign a contract,

on guitar, because he didn’t think it was the devil’s music. He never

I told him, ‘I’ll pay for the recording, and you press me.’ This way I

encouraged me to go out and play the blues, but he never told me

had control over my recordings.”

not to either.

“It took me a while to come to the name Bobby Rush,” he

an R & B smash in 1971. It was more recently featured on the

explains. “I just knew that I wanted a name that sounded powerful.

soundtrack to the 2006 Samuel L. Jackson movie “Black Snake

Being from the deep South, all I could think of was something

Moan.” A YouTube video features rappers Q-Tip and Kayne West

presidential. So I messed around with the idea of using Eisenhower

obsessing over an original copy of the 45 single.

as my last name on stage. And I tried a bunch of different first names

with it and nothing worked. Then I came up with Bobby Rush, and

sold 900,000 copies out of the trunk of my car, not counting what

I knew that was it. Nobody calls me Bobby, and nobody calls me

was being sold in stores. If you count the records that I sold on my

Mr. Rush. It’s always Bobby Rush. You got to say like it’s all one

own, in the U.S., I had the No. 1 selling single of that year and

word. Once you hear it, you remember it forever.”

James Brown was No. 2. In England, I had the No. 3 biggest selling

single and Tom Jones had the No. 1 and No. 2. But I was doing

Bobby Rush began developing his unique stage presence early

“Once he heard me singing it, he had to have it. I’ll tell you

“Chicken Heads” was released on the Galaxy label and became

“That song was an even bigger hit than people knew about. I

on. Some bluesmen move around on stage, but none like Bobby

almost all of it myself.”

Rush.

“People see me now with my girls dancing and they don’t think

with a song called “Bowlegged Woman, Knock-Kneed Man.” Bobby

much about it, but to see a 20-year-old me moving around on stage

Rush’s insistence on owning his own recordings and having complete

with girls shaking their whatever everywhere – that was different.

creative control gave him artistic satisfaction, but is probably what

But I’m not a threat now. In the early days, though, Elvis helped me

prevented him from becoming a household name of the caliber of

a lot. I used to look at it like this – if Elvis and Tom Jones can move

some of his contemporaries, despite the fact that he was selling as

their hips around, then so can I. That wasn’t acceptable for black

many records and concert tickets. He blazed his trail by producing

artists. We could do splits and dance around like James Brown, but

music closer to the burgeoning funk scene when many other blues

we weren’t supposed to be moving our hips like that. I played in

artists were busy attempting to cross over to the pop and rock

Missouri once, and they had a string hanging down on either side of

markets.

me with a spring attached to it, so that the promoters would know if

I was moving my hips around. I just had to stand there in between.

the groove, but the stories were blues stories. All that stuff he was

The fact that I didn’t move like the traditional bluesman and was a

singing about. “It’s a Man’s World,” and “I’m Black and I’m Proud.”

black bluesman made it harder for me to break through.”

That’s just blues with a groove. A lot of the other blues people at the

His next big single came a few years later on the Jewel label

“James Brown was a bluesman. He was funk, because he had

Bobby Rush’s big break came when he met former artist and

time were saying things like, ‘Well, I gotta sound like this so I can

repertoire man for Vee-Jay records, Calvin Carter. At this point,

have a hit with the white kids.’ I never cared about black or white;

Bobby Rush had begun to develop a sound that was distinctive

I just wanted to sound like Bobby Rush. That’s why I never had a

and far removed from the sound of Chess Records, which then

manager, and didn’t sign exclusive deals with anyone.”

dominated Chicago’s blues scene.

“It was back in 1968. Calvin Carter comes to me and says,

the 1970s, Bobby Rush released “Rush Hour,” produced by

‘Bobby Rush, do you have anything?’ So, I tell him I got this song

Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff and released on their Philadelphia

called “Chick Heads.” He says, ‘Man, I can’t put out no song called

International record label in 1979. The album produced another

“Chick Heads.”’ So, I say to him, “Nah, it’s called “Chicken Heads,”

big single for him with the double entendre single “I Wanna Do

After recording numerous singles on various labels throughout

mississippilegends.com

Photograph by Ken Flynt

ď&#x192;Š Rush will release "Down in Louisiana," recorded for his roots. "It's got some Cajun things on it. It's already finished, and I can't wait to release it. It's going to be different from anything I've done."

november. december 2012

“

I played in Missouri once, and they had a string hanging down on either side of me with a spring attached to it, so that the promoters would know if I was moving my hips around.”

the Do.” Despite that Gamble and Huff had become known for a very specific

to the next town. You might sleep a few hours, and then you have to do it again.

production style from their work with acts like the O’Jays and Harold Melvin

You know, you’d be tired, man. And there were times that I wanted to give up.

& the Blue Notes, they did nothing to stand in the way of Bobby Rush’s

But when you get out there and hit that first note and hear the crowd and see

signature style. What they did do was give him a bigger budget than he had

their faces – you’re alive again. It makes it worth it. I always strive to be good at

worked with previously and show him the finer points of producing.

what I do, and I am good at what I do. If you aren’t good to your fans, they’ll

find somebody else to go see.”

“So many people have taught me so much over the years, and I respect

them all: B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bobby Bland. But Gamble and Huff, man,

But time on the road was met with tragedy. In 2001 on the way to a

they were the ones who really taught me about producing records. I had made

Pensacola, Fla., gig, Bobby Rush’s band was in bus accident. Dancer Latisha

a ton of records before then – I probably made 100 records before people even

Brown was killed, and Bobby Rush and the rest of his band were hospitalized

knew who I was –but I had never made one on this level. I really paid attention

with serious injuries and broken bones. Many were hospitalized for months and

to what they were doing. They didn’t change my sound, but they taught me the

had to undergo numerous surgeries and physical therapy.

fine details of production.”

“We had just finished a show in Tallahassee,” Bobby Rush says. “We were

The lone release preceded his decision to return to the South,where he

probably less than 30 minutes down the road. The bus driver was sleeping while

began releasing records for the Mississippi-based LaJam Records and Malaco

we had been playing, so I don’t know if he fell back asleep behind the wheel or if

Records.

he had a heart attack, but all of a sudden we ran off the road and the bus turned

over about three or four times.”

“I was living in Chicago, but most of my gigs were in the South,” he says.

I spent 80 percent of my time in the South. I was working what they call the

Within weeks, he was back on the road.

Chitlin’ Circuit. I am really the King of the Chitlin’ Circuit. I would only see

“I could only do about two or three shows a month, and I was out there in

my family maybe two days a week. So I looked at where I was playing, and

a wheelchair. Sometimes I’d have another musician with me, and sometimes I’d

Jackson, Miss., is right in the middle of where I work. I didn’t have any relatives

be alone. But a lot of my band didn’t have insurance, and they couldn’t work.

or anything in Jackson. I went there to be able to have more time at home.”

So I wanted to help the people who couldn’t help themselves. None of the

Not only did the move back to Mississippi bring increased time at home,

people that came to the shows were disappointed, because we made sure they

it also brought an increased musical freedom by placing the artist further from

knew that they weren’t going to see Bobby Rush jumping and running around.

the sometimes overpowering Chicago blues scene.

The fans were very supportive. At first, I couldn’t even stand more than a few

“So many bluesmen went up there and stayed there. So many cross over

minutes a night, and then eventually I was able to do more and more. It was

and they cross their old fans out. I didn’t do that. The downside is that more

a sad time, but I’m glad because of what it could have been. God has really

freedom means less money. But I wanted to stand up there on my two feet and

blessed me, and now everyone is back working on the road with me again.”

be a man. I want people to come out and see what I do and leave saying that

In 2003, Bobby Rush started his own label, Deep Rush Records.

Bobby Rush is the best thing since bubblegum.”

“Folkfunk,”released in 2004, featured Bobby Rush in a stripped-down electric

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Bobby Rush released a string of

setting that included Alvin Youngblood Hart on guitar. Three years later “Raw”

critically acclaimed blues albums like “What’s Good for the Goose is Good

further stripped him to the bare blues essentials – his guitar, his harmonica

for the Gander,” “Wearing It Out,” “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” and

and the stomping of his feet. Both records, which topped many critics’ lists for

“Hoochie Man.” His time was spent on the Chitlin’ Circuit.

best blues album of the year, were unlike anything he had done, and yet still

distinctly Bobby Rush.

“I used to work 80 to 90 one-nighters,” he explains. “That’s 80 or 90 days

on the road without a day off. Sometimes, we’d do three shows a night in a

“I like playing with the small bands and the large production shows,” he

different town every night. You’d work until two in the morning and then drive

says. “But if you really want to see me at my best, come see Bobby Rush play

OPPOSITE: The "King of the Chitlin' Circuit" says he worked as much as 90 days on the road without a single day off, doing up to three shows a night. The artist recently turned over promotions to a management company so that he can spend more time at home with family.

mississippilegends.com

november. december 2012

“

I sold 900,000 copies out of the trunk of my car, not counting what was being sold in stores. If you count the records that I sold on my own, in the U.S., I had the No. 1 selling single of that year and James Brown was No. 2. In England, I had the No. 3 biggest selling single and Tom Jones had the No. 1 and No. 2. But I was doing almost all of it myself.”

solo. Just me and my guitar or me and my harp. I never play them at the same time, because I’m not trying to be like everybody else with the neck strap. And I can stand there with nothing but a harp or nothing but a guitar, and you won’t even miss the band. I can play for two hours just like that. That’s how all these songs were written and the stories are the same either way. It’s just the way you dress them up that makes them different, you follow me? I was in Chapel Hill, N.C., last week playing that kind of show, and the place was packed.”

In addition to the erratic nature of his own recordings and shows, he has been

known to accompany a wide array of other artists as well, playing with people as diverse as Joe Poonanny (1996’s “Ponyrider”) and the Rev. Al Green (2005’s “Everything’s OK”).

“You can’t get much farther apart than Poonanny and Al Green,” he laughs. “I

guess some of it shows the range I have, but it also shows that I don’t really look at music like that. I don’t separate it. It’s all still blues to me. I even recorded harp on a couple of gospel records for other artists last year.”

Bobby Rush has spent the past year playing clubs around the country. In August,

he played the 25th Annual Sunflower River and Blues Festival in Clarksdale, which also featured Charlie Musselwhite and Robert Plant. In October, he played the 27th King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Ark., which featured Taj Mahal and Bonnie Raitt. He’s also been hard at work on a new album that he plans to release in early 2013, titled “Down in Louisiana.”

“The new record has me going back to my roots,” he says. “Back to my real roots.

Louisiana. It’s got some Cajun things on it. It’s already finished, and I can’t wait to release it. It’s going to be different from anything I’ve done.”

After years of managing himself, Bobby Rush has also recently signed a deal with

Blue Mountain Artists. Even though he has no plans to retire, he says that he would like to slow down the touring schedule a bit so that he can enjoy his children and grandchildren.

“You can only run this thing like a mom and pop business for so long. And I

don’t have the money of someone like B.B. King to put a huge corporation behind me,” he says. “I’m too big for one and not big enough for the other. But I’m hoping that Blue Mountain Artists will help free up some time for me. When you work this long at trying to handle everything yourself – booking, promoting, the whole deal – sometimes it starts to wear you down. “I’m blessed to be able to do what I love to do, so I’m not complaining. I have a job that I love and fans that I love and love me. I am very thankful. But I’d also like some time at home with my family. When I’m home, I’m not Bobby Rush. I’m not a superstar. I’m Daddy and Granddaddy. I’m out cleaning up the yard and oiling up the car. “It’s like the guy that fights the bear. You can watch and say that guy put up one hell of a fight until the bear kills him. It ain’t gonna kill me.”

mississippilegends.com

november. december 2012

“The Amazing” Jimmi Mayes music feature

————————— Sideman to the Stars ————————— Words by Jason Armstrong Photographs by Ken Flynt

“Ooh, baby don’t you want to go … to my sweet home Chicago”

These lyrics begin the chorus of the most popular blues anthem for the

City of Chicago. But further down the Mississippi River, the lyrics have a special meaning for Jackson native Jimmi Mayes, who blazed a successful musical career in “Sweet Home Chicago” as well influenced the career of one of the most celebrated guitar players in Rock ‘N’ Roll history, Jimi Hendrix.

Jackson, back in the day • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Until late 1969, the majority of Mississippi high schools remained segregated by race. Although the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965

The Amazing Jimmi Mayes played his way to fame after a high school band director told him he’d have to play drums instead of horns.

Elementary and Secondary Education Act officially desegregated schools in the South, high schools in Mississippi remained behind the national curve, and Jim Hill High School in west Jackson was no exception. Budgets were

Duke Hudson and Lanier student musicians Freddy Waits and Jacob Moore.

small and administrators, teachers and students fought for amenities often

Mayes said he well remembers the long nights in roadhouses and juke joints

taken for granted at other schools within the district. However, if not for

along the Chitlin’ Circuit, followed by long, tired days in the classroom.

the budget issues that plagued the band programs at these two schools,

“We would go in and set up and play until daylight. In the 11th grade, I was

Mayes may never have picked up a pair of drumsticks and eventually played

playing all over the South, sometimes two nights a week. And these were

alongside legendary Chicago blues musicians, and he probably would never

rough places where everybody had a half pint sitting on the table.”

have enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top of the 1960’s Chicago music scene.

The late-night gigs also allowed Mayes to hone his shuffling style of

Kermit Holly was the longtime music director at both Jim Hill and Lanier,

drumming. “I take pride in my shuffle. A lot of drummers can play, but they

the only other black high school in the area. Mayes remembers beginning

can’t shuffle,” he said. Mayes had little idea that the shuffle would be the

his band lessons during the summer when he went to Holly’s initial summer

backbone of his playing style. It wasn’t long before Mayes decided to take his

rehearsal with intentions of playing the trumpet. He was promptly told there

talent north to Chicago, where the migration of bluesmen from Mississippi

were no trumpets for loaning, nor his second choice of saxophone. Holly

had begun just a few years earlier.

pointed Mayes to a bass drum, and, and on that marching bass drum, Jimmi Mayes perfected the skill that would make him a sideman to the stars.

Sweet Home in Chicago • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Mayes’ natural talent on the drums spread like wildfire in the fledgling

Jackson music scene, and he quickly gained favor with Jackson bandleader

Mayes’ arrival on the south side of Chicago in 1960 could not have been

better timed. The 16-year-old, already an accomplished drummer in and mississippilegends.com

around his native Mississippi, was thrust among other Mississippi blues musicians who had already taken their talents to what would become the epicenter for the Chicago Blues movement. Through his mother, Mayes was introduced to famous bandleader Red Saunders, who had already established himself as a major powerhouse through his professional relationships with Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Through the connection with Saunders, Mayes was introduced to artists like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, and he soon found himself playing a regular gig at Big Duke’s Blue Flame Lounge, now recognized as one of the most prominent blues clubs in Chicago blues history - all before his 18th birthday. “In order for me to play at The Flame, I would have to sit in the office during breaks because I was underage.” As was common among the musicians on Chicago’s south side, musicians traded gigs and touring musicians, and soon after establishing himself as a regular player at the Blue Flame, Mayes was asked to audition for blues harmonica player and band leader Little Walter, whose drummer had recently joined Howlin’ Wolf. Through mutual friends, Little Walter learned of Mayes’ talent and his uncanny penchant for playing the style of blues other Mississippians were making famous in and around Chicago.

“I drove over to Walter’s house … and he strolled out smoking

a cigarette and said, ‘Do something on this coffee table.’ So I played a quick shuffle, and that got me the job,” Mayes said. “ He gave me a new LP and said, ‘Go home and learn all these songs,’ and that’s what I did.” Although Mayes could already hold his own around more seasoned professionals, his association with Little Walter provided him credibility among the top musicians on the scene, and he quickly found himself playing gigs on both the south and north sides of town with the likes of Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Fred Below, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Tall Paul and Chess Records recording artist and session guitar player, Gerald Sims. “Muddy Waters loved Little Walter, and whenever Muddy was in town, he came to see Little Walter play,” he said. At the age of 19, Mayes found himself living in the upscale Wedgewood Hotel, playing in the hottest clubs to the largest crowds in Chicago.

In the Big Apple • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

In Mayes’ words, “If you’ve been to the Apollo, you’ve been

to the top of the music world.” During a show at Chicago’s Wrigley Theater, Mayes met Tommy Hunt, the front man for The Flamingos. Hunt had recently topped the charts with “I

LEFT, top: Jimmi Mayes' musical career found him touring with the likes of Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin and more. In New York, Mayes influenced Maurice James, who went on to record a remake of "Hey Joe" under the name Jimi Hendrix. LEFT: Mayes' drumstick bag has undoutedly traveled to countless gigs.

november. december 2012

Only Have Eyes for You,” and Mayes was hired to replace the band’s drummer. In the middle of the night, Hunt, the band’s manager, and Mayes (with his parent’s reluctant blessing) left Chicago for New York.

Not long after Mayes and Hunt parted ways, Mayes was picked up by Joey Dee

and the Starliters, which soon became the house band at the famous Peppermint Lounge, and which was beginning to make waves in New York, Boston and other major cities in the northeast. Joey Dee and the Starliters, with Mayes on drums, had several hits, reaching the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “Peppermint Twist” in 1962. Joey Dee recognized Mayes’ eye for talent, and when the band’s regular guitar player became ill in 1965, Mayes was trusted with finding a quick and capable replacement. Through mutual friends in the New York club scene, Mayes found guitar player Maurice James searching for new gigs after a brief stint with Little Richard and a short stint with the Isley Brothers, who had enjoyed chart success with “Shout” (1959) and “Twist and Shout” (1962). The guitarist had developed stage antics that rivaled Little Richard’s, and James began to take issue with Richard’s constant boasting of being “The King of Rock ‘N’ Roll.”

After an audition, James was hired. Mayes and James formed a fast and furious

friendship, hanging out together between gigs and sharing a room on long road trips across the country. However, James’ tenure with Joey Dee and the Starliters would not last more than a couple months. Recognized by Rolling Stones guitar player Keith Richards, James traveled to England, he changed his name and image. In less than a year, Maurice James remade the song “Hey Joe” under the name Jimi Hendrix.

Mayes career continued a successful track as he performed with blues and soul

icons such as Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Jimmy Reed, as well as with his own band, Mill Street Depot, named after the famous depot station in his hometown of Jackson. Mayes maintained a close relationship with Hendrix until his death in 1970, playing drums on “My Friend” (1968) from the Electric Ladyland album and “Georgia Blues,” a blues-inspired track previously unreleased until Martin Scorsese produced the tribute album, “Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues: Jimi Hendrix in 2003.”

Most recently, Mayes played with friends from his days in Chicago, Willie “Big

Eyes” Smith, Pinetop Perkins and Hubert Sumlin, all former members of Muddy Waters’ band in the 1960’s and 1970’s who have since died. Mayes toured with Perkins, also a Mississippi Native, and Smith as part of the “Legends of the Blues” tour beginning in 2002, and whose album garnered a Grammy Award in 2011.

“The Amazing” Jimmi Mayes is still actively touring the nation, playing clubs

and festivals throughout the country, and his most recent release, “All My Best” (Wolf Records) received rave reviews in the August 2012 issue of Living Blues. And he still teaches drumming, stressing what his high school band teacher taught him: Learn to read. Learn the fundamentals. A biography of Mayes’ music career will soon be published by University Press of Mississippi. “Sideman to the Stars” will undoubtedly tell the story of this Mississippi music legend, who can trace his success to the influence of a dedicated music teacher who, almost by pure accident, created one of the most iconic Chicago Blues drummers of all time.

mississippilegends.com

november. december 2012

titles after opening the musical and visual arts venue, Sun House Studios, in Clarksdale.

ď&#x192;Š Rosalind Wilcox, musician, artist, teacher and therapist adds entrepreneur to her list of

feature

lovely vision Clarksdale artist opens Sun House Studios, a ‘Happy, peaceful place’ By James Denton

osalind Wilcox situates herself behind the drums. She pics up

and a therapist.

the drumsticks and begins the heartbeat of the next song.

Judging by the paintings, sculptures and mixed-media art surrounding

In front of her on guitar sits the legendary, L.C. Ulmer. Together

her, it’s hard to believe the vibrant work was produced solely by her

they begin a blues song, and are soon joined by another guitarist and

hands. Wilcox is also blind.

harmonica player. When the song is finished, it’s her turn to play guitar.

During the day, Wilcox immerses herself in the education of college

Her playing is accompanied by her sultry and seasoned voice. Anyone

arts students at Coahoma Community College. When her day gig ends,

listening, knows the music has reached a new level.

she puts on another hat and follows one of her other various pursuits.

But this is just one of Wilcox’s faces. She is also an artist, a teacher

“I want to help people,” she says, settling onto a couch in the

she built at Sun House Studios in Clarksdale.

 Wilcox accompanies L.C. Ulmer on the stage

Photographs by Marianne Todd

mississippilegends.com

THIS PAGE: Wilcox's artwork graces the walls of Sun House Studios in Clarksdale. There, artists and musicians learn and practice or simply sit and enjoy a show. OPPOSITE PAGE: Wilcox performs with Steve Gardner (guitar), Bill Steber (harmonica) and Dudley Tardo (drums).

november. december 2012

apartment above her studio, which is just beginning to show its potential in the

are hand-painted by Wilcox, and the walls are hand-plastered – also by Wilcox.

heart of downtown Clarksdale. “The goal, and this is something I have wanted

Art is found in every nook and cranny, from jewelry to quilting, furniture,

to do all my life since I became in adult, is not just to display artwork. That is

paintings, sculptures and even in the building’s design. The stage is created

what galleries do. We are a gallery, but we are also a community center and an

from rustic wood planking and beams flanked by a tin roof. Tables and chairs

education center. We have a 20-foot stage, but we don’t just do blues. We also do

welcome guests to sit and enjoy the music or create their own work of art.

other kinds of music because people are eclectic . That is the spirit of our gallery,

Her works of art often draw inspiration from sayings she heard over the years

to embrace who you are. We are all helping each other.”

during her culturally diverse childhood. One work depicts musicians literally

The studio and attached living space is a culmination of years of searching

raising the dead with their boisterous music. Another painting shows a woman

for just the right place – from Chicago to the Mississippi Delta - to hang her

whistling and a chicken in a tree, an effort to debunk the saying that a “whistling

many hats. It is as complex as its owner. “Sun House is the name of the studio,”

girl and a crowing hen come to no good end.” Her work often includes colorful

Wilcox says. “It is a play on words; a metaphor. It goes back to the musician who

stained glass windows and woven quilts that embody a variety of cultures and

is from here. The man is Son House. Sun House means a happy, peaceful place.

people working together. And she is a blend of cultures, herself. Her self-

It is kind of like a house of peace.”

described work is “amalgamation instead of assimilation.” She can describe in

She figures she has found just the right building in just the right town. “The

intricate detail what she was thinking when she created her work and what she

first time I came to Clarksdale, it was magical for me. I thought, ‘here is a little

wants the viewer to see.

town that doesn’t have much going on, but the little they do have they are trying

“Every piece shows where you are at that time in your head. I have a lot of

really hard to make it work.’ That impressed me. I came back for King Biscuit

African mythology in my work. I came up in a Baptist and Pentecostal church.

(festival) and I thought the town was really cool. I could see the potential was

I like to research and paint what I see. My work is from the heart. I started

here and I moved in here in July. Downstairs is a community space. It has a

painting the stories in my own way. A lot of my pieces deal with mythology and

stage, the gallery where l can also show the kids’ work. I love it.”

storytelling. I am playing with it and I am putting new light on them.”

The renovations, she says, were more than $200,000. The floors downstairs

Her impaired vision does present a challenge, especially in a field so dependent mississippilegends.com

november. december 2012

of visual images and light patterns. “My world is different. I have a retinal eye disease. The retina has atrophy. Everything in the middle died. This happened when I was 21 years old. This is an eye disease that is genetic. I didn’t know it was coming.” And now, with her vision at 20/230 and 20/240, she manages to create art and manage her daily duties at the college. “I have one (magnifier) in my classroom and one by my desk. One is portable. I take it everywhere I go at work. Zoom text is a program on the computer that I use. I cannot read text on a computer without it. Mac has a built-in magnification program, and it is pretty good. It is nice to have a good built-in program. Without that I cannot read a computer because the text is just not big enough. “ Ultimately, she envisions making art a part of life for some who might never get a chance to experience the joys of creating it. “On top of all that, my long-term goal and what I want to do is to set up workshops in the summer during my down time at school,” she says. “I actually have a master’s degree in art therapy. I was a therapist for ten years before I ever started teaching. “My two special populations are autistic kids and blind kids. I have had people call me from all over the country, who work with blind kids, who ask what can I do art-wise with this child. How can I help this visually impaired child with art? I tell them I have a whole big, fat list. We can actually do Braille art, and then take the Braille art concept and write the words. Then, we can take it to another level where we write sun and then create a sun. We also use raised materials. I teach people over the phone how they can take clay and pottery and sculpture and soft sculpture and crocheting where you count and feel the knots. “ Her art, she says, is the vehicle that will leave her legacy. The future of the world, she says, is in the hands of its children and grandchildren. “Kids are being faced with more now than ever,” she says. “We need prayer. This (spirituality) is who I am. This is a big part of me. We are passing information on to our next generation. My mom and dad are from Mississippi and most of my relatives are heavy on humor. They are always cracking jokes. I grew up in storytelling and I use a lot of that in my art.”

Our menu of art and artists is as varied and satisfying as the food that makes Mississippi famous. Using local ingredients, our artists create one-of-a-kind pieces that reflect our rich culture. Whatever your taste, we Our menu of artit and is as and satisfying can satisfy withartists prices tovaried fit any budget. asWe the also food that makes Mississippiindividual famous. Using offer art classes, exhibitions, special events and custom local ingredients, our artists create one-of-a-kind framing to satisfy all your artistic cravings. pieces that reflect our rich culture. Whatever your So come in today and savor the flavor of taste, canofsatisfy it withart. prices to fit any budget. the we best Mississippi So come in today and savor the flavor of the best of Mississippi art.

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10/11/12 9:13:43 AM

november. december 2012

cuisine

step back in time Superior service and impeccable food are the hallmarks of The Mayflower By Joe lee Photographs by michael barrett

Tucked away on the corner of West Capitol and Roach streets in Jackson is The Mayflower Café, a timeless restaurant known far and wide for mouth-watering fresh seafood and its equally tantalizing family recipe, comeback sauce. There’s so much charm and character in the décor that scenes from the smash films “The Help” and “Ghosts of Mississippi,” were shot there. “The key to our success is consistency,” said owner Jerry Kountouris, who has been at the helm since 2005. “People get what they expect when they come here. We’re still in business because of the tradition of older Jackson families bringing their children, who grow up and bring their own children. On a Friday night, I can call 40-50 percent of our customers by name.” Friday night regulars include Rees and Claire Barksdale and Ralph and Linda Farr of Jackson. Luminaries such as Eudora Welty, Willie Morris, Hal Holbrook, Governor William Winter and U.S. Senator Trent Lott have all enjoyed meals at The Mayflower through the years. They’re open for lunch Monday through Friday and for dinner Monday through Saturday. “My family started taking me in the mid 1980s when I was a teenager,” said Sam Williford

of Madison. “It’s definitely a unique atmosphere, as it has not changed much over the years. You really step back in time when you walk in the door.” Far removed from the cookie-cutter style national seafood chain restaurants, The Mayflower features two aisles of comfortable red booths flanking a row of tables topped with white tablecloths. The black and white linoleum floor completes the look. The walls are lined with black and white pictures of Mississippi celebrities ranging from Archie Manning to Mary Ann Mobley. Soft drinks are retrieved from an old Coca-Cola cooler. The comeback sauce is in unmarked bottles and brought to each table with white cloth napkins and silverware. “My favorite menu item is the Large Mayflower Greek Salad,” Williford said. “However, my favorite non-menu item is to simply pour the salad dressing on crackers. Sometimes I will take a bottle home to enjoy. The last time I did that, I ate an entire tube of crackers with their salad dressing for supper. It’s the best comeback dressing in town.” Kountouris grew up in the Westland Plaza area of Jackson and graduated from Provine High

LEFT TO RIGHT: One of the wildly popular Mayflower plate lunches, the Hamburger Steak Plate, includes turnip greens, field peas, a small Greek salad, cornbread and peach cobbler. • The entrance to the Mayflower still sports tile work set in place in the late 1950s. • Eggplant Josephine is served with jumbo lump crab meat and Hollandaise sauce. • The daily lunch menu is always written on a chalkboard for passersby.

mississippilegends.com

november. december 2012

School in 1969. A Pharmacy major at Ole Miss, he didn’t join the restaurant until 1990. But he had a front-row seat, as his father, Mike, spent nearly 70 years with The Mayflower until his death in 2005. That stretch was interrupted during World War II, when Mike Kountouris served as a paratrooper and was awarded the Purple Heart. It was pinned to him by “Wild” Bill Donovan, who at the time headed up the O.S.S. (the predecessor of the C.I.A). “My dad had many sayings,” Kountouris said. “One of them was, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ We’re not fine dining, but we’re not fast food, either. We’re a mix of great plate lunches and fresh seafood. I take my dad’s approach to preparing seafood, and the menu is almost exactly the same as what he served, other than a couple of items I added—Crab Bisque and Eggplant Josephine. “Customers tell us we have one of the best wait staffs in the city. My cook, Candace Hatten, has been here 23 years. Crystal Watson on the wait staff has been here 15 years. Charlotte Cannon has been here 12 years, and her mom, Polly Perry, was here under my dad for 20 years. When I bring in someone new, they’re shown the ropes by employees who’ve been here for years.” Craig and Mary Leslie Plumhoff of Houston, Texas, were tipped off about the Jackson landmark by fellow Houstonian John Adkins on a recent plane trip to the

“

If my husband and I aren’t at The Mayflower each Friday night, we’re in I.C.U.”

capital city. “We were headed to Oxford for the football game (Ole Miss vs. Texas on September 15), and John told us, ‘You gotta have lunch at this place,’” Craig Plumhoff said. “My wife and I had hamburger steak, turnip greens, field peas, chicken and dumplings, fried okra and peach cobbler. My grandparents were cotton farmers in Maypearl, Texas, and it was the best lunch I’ve had since eating with them.” Like many business owners, Kountouris felt the effects of the economic downturn in late 2008 and early 2009, and again in the aftermath of the BP oil spill two summers ago. There were delays in getting fresh seafood for a time, and at one point he suspended serving oysters and soft shell crabs. But his first years with the restaurant presented an even bigger challenge. “I remember the Reagan years being very good,” Kountouris said. “But the downtown area regressed, and things really dropped off after that. We were barely in business around 1993 and 1994, and I told my dad I wasn’t sure the restaurant would make it. “A big part of our turnaround was Jack Kyle (then the executive director of the Mississippi Commission for International Cultural Exchange, Inc.), who brought The Palaces of St. Petersburg and other tourism exhibits to Jackson in the later part of the decade. That brought a lot of people downtown for lunch, and we got a lot

LEFT, top to bottom: Personal greetings from Jerry Kountrouris are the norm at the Mayflower Restaurant. • Out-of-town technicians and engineers get a hearty lunch. From L-R they are; Donnie Hamblin of Tupelo, Rodney Lyle, Douglassville, Ga., Chris Cain, Durant, Derick Bunch, Madison and Josh Kraft, Yazoo City. • Server Jennifer Yagow takes an order at lunch time. • Proudly serving their evening customers at the Mayflower are left, Crystal Watson, who has been serving there for more than 14 years and Charlotte Cannon, right, who has been serving for more than 15 years.

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busier and thankfully stayed that way.” The Farrs are close friends of Kountouris and stayed loyal to him in those bleak days, urging him to give The Mayflower several more years and assuring him that if he stuck to the overall recipe for success—the best seafood in town, excellent service and a fun place to enjoy a great meal—everything would be fine. “It’s the only restaurant in Jackson I know of where you get fresh, quality seafood from the Gulf Coast,” Linda Farr said. “Jerry personally selects his fish and hand-cuts it himself. He employs only first-rate waitresses, and the ambience is so local—to refurbish it would ruin the atmosphere. You sit there and know everybody and have fun.” The Farrs even have a booth with their own plaque near the front doors. “Our friends Betty and Dick Mason and Charlene and Bill Foushee asked Jerry if they could put it up,” Farr said. “Jerry gave them permission, and we were tickled. It’s the booth we sit in. If my husband and I aren’t at The Mayflower each Friday night, we’re in I.C.U.” L

Want to go? The Mayflower is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. And for dinner Monday through Saturday from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. 123 West Capitol Street Jackson (601) 355-4122

november. december 2012

mississippilegends.com

feature Story

november. december 2012

mississippilegends.com

omething is boiling in Enon, Mississippi. Literally.

during World War II when sugar was rationed, the crystallizations that

Milton Dunaway and his family are among the few families

often form in processed cane syrup were used in place of hard-to-find

left in the state who cook down their own sugar cane for syrup

granulated sugar. Nowadays, crystallizations in syrup are not desirable,

making. They have for generations. In this age of convenience and

and additives such as vinegar prevent it. But back then, such crystallization

modernization, when it may be easier to drive to the local box store and

seemed like a godsend in times of rationing.

buy pre-packaged, mass-produced sweeteners and syrups, people like

Dunaway are a bit of a dying breed.

molasses. And for those who prefer cane-based molasses, the season begins

Dunaway and his clan process cane from an old weathered pine

a bit later. Although Sorghum is easier to grow, cane is greatly preferred as

building that has withstood perhaps hundreds of fall and wintertime

a sweetener because it offers a higher sugar content. In addition, the cooler

cane cooking sessions. This part of Mississippi is good for sugar cane

temperatures found during the cane season make the cooking process a

production, and, even today, small family farms that grow an acre or two

more attractive option.

are sparsely spread apart throughout the county, reminders of the pre-

industrialized farming lifestyle of the past.

process. The process involves stripping the stalks from a freshly harvested

The season begins in early fall with the processing of Sorghum for

Dunaway says his 40 gallons of syrup usually take up to three weeks to

“My great grandfather started making sugar cane syrup … I just

four acres, topping them off, and hauling it all to the mill, or “squeezer,”

follow the tradition,” he says. “This is probably the fourth generation.

as some refer. In Dunaway’s case, the mill is located in the old building on

And I have a son and a nephew that’s following after me; we just handed

his property. “It takes five or six hours to do one cooking,” he says. “I got

it down.”

a vat that holds 230 gallons of juice. We put it in the vat, cook it, skim it

off, cook the water out of it. You got to know when it needs to come off,

The cooking of cane for syrup has a long history in the state. At one

time, it provided the only source of sweetener for rural Mississippians,

or you’ll burn it. You’ve got to know what you’re doing.”

and it was a normal part of life on the small farm. According to Dunaway,

“Back in my grandfather’s day, everybody used sugar cane syrup just

a taste of his syrup, and he claims that some will down it straight. “I

about every day. They used it instead of sugar in coffee. They’d put it on

distribute it around to my kinfolk, as far away as Baton Rouge or Texas.”

pancakes. They’d use it the same way they now use sugar from the store.”

So far, he has no interest in any large commercial prospects: “You’re not

gonna get rich on it,” he notes.

Stories of those involved with cane syrup processing report that

november. december 2012

And it appears that Dunaway does. Neighbors and family clamor for

Although by all indications Dunaway’s technique may be antiquated

and steeped in tradition, he says there are mills that still do it the old way: “In the old days, they had a horse-driven mill, where the horse went around and around in circles. And a lot of people actually still do. But we don’t—I have a power mill. We use gas now. But back in the old days, they used lighters. Pine lighters.”

To Dunaway, the yearly event is about two things: taste and

tradition. “I just like to fool with it. I like the taste of my syrup, and nobody else’s,” he says. “’Cause I know how my daddy taught me, and how my grandpa taught him. It’s just like people butchering their own hogs and making their own sausage. We do that, too, but it’s all a dying art.”

Like most who cling to the Deep South’s folkways of the past, the

Dunaway family does it because they believe in the values inherent in the tradition. “The family farm is really going away,” he says. “That’s a lot of the reason for kids turning out the way they are, as a bunch of hoodlums.

“I was raised, and my kids were raised, that every morning at four

o’clock we were down there in that dairy barn milkin’ cows. And then when nighttime comes, you ate your supper and you got your bath and got to bed. You wasn’t going down in town somewhere, getting in trouble.” He estimates eight to ten other Walthall County families cook their own syrup.

“And there’s a couple of people over near Liberty that cook syrup.

The closer you get into Louisiana, near Franklinton, there’s more people still foolin’ with it.”

• did you know? • Apparently, all sugar cane is not the same. As with most crops, different varieties can provide for great taste variations in the end product. Every year, cane growers looking to try out different types will get their seed cane from Mississippi State’s South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station (SMBES), located in Poplarville, in Pearl River County. According to Scott Langlois, Research Associate at the Station, “The SMBES is proud to play a small part in preserving a Southern tradition by providing a source for farmers and hobbyists to purchase seed sugarcane.” It is the work of researchers such as Langlois who help keep the “dying art” of syrup processing alive. By helping growers to more accurately select cane that meets a particular taste profile, such research combines old-world tradition with modern research. And apparently, researchers like Langlois understand the role that sugar cane plays in Mississippi folkways. “Most of the buyers of seed sugarcane are small hobbyists who share a similar story,” he says. “They all desire to preserve the tradition of making sugarcane syrup, recognizing it as a ritual that helps to bind communities and families. They work very hard to ensure that the knowledge and tradition are not lost between generations.”

OPPOSITE: Milton Dunaway walks to the weathered pine building where he and his family have cooked cane syrup for generations. ABOVE TOP: Earl Washington helps pull sugar cane from the mill as he makes cane syrup with Milton Dunaway in Enon. CENTER, BOTTOM: E. J. Holmes feeds sugar cane into the mill.

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ABOVE: Steam rises from Milton Dunaway's shed during the cane syrup cooking process. â&#x20AC;˘ The syrup making process is a delicate one. In Milton Dunaway's case, the process has been handed down from generations, and he's passing the knowledge on to his own son. RIGHT: Preston Fairborn cooks down cane syrup in Enon.

november. december 2012

❝

I got a vat that holds 230 gallons of juice.We put it in the vat, cook it, skim it off, cook the water out of it. You got to know when it needs to come off, or you’ll burn it. You’ve got to know what you’re doing.” mississippilegends.com

november. december 2012

"This Property Is Condemned," starring Natalie Wood and Robert Redford.

ď&#x192;Š The Bay St. Louis Little Theater served as a backdrop for the 1966 film

feature

saving mississippi’s theaters Historic Revitalization Keeps The Arts Alive Across Mississippi By kara martinez bachman

veryone was surprised by the turnout on the day the movie stars returned

towns and cities across Mississippi.

to Bay St. Louis.

On that day one year ago, Academy Award-nominated actress Mary Badham

The historic building on Blaize Avenue in downtown was packed with people

sat on the newly renovated theatre stage with actor John Provost, and both

eager to catch a glimpse of celebrity. It was hot inside, where the floorboards

recounted their days of shooting the 1966 film “This Property Is Condemned,”

creaked and every spare inch was filled with audience; outside, the overflow

based on the one-act play of native Mississippian Tennessee Williams. Starring

covered the walkways. The audience was there to celebrate two things: the grand

Natalie Wood and Robert Redford, this drama was partially filmed on-site in and

opening of the new location of the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre and the return

around the neighborhood of the three-story building on Blaize Avenue, not far

of two actors whose mark had been made on the entertainment industry as well

from the historic Bay St. Louis L&N Train Depot.

as on this artsy beachside town. This day, and every day since, has illustrated the

Badham, who was given a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role

important role that historic architectural revitalization plays in the cultural life of

as Scout in the classic film “To Kill a Mockingbirg,” recounted memories of

saved and renovated following Katrina's devastation.

 The interior of the Bay St. Louis Little Theate, which was

Photographs by james edward bates

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her opening scene, shot across the street from the theatre, alongside the CSX railroad tracks of old town Bay St. Louis. John Provost, who had starred as the beloved character Timmy in the “Lassie” television series, sat alongside her and waxed nostalgic about times spent filming on the tracks in the stifling heat of south Mississippi. The audience ate it up; some present remembered those days of decades ago, when Hollywood came to town and The Bay was turned upside down. The theatre so enamored location scouts, they chose its exterior to represent the Starr Boarding House of the film, which boasted a screenplay written by Francis Ford Coppola. The story of this property is not about Hollywood, but rather its importance that revitalization of historic architecture plays in a culture. The three-story building was believed to have been erected sometime between 1916 and 1929 (sources disagree on the exact year). Details provided by the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre (BSLLT), Hancock County Historical Society and other sources paint a partial picture of the origins of the building. The cinder-block style bricks used in the building’s construction were hand-shaped by Bay St. Louis merchant and original owner of the home Andreas Scafidi. The historical record shows that the first floor was used as a general store, and the upper floors were used to house Scafidi’s family during earlier days in The Bay. Over the years, the building traded hands and has been used even as a bottling location for Dr. Nut, an amaretto-flavored soft drink headquartered in New Orleans. The building that houses the BSLLT was not unlike the Starr Boarding House of the film; in later years, it fell into neglect and disrepair. What appeared to be the final chapter for the Scafidi house came with the bracing winds and tidal rush of Hurricane Katrina in 2005; the structure appeared to be a goner. That is, until the theatre, which had just lost its playhouse due to the storm, came in and rescued the dilapidated home. According to BSLLT Board President Cheryl Grace, the decision to rejuvenate a historic property was a no-brainer: “We could have had a steel building up within a year and started productions. But we, as a board, made the decision to find a stillstanding building in the community and restore it. This was definitely the harder path to go, but our community LEFT: Built in the earlier part of the 20th Century, the theater once served as a home, a general store and a bottling location. It was renovated into a theater when after the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre lost its playhouse in Katrina.

november. december 2012

lost so much that we thought if we could save just one building from being razed because of Katrina damage, we would be doing our part for the struggling community.” A grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, combined with private donations and memberships, helped to restore the building to its former glory and solidify a new home for theater in Hancock County. According to Grace, this restoration was a critical part of renewing downtown. She says, “We took a ma and pa grocery store from the 1920’s and breathed new, creative life into it. I bet Mr. Scafidi could never have imagined what his original sweat and effort was going to be adapted to do. We felt if the community could see this project emerge, see an abandoned building get new life after Katrina, see the human effort go into it, it would certainly provide inspiration for the renewal of each of their lives. Theatre inspires, connects, energizes. Theatre matters.” It is stories such as these that tend to come up time and again when we look deeply at historic architectural revitalization. There always seem to be last minute rescues and local heroes. And often the retrofitting of old buildings for new purposes tends to breathe extra life into downtowns that may tend towards lethargy. In the case of the Little Theatre, the renovation was part of something that went well beyond revitalization; in the post-Katrina landscape, every project of this type seems a little like rebirth. The same element of rebirth is happening more than 200 miles north in Cleveland. In this Delta town, the Ellis Theater, built in 1927, is the focus of an effort to revitalize an aged theater that was once and important focal point in the lives of locals. In its heyday, the theater aired the great old westerns, musicals and blockbuster films of the golden age of Hollywood. Now, The Delta Arts Alliance is bringing the old theater back into relevance. The Alliance has recently received funding to continue its ongoing restoration of this old place of entertainment and community. This time, the focus is on continuing to renovate the theater and use it in RIGHT, top to bottom: The Ellis Theater, built in 1927, is the focus of an effort to revitalize an aged theater that was once an important focal point in the lives of locals. In its heyday, the theater aired the great old westerns, musicals and blockbuster films of the golden age of Hollywood. • Constructed sometime around 1950, the New Roxy served the AfricanAmerican community of Clarksdale and was a main hub for the social life of the neighborhood. • Although a full restoration of the building has not yet completed, owner Robin Colonas has begun using it for social and community functions.

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conjunction with an already operating Arts Annex to provide an array of cultural and art

Clarksdale’s first female police officer.”

opportunities to locals.

The renovation of the Saenger Theater in Biloxi has served to enhance the creative vibe

Funded partially by private donations and partially by a grant through the Mississippi

of downtown Biloxi; now, there is an ever growing selection of art galleries and museums

Arts Commission, the theater renovation will hopefully bring an arts and entertainment

(some of which are housed in historic structures themselves), which serve to bring a

“address” to downtown Cleveland. According to Larry Morrisey, who works with the

youthful, upscale vibe to the old sections of the city. Built in 1929, the theater hosted

Building Fund for the Arts Projects of the Mississippi Arts Commission, “Historic

some of the earliest talkie films of cinema and provided a stage for vaudeville acts and

downtown theaters were important gathering points in small-town Mississippi for much

traveling shows. The beautiful sign on the theater exterior is an iconic image for people

of the 20th Century. While it’s not feasible for most of them to still show movies, we’ve

of the Gulf Coast, which attests to the importance of keeping such architectural treasures

seen in numerous towns how old

alive. For people of the coast, who

theaters have been transformed

lost so much during Hurricane

into arts centers that serve multiple

Katrina, these buildings tell the

uses for the community.”

story of Mississippi.

Sometimes, local heroes take the

Many

re-purposing of old buildings into

in Mississippi seem to have

their own hands. Such is the case

their examples of this type of

with Robin Colonas, owner of the

revitalization. In Meridian, the

New Roxy Theater, located in the

beautiful Victorian-era MSU-Riley

New World District of Clarksdale.

Center sat unused for decades

Constructed

around

until it was restored to its former

1950, the New Roxy served the

glory in the early 2000’s under

African-American community of

the management of Mississippi

Clarksdale and was a main hub for

State University. It now serves

the social life of the neighborhood.

as a prime entertainment venue

Although a full restoration of the

for the people of Meridian, and

building has not yet completed,

brings international performers

owner

the

of all types. More importantly,

building in 2008 but did not want

it has brought a new energy to

to wait for a complete renovation

downtown Meridian.

to begin utilizing the space for

A few blocks away is the

social and entertainment-related

renewal story of The Temple

events. It is being used for musical

Theater for the Performing Arts.

performances, private events, and

The theater was built in the early

even theater productions, such

1920’s, by the Hamasa Shriners. In

as Shakespeare’s Hamlet, staged

2009, retired Texan businessman

by a traveling troupe from Iowa.

Roger Smith (another hero of

Despite lacking a roof and being

the historic renovation story of

mostly open to the elements, to

the state) purchased the building,

sometime

Colonas

bought

Colonas, getting the New Roxy functional in any capacity was

The Meridian Opera House sat vacant from 1927 to 2006 when Mississippi State opened its doors as the MSU Riley Center. The theater now adds to the cultural vibrance of Meridian's downtown.

an important goal: “Instead of it

towns

and

cities

which had seen continuous but sparse use since the 1970s. The Moorish Revival style building

being just an empty building people walk by, I wanted it to be an important part of the

now features musical performances and film screenings, including a recent showing of

community. A lot of customers are tourists, and it has drawn a lot of people to this part of

Buster Keaton’s “The General” from the silent movie days in which it was built.

town, which was important to music back in the day.”

The buildings themselves are said to offer meaningful histories; they are relics from

To Colonas, however, saving the old building means something more than the simply

times when things were not about efficiency or about mass-production, but were about

tangible means preserving memories for the people of Clarksdale: “Every day that I am

carefully handcrafted structures that were meant to last. Whether accurately restored or

there, people will tell me stories of coming there as a kid. They talk about their first

retrofitted for modern use, they reflect and foster the creative soul of the town for which

date in the theater, and about the woman who ran the theater, who went on to become

they were built.

november. december 2012

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november. december 2012

feature

Craft beer fans tip their steins to progress By Kara Martinez Bachman Photography by James Edward Bates

New laws allowing higher alcohol content in beer have

Nowadays, a legal producer is following in the local tradition of

finally come to the cities and towns of Mississippi. One of these

handcrafting adult beverages. Located in Kiln, the Lazy Magnolia

towns is Kiln, located a few minutes from the waters of the Gulf

Brewing Company is producing not whiskey, but some of the finest

Coast.

regional beers around. This craft brewery has been in operation since

2005 and was the first viable commercial brewery to operate in the

When driving through Kiln, not much seems out of the ordinary.

There is a large plywood sign announcing it as the home of retired

state of Mississippi.

NFL quarterback Brett Favre. There is also a colorful mural of

Lazy Magnolia offers unique brews reflecting a Southern vibe.

football helmets gracing the side wall of Dolly’s Quick Stop Gas

A prime example is their popular Southern Pecan, touted by the

Station, which serves as meeting point central for this tightly-knit

company as being the first beer in the world made with whole

community. But aside from these peculiarities, this rural community

roasted pecans. Such offerings have increased rapidly in popularity

appears to be typical of the rest of south Mississippi.

and availability - they can now be found in most quality bars and

Until, that is, you take a close look at its history. Kiln (called

restaurants in the state, as well as in several other Southern states.

“The Kill” by locals) was, and is, a hotspot for the crafting of adult

Although the products of Lazy Magnolia are quite different in

beverages. From Prohibition era bootlegging to today’s craft beer

purpose, taste, legality and safety than those offered by their under-

operation of Lazy Magnolia Brewing Company, Kiln has a heritage

the-radar backwoods predecessors, the brewery, and others through

of alcohol production that may not be immediately evident. If a

the years who have attempted commercial beer production in

traveler were driving down Highway 603 for a weekend trip to the

the state, have had to deal with laws designed to restrict alcohol

sandy beaches of the Sound, the town may appear to be nothing

production to choke hold levels. Although the national Prohibition

more than a stoplight intersection, a pit stop really, on a country

laws were repealed in 1933, the state of Mississippi clung to the

road headed to where the action is down south. But this perception

restrictions for some decades after, which aided the continuation of

does not tell the truth of this area, or of its deep history as a distilling

the trade that was often unsafe and shady, but that made life bearable

– and now brewing – hotspot.

for local people when times were tough. “Kiln Kountry” among

In his book, “Kiln Kountry,” local author Dan Ellis outlines

other sources, documents that a trade in moonshine of one type or

the vital role the small town played in illegal whiskey production,

another flourished in Kiln until as late as 1966, when Mississippi

beginning with the 1908 Mississippi Prohibition Act. From the

went “wet” but put in place a state-run wholesale distribution

Piney Woods of South Mississippi to the nearby urban center of

system. The system involved heavy-handed control of allowable

New Orleans, Kiln was known as a prime supplier of knock ‘em

products as well as taxes and restrictive regulations, many of which

dead moonshine. According to Ellis, “Kiln liquor had a reputation

remain in effect today. Through the years, modest deregulation has

for high alcoholic proof and went under such names as Jourdan

allowed the distilling of spirits — but the steps toward reversing

River Dew, White Lightening and Shinny, etc. Many and amusing

decades of restrictions on adult beverage consumption and sale have

were the tall tales circulated about the effect of drinking Kiln liquor,

been more reminiscent of baby-steps than of huge leaps.

and customers from areas of Chicago, Galveston and sections of

In this comparison to the old stills of “The Kill,” present laws do

Tennessee were buyers of wholesale quantities.”

not resemble those of the hardcore years between 1908 and 1966.

OPPOSITE: Lazy Magnolia, located in Kiln, has been producing fine regional beers since 2005 as the first viable commercial brewery to operate in the state. These days high alcohol content laws allow for the production of a wider range of brews for beer aficionados.

mississippilegends.com

Brewers, however, have still had to deal with a state government that prefers to hold tight to the reins. Prior to July 1, the highest alcohol content allowed in Mississippi beer was five percent by weight; new legislative changes now allow for up to eight percent. As the only state in the nation to limit beer Alcohol by Weight (ABW) to five percent, Mississippi had seemed, at least to beer fans, to be a bit antiquated. In addition to allowing the higher alcohol content, breweries will now be allowed to offer tastings during tours, which is a critical component of the brewery tour experience.

According to Mark Henderson, Owner of Lazy Magnolia, in the past his brewery

tours were less-than-ideal. He confesses to occasionally deterring visitors in order to avoid the inevitable outcome of disappointment; most visitors expected a tasting at the end of the tour. According to Henderson, “Now we’re going to have the ability to really promote our brand, to give people exposure to all of the wonderful flavors.” The new loosening of restrictions means Lazy Magnolia can now move into a taste territory that had been previously prohibited. The newest addition, Timber Beast, is a nod to the heritage of the industry historically found in their community: logging. The team describes the new recipe: “Resting at an 8.5% ABV, this spicy, full-bodied rye pale ale balanced with a generous dose of Zythos hops will be the first brew in Lazy Magnolia’s Back Porch Series.” The first pour of Timber Beast took place during a celebratory midnight ceremony, held at the very moment the new laws went into effect. The brewery also plans for an expansion that will involve an increase in their capacity from 15,000 barrels per year to 45,000 barrels per year, the addition of an attractive tasting room and a doubling in the number of employees. The recent change means there will be more beers available in Mississippi bars, restaurants and nightclubs. It also serves the economic purpose of keeping dollars in the state, since imbibers no longer need to cross state lines to enjoy a diverse range of flavors. Lazy Magnolia’s Will Mestayer sees the value in local options: “As a brand manager for Lazy Magnolia, I have been able to talk to consumers out in the market and ask them why they drink our beer. Most of the answers I got have simply been ‘Well, I saw it was the only thing from Mississippi on tap, and once I tried it, I fell in love.’ From the catfish farm to the tomato stand on the side of a road, Mississippians love local products.” According to Mestayer, the state stands to benefit greatly from the ‘keep it local’ aspect of the craft beer business. “It is not simply a matter of providing more choices,” says Mestmayer. “The new laws have allowed Mississippi to catch up with the rest of the country on the education in good beer. The new laws are going to help the state out economically by making it easier for more breweries to open in the state. New breweries in the state mean more jobs for Mississippians, as well as a better knowledge of beer and all the complex flavors we have grown to love.” Lazy Magnolia may see increased competition as new changes will encourage fledgling operations to begin tapping kegs. One such brew competitor is the ABOVE: The first pour of Lazy Magnolia's Timber Beast took place during a celebratory midnight ceremony, held at the very moment the new beer alcohol law went into affect. The beer is a nod to the heritage of the region's timber industry.

Crooked Letter Brewing Company, which plans to have their taps flowing before the end of 2012. Crooked Letter, planned to be situated in the artsy coastal town of Ocean Springs, is a company that will be glad to serve a higher alcohol product. According to Wanda Blacksmith, owner and CEO, “There are certain beer profiles, such as aroma and flavor, that can only be achieved at those levels. Our beers are truly handcrafted artisan ales, and the recent laws give us more freedom to achieve unique, very flavorful beers.” The new steps forward please end-consumers of craft and import suds, such as

november. december 2012

Richard Anderson, of Diamondhead. “Being able to purchase craft beers just around the corner from my house is a delicious convenience,” he says. Like Anderson, many beer aficionados are celebrating the recent changes not because of the “buzz” the alcohol affords, but because of the added choices of craft beers in the local marketplace. “The high alcohol content to me is a kind of non-issue,” he says. “We’ve always had access to wines and 80 proof liquors.”

Just as the fight to repeal Prohibition was spearheaded by influential business leaders

and citizen groups that had coalesced into political forces, so, too, have beer fans from across the state taken up the agenda to bring liberty to brewery operations. A nonprofit organized group, Raise Your Pints, formed to fight for the relaxing of laws on alcohol content. The group was designed to encourage the establishment of a craft beer industry in Mississippi. Part of achieving this goal required changing the antiquated, post-Prohibition laws that had been on the books since the 1960s, and many see the efforts of Raise Your Pints as having had a strong influence on recent progress. According to Butch Bailey, Raise Your Pints president and founder, “It’s tough to overstate how important this was for craft beer culture here. If you look across the U.S., you see craft beer playing a much larger role in the beer scene and locally produced beer being much more important. Mississippi has missed out on a lot of that due to the terribly low alcohol restriction.” A rapidly growing and devoted following is helping give rise to changes long in coming. Despite recent successes, Bailey says Raise Your Pints has accomplished only a small part of its goal: “Our next priority is making home-brewing beer legal in Mississippi, as it already is in 48 other states. In addition to home-brewing legislation, we are still working every day to educate Mississippians about craft beer and why it’s such a special type of product. I mean, you’re talking about something that literally dates to the dawn of human civilization.”

• Facts for Beer Newbies • Here’s the scoop, according to BeerAdvocate.com: – Not only did the ancient Sumerians brew beer, they also worshiped a goddess named Ninkasi, Goddess of Brewing and Beer. – The first Oktoberfest in Munich was held in 1810, more than 200 years ago. – Beers have been made with every ingredient under the sun, including unexpected items such as peanut butter, seaweed, lavender, pickled ginger and oysters. – Wheat beers, such as German Hefeweizens, are traditionally cloudy beers served with yeast sediment in the bottom of the glass. – There are two different ways to calculate alcohol content: Alcohol By Volume (ABV) and Alcohol by Weight (ABW); do not get them confused. – The first known brewery in the New World was established on the southern tip of what is now present-day Manhattan. The year? 1612.

mississippilegends.com

november. december 2012

Story and photographs by

Marianne Todd

mississippilegends.com

At Meridian’s Temple Theater for the Performing Arts Hank Williams,

as a hospice chaplain and could no longer do a regular show in Meridian.

Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline have all been resurrected – well, in a sense.

“It’s a good cross-section of people from Mississippi and Alabama,” he

The new monthly tribute show also features Willie, Waylon and the boys.

says. “It’s a show that appeals to all levels and has a broad-based support.”

The show, The Mississippi Jamboree, was developed by brothers Larry

Tickets are $10, and Smith says he’s committed to keeping prices low.

and Chuck Bryant (big brothers to Gov. Phil Bryant) of Jackson, who emcee

“You cannot go anywhere and for a $10 investment get this much live

and play with fellow Jackson musicians, some of whom have Grammy awards to their credit.

entertainment. Period. And that’s thanks to some very devoted local sponsors we have,” he says. “It’s so appropriate that the show is housed at the Temple

Hosted the first Saturday of each month, Temple director Roger Smith

Theater. It’s really a tribute to all the famous artists who have graced the stage

says audience numbers are building as word spreads of the entertaining show.

here, from Elvis to Hank Williams himself.”

With a red barn backdrop and hay bales to boot, the show is reminiscent of a

The Temple Theater anchors the north end of the city’s entertainment

bygone era in country music, where Cash was king and Hee Haw ruled.

district and remains the “closest thing to the Ryman Auditorium (Nashville’s

“The set is a close replica of the Grand Old Opry,” Smith says. “You’d

famed theater) there is in the State of Mississippi,” Smith says. “But I think the

expect Minnie Pearl to come walking out on stage, price tag on her hat and

Temple is much prettier and our seats are more comfortable.”

all. The quality of the entertainment is reminiscent of a Texas-style band, which has a swing to it, thanks to the steel guitar.”

The show begins at 7 p.m. and runs for two and a half hours. Tickets are

Smith said the show has a broad appeal to all country music lovers. It was

available at the door. For more information, call the Temple at (601) 693-5353.

created after Sucarnochee Revue host Jackie Jack White took a full time job

LEFT, top to bottom: Susan Box wows the audience as Patsy Cline. • Bassist Steve Owen turns up the heat. • Jackson Attorney Trey Jones croons a Willie Nelson tune. ABOVE: Gov. Phil Bryant enjoys his brothers’ show from the side of backstage.

november. december 2012

What’s shakin’ around the state? bay st. louis Nov 17....................Crystal Gayle - Hollywood Casino - Bay St. Louis - www.hollywoodbsl.com – (866) 758-2591 Dec 31....................Little Freddie King - 100 Men Hall - www.100menhall.org - (228) 342-5770

biloxi Nov 19....................Chris Young - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 16....................Dierks Bentley - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 17....................Heart - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 17....................Bill Engvall - IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - (800) 436-3000 Nov 23....................Ronnie Milsap - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 23....................Ray Stevens - IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - (800) 436-3000 Nov 24....................Everclear - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Nov 30....................Steel Magnolias - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 1......................The Irish Tenors - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 7......................Easton Corbin - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 8......................Michael Bolton - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 21....................Tony Orlando - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 28....................Leslie West & Friends - Hard Rock Casino - www.hardrockbiloxi.com - (228) 374-7625 Dec 29....................REO Speedwagon - IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - (800) 436-3000 Dec 30....................Little Big Town - IP Casino Resort & Spa - www.ipbiloxi.com - (800) 436-3000

clarksdale Nov 17....................Victor WainWright and The WildRoots - Ground Zero - www.groundzerobluesclub.com (662) 621-9009 Nov 24....................Rowdy South - Ground Zero - www.groundzerobluesclub.com – (662) 621-9009 Dec 15....................Jimbo Mathus - Ground Zero - www.groundzerobluesclub.com – (662) 621-9009 Dec 22....................TCB Blues Band - Ground Zero - www.groundzerobluesclub.com – (662) 621-9009 Dec 31....................New Year’s Eve Party with Super Chikan and The Fighting Cocks - Ground Zero ...............................www.groundzerobluesclub.com – (662) 621-9009

cleveland Nov 15....................“The Boys Next Door” - Delta Center Stage - www.deltastage.com - (662) 378-9849 Nov 16....................“Shrek the Musical” - Bologna Performing Arts Center – www.bolognapac.com – (662) 846-4626

greenwood Nov 13....................Holiday Open House/YuleTide Trolley Ride - Downtown Greenwood - www.greenwoodms.com – (662) 453-4152 Nov 30....................Roy Martin Delta Band Festival - Downtown Greenwood - www.greenwoodms.com – (662) 453-4152

hattiesburg Nov 15-18...............“Legally Blonde” presented by the Hattiesburg Civic Light Opera - Saenger Theater ...............................www.hattiesburgsaenger.com - (601) 584-4888 Dec 1......................Ballet Magnificat!’s: “Most Incredible Christmas” - Saenger Theater - www.hattiesburgsaenger.com - (601) 584-4888 Dec 2......................The Forgotten Carols Symphony - Saenger Theater - www.hattiesburgsaenger.com - (601) 584-4888 Dec 4......................The USM Symphony Orchestra Presents: “Holiday Choral Spectacular” - Main Street Baptist Church ...............................www.usm.edu/music/symphony/events - (601) 296-8000 mississippilegends.com

jackson Every Mon.............Central MS Blues Society - Hal and Mal’s - www.halandmals.com - (601) 948-0888 Nov 13....................Blues Trail Marker for Otis Spann - www.msbluestrail.org Nov 14....................A.J. Croce - Duling Hall - www.ardenland.net - (601) 292-7121 Nov 14-18...............Disney on Ice Treasure Trove - Mississippi Coliseum - disney.go.com/disneyonice – (601) 353-0603 Nov 15....................Mary Gauthier with Scott Nolan - Duling Hall - www.ardenland.net - (601) 292-7121 Nov 16....................The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Presents: “Chamber I” - Galloway United Methodist Church ...............................www.msorchestra.com - (601) 353-9691 Nov 20 & Dec 18...Unburied Treasures: Greatest Hits - Mississippi Museum of Art - www.msmuseumart.org - (601) 960-1515 Nov 23....................Molly Ringwald & Webb Wilder - Hal and Mal’s - www.halandmals.com - (601) 948-0888 Dec 1......................Toby Mac Hits Deep Tour- Mississippi Coliseum ...............................www.mdac.state.ms.us/departments/ms_fair_commission/upcoming-events.asp – (601) 353-0603 Dec 6......................Fondren After 5 - Historic Fondren District - www.fondren.org Dec 7-9...................Ballet Magnificat’s Carols by Candlelight - First Baptist Church Jackson - www.balletmagnificat.com - (601) 949-1900

madison Nov 29-Dec 2.........“A Christmas Story” - Madison Square Center for the Arts - www.centerplayers.net

meridian Nov 1 & Dec 1.......The Mississippi Jamboree - Temple Theater - www.meridiantempletheater.com - (601) 693-5353 Nov 11....................Kenny Loggins - MSU Riley Center - www.msurileycenter.com – (601) 696-2200 Nov 16....................The Four Tops - MSU Riley Center - www.msurileycenter.com – (601) 696-2200 Dec 8......................The Meridian Symphony Orchestra Presents: “Peppermint Pops” - MSU Riley Center ...............................www.meridiansymphonyorchestra.com - (601) 696-2200 Dec. 9.....................The Nutcracker, Temple Theater for the Performing Arts, 2 p.m., www.templetheater.com, (601) 693-5353. ...............................Tickets are $10, $20 and $30. Dec 15....................John Tesh Big Band Christmas - MSU Riley Center - www.msurileycenter.com – (601) 696-2200

natchez Nov 23-Dec 23.......Christmas in Natchez - Downtown Natchez – www.christmasinnatchez.com - (800) 647-6724

ocean springs Nov 3&4.................34th Annual Peter Anderson Arts, Crafts & Food Festival - Downtown Ocean Springs - www.gulfcoast.org

oxford Nov 28....................Home Grown - The Ford Center - www.fordcenter.org - (662) 915-2787 Dec 16....................John Tesh: Big Band Christmas - The Ford Center - www.fordcenter.org - (662) 915-2787

tupelo Through Jan 31......Elvis Exhibit at the Welcome Center - Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau - www.tupelo.net (800) 533-0611 Dec 13-16...............Disney on Ice Worlds Of Fantasy - BancorpSouth Arena - www.bcsarena.com - (662) 841-6573

southaven Nov 17....................4th Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Fest featuring Frankie Beverly and Maze - Landers Center ...............................www.landerscenter.com – (662) 470-2131 Nov 30-Dec 9.........Annie - Landers Theatre - www.dftonline.org – (662) 470-2131

november. december 2012

mississippilegends.com

november. december 2012