Much of a blues experience is determined by the scene for performing and listening: outside festivals with the state of the art sound systems or venues with music coming from store fronts, sidewalks or alleys. The venue itself often determines what kind of experience is shared by the performer and the listener reflecting with the interactions of the music. I love the juke joint experience. For me musical highs come within these small vibrating dens of joy.
Red, Photo by Ken Murphy, State of Blues
Red’s, run by Red, is my favorite juke which I try to go to every time I make a trip to Clarksdale. Big Jack Johnson is a regular here. One night at Red’s, Jack’s electric blues was joined with a thunderstorm moving through the Delta.
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Thunder boomed as rain soaked through the plastic ceiling, while Jack kept playing, dodging the rain while everybody else got soaked, too. The pool table became a pond and the slick floor was wild with dancing. Lightning flashed as Big Jack’s blues kept coming on the banks of the Sunflower river.
Willie King at Betty's, Photo by Bill Steber
My juke favorite was a very special evening out in the woods. With pals, we journeyed to our beloved Willie King’s Sunday night gig at Betty’s place. Outside Macon, down dirt roads we landed on Betty’s parking ground. Finding our loving pal, Willie James King’s fine longtime drummer, we were immediately accepted as a part of King’s gang. Betty’s is a converted Jim Walter-like-home bar. Everything is at a slant and bathrooms go to the ground. This memorable experience was like no other, partying hard with a down-home bunch. After Willie’s funeral, we went to Betty’s to share cold beer in his honor, my last trip.
Blues joints are so cool that now they are being used to market neat product brands. Cathead vodka chose Betonia’s Blue Front Cafe with its leader Jimmy Duck Holmes to stage photographic scenes for their web presence.
Please relay your favorite juke joint and your stories.
I need new fun places to go.
Thursday night is Blues Night at Lemuria with Scott Barretta and Ken Murphy signing Mississippi: State of Blues. Catch the live music at our Dot Com building starting at 4:00 with a book signing and a talk to follow from Scott and Ken.
Later on, join us at Underground 119 for a book opening party with blues man Jesse Robinson. Click here for more details.
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