Album Review: Mississippi Fred McDowell “Come And Found You Gone”
Mississippi Fred McDowell, of course, is a legend. He was one of the first country bluesmen to be rediscovered and recorded by scholars, and toward the end of his life toured across the country and...
View ArticlePreserving the Endangered Fife and Drum Music Tradition in Mississippi
Few musical experiences can compare to the raw power of African-American fife and drum music. Unfortunately, this musical style once found throughout the south is now found only amongst the members of...
View ArticleSharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band at the North Mississippi...
Sharde Thomas and the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band. Sharde also plays the piano, and incorporates other styles of music into the band’s repertoire. North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, June 25, 2011
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A Quiet Easter Afternoon in Como
After Easter morning services at my church, Easter Sunday proved to be dull indeed. I have no relatives in Memphis, my best friend had to work, and a lot of restaurants were closed. But I had seen on...
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The Great R. L. Boyce & Como Breakdown Live at #catheaddeltablues...
Given the importance of Como, Mississippi in blues history, it is surprising and saddening that there is rarely any live blues to be heard in the little town, despite two popular restaurants and a...
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Andre Otha Evans With The R.L. Boyce Fife and Drum Band at Cat Head...
The conventional wisdom is that there is really only one Black fife-and-drum band left in America, that of Sharde Thomas in Panola County, so it was thrilling to see a second one at this year’s Juke...
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R. L. Boyce and the Hill Country Blues at Como, Mississippi
Como, Mississippi is a town of significant importance when it comes to the Hill Country style of blues, and it is a town that has had something of a nightlife renaissance in recent years, with several...
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Red White & Blues: Celebrating the Fourth With R. L. Boyce in North Mississippi
Since blues is one of the unique genres of music invented in America, I can think of few better ways to spend the Fourth of July than at a blues picnic. While there weren’t many public blues events in...
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Day 2 of the Otha Turner Picnic at Gravel Springs
The second day of the annual Otha Turner Picnic in Gravel Springs near Senatobia always falls on a Saturday, and brings out a larger crowd. This year, there were performances by Dr. David Evans, the...
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Enjoying Classic Hill Country Blues at Li’l Poyun’s Place In Como, Mississippi
Como, Mississippi, a little town in the northern extremity of Panola County is historically a center of the Hill Country of Mississippi. Mississippi Fred McDowell was from Como, as was Napoleon...
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Juke Joint Festival: Andre Otha Evans Fife & Drum Band
Black fife and drum bands were once ubiquitous in the rural South, but time has not been kind to this style of music, a sort of precursor to the blues with heavy African influence. By 1970, only four...
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Juke Joint Festival: Carlos Elliott Jr & R. L. Boyce
Juke Joint Fest: Carlos Elliott Jr & R. L. Boyce / Google Photos R. L. Boyce is really the last of the old-school Hill Country blues musicians, and was a mentor to the young South American...
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Throwing Down at the Home Place Near Como, Mississippi
New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New...
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Celebrating The Legacy of Como, Mississippi
New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New photo by John Shaw / Google Photos New...
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A Hill Country Blues Yard Party In Como
Como, Mississippi bluesman R. L. Boyce used to be famous for his yard parties, but in recent years he had stopped doing them after some health issues. So when his daughter Sherena informed me that he...
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Celebrating R. L. Boyce’s Birthday With A Picnic in Como
Como, Mississippi is a town that sits on the border between the Mississippi Delta and a region known as the Hill Country. The styles of blues from each region are distinct, but elements of them meet...
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Bikes and Blues On Historic Ground near Como
On the last weekend of September, Memphis-based blues and southern soul singer Gerod Rayborn asked me if I would play keyboards with his band for a blues show taking place at Como, Mississippi. The...
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Celebrating the Hill Country Tradition at Como’s Annual Day
Each October, the City of Como, Mississippi sponsors a large, daylong festival and picnic called Como Day, featuring vendors, food trucks, custom cars and excellent live music. Como Day is one of a...
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Duwayne Burnside and R. L. Boyce Live at Bluesberry Cafe in Clarksdale...
The annual Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi has grown into one of the largest music festivals in Mississippi, with four days of live performances, many of them free. Blues musicians from...
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Jukin’ at Cat Head in Clarksdale
Juke Joint Fest weekend in Clarksdale is generally rain-free, but the last couple of years have been an exception. 2017 was a complete wash-out, and this year was harassed by rain, but not quite as...
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