David Kimbrough, Little Joe Ayers and Robert Kimbrough Live at The New Junior’s Juke Joint #2 in Holly Springs

For many years, Hill Country bluesman Junior Kimbrough had a juke joint in rural Marshall County that was a destination for those in the know. People from all over the world made their way to the spot, where blues continued “All Night Long”, as the song said. The juke moved a couple of times over the years, then burned to the ground, and never reopened. So when I heard that Junior’s son was opening a new juke called Junior’s Juke Joint #2 near Holly Springs, I was thrilled. The new juke is much closer to town than the old ones had been, just north of the Rust College campus along Highway 7. The bright blue building was already abuzz with activity when I arrived, and I saw a number of people that had just come from the blues concert on the square, just as I had. Little Joe Ayers performed first, and as he was on stage Shannon McNally and Garry Burnside came in. Shortly thereafter, Junior Kimbrough’s son Robert Kimbrough got on stage and performed several tunes, and then the man of the evening appears, the juke’s owner himself, David Kimbrough Jr. As he performs a number of the Hill Country blues standards, his dad’s as well as R. L. Burnside’s, the floor fills up with willing dancers. When I left at midnight, things were still going strong. Junior’s Juke Joint #2 will be a must-visit attraction in Holly Springs.

Final Thursday Night Blues on the Square in Holly Springs with Brown Sugar and Shannon McNally @McNally

Beginning in July each summer, the town of Holly Springs, Mississippi sponsors Thursday night blues concerts on the courthouse lawn in the town square. While the events do attract tourists, it’s not just a tourist-oriented event, as Marshall County is an important place in Mississippi blues history. Two of the greatest Hill County bluesmen, R. L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, were from Marshall County, and made their careers and reputations in the area. The county is also home to the annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, held each summer in Waterford, and the county seat of Holly Springs is the location of Akei Pro’s Record Shop, a virtual blues-lover’s paradise, full of old vinyl records and some compact discs, as well as bluesman Duwayne Burnside’s local club, Alice Mae’s Cafe.
On September 25, I headed down to Holly Springs for the soft opening of a new juke joint, Junior’s Juke Joint #2, being opened north of town by David Kimbrough Jr, son of the late Junior Kimbrough. The opening date was chosen to correspond to the final Thursday night event of the year on the square, so I headed there first, and found a large crowd listening, dancing and enjoying the music of blues singer Brown Sugar and her band. After her performance, I ran across and grabbed a dinner at JB’s on the Square (good food) and then made it back in time to see indie singer Shannon McNally, who was performing with a band that included Garry Burnside (another son of R. L.’s) on guitar. North Center Street was also in a festive mood, with a large crowd outdoors, and good Southern Soul records playing in Alice Mae’s Cafe. In a large parking lot north of Akei Pro’s, there was a crowd of people hanging out and grilling food. After Shannon’s last song, there was a procession of Corvettes that came through the square, and the final Thursday night Blues on the Square event for 2014 came to a close.

David Kimbrough Jr. Playing at Cat Head Delta Blues at #JukeJointFest2014 @Kimbroughville

David Kimbrough Jr. is another of the sons of Junior Kimbrough, an amazing guitarist whom we don’t see quite as often since he moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas, but I recall his dulcimer playing at last summer’s North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, and a memorable concert last year at The Cool Spot in Holly Springs with his brothers Kent and Robert. Any opportunity to see him should not be missed.

Celebrating the Hill Country Blues at Oxford’s Powerhouse Community Arts Center

While registering for the Southern Entertainment Awards at Resorts Casino in Tunica, I looked on my phone and saw where a concert of Hill Country blues was taking place at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center in Oxford. The weather had gotten really bad, with high winds, thunder and lightning, but I decided to drive over that way from Tunica, stopping for dinner at the Oyster Bar in Como. The concert had already started when I got to Oxford, and Sharde Thomas was on stage with the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band. I learned that the event was being held for the attendees of the Southern Literary Festival, which was being held on the Ole Miss campus nearby. After the fife and drum band, Hill Country blues legend Duwayne Burnside came on stage with his band, including David Kimbrough Jr on drums, and played a selection of traditional and modern blues songs, getting the most applause for his reading of his father’s “See My Jumper Hanging Out On The Line.” (The strange title of that song had always mystified me, until I read recently that rural women who were cheating on their husbands used to hang a man’s jumpsuit on their clothesline as a signal to their boyfriends that the coast was clear and they could come over). Duwayne Burnside was followed by the Rev. John Wilkins, whose style of gospel is largely based on the music of Hill Country blues, despite the religious tone of the lyrics. Although I had seen all the performers elsewhere in the past, it was an exciting and enjoyable performance.

The Kimbroughs-Live at the Cool Spot in Holly Springs MS 10/11/13 @_CoolSpot_

Last Friday night, as David Kimbrough Jr struck up the first few notes of his first tune at The Cool Spot in Holly Springs, I realized something momentous was happening that ought to be preserved for the future, so I recorded the entire show with a recording app in my iPhone. Of course the recordings were made under less than optimum conditions, but I have used the editing software in Audacity to clean the tracks up as best I can. Enjoy this authentic Hill Country blues played by three of Junior Kimbrough’s sons, David, Robert and Kenny. David’s album Shell-Shocked can be purchased on iTunes here. Kenny also recorded an album under the name Kent Kimbrough on Hill Country Records, and that can also be purchased on iTunes here.

David Kimbrough, Kenny Kimbrough and Robert Kimbrough Live at the @_CoolSpot_ in Holly Springs MS

Only once before had I heard David Kimbrough Jr, at this year’s North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic, and at that event, he played the dulcimer with his drummer, but tonight, amongst his friends and relatives in Holly Springs, he played the Hill Country blues style for which his dad was justifiably famous. Backing him was his brother Robert Kimbrough on bass and his brother Kenny Kimbrough on drums, and the music, atmosphere and dancing must have been something like being at Junior’s old juke joint back in the day, except that everything had to end early because clubs are supposed to close at 2 AM in Holly Springs. As it was, the crowd didn’t want to leave, and the club owner finally had to run everybody out at about 2:30 in the morning!

Garry Burnside Live at the Cool Spot (@_CoolSpot_) in Holly Springs

I had heard that David Kimbrough Jr. would be coming from Arkansas to Holly Springs to play at a club called The Cool Spot, so I drove down there, and when I arrived, Garry Burnside was on stage with his band, and there was already a good-sized crowd in the place. David Kimbrough arrived shortly after I got there, and I learned he would be playing with Robert Kimbrough and Kenny Kimbrough on the evening’s second set. I also met a photographer for a Mississippi based urban entertainment magazine called MissHaps, which covers the state’s entertainment and club scene. The venue was of some interest, too. It was actually rather huge, with a large outdoor courtyard and deck that featured a projection screen on which videos were projected. It appeared that the other side of the courtyard was perhaps another club, or maybe a restaurant. It was actually a cool place to hang out and party, and I wonder if they’ve ever had live bands outdoors on the courtyard, which would be really cool indeed.

David Kimbrough Duo at Hill Country Picnic 2013

David Kimbrough plays on the dulcimer in a duo with his drummer at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic in Waterford, Mississippi on Friday, 6/28/13

David Kimbrough Band Live at the Hill Country Picnic

The David Kimbrough Band performs for the the crowd at the first night of the Hill Country Picnic on Friday, 6/28/13

David Kimbrough Band-Nobody But You-Live at the Hill Country Picnic 2013

Junior Kimbrough’s son David performs with his band at the North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic in Waterford, Mississippi on Friday, 6/28/13