Mississippi

Grammy Winner Gives A Bluesy Tour Through The Hill Country

Published

7 months ago

April 20, 2024

Grammy Winner Gives A Bluesy Tour Through The Hill Country

The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area is a unique region that was designated by Congress in 2009 and has played a major role in America’s history and culture.

The Northeast Mississippi region, bounded by Interstate 55 to the west and Highway 14 to the south, intermingles Appalachian and Delta cultures, was instrumental in the Civil Rights Movement and was the home of Elvis Presley, William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams. It also is the home to the Mississippi Blues Trail, where travelers can follow markers to learn about an underpublicized form of music known as Hill Country blues.

Bluesman Cedric Burnside, who released a new album, Hill Country Love, this month, lives in Ashland, about 18 miles east of Holly Springs, which is about an hour drive southeast of Memphis, Tennessee. Most of Burnside’s life was spent in Tullahoma, a little Mississippi Hill Country town outside Holly Springs, so he is well-suited to lead visitors to the region’s treasures.

Burnside’s 2022 album I Be Trying won a Grammy, and his grandfather R.L. Burnside was a renowned Hill Country blues slide guitarist and singer who learned to play from his neighbor, country blues legend Mississippi Fred McDowell.

Cedric Burnside says visitors should go to the place in Chulahoma (about 15 miles southwest of Holly Springs) where Junior Kimbrough’s juke joint once stood. Kimbrough, a member of the Blues Hall of Fame, ran the juke joint in the 1990s to keep alive the dirty blues of McDowell, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and others. The shack burned down in 2000.

“Go by there just to feel the energy of that place,” says the 42-year-old Burnside. “And anyone who knew of or met my (grand) daddy should go by his gravesite and feel his energy as well. His gravesite is close by Junior’s gravesite.”

Visitors interested in experiencing “authentic Hill Country blues and good home-cooked food” should go to the Foxfire Ranch in Waterford, Burnside says. The 80-acre ranch includes a 5,000 square-foot open-air pavilion, an indoor banquet hall, multiple stages and four cabins.

The ranch’s website describes the vibe: “Musicians love to play here with blue skies as their backdrop. Families joyfully gather here for reunions, quinceañeras and to publicly declare their commitments of love to each other. Children run freely, finding wonder nestled in the arms of whispering pines and restful oak trees. This is a place where cell phones slow down, the internet is a little finicky, the food feeds your soul and your body remembers.”

Burnside says the blues trail markers in various towns explain the significance of local blues artists and their contributions to their communities. A few more markers for R.L. Burnside and Kimbrough were recently placed in Holly Springs. In Ashland, Burnside recommends visiting the marker “in the square by the courthouse” for Royal Studio owner Boo Mitchell. His dad, Willie Mitchell, produced Al Green’s hits and was instrumental in redefining Memphis rhythm and blues.

According to the Mississippi Blues Commission, the markers “tell stories through words and images of bluesmen and women and how the places where they lived and the times in which they existed — and continue to exist — influenced their music. The sites run the gamut from city streets to cotton fields, train depots to cemeteries and clubs to churches.”

The Mississippi Hills National Heritage Area includes 19 counties and portions of 11 others.

“The Hill Country is just what it says — the hills of Mississippi,” Cedric Burnside explains. “The Delta is the flatland lower down, and Hill Country is more in the north. Holly Springs is really hilly, and Ashland is almost mountains. Senatobia is part of the Hill Country, where Mississippi Fred McDowell and (blues musicians) Othar Turner and Jessie Mae Hemphill are from. Another great Hill Country blues legend, R.L. Boyce, is from Como.”

The Mississippi Blues Commission says “Delta blues often claims the spotlight,” but “other styles of the blues were produced in other regions of Mississippi. In the greater Holly Springs area, musicians developed a Hill Country blues style characterized by few chord changes, unconventional song structures and an emphasis on the groove or a steady, driving rhythm.”

Hill Country blues is so meaningful to the region, “because it’s unique,” Burnside says. “It’s just different from any other blues you hear. For a long time, Hill Country blues wasn’t on the scene and didn’t get recognition until the 1990s through my big daddy R.L. and Junior Kimbrough. The unorthodox rhythms of this music is something people had to get used to.”

The Hill Country blues rhythms undoubtedly won over the judges when Burnside’s I Be Trying album won a Grammy for Best Traditional Blues Album. The 13-track album included 11 songs written by Burnside and songs written by his grandfather and Kimbrough.

“To be the first from the Hill Country area to bring a Grammy home fills me with gratitude,” Burnside says. “All the Hill Country legends, including those I played with, should’ve won a Grammy — should’ve won several – but they didn’t. So, I won that Grammy not just for myself but for them and this region.”

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Mississippi

Voters will choose judges for Mississippi's top courts in runoff elections

Published

4 hours ago

November 26, 2024

Press Room

Voters will choose judges for Mississippi's top courts in runoff elections

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi voters will decide winners for one seat on the state Supreme Court and one on the state Court of Appeals.

Runoff elections are Tuesday between candidates who advanced from the Nov. 5 general election. Polls are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. central.

Voter turnout typically decreases between general elections and runoffs, and campaigns say turnout could be especially challenging two days before Thanksgiving.

Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Jim Kitchens is seeking a third term and is challenged by state Sen. Jenifer Branning.

They are running in District 1, also known as the Central District, which stretches from the Delta region through the Jackson metro area and over to the Alabama border.

Branning received 42% in the first round of voting, and Kitchens received 36%. Three other candidates split the rest.

Mississippi judicial candidates run without party labels, but Democratic areas largely supported Kitchens on Nov. 5 and Republican ones supported Branning.

Mississippi Supreme Court Presiding Justice James W. Kitchens asks a question, July 6, 2023, before the court in Jackson, Miss. Credit: AP/Rogelio V. Solis

Branning is endorsed by the state Republican Party. She calls herself a “constitutional conservative” and says she opposes “liberal, activists judges” and “the radical left.”

Kitchens is the more senior of the Court’s two presiding justices, putting him next in line to serve as chief justice. He is endorsed by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Action Fund, which calls itself “a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond.”

In September, Kitchens sided with a man on death row for a murder conviction in which a key witness recanted her testimony. In 2018, Kitchens dissented in a pair of death row cases dealing with the use of the drug midazolam in state executions.

Court of Appeals

The Court of Appeals runoff is in District 5 in the southeastern corner of the state, including the Gulf Coast.

Senate Elections Committee Chair Jenifer Branning, R-Philadelphia, explains a facet... — Senate Elections Committee Chair Jenifer Branning, R-Philadelphia, explains a facet of an absentee-ballot bill during floor debate at the Capitol in Jackson, Miss., June 15, 2020. Credit: AP/Rogelio V. Solis

Amy St. Pe’ and Jennifer Schloegel advanced to the runoff from a three-way contest, with St. Pe’ receiving 35% of the vote on Nov. 5 and Schloegel receiving 33%. The runoff winner will succeed Judge Joel Smith, who did not seek reelection.

St. Pe’ is a municipal judge in Gautier. Schloegel is a chancery court judge in Hancock, Harrison and Stone counties.

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Mississippi

VIDEO: Jeff Lebby Pre-Ole Miss

Published

12 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

It’s Egg Bowl week! Regardless of how the rest of the season has gone, Mississippi State has the opportunity to go into the off-season with some momentum and a win over bitter rival Ole Miss. The Rebels are 8-3 this season, but are coming off a 24-17 loss Saturday at Florida.

Coach Jeff Lebby spoke with members of the media Monday, to talk about where Mississippi State is heading into the Egg Bowl on Black Friday.

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Mississippi

Burford Electric Service expanding in Lowndes County | Mighty Mississippi

Published

21 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Burford Electric Service expanding in Lowndes County | Mighty Mississippi

Electromechanical repair company creating 14 jobs
Project represents corporate investment of over $3.5 million

Jackson, Miss. (November 25, 2024) – Burford Electric Service is expanding in Columbus. The project is a $3.55 million corporate investment and will create 14 jobs.

Founded in 1959, Burford Electric Service is a third-generation family-owned Mississippi business that specializes in electromechanical repair and replacement solutions, including electric motor repair and pump repair, for customers in the Southeast. For the expansion, the company is constructing 15,000 square feet of additional manufacturing space with larger crane capacity to meet an increase in customer demand for large industrial needs.

Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance through the Mississippi Flexible Tax Incentive, or MFLEX, program. Lowndes County and the city of Columbus also are assisting with the project.

Burford Electric Service expects to fill the 14 new jobs over the next five years.

QUOTES

“It is always exciting to see long-standing Mississippi companies grow right here at home. Burford Electric Service’s expansion is another example of how Mississippi’s business climate and pro-business policies encourage companies not only to remain in Mississippi, but also to invest in our state and in our people. I wish the Burford Electric team another 65 years of success in Lowndes County.” – Gov. Tate Reeves

“In Mississippi, we are committed to maintaining a favorable and supportive business environment that empowers our homegrown businesses to grow. Burford Electric’s expansion exemplifies that commitment. Mississippi has had a tremendous year for economic development, with billions of dollars invested and thousands of jobs created in our communities. Burford Electric’s growth in Columbus continues that trend while letting other companies know Mississippi is a top place for business.” – Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Bill Cork

“We’re honored to expand our footprint in Columbus and build on the foundation my grandparents Tolbert and Margaret Burford established in 1959. As a third-generation family-owned business, this $3.55 million investment reflects both our commitment to serving the Southeast and our dedication to carrying forward the values that have sustained us for over 60 years. The additional 15,000 square feet of manufacturing space and increased crane capacity will allow us to meet the growing needs of our industrial customers while creating 14 new jobs in the community. We’re grateful for the support from the Mississippi Development Authority, Golden Triangle Development LINK and the city of Columbus, which has made this expansion possible. This is an exciting step forward for Burford Electric, our family and the communities we’re proud to serve.” – Burford Electric Service President/Owner Jonathan Robinson

“It’s great to see a family-owned, local business like Burford Electric Service expanding right here in Lowndes County. Their growth is a direct response to the increase in industrial activity in our area, and it shows how our local companies are rising to meet new demand. Burford’s investment in Columbus is a testament to the strength of our community and workforce. We’re excited to see the impact this expansion will have.” – Joe Max Higgins, CEO, Golden Triangle Development LINK

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