Sunday April 13, 2025

JJF ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

JJF EVENTS

10:00 am

JuKE JOINT FESTIVAL MERCHANDISE SALES

SHOP NOW...JUKE JOINT FESTIVAL MEMORABILIA. Last chance to take home cool Juke Joint Festival merchandise and more!

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Where: Juke Joint Festival Headquarters - 243 Delta Avenue

The official Juke Joint Festival Headquarters is conveniently located at 243 Delta Avenue in downtown Clarksdale (basically across the street from Nellie Mays).

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Cat Head Mini Blues Fest - FREE!

10:00 am

Lucious Spiller

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11:00 am

Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band

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1:00 pm

Sean 'Bad' Apple

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2:00 pm

Layla Musselwhite

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3:00 pm

Terry 'Big T' Williams

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4:00 pm

Anthony 'Big A' Sherrod & Allstars

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OTHER MUSIC

(Cover may apply.)

Robert Kimbrough Sr continues the Cotton Patch Soul Blues style created by his father, the legendary Junior Kimbrough. From an early age, Robert was steeped in the sounds and life of North Mississippi and its distinctive style of blues. Growing up, Robert listened, first-hand to Mississippi blues royalty that played with his father at home, at Junior’s Juke Joint Club, and the ever frequent weekend house party and porch jam session. The blues was simply part of everyday life as a Kimbrough. Robert continues his father’s musical tradition, along with some of his siblings. You can often find many of them sharing the stage on any given night in Mississippi. The Kimbrough name, along with the Burnside name, is part of a blues dynasty that remains strong today, bringing people from all over the world to see and hear them play. The Cotton Patch Soul Blues style that Robert plays is a straight link to the music that his father originated in North Mississippi. It is a deep soul sound that can be linked back to his ancestors coming from the cotton fields, singing and ‘hollering‘ as they worked in the tall rows of Mississippi cotton. This distinct and somewhat underground style of blues is rooted in hypnotic, rhythms and dance-able grooves. The Black Keys released an entire album in 2006 of Junior Kimbrough cover songs called Chulahoma: The Songs of Junior Kimbrough. Up until the mid 80s, the only way to hear this music was to visit a church-turned-blues-den founded by Junior Kimbrough in Chulahoma, MS that unfortunately burned down in 2000.

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12:00 pm

Where: Levon's Bar & Grill

Steak, Catfish, Burgers Pizza, Pasta

https://www.levons.net/

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12:00 pm

Where: Ground Zero Blues Club

HEY Y'ALL! "Yes," Ground Zero Blues Club (which was temporarily closed this winter) is reopening in late March—just in time for the best Juke Joint Festival ever!! GROUND ZERO BLUES CLUB: Clarksdale's largest real-deal blues music venue offers "live" Mississippi blues music every Wednesday to Saturday... plus special events during festival time periods. Co-owned by actor Morgan Freeman, Bill Luckett, Howard Stovall and Eric Meier, Ground Zero Blues Club will celebrate its 5th anniversary in May 2006. Besides the plethora of incredible local blues acts who have performed there, musicians from Mavis Staples and Alvin Youngblood Hart to Jerry Lee Lewis and Bobby Rush have been filmed playing there.

http://www.groundzerobluesclub.com

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North Mississippi Hill Country blues boogieman Lightnin' Malcolm (usually with his trusty sidekick Prayer Bailey on drums and second vocals) has been a fixture at juke joints like Red's Lounge (and yard parties like ol' RL Boyce used to throw) for years and years. He's also played on stage or in studio with everyone from Big George Brock and RL Boyce to Hubert Sumlin and CeDell Davis.

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Grammy Award winG Artist, Musician, Realist, Prod., Tymple, GtownsounD; Mainstream; Masterminds

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Angel "Cash" Ocasio, Jr., a prominent figure in Macon's music scene, leads Cash's Juke Joint, a powerhouse band delivering soul-stirring music. Rooted in Blues, Sacred Steel, Soul, Funk, and Rock, their groovy fusion captivates audiences. Hailing from Macon, GA, the band, comprised of seasoned musicians, boasts a rich history playing diverse venues. Cash's Juke Joint has shared stages with icons like Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott and The Legendary Wailers, showcasing their raw and uncut sound. Known for getting straight to the nitty-gritty, experiencing the dynamic vibes of Cash's Juke Joint live is a must for music enthusiasts.

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Reverend Robert is known for his genuine conviction and honest delivery. His passion for the blues led him to the prewar blues style of Charley Patton, Robert Johnson, and other delta blues giants. Having immersed himself in their recordings, Reverend Robert emerged with an authentic feeling for the blues that is matched by his easy-going and artistic personality. Reverend Robert’s tasteful slide guitar playing garnered the attention of the National Slide Guitar Festival in North Carolina where he took first place in their competition in 2004. He has entertained audiences throughout the United States, Canada, the U.K., Europe, and India. In the past two decades he has developed his one-man blues show to incorporate the influences of jazz, ragtime, and swing, as well as Caribbean, Hawaiian, African and Indian music. The perfect combination of tradition and creative innovation, the Reverend’s music is at home on festival stages or in the street, in clubs or in the backyard. Its dance music played with a stomping beat and irresistible groove.

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“From sizzling slide guitar…to nitty-gritty harp blowing…to a gruff, resonating Okie twang, Slim delivers acutely personal workingman blues with both hands on the wheel of life, a bottle of hooch in his pocket, and the Bible on the passenger seat” (HARP Magazine). Slim was raised in North Carolina listening to the housekeeper sing John Lee Hooker songs. In the Vietnam war he wound up in a hospital bed where he taught himself upside-down left-handed slide guitar on a $5 balsawood model using a triangle pick cut from a rusty coffee can top and his Army issued Zippo lighter as the slide. Slim has been a truck driver, forklift operator, sawmiller (where he lost a partial finger), firewood salesman, collection agent, funeral officiator and at times a small time criminal. His colorful songs and raw talent reflect his many adventures and misadventures. Very entertaining!

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8:30 pm

Where: Ooze Bar

The new Ooze Bar (in former Rock & Blues Museum location next to Hambone) is the new blues bar/toy museum inspiration of The Mojo Hands leader Chris Mullens!

https://www.instagram.com/themojohands/?hl=en

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Bill Abel learned first hand from Delta blues legends of the likes of Paul “Wine" Jones, Cadillac John Nolden, T Model Ford, and Honey Boy Edwards. Bill plays a hard driving electrified country blues, a gritty unorthodox modern day juke joint sound, unique in its own. He has toured Europe and the United States headlining many festivals.

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RELATED EVENTS

(Cover may apply.)

10:00 am

Live Music: Cash’s Juke Joint

Start your Sunday with the soulful sounds of Cash’s Juke Joint in an intimate live performance.

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Where: Meraki Coffee Roasters

Thursday Open Mic is open to all ages, levels of talent and skill. We want everyone to come and share a piece of themselves and their love for blues. Til 5pm
Sunday breakfast with Jax Nasser 10 am to 12pm
Meraki Roasting Company - Freshly Roasted Artisan Coffee roasted in house supporting our youth entrepreneurship program. Come visit our roastery to try our current coffee profiles. Pastries made by local vendors. www.merakiroasting.com www.griotarts.com
www.merakiroasting.com www.griotarts.com
282 Sunflower Ave Meraki Hours: Monday-Sunday (every day!) 7am to 2 pm

http://www.griotarts.com/meraki

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10:00 am

5000 Years of the Blues Exhibition Preview

10:00AM – 6:00PM Preview the developing exhibit exploring Blues music from its ancestral forms in West and Central Africa to the early American recordings by Alan Lomax to today's Southern Soul Blues music.

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Where: Crossroads Cultural Arts Center

Clarksdale, MS is located in the Mississippi delta and is famously home to many artists. The Crossroads Cultural Arts Center will include an art gallery, creative spaces for learning, performance space, a visiting artists loft, and retail space. The Center would be infused with the works of traditional and contemporary Delta musicians and visual artists, with an emphasis on local African-American artists and their traditions.

https://www.facebook.com/CrossroadsCulturalArtsCenter/

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10:30 am

Mystery Celebrity Chef hosts brunch

Sunday 10:30-2:30 mystery Celebrity Chef hosts brunch featuring music by the John Krupa Project

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Where: The Den Again

A retro-cool Clarksdale classic! The Den joins Juke Joint Festival's nighttime venue roster for 2022!

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Who: John Krupa Project

John Krupa Project started in New Orleans, LA (and has recently relocated to Austin, TX) and play deep groove, blues-based rock'n'roll. John Krupa cut his teeth playing punk rock in Connecticut and Minneapolis, MN in the '90s and since then he's lived on the west coast and continued his journey into the deep south where the roots of American music– rock'n'roll, blues, and soul continue to influence and guide his sound. While focussing on writing and recording his original songs, he is not ashamed to wear his influences on his sleeves– Rolling Stones, Johnny Winter, The Faces, Allman Brothers Band, North Mississippi Hill Country Blues, Stax records style soul, Tony Joe White, Black Crowes, as well as proto-punk and garage bands like The Stooges, The Clash, MC5 and The Sonics. The sound that comes out is a product of the experiences lived.

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2:00 pm

Yoga + Live Music with Alice Hasen

A gentle vinyasa flow class set to live violin music by Alice Hasen—an unforgettable experience! $25 suggested donation.

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4:30 pm

Clarksdale House Party with special guest the amazing Chris Nole

If you ask Chris Nole what the best seat in the house is, He'll say "the piano bench." That's because from that seat, he has toured the world performing with some of the greatest artists of our time. Artists like John Denver, Trisha Yearwood, Percy Sledge, Don Williams. Travis Tritt and many others. Chris is a master of Boogie Woogie and Barrel House Blues. He is a great singer and his songs are just plain fun. Chris will be performing a very rare show at the Clarksdale Soundstage. Sunday April 13th at 5PM Doors open at 4:30 Limited seating so please call or text Carol Vincent at 615 804 4148. Ticket Price $20 Enter at the rear speakeasy door in the alley behind 313 Issaquena ave. The Front door will not be open. Hope you can make it.

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Where: Clarksdale Sound Stage

Recording studio (where everyone from Morgan Freeman to Charlie Musselwhite have recorded) and funky-cool event space run by Gary and Carol Vincent in historic downtown Clarksdale! 313 Issaquena Av. Enter thru back door in Hooker Grocery Parking Lot.

https://www.discogs.com/label/812096-The-Clarksdale-Soundstage

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Who: Chris Nole

If you ask Chris Nole what the best seat in the house is, He'll say "the piano bench." That's because from that seat, he has toured the world performing with some of the greatest artists of our time. Artists like John Denver, Trisha Yearwood, Percy Sledge, Don Williams. Travis Tritt and many others. Chris is a master of Boogie Woogie and Barrel House Blues. He is a great singer and his songs are just plain fun. Chris will be performing a very rare show at the Clarksdale Soundstage. Sunday April 13th at 5PM Doors open at 4:30 Limited seating so please call or text Carol Vincent at 615 804 4148. Ticket Price $20 Enter at the rear speakeasy door in the alley behind 313 Issaquena ave. The Front door will not be open. Hope you can make it.

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8:00 pm

Big Red's BLUES JAM hosted by Big A

(proceeds benefit Red's Old-Timers Blues Fest).

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Where: Red's Lounge

Red's Lounge? It's the definition of a real-deal Mississippi juke joint. Don't expect to be spoiled with amenities. All you need is a been-there-done-that owner, some beers as big as your head and some "live" blues you'll never forget. (Oh, and MAYBE something out front on the grill.) This is how blues became blues... how the music grew up out of the cotton fields and onto a round piece of vinyl. Speaking of which, the building itself was called "Levine's Music Center" back in the day, and it's where Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm bought the instruments that played the first rock 'n roll song. Yeah, Red's is the real thing for sure...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Reds-Blues-Club/163702543685722

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