legends - april / may 2016

JUNE.JULY 2016

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BOOMIN’ IN THE CITY WITH SOUL! THE 2016 JACKSON RHYTHM & BLUES FESTIVAL

South Walton, Florida’s Food Film Festival

The secret life of Mississippi’s unknown celebrity photographer

ina,Elton,onny & C

tS

her

Silver Screen Dining

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Contributing photographers: Chuck Cook, Rory Doyle, Daniel Vassel,

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CONTENTS JUNE / JULY 2016

MUSIC

54 BOOMIN!The 2016 Jackson Rhythm and Blues Festival

CULTURE

16 Classic AmericanaThe Louisiana Bicycle Festival turns 16!

34 COVER STORY: The Robinson ArchivesA southern photographer’s secret life unveiled

49 The Renaissance of the City with SoulFood, music, hospitality welcome Jackson visitors

58 Sandy RobertsonRunning the most iconic street in the country

CULINARY

6 By the Light of the Silver Screen South Walton’s Food Film Festival

20 Good Ol’ Gas Station Food Unexpected culinary traditions in Mississippi’s best dives

62 Celebrating The Summer of Music The Levitt AMP Music Series

40 Deep South Dining In the Heart of Dixie

63 FestivalSouth Sandi Patty, Rock of Ages, Soul School headline 2016 event


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STORY FROM ALYS BEACH, FLA.

South Walton’s Food Film Festival

Imagine watching a movie about steak. The beef, projected on a 200-foot screen, sizzles. As you watch the steak cook, the real thing appears.

That’s the amazing premise of South Walton, Florida’s, Food Film Festival, an event showcasing food as a complete sensory experience. The festival takes the culinary experience to a new level, but also tackles more in-depth subjects such as sustainability and the role food plays in our culture. This was a first and successful year for the April fest, which attracted people to Florida’s notable stretch of pristine beaches and neighborhood cultures along Highway 30A. “The concept of the festival is simple,” said founder George

Motz. “You see it on the screen and you eat it.” Motz hosts television shows, writes about food and directs films, with his most noteworthy works including the documentary Hamburger America and subsequent book with the same name. Motz’s food documentaries and obsession with food culture inspired the festival, which began in New York and also happens yearly in Charleston and Chicago. “The festival is about bringing people closer to the food that they eat and connecting local and regional chefs to the community,” said Motz. This year’s South Walton Festival chefs included Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery in New Orleans (winner of the James Beard Award for 2016 Best Chef South), Ryan Prewitt of Peche

By the Light of the Silver Screen

By MEGHAN HOLMES


South Walton, Florida’s, Food Film Festival is a three-day event showcasing food as a complete sensory experience. The festival takes the culinary experience to a new level, but also tackles more in-depth subjects such as sustainability and the role food plays in our culture. (Photographs courtesy of The Local Palate and Kurt Lischka of SoWal.com)


This was a first and successful year for South Walton’s Food Film Festival, where attendees ate what they saw on the screen. The April event attracted people to Florida’s notable stretch of pristine beaches and neighborhood cultures along Highway 30A. (Photographs courtesy of The Local Palate)

Seafood in New Orleans, Braden Wages of Malai Kitchen in Dallas, Michael Gulotta of MoPho in New Orleans, Kevin Gillespie of Gunshow and Revival in Atlanta, as well as Phil McDonald of Bud & Alley’s Pizza Bar in Seaside and Kevin Korman of Caliza at Alys Beach. The three-day event began on a Friday night with films about bacon wrapped steak, mini donuts and a cocktail, the rosemary gin smash, and a small preview of the numerous options available over the following two days. Saturday’s lunch included a fried chicken competition at The Hub, a 30A outdoor restaurant and entertainment area. Thomas Grafton of Mimosa Grill in Charlotte, North Carolina, won the contest, with sweet mustard, bacon and Grafton smoked cheddar cheese atop a pecan-crusted fried chicken

thigh. Several chefs served other small plates during lunch, apart from the competition. Chef Michael Gulotta of MoPho offered a quail vindaloo curry with white barbecue sauce and cucumber, mint and citrus salad. The spicy, earthy flavors of the curry paired wonderfully with the brightness of the citrus and herbs, as well as the creaminess of the barbecue sauce. “This is a great event,” said Gulotta, “I see several other chefs from New Orleans but also from all over the region, which makes it exciting to participate.” Several of the chefs offered their take on ceviche, appropriate for a bright, sunny day near the ocean. Peche Seafood served a delicious raw ahi tuna with olive tapenade and Chef Brannon Janca, executive chef and partner of Trenasse and Stinky’s Fish Camp, prepared a redfish ceviche with pineapple. His display attracted attention – a


“The three-day event began on a Friday night with films about bacon wrapped steak, mini

donuts and a cocktail, the rosemary gin smash, and a small preview of the numerous options available over the following two days.”

L

large wooden bowl of the ceviche surrounded by whole, deep fried redfish as well as fresh herbs. “Everyone has loved this display,” said Janca. “Deep fried fresh Gulf fish often finds it way on our menus.” Festival attendees also enjoyed cocktail and beer offerings from regional purveyors. Cathead, based in Mississippi, served bloody marys with its original vodka as well as a delightful, lightly sweet and citrus cocktail with its honeysuckle variety. Oryza Gin and vodka, rice filtered liquors made in Thibodaux, Louisiana, provided the base for refreshing spring cocktails with fresh herbs and simple syrup. “It’s delicious food in a fun atmosphere. We didn’t even know about the event. We were just visiting and staying nearby and stumbled across it planning to eat at the Hub,” said Shana Stadley. “We ended up leaving stuffed and informed. I learned a lot about local and sustainable ingredients.” Saturday evening offered dozens of more food and drink options as festival goers watched short films. A piece on Louisiana’s culinary history explored Cajun traditions, including smoked sausage and crawfish while another documentary looked at crabbing in Mobile Bay. From oysters of the Carolina low country to a perfect smoked pork rib, the culinary topics ranged far and wide. The event ended Sunday with a 43-minute film about grits, featuring four different grit presentations (including grit popsicles). “If you’ve ever seen something and then thought, ‘I wonder what that tastes like,’ now you get to know the answer to that question,” said Motz. A portion of the festival’s proceeds went to the Emerald Coast Theatre Company and Food for Thought Florida. It’s an event that brings over-the-top celebration of food, with a conscience.

Want to go?

Be on the lookout for next year’s South Walton Food Film Fest! Visit foodfilmsowal.com or SoWal.com for more information on the area.

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THREE DOG NIGHTThurs. 6/16/16 | 7:30 p.m. Pre-Show Party 6:00 p.m. | $55, $49

Three Dog Night dominated the charts in the early 1970s, with 21 consecutive Billboard Top 40 hits from 1969 through 1975. Co-founder and co-lead singer Danny Hutton heads the latest lineup, helped by new vocalist David Morgan. Behind them, the rocking band still drives through such classics as “Mama Told Me (Not to Come),” “Joy to the World,” “Black and White,” “Shambala,” and “One” from such great songwriters as Harry Nilsson, Hoyt Axton, Paul Williams, and Randy Newman. You’ll remember every one, even if you’re young enough to have heard them only on classic rock radio.

HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWSTues. 6/21/16 | 7:30 p.m. Pre-Show Party 6:00 p.m. | $80, $74

Huey Lewis and the News are truly one of America’s great rock and roll bands. As they enter their 37th year together, their

contagious brand of music has outlasted countless trends and is as fresh today as ever. Formed from two rival San Francisco Bay area bands in 1979, they continue to thrill audiences worldwide, selling over 20 million albums in the process, earning them the right to mark their place on the pop history map. These Grammy Award winners have written and performed such classic top ten hits as “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “Stuck With You,” “I Want a New Drug,” “If This Is It,” “Hip to Be Square,” “Do You Believe in Love,” and “Workin’ for a Livin’.” The group also wrote and performed “The Power of Love” and “Back in Time” for the hit film Back to the Future. “The Power of Love,” nominated for an Academy Award, went to number one on the Billboard singles chart and was a smash hit worldwide.

LEANN RIMESSat. 7/16/16 | 7:30 p.m. Pre-Show Party 6:00 p.m. | $65, $59

LeAnn Rimes, a native of Jackson, Mississippi, is one of the world’s most successful entertainers, with 44 million albums sold, two Grammy Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards, and 12 Billboard Music Awards. She had her first national hit at age 13 with the 1996 release of “Blue.” Her version of “How Do I Live” is the fourth-longest-charting song in the history of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the smash hit “Can’t Fight the Moonlight” topped the charts in 11 countries. She has explored different musical styles, branched out into acting and writing books, and worked on behalf of charities. Now you have a chance to see this accomplished performer command the stage!

Built in Moorish Revival style in 1928, this

historic downtown theater began its heyday during the silent film era. These days, silent films are still shown on the silver screen, accompanied by a rare Robert Morton pipe organ. Greats such as Elvis Presley, Roy Clark and Waylon Jennings have graced the stage. Modern day shows range from the internationally acclaimed Wilco to Mocow’s Russian Ballet. The theater is also the site of numerous dance and acting troupes. Filled with antiquated and eclectic collector’s items, the theater offers daily group history tours. An adjoining ballroom hosts community events, weddings and receptions.

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STORY FROM ABITA SPRINGS, LA.

At the Louisiana Bicycle Festival, the open grassy grounds are filled with wheels, bubbles and “Sweet Home Alabama” amplified from a boom box on the back of

someone’s seat. The soapy orbs set the tone, lifting from a sputtering machine strapped to one of the day’s more notable rides, the “limo bike,” by a group known as the NOLA Social Ride. It looks like a centipede, with eight leisurely riders making up the sections, snaking its way casually in the uncut grass. It births iridescent bubbles and rests at times so the peddlers can enjoy drinks while watching other riders pop wheelies and little ones ride their trikes. Chris Barker watches from his booth nearby. His one-wheeled contraption – a unicycle, usually reserved for jugglers, clowns and individualists – rests nearby, waiting to be taken for a spin.

“When I was a kid, my dad knew how to ride a unicycle, so I wanted to learn how to ride,” says Barker, who took the spoked curiosity with him to school when he was in the 5th grade or so, riding it across

THE LOUISIANA BICYCLE FESTIVALBy KARA MARTINEZ BACHMAN

Photography by Chuck Cook


the school gym. After a while, learning to ride a unicycle became, according to Barker, “a trend” at his school. When he was a little older, it took off like wildfire, and there was even a unicycle riding program at school, where kids would jump ramps and do other stunts. The Louisiana Bicycle Festival, now in its 16th year, is held on the Saturday before Father’s Day in the small town of Abita Springs, on the North Shore of New Orleans, and on this day Barker is a vendor. He lives in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, but is owner of Kewl Kites of Long Beach, Mississippi. “Abita Springs is not really a place to fly kites. There are so many trees,” he said, pointing at the oaks and pines that fill the landscape of the small, tightly-knit but artsy community. During the Bicycle Festival, the town tends to attract more attention than its size would ordinarily dictate with a population under 3,000. Milling around was John Preble, local artist and organizer of the festival. Every year, though, he has the same mantra: he’s the “unofficial” organizer. According to Preble, there isn’t much to organize – it’s just bike people hanging out. There’s no start time. There’s no end time. The parade has no set route. It all just is. According to Preble, 2015 had the biggest turnout ever. The teenagers who first started going to the fest “now have children, so it’s become a generational thing,” he said, his eyes following a passing rider on a gleaming Trek, a pale blue and brushed metal beauty. “Everything’s perfect with it,” he said. There are no official prizes, but if there were, he said the Trek would take the cake. Preble is a bit of a character around Abita. He’s owner of the UCM Museum/Abita Mystery House, a folk art museum he created to contain his own work, the work of other North Shore artists and a veritable

ABOVE: The Louisiana Bicycle Festival, now in its 16th year, is held on the Saturday before Father’s Day every year in the small town of Abita Springs. The unstructured festival draws the bric-a-brac of the bike world and brings a sense of spirit with vintage styles and décor. OPPOSITE: One of the day’s more notable rides, the “limo bike,” by a group known as the NOLA Social Ride.

“The Bicycle Fest is a bit like Preble’s museum; it’s cobbled together with

unstructured community participation and the bric-a-brac of the bike world. You’ll find the buying and selling of rusty old bikes or the trading of parts.”


treasure trove of the weird and wacky. Many of the pieces on display were donated by his friends and members of the community: old paint-by-number sets, found objects, vintage bikes, decorated bikes, old arcade games and vintage and antique collectibles. The Mystery House is often featured on television shows and in books of quintessentially American roadside attractions, and is, along with the Abita Brew Pub and Abita Brewery, the main attraction for visitors to town. The Bicycle Fest is a bit like Preble’s museum; it’s cobbled together with unstructured community participation and the bric-a-brac of the bike world. You’ll find the buying and selling of rusty, old bikes or the trading of parts. There are new cycles designed for serious rides on the Tammany Trace, the rails-to-trails conversion path that runs through the parish, through town and in front of the Mystery House, just a short distance from the fest. The festival also brings a sense of spirit with vintage styles and décor such as colorful fake flowers around the handlebars. Wayne Brady, an Abita Springs local, had been coming to the festival for five or six years. “This is the only bike event around here. We socialize, we sell parts, we buy bicycles,” Brady said, sitting with his group under a sun cover and hoping to sell his 1995 Schwinn Black Phantom before the end of the day. Charlie Cates and Stephanie Cassatt came from Atlanta, just as they have done for 11 years. They first discovered the bike culture of St. Tammany when they lived in Gulfport and made a trip to Abita Springs to ride the Tammany Trace. They’ve been coming back for the festival ever since, despite now having to travel much further to get to it. They’ve brought their own bikes in the past, but it was more hassle than it was worth, so they were on loaners from Preble. Cates is tall, so he’s grateful for the Monster Cruiser loaned to him. “It’s comfortable. They make bikes for big people.” He looks hot, like everyone else who is there braving the day’s high temperatures. Sweat beads on his face and he clings tightly to a water bottle, but is dressed for the occasion in a straw bowler hat that looks like something from a barber shop quartet. His wife stands by, miraculously “put together” despite the oppressive humidity. She’s wearing appropriately-vintage turquoise sunglasses and a hot pink cotton dress that vaguely matches the look of the borrowed bike, replete with spoke decorations. “We were actually married at the Abita Mystery House in 2011,” Cassatt says, to show her love for – and connection with – the quirky

town and it’s people. “He (Preble) was ordained on the internet.” The parade was just about to begin. Its slow, loose rolling procession wound its way through the streets of Abita with no agenda, no goals and no set path. There were few onlookers as Preble, the internet-ordained minister, artist and unofficial organizer, led hundreds of bikes – tricycles, ten-speeds, cruisers and bicycles-built-for-two – through the streets of Abita with classic Americana goodness.

Want to go?This year’s festival is June 18th, the Saturday before Father’s Day, in Abita Springs, Louisiana, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit labicyclefestival.com or louisiananorthshore.com.

From vintage to new to novelty, you’ll see it all at the Louisiana Bicycle Festival. The parade of bicycles is a slow, loose rolling procession winding its way through the streets of Abita with no agenda, no goals and no set path.

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The NOLA Social Ride’s “limo bike” looks like a centipede, with eight riders making up the sections and bubbles sputtering from a machine in the back.


STORY FROM THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA

By MEGHAN HOLMES

Photography by Rory Doyle and Daniel Vassel

At the Shady Nook convenience store in Lyon, Mississippi, there are 19 cars in the parking lot and none at the pumps. It’s lunchtime on a Wednesday,

and a line stretches from the entrance to a hot bar some ten yards inside and to the left. It’s $6.99 for a meat and three (sides, as well as dessert, cornbread and fountain drink). The cost is a sore spot for local John Chaney. “It used to be cheaper, but now you get a dessert. Today it’s peach cobbler,” he says. Sitting at a series of tables and chairs near the gas station’s entrance, locals catch up on gossip as they nosh on ribs, fried chicken, pasta, collard greens, sweet potatoes and red beans. “For breakfast they’ve got grits, fried bologna, biscuits, eggs, and it’s cheap. It’s good Southern cooking” says Chaney. Behind the building, smoke rises from a rusted barbecue smoker, a near-ubiquitous site in the Mississippi Delta, where Memphis-style barbecue appears on menus frequently. The region boasts an array of culinary influences – African American, Italian, Jewish, Lebanese, Chinese, Mexican and Indian to name a few, arising from the migration of peoples up and down the Mississippi River. Today, these culinary influences appear in unexpected places, like La Sierrita in Greenville, where Mexican cuisine finds its home in an old truck stop (The Midway Truck Stop Motel and Café). “The décor is in transition. We’ve painted over some of the old art, but you can still see some of the trucks,” says waitress Cristal Ortega, gesturing to a series of hand-painted 18-wheelers adorning all but one white wall of the dining room.

GOOD OL’ DELTA

Unexpected culinary traditions in Mississippi’s best dives


Near the kitchen, a framed portrait of Vincente Fernandez hangs next to a sombrero, and a taxidermy red fox oversees the restaurant from the red-walled entryway. Across from the kitchen’s window, guests can hear meat sizzling on the flat top and see the trucks painted in the back. “We’re known for our tacos and our tortas cubanas,” says Cristal. La Sierrita’s tacos come in two varieties – Mexican and American. The Mexican version features well-seasoned meat in a corn tortilla topped with cilantro and onion, then served with sliced limes. It’s what one would expect from a taco truck. The American version pairs the same meat with a flour tortilla, lettuce, tomato and cheese. Another Mexican food import – tamales – made its way into the Delta’s foodways sometime in the early 20th century. Scholars theorize tamales could have arrived via Mexican migrants, as black and Latino day laborers interacted in cotton fields. Others have connected tamales to an old African dish called cush – a mixture of cornmeal and a small amount of meat meant to make dwindling

supplies go further. At Delta Fast Food in Cleveland, owner Gentle Rainey serves tamales in a style he learned from his grandfather, Sylvester Blalock. “He was a sharecropper and used corn husks from the field, and sold tamales on the weekend,” says Rainey. He serves his tamales in the red sauce they’re cooked in, as opposed to Mexican tamales which are often steamed. He also uses cornmeal in place of masa, traditional in the Delta style.

“I make mine mostly like my grandfather – but I added some more spices like sage and garlic powder. I also serve cheeseburgers, wings, stuff like that,” he says. Spots like Delta Fast Food, open since 1995, become gathering places in rural communities. With the Delta’s

OPPOSITE: La Sierrita’s Mexican version of tacos features well-seasoned meat in a corn tortilla topped with cilantro and onion, then served with sliced limes. ABOVE: Diners in Greenville’s La Sierrita restaurant eat amid walls with hand-painted 18-wheelers from the days when the building served as the Midway Truck Stop Motel and Café.


low population densities and above-average number of low income residents, public spaces often lack adequate government funding and the community comes together in other ways. Fratesi’s Grocery in Leland has served as an area institution since 1941, with the Fratesi family’s Italian roots visible in its menu as well as the imported meats and cheeses sold. “It’s a family run operation that reflects their customs – like fried catfish on Fridays during lent,” says Hank Burdine, a Greenville resident, writer and levee board member who frequents Fratesi’s along and several other gas stations in the Delta. “The best day is on Thursdays. People travel for miles to have their pork chops.” One half of Fratesi’s resembles an average convenience store, with rows of chips, sodas and commercial snacks. The other side looks like an Italian Cracker Barrel with more taxidermy. Wooden tables and chairs crowd the area, along with several cases of imported food items, including olives, cured meats and Italian cheeses. Many menu items at Fratesi’s can also be found in New Orleans, which makes sense given the influence of Italian immigrants on that city’s cuisine. There are more than 20 different poboys, muffalettas, hot plates, fried olives, fried chicken and more. “If I don’t stop at Fratesi’s, I might stop at the Double Quick in Belzoni. There are two Double Quicks in Belzoni, and one has the best fried chicken in Mississippi,” says Burdine. “The best chicken gizzards are at the Double Quick in Rosedale.” Double Quick gas stations abound in the Delta. The majority of the company’s 60 franchises serve fried food, like bone in fried chicken and fried livers and gizzards. “My friend John Weathers likes the gizzards at the Double Quick in Sunflower,” says Burdine.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A shrimp poboy from Fratesi’s Grocery in Leland; fajitas at Greenville’s La Sierrita; Swedish meatballs from Shady Nook in Lyon, near Clarksdale; a lunch crowd gathers at Fratesi’s.


LEFT: A Cubana torta from La Sierrita in Greenville. BELOW: With the Delta’s low population densities, workers often gather at gas stations for lunch time meals. Limes garnish Mexican tacos at La Sierrita.


“We were headed to Ruleville and stopped in there and they were out. He said, ‘We’ll be back in a half hour or so, so make us some gizzards.’ We got back and they were out. He said, ‘I thought I told y’all to make me gizzards.’ And the lady there said, ‘We did; they sold out.’ So, that tells you how much people in the Mississippi Delta like chicken gizzards.” Most of the Delta’s dives serve fried food, but the variety of cultures in the area bring unique additions to menus that hint at the region’s culinary history. Back at the Shady Nook near Clarksdale, red beans with smoked sausage speaks to Louisiana Creole traditions, served from a hot bar also featuring classic Italian spaghetti, barbecue pork ribs, Southern sides, and, of course, fried chicken. It’s food that speaks to Mississippi’s past while remaining unexpected. L

ABOVE: Gas station dining in the Delta affords unusual décor paired with delicious food most any day of the week. RIGHT: Mark and Kenny Fratesi own Fratesi’s Grocery in Leland.

662.627.6149 • visitclarksdale.com

Just as two highways here meld into a rich blues culture, so do varied geographic and cultural backgrounds come together to create some of the most authentic food you’ll fi nd anywhere. Check out a Mennonite bakery, Lebanese and Italian restaurants, tamale and barbecue diners, farm-to-table cafes, an artisan ice cream shop, and soul food in juke joints and clubs. You can drool over descriptions all day long, but you have to come taste in person.

We’re saving a seat at the table for you.

culinarycrossroads

Convention & Visitors Bureau

www.visitgreenville.org1-800-467-3582

Greenville - Washington County proudly supports Bridging the Blues.September 22 - October 9, 2016 • For more information, visit bridgingtheblues.com

Greenville-Washington County is home to the Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival–the longest running blues festival in the country, the award-winning Mighty Mississippi Music Festival, a bluesman who played for a US president, the Highway 61 Blues Museum, Mississippi Blues Trail markers and many other experiences you’ll never forget.

39th Annual Mississippi Delta Blues & Heritage Festival deltablues.org September 17th

Sam Chatmon Blues Festival, Hollandale facebook.com/SamChatmonBlues September 23rd - 24th

4th Annual Mighty Mississippi Music Festival mightymsmusic.com September 30th - October 2nd

5th Annual Hot Tamale Festival hottamalefest.com October 13th - 15th

Sept 22-Oct 9


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AMERICAN HISTORY • MISSISSIPPI MUSIC

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Stroll the brick-paved streets of our historic down-town and visit our boutiques and art galleries.You’ll find a host of Southern specialties at oureateries. Enjoy sweeping views of the mighty

Mississippi River and some of the most beautifulsunsets imaginable. Relax – it all runs on river time!

There’s always something happening in Vidalia. Come see us!

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VIEW THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER LIVE VIA OUR WEBCAM!

The City of Vidalia is an Equal Opportunity Employer.


STORY FROM MEMPHIS, TENN.

No one in Memphis really knew Jack Robinson. They didn’t know that the Meridian, Mississippi-born, Clarksdale, Mississippi-raised, gay graphic artist – whose designs for stained glass were the work of an

intuitive savant – had lived a former life as a sought-after New York City fashion photographer, framing in his lens everyone from Warren Beatty and Clint Eastwood to Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Andy Warhol and Tina Turner. By the time Robinson moved back South to Memphis in 1972, he had built an archive of 150,000 thrilling, mostly black and white negatives that told, among other things, the stories of mid-century American celebrity culture through his own signature aesthetic. It wasn’t until his untimely death in 1997 that anyone in Memphis beheld this silver gelatin diary. Robinson had shuttered his fascinating past in the darkroom-shadows in life, but his death flung open the vault, developing

a posthumous living legacy that will be forever fixed to the last place he called home. Dan Oppenheimer is the caretaker of Jack Robinson’s story. He met Robinson in 1978 and knew him then primarily as the designer at a rival stained glass business. Oppenheimer, a life-long Memphian, had begun his own stained glass operation in 1975. By the early 1980s, Robinson joined Oppenheimer’s Rainbow Studio and helped transform the young business into a diversified juggernaut in the architectural design sector. In each other, Oppenheimer and Robinson found fusion. Oppenheimer was at heart an entrepreneur and was willing to entertain any notions that furthered those aspirations. “I just wanted to be in business for myself,” he said. Robinson brought experience as a darkroom master to help innovate a photo-emulsion glass etching technique that streamlined production. This enabled Rainbow Studio to secure important contracts with the likes of Holiday Inn and T.G.I.

Story by JULIAN RANKIN

Photography by Joe Worthem

A southern photographer’s secret life unveiled


Dan Oppenheimer is now the caretaker of Jack Robinson’s Vogue images from the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

COVER STORY


Fridays, both of whom were incorporating stained glass into new locations across the South. Hotel clients were next. Etchings by Rainbow Studio adorned elevator doors of the Bellagio and Oppenheimer soon successfully pitched his hotel clients on comprehensive etched signage throughout their properties. Robinson’s undeniable skills as a designer gave the business an edge in the more niche and creative projects as well. In a high profile international design competition for a series of windows at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Robinson’s renderings of religious iconography won virtually uncontested. “They told us at one of the meetings that as far as they were concerned, there was only one legitimate submission, and it was Jack’s,” Oppenheimer recalled. “He was that good.” By the time Robinson died in 1997, he was as much a part of the business as its founder. “He was the driving force behind the direction of the studio,” reflected Oppenheimer. “Had been for a long time.” As for the man’s secret photographic life? It would be because of the contents of a hand-scrawled last will and testament that Oppenheimer, and the world, would finally see all that Robinson had made. Robinson was born in 1928. After a childhood growing up in Clarksdale, Mississippi, he moved to New Orleans. He drifted from his family and found camaraderie and inspiration in the emerging 1950s New Orleans scene. Oppenheimer refers to this period of Robinson’s life as a “time of innocence.” The photographs from this period – flamboyant Mardi Gras celebrations and candid moments of humanity on the fringes of Southern society – are both artistically astute and deeply personal talismans that foretold of Robinson’s keen eye and talent for portraiture and street photography. In 1954, Robinson and his

partner accompanied celebrated New York art dealer Betty Parsons and Mississippi abstract expressionist Dusti Bonge on a road trip to Mexico City. Parsons had built – and was continuing to build – a career promoting rising visual artists of the era like Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Robert Rauschenberg. In Robinson’s street photography from that trip, Parsons saw signs of a similar brilliant creative light. Upon her urging, Robinson trained his eye – and his camera – on New York City. A cover shot of model Isabella Albonico for Life magazine in 1959

cemented Robinson as a commodity in New York fashion photography. After Vogue magazine hired the esteemed Diana Vreeland as editor in 1962, Robinson entered his most prolific period, becoming a workhorse photographer for the magazine and photographing – like his contemporary Richard Avedon – seemingly every news maker of the time. Robinson had developed a calming bedside manner with his sitters. This genteel informality, coupled with

Robinson’s precise eye, yielded images that captured the honest interiors of his subjects. Vreeland herself touched on this skill in a letter to Robinson in 1968. “Each and every one has personality and a great deal of character,” she wrote; the ability to extract that character “is your big strong point.” A Robinson photograph of Gloria Vanderbilt has her posing on

A book of Robinson’s work sits amid a gallery of his images in the Robinson Gallery in downtown Memphis.

“In the absence of any close relatives, his

negatives were like a surrogate family ... ”


the sidewalk next to a pile of plebian construction materials, her belt-cinched waist as pencil-thin as any airbrush-altered model of today. In another, Vanderbilt lies in bed with her two young sons, one of them a fledgling Anderson Cooper. Iggy Pop stares an unbroken gaze in a beautifully lit portrait, a non-sequitur cigarette stuck up and jutting out of his right nostril. Elton John is captured from behind at the piano, his flowing curls the only part of him not hidden behind the glossy silhouette of his black leather trench coat. But Robinson’s time in New York would end, synchronized with his patron Diana Vreeland’s departure from Vogue in 1971. Battling progressive alcoholism, he retreated South. When he arrived in Memphis, he kept the vast majority of his photographic life packed in boxes, though he did reserve a space in his apartment as a personal gallery. Robinson didn’t broadcast his past to his new acquaintances and didn’t seek acclaim in his new community, though he did remark that it would be nice, after he died, if someone would put together a coffee table book of his work. While Robinson would occasionally mention an anecdote from his New York dealings, they sounded like tall tales to most. “Lauren Hutton called me last night,” he told some neighbors one night. Hutton, a Vogue cover girl, graced the cover 28 times during her modeling career. The neighbors dismissed the story as fantasy. And those few who did get a glimpse at the prints in Robinson’s apartment gallery didn’t believe he’d taken them at all. In the absence of any close relatives, his negatives were like a surrogate family, records of human interactions and moments of authentic bonding between Robinson and the world. His coworkers at Rainbow Studio cared for him, but Robinson was increasingly demanding of colleagues, especially painter Susan Reuter, who was one of his best friends. It was Reuter’s job to execute onto glass his intricate and thoughtful patterns, but she couldn’t seem to get any work done without Robinson hovering and critiquing and screaming. His adherence to his own personal vision gave him the confidence as a photographer, but it could also make him a miserable coworker. “He firmly believed that he never made a mistake,” said Reuter. He and Reuter eventually had a falling out, and Robinson worked from home for the final years of his life, coming in only on Fridays to deliver his sketches and collect his paycheck. In November of 1997, Oppenheimer got married in Clarksdale. He’d invited Robinson, but Robinson never showed. It was a full two weeks later when Oppenheimer finally heard anything about his whereabouts; Methodist

For three decades, Robinson photographed seemingly every newsmaker of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s, including a young Warren Beatty, above, and Jack Nicholson and Tina Turner, seen in bottom photo.


ABOVE: Robinson and Oppenheimer worked for years creating stained glass pieces until Robinson’s death in 1997 unveiled his work as a celebrity photographer. BOTTOM: Joni Mitchell in a painting from one of Robinson’s photographs.

Central Hospital phoned and asked Oppenheimer when he was coming to claim the deceased body. Robinson left to his employer all his possessions. All of his photographs. “He had no one else but Dan,” Reuter said. After Robinson’s death, Oppenheimer set foot in his friend’s apartment for the very first time. Everything in the small dwelling was immaculate and in its place. White buttons were lined up by size, stacked neatly in the dresser drawer. All the white shirts were neatly folded. The blue jeans were waiting at attention on hangers. Every outfit was exactly the same. White. White. White. White. Blue. Blue. Blue. Blue. Pair after pair of size 12 shoes lined the closet, all of them inexplicably and intentionally three sizes too big. The photographs were neatly boxed. A stack of 20x20 prints revealed iconic faces. Jack Nicholson. Sonny and Cher. An early James Taylor. Oppenheimer found thousands of envelopes of names, contact sheets, and negatives. Nearby were all of Robinson’s contracts with Vogue. It would take Oppenheimer five years for it to really sink in – “what Jack had documented.” As he sifted through the images, Oppenheimer saw the possibilities. In true entrepreneurial fashion, he made a plan to elevate Robinson’s name back to prominence through business and retail. Oppenheimer founded Robinson Editions, which prints and sells photography to hotel and corporate clients. They license imagery to filmmakers and package exhibitions for international travel. There’s now Robinson Gallery in the company’s commercial Memphis compound, where Robinson’s work is perpetually celebrated. In 2011, Oppenheimer finally got Robinson’s coffee table book published. All of this is housed in a four-story, 27,000 square-foot industrial space that used to be the Hunter’s ceiling fan factory. Now it’s the home to Oppenheimer’s somewhat unlikely business portfolio. Robinson’s skill and photography directly fueled the growth of this creative economy amalgam, and so it’s fitting that banners bearing the Robinson name are the first thing one sees. On the first floor is the public-facing gallery, where Robinson’s Vogue portraits hang on one wall adjacent to his early New Orleans photography. Through a door is the print shop and the offices; in them Robinson’s photographs lean and stack in every corner. The elevator in the building is an old freight shaft that rattles when it rides. There’s an event venue on the second floor along with the stained glass shop, where they still use Robinson’s designs. On the third floor is yet another business, Scale Models Unlimited, which makes detailed architectural replicas. It’s the one creative facet that Robinson had little to do with, though his personality is so imbued in the workplace consciousness that it finds residence here, too, among the functioning air strip and hangar made for the U.S. Air Force and the nine-foot Victorian house with a Dumbo weathervane made for Disney. Oppenheimer estimates that close to 1,000 employees have


CLOCKWISE: In his four-story, 27,000 square-foot industrial space in downtown Memphis, Oppenheimer owns a stained glass shop, an architectural replica shop and a print shop.

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worked for one of the many companies over the years. Most have been impacted by Robinson. “Who are we?” Oppenheimer asked rhetorically of his fleet of incorporated entities. “It’s a lot of me. But it’s also a lot of Jack. I call us the Robinson family of companies because he had so much influence.” Robinson shirked away from the limelight in Memphis despite having moved so comfortably through the circles of high fashion and celebrity in New York. He cared for his friends, yet berated and challenged them during creative collaboration. As much influence as

he exerted on Rainbow Studio while he was alive, his death made his presence even more known and felt. The building is a paradox, too. It feels at once a cathedral and a hole in the wall. It is both showroom and cluttered workspace. It simultaneously tells of absence and presence. Oppenheimer owns it, but Robinson lives here. These are the Robinson family of businesses. They’re the family that Robinson never had.

Want to know more? Visit robinsongallery.com or danoppenheimer.com.


STORY FROM CORINTH, MISS.

IN THE HEART OF DIXIE

By KARA MARTINEZ BACHMAN

Photographs by Joe Worthem


For its small population, Corinth, Mississippi, offers a thriving culinary scene. Nestled in the northeast corner of the state, motorists along U.S. Highways 45 and 72 could easily

pass by this Civil War town now punctuated with an abundance of restaurants and shopping boutiques. In fact, just a minute or two from its exits, it’s clear why this little historical city boasts more quality restaurants than you’d ordinarily find in a town of its size. For Christy Burns, the executive director of the Corinth Convention and Visitors Bureau, it’s not just about location, but about Deep South character. “Southerners love to eat,” she said. “When we’re happy, we eat. When we’re sad, we eat. There’s an eclectic mix of food downtown. We have everything from Southern comfort food to fine dining to Thai food and slugburgers.”

Slugburgers – now also a name of the town’s yearly festival – became popular during the Great Depression because their mix of “other” ingredients with ground beef made them go a little further at the dinner table. It’s a great “shop and eat” destination in an easily accessible spot, she said. In addition to locals, the town receives its share of business and leisure travelers, who are passing through to take a break in the small town that offers big culinary choices. Burns said that at any restaurant in Corinth you might see business people in suits sitting next to a youth sports team celebrating a victory. Nothing is stuffy; it’s all very “local.” “There’s no dress codes,” she said. “All of them have relaxed atmospheres.”

For its small size, the City of Corinth offers an impressive culinary scene. OPPOSITE: The entrance to Vicari Italian Gill welcomes guests to a menu of favorites like steak and lobster, or the lollipop lamb chops and tiramisu, pictured above. Another restaurant, Smith., offers a more laid back atmosphere with favorites like a bleu cheese andbacon apple-stuffed pork chop, served with collard greens braised with sausage, pictured above right.


Smith.Open Tuesdays - Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.603 North Fillmore St.

(662) 594-1925

“Smith. has great food and a relaxed atmosphere,” Burns said, “concentrating on Mississippi-made type products.” (Yes,

that’s a period at the end of the name). “Everything is fresh, everything is as local as we can buy,” said Russell Smith, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, Julia. “We’re not all the way farm-to-table, but we’re getting closer,” he said. Smith said he believes in knowing the producer of the food he uses, so they select local or regional suppliers, where he can know exactly how the food is raised and how the animals are treated. “Some of our pork comes from Baton Rouge. We know the people who produced it,” he said. “The seafood comes from the Gulf.” Smith’s favorites of the current menu include a bleu cheese and bacon apple-stuffed pork chop, served with collard greens braised with sausage. Another favorite is the blackened mahi with fried green tomatoes and sauteed crabmeat. Smith grew up in Corinth, but would later work at the acclaimed City Grocery in Oxford and Harvey’s in Tupelo and Starkville. In 2005, he returned to Corinth to help with the family business,

started by his grandfather in 1978, Russell’s Beef House (named after him). He decided to also open Smith. in 2013 in a historic building downtown. When he returned, he wanted to offer what he experienced working in various kitchens, including the idea of locally- and regionally-sourced ingredients. Smith. offers an attractive, but relaxed atmosphere. Upstairs, on Friday and Saturday nights, local performers – or acts from Memphis or Tupelo – provide live music. “Going out to eat should be fun,” Smith said. “It shouldn’t be stuffy.”

Vicari Italian GrillOpen Tuesdays - Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturdays, 4 to 10 p.m.516 Cruise St.

(662) 287-4760

Named after an Italian town about the size of Corinth, Chef John Mabry brings 35 years of culinary expertise to

the table. With full lunch and dinner menus, including everything from sandwiches, to pasta and flatbreads, to elegant entrées, there’s something for every palate. You’ll find Italian classics – poultry,

CLOCKWISE: Grilled swordfish over southwestern hash with salsa verde and roomy booths at Smith., a fine dining restaurant where casual reigns; sea bass on a bed of cappellini and wilted spinach topped with Vicari sauce from Vicari Italian Grill; guests at the laid back eatery Martha’s Menu, where breakfast is served all day.


specialty pasta dishes and a full range of appetizers. The Chef ’s Menu offers sea bass, a 20 oz. bone-in black Angus ribeye, a surf-and-turf with filet of beef and lobster and a fried lobster tail, served with deconstructed ratatouille and wilted spinach. For Burns, though, a favorite is the restaurant’s “Lollypop Lamb Chops,” with a balsamic carrot reduction, wild mushroom orzo and crisp asparagus. A go-to local spot for upscale dining, Burns sings Vicari’s praises as an elegant dining option. “Vicari has a big city feel in a small town,” she said. “White tablecloths. Marble floors. They also have a great wine list.”

Martha’s MenuOpen Mondays - Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.Fridays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sundays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.702 Cruise St.(662) 287-2590

It’s not at all fancy, nor is it fine dining, but that down-to-earth comfort is always described as part of Martha’s Menu’s charm. The all-day

breakfast and Southern food spot is a local favorite, with sweet and savory offerings and ample servings. Owner Keith Wilkins has worked at the family business, named for his mother, for the past 11 years.


“We’re just small, mom and pop, country-folk cooking,” he said. “Most of our food is plate lunches. Turkey and dressing, chicken, pork chops . “ Different plate lunch specialties are offered on different days. “Martha’s Menu is great Southern comfort,” Burns said. “I had a tourist say he just had one of the biggest pancakes there that he’d ever had. It’s a place to really get to know local people.”

Pizza GroceryOpen Mondays - Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m.800-A Cruise St.(662) 287-3200

Flavors of Italy combine with Southern hospitality at the casual Pizza Grocery, situated in a 1920s-era building that operated

as a grocery wholesaler until the 1980s. Renovated and opened in 2006 as Pizza Grocery, the building now is a hub for the scents of Italy and the sounds of the social hum of Corinth. Burns describes it as “family-oriented, with gourmet pizza and calzones.” It’s the spot for sports teams and large school groups, but is also perfect for a couple on a date or an adult table of four. Burns said a coffee bar has recently been added on-site, so there is a move toward trendier young people starting to frequent Pizza Grocery as well. From a simple salad or pepperoni pizza to unique specialties such

as a Fig Pizza (mozzarella, gorgonzola, fig, prosciutto and balsamic reduction), Smoked Duck Pizza (house smoked duck breast, sweet onion jam, goat cheese mozzarella, topped with green onion), or the Cajun Cowboy (blackened chicken, red onion, mushroom, jalapeno pepper jack, mozzarella, and tomato sauce), the menu is eclectic and wide-ranging.

ABOVE: Pizza from Pizza Grocery. The menu also includes decadent Italian dishes of pasta along with a fine selection of cheeses and olives. OPPOSITE: Pizza Grocery, like most buildings in town, is housed in a 1920s-era building and features a gourmet coffee shop as its newest edition.

ABOVE: At Martha’s Menu, each dish served can be accompanied by a pancake. The building’s character is a perfect fit for this town with a Civil War past that now is lined with restaurants and boutiques.


Blazing NoodlezThai Specialties: Chicken, duck, pork,

beef, noodles, rice.Open Tuesdays - Fridays,

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.Saturdays and Sundays,

12 p.m. to 9 p.m.511 E. Waldron St.

Crossroads RibshackRibs, sandwiches, fish and salads

Open Mondays - Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.;

Sundays, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.920 Hwy. 72 East

Juju & Crista’s Shrimpboat CafeFried and boiled seafood, platters

and po-boy sandwichesOpen Tuesdays - Saturdays,

4 to 9 p.m.1907 E. Shiloh Road

Russell’s Beef HouseTraditional steakhouse. Steak of various cuts,

baked potatoes, salad bar.Open Sundays - Thursdays,

4:30 to 9:30 p.m.Fridays and Saturdays,

4:30 to 10 p.m.104 U.S. Hwy. 72 East

A full list of dining options is available at visitcorinth.com, but here are a few more options to consider for your visit to this charming Southern town.

The Dinner BellSteaks, catfish, chicken. Casual, affordable family dining.

Open Mondays - Thursdays, 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturdays and Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.1000 S. Harper Road

COKE 10KMAY 7

2016 GREEN MARKETSMAY 7 • JUNE 4 • SEPT 3 • OCT 1

9 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

SLUGBURGER FESTIVALJUJULY 79

V I S I T

Download the VISIT CORINTH mobile app today to help you get the most out of your visit to historic Corinth, Mississippi. It’s the perfect way to discover countless attractions and hidden gems nestled downtown and around town.

HISTORIC CORINTH, MISSISSIPPI

C O R I N T H A R E A C O N V E N T I O N A N D V I S I TO R S B U R E A U # V I S I TC O R I N T H FIND US. FOLLOW US. SHARE US.

(662) 287-8300 | visitcorinth.com


CotesworthHome of Celia Foote as featured in “The Help” and the J.Z. George

Library, where Mississippi’s Constitution was penned in 1890.

HISTORIC

WEDDINGS

RECEPTIONS

EVENTS

EDUCATIONAL CLASS TRIPS

6151 MS Highway 17 • North Carrollton, MS • www.cotesworthcenter.org

FOR RESERVATIONS AND RATES, PLEASE CALL (662) 237-9600. PHONE MESSAGES ARE CHECKED DAILY.

There is nowhere as lovely as Cotesworth in the spring, summer or fall.THE J.Z. GEORGE LIBRARY

Hill Country Blues never sounded so good!

www.nmshillcountrypicnic.com

Come on out and do a little toe tapping to some great live music! Enjoy a guitar workshop from some of the greatest this side of the hills region! Music Instructors: Kenny Brown, North Mississippi All Stars, Duwayne Burnside Band, David Kimbrough Band and more! BBQ hosted by Betty Davis. Get your tickets today!

North Mississippi Hill Country Blues PicnicJune 24th & 25th Noon - MidnightHighway 7 South • Waterford, MS


THE RENAISSANCE OF THE


STORY FROM JACKSON, MISS.

A change is coming to the City with Soul. In downtown Jackson, Mississippi, this year’s

Rhythm and Blues Festival moves downtown to the Convention Complex, meaning new opportunities for visitors to explore Jackson. The move speaks to larger changes in the city, including new museums, a new hotel, new cuisine, arts and music, and the completion of recent construction projects meant to improve walkability and downtown access. Directly across from the Convention Complex the Mississippi Museum of Art offers a look at a recent public-private partnership meant to engage Jacksonians as well as visitors in the state’s significant contributions to American art. “The permanent collection is free and there are also changing exhibits with a nominal fee as well as monthly pop up exhibits,” says Jennifer Jameson, director of the Folk and Traditional Arts Program at the Mississippi Arts Commission. “We collaborated with the museum to showcase the master and apprentice pairs in our folk arts apprenticeship program and exhibited Mississippians’ pottery, drums and quilts last fall.” The space’s design intends to draw the general public in, with open, window-walled spaces and events like outdoor movie nights in the art garden, trivia in the café and an occasional pop up menu coming out of the kitchen of Mississippi-born Chef Nick Wallace, who utilizes regional ingredients and techniques. Tucked next door to the Mississippi Museum of Art, the International Museum of Muslim Culture offers an exhibit called the

Food, music, hospitality welcome Jackson visitors

By MEGHAN HOLMES

Photography by Michael Barrett

The Iron Horse Grill in downtown Jackson offers live music four nights a week along with The Mississippi Music Experience Museum that guests can browse while they wait for dinner.


CLOCKWISE: The Mississippi Museum of Art offers a permanent free collection along with events and activities to engage residents and visitors, like movie night in the art garden or trivia in the café; The neon lit sign above The Mayflower Café, where diners can enjoy fresh Gulf seafood in a vintage setting.

Legacy of Timbuktu, celebrating the relationship between African and Islamic culture through a collection of rare African manuscripts. The Smith-Robertson Museum is also nearby. It is the site of a school for African American children that famous author Richard Wright attended. “It’s a really special museum that doesn’t get enough attention,” says Jameson. Farish Street once served as the epicenter of Jackson’s black community, and over the course of the last several decades has seen myriad attempts at redevelopment fail after desegregation. Businesses remain open there, and businesspeople continue to work to return the area to its former heyday. “It’s a slow process,” says Bobby Rush, Grammy-nominated musician and Jacksonian. “I remember Farish Street in its heyday. That was our place for the blues, for nightlife, and I think the city’s downtown is slowly coming back to that. It’s not going to be the same, but it’s going to be great.” Daniel Dillon, owner of Frank Jones Corner, echoes Rush’s hopes. “People ask if we’ve given up on Farish Street, and I say we’re just beginning. We own the space next door and plan on expanding into

that soon,” he says. Frank Jones Corner models itself on the blues joints that once lined Farish Street, specifically the old Subway blues joint in the basement of Jackson’s Summers Hotel. The food is simple - burgers, hot dogs and barbecue, and the music is loud, lasting from midnight until 4 a.m. Dillon sees the Jackson Rhythm and Blues Festival moving downtown as a natural fit. “I’m surprised it hasn’t always been downtown. I’m excited, because I think this festival showcases one of our great strengths - the blues. We’ll have shows late night after the event.” Another business on Farish Street, Johnny T’s Bistro, also offers food and live music. The building formerly housed The Crystal Palace, an entertainment hub in the 1940s, and owner John Tierre Miller respects that history. “A lot of people don’t know about all the entertainers that came through here, and that’s what brought me here. I want to pay respect to that history,” says Miller. Chef Brian Myrick, formerly of Char and Anjou, helms the kitchen with a Southern and coastal inspired menu including crab cakes, fried catfish, fresh shrimp and deviled eggs. The only business remaining on Farish Street since its heyday is the Big Apple Inn, where diners nosh on pig ear sandwiches from owner Geno Lee. His grandfather opened the spot, which also serves tamales, as well as smokes - a ground sausage sandwich with slaw and yellow mustard. Visitors exploring Farish’s restaurants and venues should take note of its Civil Rights Markers, including the site of the


famous Woolworth sit in, two blocks west of the governor’s mansion between a parking lot and a high-rise office building. A museum dedicated to Mississippi’s civil rights milestones, along with another dedicated to history, are both slated to open to in downtown Jackson to celebrate the state’s bicentennial at the end of 2017. On Capitol Street, the Parlor Market and the Mayflower Cafe offer additional downtown dining options. Parlor Market specializes in farm-to-table new American cuisine, with an impressive list of regional purveyors and a menu that puts Southern cooking front and center while remaining fresh and inventive. A nontraditional oysters Rockefeller integrates creamed greens and pork belly, while a Mississippi rabbit stew is served with herb spaetzle and fried kale. A gulf redfish entrée comes over a jalepeno and fried caper quinoa with pickled crabmeat salad, beet puree and jalepeno vinaigrette. Stop at the Mayflower Café after the Eudora Welty home tour for her favorite Mississippi condiment: comeback sauce, a cross between Thousand Island dressing and a Creole remoulade. They’re also known for their fresh seafood and throwback diner atmosphere, featured in the film “The Help.” The Iron Horse Grill nearby on W. Pearl Street features free shows and live music four nights a week, with an eclectic menu including fajitas, burgers and seafood. Also noteworthy is their second floor,

which houses the Mississippi Music Experience Museum. As they wait for tables, guests explore artist Anne Robin Luckett’s life size dolls of Mississippi legends, set in scenes that tell stories of the state’s musical legacy. Several hotels nearby give visitors the opportunity to traverse the entirety of the downtown area without a car. The King Edward Hotel sits directly across from the Amtrak station, and Jackson’s boutique hotel, the Old Capitol Inn, on State Street offers a unique experience in what once housed a YWCA. In 2017, a Westin opens, currently under construction. “Jackson is a walkable city, and moving the festival downtown and having hotels for guests nearby allows them to experience that,” says Yolanda Clay Moore, public relations manager for Visit Jackson. “We want people to come in town for festivals a day early, go to museums and restaurants, and really experience the culture we have to offer. Our literary and musical history is unparalleled, we have civil rights and civil war museums. There’s so much to explore.”

Want to go?

Let the Jackson CVB help with your visit to the City with Soul. For information, help with hotel and dinner reservations, maps, visitor guides and other information, visit visitjackson.com.

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ABOVE: J.J. Thames performs at Frank Jones Corner, a midnight to 4 a.m. juke that offers the authentic Mississippi blues experience.


World FamousSouthern Plantation Cuisine

1214 Adams Street, Vicksburg601-638-4910 • www.WalnutHillsMS.com

One of Mississippi’s 10 Best Restaurants, CultureTrip.comTop 10 Places to Eat in Mississippi, DeepSouthUSA.com

Best Home Cooking, Vicksburg Post

S t e a k s • S e a f o o d • W i n e • S p i r i t s

5915 Old US 80 WestMeridian, Mississippi

601.693.6499

FESTIVAL

THE 2016 JACKSON

FRIDAY – AUGUST 19THT-Pain

Lalah HathawayMorris Day & The Time

BJ The Chicago KidDemetria McKinney

Bobby RushGoapele

DJ Scrap DirtyJeff Floyd

Lady LLove NotezSeth Power

Kerry ThomasTiger Rogers & The League of Jassmen

SATURDAY – AUGUST 20THKenny “Babyface” Edmonds

Jagged EdgeTamiaL.T.D.

Bone Thugs-N-HarmonyKindred The Family Soul

LatimoreAdib Sabir

Akami GrahamDJ Scrap Dirty

High Frequency BandTawanna Shaunte

Lanita SmithLarry Johnson & The Beasty Tunes

SilasTeneia

ARTISTS AND LINEUP

RHYTHM AND BLUESRHYTHM AND BLUES


August 19-20 marks the fourth anniversary of the Jackson Rhythm and Blues Festival, featuring 17 artists on five stages including headliners Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds

and T-Pain. The event brings together musicians from around the country, many of them native Mississippians, and features a variety of genres including R&B, blues, soul, funk and hip hop. Previously held at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, this year the festival moves downtown to the Convention Complex. The move points to an ongoing downtown renaissance in Jackson, as well as the city’s efforts to spotlight an impressive musical legacy that continues to resonate around the world today. “It’s gonna be a great time, and I’m excited about the move downtown,” says Bobby Rush, a yearly performer at the festival, Grammy nominee, and Louisiana-born musician who now calls

Jackson home. “We’ve got some air conditioning and seating for the folks that need it, and the rain won’t bother anybody.” Rush’s music incorporates several genres including Cajun, reggae, funk and blues, producing a distinct sound that’s given him staying power throughout several decades. He acknowledges borrowing from many cultures to create his songs, but emphasizes that the blues came from only one place. “When you talk about the blues you’re talking about Mississippi. We’re the birthplace of the blues. Great blues musicians came from other cities, but they almost all had close ties to Mississippi. From B.B., to Muddy Waters, to me, we all share that story. So it’s time for us to bring people back home, and this festival does that,” he says. Yolanda Clay Moore, public relations manager for the Rhythm and Blues Festival, echoes Rush’s comments. “One of the reason’s we started this festival was we didn’t feel like we adequately celebrated

the impact that Mississippi, and specifically Jackson, had on this country’s music industry,” she says. “A lot of people don’t think of

Jackson when they think of the blues. They think of Memphis or the Delta, but many musicians in those areas got their start in Jackson. We have more Mississippi Blues Trail markers in the city than any other place in the state.” Prior to desegregation, visiting musicians came to Farish Street, the bustling downtown Jackson area home to black-

owned hotels and clubs, as well as many other nearby clubs and juke joints like the Queen

of Hearts, to play for crowds not present in their own rural communities. The

city also boasts its own record label – Malaco – which began recording blues music in the late 1960s and continues to produce blues musicians as well as R&B and gospel artists today.

Rush recorded with Malaco in the 1980s, part of a distinctive blues sound coming out of Jackson with funk and other genre elements that

distinguished it from Delta and Hill Country sounds. This year, Rhythm and

STORY FROM JACKSON, MISS.

By MEGHAN HOLMES

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE CITY WITH SOUL


ABOVE: R & B giant and Grammy-nominated Bobby Rush will perform in a return appearance at the Jackson Rhythm and Blues Festival. Rush is a yearly crowd favorite with his high-energy stage performances. RIGHT: Tawanna Shaunte will also make a return appearance, performing some of her original tunes which address social and political causes prescient to the African American community.

“When you talk about the

blues you’re talking about Mississippi. We’re the birthplace of the blues. Great blues musicians came from other cities, but they almost all had close ties to Mississippi. From B.B., to Muddy Waters, to me, we all share that story. So it’s time for us to bring people back home, and this festival does that.”

– Bobby Rush

Blues Festival organizers emulate the tradition of genre-bending in the city with their lineup, expanding from a focus on predominately blues artists to include other contemporary acts. “This year we wanted to incorporate more soul, neo-soul and hip hop,” says Clay Moore. “We wanted to make sure we emphasized all aspects of R&B and not just the blues.” The festival also spotlights the contributions of Mississippi musicians, including Jackson native Tawanna Shaunte. “I live in Jackson and this is my second year performing, and I love telling my fans about this festival as I perform around the country,” says Shaunte. “Mississippi has been a game changer in American music; it’s a powerful force, and we need a festival here to tell that story.” Shaunte’s music focuses on storytelling, borrowing from different forms to produce what she calls the “moving integration of sound.” Critics describe her music as neo-soul or neo-jazz, but Shaunte prefers

a simpler description: “heartfelt music.” She addresses social and political causes prescient to the African American community, but like traditional blues music her themes strike a chord with people across axes of difference. “Sometimes my songs might make people uncomfortable, but it’s coming from a place of love and caring. I think of artists like Nina Simone, writing songs for women, and songs for African Americans. At that time people were probably thinking, ‘What are you talking about?’ I write songs with that kind of edge. I want to speak about


Canton, Mississippi, native Lady L Dixon

L

incarceration rates, and about domestic violence, because one line in a song could change someone’s life. It could inspire them to make a change. So, that’s what I mean when I say my music also comes from love, because my songs are meant to inspire.” Shaunte acknowledges the darker side of Mississippi (and the nation’s) history in her music, but also emphasizes the depth of cultural creativity and artistry present within the state. “Look at the exceptional writers we have had in Jackson – Eudora Welty and Richard Wright – and look at our musicians. I look at the place I come from and I know it’s what allows me to perform the way I do,” she says.

Also performing at the festival is Mississippian Lady L Dixon, a Canton native and internationally known musician who recently scored a Top 10 hit on the UK Soul Chart with her track “Love’s Master

Plan.” Lady L, who grew up playing piano at five churches across her home county and singing in church alongside her mother, says her gospel upbringing combined with the blues music ever-present during youth gave her the sound she has today. “After college I ended up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I started singing with five old timers, all men. After a while they started letting me sing the men’s songs. It’s sort of what I became known for, my voice being so powerful. They said I could sing like that because I was from the South, and that’s sort of what I always thought it was, too, just growing up in church and hearing nothing but that and the blues.” Lady L’s greatest asset other than her vocal chops - stage presence. “I go to concerts like Stevie Wonder, Sade, Smokey Robinson, and I just watch them on stage to learn from the greats. Of course my husband (G.C. Cameron - former lead singer for the Temptations) helps me, too.” Other performers at this year’s festival include Lalah Hathaway, Jagged Edge, Morris Day and the Time, Tamia, Goapele, Jeff Floyd, Bone Thugs N Harmony, and Demetria McKinney, among many other talented and varied acts. “In the future we want to have the door open to different possibilities, and that’s what adding different genres and moving downtown is all about,” says Clay Moore. “We have room to grow, and give more people an opportunity to experience music in Jackson.”

Want to go?

Visit jacksonrhythmandbluesfestival.com for tickets and information.

STO

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ROM

MEM

PHIS

, TEN

N.

“If Beale Street could talk, if Beale Street could talk,Married men would have to take their beds and walk

Except one or two, who never drink boozeAnd the blind man on the corner who sings the Beale Street Blues

I’d rather be here, than any place I knowI’d rather be here than any place I know

It’s going to take the sergeant for to make me go”

“Beale Street Blues” by W.C. Handy, 1916

When W.C. Handy penned his famous “Beale Street Blues,” an ode to a commercial strip on the south side of downtown Memphis, he left out some key

players – the women. Female artists, personalities and business owners have played a vital role in the development of Beale since it was first established 175 years ago. In the 19th century, the courageous African-American abolitionist newspaper editor Ida B. Wells worked there. In the 1950s, Ernestine Mitchell, wife of Beale hotel and café owner Andrew “Sunbeam” Mitchell, played hostess to some of the biggest names in the Civil Rights Movement and music, becoming famous for cooking up pots of her homemade chili for B.B. King and Count Basie, among others. And from Bessie Smith to Bonnie Raitt, almost every

Running the most iconic street in the country

By MARK JORDAN

Photographs by Joe Worthem


ABOVE: The historic Dyer’s Burgers is one of five restaurants owned and managed by Robertson, who heads the Beale Street Merchants Association. The others are Alfred’s on Beale, the upscale Automatic Slim’s, Café Ole in Midtown’s hip Cooper-Young neighborhood and the college hangout Ubee’s near the University of Memphis.

important female blues singer has filled the street’s bars and halls with music. But their contributions were mostly overshadowed by men – white and black – who were considered the real movers and shakers on the street. Until now. In January, Sandy Robertson, who for 30 years has operated one of Beale’s most popular nightspots, took the reigns of the Beale Street Merchants Association, a group of business owners who coordinate marketing and promoting for the entertainment district. Robertson is the fourth president of the Merchants Association and the first woman to hold the title, which was once held by her husband, the late John Robertson. “This means the world to me,” says Robertson, sitting on the patio of Alfred’s on Beale, which she started with her husband in 1986. John Robertson headed the Merchants Association for a decade before his untimely death at the age of 47 in 2003. “This is not just a restaurant. My children grew up here. They know the street and the different people who have worked here over the years. I’ve just got to think, ‘Gosh, John’s got to be proud of me.’”

For her slight build, she is a spitfire. Robertson never planned to go into the restaurant business. She was the office manager for a flooring company when John opened Alfred’s in the suburbs of Memphis. By necessity he worked six days a week, and Sandy realized that if she were ever going to see him, she’d have to get involved with the business, too. A natural people person, she took to it easily, waiting tables, doing the books – learning almost every aspect of the industry. “I still to this day don’t cook,” she says, laughing. “I have five restaurants, and I don’t cook. My children say that if it gets too busy, and it looks like I might have to help out in the kitchen, call them.” As Robertson was learning the restaurant ropes, Beale Street was undergoing a transformation. By the early 1980s, Beale was a shadow of its former self, dotted with derelict and abandoned buildings. Memphis owned most of the neglected street, and in 1982 redeveloped it as an entertainment district managed by a private development company with private businesses. At the time, downtown Memphis was still mostly deserted at night, and it would take awhile for the re-imagined Beale to catch on. It wasn’t a sure bet when in 1986 John and Sandy took over a former


Chinese restaurant and turned it into Alfred’s On Beale. The gamble paid off. Alfred’s on Beale became a smash as the first club on the street to regularly feature rock ‘n’ roll music. Within a few years, it became the first Beale business to gross $1 million annually. But there were tough times, too. Besides John, Robertson also suffered the untimely death of her 37-year-old business partner, Jay Uiberall, in 2010. The losses made her stronger. “Everybody expects you to fold when things like that happen,” she says. “You just sit there and you’re stunned and you say, ‘You know, I’m going to do this. I cannot fail. He taught me what I know. I am not going to fail. I am not going to let him down.’” Robertson continued to work. Today she and her sons, Kris and Kendall, run Mid-America Restaurants, a company operating five restaurants in Memphis – Alfred’s on Beale, the historic Dyer’s Burgers, the upscale Automatic Slim’s, Café Ole in Midtown’s hip Cooper-Young neighborhood and the college hangout Ubee’s near the University of Memphis – as well as Catering for U. “Sandy is a hands-on owner who has experienced success with every operation she starts, takes over or gets involved with,” says Kevin Kane, president and CEO of the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Her energy, passion, insight and oversight are the secrets to her success.” Despite the far reach of her empire she rules over it like a mother, balancing disparate schedules and demands and dispensing advice to the many employees and other Beale neighbors who call her “Miss Sandy.” “Women are smart. That’s old-school that women should stay at home,” says Robertson. “In college I was president of a sorority, and I learned then how to unify 60 some odd girls. Beale is no different. You have to unify everybody and get them on the same page because the real goal is to bring more people to Beale, enhance their experience, make it fun and friendly and safe.” Robertson has stepped into her new Beale Street role at an interesting time. Today, Beale is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tennessee, with annual

revenues of more than $40 million and hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. It also has become an emblem of Memphis’ revitalized downtown. With the opening in 2004 of the FedEx Forum, home to the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, the street’s splashy neon signs are now a fixture on national basketball telecasts. In 2013, USA Today named Beale “America’s Most Iconic Street.” Now, after 30 years of operating Beale for Memphis, Performa Entertainment has concluded its contract, and the city is casting about for new management to oversee leasing and handling general maintenance. Robertson, who has no role in choosing the new management, is a steadying force. “We’re looking forward to working with this new management and marketing this street and taking it forward,” says Robertson, who for more than 30 years, has watched Beale’s transformation from a row of dilapidated buildings into a bustling entertainment district. “We – the merchants and Performa – grew this to be the No. 1 tourist attraction in Tennessee. It didn’t just happen. We went out there and we worked hard, and we brought more and more people down to the street, and we made it the most iconic street in America.”

“I still to this day don’t cook. I have five restaurants, and I don’t cook. My

children say that if it gets too busy, and it looks like I might have to help out in the kitchen, call them.”

– Sandy Robertson

Sandy Robertson stepped into her role as president of the Beale Street Merchants Association at an interesting time. Today, Beale is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tennessee, with annual revenues of more than $40 million and hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

L


It’s 150 free concerts in 15 cities, and New Albany,

Mississippi, has nabbed its share of the musical frenzy. Beginning June 4, the banks of the Tallahatchie will be filled with music lovers who gather for the Levitt AMP New Albany Music Series. Presented by the City of New Albany’s Tourism Department, the Levitt AMP Music Series was created in 2014 by the Mortimer and Mimi Levitt Foundation, which is dedicated to reinvigorating America’s public spaces through creative placemaking and creating opportunities for people to experience performing arts. The foundation is the nonprofit behind the largest free outdoor concert series in the nation. The goal is to transform unused and neglected public spaces into thriving community destinations. New Albany fit the bill with its Park Along the River, a long-neglected park adjacent to the city’s downtown area. The matching grant program brings 10 free outdoor concerts to the area, from June 4 through August 6. Concerts range from the roots rock/country of Alvin Youngblood Hart to the hard rock, Souther-style boogie punk of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’

to the New Orleans-based American singer-songwriter Papa Mali. For more information, visit levittamp.org/newalbany.

STORY FROM NEW ALBANY, MISS.

The Levitt AMP Music Series

On the banks of the Tallahatchie

CLOCKWISE: Papa Mali, a New Orleans-based singer-songwriter, guitarist and producer; Marcella & Her Lovers, the daughter of two-time Grammy-winning Terrance Simien and her gritty indy band; Drivin’ ‘n Cryin’, a group of Southern rockers offering a mix of hard rock, Southern-style boogie and a heap of punk attitude.


Now in its seventh season, FestivalSouth returns to Hattiesburg event venues May 30 through June 18 with an

unprecedented lineup. Mississippi’s only multi-week, multi-genre festival, offering both free and ticketed events that showcase the area’s creative economy, is highlighted by the return of Sandi Patty in her “Forever Grateful: The Farewell Tour” on July 18. Held at Main Street Baptist Church, her incredible voice and dynamic personality have become an audience favorite. Patty is joined by the FestivalOrchestra and offers area singers a chance to join a choir to sing with her on this emotional final tour. The nationally acclaimed Soul School rolls into Hattiesburg’s Historic Saenger Theater June 4, and is sure to bring the house down with its vast repertoire of golden oldies, beach, Motown, country, jazz, rock, funk, R&B and contemporary music. The Broadway smash hit Rock of Ages, in a premiere limited engagement, will take the stage of USM’s Mannoni Performing Arts Center Auditorium for four performances, June 9 and 10 and two on June 11. Rock of Ages is a rock/jukebox musical built around classic

rock hits from the 1980s, especially from the famous glam metal bands of the decade. The musical features songs from Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and Europe among other well-known rock bands. This exclusive engagement and Mississippi premiere features The Hub City

Players in a tour de force spectacle that will leave guests singing and holding their lighters high in approval. Tickets are currently on sale. Sponsored by the Hattiesburg Concert Association, visit festivalsouth.org for more information.

STORY FROM HATTIESBURG, MISS.

Sandi Patty, Rock of Ages, Soul School headline 2016 eventFestivalSouth

Sandi Patty is scheduled to perform her “Forever Grateful: The Farewell Tour” on July 18 as the headliner for FestivalSouth events, and Rock of Ages, pictured above, will perform its rock/jukebox musical of popular hits from the 1980s.


Abita Springs, La.

June 18 ... The Louisiana Bicycle Festival, in its 16th year, the festival begins when everyone “shows up,” usually around 8 a.m. Bikes and rides of all kinds, bike swaps, buying, selling, trading. For more information, visit labicyclefestival.com and louisiananorthshore.com.

Bentonia, Miss.

June 13-18 ... The 44th Bentonia Blues Festival, featuring a number of celebrated musicians, including Wes Lee, Bill Abel & Cadillac John Noland, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, The Blues Doctors and David Raye, back at the Holmes Farm, 313 Wilson-Holmes Road, Bentonia. RV & camping spaces available. Arts and crafts, food vendors. Related events at the Blue Front Cafe, Mississippi’s oldest juke joint. For more information, visit facebook.com/BentoniaBluesFestival

Grenada, Miss.

July 1-3 ... Grenada Heritage and Music Festival, downtown on the square, three-day event featuring blues and gospel. For more information, visit grenadams.com.July 8-9 ... 14th Annual Grassroots Blues Festival at Duckhill, featuring Louis “Gearshifter” Youngblood, Big Joe Shelton, Leo “Bud” Welch, The Oxford Allstars and more. For more information, visit grenadams.com.

Hattiesburg, Miss.

Through June 18 ... FestivalSouth, Mississippi’s only multi-week, multi-genre festival, offering both free and ticketed events that showcase the area’s creative economy, is highlighted by the return of Sandi Patty in her “Forever Grateful: The Farewell Tour.” For more information, visit festivalsouth.org.

Jackson, Miss.

Through Oct. 30 ... Annie Laurie Swain Hearin Memorial Exhibition Series, Mississippi Museum of Art. Works by 52 of the 20th century’s most influential artists. And “When Modern was Contemporary,” selections from the Roy R. Neuberger Collection. For more information, visit msmuseumart.org.

Meridian, Miss.

June 16 ... Three Dog Night, MSU Riley Center. Pre-show party at 6 p.m., show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $55/$49. For more information, visit msurileycenter.com.June 21 ... Huey Lewis and the News, MSU Riley Center. Pre-show party at 6 p.m., show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $80/$74. For more information, visit msurileycenter.com.July 16 ... LeAnn Rimes, MSU Riley Center. Pre-show party at 6 p.m., show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $65/$59. For more information, visit msurileycenter.com.

Morgan City, La.

July 22-23 ... BBQ Bash Under the Bridge, downtown Morgan City, this Barbecue Competitors Alliance competition for the best corporate and competitive BBQ teams also features Run for the Ribs 5K run and walk, food booths, arts and crafts, live music and a kid’s BBQ competition. For more information, visit cajuncoast.com

New Albany, Miss.

June 4-August 6 ... The Levitt Amp Concert Series Summer of Music, each Saturday in the Park by the River. Free. For more information visit newalbany.com/summerofmusic.

Waterford, Miss.

June 24-25 ... The North Mississippi Hill Country Blues Picnic, featuring a guitar workshop with some of the greatest instructors in Mississippi, Kenny Brown and the North Mississippi AllStars, Duwayne Burnside Band, the David Kimbrough Band and more. For more information, from noon to midnight, visit nmshillcountrypicnic.com.

• • • WHAT’S SHAKIN’ IN THE CRADLE? • • •

Come join Captain LongBeardand the pirates and wenChes of the Krewe

Friday 4pm til 11pmPirate’s arrival • pub crawl • sCavenger hunt

Saturday from 11am til 11pmCaptain longbeard skirmish • coStume contest • kid zone • amusement rideS

alL-day music • featuring karma at 8pm • fireworKs at 9Pm

To see the complete schedule go to www.piratedayinthebay.comand visit us on facebook or instagram

old town BsL harbor

T-PAIN

ON

JACKSONFESTIVAL.COM

AUGUST 19-20, 2016JACKSON CONVENTION COMPLEX

PRESENTED BYPRESENTED BY

LALAH HATHAWAY

JAGGED EDGEKENNY “BABYFACE”

EDMONDS

F E A T U R I N G

TAMIA

THE ALL-STAR LINEUP ALSO INCLUDES:

Morris Day & The TimeBJ The Chicago Kid

L.T.D.Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Demetria McKinneyKindred The Family Soul

GoapeleLatimore

Bobby RushJeff Floyd

SilasLanita Smith

Kerry ThomasTeneiaLady L

Tawanna ShaunteLarry Johnson & The Beasty Tunes

High Frequency BandSeth Power

Akami GrahamAdib Sabir

Tiger Rogers & The League of JassmenLove Notez

DJ Scrap Dirty

legends - april / may 2016

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