WE JUKE UP iN HERE! A New DVD+CD Documentary On The State of the Clarksdale-area's Juke Joint Culture

All photos stolen from Lou Bopp

"If you don't want to die, don't be born. 
The game's for life" - Red Paden

We Juke Up In Here is a visually sexy film that documents an un-sexy subject: The demise of the live music-fueled southern American juke joint, and the struggles of juke  owners and musicians to keep the remaining institutions alive.

Now, I could go into a long history of juke joints and the sociological and cultural importance of their history dating back to emancipation, and how the juke is being replaced by soul-crushing casinos, DJs, and gaudy corporate flourescent-lit Juquejoint facsimiles. But you probably know or can imagine that. 


"I'm backed by the river, and I'm fronted by the grave. That's for damn sure." -Red Paden, owner of Red's Lounge, Clarksdale, MS

Gearshifter Youngblood. 

We Juke Up In Here was created by Jeff Konkel of Broke And Hungry Records and Roger Stolle of Clarksdale's Cathead Delta Blues & Folk Art store, and thoughtfully shot by  cinematographers Damien Blaylock and Lou Bopp. This is the same team that worked on the award-winning M For Mississippi. It's a visually striking film that confidently dips to either side of the line between art-film and straight-up documentary.  With We Juke Up In Here they achieve a smart balance of serious blues doc, sharp rural-moderne arthouse, and dudes-on-a-blues-roadtrip film. 

Red Paden

The story centers primarily on Red Paden, owner of Red's Lounge, as well as William "Po Monkey" Seaberry of Po' Monkey's Lounge, and juke owner/recording artist Jimmy "Duck" Holmes of The Blue Front Cafe and their challenge to stay alive as the music changes (all three joints are strictly blues- No Rap), and as their audience ages. Casinos offering free food, free drink, and cheap entertainment, have done the most damage. Juke owners just can't supply those amenities. But what they can give you is a hot dose of reality with a raw music soundtrack with out the artifice and faux flaw-free sheen of the casino trap house.

Big George Brock

The dvd package of  We Juke Up In Here is also accompanied by a CD soundtrack (recorded by Bill Abel out of his trusty ol' station wagon mobile recording unit) of tough, slanky present-day blues. The kind of rough-hewn blues you expect and trust to hear from Broke & Hungry Records. B & H has added three new (to me) artists to the soundtrack, and each of them is a knock-out. Louis "Gearshifter" Youngblood, Anthony "Big A" Sherrod (whoa), and the seriously deadly Robert Lee "Lil' Poochie" Watson. These guys ain't kids. Where have they been?

Jimmy "Duck" Holmes

We Juke Up In Here shows beautifully that while juke joint blues might be beaten up by time, culture, technology, and the law...she ain't dead yet and rumors of its death have been greatly exaggerated, even though to most radars it's at best a party popper. The blues and it's surrounding culture has a living, progressing history. There are still artists giving strong, vital performances and this documentary showcases that well. You might gotta dig a little to find blues like this, but isn't that what you miss about music? The discovery? From where I sit, it's an exciting time for this genre. There are more and more permutations of blues happening every day. From gutter punks and travelers playing punk-shaded olde timey to technoheads reimagining the blues into the future. That's growth and change. I'm thankful we have these four guys not only still finding a few quality players to help hype, but also spreading the sound of those artists around the globe. 

Will small-town and rural jukes eventually disappear? Probably. Google Juke Joint. They're already being replaced by faux jukes- shiny Disney funqified Made In China soulless and safe nostalgia kiosks that have as much in common with Po Monkey's as House Of Blues does. 


We Juke Up In Here is a keen sixty-three minute document of the blues culture and a history of what's left of the Delta region's once-thriving juke joint culture, the root source and incubator of boogie, soul and blues. Konkel, Stolle, Blaylock, and Bopp have made important works in We Juke Up In Here and M For Mississippi. They are documenting the true ground zero for what remains of the great olde weird American blues.

CD Set List:
Big A & The All Stars - We Juke Up In Here

Louis “Gearshifter” Youngblood- Rabbit In A Log

Lil Poochie & Hezekiah Early - You Know I’ve Tried 
Dialogue: “I Don’t Have To Pretend” – Red Paden

Terry “Harmonica” Bean - Baby (Do Anything For Me)

Jimmy “Duck” Holmes -  Could’ve Been Married

Dialogue: “I’m Moving At My Own Pace” – Red Paden

Elmo Williams & Hezekiah Early - Jug Of Wine
Louis “Gearshifter” Youngblood - Get Rich And Marry You 
Big A & The All Stars - Call Me A Lover
Dialogue: “The Game Is For Life” - Red Paden

Lil Poochie & Hezekiah Early- Bring Your Fine Self Home 

Big George Brock - Down South 
Holmes, Bean & Vick - Someday (Get Over You) 

+Bonus hidden track:  Louis "Gearshifter" Youngblood - "The Juke Joint Where I'm A Goin' "

MERRY CHRiSTMAS from JiMMY "DUCK" HOLMES and BROKE & HUNGRY RECORDS!

Git Some!

MERRY CHRiSTMAS from BROKE & HUNGRY RECORDS!

Coming soon on 7" Red Vinyl!

WE JUKE UP iN HERE! - Jeff and Roger's Excellent Adventure in Mississippi Continues...

Jeff Konkel of Broke and Hungry Records and Roger Stolle of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art are joining forces again to film another documentary on the Mississippi blues scene, this one titled We Juke Up In Here. After the great job they did on M For Mississippi 2008's documentary and soundtrack  I can't wait to see it.
For more information, contact:

Jeff Konkel at jeff@brokeandhungryrecords.com
Roger Stolle at roger@cathead.biz

(CLARKSDALE, MS) – The creative team behind the award-winning 2008 blues movie M For Mississippi have reunited for a new film celebrating the Delta’s down-home blues tradition. The new film, We Juke Up In Here: Mississippi’s Juke Joint Culture at the Crossroads, is slated for an April 2012 release but is now available for pre-order at the film’s official web site: www.wejukeupinhere.com.

We Juke Up In Here follows producers Jeff Konkel of Broke & Hungry Records and Roger Stolle of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art as they explore what remains of Mississippi’s once-thriving juke joint culture. The film is told largely from the vantage point of Red Paden, proprietor of the legendary Red’s Lounge in historic Clarksdale, Mississippi. Paden, a true Delta character and jack-of-all-trades, has been running his blues and beer joint for more than 30 years – providing one of the region’s most reliable live blues venues and an authentic stage for a cavalcade of veteran blues performers, both legendary and obscure.

Told through live music performances, character-driven interviews and rare on-camera blues experiences, viewers will be taken below the surface of the quasi-legal world of real Delta jukes while it’s still living and breathing.

The project reunites Konkel and Stolle with cinematographer Damien Blaylock and sound engineer Bill Abel who were instrumental in the success of the earlier film, M For Mississippi. Rounding out the production team is Lou Bopp who is providing both video and still photography.

We Juke Up In Here will be released as a deluxe box set featuring a DVD, a CD soundtrack and a glossy pullout booklet with multiple essays, notes and color photos. The DVD will include the feature-length documentary along with a treasure trove of bonus features including unreleased scenes, production stills, a promotional trailer, closed captioning, French and Italian subtitles and more. The DVD will be region-free and playable on DVD players worldwide. The box set will retail for $25 (US).

Customers who pre-order the film will receive the product weeks before its official release and will pay no shipping fee.

Pre-orders also provide the filmmakers with access to additional cash resources during the movie’s crucial production phase. “The early support of blues fans and documentary lovers allows us to make an even better film,” Konkel said. “Pre-order dollars enable us to involve even more blues artists in the movie and to incorporate additional shoots into our production schedule.”

The filmmakers also are benefiting from the invaluable financial support of several marketing sponsors.

The filmmakers’ principal sponsor and European partner is the Rootsway Roots & Blues Association (www.rootsandblues.org), a nonprofit organization from Parma, Italy. Founded in 2004, the group is dedicated to promoting rural and indigenous American and African-American musical art forms throughout northern Italy. Rootsway has brought several Mississippi blues performers to Italy in recent years.

Other sponsors include:

- Cat Head Vodka, Mississippi’s first legal distillery and a committed supporter of live music in general and blues music in particular.

- Lemuria Books, a Jackson, Mississippi-based institution and one of the finest independent bookstores in America. Lemuria houses thousands of literary titles and an impressive selection of Mississippi blues CDs .

- Nayati Dreams, a French company promoting American roots, folk and blues music in France and throughout Europe. Nayati Dreams partners with blues labels and also works to organize concerts and promote roots music through print and radio outreach.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that we simply couldn’t make this movie without the generous contribution of our sponsors,” Stolle said. “We’re incredibly grateful to the many individuals and organizations around the world who recognize the importance of Mississippi’s amazing blues heritage through their support of projects like this.”

Additional sponsorship opportunities remain for We Juke Up In Here. The film’s producers have developed numerous sponsorship levels, each with a corresponding marketing and product premiums. To inquire about sponsorships, e-mail the filmmakers at info@wejukeupinhere.com.

We Juke Up In Here is a joint production of Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art and Broke & Hungry Records.

PEYTON ON PATTON

@ Facebook // OnLine // Label // AMAZN mp3 - vinyl // iTunes

I've been listening to the new Rev. Peyton album Peyton On Patton.  Mostly a solo affair, Peyton pays true tribute to his hero, and the true King of Delta blues, Peyton's hero, Charlie Patton.  I could go on but, honestly, the etymology of old school Blues is not my baileywick. 

However, it is that of our friend Jeff Konkel, the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer (CCBW) at Broken and Hungry Records. Our man in charge of the only blues label that still matters had this to say about Rev. Peyton's Peyton On Patton: 

A lot of folks will tell you that Robert Johnson was the King of the Delta Blues. But for god’s sake don’t say it in front of Reverend Peyton.

The guitar-wielding leader of The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band has no problem praising Johnson and his incredible body of work. “But there’s only one King of the Delta Blues, and his name was Charley Patton,” Peyton said. “I’ll go toe-to-toe with anyone who says different.” This summer Peyton and his band will release a powerful tribute to their hero in the form of Peyton on Patton. The 13-track CD will exclusively feature songs written and recorded by Patton during his brief recording career, which came to an end upon his premature death in 1934. Peyton on Patton will be released July 19 by SideOneDummy Records.

During his lifetime and for nearly a quarter of a century afterward, Charley Patton was regarded almost universally as the preeminent Delta bluesman. He spent his formative years at Dockery Plantation near Ruleville, Mississippi, where he influenced future blues and gospel stars including the aforementioned Robert Johnson, as well as Son House, Willie Brown, Pops Staples, John Lee Hooker and Howlin’ Wolf. His flamboyant performance style was widely emulated and his songs frequently covered. During a five-year period, Patton recorded nearly 60 songs for Paramount Records.

The new CD Peyton on Patton features a number of Patton’s best-loved blues songs including “A Spoonful Blues,” “Mississippi Boweavil Blues” and “Tom Rushen Blues,” as well as Patton-penned spirituals like “Jesus Is A Dying Bed Maker,” “Prayer of Death, Part 1” and “You’re Gonna Need Someone (When You Come to Die)”. The CD also includes three radically different versions of “Some of These Days I’ll Be Gone” featuring varying instrumentation and recorded in different keys and arrangements.

“We set out to do this as right as we could,” Peyton said. “I am a songwriter and an artist, but for this I wanted to stay as true to Charley's music as I could. We recorded the entire record in one day with one microphone in the great state of Indiana, the same way Charley's first recordings were done.”

Although Patton sometimes recorded with other musicians, Rev. Peyton regards his hero’s solo recordings as his best. For that reason, the Peyton on Patton CD is a largely solo affair with Reverend Peyton’s growling vocals and searing guitar work placed front and center. But while the rest of the Big Damn Band are used sparingly, they make a number of crucial contributions to the record. Washboard Breezy – wife of Reverend Peyton – contributes washboard percussion on just a couple of tracks, but her vocals on “Elder Greene Blues” are a highlight of the disc. Aaron “Cuz” Persinger, whose thundering drums are a mainstay of the band’s live shows, here plays in a starkly different manner, drumming with just his hands on a century-old tobacco barrel.

The starkness of the record may come as a surprise to some of the band’s more casual fans who know them only from their high-octane live shows, particularly their Warped Tour performances where they shared bills with some of today’s top punk acts.

But longtime fans of Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band are well aware of their profound devotion to rural blues in general and Charley Patton in particular. “When I first heard Charley Patton, my life was changed forever. I was hooked,” Peyton said. “I have spent a lifetime admiring and studying his music. I have mentioned his name in interviews and I always have credited him as a big influence on my music.”
Over the years, Peyton and his band have become mainstays in the Mississippi Delta, performing frequently at festivals and clubs in the region and visiting the historic sites associated with Patton and his peers. Those experiences have only served to enhance Peyton’s desire to pay tribute to the true King of the Delta Blues.

“This is a very personal record for me. Most of the songs are just me and a guitar, paying tribute to a hero,” Peyton concluded. “It’s as it should be: Just Peyton on Patton.”

Peyton on Patton is the sixth release from The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and their third for SideOneDummy Records.


Fri/Sep-09 Columbia, MO Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ Festival
Sat/Sep-10 Omaha, NE Slowdown Junior
Sun/Sep-11 Colorado Springs, CO Black Sheep
Wed/Sep-14 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
Thu/Sep-15 Telluride, CO Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Fri/Sep-16 Telluride, CO Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Sat/Sep-17 Salt Lake City, UT The State Room
Mon/Sep-19 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
Tue/Sep-20 Portland, OR Dantes
Thu/Sep-22 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill
Fri/Sep-23 Hermosa Beach, CA Saint Rocke
Sat/Sep-24 Los Angeles, CA The Mint
Mon/Sep-26 San Diego, CA Soda Bar
Tue/Sep-27 Tempe, AZ The Sail Inn
Wed/Sep-28 Albuquerque, NM Low Spirits
Fri/Sep-30 Austin, TX Emos
Sun/Oct-02 Dallas, TX House of Blues - Cambridge Room
Tue/Oct-04 St. Louis, MO Cicero's
Wed/Oct-05 Carbondale, IL The Hangar
Thu/Oct-06 Chicago, IL The Congress Theatre
Fri/Oct-07 Springfield, IL Marly's
Sat/Oct-08 Columbus, IN Ethnic Expo Festival
Tue/Oct-11 Nashville, TN Exit/In
Thu/Oct-13 Ozark, AR Harvest Festival
Fri/Oct-14 Ozark, AR Harvest Festival
Europe
Thu/Oct-20 Brussels, BEL Trefcentrum
Sat/Oct-22 Wortel, BEL Slot Club
Mon/Oct-24 Sheffield, UK The Greystones
Tue/Oct-25 Bristol, UK The Tunnels
Thu/Oct-27 London, UK Cargo
Sat/Oct-29 Kilkenny, IRE Cleeres Theatre
Sun/Oct-30 West Cork, IRE De Barras
Tue/Nov-01 Wolverhampton, UK The Robin
Thu/Nov-03 Newcastle, UK The Cluny
Fri/Nov-04 Worthenbury UK Goin Up The Country
Sat/Nov-05 Newbury, UK Arlington Arts
Mon/Nov-07 Berlin, GER Bassy Club
Fri/Nov-11 Munich, GER 59:1 Club
Sat/Nov-12 Ljubjana, SLO MENZA PRI KORITU
Mon/Nov-14 Sofia, BUL Sofia Live Music Club
Wed/Nov-16 Vienna, AUS Chelsea Music Place
Thu/Nov-17 Wels, AUS The Sound Theatre
Fri/Nov-18 Tullen, AUS Mojo Music Club
Sat/Nov-19 Saalfelden, AUS Nexus

There are still plenty of shows and festivals left this summer though! Check these out...
Tuesday July 19th -Indianapolis, IN -Indy CD & Vinyl - IN STORE PERFORMANCE
Thu/July 21st - Sat/July 23rd -Calgary, AB -Calgary Folk Fest
Fri/July 29th - Sat/July 30th -Floyd, VA -Floyd Fest (Blue Cow Pavilion)
Mon/August 1st -Cincinnati, OH -Shake It Records - FREE IN STORE PERFORMANCE
Sat/August 6th -Casper, WY -BearTrap Summer Festival
Sun/August 7th - Thur/August 11th -Sturgis, SD- Full Throttle Saloon
Fri/August 12th -Billings, MT -Magic City Blues Fest
Sat/August 13th -Snowbird, UT -Cool Air Concert Series
Sat/August 27th --Morning View, KY -Licking River Music Festival

BROKE and HUNGRY ADMiTS: "MiSTAKES WERE MADE" --> New 2Disc Retrospective w/tons of Unreleased Stuff!

Konkel, what the hell were you thinking? 

BROKE & HUNGRY RECORDS ADMITS: "MISTAKES WERE MADE"

New Two-Disc Retrospective Celebrates Label’s First Five Years!

       

      In April 2006, Jeff Konkel made the nearly 500-mile drive from his home in St. Louis, to the tiny town of Bentonia, Mississippi. There he set up a card table outside of the rural juke joint owned by blues musician Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. Konkel stacked the table high with copies of Back To Bentonia, the debut CD by Holmes and the inaugural release from Konkel’s Broke & Hungry Records. 

      

      Although the entire town of Bentonia showed up that evening for the CD release party, sales were light. At the end of the event, Konkel tallied up the transactions: Four CDs sold. It was an inauspicious label launch, but somehow Konkel and his humble operation have managed to persevere for another five years. 

        

     With a half decade under its belt, Broke & Hungry Records is celebrating the milestone with the release of Mistakes Were Made: Five Years of Raw Blues, Damaged Livers & Questionable Business Decisions, a two-CD retrospective that features 30 tracks from some of the best traditional blues artists living in Mississippi today. Included are 14 never-before-released recordings along with popular favorites from the label’s back catalogue. 

        

     In addition to Holmes, the compilation features contributions from T-Model Ford, Odell Harris, Wesley “Junebug” Jefferson, Terry “Big T” Williams, Pat Thomas, The Mississippi Marvel, L.C. Ulmer, Terry “Harmonica” Bean and Bill Abel. The collection will be available through the label’s web site (www.brokeandhungryrecords.com

beginning Tuesday, March 29, 2011. 

       

    “Honestly, there was never a real ‘game plan’ for Broke & Hungry Records,” Konkel confesses. “I had never owned a business before and I knew nothing about music production. I just felt very passionately that some of these great artists needed to be recorded while they were still among us, so I jumped in with both feet. Somehow, despite my inexperience, the label has managed to capture some incredible music. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past five years.”

The complete track listing for the collection is:

DISC 1
. 

1. Train I Ride – Odell Harris

 

2. Six Little Puppies – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes (previously unreleased electric version)



3. The Wolves Are Howling – Wesley “Junebug” Jefferson 



4. Pretty Baby – Terry “Harmonica” Bean (previously unreleased)



5. Woke Up This Morning – Pat Thomas (previously unreleased) 



6. Everything’s Gonna Be Alright – The Mississippi Marvel 



7. Taking Chances – Terry “Big T” Williams (previously unreleased) 



8. It’s Over – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes 



9. The Mississippi Diddley (Instrumental) – Bill Abel (previously unreleased)



10. Ain’t It Alright – R.L. Boyce & Lightnin’ Malcolm 



11. All Night Long – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes 



12. Bean’s Boogie – Terry “Harmonica” Bean (previously unreleased) 



13. Big Road Blues – The Mississippi Marvel (previously unreleased) 



14. Beefsteak Blues – Pat Thomas 



15. Cooter Mae – Wesley “Junebug” Jefferson (previously unreleased) 

DISC 2. 

1. Meet Me In The Bottom – Wesley “Junebug” Jefferson



2. I’d Rather Be The Devil – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes



3. Laundromat Blues – Terry “Harmonica” Bean (previously unreleased) 



4. Rosalee – L.C. Ulmer



5. Incarcerated Blues – Terry “Big T” Williams



6. Waterboy, Waterboy – The Mississippi Marvel



7. Boogie Chillen – Pat Thomas (previously unreleased) 



8. Eyesight To The Blind – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes (previously unreleased) 



9. Hill Funk – Odell Harris 



10. No Hard Time (Get You Off My Mind) – Bill Abel (previously unreleased) 



11. Hi Heel Sneakers – T-Model Ford 



12. Rainbow At Midnight – Pat Thomas 



13. Evil – The Mississippi Marvel 



14. Who’s Gonna Be Your Sweet Man When I’m Gone – Terry “Harmonica” Bean (previously unreleased) 



15. Take A Trip (Partial) – Jimmy “Duck” Holmes (previously unreleased) 

For more information on this release or on Broke & Hungry Records, contact the label at info@brokeandhungryrecords.com

.

NEW MiSSiSSiPPi FRED McDOWELL RECORDiNGS!

Good ol' Jeff Konkel at Broke and Hungry Records (whose entire catalog you should own or be ashamed of yrself) just turned me on to the premier release by North Carolina's Devil Down Records called Mississippi Fred McDowell : Come and Found You Gone- The Bill Ferris Recordings.  Recorded over the course of a night in August of 1967 with the assistance of Mr. McDowell's wife Annie Mae and Napoleon Strickland. This is an all acoustic set recorded at the home of a friend of the McDowell's. A field (sans field) recording with all the inherent sounds of life one would find in that type of situation. This recording shines and breaths and welcomes you into the room to sit and hear the north Mississippi master up close and very personal. Close your eyes and, like a 3D movie, you'll feel you can reach right out and touch Mr. McDowell's slide hand as it glides and grinds up and down the neck his acoustic and feel his breath in the mic. Eighteen tracks including an interview with Bill Ferris and a spirited conversation between Mr. and Mrs. McDowell. 

From the Devil Down Records site:  
     These recordings are different from any other of Fred McDowell due to their very nature: rather than conducted with the production of a record in mind, the recordings were made casually over the course of a night. McDowell is here heard at his best, relaxed and energetic, performing many of his most famous songs as well as songs never before heard. With his foot tapping on the hardwood floor and laughter in the background, “Come and Found You Gone” brings the listener into that hot night in August, 1967, immersing them in the world of the blues house party, and guiding them through the night as it unfolded… The 18 track album includes a 16 page booklet featuring liner notes from blues researcher and Rolling Stone Magazine top 10 Professor Bill Ferris, Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, and leading French blues scholar Vincent Joos. This booklet also contains a dozen award-winning photographs taken by Bill Ferris in 1970 at Otha Turner’s 4th of July picnic in Potts Camp, Mississippi. 

This is an essential recording that I know all my friends will love. 

Mississippi Fred McDowell- Letter from Hot Springs MP3

Get it: 
Support the label and Buy Direct // CD Baby // iTUNES 

A BRiEF TOUR of MiSSiSSiPPi BLUES f/Jimmy "Duck" Holmes. Brought to you by your friends at Monsanto and the American Farm Bureau.

The music of Jimmy Duck Holmes is available via Broke And Hungry Records and Amazon.