A few weeks back in Black History Month we visited the Blue Front Cafe and listened to some juke joint blues with a simple man named Jimmy “Duck” Holmes.
This video was shared in 2010 when some random guy along the Mississippi Blues Trail appreciated Mr. Holmes’ charm and talent, and I stumbled into it on YouTube last month.
A few days ago, one of my favorite uncles alerted me to something he came across, knowing that we liked to hit the local blues trail each summer. Was I ever surprised to see my old friend Jimmy in the news. And what news it was…
I’ll admit to being naive enough to think I discovered Jimmy on a random goose duck chase for some authentic Old South music, but alas, there is nothing random to Mr. Google’s algorithm and blues.
Apparently Jimmy got around a little more than I’d imagined. and actually had some recordings by the late 2000’s. It was in 2019 when he hit pay dirt and Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach produced a Grammy nominated album for him called Cypress Grove.
Now in a perfect 5:00 Somewhere world, our friend Jimmy would have won his Grammy, in the category of Best Traditional Blues Album. But you know we’re not perfect. Another Mississippi musician named Bobby Rush, 87, was the recipient, who has been nominated six times in his career.
Today I’m raising my glass to Jimmy, and I hope you’ll raise yours, too — whether it holds a Coca Cola or something with a little more bite…….. Cheers to another 5:00 Somewhere! Let’s play some music today, shall we?
