Bentonia Blues

We visited blues legend Jimmy Duck Holmes at his famous Blue Front Cafe in Bentonia this week. He is one of the 40 living legends that will be featured in H.C. Porter's Blues @ Home painting collection.

 Jimmy keeps the historic site, once a juke joint and cafe owned and operated by his parents, open every day for visitors to come see the Mississippi blues landmark. The Mississippi Blues Trail has commemorated it with its own trail marker.

 Jimmy told us how he learned how to play the much sought-after "Bentonia Blues" from the late Jack Owens, one of many legends who performed at the Blue Front.

Jimmy shared his story of how he came to be one of Mississippi's blues legends with us. His oral history will be paired with the mixed media portrait painting H.C. Porter will create of him for the planned Blues @ Home exhibition.

He is certainly keeping the Bentonia blues tradition alive. As the last of the Bentonia bluesmen, Jimmy performs his unique style of blues locally, regionally and nationally. But, Bentonia, Mississippi, and the Blue Front Cafe will always be home base for him.

Check out our Blues @ Home site to find out how to sponsor one of the 40 paintings that will travel as part of the proposed exhibition.