Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Zac Harmon

Blues @ Home spent some time with blues legend Zac Harmon at his father's store, Harmon's Drugstore, on Farish Street this week.

Zac, a huge advocate for promoting Mississippi as the Birthplace of America's music, is a perfect addition to Blues @ Home as our 26th legend! The Mississippi blues was instilled in Zac at an early age. He watched street performers and blues musicians from his father's store, right in the heart of Jackson's vibrant entertainment district.


"I always tell folks everywhere I go, the thing about being from Mississippi, you know...blues is like air down here. And if you breathe, you're gonna' get some blues," Zac told us.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Cadillac John

H.C. Porter and collector and friend Tom Johnson traveled the blues highway to Renova, home of Cadillac John Nolden, Blues @ Home's 25th blues legend.



Cadillac John, 84, said playing the blues makes his feel good.
"I just feel better when I'm out there doing it," he told H.C. during his interview.


Photos by Tom Johnson

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Bobby Rush

Bobby Rush has become synonymous with the Mississippi blues. He opened his home in Jackson to us Monday and signed on as Blues @ Home's 24th blues legend.

Bobby Rush is an entertainer even in his own living room...





Thursday, November 17, 2011

Blues on Farish...Jesse Robinson

We headed to historic Farish Street in Jackson Monday to add blues legend Jesse Robinson to the Blues @ Home project.

Jesse has been on the Mississippi blues scene for about four decades now, and he has been a big part of putting Farish Street on the blues map.

H.C. Porter photographed Jesse inside the legendary Peaches Restaurant right there on Farish.




For Monday's shoots, we were joined by award-winning filmmaker and fellow Mississippi native Paige Williams.

 Paige, who has directed films, such as Mississippi Queen and From Place to Place, tagged along to document H.C. Porter's collection of photographs and oral histories for the Blues @ Home project.
 Stay tuned for a short film by Paige and her film company, Porch Productions, which will help promote the project.