All results / Stories / Jackson Free Press
[Jacktown] Rumors And Releases
What's up, Jackson? I have been out grinding, hitting the pavement and making some power moves, as your favorite rapper's favorite rapper would say. I want to start this column by talking a little bit about these celebrity rapper sex tapes floating around—and I'm not talking Snoop's and Lil' Jon's legal exploits.
A Bit of Discord
Belly dancers dancing. An upright base playing. Computer sound effects clanging. A saxophone honking. What do these things have in common? You might experience all of them at once as part of a performance of the Mississippi Improv Alliance.
Oxford Police Still Working Overtime
OXFORDI sat down with Oxford Police Chief Mike Martin this morning to talk about his preparations for the debate and how his officers have responded to uncertainty. He wouldn't say exactly how many additional officers he's put on duty, citing security concerns, but he confirmed that he has "a good many" officers working overtime.
Rhonda Richmond
Rhonda Richmond's voice comes as a complete surprise. An earthy, organic, smooth sound weaves itself around your soul and into your heart. I first heard Richmond sing, swaying softly to the music, for the small crowd of jazz-lovers gathered at the Mississippi Museum of Art atrium on an October Thursday.
Maggie Middleton
"When I was 5, I told my mom that I wanted to be three things: I wanted to be a lawyer, a cheerleader and an actress, and they're kind of all the same thing," Maggie Middleton says, laughing at her youthful comparisons.
Robert Arender
If you've been to Martin's Lounge more than twice, chances are you know Robert Arender. He's been a regular fixture behind the bar there for nearly 10 years now. For about eight of those 10, he's been bringing some of the best independent bands in America and elsewhere to the tiny stage in the front of the bar, slowly putting Jackson on the indie circuit.
Ruben Rodriguez-Santos
Ruben Rodriguez-Santos, 31, lives for family. He beams when talking about his 3-year-old son, Ruben Alexander. Hopping up from the booth near the front door, which allows a constant stream of customers in and out, Rodriguez-Santos goes to retrieve his uncle, Alex Sivira, from the back.
Ted Duckworth
Native Jacksonian Ted Duckworth, 39, is dedicated to changing the face of downtown Jackson. A married father of four, Duckworth graduated from Mississippi State in 1988 with a bachelor's in real estate and mortgage finance. The following year, he started his own company, Duckworth Realty, with exclusive listings in LeFleur's Gallery Shopping Center and The Market at Grant's Ferry Shopping Center.
Aven Whittington
Aven Whittington's can-do attitude personifies these Johnny Mercer lyrics: "You've got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch onto the affirmative, and don't mess with Mister-In-Between."
Fred Hammond
Fred Hammond understands changing careers; his call to church ministry is the third major shift in his life. At 51, "Reverend Fred" is the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson's new minister, and a novice to the profession.
Music: Les Kerr, Christmas On The Coast
I heard Jackson native Les Kerr perform "Christmas on the Coast" this summer during a gig at Hal & Mal's and, despite the poor timing (of course, musicians rarely have the luxury of recording Christmas songs during the holidays), I enjoyed the song then. On his new album of the same name, the "Christmas on the Coast" track features background vocals by the Jordanaires, which give the song some Johnny Cash ballad credibility. Overall, the song balances novelty and a familiar coastal country sound, adding something significant to the body of Christmas tunes we stick into our CD changers each year.
[Music] The Mystery of Robert Johnson's Legacy
Robert Johnson, known far and wide as The King of the Blues, remains the most enigmatic character in the history of the blues. Born in Hazlehurst, Miss., to a plantation worker in 1911, he took up the guitar after being taught by an older brother. At the age of 19, he was described as less than skillful with the instrument. Only a few years later, his talent had improved so greatly that he confounded those that had heard him play before. This gave rise to the famous legend that he'd sold his soul to the devil for his playing skill. Johnson died at the age of 27, amidst rumors that he'd been poisoned for having an affair with the wife of a juke-joint owner.
Let Me Count the Ways
As the holiday season approaches, we tend to focus on the things that overwhelm us: We have gifts to purchase, meals to prepare, out-of-town guests to accommodate and spaces to spruce up and decorate. Of course, life doesn't stop there. We're faced with the overwhelming task of trying to balance all of this increased activity with already-full schedules, as well as the demands of work, family and social lives.
Life Lessons at the Honky Tonk
"Let's go to the redneck bar," Blondie exclaimed from the backseat of my car. Three of us had just enjoyed a girls' day out after feeding the cows and touring my friend's farm in Canton. A little window-shopping and some fine dining on the Square had rounded out the day when we decided to hightail it over to the honky-tonk on Highway 43. We threw inhibition to the wind as I accelerated and made a hard right toward the bar.
Running with the Young Guns
I just typed "04" in the date for this file and then corrected myself. It's that time of year again. After our week off for the holidays, we're back and ready to take on the world, even if we can't get the year right yet when writing a check or dating a file.
Hush! Somebody's Calling Our Name
Never say things can't change. Sometimes remarkable change comes, and it seems so obvious that people barely notice. That was apparent recently when both the Mississippi House and the Senate voted to rename two stretches of highway after civil-rights martyrs: Highway 19-South out of Philadelphia after Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner and US-49 East would be renamed Emmett Till Memorial Highway, in honor of the black teenager beaten to death by white men in 1955 in Money, Miss.
[Jones] A Lottery for 3-Year Olds
In 1962, 58 Michigan toddlers won a lottery. To pick up their prize, these 3-year-olds were dropped off at a row of buildings in Ypsilanti, a small town near Ann Arbor, on a September morning. All the children were from disadvantaged backgrounds, and expectations for them had not been particularly high.
‘It Won't Be Long'
Before Martin Luther King Jr. stood on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., telling the nation of his dream in 1963, Medgar Evers also had a dream. The civil-rights activist and NAACP field officer dreamt of a newspaper to reach the under-served black population of Mississippi as he tried tirelessly to recruit blacks to vote.
Coming After Bad Numbers
Mayor Frank Melton threatened to "come after" the ACLU of Mississippi Tuesday and threw out vastly inflated crime numbers to justify his methods, after the group accused him of racially profiling African Americans. ACLU Executive Director Nsombi Lambright did not deny that the mayor's "police" actions inspired the town-hall meeting later that day.
Mad In the U.S.A.
More than 1,000 people attended a rally a few weeks ago in Connecticut to demand fair trade and denounce the sweatshop buying habits of big retailers like Wal-Mart. The speakers were passionate, the crowd pumped. But this rally differed from the usual fair trade gatherings in one key respect: It was not organized by labor, student or environmental groups. It was organized by an alliance of small and mid-sized manufacturers.