A journal for South Louisiana.
YEAR'S END- Jesse Brooks & The Living Past will play a consecutive three-night in-state run next week before their final show of the year at Nick's Ice House in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 9 p.m. Photo by Emily LaPrime. Tangipahoa Parish-based rock and honky-tonk soul band Jesse Brooks & The Living Past... Continue Reading →
THE ROOT- Little Brother Montgomery, jazz and blues pianist from Kentwood, should likely be credited for creating the initial foundation for the song that became Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" By Jesse Brooks One of the most well-known songs to ever be labeled as rock-n-roll out outlaw country is "Folsom Prison Blues" by Johnny Cash. So... Continue Reading →
IMMORTAL- One of the three alleged gravesites for bluesman Robert Johnson in near Greenwood in Money, Mississippi. Photo by Jesse Brooks. By Jesse Brooks For the next two weeks, we will explore two visits that serve as side trips accessible from Highway 51: Greenwood and Oxford, Mississippi. Our first side trip, a route west of... Continue Reading →
By Jesse Brooks As Highway 51 approaches Highway 8, the route faces a crossroads again. Grenada, Mississippi. There’s a town square with local businesses sitting all in a neatly kept row. The further down the highway we go, the scene begins to look familiar. So, why come to Grenada? The answer may be the water.... Continue Reading →
Canton City Courthouse. Photo by Jesse Brooks. By Jesse Brooks Like Amite, McComb, Brookhaven, or any town along Highway 51 and its parallel railroad line, Canton, Mississippi is a town that has some origins as a supplier for the Confederate Army in the Civil War. The town experienced a boom of growth as the railroad... Continue Reading →
Pig & Pint, a bbq resturant in Jackson's Fondren district. Photo By Jesse Brooks. By Jesse Brooks To experience the full range of Jackson, Mississippi’s food & drink culture, the best plan of action is to stay overnight so there’s amble time for the full experience. The Old Capitol Inn is a full service boutique... Continue Reading →
Home of civil rights leader Medgar Evers. Photo By Jesse Brooks. By Jesse Brooks There seems to be a reoccurring theme of crossroads on this journey. The crossroads are a change in direction, a change of scenery, or a complete change of philosophy. Not many cities in America understand that, or embody that, as well as... Continue Reading →
By Jesse Brooks THE START- The City of Hazlehurst has a memorial in honor of bluesman Robert Johnson, who was born in the town about half an hour south of Jackson, MS. Photo by Jesse Brooks. The stretch of highway spanning between Brookhaven and Jackson might be the most unassuming looking duration of Mississippi... Continue Reading →
By Jesse Brooks When traveling through Brookhaven, Mississippi, it is easy to see why the town claims its official slogan as “A home seeker’s paradise.” When approaching the city limits on Highway 51, the first view in is that of stunning and beautiful old homes filling up block after block of neighborhoods just before reaching... Continue Reading →
Small Town Stories 