A journal for South Louisiana.
Our editor and resident Tangipahoa Parish songwriter Jesse Brooks shares how going back to the country roots of music can lead to the redirection of American music. Photo by Matthew C. Roy. By Jesse Brooks I’ve been doing a lot of tweaking to my music act while in the extra solitude we have these days.... Continue Reading →
By Marielle Songy I’m a well-known lover of all things glamorous and, here in New Orleans, it doesn’t get more glamorous than The Roosevelt Hotel. Since 1923, this beautiful hotel has glittered and welcomed some of the most notable names in the world and when you set foot inside, you feel as... Continue Reading →
Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken held a soft opening on Sunday, July 7 for their new location on Diamond Street in the Warehouse District of New Orleans. Photo by Jesse Brooks. By Jesse Brooks For those wondering if the New Orleans location of Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken is worth the trouble in a city... 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 →
By Jesse Brooks Memphis is a resilient city that has seen many challenging times in American history. Whether it was the Great Depression, civil unrest or a recession, Memphis seemed to always come back better than ever. It may seem typical for anyone from Louisiana to compare New Orleans to Memphis, but there are some... Continue Reading →
STARTING POINT- Owned by Sam Phillips in the 1950s, Sun Studio is considered to be where the first rock-n-roll record was made, Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cats. Eventually, a label formed, Sun Records, which launched the careers of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and more. Photo by Jesse Brooks. By Jesse... Continue Reading →
Steak & Eggs at Big Bad Breakfast in Oxford. Photo by Jesse Brooks. By Jesse Brooks For any center of learning, there is always a constant flow of people moving in and out while adding their point of view, changing the culture and bringing those changes into a closely bonded tradition that is meant to... Continue Reading →
Town Square in Oxford, MS. Photo by Jesse Brooks. By Jesse Brooks Our second side as we move north on Highway 51 will take us to the literary hub of Oxford, Mississippi. When the county seat of Lafayette County was founded in 1832, they chose to call it Oxford after the university city in England... 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 →
HOT LIKE CURRY- Punjabi Dhaba Indian Cuisine is the first culinary venture of its kind in Hammond, Louisiana. Photo by Jeremy Rhodes. By Jeremy Rhodes Scientists say that our sense of smell holds the strongest potential of memory. I claim this to be self evident being that I wish to relive the memory of walking... Continue Reading →
Small Town Stories 