Photos from Clarksdale

Some more photots from my US road trip - this time from in and around Clarksdale, Mississippi, where, they say, the blues was born. This was a good base for our visits to the King Biscuit Festival in Helena (photos of which later).
First, a few miles south of Clarksdale is Po Monkeys, in Merigold, one of the last remaining juke joints in the South.





Playing there the night we went was the All Night Blues Band.

Best known blues club in Clarksdale is the Ground Zero, co-owned by Morgan Freeman.

Rail tracks in the centre of Clarksdale.

The New Roxy Theatre - a theatre which is just a shell, with no roof and no permanent seats. Like most of downtown Clarksdale it is virtually derelict but still hosts music gigs occasionally.

One such show while we were there was by Robert 'Bilbo' Walker.

Another of the few remaining juke joints is Red's in Clarksdale. Here is Deak Harp playing at the club.

There is an excellent Rock and Blues Museum in Clarksdale with a huge collection of vinyl records, photos, posters and other ephemera, including these guitars.

Hidden under a modesty curtain in the museum are these explicit cartoons by John Lennon.

Playing on the streets of Clarksdale on our final day here are Bill Perry and Cash McCall.

Also playing for free, here is Big George Brock.

Hopsons Plantation just outside Clarksdale, hosts live blues most weeks, including the Pinetop Perkins Homecoming.

Here is Terry 'Harmonica' Bean.

Boogie woogie piano player Daryl Davis.

Harmonica player Bob Corritore.

Blues singer Lady A.

Veteran blues man Bob Stroger.

Harmonica legend James Cotton.

Back at Red's at the blues jam, here is Lucious Spiller.

Photos by Nick Cobban.