Roger Stolle Thanks to Tyler Yarbrough and everyone else involved with bringing the 'SINNERS' movie and crew to Clarksdale. Yesterday's 11am screening filled up the Clarksdale Civic Auditorium. (That auditorium, by the way, was built by the Works Progress Administration as part of the New Deal in 1939, just 7 years after the film's story takes place. At the start of the film, there are artistic renderings based on WPA-photographer Marion Post Wolcott's Clarksdale juke joint photos, also from 1939.) Director Ryan Coogler and others (musicians, producers, Warner Bros execs) were on hand to introduce (and Q&A afterwards) the screening, and the atmosphere inside the wonderfully-executed pop-up theater was truly electric. I saw the film on opening weekend over in Oxford with maybe 6 other people. Yesterday it was pretty much a packed house. Before I forget, one VERY important note: It is a long (137 minute) film. Do not jump up and run when the credits start. There is more music and a significant plot point still to come. Watch it all. (Honestly, in Oxford, I ran to the men's room and missed the actual ending the first time.) In case you don't know what all the fuss is about, 'SINNERS' takes place in 1932 Clarksdale. It's fiction, but there are plenty of truths. It's more than just a "vampire movie." It's also a blues movie. An indictment of the Jim Crow era. And a showcase of the Delta's diverse cultures. Beyond the strong musical soundtrack and big-budget look of the film, what makes it truly special are the filmmaker's efforts to highlight the overlapping communities that cotton-fueled era brought to Mississippi—including African American, Chinese American, Irish American, Italian American and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. There is a reason why today, many blues fans who visit or move to Clarksdale tell variations of: "I came for the music, but I stayed (come back) for the people." If you haven't seen the film, please do. I'm far from a horror film fan, but I see 30+ movies a year in the theater and definitely recommend this one for fans of that genre as well as those interested in blues music and the Mississippi Delta's diverse history. Hats off to Coogler and his team for taking the time to pepper the film with "real" people (like Charley Patton), places (like Fourth Street and Messenger's) and... situations. When Honeyboy Edwards was 90, he told me about a man just north of Clarksdale who electrified his juke joint by putting on some "rubber gloves and rubber boots," climbing a ladder and tapping into the "high line" that passed nearby. The juke joint runners in the film do the same thing. Another standout moment of truth was when a biracial female character is asked, "What are you?" A good friend of mine here in Clarksdale told me she was often asked that question growing up, by people trying to categorize her. For more on why Coogler (who has made billion$ for Warner Bros and could have just made another "sure thing" Black Panther movie) chose to highlight blues history and Mississippi Delta culture, check out his excellent Fresh Air (NPR) interview: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/26/nx-s1-5375053/sinners-director-ryan-coogler-pitt-star-noah-wyle Also, here's Coogler explaining one of the pivitol scenes in the film: https://www.nytimes.com/.../1000000.../sinners-scene.html... One last thing. Just over a week ago, a young lady from California came through my Cat Head store. Not a blues fan (yet). Had never heard of Clarksdale. SAW THE MOVIE NINE TIMES. And here she was. She came back yesterday to see the movie for the tenth time. In Clarksdale. #visitclarksdale (fb)

About a month ago I took myself down to Annapolis to hear Eric Bibb. He doesn't come around these parts very often as he has lived in Scandinavia for many years. He appeared with Jerome Browne for a short tour around the East Coast. I was familiar with his father Leon Bibb from folk albums in the '60s. He is a singer and songwriter of extraordinary depth, maturity, and intellect. I won't try to say more here since the expanded version by the author of the 2019 article from Living Blues explains it all so well. I encourage you to take the time to read it. Eric's newest album "In The Real World" (Oct '24) is a masterpiece of what this article describes. I don't play many albums over and over; this is one worth the repeats. https://www.thecountryblues.com/artist-reviews/eric-bibb-2/?fbclid=IwY2xjawKgxjdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETEzcWZ6clZGNzVQVnhyY3luAR4JeKWGAT_9udBk6sHSdsINMqHFbW24cg2geQnvVnCbnbUlPsX2Wy-LBiZ6wQ_aem_6HHHV0NX6z3uUFVqt-P4zQ (fb)