New Sunday night juke joint in Holly Springs

For the last several months or so “The Hut” in Holly Springs, MS has carried on the longstanding local tradition of early blues shows on Sunday night. For decades the main figure in this tradition was Junior Kimbrough, who operated a series of jukes in the area, including one in Chulahoma that gained international attention and often featured Kimbrough and his old friend R.L. Burnside.

Kimbrough died in the late ’90s but his juke continued until early 2000, when it mysteriously burned to the ground. Since then blues clubs have come and gone, unfortunately never lasting for very long. The Hut is housed in an erstwhile American Legion Hall west of downtown on West Valley Avenue just west of Boundary Street. The easiest way to get there is to take 7 into downtown, and turn left on West Valley just after you pass Annie’s soul food restaurant.

The regular band is led by Junior Kimbrough’s son Robert Kimbrough, who is the younger brother of musicians Kinney and David Kimbrough. He’s a bassist and vocalist, and when I visited a couple weeks ago his music seemed to be shaped by his guitarist leaning towards funk and soul-blues, though they did do a version of Junior Kimbrough’s signature song All Night Long.

My friend Jamison Hollister went with me and took some photos, which he’s generously letting me post on the blog.

No sign -- just look for the cars and listen for the music

To the right one of the proprietors, Willie Wilkinson, who has been documenting the Holly Springs blues scene with his camera for years

David Kimbrough, Robert Kimbrough, and Little Joe Ayers, who played bass with Junior Kimbrough for years. He recently retired and is hoping to be out on the scene more actively