Blue Front Cafe, Juke joint in Bentonia, US
Blue Front Cafe is a juke joint housed in a cinderblock structure on East Railroad Avenue with dim lighting and walls covered in musician photographs. The space has an intimate character shaped by its long role as a gathering place for local music.
The venue was founded in 1948 by Carey and Mary Holmes as a gathering spot for farmworkers in the Mississippi Delta region. It became a central hub for local Blues music and has remained active to the present day.
The place is known for the Bentonia Blues style, where musicians play without picks using finger techniques rooted in field work. This distinctive approach to playing creates a characteristic sound that visitors can still experience here today.
Visitors should expect informal performances based on the current schedule and should check opening hours in advance. The juke joint has a simple, authentic character, so guests should come with flexible expectations and appropriate behavior.
Jimmy Duck Holmes, the current owner, is one of the last active practitioners of Bentonia Blues and carries on this tradition through informal performances for guests. His presence makes the place a living example of an almost vanished musical form.
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