ARAB TIMES, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 2021 NEWS/FEATURES 13

People & Places

Music

Holmes’ music unique Bluesman ‘keeps’ aging music alive By Leah Willingham ith calloused hands, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes Wplucks an old acoustic guitar at the juke joint his parents started more than 70 years ago. He checks the cafe’s inventory: jars of pickled eggs and beef jerky. He tends to the wood-burning stove, made from an oil-field pipe. And every morning, he eventually settles in on a stool behind the counter, waiting — hoping — that someone who wants to hear him play will drop in. Holmes, 73, is the last Bentonia bluesman, the car- rier of a dying musical and oral storytelling tradition born in this Mississippi town of less than 500 people. And now, he’s a Grammy- nominated artist, with a recent nod in the Best Traditional Blues Album category for Cypress Grove, a record he hopes will help preserve the Bentonia blues long after he’s gone. The world has changed around Holmes and his Blue Front Café, the country’s old- est surviving juke joint. Across Holmes the South, the venues — his- torically owned and frequented by African Americans — have shuttered as owners pass away. Blues experts believe Holmes is the only American running a juke joint owned by his parents. It’s quiet outside the Blue Front, a small building with cinder block walls off a dusty rural Mississippi road. Across the street are the railroad tracks that run through Bentonia; next door sits an old cotton gin. This combination photo shows poster art for best picture Oscar nominees, (top row from left), ‘The Father,’ ‘Judas and the Black Messiah,’ ‘Mank,’ ‘Minari,’ (bottom It’s here, at the Blue Front, that Holmes watched row from left), ‘Nomadland,’ ‘Promising Young Woman,’ ‘Sound of Metal,’ and ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7.’ (AP) the March 14 ceremony and learn whether he won the Grammy. He could not go in person because of the coronavirus pandemic, and that suits him just fine. He’ll be surrounded by musicians from across Oscars Mississippi who want to play with him. “I’ll be here in this hole in the wall every day, for as long as I can, so that people don’t forget,” Holmes said. “We’re trying to make sure it doesn’t die.” After Grammy win, H.E.R. heading to the Oscars When the Blue Front opened in 1948, it was the first African American-owned retail business in Bentonia, then a majority-Black farming community. Holmes was just a baby. His parents, Carey and Mary, Netflix leads in year of Oscar diversity were sharecroppers. Community Continued from Page 12 Mary ran the Blue Front during the day while The most competitive category might Complete list of 2021 Oscar nominees Holmes worked with his father in the fields. By age 9, have been documentary, where ■ “Collective,” “Crip Camp: A Disability LOS ANGELES, March 16, (AP): Adapted screenplay: Sacha Holmes was operating a tractor by himself. Complete list of nominees for the Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan The Holmes’ business was a community gathering Revolution,” “The Mole Agent,” My 93rd Academy Awards: Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica place. People came to have their laundry pressed, get Octopus Teacher” and “Time” ulti- ■ Best picture: “The Father”; Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena a haircut, or pick up salt, pepper and other nonperish- mately landed nominations. “Judas and the Black Messiah”; Friedman and Lee Kern, “Borat ables. “Collective,” the Romanian documen- “Mank”; “Minari”; “Nomadland”; Subsequent Moviefilm”; Florian And they came for the blues. Musicians lined up tary about investigative journalism and “Promising Young Woman”; “Sound Zeller and Christopher Hampton, outside to play the Blue Front — guitars strapped to government corruption, became just of Metal”; “The Trial of the Chicago “The Father”; Chloé Zhao, their backs and harmonicas in their pockets. the second film nominated for both 7.” “Nomadland”; Kemp Powers, “One During cotton-picking season, the Blue Front was This image released by Netflix shows best documentary and best interna- ■ Best actor: Chadwick Bose- Night in Miami...”; Ramin Bahrani, Colman Domingo in a scene from ‘Ma tional film. The other international man, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; “The White Tigers.” open 24 hours a day to accommodate farmworkers, Rainey’s Black Bottom.’ (AP) who came in for a hot plate of Mary’s famous buffalo film nominees were “Quo Vadis, Riz Ahmed, “Sound of Metal”; ■ Animated feature: “Onward”; fish. On weekends, people stayed all night drinking Aida?,” Bosnia and Herzegovina; Anthony Hopkins, “The Father”; “Over the Moon”; “A Shaun the moonshine, dancing and playing music. “Another Round,” Denmark; “Better Gary Oldman, “Mank”; Steven Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”; Yeun, “Minari.” “Soul”; “Wolfwalkers.” The town was never home to more than 600 resi- Days,” Hong Kong; and “The Man ■ ■ Variety Who Sold His Skin,” Tunisia. Best actress: Carey Mulligan, Original score: “Da 5 Bloods,” dents, but its location on the Illinois Central Railway “Promising Young Woman”; Terence Blanchard; “Mank,’’ Trent drew visitors. Later, the only roadway from Memphis The nominees for best animated fea- ture: “Onward”; “Over the Moon”; “A Frances McDormand, Reznor and Atticus Ross; ”Minari,” to Jackson passed directly through Bentonia, further- NEW YORK: Barbara Rickles, the “Nomadland”; Viola Davis, “Ma Emile Mosseri; “News of the ing its popularity. widow of Don Rickles and a fictionalized Shaun the Sheep Movie: Rainey’s Black Bottom”; Vanessa World,” James Newton Howard; Historians traveling through Mississippi to docu- target of his comic insults during what was Farmageddon”; “Soul”; Kirby, “Pieces of a Woman”; Andra and “Soul,’’ Trent Reznor, Atticus ment blues musicians discovered Bentonia’s style. It’s otherwise one of Hollywood’s most endur- “Wolfwalkers.” Day, “The United States vs. Billie Ross and Jon Batiste. described as haunting and eerie; its minor tonality ing marriages, died on the 56th anniversary The film academy and ABC will hope Holiday.” ■ Original song: “Husavik” isn’t found in the better-known blues styles of Delta of their wedding. that the nominees can drum up more ■ Best supporting actor: Sac- from “Eurovision Song Contest: and hill country. Her death was confirmed to The excitement than they have elsewhere. ha Baron Cohen, “The Trial of the The Story of Fire Saga”; “Fight for Growing up, Holmes learned from his neighbor, Associated Press by spokesman Paul Interest in little golden statuettes has Chicago 7”; Leslie Odom Jr., “One You” from “Judas and the Black “the father of the Bentonia blues.” Henry Stuckey, an Shefrin, who said she died Sunday at 84 at nosedived during the pandemic. Ratings Night in Miami...”; Daniel Kaluuya, Messiah”; “Io Sì (Seen)” from aging World War I veteran, played to entertain her home in Los Angeles. The cause was for a largely virtual Golden Globes “Judas and the Black Messiah”; “The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti Holmes and his 13 siblings on their porch. non-Hodgkins lymphoma. plunged to 6.9 million viewers - a 64% Paul Raci, “Sound of Metal”; a Se)”; “Speak Now” from “One The style is passed from one musician to the next “They were incredibly devoted to each drop from 2020 - last month. Though on LaKeith Stanfield, “Judas and the Night in Miami...”; and “Hear My — it can’t be learned using sheet music. other. She was the perfect woman for Don Sunday the Grammys managed to break Black Messiah.” Voice” from “The Trial of the and vice-versa,” Shefrin wrote on his ■ Best supporting actress: Chicago 7.” “The old-timers I learned from couldn’t read, and they through the Zoom trap. ■ couldn’t read sheet music,” said Holmes, who also Facebook page. A close friend, Bob Saget, With the notable exception of fuel- Maria Bakalova, “Borat Subsequent Cinematography: “Judas and doesn’t read music. “They didn’t know what a count tweeted: “So sad to lose the beautiful, ing streaming subscriber growth, the Moviefilm”; Glenn Close, “Hillbilly the Black Messiah”; “Mank”; “News funny, wonderful Barbara Rickles.” Elegy”; Olivia Colman, “The of the World”; “Nomadland”; “The was, didn’t know about minors or sharps or open or pandemic has been punishing for the Father”; Amanda Seyfried, “Mank”; Trial of the Chicago 7.” Barbara Sklar was a native of movie industry. Production slowed to closed tuning. They was just playing. They had no idea Philadelphia who in her early 20s moved Yuh-Jung Youn, “Minari.” ■ Costume design: The nomi- there was a musical language to what they were doing.” to Los Angeles, according to daughter a crawl, blockbusters were postponed ■ Best director: Chloé Zhao, nees for best costume design: Dan Auerbach, producer of Cypress Grove and a Mindy Rickles, in search of “more excite- or detoured to streaming and thou- “Nomadland”; Lee Isaac Chung, Alexandra Byrne, “Emma”; Ann member of the band the Black Keys, said the beauty ment” and as a respite from the eczema sands have been laid off or furloughed. “Minari”; David Fincher, “Mank”; Roth, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”; of Holmes’ music is the improvisation. Holmes never that she endured during childhood. She But the outlook for Hollywood has Emerald Fennell, “Promising Trish Summerville, “Mank”; Bina plays the same song twice — each performance is a found work as an assistant to Don Rickles’ recently brightened as coronavirus Young Woman”; Thomas Daigeler “Mulan”; Massimo Cantini snapshot in time. agent Jack Gilardi and soon met her cases have slid and vaccines have Vinterberg, “Another Round.” Parrini “Pinocchio. “Those songs, they’re like a living organism, future husband, whom she impressed ramped up. Movie theaters are reopen- ■ Original screenplay: “Judas ■ Animated short film: “Bur- almost. They’re changing daily,” he said. “You can because she didn’t initially laugh at his ing in the US’s two largest markets, and the Black Messiah,” Shaka row”; “Genius Loci”; “If Anything feel the realness and the immediacy of the music. It’s jokes. New York and Los Angeles. And sev- King and Will Berson; “Minari,” Lee Happens I Love You”; “Opera”; very idiosyncratic, and that’s what makes it so special. The Rickles married on March 14, 1965, eral larger movies - including the Walt Isaac Chung; “Promising Young “Yes-People.” “Now, in this day and age, it’s like everything’s and had two children - Mindy, an actor and Disney Co.’s “Black Widow” (May 7) Woman,” Emerald Fennell; “Sound ■ Live action short film: “Fee- homogenized and we’re all on the same server. Jimmy comedian; and screenwriter-producer Larry - are scheduled for May and beyond. of Metal,” Darius Marder and ling Through”; “The Letter Room”; ‘Duck’ Holmes lives in a world that time forgot — it Rickles, who died in 2011. Meanwhile, a night after winning the Abraham Marder; “Trial of the “The Present”; “Two Distant hasn’t changed.” By many accounts, the Rickles were top Grammy Award for songwriting, Chicago 7,” Aaron Sorkin. Strangers”; “White Eye.” happily married right up to his death in R&B singer H.E.R. and her collabora- Poverty 2017. Mindy Rickles told the AP that the tors Tiara Thomas and D’Mile have The Tony and Grammy winner is a was written by Grammy-nominated Today, a four-lane highway diverts traffic away family stayed together, even when her become Oscar-nominated songwriters. double Oscar nominee this year, also songwriter-producer Savan Kotecha, father was on the road, and that her mother earning a nomination for best support- who works closely with pop music from Bentonia. Businesses of Holmes’ youth have was usually on hand to greet visitors at his H.E.R.’s protest anthem “I Can’t shuttered; buildings were torn down. More than a Breathe” won song of the year at Sunday’s ing actor, and his success mirrors maestro Max Martin and has crafted dressing room and to dine with the come- achievements made by Mary J. Blige, hits for Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, quarter of residents live under the poverty line. dian after his show. Grammys, and another soulful song with The train passes through town daily but doesn’t The Rickles socialized and traveled with poignant lyrics by the singer - “Fight for Lady Gaga and Cynthia Erivo - per- Ellie Goulding and more pop stars. stop. another long-term Hollywood couple, Bob You” from “Judas and the Black formers who earned both acting and Kotecha shares his nomination with “People my age was tired of going to the cotton and Ginny Newhart, but Mindy Rickles Messiah” - is nominated for best original music nominations in the same year. Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson. fields,” Holmes said. “As soon as they got a chance, says that her mother preferred a quiet, self- song at the 2021 Academy Awards. Diane Warren is vying for her 12th Like Odom Jr., Nine Inch Nails’ they got away from Bentonia, to Chicago, California, contained life. H.E.R. wrote both tracks with Oscar nomination with “Io Sì (Seen)” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are New York. There wasn’t nothing here.” “She was very much not one of those D’Mile - the uber-talented producer from “The Life Ahead (La Vita double nominees, earning nominations Holmes never imagined leaving. He lives on the ladies who lunch,” Mindy Rickles said. who has created songs for everyone Davanti a Se),” which won her a sec- in best original score for “Mank” and same farm where he was raised, about a mile from the “She could have had a million friends but from Janet Jackson and Bruno Mars to ond best original song Golden Globe “Soul,” sharing the latter with Jon Blue Front. kept just a couple of very close friends - Beyoncé and Jay-Z - and Thomas, a last month. She shares the nomination Batiste. The duo of Reznor and Ross His presence has become Bentonia’s biggest draw. and that included, of course, Ginny singer who has had success with her with Laura Pausini. have won a number of awards for their Visitors come from all over the world — and the Newhart.” (AP) own music and has written other songs Other best original song nominees scoring work, including an Oscar, music industry — to see him, to hear the music, and ❑ ❑ ❑ with H.E.R. like “Avenue” and the include R&B singer Celeste’s “Hear Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe. to learn the tradition. NEW ORLEANS: Lin Emery, a New double-platinum hit “Slide.” My Voice” from “The Trial of the Terence Blanchard (“Da 5 Bloods”), Before the pandemic, Mississippi musicians per- Orleans-based artist whose delicately bal- Leslie Odom Jr. will also compete Chicago 7,” which she co-wrote with Emile Mosseri (“Minari”) and James formed at the Blue Front every other Friday, some- anced moving sculptures can be seen for best original song with “Speak Daniel Pemberton, and “Husavik” Newton Howard (“News of the times more, playing different blues styles. In 1972, worldwide, has died. She was 94. Now” from “One Night in Miami...,” from “Eurovision Song Contest: The World”) round out the best original Holmes started an annual blues festival, now the lon- Emery’s hallmark sculptures often used which he wrote with Sam Ashworth. Story of Fire Saga.” The latter track score nominees. gest-running in Mississippi. silvery metallic materials to reflect the He holds Bentonia Blues workshops. And every nature around her. She died Thursday, day he sits behind the counter at the Blue Front, he’s according to her son, Brooks Braselman. willing to teach anyone who walks in. “She wanted to convey the movement of Some fans are surprised he’s so accessible, said nature. She loved movement and dance. honor of which she was particularly piece for a church he was designing. That Robert Connely Farr, a Mississippi native who’s been Anything to do with movement. She want- proud, she said, “Not really. I’m always led to more church commissions. (AP) visiting Holmes for years for guitar tips, all the way ed to take the forces of nature and put it hoping to do better.” “Wave,” created in 1985 for the reflect- from Vancouver. But for those who know Holmes, it into her art,” Braselman said. Emery’s career began at age 23, on a ing pool in front of the New Orleans Emery overcame discrimination as a whim. She wandered into a Paris studio Museum of Art, is now in its sculpture gar- makes perfect sense. and asked about lessons. She found a last- den. “His whole goal in life is to give that sound away, woman in what was a male-dominated field to forge a successful career. She ing passion. She said the inspiration for her kinetic is to perpetuate or further the Bentonia sound,” Farr kept working well into her 90s at her stu- Back in New Orleans, an architect saw works came in 1954 when she was wash- said. “I think it’s important to Jimmy, that his place is dio in a New Orleans neighborhood, her 1952 abstract “Archangel Michael” - a ing dishes: “A spoon was caught on the open and that it constantly has music. He wants there designing work for hospitals, cities, and 3-foot-tall (1-meter-tall) composition of side of a cup, and the water dripped into it to be life in that building.” (AP) private clients. Asked in 2016 whether rounded angles suggesting wings - and and it swung back and forth,” Emery said. she had any one piece, commission or commissioned her to make a more realistic Emery Rickles (AP)