Jackson Free Press

Live music and new releases...

The winner of the 143rd Kentucky Derby will need to navigate a full field of 20 this Saturday, May 6. Officially, 22 horses are eligible for the race, with Royal Mo and Master Plan as alternates, but they need two horses to withdraw by early Friday morning to be in the field.

Ben Huffman, Churchill Downs Racing Secretary, and Dan Bork, Churchill Downs Assistant Racing Secretary, pulled the post numbers at the event held at the Churchill Downs. The post-draw and early-line odds for the first leg of the Triple Crown of horse racing this morning, Wednesday, May 3 sets the stage for the one and one-quarter mile race.

Classic Empire drew the No. 14 post, and the horse is the early 4-1 favorite. Only two have won from the No. 14 post, with the last happening in 1961 when Carry Black won.

Good news for Classic Empire is that the betting favorite has won the derby the past four years, which is the longest winning streak for the favorite since the 1970s.

The co-second favorites at 5-1 odds are Always Dreaming, who drew the No. 5 post, and McCraken, who drew the No. 15 post. The last winner from the No. 5 post was California Chrome in 2014, and the last winner from the No. 15 post was Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in 2015.

Irish War Cry will break from the No. 17 post at 6-1 odds. No horse has won the derby from that position. At 6-1, Irish War Cry is the last of the four horses listed with single-digit odds.

No. 7 post Girvin is the first of four horses at 15-1 odds, with Hence next to him in the No. 8 post. Gunnevera out of the No. 10 post and Gormley from the No. 18 post are the other two horses at 15-1 odds.

Six horses are at 20-1 odds, with Lookin At Lee in the No. 1 post. Lookin at Lucky, the sire to Looking At Lee, also drew the No. 1 post in 2010 and was the favorite at 6-1 before the race, but he finished sixth.

Thunder Snow drew the No. 2 post, Irap drew the No. 9 post, J Boys Echo drew the No. 13 post Tapwrit drew the No. 16 post, and Practical Joke round all the horse at 20-1 odds. The rest of the field is full of extremely long shots.

Untrapped in post No. 4, State of Honor in post No. 6, Battle of Midway in post No. 11 and Patch in post No. 20 are at early 30-1 odds. Patch is an interesting horse in this race, as he is missing his left eye.

Fast and Accurate, which Olympic skier Bode Miller partially owns, will break from the No. 3 post. That horse and Sonneteer out of the No. 12 post are listed at 50-1 odds. Sonneteer hasn’t won a race in his career, and if he …

All, I just learned that, on Tuesday, newish Clarion-Ledger Executive Editor Brian Tolley, brought in from Louisiana or somewhere, asked the staff to help "folks who are writing ads for our new subscription model ..." (presumably the dumb charge-for-web stories idea). Apparently those "folks" are probably far from Jackson in some corporatey cubicle, and Tolley doesn't know enough about Jackson to tell them the following, as reported by Gannett Blog ( http://bit.ly/MEDdRU). Tolley's verbatim list:

1. What is your town famous for?
2. What are the local sayings unique to your community?
3. Is there a famous landmark not for tourists, but for locals?
4. Who are the personalities known by everyone in town?
5. Who are your local heroes -- and why?
6. Who are your local villains?
7. What events only happen in your community? (charity events, yearly runs/walks not associated with national programs)

My suggestion is that we help him out. Post below and answer the questions for him. We might even run them in the paper sometime soon.

Enjoy. Meanwhile here's your moment of Zen.

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Conde-Nast Traveler's annual Readers' Choice Survey puts Jackson at No. 7 on its list of the 10 friendliest cities in the U.S.

"Visitors to Mississippi's capital—and most populous town—note that 'friendly people and great food' make it a worthy stop. Its streets are 'steeped in history' and dotted with 'green and pretty' public spaces," the survey site states. "Take an afternoon to sample 'wonderful barbeque' and chat with 'lovely' residents."

Mississippi's capital city tied Natchez on the Traveler list: "Known for well-preserved relics of pre-Civil War architecture, including 'very beautiful antebellum houses,' Natchez also boasts a sweetly Southern resident community. The hospitable population and slower pace of life make Natchez 'an amazing town to visit and relax.' In fact, this 'great undiscovered location' made one reader 'feel like a real Southern Belle.'”

When it comes to friendly, "southern hospitality shines on that front—in the Top 10, all but three of the cities are in the South," the site states.

Rounding out the list are: No. 10, Branson, Mo.; No. 9, Sonoma, Calif.; No. 8, Telluride, Colo.; No. 5, Austin, Texas; No. 4, Asheville, N.C.; No. 3, Savannah, Ga.; No. 2, Galena, Ill.; No. 1, Charleston, S.C.

Two special concerts and new releases...

Legacy. It is a word that is thrown around a ton these days. But most of the time, it is thrown around too much and at the wrong times.

LeBron James’ legacy has been discussed a lot over the years. But at age 31, we are finally getting to the point where we can really discuss his legacy as a great player.

James is one of the greatest players in NBA history, no question. Depending on how each person ranks their own personal list, he in the top 10 players, top 15 at worst.

Anyone who questions how great he is has to remember that he is playing in his sixth straight NBA Finals. Last season, he dragged an injured and talent-depleted Cleveland Cavaliers team to the finals.

This year, he returns with a healthy team to face the Golden State Warriors for a second straight year. And this years' finals could begin to set his legacy in stone.

James currently has a 2-4 NBA Finals record. People judge him because he went into the league behind Michael Jordan, who went 6-0 in final appearances. Kobe Bryant was 5-2 in final appearances and took the torch as the best NBA player from Jordan.

James took the torch from Bryant but hasn’t had the success that either Jordan or Bryant had on the biggest stage in the NBA. It didn’t help that James lost two of those finals to a great San Antonio Spurs team.

You can make the case that James, when he was with the Miami Heat, shouldn’t have lost to the Dallas Mavericks. On the other hand, you have to remember that he was lucky to win one of his titles against the Spurs after San Antonio fell apart in game six.

There are several reasons the public judges James harshly. His ESPN special, “The Decision,” which talks about him leaving Cleveland for Miami, hurt the public’s opinion of him.

It hasn’t helped that James has a habit of disappearing at times in the finals. He also has a bad habit of becoming a jump shooter, one of his weaknesses, during those times. People remember when he shrinks in the biggest moments.

No one remembers how great you were getting to the finals. They only remember how great you played on that stage.

Things have come around now that James is back in Cleveland. People have returned to the idea that they would like to see a native son bring back a title to city that is struggling and dreaming of one.

James winning for Cleveland would be like the Chicago Cubs winning a World Series. It would change the perception of his titles and his final appearances. Winning a title in Cleveland would mean more than winning a title, period.

With a win, James would up his record to 3-4 in NBA Finals. The win for Cleveland would make it seem like he has an even …

Tonight, everyone should make their way out to Duling Hall for Todd Snider's show. It will be a feast for media types as he reads from his book, shows us film and even plays music. There's something for everybody.

Tomorrow, vinyl enthusiasts will celebrate Record Store Day. With the closing of MorningBell, most of the die hards will have to go out of town to try to grab exclusive vinyl releases. Be safe and happy hunting.For a complete list of participating stores and releases, go here.

If you're out of town this Easter weekend, here are few things going on north and south of us:

4/19 - Rob Thomas - Horseshoe Casino - Tunica

4/18 - 4/27 - Biloxi Crawfish Festival feat. Three Days Grace, Charlie Daniels Band, etc. - MS Coast Coliseum - Biloxi

4/20 - Rick Ross - Lakefront Arena - New Orleans

4/21 - Aziz Ansari - Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts - New Orleans

Also, here's this week's new releases:

The Afghan Whigs - Do to the Beast

The Both - The Both

Nas - Illmatic XX [20th Anniversary Edition]

Slint - Spiderland [LP]

Ray Bonneville - Easy Gone

Rodney Crowell - Tarpaper Sky

Thee Oh Sees - Drop

Woods - With Light and With Love

Duck Sauce - Quack

Chet Faker - Built on Glass

Ziggy Marley - Fly Rasta

Ingrid Michaelson - Lights Out

Dan Wilson - Love Without Fear

Nels Cline/Medeski, Martin & Wood - Woodstock Sessions, Vol. 2

Stanton Moore - Conversations

The Secret Sisters - Put Your Needle Down

Sonic Avenues - Mistakes

Bobby Bare, Jr. - Bobby Bare, Jr.'s Young Criminals' Starvation League

Chuck E. Weiss - Red Beans and Weiss

Amps for Christ - Canyons Cars and Crows

Dylan Shearer - Garagearray

Ryley Walker - All Kinds of You

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A run-down of what's going on this week in music...

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Steve Earle is the latest voice to join the flag debate, though his voice comes in the form of a good-old-fashioned protest song. On the track, titled "Mississippi, It's Time," the Virginia-born musician denounces the Confederate battle emblem's position on the Mississippi state flag, which has been a point of contention yet again following a white-supremacist gunman's slaying of nine African Americans at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C., on June 17.

“I grew up in the South and lived there until I was 50, and I know that I’m not the only southerner who never believed for one second that the Confederate battle flag is symbolic of anything but racism in anything like a modern context,” Steve Earle said in a press release. “This is about giving those southerners a voice.”

Earle and his band, the Dukes, release the song for download on iTunes this Friday, Sept. 11, with all proceeds going to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The lyrics feature a number of powerful and to-the-point phrases, such as, Mississippi, don't you reckon it's time that the flag came down because the world turned 'round? We can't move ahead if we're looking behind," and "I wish I was in a land that never held a soul in bondage ever. I wouldn't have to drag these chains behind. Mississippi, it's time."

Near the track's close, though, Earle trades any semblance of metaphor for blunt outrage: "What the hell, Mississippi? Mississippi, you're out of your mind. Mississippi, God d***, even Alabama and South Carolina (have) come across the line."

As people from without and within the state push for the removal of the Confederate flag—and the dark ideals it represents—the decision ultimately rests with state lawmakers who can't seem to come to an agreement.

Earle, a pupil of famed songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, has had countless hits on the country music charts, both from his own releases, such as his debut record, 1986's "Guitar Town," and from hits for legends like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Emmylou Harris.

Visit Southern Poverty Law Center's website to listen to "Mississippi, It's Time."

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If you work downtown, or just like to be there, you now have another option for lunch. Every Friday until Oct. 9, local food trucks will be at Smith Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for We Are Jackson Food Truck Friday. If you need another reason to check it out, each Friday will have a DJ. This Friday, Sept. 11, DJ Kool Aid of WRBJ 97.7 FM will be there, and the food trucks will be Hog Heaven, LurnyD's Grille, Small Town Hotdogs and Pop Culture Ice Pops. For more information, contact Shelia Byrd, the director of communications for Mayor Tony Yarber, at 601-960-2324.

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If you're driving around Jackson today, consider tuning in to Mix 98.7 for a special "telethon" program they're doing for Batson Children's Hospital.

And, when you do, listen closely to the new voice you're hearing at that remote alongside Shannon Steele -- that's Brian Stauffer, my (Todd Stauffer's) brother.

Brian's got 20+ years experience in radio, but this is the first time he and I have been in the same town doing media work. I'm excited to have him here and for Jackson to get to know him.

Wish him luck!

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Like a proud mother watching her child's first foray into the spotlight to glowing reviews, we at the JFP love to send links around the office of national stories realizing what we already know (that Jackson is pretty cool). Here are a couple stories circling our in-boxes this week:

The Atlantic Cities website published a story this morning called "Where Millenials Can Make it Now." The author, Nona Willis Aronowitz, traveled the country looking for the best cities for twentysomethings. She writes that she avoided "cities already deemed magnets for young, creative people—place like New Orleans, Austin, or Detroit." In the end she, chose nine cities, including Jackson. She puts Jackson into the category "Small Ponds for Big Fish" (Omaha, Neb., also makes this category), and describes our city thus:

"These are cities where creativity and entrepreneurship are on the rise, even as the rents remain reasonable. Chances are, small ponds have DIY art scenes: Omaha boasts a thriving start-up economy and the still-relevant force of Conor Oberst’s Saddle Creek Records while Jackson’s Fondren and Midtown neighborhoods have sparked a local art community. Yet even in the gentrified corners of town, the price points remain low by necessity, since most people aren’t making much money. And since there isn’t a shortage of space, local politicos are practically begging young people to take abandoned buildings and empty lots off their hands. Many of the twentysomethings I spoke with in these towns were on a first-name basis with the mayor or city council. One Jackson native was even running for office. These cities have a growing population of young people who would rather start something from the ground up and live cheaply than scramble anonymously in huge cities."

Aronowitz will be elaborating on her travels and the cities she chose over the next two weeks, so check back for more on Jackson.

Read her introductory story here: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2013/11/where-millennials-can-make-it-now/7454/

And keep an eye on the landing page for "Where Millenials Can Make It" for Jackson's full feature: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/special-report/where-millennials-can-make-it/

Another publication, the website Credit Donkey, recently named Jackson the fifth-best small city for starting over. The story comes from a study that took into account factors of population growth, income growth, unemployment rate and percentage of single adults. The idea is that these cities are great for mostly young, single folks looking for a new job and a new life. Here's how they described Jackson:

"If you’re single and hoping to start over in a new city, Jackson is one of our top locations for you, especially if you want some authentic Southern charm. With a strong music scene, particularly gospel and blues, Jackson is aptly nicknamed the "City with Soul." Literature lovers will want to visit the Eudora Welty House to explore the home and gardens of the Pulitzer Prize winner who wrote The Optimist’s Daughter. You can also visit the Medgar Evers Home Museum to learn about the civil rights activist’s contributions to our nation’s history."

See that story here: …

If you're not attending the 1st Jackson Rhythm & Blues Festival this weekend, then here are a few options for you road warriors this week:

It's Elvis Week in Memphis, but if The King ain't your thing, then head over to Tunica and see Chicago at Bluesville at the Horseshoe Casino on 8/16. Candlebox will rock the New Daisy Theatre on Beale St. on 8/20.

If you head east due Birmingham, you might check out Jars of Clay at the WorkPlay Theatre on 8/15. Grammy-nominated Jamey Johnson plays Iron City Live on 8/16. American Idol favorite Kellie Pickler will perform at Tin Roof BBQ on 8/20.

Get your groove on in New Orleans on 8/17 with Maze feat. Frankie Beverly w/The Isley Brothers & Kem at Lakefront Arena.

Clint Black plays the IP Casino in Biloxi on 8/17.

But you really should stay in town this weekend and head over to the Ag Museum for the R&B festival...

TB

In WAPT's online video they don't identify the Jackson-area creek (is it Town Creek?) that turned into a "raging river" after today's rains, but one look at the video does force me to wonder out loud about the water quality of any lakes or riverwalk projects that we end up developing for downtown Jackson.

Jackson has many impermeable surfaces with oil, grit and other residue (not to mentioned trash, street drainage, etc.) that rush off to the creeks and Pearl.

I don't know the answer, but this visual at least suggests it would make sense to ask the question. Does still water somehow run cleaner? Am I judging this murky mess too harshly?

ON one had, the Pearl often looks pretty when you glance at it over the Lakeland bridge, and I've canoed it in the past and felt the water was clear and clean.

But the video doesn't make it this creek water look too appealing. Any river geeks have thoughts?

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Precious Martin, a prominent Jackson-area attorney, died yesterday in an accident. His 10-year-old son remains hospitalized, according to media reports.

WAPT reported that Martin was riding a four-wheeler Sunday evening near his home in the Bridgewater subdivision when the vehicle flipped several times.

Martin's son, Daniel, was taken to University of Mississippi Medical Center, where his condition was unknown as of this morning.

Martin handled part of a $1.2 billion class-action lawsuit against the federal government for denying USDA benefits to African American farmers between January 1983 to January 1997 and other civil-rights cases.

An Edwards native, Martin was part of a high-profile legal family that includes his younger brothers Kenya, Deshun and Warren Jr., who are triplets.

Martin's wife, Crystal, is a staff attorney at his Jackson law firm and was formerly the attorney for the Hinds County Board of Supervisors.

Martin was also an ally of U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, who is from the neighboring town of Bolton, and was a donor to Democratic political causes and candidates.

In just three weeks, the dreams of 253 college football stars will come true. They'll will be lucky enough to hear their name called during the 2016 NFL Draft.

The NFL released the names of the 25 prospects that will be in attendance at Roosevelt University’s Auditorium Theatre in Chicago for the draft April 28-30. Ohio State University ties the 2012 University of Alabama record for the college with the most invites, but plenty of prospects from our state will be there, as well.

Highlighting the list is University of Mississippi offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, who is projected to go in the top few picks. Tunsil could be the No. 1 overall pick if the Tennessee Titans don’t choose cornerback Jalen Ramsey out of Florida State University.

Tunsil has all the skill you want in a left tackle to protect your quarterback for the next decade in the league. He won’t last long, and,I believe he will be gone in the first five picks of the draft.

Rebels fans might not have to wait long to hear the next UM player off the board. Wide receiver Laquon Treadwell is expected to be off the board quickly. He might be picked as high as sixth by the Baltimore Ravens, but he shouldn’t last any longer than the 15th pick of the Los Angeles Rams.

Treadwell is considered to be one of the two top receiver picks. If he isn’t the first receiver off the board, it will more than likely be Will Fuller out of the University of Notre Dame.

While much has been made about his lack of speed, the fact that he doesn’t have sprinter speed didn’t stop Treadwell from coming back from a broken leg, which he suffered last year, to be one of the most productive receivers in the nation. He has a big body; he knows how to use it to shield defenders, and he has strong hands. He competes for the ball, and when it is in the air, he goes and gets it.

The final Rebel to get an invite is defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche. A ton of speculation surrounds Nkemdiche as he heads into the draft.

There are questions about off the field issues, disappearing at times during games, his conditioning and so forth. What is not in question, though, is when he plays at his peak, he is a top five pick.

Will a team take him on his potential over his production or will his red flags force him to slide down the draft board? It seems highly unlikely that Nkemdiche will slide out of the first round, but stranger things have happened in the draft.

One lone Bulldog out of Mississippi State University will be in attendance for the draft. Defensive tackle Chris Jones will represent MSU, and where he could land is a mystery.

Seven other defensive line prospects were invited to the draft besides Jones such as …

At this morning's Hinds County Board of Supervisors meeting, supervisors distributed more than $250,000 to various recreational and other projects around the county. The money is coming from $3.5 million that had been set aside for the Byram-Clinton Parkway development project, which sparked intense debate between two board members.

In recent months, supervisors have routinely moved money from the parkway fund to the recreational fund. Today, supervisors doled out $262,000 to pave Village Drive ($70k) in northeast Jackson, playground equipment for Tougaloo Park ($50k), repairing a community center in Edwards ($80k) and resurfacing John F. Kennedy Drive in Presidential Hills ($62k).

Each vote passed 3-2, with Supervisors Robert Graham, Kenneth Stokes and Alphonso Hunter supporting the expenditures. Two of the projects -- the Village Drive resurfacing and Tougaloo Park lie in Graham's District 1. The town of Edwards and Presidential Hills are in District 2, where Hunter is the representative.

Peggy Hobson Calhoun of District 3 and Robert Walker of District 4 voted against each of the measures.

"We don't have enough funds to give everyone a piece of the pie," Hobson-Calhoun said at the meeting.

District 5 Supervisor Stokes, a staunch opponent of the parkway project, contends that the parkway project will never come to fruition and that the money could help other projects in the county now.

Where to get some vinyl records this weekend and new releases...

Judie Gray Livingston, the woman who didn't even know her eldest child was running for statewide office before August, said she always thought he'd make a good governor.

"It was always my desire that he would run for governor," Livingston told the Jackson Free Press. "I think that's every mother's (desire)."

Livingston joined her son and daughter, Angela Gray (who is also her big brother's campaign manager), at a prayer vigil for Democratic candidates this afternoon at Smith Park.

Gray, 56, unexpectedly won the Democratic primary in August to become the party's nominee.

Meanwhile, across town, Republicans held a cook-off and rally today at the Ag Museum to promote their slate of statewide candidates.

Judie Gray said she prayed for the passage of the school funding Initiative 42 as well as for salary increases for teachers and state employees as well as infrastructure upgrades.

"This is a positive thing he's done. There's nothing negative," she told me. "He's all about the people of Mississippi wanting to improve."

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Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves met with Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, both Republicans, in Cleveland, Miss., today to talk tourism.

The lieutenant governors met with members of the Mississippi Tourism Association to discuss tourism possibilities in the area and between the two states. The Delta Regional Authority is working with both Louisiana and Mississippi to promote the Mississippi River Geotourism Project, which will work on making the Delta a tourist attraction as well as create a website in coordination with National Geographic to to help tell the story of the longest river in North America.

Reeves and Nungesser toured the Grammy Museum while in Cleveland, one of the area's newest tourist attractions. The museum opened in March 2016, and it features not only exhibits but also a theater. Both lieutenant governors also praised development around the museum, including construction of the new Lyric Hotel in Cleveland, which will be a luxury hotel featuring a four-star restaurant, special event venue and spa.

“Our two states share a deep connection in so many areas, whether its food, music, history or a love of the outdoor sports,” Lt. Gov. Reeves said in a press release. “Through tourism, we can highlight the contributions of our talented citizens to these areas and grow the economies in our towns.”