Blues masters to play Oklahoma City

  • 2021-05-27
As part of the Live from the Lawn series, American Fidelity is bringing the blues to Oklahoma City.

Grammy-nominated Jimmy “Duck” Holmes will be in concert soon, along with Mike Munson. Holmes is from Bentonia, Mississippi, and one of the last bluesmen to play in the style of the “Bentonia School.” This music is characterized by droning strings and minor chords that give it an eerie and ominous feeling unusual in the blues.

Holmes is also the proprietor of the Blue Front Café, which was first opened by his parents in 1948. The café is recognized as a center in the development of the Bentonia blues, and now has a marker on the Mississippi Blues Trail, and has been featured in a documentary about the blues, and a Black Keys music video.

Holmes has been mentoring Mike Munson, encouraging him to create works that blend his roots in Minnesota with the music he discovered on his trips to Mississippi. Munson’s songs range from slow, sad tunes to stompers straight from the swamps. He has become his own artist without losing sight of his roots in the blues.

The series takes place at the Love’s Travel Stops Stage and Great Lawn in Scissortail Park. Attendees may bring camp chairs, blankets, and their picnics to enjoy while they listen to a music played under the stars. All the shows are open to the public and there is no admission charge. Poster printing is often used to publicize events like this.