JOURNEY TO THE LAND OF FAULKNER

Well, this past weekend, the brisk autumn breezes blew me down yonder to the Oxford, Mississippi, area (Home of Nobel Laureate William Faulkner, with whom I share a birthday, September 25th) to render up a set or two of original songs to delight the local music absorbers. At the generous invitation of fellow troubadour Ken Hart, I gladly packed up the old D-18 and, armed with nothing but a pack of pork rinds and a pint of Knob Creek, I shot out of The Music City Friday afternoon and arrived at Ken’s just in time for cold PBRs and hot catfish.Before I knew how it happened we found ourselves sitting in on Nancy Apple’s third set over at Taylor Grocery. Nancy is an amazing singer/songwriter and plays a wicked snare part with a set of brushes and a Dukes Of Hazard lunchbox. She really lays down the law with that thing. Luke Duke has been beaten unrecognizable, virtually erased by constant 4/4 slapping. She is also quite salty on the accordian.Don’t recall our full repertoire that set but I seem to have a foggy recollection of me singing a vowel heavy rendition of “Stormy Monday Blues” while a middle aged couple was groping each other, slow dancing right in front of us, and Ole Miss debutantes were screaming like raging bats for us to play Earth, Wind and Fire. I managed to rip through an impromptu intro to Sweet Home Alabama causing my jam partners’ eyeballs to roll to the backs of their heads and debs to squeal with Red State delight.The next night, Ken drove Travis Lamb and me down to Carrollton, Mississippi, to play our paying gig, The Carroll County Market. Conceived, owned and run by the stellar Cecil Abels, musician extraordinaire himself, CCM is a fine eating place and VERY vibey music venue. If you’re ever down there, the steaks, pizzas and bbq are fantastic and the music is always good. Friendly staff and the customers are all home folks and lovers of good tunes.Anyway, we had a ball! Can’t wait to do it again!Now I’m back in The Volunteer State for a few days before I head down to perform at The Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival on the Gulf coast. Come see us down there next week. Lots of legends will be serenading the flip flopped masses with their chestnuts of gold.Until next time this is Old Cousin Jefferson saying peace, love and cornbread. Happy Trails!