Join us in the Jazz Education Center as author Kathe Hambrick speaks about her upcoming book Juke Joint Men.

ABOUT

Juke joints have a history that is deeply rooted in small towns throughout the south. West Baton Rouge was famous for the juke joints that provided relief to the workers coming in from the sugarcane fields and long hard days of work on the Mississippi River. Port Allen and the surrounding communities of Chamberlin, Sunrise, Erwinville, Lobdell, and Brusly were regular stops for weekend travelers looking for a good time and place to dance. The night time establishments in West Baton Rouge Parish had no curfew and you could hear live music playing all night through the open windows across the canebrake.

Fourteen blues musicians are featured in the new book called JUKE JOINT MEN which was published by the West Baton Rouge Museum. The coffee-table style book includes historical biographies written by Kathe Hambrick the Director of Interpretation at the museum with colorful collages and poetry by the British artist  J.K. Lawson.

Slim Harpo, Raful Neal, Clarence Williams, Lonesome Sundown, Buddy Guy, Lazy Lester,  and Silas Hogan are among the musicians who have roots tied to the rural communities in sugarcane country. The  book coincides with an exhibit and permanent installation at the West Baton Rouge Museum's Juke Joint which opened in 2018 where live performances and programs take place throughout the year

This program is free and open to the public, presented by the New Orleans Jazz Museum.