It Takes a Sushi Village
Kenny Li and his wife, Wei Xia, of Fujian, China, opened Sushi Village in 2013 after selling the Chinese buffet that he ran off Highway 49 in Richland.
Martin and Lettieri: Risk and Reward
Shaun Martin and Mark Lettieri certainly have a lot of options for their fans to choose from. Together, they're perhaps best known as members of Grammy Award-winning instrumental ensemble Snarky Puppy.
Seratones
From the ample amounts of soul and rock-and-roll that Seratones of Shreveport, La., pours into its sound, some listeners may be surprised that punk music is the group's foundation.
It Came from Planet Peelander
This year's Halloween Bash at Martin's Restaurant & Bar is bound to have its fair share of revelers in strange get-ups. However, one collective of costumed partiers will seem particularly out of place—almost as if they aren't from this world at all. They also happen to be the evening's entertainment, Japanese action-comic punk band Peelander-Z.
Frankye Adams-Johnson
As October marks the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, Jacksonians are celebrating one of their own, former Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement Chairperson Frankye "Malika" Adams-Johnson, who served with the party in New York City, helping to educate and feed young people, and make a difference in the areas of human and civil rights.
La Musique Française dans Mississippi
The Mississippi Chambre Music Guild is kicking off its new season with a tour of French music, cuisine and other cultural accoutrements. And good news—you won't even need a passport.
Artists to Watch 2016
The tricky part of putting together the JFP Music Issue's annual "Artists to Watch" section is choosing from the multitude of acts that are worth watching.
State Fair Superstars
Whether you're stoked about livestock or a carnival-ride enthusiast, the Mississippi State Fair brings plenty of entertainment to downtown Jackson each year.
Stace & Cassie
It's been about three years since Brandon, Miss., residents Stace and Cassie Shook began performing as husband-and-wife singer-songwriter duo Stace & Cassie, performing original songs along with a healthy dose of material from popular artists.
Robert Hicks
"The Orphan Mother" has been a long time coming for Franklin, Tenn.-based novelist Robert Hicks. Even in the author notes of his 2005 New York Times bestseller, "The Widow of the South," Hicks recounted his fascination with the story of ex-slave Mariah Reddick, whose former owner, Carrie McGavock, was the titular "widow" in his first novel.
First Steps, Big Strides
Growing as a musician has been a rapid process for Seth Power. While many Jacksonians know him from performances at this year's Jackson Rhythm and Blues Festival and the American Cancer Society's Giving Hope a Home event, it wasn't long ago that a music career was far from a priority for the Brandon-based singer-songwriter.
A Two-Soul ‘Soliloquy’
As objects, clouds and crayons aren't exactly an obvious combination—a few miles do separate the two, after all. For Jackson music duo Clouds & Crayons, on the other hand, collaborating just made sense.
Mike Tramp
From the flag-clad troubadour on its posters, to its rock-heavy lineup, to the title of the event itself, Freedompalooza is clearly going all in on its all-American theme. However, that doesn't mean that everyone performing for the event will actually be American.
Indigo Girls: Lost Days, Found
For nearly three decades, folk musicians Emily Saliers and Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls have been near-household names for their work in the music industry and in activism.
Brandon Announces 8,000-Plus Capacity Amphitheater
A major addition to the Jackson metro’s music offerings is coming in spring 2018, but this time, it won’t be in Jackson. The City of Brandon held a press conference Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Brandon Municipal Complex, announcing details about the Brandon Amphitheater at The Quarry, which will be located across the street from a new sports facility and seat between 8,000 and 8,500 people.
Jackson R&B Fest: Bringing It to You
While working as a music program development manager for the Mississippi Development Authority, helping to create the Mississippi Blues Trail, Jackson native Alex Thomas noticed an unfortunate trend in his home state's music tourism.
Oren Renick
Author Oren Renick, a professor at Texas State University in San Marcos, is an exhibitor at this year's Mississippi Book Festival, which takes place Saturday, Aug. 20, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Mississippi State Capitol.
SOUL Searching
New Orleans' rich musical history has long been one of the signature facets of the Crescent City and a big draw for tourists. But for saxophonist Calvin Johnson, bandleader of funk and soul outfit Chapter:SOUL, that legacy is also an important part of his family heritage.
Education and Lessons from the Game of ‘Life’
Ask just about anyone, and they'll agree: Education is in a bizarre place. In most cases, though, the person you ask will follow up their answer with something about the federal or state government, or they'll say something about Jackson Public Schools, even if they truthfully don't know much or don't have much skin in the game.
Candlebox
The Jackson Free Press recently spoke with lead vocalist Kevin Martin about Candlebox's sixth studio album, "Disappearing in Airports," which hit stores April 22, and what's kept the group from pulling its own disappearing act.
K. Gautier: Passion Prevails
While singer-songwriter Kody Gautier is somewhat new to the metro-area music scene as a solo artist, he'll undoubtedly be a familiar face for fans of Jackson-based Christian act Seeker & Servant.
‘Avenue Q’: Puppets with Purpose
A puzzled puppet bounces down a New York City street—one that isn't quite up to the "Sesame" code. His name is Princeton, and he's looking for his purpose, though a job would be a good start.
Highway 80 Fest Stops In Jackson
Richelle Putnam works to promote the power of words in her home state, whether it's as the founder of the Mississippi Writers Guild or as the arts project director for The Montgomery Institute, a Meridian-based nonprofit that works to enhance education and development from western Alabama to eastern Mississippi.
Danger Is Their Last Name
From its fruit-emoji cover to its tongue-in-cheek song titles, including "George Bush Controls the Weather," it is obvious that the latest album from Oxford, Miss., prog-rock trio Carlos Danger, "Now That's What I Call Carlos Danger, Volume Two!", which the band released May 13, isn't exactly serious.
Ernie Hudson
After a successful move to a two-day festival in 2015, Mississippi Comic Con (formerly known as the SOPOCU Con) is returning for its third year this Saturday, June 25, and Sunday, June 26, with a bigger event and even bigger stars, including actor Ernie Hudson.
Teresa Nicholas
About a year after Jackson-based author Teresa Nicholas released her first book, "Buryin' Daddy: Putting My Lebanese, Catholic, Southern Baptist Childhood to Rest," she decided to take on another challenge that was far removed from her debut memoir yet deeply personal in a new way.
the CUT: Creating New Energy
For Madison, Miss., alternative quartet the CUT, genre labels can get a bit tricky. Keyboardist Vincent McMurtery, his brother, drummer Vinson "Vic" McMurtery, saxophonist Judson Wright and guitarist Ben Atkinson bring elements of funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz-fusion, rock and R&B, and no two songs sound entirely alike.
Jim Taylor
Growing up just near Memphis, Jim Taylor always went to church on Sundays but never truly got involved until he enrolled at the University of Mississippi and attended a campus ministry meeting.
'Artistic Depression’ Impresses
I don't often love albums that begin with movie quotes, and I really don't often love albums that begin with quotes from movies I dislike. But there's a first time for everything, and that's the case with Jackson hip-hop artist Ray Kincaid's album, "Artistic Depression," released in January 2016.
Seneca Wilson
For Pascagoula, Miss., native Seneca Wilson, the draw to poetry was gradual. It began in junior high school, when his friends formed a music group. While his voice wasn't his strongest feature, he offered to write lyrics for the project to avoid being left out.
‘Wired’ & Inspired
Mississippi is the birthplace of America's music—it says so often in our tourism marketing. But when Buffalo, N.Y., native Scott Bradfield came to Jackson for the first time to work for Mississippi Public Broadcasting in 1994, he didn't anticipate the amount of variety in the state's music scene.
'Love!' Against Legislation
For Cody Cox, owner of Jackson record label Elegant Trainwreck, it began with a feeling of helplessness and just a little bit of amazement.
Genesis Be: Striving for Change
Hip-hop artist Genesis Be, a Biloxi native, recently made national news for donning a rebel flag and noose in protest of Gov. Phil Bryant's proclamation of Confederate Heritage Month at a performance at New York nightclub SOB's on April 26.
Green Ghost Love
While Green Ghost is fairly new, its owners have lived in the Jackson area since coming here from Guanajuato, Mexico, in 1994.
The Bright Light Social Hour
While recent fans know The Bright Light Social Hour for the soulful, psychedelic sound of the band's well-received 2015 album, "Space Is Still the Place," the Austin, Texas-based four-piece is fairly new to the style.
Kris Kelli’s Dutty Pop Prestige
It's been five years since Kris Kelli moved from her hometown—and her home country—to branch out in the American music scene with the goal of not returning until she had something to show for it.
Crystal R. Sanders
Author Crystal R. Sanders says she feels like Mississippi has become a second home for her, despite the fact that she was born and raised in North Carolina.
Melanie Addington
When Gov. Phil Bryant signed the controversial "Religious Freedom Bill," HB 1523, into law Tuesday, April 5, many individuals, organizations and businesses made their objections to the bill known. For Oxford, Miss., resident Melanie Addington, that meant fighting fire with film.
Rhis Harris
Rhis Harris sits beneath paintings of deer with broad antlers and one quality that gallery-goers definitely wouldn't associate with the quadrupeds before viewing the pieces—a haze of blues, purples and pinks pouring from the animals' mouths or surrounding their bodies, which Harris says represents the universe and spirituality.
For the Love of Love Notez
Over the past 23 years, followers of the local music scene have become well acquainted with the modern-day soul and R&B style of cover band Compozitionz, but for about six years, the group has also helped to steer the next movement in Jackson Motown in the form of the singing, dancing double-threat trio Love Notez.
The Writers Guild’s Guiding Hand
Jackson native Susan Marquez's commitment to writing tends to keep her busy, whether it's her freelance work for various Mississippi publications, editing books for other authors or writing her own.
Boyfriend Speaks on Oxford Cancellation of Her Sexually Charged Performance
New Orleans-based Boyfriend has become the latest artist hit with recent crackdowns in Mississippi entertainment following the cancellation of her April 9 show at Proud Larry's in Oxford.
The Wood Brothers: Together in 'Paradise'
Before their latest release, "Paradise," guitarist Oliver Wood, upright bassist Chris Wood and multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers wrote their heart-twanging tunes with 885 miles between them for more than a decade.
The Panic Party Plan
If Widespread Panic's two-night residence in Jackson wasn't enough cause for celebration, show promoter Arden Barnett and crew at Ardenland have created a full schedule of events around the band's arrival.
The ‘Sunny’ Side of Widespread
It's clear that Widespread Panic has changed quite a bit since vocalist John Bell and late guitarist Michael Houser first began writing songs in their dorm at the University of Georgia.
Light Beam Rider
Light Beam Rider may hail from Corinth, Miss., but for many years, Jacksonians could frequently catch the group's freaked-out indie-rock sound at local venues such as Hal & Mal's and Ole Tavern.
Teneia’s Leap of Faith
Pursuing music professionally is a daunting task, but for folk-soul duo Teneia, it's helped that both members are fully committed to the music—and to each other.
Breaking in With 'Blue Borsalino'
London-based filmmaker Mark Lobatto has made some impressive strides in his movie career thus far, and not only because he has worked as the personal assistant to major Hollywood directors, including Jonathan Liebesman on "Wrath of the Titans" and Lilly and Lana Wachowski on "Jupiter Ascending."
Art and Film that Reach You
Even with the many methods we have for viewing films, being a modern moviegoer can be hard, and it's not because the price of popcorn operates on its own inflation scale.
The Doo Dah Day Planner: Your Guide to the 2016 Zippity Doo Dah Weekend
With the sheer number of events set for Fondren's Zippity Doo Dah Weekend, which takes place Friday, April 1, and Saturday, April 2, this year, it's tough to commit it all to memory. Here's a forecast of upcoming ZDD activities to make sure you don't miss out on the fun.