CMBS Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/134758873254380
CMBS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@centralmsbluessociety1536
Hal & Mal's Winner of 2020 "Keeping The Blues Alive" Award
CMBS, Inc. nominated our Blue Monday partner, Hal & Mal's for the Blues Foundation's "Keeping the Blues Alive" Award and recently learned that Hal & Mal's won the Blues Club category for 2020!
Operating out of the circa-1923 GM&O freight depot building in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, Hal & Mal’s USA Blues Club was founded in 1985 by brothers Hal White (now deceased) and Malcolm White, current director of the Mississippi Arts Commission. While Hal & Mal’s has presented all types of music, the main focus has been blues and R&B. The club, in fact, was one of the first white-owned venues in central Mississippi to book black bands.
Albert King was their first act, and B.B. King, Koko Taylor, Little Milton, Mose Allison, James Brown, Charlie Musselwhite, Buckwheat Zydeco, Johnny Winter, R.L. Burnside, Pinetop Perkins, and Bobby Rush performed there over the years.
For the past 13 years, Hal & Mal’s has partnered with the Central Mississippi Blues Society to host Blue Monday, a show/jam featuring local blues talent as well as visiting musicians who come to play with the Blue Monday Band. With more than three decades of blues music history, the venue has been identified by scholars as deserving of a Mississippi Blues Trail marker from the Mississippi Blues Commission; installation of the marker is currently awaiting funding.
MEMORIES SOME CALL IT OLD NEWS - CMBS CALLS IT TREASURED MEMORIES OF PEOPLE, PLACES AND MUSIC FROM OUR PAST
Blue Monday Featured in Tourism Video
Visit The USA (visittheusa.com) is a tourism consortium that produces videos of important tourism sites in the US. "Hear the Music: Jackson, Mississippi" is a video that features blues tourism. It is narrated by Cedric Burnside, and goes on location in the Delta to visit with Super Chikan, in Bentonia to visit with Jimmy Duck Holmes at the Bluefront Cafe, and at Hal & Mal's for an evening of Blue Monday, sponsored by the Central MS Blues Society, Inc. Featured in the Blue Monday segment are the Blue Monday Band, Frederick Robinson (Fred T), Chris Gill, Peggy Brown, and Malcolm Shepherd. The CMBS segment comes at 1:02 into the video. https://youtu.be/6ZvFKbD9NoE
CMBS Recognized by Mississippi Senate
March 18, 2019
Hon. John Horhn, member of the Mississippi Senate and longtime member of CMBS, introduced a bill to recognize the contributions of the Central Mississippi Blues Society, Inc. to "keeping the blues alive". On the same date, Senator Horhn and the Mississippi Senate also CMBS member Dr. Edgar Smith for his contributions to keeping the blues alive and helping musicians in need through the Blues Commission Benevolent Foundation.
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Shown in the picture below are (left to right): Peggy Brown, Malcolm Shepherd, Pat Brown, Frances Flemmings, Dr. Edgar Smith, and Malcolm White.
Youth Band "heART2Soul" Returns to Blue Monday
March 14, 2019
The youth band, heART2Soul, performed for an appreciative crowd of blues lovers at Blue Monday on March 19, 2019. Members of the band include (left to right below): Joshua Jones, 14, alto saxophone; Brandon Cooley, 13, drums; Khai Hart, 13, bass guitar; Omari Hart, 9, trumpet; Hart Jefferson, 12, keys; JuMarques Richardson, 12, guitar. Not shown is Eshawn Green, 13, trumpet.
Blues Stars Turn Out to Celebrate Birthdays
September 26, 2016
Blues stars turned out on Blue Monday to celebrate the birthdays of Malcolm Shepherd, president of CMBS, his diva sister Jewel Bass, bass player Keith Collins, and guitarist Kern Pratt. Some of the luminaries who joined the celebration include CMBS members Vasti Jackson, Castro "Mr. Sipp" Coleman, Ben Payton, Dr. Russell Thomas, Maya Kyles, John "Lanky da Realist" Blackmon Timothy Allen, Pat Brown, Abdul Rasheed, McKinney "Bluesman" Williams, Catherine Henderson and many more. Seen here are vocalist Jewel Bass and guitar man Vasti Jackson, with Russell Thomas on sax, Willie James on bass, and Rick Lewis on drums.
November 2015
CMBS member Jj Thames, singing "I'd Rather Go Blind", with King Edward and the Blue Monday Band at Hal & Mal's.
November 2015
CMBS member Francoise Digel sent us this video she took at Blue Monday in November 2015. It features Abdul Rasheed singing with the Blue Monday Band, led by King Edward Antoine.
February 2016
The Blue Monday Band, with Lonn'e George on guitar, playing Mr. Magic.
February 2016
Dennis Fountain, doing his James Brown routine at LD's in Vicksburg.
November 24, 2015
Click on the headline to see the full interview.
November 24, 2015
Click on the title to see the full interview with Edward St. Pe.
April 13, 2015
King Edward was interviewed by Edward St. Pe for the TV show, "Nightique". Watch the full interview.
November 24, 2015
Watch St. Pe's interview with Nellie Mack and Lonne George on "Best of Nightique".
CMBS on "Look Around Mississippi"
August 1st, 2013
IN LOVING MEMORY
Pat Brown - Ms Equal Opportunity
Melvyn "Housecat" Hendrex
James "The Rock" Gray
Central Mississippi Blues Society, Inc. proudly welcomes our newest partner, Visit Jackson!
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Visit Jackson (Jackson Convention & Visitors Bureau) is the official Destination Marketing Organization charged with attracting, promoting and facilitating events to and within its market to generate a positive economic impact to improve the quality of life of its citizens. See what Jackson has to offer!