Blue Front Café — Bentonia, Mississippi

The Blue Front Café at 102 East Railroad Avenue in Bentonia, Mississippi, is believed to be the oldest surviving juke joint in the state — a small, weathered shotgun building on the edge of the railroad tracks that has operated continuously as a bar and music venue since Jimmy 'Duck' Holmes's parents opened it in the 1940s. Duck Holmes, a guitarist and keeper of the Bentonia blues style — a minor-key, open-tuned approach associated with Skip James and Henry Stuckey — has run the Blue Front since 1970 and continues to play there, maintaining both the venue and the musical tradition it represents.

The Bentonia blues style is one of the most distinctive regional variations within the blues tradition. Skip James, who was born near Bentonia and played at the Blue Front in its early years, developed a haunting, eerie guitar approach in open D-minor tuning that influenced countless musicians and was rediscovered during the 1960s folk revival. Henry Stuckey, who reportedly taught James, also played in Bentonia. Duck Holmes learned from both traditions and has spent his life as their custodian — running the Blue Front, recording albums, and hosting the annual Bentonia Blues Festival each June on the grounds of the café.

The Blue Front Café is open most afternoons and evenings, with Duck Holmes often present and sometimes playing. It is a working bar that happens to be a living museum of one of the blues tradition's most distinctive sounds. The venue is small, unassuming, and entirely genuine — a direct connection to the roots of the music. The Bentonia Blues Festival takes place each June in the field behind the café and draws visitors from around the world. Bentonia is approximately 45 minutes north of Jackson via Highway 49.