Last of the Mississippi Jukes
(2002) Directed by Robert Mugge
In the 2002 documentary Last of the Mississippi Jukes, which plays on Ovation TV, director Robert Mugge tells us about the Subway Lounge in the Hotel Summers in Jackson, Mississippi. Actor Morgan Freeman talks about how his mother and grandmother threatened him if he were ever caught going into the club, and Freeman laughs as he admits that, yes, he went anyway. Blues artists like Vasti Jackson and Chris Thomas King (“Tommy” from O Brother, Where Art Thou? and an innovative, talented blues musician) talk about their music and about the club where they played. Though dark and cramped inside, the Subway Lounge has featured some of the most stirring, soulful blues coming out of Mississippi. People from all walks to life traveled to the Subway Lounge, yet another testament to the common bond that music brings. Everyone, regardless of socio-economic class, went to the Subway Lounge to hear the blues.
As time passed, however, the jukes became less important since the musicans could get better paying gigs at the casinos, so the Subway Lounge became one of the last of its kind. An historical landmark where African-Americans could stay at a time when they had to stay at separate hotels, the building had deteriorated and become neglected. There were some in Jackson who wanted to tear the hotel down, but locals protested and the building was saved even if they still needed financial help with the renovation.
For those who love not just the blues but the history of the blues, watching Last of the Mississippi Jukes is time well spent. The interviews add historical perspective, but the musicians and their music speak the real reason why the Subway Lounge is a special place that needs to be preserved for generations to come. The music performances alone make the documentary worthwhile. As Morgan Freeman says, this is classical music.