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Exploring the birthplace of the blues

Orlando Paden at Red's juke joint in Clarksdale, Mississippi. (Chris Bentley/Here & Now)
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Orlando Paden at Red's juke joint in Clarksdale, Mississippi. (Chris Bentley/Here & Now)

On a recent reporting trip, Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd and Chris Bentley stopped in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The town is known as the birthplace of the blues, where traditional juke joints like Red’s helped shape the direction of American music.

Shelley Ritter, executive director of the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Miss., in front of a replica vehicle used by Alan Lomax to record blues musicians in the Delta. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now)
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Shelley Ritter, executive director of the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Miss., in front of a replica vehicle used by Alan Lomax to record blues musicians in the Delta. (Peter O'Dowd/Here & Now)

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

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Chris Bentley
Peter O'Dowd
Sink your teeth into our annual collection of dining — and drinking — stories, including a tally of Sin City's Tiki bars, why good bread is having a moment, and how one award-winning chef is serving up Caribbean history lessons through steak. Plus, discover how Las Vegas is a sports town, in more ways than one. Bon appétit!