Delta Delicious: Feed the Band

Jackson has seen legendary rhythm and blues artists pass through, such as Little Milton, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Johnny Taylor, Dorothy Moore, Z Z Hill, and Denise LaSalle. Performing at clubs like the Hidden Agenda, Queen of Hearts, George Street Grocery, Freddie B’s Hideaway, Hal and Mal’s, and the basement club of a defunct hotel, the Subway Lounge, they kept the music scene thriving in the capital city.

The Tangents, known as the “House Band of the Delta,” occasionally rolled into town to stir up trouble. My mother made this brisket for them once and had me deliver it over to “Blues Central,” the nickname for a midtown flophouse frequented by musicians, back when I was in high school. She thought the guys in the band were looking a little peaked and thin. That gesture instilled in me the value of caring for and feeding musicians. This brisket is the perfect dish for anybody who works the night shift.