Bix Beiderbecke grew into a jazz legend because he was born in the right place at the right time. Sure, he was also a gifted musician, but his path to the top as one of the greatest jazz cornetists was fueled by the inspiration he drew from hearing the earliest jazz musicians play on
Population (2010) 27,891 Introduction Alton is a city with a layered history that is worth the time to explore. When you’re done, take a drive along the Mississippi River up to Grafton, which is one of the most scenic stretches of the Great River Road; it can be very
Population (2010) 38,109 Introduction It’s as far south as you can go and still call it the Upper Mississippi River, and you’ll notice some big changes. The air is getting warmer and thicker. The bluffs begin to give way to the delta plains, and the culture starts to feel
Mississippi today is full of contrasts and contradictions. Along the state's border defined by the Mississippi River, you'll find tall casinos rising above old cotton farms, vast agricultural lands carved out of the old bottomland forests, a rich musical heritage that arose from great poverty, and antebellum towns and plantations, some in better shape than
Congratulations to Pokey LaFarge, who got a spot on the David Letterman show Monday night! Not only did Pokey give a shout-out to his hometown of St. Louis, but the song he played, Central Time, makes frequent reference to the Mississippi River. Central Time is on his new CD, called Pokey LaFarge; go buy it
Okee Dokee Brothers Congratulations to the Okee Dokee Brothers (aka Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing), who won a Grammy Award on Sunday for Best Children’s Album. In the summer of 2011, the Minneapolis-based duo spent a month canoeing down the Mississippi River from Lake Itasca to St. Louis, using the trip as inspiration
