Blues. Mississippi State of Blues. Photographs by Ken Murphy. Essay and captions by Scott Barretta.

Proteus/ Ken Murphy Publishing, 2010.  1st edition, hardcover in black cloth with dust jacket, new in original shrink wrap with no visible defects.  With photo of the Poor Monkey Lounge on front cover (stock photo below).  14.5 x 10.25 inches.  119 pages.  A survey of Mississippi juke joints like Ground Zero and Red's Lounge in Clarksdale and other venues for blues music, many of which no longer exist.  Scarce copy in this condition. Summary:

Mississippi State of Blues (2010) is a comprehensive visual and narrative tribute to the "cradle of American music." Combining the vibrant, large-format photography of Ken Murphy with the scholarly expertise of blues historian Scott Barretta, the book captures the contemporary landscape of the blues in its native soil.

Core Focus and Content

1. The Living Landscape

Unlike many blues books that focus purely on the past, this volume documents the modern-day Mississippi Delta and surrounding regions. It showcases:

• The "Holy Sites": Iconic locations like Dockery Farms, the crossroads in Clarksdale, and the gravesites of legends like Robert Johnson.

• Juke Joints and Festivals: Candid shots of surviving blues clubs (like Po' Monkey's) and local festivals where the music remains a community ritual.

• The Geography of the Blues: Sweeping panoramic landscapes that illustrate the physical environment—the cotton fields, the heat, and the rural isolation—that birthed the genre.

2. The People of the Blues

The book features intimate portraits of both legendary and unsung musicians. Murphy’s photography captures the weathered faces and expressive hands of the artists, while Barretta’s captions provide the essential context of their lineage and contribution to the craft.

3. Cultural Preservation

Scott Barretta’s essay serves as a deep dive into the sociology of the music. He explores:

• The transition of the blues from a private, folk tradition to a global cultural export.

• The tension between "blues tourism" and the authentic, struggling communities where the music still lives.

• The history of the Mississippi Blues Trail, documenting the state's efforts to memorialize its musical heritage.

Technical and Aesthetic Style

• Vibrant Color: Departing from the "gritty" black-and-white aesthetic often associated with the blues, Ken Murphy uses rich, saturated color that brings a sense of immediacy and vitality to the subject.

• Environmental Portraiture: The book excels at showing the relationship between the musicians and their homes, porches, and stages, emphasizing that the blues is inseparable from the land.

• Scholarly Depth: Barretta, a former editor of Living Blues magazine, ensures the text is historically accurate and avoids common clichés, making it a reliable resource for researchers.

Summary Takeaway

Mississippi State of Blues is a vivid, multi-sensory journey through the Magnolia State. It functions as both a high-end art book and a cultural map, proving that while the blues has traveled the world, its heart and soul remain firmly rooted in the specific dirt and heat of Mississippi.

Biographical Summary

Ken Murphy is an American photographer and publisher based on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, celebrated for his expansive, high-quality landscape and regional documentation. Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in photography, Murphy was profoundly influenced early in his artistic journey by Eliot Porter’s classic photographic books, which established a benchmark for his own pursuit of rich visual detail and fine bookmaking. Focusing primarily on the natural beauty, coastlines, and cultural heritage of his home state, he specializes in capturing vivid, layered images that highlight changing coastal light, local waterscapes, and regional landmarks. Murphy is widely known for producing large-format coffee table monographs—including his acclaimed volume Mississippi: Photographs by Ken Murphy (2006)—which present a comprehensive visual record stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the foothills of the Appalachians. Operating his studio and publishing imprint from Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, he continues to document the southern environment using both traditional medium and large formats alongside contemporary aerial photography, capturing the natural landscapes of the American South.