By John Howell
University of Mississippi film maker Joe York on Tuesday announced plans to premier his “Shake ‘Em Down” documentary about Mississippi Fred McDowell at the annual Como By The Tracks celebration on October 15.
York spoke briefly to Como’s mayor and aldermen during their regularly scheduled Second Tuesday meeting.
“We have not had a big, public screening. We want the very first time that it gets seen to be here in Como, on the 15th,” York said.
“For the past two or three years we’ve been working on a film about Mississippi Fred McDowell,” the film maker said.
“We’ve interviewed folks from, really, all over the world,” he continued, including Shirley Collins in England who came to Como in 1959 with Alan Lomax to make Lomax’s first recording of McDowell and Ester Mae Wilbourn “right about here, I think it was — it was right in this exact room (the meeting room at the Como public library) — a member of the Como Mamas who remembered Fred from way back when.”
The screening will include a hog barbecue fund-raiser from Home Place Farms with proceeds going “to a local music-related event, charity, fund, something like that to help keep this music that Fred was a big part of going and keep it strong here in the Como community,” York said.
The University will provide funds for the screen, projector and other logistics necessary to present the film.
The documentary will be screened outdoors after dark — about 7:30 p.m.
“I knew Mr. McDowell very well,” Alderman John Walton said.
“That’s my kids’ great-granddaddy,” Alderwoman Teresa Dishmon said.
York was introduced at the meeting by Como Main Street Alliance (CMSA)representative Karen Ott Mayer.
The town officials also unanimously approved the two CMSA requests Mayer presented: continued membership in the Mississippi Main Street Association and funds to match a $10,000 grant that has been made available to Como from the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH).
Grant proceeds will be used to replace windows and doors in the 1935 Main Street building that has served both as a police station and a city hall.
Mayer said that the preliminary estimate for the work was $15,000.
The estimate also includes re-framing the interior woodwork and casings, she said.
“That estimate didn’t include painting, so we’re hoping we can use the extra money to get in there and paint,” Mayer continued.
As a Certified Local Government (CLG) community, Como is eligible to apply for the MDAH preservation grants. The $10,000 MDAH grant is the maximum allowed. Como must match it with a like amount.
“They like Como so much that they were willing to grant the maximum amount,” CMSA representative Meg Bartlett said.
For Como’s continued Mississippi Main Street Association membership, aldermen approved the town’s match of $500 matched with CMSA’s like amount to cover the annual dues.