With the smell of barbecue wafting over downtown and the smell of smoke in our clothes, we’ve got food on our mind.

But we’ve also got Memphis in May International Festival on our mind as well.

This is its 35^th anniversary, and it’s hard to imagine now – with tens of thousands of people headed to the riverbanks during May – that the festival was an exercise in faith when it began.

A cadre of young leaders organized the event as a vehicle for diversity and racial harmony at a time when Memphis was still reeling in the aftermath of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and downtown Memphis’ decline was symbolized by the closing of the Peabody Hotel and the Memphis Chamber of Commerce.

From these young leaders’ belief in their city and in their determination to turn things around, Memphis in May was born.  It may now be known for its festivities, but it’s worth remembering that it’s most of all a testament to what young leaders with vision can achieve.

It was 1977 and the first edition was modest.  The honored country was Japan and the festival was largely confined to a traditional tea ceremony in Court Square.  Memphis in May Barbecue Context was added the next year.  It had a grand total of 26 teams vying for the best barbecue crown.

Today, there are more than 250 teams from more than 20 states (not to mention several countries) competing for several honors but there’s almost as many competitive juices flowing for the Miss Piggy Contest when contestants dress up as pigs and perform songs or skits on stage.

Yes, you do have to see it to believe it.

It’s impossible these days to imagine Memphis without the annual monthly long celebration in Tom Lee Park in downtown Memphis.  Today, it produces $40 million in economic impact, but that aside, the intangible benefits of coming together to celebrate the spirit of Memphis is priceless.

We admit that the Barbecue Festival got us thinking about great Memphis food this week, but if you’re drawing up a list of places to visit for good food, celebrity chief Guy Fieri is helping you out.

He was in Memphis last week for his latest visit to Memphis eateries as part of his Food Network show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.”

In this trip to Memphis, he visited six area restaurants – the Elegant Farmer, Rizzo’s Diner, Three Angels Diner, South of Beale, Memphis BBQ Co. (which features the fare of a former Grand Champion winner in the Memphis in May Barbecue Contest), and Memphis Street Café in Hernando. .

The show will air later this summer.

The past restaurants that featured by Mr. Fieri on his program were The Little Tea Shop, Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken, Alcenia’s, and Tom’s BBQ.

In other words, these restaurants are his top 10 Memphis restaurants (so far), and once again, Memphis vibrant restaurant scene gets well-deserved attention.  Get out and enjoy it.

More than 20 units of blood were collected from Loeb Properties, Hobson Realtors and Fogelman Management Group employees at what the companies plan to become an annual event in support of Lifeblood’s efforts to increase the community’s supply.

“For every single unit of blood donated, as many as three lives are saved locally so every single donor plays a significant role in affecting the community in a positive way.” said Jennifer Balink, vice president of donor relations at Lifeblood. “We are thankful for each of our donors, but especially partners like Loeb Properties who come together for the benefit of the community to give blood when the supply is low.”

For information about how to host a blood drive in partnership with Lifeblood, to schedule a donation appointment or for a listing of donor centers and public drive locations, visit www.lifeblood.org or call 1-888-LIFEBLOOD.

Barrett and Tommy are two outgoing guys from Luarel, Mississippi who met in high school and then went to culinary schools on opposite sides of the country to become classically trained French-style chefs.  After college, Barrett attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York City, while Tommy took the west coast route and graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco.  Tommy is also a musician and for the past ten years has been playing as a professional bassist in the George McConnell and The Nonchalants Band, as well as cooking, in Oxford, Mississippi.

The duo reunited in Memphis when Barrett went to see Tommy play a gig at the Young Avenue Deli.  Barrett pitched his idea of a food truck right then and there and Tommy hopped on board, literally.  Barrett’s food truck idea was born out of a longtime passion to open his own restaurant and when that was not on the horizon, he knew a food truck was the next best thing.  Barrett said, “I love the idea of minimal space, the necessity of being quick on your feet and to keep things fresh.  Scratch is a great way for us to stay on our toes as chefs, and I absolutely love interacting with people and serving them face to face.  We have a small, unglamorous vessel, but it’s an opening to serve the world.”

Scratch has no commercial kitchen, which to these men makes it better than other food trucks.  Scratch’s flavors rotate fresh ingredients while providing consistent weekly menus and maintaining costumer favorites.  Those favorites right now include a shrimp BLT and Barrett’s gumbo, which he perfected during his time as a chef in New Orleans.

Ultimately, Scratch is trying to fill a niche in Memphis to serve healthier meals on-the-go.  They haven’t even used their truck’s fryer yet.  Barrett said, “We both looked at the fryer and looked at each other and said, “Do we even need this thing?””  Overall, Scratch’s philosophy is to be adaptable to costumer needs and to just try to have a good time.  According to Scratch, their truck’s mottos is about hanging out, meeting people and enjoying themselves.  Look for them in downtown Memphis and Shelby Farms and take a moment to say hi and eat something made from Scratch.

Name:

Job title: Program associate at Plough Foundation.

Length of time living in Memphis: 3 1/2 years.

A native of Starkville, Miss., and proud Mississippi State alum, I’m thrilled to now call Memphis home. Married in 2010, I live in Midtown with my husband, Tom, and my pug, Roxie. I enjoy cooking, live music, social media and cheering on my Bulldogs. I’m a Leadership Academy Fellows Program alum and I’m also honored to be included on the board of directors for both Shelby County Books From Birth and the Wolf River Conservancy.

What can you find in Memphis that you can’t find anywhere else?

My Memphis is melodic and full of city sounds unique to this special place — planes delivering parcels to every corner of the globe; phenomenal blues music that moves, soothes and brings people together (and it’s often free); the insistent clang of flashy — albeit sleepy — trolley cars; Accents from all over the Mid-South wondering “how y’all doin’ ” and — yes — the occasional tornado siren. People who visit my Memphis don’t leave without the smell of the most heavenly pork barbecue on the planet lingering in their clothes and hair.

What is your favorite local festival?

My favorite festival is the Rajun’ Cajun’ crawfish festival. My husband and I enjoy sitting by the banks of the Mississippi on a beautiful spring day while eating our weight in mudbugs. Plus, it’s all for a fabulous organization that works to strengthen at-risk children and families in Memphis.

What do you like most about your job?

I’m part of a foundation that has fundamentally become a large part of the development, strength and future of Memphis. The Plough Foundation is a wonderful philanthropic group committed to improving the quality of life in Shelby County.

Favorite building in Memphis?

The Levitt Shell. I love attending the diverse concerts there in the spring and fall. The family-friendly atmosphere and fun vibe really helps build a sense of community.

Memphis’ most underrated trait?

Memphis is a city where we greet strangers when we pass them on the street. It’s a community full of big trees where the residents consume some of the best drinking water on the planet. Our people embrace the vision of philanthropy and their commitment to voluntarism and giving is unparalleled. My Memphis has plenty of challenges but I see the potential in this diverse community full of heart and wonderful hidden gems.

Memphis is a city full of proud residents who are passionate about calling this community home! The Leadership Academy partners with The Commercial Appeal to feature members of our community who are proud to say “I Choose Memphis.”

Want to learn about more community events, try this new bi-lingual community calendar, Calendario Memphis . Or try the web site of theGreater Memphis Diversity Collaborative or its Facebook page.

This past weekend thousands of people (including me) the annual Greek Fest at Church on the Annunciation on Highland – food, music, fun. Next month there is theItalian fest in Marquette Park. On  Labor Day weekend the Center for Southern Folklore puts on the most diverse, multi-ethnic fun event in the city – the Mid-South Music & Heritage Festival which is the same weekend (and within easy walking distance of) the WLOK’s Stone Soul Picnic. India Fest will be at the Agricenter in October.

Did you know there is a Russian Cultural Center on South Main?  Or  theRaindrop Turkish House on Quince? Next weekend a huge (70,000 square foot) multi-ethnic food market with aisle of Caribbean,  Mediterranean, Indian, Chinese, Korean, and more foods — opens on Germantown Parkway.

Jews in the Delta? Bagels & grits? Yes, and a huge tradition. Also Lebanese and Chinese, ya’ll.

All of this makes the Memphis area what it is.  It is not threatening, it is cause for celebration.  And we celebrate well down South. So let’s party with our friends from the Philippines during Memphis in May and then keep the multi-cultural fun going all year long.

The Greater Memphis Diversity Collaborative is convened by Leadership Memphis and includes The Leadership Academy, Diversity Memphis, the Tennessee Equality Project,  Latino Memphis, Raindrop Turkish House,  the Greater Memphis Asian American Pacific Islander Task Force, Memphis Center for Independent Living, Catholic Charities Refugee Services, Bridges, the Russian Cultural Center, Mid-South Minority Business Council, and more.

State District Maps

The updated maps for the 2012 Election Cycle are now available on line.  Visit www.capitol.tn.gov/districtmaps/redist.html.

Schedule of Events:

Jim Dickinson’s first posthumous release, I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone , comes out July 3 via Memphis International Records. Recorded live at a bar on Beale Street, the album spotlights Dickinson on piano and lead vocals, backed by the North Mississippi Allstars, the blues-based rock n roll band featuring Dickinson’s sons Luther and Cody, along with Chris Chew playing bass and Jimmy Davis on guitar and vocals.

Jim and his boys: Chris Chew, Jim Dickinson, sons Cody and Luther.

Jim Dickinson, who died on August 15, 2009 at the age of 67, worked with the likes of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Big Star, the Replacements, Aretha Franklin and scores of other acts across just about every North American sub-genre of popular music. A Merlyn-like figure in Mid-South music myth, having Dickinson’s musicianship and production skills on a recording was a rock n roll badge of honor. Artists traveled from cities like Glasgow, Seattle, Minneapolis and London, cities with their own rich musical legacies, to capture his talents on tape.

As an artist himself, Dickinson made powerful musical statements of his own. His 1972 solo LP Dixie Fried is a kaleidoscope of  Southern colors and shapes, pairing spooky stories of lunatics and hooligans with jazzy, bluesy, Delta sounds.

I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone will be released on CD, LP and digitally.

I’m Just Dead, I’m Not Gone Tracklist

1. Money Talks (5:35)
2. Ax Sweet Mama (3.55)
3. Codine (6:28)
4. Red Neck, Blue Collar (4:47)
5. Kassie Jones (4:55)
6. Rooster Blues (3:05)
7. Never Make Your Move Too Soon (4:01)
8. Truck Drivin’ Man (4:24)
9. Down In Mississippi (5:33)

The summer season opens at the Levitt Shell Thursday May 17, and once again the calendar is packed with diverse, authentic music. Let’s take a look at two acts playing in the first week, the Stooges Brass Band and the Cedric Burnside Project.

The Stooges Brass Band come honking out of New Orleans, representing the thrilling tradition of brass bands; a line of great brass players backed by thumping drums. Like a weird marriage of a college marching band and a nightclub rock n roll act, these brass bands fill clubs in the Crescent City like Tipitina’s and the Maple Leaf. The Stooges Brass Band plays the Shell Thursday May 17.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The grandson of blues legend R. L. Burnside, Cedric Burnside brings his funky, stomping brand of Delta blues to the Shell stage Friday May 18. In this clip, the Cedric Burnside Project brings some much-needed Mid-South grit to the poor, deprived folks of New Mexico.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out the full season here.