Riffs, Roams and Raves:
Riffs: Jessee Lee
Here’s another entry for your personal music diary. Write down and circle the name Jessee Lee. Don’t forget to scribe that second ‘e’ in her first name because you want to get this one right. You may never hear a singer gifted with a voice as unique as hers.
Here’s what one critic had to say about her: “Her sound is a melting pot of your favorite sounds ranging from the soul of Amy Winehouse to the sweetness of Dolly Parton. She fuses her Tennessee country twang, Billie Holiday vibrato, and Janis Joplin- like rasp to create a sound unlike any other musician.”
Besides her jaw-dropping vocals, Lee writes and plays like the fourth-generation musician she is. She performed with her band at the Hays City Store in Driftwood on Sunday, March 26, bringing down the house with “Dive Bar Superstar” and other originals from her seven-song EP due to be released this summer.
Jessee was raised in Nashville and is the daughter of David Lee, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter who can be heard playing gigs at Mercer Dancehall, Hays City Store and other nearby venues when he isn’t on tour.
Like fellow performer Cameron Wrinkle, who was noted in an earlier column, Jessee has said “no” to Nashville, preferring to strike out as an independent to preserve her style and retain the ownership of her creative vision. She has steadily built her fan base since 2018 with gigs in all the important Texas honky tonks. Become a fan, and later on, you can say “you knew her when.”
Roams: You say Menchaca, I say Man-Chak If you find yourself marooned from your home base in Wimberley on Austin’s southwest side, here’s a quirky ramble that’ll thrill your kids, your dog and pique the interest of the historians among you.
If you followed FM 3237 east to FM 150 and on to FM 1626 that put you in the small, unincorporated community of Manchaca, you’re in the right place to begin this roam.
Manchaca is famous for one thing: ambiguity about its name. No one is sure what to call it or how to say it. For years, the street signs said Manchaca, the grade school was named Manchaca Elementary, and everyone happily mispronounced it “Man-Shak” or “ManChak.” Then, someone looked it up and discovered that the spelling of the area’s namesake was botched and should have been Menchaca. Interested groups got involved, and the school was renamed Menchaca Elementary, but some of the street signs stayed “Manchaca.” Another set of researchers said Manchaca was named for nearby “Manchaca Springs,” a stagecoach stop dating from the 1700s. The name, they said, came from a Choctaw word meaning “back entrance” that described that nation’s travel through the Mississippi Delta. Maps from 1763 corroborated the story, but the revelation didn’t gain much traction with locals. Now there is a double, twoway confusion about the area. Language purists point out that Menchaca should be pronounced “MenCHAca,” to follow regular Spanish language rules, while others want to stick with “Man-Chac,” from the original Choctaw. Now, everyone hesitates to call it anything.
Texas Keeper Cider At 12521 Twin Creek Rd in Manchaca, foodies and thirsty travelers can find Texas Keeper Cider. This place makes delicious hard cider as seriously as any winery. Order the flight and get three ciders to sample: Number #1, Grafter Blanc and Moonlight. The alcohol by volume for the three come in at 7.2, 9.5 and 13% respectively. Who knew hard cider could taste so good?
The Keeper tasting room is on the smaller side, but outside, picnic tables fill the unfussy, natural grounds where devotees bring their babies, dogs and best pals for an unhurried, blissful communion with the apple.
Indian Springs Ranch Around the corner from Texas Keeper is Indian Springs Ranch, 403 Elm View Way. A private exotic animal ranch practically in the middle of South Austin, this place can be toured by reservation. It’s in demand for photo shoots where you can pose with everything from alpacas to zedonks (a hybrid between a zebra and a donkey). The ranch is home to over 20 species, including a camera-loving camel.
Cathedral of Junk Just minutes away on 4422 Lareina Drive is the aptly named Cathedral of Junk. A wonder of ingenuity and assemblage, it is a testament to the dedicated pursuit of a very weird hobby. Google it and read about it at roadsideamerica.com/ story/7816.
Like so many things in this part of Austin, it is home grown and unpretentious. It has evolved over the years for the “safer” since I climbed through it in the ‘90s.
Google will take you there if you key in “Cathedral of Junk.” Don’t miss this gem. It is genius.
Manchaca Springs Saloon For a real-time illustration of the aforementioned confusion, adult beverages and music can be had at the Giddy Ups bar on 12010 Menchaca Road or at the Manchaca Springs Saloon, 737 FM 1626, in San Leanna, a tiny village of less than half a square mile wedged between Manchaca and south Austin.
Itself an homage to junk and found materials, the saloon boasts a bar, outdoor seating, food trucks and “pure-D” atmosphere.
In a moment of perfect synchronicity, the Waylon Jennings song, “I’ve Always Been Crazy” issued from the jukebox at the saloon as if to punctuate the day’s roam. He sang, “I’ve always been crazy, but it’s kept me from going insane.”
Raves: The Cabinet Oak Project In an unusual collision of art, history and the natural world, The Cabinet Oak Project distributed sections of a 300-year-old fallen oak from the LBJ Ranch to 54 accomplished artists.
With instructions to use the segments as a springboard to reimagine the tree’s heritage, the artists have entered their creations in a juried art show that honors LBJ’s legacy.
The artists’ works will be auctioned live at the Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye on May 6 as part of a gala event. The money from the auction will go toward the restoration of the Texas White House — the LBJ Ranch near Stonewall — and establish an artist-in-residence program. Preparations to restore the historic home began in January of this year following its closure in 2018.
Tickets for the May 6 event start at $150. Readers can learn more at friendsoflbjnationalpark. org.