Raphael Semmes has been a familiar face in music circles in the Jackson area for decades. The Grenada native and recipient of the 2021 Governor’s Arts Award for “Cultural Ambassador,” Raphael plays with his band, The Raphael Semmes Quartet, at Hal & Mal’s in Jackson every Tuesday night, at the monthly jazz event at Fusion Coffee House in Ridgeland, as well as special events around town.
When Tripp Douglass opened Fusion Coffee House in the Township at Colony Park in Ridgeland, he worked with the late Michael Barranco, a local musician and architect, on the design of the space. The idea was always to have live music in the shop, and when Raphael first saw the big red circle painted on the floor near Fusion’s front windows, he declared it “the Jazz Spot.”
Raphael has coordinated music monthly for the spot since the early 2000s. The jazz events draw music lovers to Fusion for coffee, tea and tunes…