road trip..to the bronx.

So the University that shunned her because of race awarded her an honorary degree and now her work is being celebrated at the Bronx museum. Sweet redemption for 96 year old artist Elizabeth Catlett. Her political and social activism coupled with her extraordinary artwork made Miss Catlett a defining figure of the 1960s. Check out the slideshow on the left hand side.

canned rain.

I've never really been a fan of Canned Heat. Not because I don't prefer them, but because I unintentionally skipped over them. But today I picked up a collaborative album they did with none other than John Lee Hooker called Hooker n' Heat. Oh man! It's bluesy, guitar driven, signature hooker vocals, etc..The outtakes are included between tracks which I really enjoyed. I've never been into the over produced sound of certain albums, same why I'm not into polished pieces on NPR, for example (this was my favorite npr show for awhile. total guerrilla radio). "Mistakes" are a part of that process, so their inclusion on albums is a natural and organic experience. Did i mention i got this for 50 cents? Just wanted to brag about that for a second.

See this.

I'm no expert on the history of gospel music. I do wish I was more knowledgeable about the influential artists of that genre, it's conception, impact, etc. I will eventually start digging into it, but for now, I'll rejoice and shout.

Speaking of documentaries, The new Lee 'Scratch' Perry documentary, The Upsetter: the life and music of Lee Perry was fantastic. Great raw and rare footage of one of the most celebrated and innovative musical minds we will know. Calling him eccentric would be mostly accurate, but it's refreshing to see someone live by their own personal and social code. He's constantly entertaining and seems to have found comfort and happiness after a long ride in the music business. See it!

Safe Inside The Day / Baby Dee

This song really breaks me, I love every piece of it. She will be performing in Detroit at Cliff Bell's(some of the best acoustics in the city) in May. I wish you all could be here! But wherever you are, and you happen to see Baby Dee will be in your neck of the woods, jump on it. You won't regret it. Thankfully for us Detroiters, she will be accompanied by these gentlemen.

vinyl support

So it's the day after Record Store Day and i'm still beaming about my finds! I found alot of classic records I didn't own. Harvest by Neil Young was just one staple I didn't own and I was happy to snag it for a buck! I've been really loving avant garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp. I wasn't entirely familiar with his discography so i grabbed a duet with Philly Joe Jones recorded in Europe. Two lengthy tracks that i didn't completely fall in love with, but it forced me to research a few of Shepp's albums that i probably should have grabbed when given the opportunity. Thankfully, Detroit has a neighborhood shop(People's is one of the best) with a helpful owner who will gladly save this for me!

Levon and Dave

Yea!

I've been waiting for this music documentary to be released nationally, but it seems that's a longshot for now. It was orginally screened at SXSW last year to some great reviews. My move to Baltimore will inch me closer to a midnight ramble in Woodstock, NY. I vow before 2012 to experience Levon Helm live.

Speaking of music documentaries, I just watched The Foo Fighters documentary, "Back and Forth." I have a solid and mostly nostalgic crush on Dave Grohl. Though I'm not a big fan of their music, there was a certain time, post Nirvana, that Dave Grohl really made an imprint on my generation. He's an insanely talented drummer with endless knowledge about music. He's a great interview-honest, witty and entirely endearing. I recommend it.

Count Five - Pretty Big Mouth

hmmm, any possibility of this actually happening? a reunion show would be a sweet wish come true but these brothers love to not get along. who knows.


Man, it's a good day. even if my downstairs pipes are leaking and my landlord is "busy". 60s garage rockers Count Five make it all better.