a “b” blog
I don’t know which album cover blew me away more:
“Number of the Beast”
Or “Killers”
I think it would have to be “Killers” because I was younger and more impressionable. Not to mention the fact that I would stare at it for hours wondering about all the shady happenings in the windows behind Eddie and his victim [...]
About a week or so ago I got Robert Crumb’s Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country which I have been totally digging. The book has been reinforcing an informal education I’ve been getting through my various conversations with Folklorist Gary Stanton and Musician/Artist Kent Ippolito (who gave me the book –thanks Kent!) on early [...]
Thursday night I had the good fortune of spending an evening with Kent Ippolito, who is one of Fredericksburg’s foremost treasures. He is an amazing musician, cartoonist, and person. As is often the case, when we get together with Kent I badger him about music. I think this impulse stems from the fact that this [...]
In stark contrast to the Uncle John Scruggs video, check out this video of Jack Johnson’s Jazz band performing “Tiger Rag” on December 21, 1929 in the great city of New York, NY.
Now, I’m not sure how much you know about Jack Johnson, but if you are new to this phenomenal figure of the early [...]
The above footage was taken by the Fox Movietone News, in Powahatan, VA on November 8, 1928. According to USC’s Center for Southern African American Music:
Uncle John Scruggs was born a slave, [and] is a good example of white-influenced black music as it probably sounded at the end of the 19th century. He is [...]
I do enjoy working at a university, for on a regular basis new cultural gems come my way. I’ve been working with Gary Stanton on his “Memory and Culture in American Vernacular Music,” and through this course I came upon Jimmie Rodgers, also known as “the father of country.” A quick search on YouTube [...]
While working my way through The Wire, I found myself thinking about the iconic rap song “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. A song which traces much of the same social themes of urban decay as this kick ass TV series. A point of interest, at least for me, is that this [...]
I just got back this morning from a 36 hour marathon trip to NYC. This uncharacteristically short trip was instigated by a workshop I got invited to do at Brooklyn College (which was a lot of fun), but the larger reason for this post is, of course, the wonderful, beautiful city of New York. [...]
Hello. Guest poster Mikhail here with what could be a new column on Bava Tuesdays, “It Came From Celluloid,” where I’ll bring to your attention a connection between a movie or two and some manner of pop cultural artifact. For example, I might say a few words about Jim’s Sunday best, which consists entirely of [...]
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