Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sunday Funnies & Arts










As always, click to enlarge. For more New Yorker, Tom Tomorrow, David Horsey, Tom Toles, Tony Auth, and Zippy the Pinhead, go herehere, here, here, here, and here...

Hype & Glory: Rock and Rap Confidential issue #225 has published my review of Hank Williams: The Unreleased Recordings. The review appeared here in Citizen K. Receive a free subscription to RRC by writing to rockrap@aol.com.

Cowtown Pattie writes about Texas music on Time Goes By. The great thing about Texas music is that someone else could introduce the topic with completely different selections that would be every bit as valid...



Let Freedom Sing: The Music of the Civil Rights Movement, Various Artists. Three CDs of indispensable gospel, folk, blues, R&B, soul, rap, and world music. The first CD concentrates on the gospel, folk, and country blues that first helped bring the movement to a wider audience. The next two branch out to the great songs that brought a sense of purpose to popular music and that provided an avenue for the expression of black pride and accomplishment. A coda of contemporary sides expresses gratitude to the movement martyrs and heroes, then looks ahead to the work left to be done. The classics -- "Strange Fruit," "Blowin' in the Wind," "We Shall Overcome, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T," "We Are the People Who Are Darker Than Blue"---- give context for lesser known work by forgotten performers like J. B. Lenoir, George Perkins, Ray Scott, and Bob & Marcia in the same sense that the leaders of the movement couldn't have done it without the volunteers who risked their lives every day. Necessary not as a historical document -- although it certainly is that -- but as proof of the power of popular music to animate a righteous cause and of the power of a righteous cause to inspire great music...

A lawsuit blaming the Army Corps of Engineers for flooding from Hurricane Katrina can proceed to trial, a judge ruled Friday in a case seen as a likely last recourse for storm victims seeking compensation from the federal government for alleged negligence by the agency...
It Could Happen to You: The Louisiana Family Forum wants to carve up Congressional districts. And, yes, the LFF is an affiliate of the diabolical Focus on the Family...

Sunday Gospel Time: Bessie Jones and children from the Downtown Community School sing "I'm Gonna Lay Down My Life For My Lord."

7 comments:

Unknown said...

I especially liked the "future press conference" & Tom Tomorrow (kinda scary tho)-- & it was great to see his majesty the baby Rush. That video was superb-- your Sunday gospel series has been consistently strong.

Roy said...

Heh, heh! Tom Toles was on a roll this week.

And is that Pete Seeger at the table with Bessie Jones in the video?

Ima Wizer said...

I LOVE the NEW YORKER cover! Ha! That's just how I see the little shit!

K. said...

John: Thanks for the compliment re the gospel videos. It's been fun tracking them down. Youtube is a great resource.

Roy: That is Pete Seeger. He hosted a short-lived television show called Rainbow Quest that aired in selected regional markets.

Ima: Don't you mean "fat shit"?

Patricia said...

Mmm...I'm mulling over going in to attend Pete's 90th birthday bash at Madison Square Garden.

Con - I'd have to go for the cheap seats. Not going to see much.

Pro - Being there.

The future press conference one was quite disturbing, considering what's been going on.

K, congratulations on the publication of your interview!

Cowtown Pattie said...

Congrats on the review acknowledgement! Cool beans.

As to the Texas musical choices, ain't it grand we Texans have so much talent to pick from? And you're right, there were a stateful of artists I didn't include.

How could I? It would take days to cover all the bases, as you so well noted.

Thanks!

K. said...

ZV: Hey, the guy only turns 90 once. The guest lineup must be awesome.

CP: I figure that it would be like seeing every exhibit in Louvre: Supposedly, if you looked at every one for a minute, it would take seven years to get through them all. BTW, Slaid Cleaves has a new CD out in April.