Red Hot Blues — Computer Art by kenne
When I think “Red Hot Blues,” I think Stevie Ray Vaughn. We were able to see him at The Woodlands Pavilion in the summer of 1990, less than a month before he died in a helicopter crash in southern Wisconsin in route to Chicago. Stevie was the “Prince of the Blues.”
— kenne
Archie Bell, Ken and Mary Harris (May 20, 2017) Image by kenne
Video by kenne
Hi everybody
I’m Archie Bell of the Drells, from Houston, Texas
We don’t only sing
But we dance just as good as we walk
In Houston, we just started a new dance
Called the Tighten Up
This is the music we tighten up with
First tighten up on the drums
Come on now, drummer
I want you to tighten it up for me now, oh, yeah
Tighten up on that bass now
Tighten it up, ha, ha, yeah
Now let that guitar fall in
Oh, yeah . . . (click here for all the lyrics)
Computer Painting by kenne
The Blues Project
They called it a project,
a Blues Project, but really,
it was a party — a party for
family and friends to share
happy times, talk about living life,
and a love for good old blues music.
Once this party began
there would be no stopping it,
even when forced undercover
of rain, friends laugh and
talk about déjà vu the
evening had become.
Just sitting on the front porch
doing that front porch thing
telling stories now embellished
by all the good times dancing
and singing the night away
in the woods off Old Houston Road.
The Blues Project may be over
so listen if the night will lead you
to the music, the stories told
and smile a smile one more time
for each Project was just a rehearsal
for what our tomorrows will bring.
— kenne
Kenneth Harris shares the story of how Ken & Mary’s Blues Project came about. (May 20, 2017)
Archie Bell at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project — Computer Art by kenne
Houston, Texas has a lot of legionary musicians, not the lease is Archie Bell. You all timers, like myself will remember the 50’s & 60’s group, Archie Bell & the Drells. Remember “Tighten Up?” When it comes to great R&B, Archie Bell is among the best! His appearance at Ken & Mary’s Blues Project — The Last Waltz was a real blessing for those of us who have attended the Blues Project concerts over the years.
There’s more to come.
kenne
Ken & Mary’s Blues Project — The Last Waltz
Computer Art by kenne
Down the east Texas road,
there is rain in the wind
as the musicians’ setup
for an evening of the blues
with friends gathering
the last time at
Ken and Mary’s Blues Project,
the best house concert ever.
In recent years we’ve missed
some of the concerts in
the woods having moved
to the desert southwest,
then last February, we received
word of the “Last Waltz”
for the Blues Project —
plans were made immediately.
With Coleman cooler,
yard chairs and
cameras in tow
we walked over old
bottle caps toward the
Blues Project stage,
to be greeted with
hugs and kisses — Welcome!
Mary announced the food
was ready, and Ken shared some
background on the beginning
of what became the Blues Project.
Not long after the music began,
lighting lit up the darkening clouds
with thunder adding to
the magical evening.
Other than an occasional
drop or two, the music played on
until, as if the plug was pulled,
the dark sky began to fall.
A rain delay was called
as the tarps were brought out
to covered the equipment.
Using our smartphones
we could see radar showing
the rain would be lasting
for an hour or more.
As has happened in the past,
the musicians gathered inside
to continue an evening of music.
Most of those who remained
were inside or on outside porches,
knowing the best of the evening
was yet to come —
jamming the night away
on a hot, humid night
in the piney woods of east Texas.
It may be the last waltz
for the Blues Project
but that doesn’t mean
the party is over,
the music still plays on
and on, and on — may
we stay forever young.
We’ve got to go, but our friends will stick around.
— kenne
A Yellow Bird of Paradise Blossom — Image by kenne
Sunday morning
after a late night,
a time to relax
and listen to the dark
rhythmic sounds of
Avishai Cohen —
“There is a crack in everything.
That’s how the light gets in.”
Enjoy the grove as you
drift into solitude.
— kenne
Tucson Folk Festival Creations by kenne
— from “Hey, Jimmie, Joe, John, Jim, Jack” by The Limeliters
Seduction (Chris Duarte at the Cactus Moon)– Computer Art by kenne
— kenne
— kenne
“The Blues Is In the Air” — Computer Art by kenne
. . . somewhere around the bend
Do you hear it?
See it coming?
Coming,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Gently,
as on Kiko feet
coming,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Cat whispers
peacefully moving the trees
longing to be heard,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Is it real?
Or only a hypnotic beat,
of the dark rhythm,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
So soothing, so real,
let mesmerizing,
creating visions of hope,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Listen to the stories
without them
life is pointless,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
See it?
Not if you don’t feel it
linking the mind’s destination,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
So, relax,
come with me,
catch the blue train,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Time’s wasting,
Don’t hesitate!
Opportunity is on the move,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
If you feel it
you can see it
in the mind’s eye,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
So, catch the blue train,
ride the edge,
see tomorrow’s vision,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Locomotion,
a blues riff,
Coltrane changes,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Face to face with humanity,
going all the way
to the end of the track,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Forget the plans
of broken dreams,
seek the truth,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
Smokes rising
signaling a change,
if you are riding
The last train to Clarksville…
Memphis,
Chicago,
somewhere,
somewhere around the bend.
kenne
Gill Scott-Heron — Grunge Art by kenne
Gil Scott-Heron was a soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known as one of the most important progenitors of rap music, aggressive, no-nonsense street poetry that inspired a legion of intelligent rappers. He has been called ‘the black Bob Dylan.’
WINTER IN AMERICA
From the Indians who welcomed the pilgrims
And to the buffalo who once ruled the plains
Like the vultures circling beneath the dark clouds
Looking for the rain
Looking for the rain
Just like the cities staggered on the coastline
Living in a nation that just can’t stand much more
Like the forest buried beneath the highway
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow
And now it’s winter
Winter in America
Yes and all of the healers have been killed
Or sent away, yeah
But the people know, the people know
It’s winter
Winter in America
And ain’t nobody fighting
‘Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your soul, Lord knows
From Winter in America
The Constitution
A noble piece of paper
With free society
Struggled but it died in vain
And now Democracy is ragtime on the corner
Hoping for some rain
Looks like it’s hoping
Hoping for some rain
And I see the robins
Perched in barren treetops
Watching last-ditch racists marching across the floor
But just like the peace sign that vanished in our dreams
Never had a chance to grow
Never had a chance to grow
And now it’s winter
It’s winter in America
And all of the healers have been killed
Or been betrayed
Yeah, but the people know, people know
It’s winter, Lord knows
It’s winter in America
And ain’t nobody fighting
‘Cause nobody knows what to save
Save your souls
From Winter in America
And now it’s winter
Winter in America
And all of the healers done been killed or sent away
Yeah, and the people know, people know
It’s winter
Winter in America
And ain’t nobody fighting
‘Cause nobody knows what to save
And ain’t nobody fighting
Cause nobody knows, nobody knows
And ain’t nobody fighting
‘Cause nobody knows what to save
— Gill Scott-Heron
If you are interested in some great music, damn good poetry and a little history of this nation, check out the video — it’s all about holding on to your dreams.
Somewhere between reading Rainer Maria Rilke and listening to Ray Wylie Hubbard’s CD, “The Grifter’s Hymnal,” the following just flowed out — as usual, no rewrite, you get what you see.
THE BODY SLOWS ME DOWN
The body slows me down,
but the blood still flows,
the soul hasn’t slowed
fostering a deep and
necessary intimacy with life.
The body slows me down,
but I count my blessing
without a 60-cycle hum,
freed from habitual
trains of thought.
The body slows me down,
but the poets still, please
with a taste of bittersweet chocolate,
burning through the words
manifested in music.
The body slows me down,
but my mind leads the
way to an enigmatic mystery,
seeking a Rilke Maria’s moment
freed by Ray Wylie’s applause.
The body slows me down,
but I keep running
from the ghosts that
keep on coming
around the bend.
The body slows me down,
but its dividing outline
is no longer there
providing a membrane
between inner and outer worlds.
The body slows me down,
but I can still hum
Polk Salad Sally,
framing cosmic image
descending from invisible heights.
The body slows me down,
but I still use my imagination
to inspire conscious thinking,
allowing “the damn fox
do what a damn fox does.”
kenne
“The days I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good days.”
— Ray Wylie Hubbard
Domingo DeGrazia Spanish Guitar Band — Images by kenne
On December 18th, the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun hosted La Fiesta de Guadalupe. This annual festival honors Mexico’s patron saint, Our Lady of Guadalupe, with music, dancing, and performances including mariachi bands, folkloric dancers, the Yaqui Deer Dancers, and Domingo DeGrazia’s Spanish-guitar band. Domingo is the son of Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia Tucson’s most famous and no doubt most prolific artist.
— kenne
DeGrazia Spanish Band Video
Tom Russell posted the following on Facebook and I felt a need to share it — a collaborative effort of three great singer-songwriters:
“Exciting news….we were walking through the old Greenwich Village this afternoon, vastly changed, and I thought – “it would be great to do an album release show at The Bitter End.” So we walked into The Bitter End, and out walks the owner. He warms up to us and I tell him I used to work there every Sunday…so we might hook the opening gig there for the next album release tour.
Maybe a return to The Bitter End! Lets make Greenwich Village great again! This is Lucinda Williams and myself doing Bob Dylan‘s “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” off of the record “Mesabi.” All records and books: www.fronterarecords.com
Your reporter for Nova Beat at the corner of Bleecker and MacDougal….”
For those of us who grew up in the 1960’s, there is much to remember. For me, it was the draft, war, motorcycles, Playboy, love, demonstrations, flower children, and of course, the music. Many songs carried the message of the times.
One such song was Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.” Over the years the song has been covered many times and the words still ring true, even more so today.
There’s something happening here
What it is ain’t exactly clear
There’s a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware
I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind
It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side
It’s s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you’re always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away
We better stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, hey, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, now, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
Stop, children, what’s that sound
Everybody look what’s going down
— Stephen Stills
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