Capturing The Moment – 30 Years Out

30 Years Out

Jill’s Birthday, 2010

Having birthday party for adult children is just an excuse for seeing the grandchildren. So it was this past Friday evening when we celebrated Jill’s birthday. As you can see from the video (no photos this time, just a video), if I hadn’t told told you it was Jill’s birthday, you would have concluded it was either Chase’s or James’ birthday. Such is life!

kenne

International Blues Challenge Finals

After two nights of competition, finalists were selected and performed at The Orpheum Theatre on Saturday evening. The video below contains clips of the finalists. The winning band was the Grady Champion Band, the last band on the video.

kenne

CAT IS “LEANING BACK INTO IT” THE WELL

” Funny “  about memory and sometimes LOSS OF IT !! I have spent the last two plus hours searching for this poem because I had forgotten the title.  It is not listed of his poems on line.

Finally, I remembered that I first came across it  in Garrison Keillor’s WRITERS ALMANAC.

I thought of Bukowski because of the anniversary  of that ABSOLUTELY overated Neal Cassidy and his death on this date in 1968 at age 41.

Bukowski…a titan!   Neal…a mere shadow!

I really like the poem.

t. (the cat)

to lean back into it
like in a chair the color of the sun
as you listen to lazy piano music
and the aircraft overhead are not
at war.
where the last drink is as good as
the first
and you realize that the promises
you made yourself were
kept.
that’s plenty.
that last: about the promises:
what’s not so good is that the few
friends you had are
dead and they seem
irreplacable.
as for women, you didn’t know enough
early enough
and you knew enough
too late.
and if more self-analysis is allowed: it’s
nice that you turned out well-
honed,
that you arrived late
and remained generally
capable.
outside of that, not much to say
except you can leave without
regret.
until then, a bit more amusement,
a bit more endurance,
leaning back
into it.
like the dog who got across
the busy street:
not all of it was good
luck.

Poem: “to lean back into it,” by Charles Bukowski, from what matters most is how well you walk through the fire (Black Sparrow Press).



MEAN GENE KELTON @ WESTFIELD BY THE RAILROAD

Mean Gene Kelton & The Diehards

It’s been awhile since Joy and I enjoyed the music of Mean Gene Kelton & The Diehards, so when the opportunity to see them at Westfield by the Railroad presented itself this past Saturday night, we made it down to one of our old live music venues.  This time there was an additional expectation; Gene had added a piano player to the band, Clint Glaze.

Clint is a great addition to an already tight band, affording new music and jam possibilities.  Obviously, Gene and the band continue to evolve, creating new ways to bring their style of blues/southern rock/American roots music to southeast Texas music lovers.

Don’t just take my word; check out their schedule at http://www.genekelton.com/ and make a point to attend one of their gigs and judge for yourself. When you do, let me know about your experience. The more we share our live music experiences, the more we will be able to better support musicians in southeast Texas.

Kenne

Catching Up With A Week That Was

Much has happen since going to Memphis to attend the International Blues Challenge. For starters, the NY Times Travel section was two weeks late in providing a good article, “Roll Over, Elvis. Meet Indie Memphis.” We now know, we missed a lot.

While in Memphis, the US Supreme Court made a decision involving the Fair Elections Now Act, that works against the continued corporate takeover of our government. Are corporations evil? No! Neither are the people who work within their controlling environments. However, with the Supreme Court’s recent decision, it is becoming even more convincing that we need to redesign a poorly designed invention of out culture (corporations). I know this will not be an easy task since most of us a products of the corporate mentally and lifestyle, but if we value the mystery and categories of human enterprise, we must fine ways to level the playing field. It is important to remember than there is nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequals.

Is This A Good Year To Be Born -- Newsweek, 1967

The great US historian and activist, Howard Zinn, who helped change the conscience of many Americans pasted away this week at age 87. I first learned about Howard Zinn, in the late sixties, while still in the Army. During this time, frustrated by our continued involvement in Vietnam, I began keeping a scrapbook of articles, opt-ad columns, political cartoon and photos. It was during this time that I first read the Zinn quote, “Dissent is the highest form of patriotism,” which has since been carved into my very being. Although many have read his book, The People’s History of the Uniter States, which gives voice to Native Americans, Blacks, women, immigrants, poor laborers, and others not covered in mainstream histories, still many only got to know of him through the recent History Channel, The People Speak. A believer in democracy by the people, and in light of the above mentioned US Supreme Court decision, I share this Zinn quote: “If those in charge of our society – politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television – can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.”

Pogo -- 1967

This past week witnessed two examples of a great leader in action: President Barak Obama’s State of the Union speech and two days later, his appearance before and discussion with the Republican Caucus. I urge you to make your own judgement by viewing the videos on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kYW_fgaDDM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOzyk9smcQ0

Lastly, this past week also so the death of J.D. Salinger. Not being a “reader” as a child and young adult, one of the first novel I read (all-be-it because I had to in senior English) in the late 50’s was Catcher In The Rye, and like so many young people of the time, it had a lasting impression. So many of us share a kinship with Holden and the phony world in which we live.

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” Opening line from Catcher in The Rye.

I will end this posting by sharing an email from brother Tom: The cat and I were laughing ( As in J.D. Salinger’s story. “The Laughing Man” ) about persons who repeatedly speak of “coming-out” with their BOOK  explaining “IT” all….. And we thought of Theroux’s quote :

“A person becomes a writer because they are DEFICIENT.
They have problems;
They are “crazy”;
They have unhappy families…
They are “eccentric” and….
Not because they read a LOT  of books;
but on the contrary…
Maybe they haven’t read enough books!!!!!!!!
There is a strong irrationality about  THE WRITING LIFE….
Often a writer writes just to maintain a need to be HUGGED and told that she is loved.”

t.

Thanks, Tom. We may be far from one another, but we remain on the same wave link.

kenne

Amazing Grace — Sonny Boy Terry & Rich DelGrosso Revised

Sonny Boy Terry & Rich DelGrosso – image by kenne

On the 11th of this past November, I posted an entry with a video of Sonny Boy Terry and Rich DelGrosso playing “Amazing Grace.” Because of lighting, the video was on the dark side. So, with Sonny Boy Terry’s encouragement, I have redone the video using a combination of photos and video.

kenne

IBC Youth Showcase – The Jake Bishop Band

Friday afternoon at the International Blues Challenge was the Youth Showcase, which turned out to be a real enjoyable experience for Joy and I.

Before going to the IBC, through my Blues connections, I had become a fan of the Detroit Blues Society.  So, when reviewing the Youth Showcase bands, I noticed the Detroit Blues Society sponsored one band, The Jake Bishop Band.  Remember the name, they are good!

The video audio doesn’t do justice to the band, which is why I have purchased an external mic for future use.

Kenne

(Photo Set)

International Blues Challenge Jam

Rich DelGrosso & Jonn Richardson

When you have hundreds of blues musicians around, what better time to jam into the early morning! So, not surprisingly, after the completion of the blues challenge on Thursday and Friday evenings, Houston’s own Jonn Richardson organized a blues jam at one of the Beale Street venues. Believe me, these photos and video do limited justice to the total of what took place. Enjoy!

kenne

(Photo Set)

DuPree at 26th International Blues Challenge

Stevie DuPree and Travis Stephenson

If you like delta/New Orleans storytelling blues you have no choice but to love Stevie DuPree. Stevie was the Houston Blues Societies duo/solo entry at the International Blues Challenge this past week. Better known to his Houston fans as Stevie DuPree and The Delta Flyers, did good on Beale Street but lost to a very “bigger than life” blues man from Canada. Andersen is well known on the east coast and much of Canada. In the end, as was said often during the IBC event, all the musicians there were winners.

kenne

(Photo Set)