The Olympics were a grand spectacle of human excellence and a welcome break from the nightly onslaught of bad news. I've always enjoyed watching the Olympics and the Beijing Olympics were an exciting couple of weeks. No Olympics has been without controversy, but you've got to hand it to China for hosting a great event. Congratulations to all of the athletes. Now that the Olympics are over, the other event that only comes around every four years is about to begin in earnest. The national conventions of both major American political parties will [...]
"All of my family grew up in rural America, a place where hard work is rewarded, friends are always ready to lend a hand to someone in need, and they still believe in the "original" Golden Rule--"do unto others...". That's why I can't ignore what is happening to hard working folks all across this country--but especially in rural America. Most have worked just as hard as I have, and love their kids and grand kids just as much as I do--but they've had some bad breaks. If their jobs are going away--along with their pensions in many cases, their hospitals [...]
It had been more than a few years since our last getaway to Smith Mountain Lake. I've always enjoyed the simple peace and beauty of the area. When Smith Mountain Lake was first developed its shores were spotted with trailers, fishing shacks, and modest lakeside homes. The home where we stayed on this last visit, pictured above, is typical of the homes built along the shores as the waters filled in behind the new dam in the 1970s. Although Smith Mountain Lake is located between the mountain cities of Roanoke and Lynchburg, it is accessible only by [...]
The view in the photo above greeted me for the past five mornings as I stepped out onto the deck, mug of hot coffee in hand. We just returned from a relaxing five day getaway to Huddleston, Virginia and the cabin we rented on the beautiful Smith Mountain Lake . I have lived on the rolling hills of the Piedmont plateau for most of my life, nestled between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. I learned to paddle along the Piedmont Breaks, the geographic fall line from Washington, [...]
"Bowling Green" John Cephas and Phil Wiggins are long-time favorites here on the Bus. The pair has been wowing audiences worldwide with their Piedmont blues since they first met up at the 1976 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. The Piedmont blues, also called the East Coast blues or fingerstyle blues , is a form of the blues unique to the Piedmont region of the Southeastern United States, roughly from Richmond, Virginia to Atlanta, Georgia. The Piedmont blues benefit from influences as varied as ragtime, old time string bands, medicine shows, gospel, and popular music [...]
Founder of Chicago's legendary Chess Records, Leonard Chess, once called Buddy Guy's live guitar shows as "motherfucking noise." Years later, as Buddy Guy was touring England and leaving lasting impressions on young rockers Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, and the Rolling Stones, Chess would regret not releasing any of Buddy Guy's 'noise.' According to Guy, after he left Chess Records for the prestigious Vanguard label, Leonard Chess told him "...that's the shit you've been trying to sell me for the last 12 years, and now it's sellin' like hotcakes!" Buddy Guy's music has been covered by [...]
When a promo copy of Two Men with the Blues appeared in the mailbox, my first thought of the odd pairing was to wonder if Willie had fallen behind on his taxes again and in need of some quick cash. I'll admit that I wasn't too sure if this collaboration between Willie and Wynton would have much to offer the discerning listeners on the Bus. The CD has sat on the edge of my desk for several weeks, only getting a serious listen this past weekend. Actually, the pairing of Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis [...]
Michael Doucet is one of the artists responsible for the worldwide enjoyment of the Cajun music of south Louisiana. As the leader of the globally acclaimed Cajun ensemble BeauSoleil, Doucet introduced the world to the unique music of southern Louisiana. BeauSoleil won a GRAMMY award in 1998 for the Best Traditional Folk Album and Michael Doucet received a National Heritage Fellowship award in 2005 from the National Endowment for the Arts for his contributions to American culture and Cajun tradition. Most riders on the Bus are familiar with BeauSoleil from their regular appearances on Garrison Keillor's 'Prairie Home Companion.' [...]
Lately, real life has kept me busy and the Old Blue Bus has been parked more often than not. While I do miss the daily excursions on the Bus, I have rather enjoyed a summer of gardening and lazy days on the river, rather than hours at the computer every evening. I hope the gentle riders on the Bus will understand and forgive the irregular posting schedule. One of the down sides of not posting daily is the stacks of new releases that are now towering on my desk. I have received or stumbled across some great new [...]
One of the joys of early summer is the bushes out back, heavy with ripe blueberries and blackberries. This morning we gathered baskets full of succulent berries, sampling the sweet, pump berries as we picked. Soon the kitchen will be filled with the sugary sweet aroma of blueberry pies fresh from the oven and blackberry preserves simmering in the pot. I don't know if our good friend and long-time Bus rider, Dan, had been picking berries in Ontario this weekend, or if something else had inspired him to write with an inquiry about the origins of the song [...]
Just the mention of piano blues summons the sounds of many different styles to my mind's ears: barrelhouse, ragtime, boogie woogie, swing, R&B... Although all of these styles owe something to the barrelhouse piano players of the bordellos and saloons of major cities, the only characteristic that they all share is that the piano is the primary musical instrument. Classic Piano Blues from Smithsonian Folkways is a wonderful introduction to the various styles of piano blues performed by many of the innovators of the genre. Classic Piano Blues from Smithsonian Folkways is the [...]
City folk have long enjoyed poking fun at their rural cousins, and yet it seems many in the cities and sprawling suburbs envy what they believe to be the simpler, more natural life of the folks they call hillbillies and country bumpkins. The media has, for decades, helped to foster the stereotypical view the inhabitants of rural areas, especially mountain folk. Since the 1930s, Al Capp's comic strip exploits of Li'l Abner, Daisy Mae, and all the folks of Dogpatch were a regular feature in newspapers across North America. In 1960, CBS Television aired the [...]
Bruce "U. Utah" Phillips died of congestive heart failure peacefully in his sleep at his home in Nevada City, CA, Friday, May 23. He was 73. Utah Phillips was a folksinger, storyteller, railroad bum, and lifelong activist for the working class. He played a major roll in my own interest in folk music, and in particular, the songs of the working class. Phillips was the son of labor organizers and a proud card-carrying member of the [...]
Shared with kind permission from True North Records
Looking back over the last few posts, I realized that some of the songs I posted are recognized by a few states as official State Songs. Every state, with the exception of New Jersey, has at least one song officially designated as a State Song. Most are obscure, forgettable numbers played only at official functions, but several states have adopted more memorable songs. In the Stephen Foster post, I included two songs that have been granted special status by state legislatures, "Old Folks at Home" (Way Down Upon The Swanee River) is the official song of the state [...]
and count its many tears. While we all sup sorrow with the poor." "Tis the song, the sigh of the weary, Hard Times, hard times, come again no more Many days you have lingered around my cabin door; Oh hard times come again no more." Of all of the songs written by Stephen Foster, "Hard Times Come Again No More" is one of the most popular and enduring. Oddly, at the time of its writing, the song was not especially popular. While "Hard Times" may not [...]
The music of early America, like its inhabitants, was a patchwork cultures and traditions. The musical intermingling of styles from around the world were produced new styles unique to regions of America. By the early nineteenth century, music in America was primarily a regional art form with no one national style. Some of the first songs to become popular throughout the continent came from the pen of a young man in western Pennsylvania. Stephen Collins Foster was the ninth of ten children born to a middle class family in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania (now part of Pittsburgh). Foster had little [...]
Much of the Southeast has had a much needed rainy springtime. Here in central Virginia, it has rained for 14 days in the past three weeks, with some particularly heavy storms since the weekend. After three years of drought no one is complaining, especially us paddlers. My favorite little whitewater run on the Appomattox River near the town of Matoaca hasn't had much more than a foot of water in its banks since last spring. Just a trickle weaving its way between the rocks, barely enough to get your feet wet. I just checked the gage [...]
Our weekend trip to upstate South Carolina was wonderful. The Artisphere International Arts Festival in downtown Greenville was a delightful blend of artisans, musicians, and culinary treats. The beautiful Falls Park along the Reedy River was a perfect backdrop for the festival. Greenville is nestled in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and we did plenty of exploring while we were there. As paddlers we were particularly interested in the many rivers and lakes of the tri-state (GA, SC, and NC) area. Perhaps best known is the Chattooga River made famous by the movie [...]
It sure feels good to have the Bus back on the road. Just a short post tonight, as I've plenty to do. This will be the last post of this week, as I will be out of town for a few days. There are some long overdue changes in the wind. Two songs with the same subject, sung by two talented brothers, have been playing in my head all day. James Taylor - Carolina In My Mind.mp3 Livingston Taylor - Carolina Day.mp3 [...]
Old Blue Bus
Azealia Banks - '1991' [Listen]
Metric Debuts Album via Synthetica Hide+Seek, Tickets On Sale Now For Fall Tour
