GA Russell

Great! I'll have to dig out my copy!

The IRS decides to audit Grandpa, and summons him to the IRS office. The IRS auditor was not surprised when Grandpa showed up with his attorney. The auditor said, “Well, sir, you have an extravagant lifestyle and no full-time employment, which you explain by saying that you win money gambling. I’m not sure the IRS finds that believable.” “I’m a great gambler, and I can prove it,” says Grandpa. “How about a demonstration?” The auditor thinks for a moment and says, “OK. Go ahead.” Grandpa says, “I’ll bet you a thousand dollars that I can bite my own eye.” The auditor thinks a moment and says, “It’s a bet.” Grandpa removes his glass eye and bites it. The auditor’s jaw drops. Grandpa says, “Now, I’ll bet you two thousand dollars that I can bite my other eye.” The auditor can tell Grandpa isn’t blind, so he takes the bet. Grandpa removes his dentures and bites his good eye. The stunned auditor now realizes he has wagered and lost three grand, with Grandpa’s attorney as a witness. He starts to get nervous. “Want to go double or nothing?” Grandpa asks. “I’ll bet you six thousand dollars that I can stand on one side of your desk, and pee into that wastebasket on the other side, and never get a drop anywhere in between.” The auditor, twice burned, is cautious now, but he looks carefully and decides there’s no way this old guy could possibly manage that stunt, so he agrees again. Grandpa stands beside the desk and unzips his pants, but although he strains mightily, he can’t make the stream reach the wastebasket on the other side, so he pretty much urinates all over the auditor’s desk. The auditor leaps with joy, realizing that he has just turned a major loss into a huge win. But Grandpa’s attorney moans and puts his head in his hands. “Are you OK?” the auditor asks. “Not really,” says the attorney. “This morning, when Grandpa told me he’d been summoned for an audit, he bet me twenty-five thousand dollars that he could come in here and pee all over your desk and that you’d be happy about it.”

RIP. His passing has been featured by Bing today. Wayne Shorter dies at 89 - Search (bing.com)

There is now an ETF for those who want to bet against everything Jim Cramer recommends! It's called The Inverse Jim Cramer ETF (ticker SJIM).

Is denim pop music? Bing is not coming up with anything musically related.

That's good to know, Rooster!

Episode 34 https://artpepper.bandcamp.com/track/straight-life-episode-34

I don't know who besides the United Nations makes these things up, but every single day is a "National something Day." Well, tomorrow is National Cigar Day. I'll keep my eye out, and if I see a great deal, I'll post it here.

Thanks for your responses! Has anyone had a bad experience with a brand because of leaking?

Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year, and every year Morris would say, "Esther, I'd like to ride in that helicopter." Esther always replied, "I know Morris, but that helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and fifty dollars is fifty dollars." One year when Esther and Morris went to the fair Morris said, "Esther, I'm 85 years old. This might be my last chance to ride that helicopter." Esther replied, "That helicopter ride is fifty dollars, and $50 is $50". The pilot overheard them and said, "Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take both of you for a ride. If you stay quiet for the entire ride and don't say a word I won't charge you a penny! If you say one word it's fifty dollars." Morris and Esther agreed. The pilot did all kinds of fancy manoeuvres and daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word. When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said, "By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!" Morris replied, "Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out, but you know, fifty dollars is fifty dollars!"

I suspect that most Americans think of The Purloined Letter when they read that word.

STAX RECORDS / CRAFT RECORDINGS / CONCORD TRIBUTES HONORING ICONIC WATTSTAX BENEFIT CONCERT OUT TODAY NEW RELEASES INCLUDE SOUL’D OUT: THE COMPLETE WATTSTAX COLLECTION (12-CD & DIGITAL), WATTSTAX: THE COMPLETE CONCERT (6-CD & 10-LP FORMATS), THE BEST OF WATTSTAX (1-CD & DIGITAL), PLUS 2-LP REISSUES OF ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK RELEASES WATTSTAX: THE LIVING WORD VOLUMES 1 & 2 SONY PICTURES RE-RELEASE FOR 1973 MUSIC DOCUMENTARY WATTSTAX ALSO IN THEATERS TODAY AND FOR A LIMITED TIME AT PARTICIPATING ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE LOCATIONS Featuring legendary artists Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Carla Thomas, The Bar-Kays, Kim Weston, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, The Emotions, and many more The series of releases paying homage to the iconic Wattstax Benefit Concert which took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20th, 1972 are out today. https://youtu.be/KfAkXnQFAds Isaac Hayes' previously unreleased version of "Theme From Shaft (version 1)" animated video premiered across BET networks last month, including Paramount's Times Square billboards NPR: "...In this case, that word was soul. And it was alive in each and every cascading shade of brown skin, in every hip sway, in every downbeat, in every raised fist and perfectly shaped natural...Wattstax fits as much in its own time as it does in ours." https://www.npr.org/2023/02/15/1155959851/50-years-later-the-celebrations-and-contradictions-of-wattstax-still-resonate No Depression: "the audience was treated to an extravaganza of hit singles and spectacular sets" https://www.nodepression.com/sould-out-collection-celebrates-landmark-1972-wattstax-concert/ Uncut: "[Wattstax] brings these old performances into the present moment to let the sweet soul music and the message of Black Pride resonate across time." The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/feb/23/wattsstax-music-festival-documentary-watts-1972 Shindig! 5-star review + 7-page lead review with interviews from William Bell, Deanie Parker, and Davide Porter Mojo 4-star review by David Fricke in April issue Station specials KJazz/Los Angeles, KPFK/Los Angeles, Vocalo/Chicago, KCSM/San Francisco Bay, SiriusXM/Pandora, and many more to come! About Wattstax Benefit Concert: On August 11, 1965, a 22-year-old Black man named Marquette Fry was pulled over by white police officers on suspicion of driving while intoxicated in the Watts community of Los Angeles, igniting the protests that would come to be known as the Watts Rebellion. This breaking point was spurred by the destitution of Watts residents, who had grown weary after decades of discrimination, lack of jobs with decent wages, and other forms of economic oppression, political isolation, poor schools, unfair housing practices, and the type of racial superiority that had long denied them their right to live happy, fulfilled lives. In the South, during the same time, Stax Records President Al Bell witnessed angry white mobs, the intervention efforts of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, white children jumping out of school windows to avoid contact with the Black children, and the throwing of burning toilet paper on to the Black children. In 1971, Bell set up a Stax satellite office in Los Angeles and regularly monitored the living situation in Watts and the positive changes in the community, or, more accurately, the lack thereof. It seemed the residents of Watts had lost all hope, like a people on the verge of suicide. They had resigned to accept the loss of the battle for basic acknowledgement and a fair quality of life. Bell knew something had to be done to change this and was certain that healing could be delivered through the power of music. Bell says, “I believed then that soul music is an art form born of the African American culture, and that Stax should support the people who supported us. I also wanted to garner more recognition for our roster of Southern Soul artists by taking them to Hollywood for a performance that no one would ever forget.” The 2-LP soundtrack of the concert’s highlights Wattstax: The Living Word was released several months after the benefit concert, selling more than 500,000 copies just weeks after its release. This was followed in 1973 by the Mel Stuart-directed concert film Wattstax, which features Richard Pryor as host and went on to be nominated for a Golden Globe® award for Best Documentary in 1974. In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection is a 12-CD box set featuring the complete 1972 L.A. Memorial Coliseum concert plus recordings from the Summit Club, including 31 previously unreleased tracks across the collection. These recordings are housed in a folio with a 76-page, full-color book featuring an introduction by Wattstax creator Al Bell, and new essays by Rob Bowman and A. Scott Galloway. Wattstax: The Complete Concert includes the full L.A. Memorial Coliseum concert and is available on both 6-CD and 10-LP formats. In addition to musical performances, it features all the speeches and other stage banter from the event, including event MC, the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s often referenced “I Am Somebody” speech. Both formats of this collection include the full-color book with introduction by Wattstax creator Al Bell, and essays by Rob Bowman and A. Scott Galloway that is also included in Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection. A 1-CD title, The Best of Wattstax, brings together a handpicked selection of twenty of the best musical performances from the Wattstax concert. Including performances by Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, The Bar-Kays, Kim Weston, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Albert King, Eddie Floyd and more, and serves as a great introduction to the event and the many iconic artists that it featured. Newly cut from the original analog tapes, reissues of the two original soundtrack albums Wattstax: The Living Word and The Living Word: Wattstax 2—which feature highlights from the concert and subsequent documentary film—are also reissued on 2-LP formats from today. Exclusive Wattstax merchandise is available at StaxRecords.com Tracklists for all titles can be found here In celebration of the 1973 Columbia Pictures music documentary, Sony Pictures have re-released Wattstax at participating Alamo Drafthouse locations throughout the U.S. beginning today. https://youtu.be/1CKJcytOX0o Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection overview About Wattstax: From Columbia Pictures and directed by Mel Stuart. Produced by Larry Shaw and Mel Stuart. Executive producers are Al Bell and David L. Wolper. The film stars Isaac Hayes, The Staples Singers, Luther Ingram, Johnnie Taylor, The Emotions, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Albert King and others. Special guest star Richard Pryor. About Stax Records: Stax Records, now owned by Concord, was founded by Jim Stewart in 1957 in Memphis, Tennessee. It rose from a small, family-operated company to become one of the most influential record labels in the world, helping create “The Memphis Sound” and launching the careers of icons such as Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & The M.G.’s the Staple Singers, Sam & Dave, Rufus and Carla Thomas, The Bar-Kays, and dozens of other artists who helped change popular culture forever. In all, Stax placed 167 hit songs in the Top 100 in Pop and 243 hits in the Top 100 in R&B. For more info visit, staxrecords.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. About Craft Recordings: Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most essential collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its storied repertoire includes landmark releases from icons such as Joan Baez, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Isaac Hayes, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, R.E.M., Joan Sebastian, and Traveling Wilburys. Plus, the catalog recordings of celebrated contemporary acts including A Day to Remember, Evanescence, Alison Krauss, Nine Inch Nails, Taking Back Sunday and Violent Femmes, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Fania, Fantasy, Fearless, Musart, Nitro, Panart, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Vanguard, Varèse Sarabande, Vee-Jay and Victory, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation—ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft is also home to the Billie Holiday and Tammy Wynette estates which preserve and protect their respective names, likeness and music through day-to-day legacy management of these cultural trailblazers. Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Artist Title Time Carla Thomas Pick Up The Pieces (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 02:38 Isaac Hayes Theme From Shaft (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 04:34 Rufus Thomas The Breakdown (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 03:54 The Emotions Blind Alley (Live at the Summit Club) 02:38 Kim Weston Lift Every Voice And Sing (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 04:23 The Staple Singers I'll Take You There (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 05:47 Louise McCord Better Get A Move On (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 04:24 Deborah Manning Precious Lord Take My Hand (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 04:45 Eric Mercury I Shall Not Be Moved (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 04:39 Lee Sain Them Hot Pants (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 04:26 William Bell I Forgot To Be Your Lover (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 02:50 Eddie Floyd Knock On Wood (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 04:40 The Temprees Explain It To Her Mama (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 03:11 Frederick Knight I've Been Lonely For So Long (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 03:59 The Golden 13 Old Time Religion (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 03:52 The Rance Allen Group Lying On The Truth (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 03:18 David Porter Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One) (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 05:15 The Bar-Kays I Can't Turn You Loose (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 03:47 Carla Thomas B-A-B-Y (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 03:06 Albert King I'll Play The Blues For You (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 05:39 The Emotions Peace Be Still (Take 1) 09:57 Jesse Jackson I Am, Somebody (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 06:27 The Soul Children Hearsay (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 07:25 Isaac Hayes Part-Time Love (Live At Wattstax / 1972) 07:53 Isaac Hayes Rolling Down A Mountainside (Alternate Version) 04:59

I have seen countless reviews and comments about how special HydroFlask and Yeti travel mugs are. What's the big deal? Is their performance any better than their competitors'? The descriptions of everybody's products all look the same to me.

The Ticats today traded Dane Evans to the Lions for a conditional 4th round pick in the 2024 draft. https://www.cfl.ca/2023/02/23/lions-acquire-qb-dane-evans-in-trade-with-ticats/ https://3downnation.com/2023/02/23/b-c-lions-acquire-qb-dane-evans-in-trade-with-hamilton-tiger-cats/ https://3downnation.com/2023/02/23/qb-dane-evans-thanks-ticats-teammates-following-trade-to-lions-promises-to-see-hamilton-for-grey-cup/ https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/hamilton-tiger-cats-trade-qb-dane-evans-bc-lions-1.6758620 https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/dane-evans-happy-to-play-supporting-role-with-b-c-lions-1.1923338

Mark Lewis Cements a New Creative Collaboration On "Sunlight Shines In," To Be Released March 24 On Audio Daddio Records Recording Features the Acclaimed Saxophonist/Flutist Engaging with Southern California's Ron Kobayashi Trio, Plus Guest Trumpeter Nolan Shaheed, Performing 11 of Lewis's Captivating Originals CD Release Shows at Jazz at the Merc, Temecula, CA (4/13); The Sound Room, Oakland (4/21); & Other West Coast Venues   February 22, 2023 Veteran alto saxophonist/flutist Mark Lewis convenes a West Coast jazz summit on Sunlight Shines In, set for a March 24 release on the Audio Daddio label. Recorded in 2019, the album teams Seattle-area-based Lewis with the superb Southern California pianist Ron Kobayashi and his trio (bassist Baba Elefante and drummer Steve Dixon) on a set of Lewis’s original compositions, with ace trumpeter (and the album’s recording engineer) Nolan Shaheed joining in on two tracks. Born and raised in Washington State, Lewis has built a career on making music with whomever, and wherever, his musical instincts lead him. In this case, they led him to encounter Kobayashi’s trio, quickly engaging them for some gigs at the legendary Lighthouse club in Hermosa Beach, California, and elsewhere. “I heard them play and thought this is the sound I’d like to have,” Lewis says. Once the live dates were complete, he documented that sound with the band on Sunlight Shines In, recorded at Shaheed’s studio in Pasadena. Lewis is legally blind, perhaps leading one to wonder how he came to such a visually loaded album title. Any such questioning will end, though, when the listener encounters the luminous, gentle warmth of tracks like the lithe opener “Lunar Escape” or the waltzing title track. “Ghost of a Chance” is positively gleeful in its swing, and even “Rain,” ironically enough, manages to generate a sunny disposition. Of course, where there’s sunlight there’s also shadow, and the band takes a mellower and moodier tack on the delicate “Julie’s Butterfly” and the haunting flute/trumpet feature “Leaving Fall Behind,” composed in response to news of Miles Davis’s death. Shaheed contrasts his exquisite muted horn on the latter track with a bright, open tone on “Swami’s Song,” a sensuous tenor feature for Lewis. “Mike’s Tango,” a vehicle for Lewis’s gorgeous flute work, is a pure expression of affection for the late pianist Mike Renzi. Sunlight Shines In is a true meeting of creative minds, a—pardon the pun—shining example of the magic that can happen when a group of like-minded, creative, and empathetic musicians find each other. L. to r.: Nolan Shaheed, Mark Lewis, Ron Kobayashi, Baba Elefante, Steve Dixon. Mark Lewis was born January 26, 1958 in Tacoma, Washington, and raised on a farm in the surrounding area. Profoundly visually impaired, he made sense of the world through music—especially the jazz records in his parents’ sizable collection. At the age of nine he began playing music himself, starting on his grandfather’s C melody saxophone and switching to his uncle’s old alto a year later. Starting his first band while still in middle school, Lewis was leading several by the time he finished high school (in addition to playing in the school’s stage and concert band and performing music for school plays). He studied composition, flute, piano, and electronic music at Western Washington University and at Seattle’s Cornish Institute of Allied Arts. Even big-city Seattle could not keep him, however, and in 1978, at 20 years old, Lewis flew to Europe. He made a home in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where he made himself a force on the local, national, and international jazz scene. He led three working bands as well as creating a highly regarded record label, Audio Daddio, with Lewis himself as the house producer. At the same time, Lewis made frequent trips to back to the United States, continuing to work in Seattle and also establishing himself firmly on the Bay Area jazz scene, where he settled after returning to North America for good in the mid-1990s. He worked with the likes of Mark Levine, Randy Brecker, Donald Bailey, Ted Gioia, Bobby Hutcherson, and Larry Grenadier before returning to Washington to be closer to his family. He’s remained based in the Puget Sound area ever since, though Lewis frequently steps into the wider world to make music—whether around the Pacific Northwest, with his connections in Europe and California, or in jazz’s capital city, as on 2018’s hard-swinging New York Session. Lewis is a dizzyingly prolific musician, with more than 20 albums and an astounding 1,700-plus compositions to his name. The material on Sunlight Shines In draws from all across that staggering repertoire, with pieces from the 1980s to the present day reinterpreted by Lewis and his crack ensemble. Photography: Rhonda Stewart CD Release Shows for Sunlight Shines In: Sat. 3/25 (5pm), Medicine Creek Winery, Olympia, WA (w/ Randy Halberstadt, p; Phil Sparks, b; Bob Merrihew, d). Sat. 4/1 (6pm), Westside Pizza, Kingston, WA (Mark Lewis Saturday Jazz). Thu. 4/6 (7:30pm), Sacred Grounds Jazz Coffeehouse, Scottsdale, AZ (w/ Nick Manson, p; Jack Radavich, b; Dom Moio, d). Thu. 4/13 (7:30pm), Jazz at the Merc, Temecula, CA (w/ Ron Kobayashi, p; Baba Elefante, b; Steve Dixon, d). Sat. 4/15 (7pm), Les Amis, Fullerton, CA (w/ Ron Kobayashi Trio). Fri. 4/21 (7:30pm), The Sound Room, Oakland (w/ Adam Shulman, p; Peter Barshay, b; Akira Tana, d). Sat. 5/13 (7pm), F. Holmes & Co. Art Gallery, Seattle (w/ Randy Halberstadt, p; Phil Sparks, b; Bob Merrihew, d). Fri. 5/19 (12:30pm), Lake Chelan (WA) Wine & Jazz Festival, Siren Song Winery (w/ Randy Halberstadt, p; Clipper Anderson, b; Bob Merrihew, d). Sat. 5/20 (2:15pm), Lake Chelan (WA) Wine & Jazz Festival, Sigillo Cellars (w/ Randy Halberstadt, p; Michael Barnett, b; Bob Merrihew, d). Sun. 5/21 (4pm), The Jazz Project, Firehouse Arts & Events Center, Bellingham, WA (w/ Randy Halberstadt, p; Phil Sparks, b; Bob Merrihew, d).   Mark Lewis EPK: "Sunlight Shines In"  Mark Lewis Web Site

McLeod Bethel-Thompson has decided to go out on top. He announced today that he will not return to the league, but has instead signed with the USFL. This is an unusual story. David Naylor says that he made C$400,000. with the Argos last year. He almost certainly will not make that kind of money with the USFL. His decision was based on two factors: 1) Family. All of the USFL games are played in Birmingham. His wife's job is two hours east in Atlanta. 2) The NFL. He hopes to attract NFL scouts' attention in the spring, and get one more chance to sign an NFL contract for the fall. https://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/cfl-argos-bethel-thompson-usfl-1.6756409 https://3downnation.com/2023/02/22/mcleod-bethel-thompson-says-hes-signed-with-usfl-hopes-to-attract-nfl-opportunity/ https://www.cfl.ca/2023/02/22/report-mcleod-bethel-thompson-to-leave-cfl/ https://www.cfl.ca/2023/02/22/ferguson-mbts-departure-creates-questions/ https://www.tsn.ca/cfl/mcleod-bethel-thompson-moving-to-usfl-after-winning-grey-cup-with-toronto-argonauts-1.1922322 For the Argos the question is, Is Chad Kelly ready to be their starter?

Mealing joined Passport shortly after leaving If, and played on their second album, called Get Yourself a Second Passport. Selections from Passport's first two albums were combined for the band's first US album, whose cover was nearly identical to this. I think his work with Don Rendell was on piano rather than organ. Am I right? I guess that my experience was kind of the opposite of yours. I did not appreciate Mealing's work with If until I heard him with Passport. I then realized the effect he had on the total sound of both bands.

Thanks. I was thinking about it. I would buy it anyway if John Mealing were on it!

Greg Ellingson to Montreal https://3downnation.com/2023/02/20/new-montreal-receiver-greg-ellingson-cody-fajardo-jason-maas-caused-him-to-pick-alouettes-over-riders/ ***** Grey Cup Final Plays of the Game https://www.cfl.ca/2022/11/21/championship-winning-plays-in-the-timbermart-plays-of-the-week/

Zildjian is offering an Art Blakey t-shirt for $30.00. https://zildjian.com/zildjian-legends-art-blakey-tee.html

Gallup: “Just 26% of Americans surveyed told Gallup they have a favorable view of the news media, the lowest level ever recorded.”

Now let's move on to the 2023 season. Thursday was Free Agency Day, when the players could sign with new teams. Here is the league's list of the players whose contracts expired following the 2022 season, and the teams they have signed with for 2023. https://www.cfl.ca/fa23 These are the biggest names who signed with new teams. Bo Levi Mitchell to Hamilton Jake Weineke to Sask Dominique Davis to BC Jameer Thurman to Hamilton Cody Fajardo to Montreal Kwaku Boateng to Hamilton Eugene Lewis to Edmonton Jovan Santos-Knox to Ottawa Trevor Harris to Sask Lemar Durant to Ottawa Ciante Evans to Montreal Chris Osei-Kusi to Hamilton Micah Awe to Calgary I notice that I don't see 2022's two Grey Cup Finalists, Toronto and Winnipeg on this list.

Let's continue with the video highlights. Top 10 Plays of 2022 https://www.cfl.ca/2022/12/30/top-10-plays-of-the-2022/ ***** Top Ten Interceptions https://www.cfl.ca/2022/12/28/top-10-interceptions-of-2022/ ***** Top Ten Special Teams Plays https://www.cfl.ca/2022/12/26/top-10-special-teams-plays-of-2022/ ***** Top 10 Catches https://www.cfl.ca/2022/12/23/top-10-catches-of-2022/ ***** Top 10 Defensive Plays https://www.cfl.ca/2022/12/19/top-10-defensive-plays-of-2022/ ***** For those keeping score at home, I note that this thread's current view count is 207.1 thousand.

BIRTHRIGHT: A BLACK ROOTS MUSIC COMPENDIUM Includes enduring icons like Odetta, John Lee Hooker, The Staple Singers, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and Etta Baker to contemporary Artists like Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Dirty Dozen Brass Band to little-known but pioneering musicians. Offering a comprehensive overview of American Black roots music, this 40-track collection spans generations and genres: banjo players and Gullah singers to New Orleans jazz icons and contemporary blues acts, plus everything between Includes previously unreleased “Georgie Buck” by the Carolina Chocolate Drops “This collection is the DNA, the blueprint, a sonic chronicle of where we’ve been...and where we are headed.” – Corey Harris Craft Recordings proudly announces Birthright: A Black Roots Music Compendium, an expansive overview of American Black roots music. Produced by author, professor, and GRAMMY®-nominated music historian Dr. Ted Olson, along with GRAMMY-winning producer, musician, and author Scott Billington, Birthright offers an introduction to the rich and often nuanced world of Black roots music. Spanning generations and genres, the 40 songs in this brand-new collection showcase a broad range of styles: from gospel and blues to Louisiana Creole, jazz, Gullah music, and more, while the artists range from little-known musicians to enduring icons like Odetta, The Staple Singers, John Lee Hooker, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Available now on 2-CD/digital formats, Birthright features a handful of rarities, as well as the previously unreleased “Georgie Buck” by the Carolina Chocolate Drops (a collective of musicians that includes Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson) featuring fiddler Joe Thompson. The 2-CD edition includes insightful essays from musicians/scholars Corey Harris and Dom Flemons (music from both artists also appears on the album), as well as an introduction and detailed track notes by Olson. Through word and song, Birthright not only seeks to pay tribute to an essential canon of American music, but also demonstrates the pervasive influence of Black roots music on popular culture – from country to hip-hop. While the recordings on Birthright date back to the ’50s, one must take into account the historical through line, which begins centuries ago. “Music in Africa was woven into every aspect of life and every song was specific to a certain time of year, festival, activity or life event,” writes Harris. “When our captive ancestors were driven off the slave ship on to the shores of a strange land, they had these songs with them.” Amid the horrors of slavery, music served as an important form of communication. While African drums were banned, Harris explains, “Stringed instruments and household items like jugs, spoons, bones and washboards became our weapons of circumstance…But no matter how many laws were passed, you couldn’t outlaw rhythm.” Following Emancipation, Black roots music was first recorded in the early 20th century by folklorists like John Lomax. But, in a sharply segregated country, few people would hear it. Flemons notes, “The acknowledgement that any American music could be considered to have ‘Black roots’ was not only unheard of, it was treated with disregard and in many instances, was banned from being performed and disseminated to the general public altogether.” These foundational recordings were vital, however – particularly because Black music and culture were generally portrayed using grotesque stereotypes or Euro-classical stylings. Instead, the audio “removed all secondary ‘straightening,’ ‘sweetening’ or ‘exaggerating’ of the music,” explains Flemons. “A new dialogue could be had between the folklorist and the musician allowing the subject for the first time to ‘speak for themselves.’” He continues, “The performance could in essence reflect the inherent value of a unique ‘Black’ culture. This early documentation is an essential resource for our understanding of Black roots music of the past.” In the following decades, with the rise of the record industry, regional music styles developed and spread further into the mainstream, with blues, jazz, and gospel making a significant impact on popular music, leading to rock ’n’ roll, soul, and eventually hip-hop. But while new generations continued to build upon these foundations, Black roots music never stopped thriving, as Birthright proves. “There has been wave after wave of Black roots artists who have built a new bridge to the past,” adds Flemons. “No matter the era, the musical innovations of the African and Caribbean Diaspora are still prevalent in the hands, feet, instruments and voices of each of these artisans no matter how refined or down-home they may sound.” Each track in Birthright – whether recorded 60 or six years ago – offers an example of this rich musical tradition, including a variety of mid-century field recordings. Among the highlights is Bessie Jones’ “Yonder Come Day,” documented in Georgia in 1973. Jones (1902–1984) was a member of the Georgia Sea Island Singers, which was founded to preserve the music of the Southeast’s coastal Gullah culture. Another notable selection is “Eunice Two Step,” from the renowned duo of accordion player Bois Sec Ardoin and fiddler Canray Fontenot. Recorded in the ’60s and sung in French, the song represents the “Creole” tradition and, as Ted Olson notes, “reflects the older sound of Black music in rural Louisiana before the emergence of the more modern Zydeco genre.” There are also more informal recordings, including those of incarcerated men, singing “work songs.” Among them is Bennie Richardson, who leads a rendition of the traditional “Grizzly Bear,” alongside his fellow inmates at a Texas penitentiary. The song, explains Olson, “employs verbal coding. The ‘Grizzly Bear’ character…was a white prison guard, while “Jack O’ Diamonds” was a veiled reference to a white prison warden.” The audio, recorded in the mid-’60s, features a call-and-response style of singing, which originated in West Africa. In addition to field recordings, the collection showcases a handful of well-known legends, including The Staple Singers. While best-known as ’70s soul stars, the family group began on the gospel circuit. Their 1963 recording of Willie Johnson’s frequently covered “Motherless Children” features call-and-response vocals from patriarch Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children, Mavis, Yvonne, Cleotha, and Pervis. Civil rights activist, singer, and actress Odetta makes an appearance with “Special Delivery Blues,” a song originally recorded in 1926 by jazz singer Sippie Wallace. Blues stars like John Lee Hooker (delivering the traditional “When I Lay My Burden Down”), Skip James (“Hard Time Killing Floor Blues”), and Lightnin’ Hopkins, who performs his influential “Automobile Blues,” are also represented in this collection, while a younger generation of celebrated bluesman, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’, revisit Sleepy John Estes’ “Diving Duck Blues” from 1929. Birthright also looks to the future with inspired tunes from contemporary acts. Among them is Ranky Tanky, who interpret traditional Gullah music. The term “ranky tanky,” which translates roughly to “get funky,” inspired both their group name and the song included in this collection. Another example is the aforementioned “Georgie Buck” from the Carolina Chocolate Drops, who share a passion for African American string bands. Their 2006 recording of the traditional tune is a collaboration with their mentor, fiddler Joe Thompson (1918–2012). The internationally renowned a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, meanwhile, delivers the 19th-century spiritual, “Study War No More.” Known more popularly as “Down by the Riverside,” the song not only became a gospel staple, but also an antiwar anthem during the Vietnam War. The even longer-running Preservation Hall Jazz Band – a New Orleans institution – performs Paul Barbarin’s “Bourbon Street Parade,” which pays celebrates the joyful, parade-beat groove which is the heartbeat of the city’s music. Another mainstay of the Big Easy, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, has been keeping the city’s brass band tradition alive since 1977, and appears here with their Caribbean-inspired 2012 tune “Best of All.” While the voices on Birthright are unique, they all share a common thread. As Harris puts it so eloquently, “When we listen to the artists on this set, we are hearing the voice of a people determined to express themselves and be heard above the empty, metallic din of progress, above the saccharine pop and soulless glam of the industry. When the power goes out and the internet goes down, some of us will still be playing music and sharing our joys and pains with one another in song. Black roots music is a testament to the fact that if modern civilization were to collapse, we have the power and the spirit to rise up once again. We only need to hold on to our roots. This is an excellent place to start.” https://youtu.be/rHbU0X6cOvE Artist Title Time Preservation Hall Jazz Band Bourbon Street Parade 05:37 Corey Harris Station Blues 03:25 Mississippi Fred McDowell Highway 61 04:27 Carolina Chocolate Drops ft. Joe Thompson Georgie Buck 04:14 Ranky Tanky Ranky Tanky 02:15 Etta Baker One-Dime Blues 02:33 Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin, Canray Fontenot Eunice Two-Step 02:22 Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins Automobile Blues 04:33 Benny Richardson Grizzly Bear 04:16 The Staple Singers Motherless Children 03:03 Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee Blues Before Sunrise 04:31 Dink Roberts Fox Chase 04:21 Martin, Bogan & The Armstrongs Sweet Georgia Brown 03:26 The Golden Eagles ft. Monk Boudreaux Little Liza Jane (Live) 03:21 Clifton Chenier and His Band Ay-Tete Fee 01:55 Skip James Hard Time Killing Floor Blues 03:23 George Lewis' Ragtime Band Weary Blues 03:25 Bessie Jones Yonder Come Day 02:29 Joseph Spence We Will Understand It Better By And By 04:00 Dirty Dozen Brass Band Best Of All 04:43 Cedric Burnside Step In 02:35 Amythyst Kiah Pretty Polly 04:38 Lonnie Johnson, Elmer Snowden St. Louis Blues 03:08 Leyla McCalla Money Is King 02:55 Dom Flemons Polly Put The Kettle On 02:20 Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo' Diving Duck Blues 04:30 Boozoo Chavis Crying Blues 05:24 Campbell Brothers Morning Train 03:42 John Lee Hooker When I Lay My Burden Down 02:38 Lesley Riddle Titanic 02:57 Professor Longhair Go To The Mardi Gras 02:57 Mississippi John Hurt Candy Man 02:57 Jesse Fuller San Francisco Bay Blues 03:02 Odetta Spoken Introduction: Special Delivery Blues 02:38 John Jackson Step It Up And Go 02:25 Tuts Washington Arkansas Blues 03:10 Rev. Gary Davis Lo, I Be With You Always 04:19 Inmate named Peter Ups On The Farm (EXPLICIT) 01:38 Cephas & Wiggins John Henry 05:42 Sweet Honey In The Rock Study War No More 04:55

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