Monday, October 19, 2009
Recovered Memories
Here's a link to a site that highlights old Philadelphia TV shows. Don't know why I remembered this - what triggered it but I am waxing nostalgic over Chief Halftown and Sally Starr.
This site is a wealth of info about old local shows - Bertie the Bunyip and his nemisis Sir Guy De Guy (I loved that name)and wonder if he is the beginning of my facination with names like Tom Thompson and John Johnson.
http://www.tvparty.com/losthalftown.html
Saturday, October 17, 2009
REV. ROBERT JONES
I can't say enough about the National Storytelling Festival. It has been a part of my life for the past 27 years and every year includes storytellers and musicians who touch me with their talent, insights, great stories. Rev. Jones is one such person.
Here's a write-up from the Swannanoa Gathering site that gives a good description:
REV. ROBERT JONES
Robert B. Jones has more than twenty years of experience as a performer, musician, storyteller, radio producer/host and music educator. He has opened for and played with some of the finest musicians in the world, including BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Pinetop Perkins, Willie Dixon, John Hammond, Keb Mo’, Jorma Kaukonen, Howard Armstrong, Chris Smither, Guy Davis and many more. Born in Detroit, of a father from West Pointe, Mississippi and a mother from Conecuh County, Alabama, Robert grew up in a very Southern household. By age 17, Robert had already amassed a record collection of early blues and begun to teach himself guitar and harmonica, and by his mid-twenties Robert was hosting an award-winning radio show on WDET-FM, Detroit called Blues From The Lowlands. Influenced by legendary bluesman Willie Dixon, Robert developed an educational program called, Blues For Schools, which took him into classrooms all over the country, and for the next 15 years Robert polished his craft as a performer and a music educator. Answering a call to the ministry, Robert began to study under Rev. James Robinson, Sr. at the Sweet Kingdom Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, and upon Robinson’s death, Robert was called by the church to become its next pastor. He reshaped his Blues For Schools program into American Roots Music In Education (ARMIE), a program that could encompass a wider variety of music including spirituals, gospel and folk songs, and returned to performing in 2006. Especially influenced by sacred musicians such as Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Willie Johnson, Rev. Dan Smith, Joshua White, Blind Connie Williams and Rev. Robert Wilkins, Rev. Jones now performs solo, with his good friend Matt Watroba, or with his wife of twenty years, Sister Bernice Jones, presenting “Holy Blues” to new audiences. Rev. Jones has also returned to radio as the host and producer of Deep River, a program of spirituals and gospel, which airs Sundays on WDET in Detroit.
Here's a write-up from the Swannanoa Gathering site that gives a good description:
REV. ROBERT JONES
Robert B. Jones has more than twenty years of experience as a performer, musician, storyteller, radio producer/host and music educator. He has opened for and played with some of the finest musicians in the world, including BB King, Bonnie Raitt, Pinetop Perkins, Willie Dixon, John Hammond, Keb Mo’, Jorma Kaukonen, Howard Armstrong, Chris Smither, Guy Davis and many more. Born in Detroit, of a father from West Pointe, Mississippi and a mother from Conecuh County, Alabama, Robert grew up in a very Southern household. By age 17, Robert had already amassed a record collection of early blues and begun to teach himself guitar and harmonica, and by his mid-twenties Robert was hosting an award-winning radio show on WDET-FM, Detroit called Blues From The Lowlands. Influenced by legendary bluesman Willie Dixon, Robert developed an educational program called, Blues For Schools, which took him into classrooms all over the country, and for the next 15 years Robert polished his craft as a performer and a music educator. Answering a call to the ministry, Robert began to study under Rev. James Robinson, Sr. at the Sweet Kingdom Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, and upon Robinson’s death, Robert was called by the church to become its next pastor. He reshaped his Blues For Schools program into American Roots Music In Education (ARMIE), a program that could encompass a wider variety of music including spirituals, gospel and folk songs, and returned to performing in 2006. Especially influenced by sacred musicians such as Rev. Gary Davis, Blind Willie Johnson, Rev. Dan Smith, Joshua White, Blind Connie Williams and Rev. Robert Wilkins, Rev. Jones now performs solo, with his good friend Matt Watroba, or with his wife of twenty years, Sister Bernice Jones, presenting “Holy Blues” to new audiences. Rev. Jones has also returned to radio as the host and producer of Deep River, a program of spirituals and gospel, which airs Sundays on WDET in Detroit.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Long Time
Sorry to be so long away from a post: The summer came and went. Plans were made and quickly changed as circumstances dictated.
- The BCMA went to Beach Haven, NJ for a fantastic week end. We posted our photos on Shutterfly.
- Our trip to Vermont was postponed indefinitely as we went instead to the Little League's Eastern Regional Senior Girls Softball Tournament. Hannah's team became State Champs and did well in Massachusetts. they were 2 and 1 but did not advance because of the need to use the point system. Great time, though.
- Cathy and I have been walking in the Susquehanna State Park and in downtown Havre de Grace. We're in training for the AT. We hiked a bit near the Nolichucky River in Erwin, TN and also in the Shenandoah National Park in VA. these hikes sandwiched our annual trek to the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. what a wonderful event. Such great storytellers this year. This is something I look forward to every year and each year I anticipate earlier and earlier. I start thinking about it in mid July. The past few years we have been able to stay later and travel back on a Monday. This has been great but this year we got the bright idea to also take off an extra day before and what a difference that has made. The 8 hour drive doesn't seem so bad now. We kept commenting with surprize that we didn't feel so tired. We will definitely do this from now on. We have one more year to take both the day before and after and then the calendar shifts and we will have to be back the Monday after to attend our staff in-service day but we will definitely continue to take the extra day ahead of time.
- The BCMA went to Beach Haven, NJ for a fantastic week end. We posted our photos on Shutterfly.
- Our trip to Vermont was postponed indefinitely as we went instead to the Little League's Eastern Regional Senior Girls Softball Tournament. Hannah's team became State Champs and did well in Massachusetts. they were 2 and 1 but did not advance because of the need to use the point system. Great time, though.
- Cathy and I have been walking in the Susquehanna State Park and in downtown Havre de Grace. We're in training for the AT. We hiked a bit near the Nolichucky River in Erwin, TN and also in the Shenandoah National Park in VA. these hikes sandwiched our annual trek to the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. what a wonderful event. Such great storytellers this year. This is something I look forward to every year and each year I anticipate earlier and earlier. I start thinking about it in mid July. The past few years we have been able to stay later and travel back on a Monday. This has been great but this year we got the bright idea to also take off an extra day before and what a difference that has made. The 8 hour drive doesn't seem so bad now. We kept commenting with surprize that we didn't feel so tired. We will definitely do this from now on. We have one more year to take both the day before and after and then the calendar shifts and we will have to be back the Monday after to attend our staff in-service day but we will definitely continue to take the extra day ahead of time.
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