9/11, multiple sclerosis, "Song for America" and James Brown!
2007-09-17
Hey everyone. There is lots to write about! Our son Maceo Crump just turned two, and also said his first grammatically-correct sentence this morning: "I need help." ( A real man knows how to ask, ya know? In this case it was with some blocks.) We have a new album in the works, a southern tour coming up later next month, a November residency back home in Brooklyn but for now I'll just bite off this chunk of September and early October with some upcoming shows and other news.
A kind Philly listener requested my song "Hurry Up Sky" at a recent PA show and posted the performance up on [A:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmU1yNjKNhY|YouTube]. In the introduction to the song, I talk about my friend Kristy Ryan, who worked and died in the World Trade Center. Her husband Brendan Ryan, an old dear friend since elementary school, is a wonderful musician and happens to be joining us (with his brother Bill and others) as [A:http://www.madlarry.com|Mad Larry] in a Multiple Sclerosis benefit in Brooklyn this coming Sunday, 9/23. Aside from helping out with the MS cause, Brendan helps keeps Kristy's spirit alive though his work with a great organization called [A:http://www.kristyssmile.org|Kristy's Smile].
Those of you who were on this list a year ago might remember that I had to cancel a run of gigs in the midwest when I fell ill. The full story is that my singing and speaking were being strangely affected by slurring and my guitar playing (already marginal!) was compromised by strange spasms in my right arm, which led to my diagnosis with MS in August 2006. I have been very fortunate to have been in remission from any symptoms over the past year, and I can be optimistic about my health in at least the near future. My belated apologies to those of you who did catch a show during that time ? I was not at my best! But the initial drama and shock have passed, I am being well cared for, and all is well. I do expect to be part of the wider fight against MS in the future with other benefits, etc. so I'll keep you posted.
We're doing our first ever concert in Maine (don't know why it took so long) in early October and then doing another special show in Rhode Island. Those two dates will feature a slightly different ensemble: myself, [A:http://www.jamiefoxguitar.com|Jamie Fox] and [A:http://www.libertyellman.com|Liberty Ellman] on guitars. (Stephan Crump's services are needed elsewhere for two weeks in the midwest with our friend [A:http://www.joelharrison.com|Joel Harrison].)
Other items: Stephan and I recorded our own interpretation of the WWI song "Over There" for a fascinating and very well-done new compilation CD called [A:http://www.amazon.com/Song-America-Various/dp/B000T3GK8O/ref=sr_11_1/104-2721509-8541503?ie=UTF8&qid=1183654793&sr=11-1|Song of America], which features important songs from throughout the history of the USA. Speaking of important songs from American history, a funny little video of Stephan and Jamie and I performing James Brown's "I Feel Good" and talking about the blues at a kids music camp in Washington PA is up [A:http://www.o-ronline.net/video/chapin.mp4|here].
our recent trip to West Virginia
2007-05-31
We love West Virginia, and will make every effort to get back there soon. A few brief notes on a great weekend:
Friday, May 18th: We played and stayed at [A:http://www.purplefiddle.com|The Purple Fiddle Coffeehouse and Mountain Market] in the small and lovely mountain town of Thomas. Everything couldn't have been more comfortable: kind audience, great local food, and a cozy bed-and-breakfast right next door. And then there was the local beer... Opening the show was the excellent duo of [A:http://www.brennenleigh.com/bio/index.html|Brennan Leigh] and her brother Seth Hubert, who treated us to some very enjoyable music and also gave me a nice break from the usual soundcheck tedium ? it's funny how saying "chicken" over and over feels so much better than saying "check" ad nauseum. I'm gonna put that in my routine, Brennan. After the gig Maceo and I turned in, but Jamie and Stephan walked a 1/2 mile up the road to the [A:http://www.mountainstatebrewing.com|Mountain State Brewing Company] where they jammed and drank with Brennan and Seth and other kind and talented local people until 4 am. (PS Thanks so much to Jim Truman for babysitting!)
The next day (Saturday, May 19th) we went west to New Martinsville, WV, home of [A:http://www.baristascafe-pub.com|Baristas]. We first read about the place in a rather fascinating 2004 [A:http://home.earthlink.net/~rskloot/Baristas.htm|article] in the New York Times magazine and made a point of stopping by for coffee and burgers the next year when we were on one of our many Ohio trips. Co-owners Jeffrey and Jill Shade were very kind and we stayed in touch until the time came to return, this time to play. Our planned stage in the lovely patio got rained out (but not before we got to enjoy some brick-oven pizza out there, just off the peaceful shores of the Ohio River) but it turned out that doing a set in a corner of the cozy pub was just the ticket. The sound was warm, and the audience was even warmer.
Baristas had connected me with the Pastor of a New Martinsville church, The Disciples of Christ, where we contributed some music to the service on Sunday morning before heading home. Such good people. Thank you!
some thoughts from my dear friend, video artist Kate chumley, director of my "Election Day" video
2007-05-22
(by Kate Chumley)
Every day Google News Alerts sends me between 4 and 6 links (863 since October) to news items about electronic voting machines and the 2004 and 2006 elections in Ohio. I hope the continued appearance of these reports means enough Americans are sufficiently energized to push the new Congress to enact strong electoral reforms before 2008, but part of what Jen's song deals with is the great difficulty we have in facing the fact that our system is actually broken.
In October I searched the web for voting machines to buy for the video. I couldn't get a Diebold Accuvote, but I did find a CES Votomatic III from Broward County Florida, complete with loose "chads". When I went to pick it up from the Post Office I noticed a dry erase board in the window of the business next door, on which someone had written statistics from the war: "US service-people killed 2714, Iraqi civilians killed 150,000, WMDs found 0". I thought this might make a good shot so I introduced myself to the accountant and lawyer who updated the casualty numbers Monday mornings. The voting machine impressed them but as I began to say things like "electoral fraud Ohio 2004" and "widespread corruption 2006", their faces changed. I could see they thought I was...Crazy! A conspiracy nut. Sure they agreed Florida 2000 was fixed, but they could not bring themselves to think "it" had happened again in another state. Yes, they believed Bush led us to war on a phony pretext, but they did not wish to accept that our electoral process is so weak he could steal the presidency twice.
It's not necessary to order documentaries and books or read Rep. John Conyers' report on the 2004 election [A:http://www.openvotingconsortium.org/files/Conyersreport.pdf|"What Went Wrong in Ohio?"]. An hour or two of internet searching establishes reason to doubt our votes are accurately counted. Google the "Help America Vote Act of 2002" and it's easy to see that if anything the so-called overhaul made things worse by requiring states to purchase electronic voting machines without requiring voting machine makers to provide a way to certify ballots in case of fraud. Why was this allowed? Who benefits? Not just Republicans and not just politicians, but the public that prefers things to be easier in the short term and doesn't want to know what it doesn't know how to change.
We made the Election Day video to encourage Americans to listen to the disquieting news reports still coming in about 2004 and 2006 and work for vote security in the future. For a crystal clear example of the many ways voters in Cleveland were disenfranchised in the last presidential election, we urge you to take a look at filmmaker Laura Paglin's documentary [A:http://www.noumbrella.org|No Umbrella], snippets of which appear in the video. We are also indebted to People for the American Way and the Center for Nonprofits and Voting for additional video from Ohio.
"..there are so many easy things to do to get the ball rolling, before we roll up our sleeves and start the heavy lifting.."
2007-04-26
Beyond the mixed metaphors of my recent "bandletter" gig notice, I have been meaning to write a grand manifesto with all my enlightened environmental preachings. I'm not sure when my actions will meet my ambitions, but in the meantime, a few ideas:
1. Let's all quit with the plastic bags!
They are everywhere, they are a mess, they are a waste, and they are a bummer. It's not so hard to bring a bag or two or three with us when we are planning to buy groceries or shampoo or clothes or whatever. And we need to learn to turn down the plastic when we are just buying a candy bar -- it fits in your pocket. I love the long handled (to sling multiples over the shoulders) mesh [A:http://www.ecobags.com|Ecobags.] Convenience is a lie! (OK I'm a bit fired up at the moment)
2. Let's get over the bottled water.
Here's one alternative: refillable, non-leaching, and a bargain: (From [A:http://www.idealbite.com/marketplace/biterbottles|IdealBite])
more ideas later...
Food on the Road: Breakfast!
2007-04-13
Finding great coffee and nutritious (or alternatively, gleefully decadent!) breakfast on the road provides the structure for our days before we have to move on to the next town. We have had some great success from asking soundguys, bartenders and other local folks about where to go. A few very special places worth mentioning are:
in Milwaukee: [A:http://www.beansandbarley.com|Beans And Barley] Ahh if they had this joint everywhere! Thanks so the good people at Shank Hall who recommended it!
in Evanston, IL: [A:http://luckyplatterrestaurant.com|The Lucky Platter] We had a few days off around Chicago and this place was pointed out by our host Brooke Saucier. We ate there three times.
in Bettandorf, IA: Ross' Restaurant! We were invited to visit this classic greasy spoon by the founder's daughter Cynthia. Jamie and Stephan both "climbed the mountain"..
in Indianpolis, IN: [A:http://www.cafepatachou.com|Cafe Patachou] We were happy to get back to this great brunch joint near our lovely hotel (thanks Harumi!) at River Crossing.. The night before we also had an excellent indulgent dinner at The [A:http://www.midtown-grill.com|Midtown Grill] thanks to our friend Kobi Wright.
in Ferndinand, IN: Another notable dinner was at Salvadore?o -- clean, fresh, friendly and good. We're glad we wandered in.
in Birmingham, AL: [A:http://www.continentalbakeryandchezlulu.com|Chez Lulu]. Kind lady who suggested this at our nice 3/30 gig -- Thank you! We had a lovely brunch on the slanty sunny sidewalk.
In Asheville, NC: so many great places to eat! We had a few days off to have great breakfasts at the [A:http://www.earlygirleatery.com|Early Girl Eatery] and the [A:http://www.overeasycafenc.com|Over Easy Cafe]
It's so worth it to wander off the road a little beyond the world of Denny's!
stories from the road, Part I
2007-04-11
Two good stories from two good fans from the road about my music ending up in interesting places:
To our otherwise unremarkable gig in Indianapolis on March 22nd, Don kindly made the trip from Louisville to hear the show. He told us how he had bought several copies of "Ready" to give to friends when the album first came out. One friend brought the CD to the tattoo parlor when he went to have his entire arm covered in ink. At the end of the job (how long does it take to have one's entire arm tattooed?), the staff at the parlor insisted that the album stay with them. So somewhere in Louisville, Kentucky, a tattoo parlor is spinning my tunes...
The other story serves as a nice cultural juxtaposition. Nichol grew up in NJ but now lives in Asheville NC and came to our show there. Her parents had turned her on to my songs, and had recently made her a DVD chronicling their trip to NYC to see the outdoor art installation "The Gates" -- saffron-colored metal and cloth structures that wove pathways through the winter landscape of Central Park. It was in 2006 I believe? Or maybe '05. The DVD was set to my music. Very cool!
I love these stories! Thanks for sharing them.
Maceo, the name
2007-01-11
He is out with a babysitter now, which is what occasionally allows me to do things like write here. Maceo was born September 2nd, 2005, and has magically integrated himself into this life of ours. His poppa Stephan and I named him with the inspiration of Maceo Parker, the great alto saxophonist, singer and bandleader. It's pronounced "May-see-o," by the way.
Around '94 - '95, I was studying at Berklee College of Music, and was invited to join the "James Brown Ensemble" -- essentially a class that runs like a band, with a drummer, bassist, horns, a couple of guitarists, and me, filling the role of the Godfather of Soul. (Yup). We picked some tunes from the repertoire, rehearsed them, and performed a few times at the end of the term. It was a great experience, and gave me a chance to delve a little deeper into the funk, which was already my main source of musical inspiration those days. Specifically, it also gave me the opportunity to absorb more of the great presence and groove of Maceo, who was of course playing incomparable saxophone on most of the classic JB recordings.
Also at that time (the early - mid 90s), Maceo was doing some touring with his own group, and I had the good fortune to hear him several times in intimate Boston jazz clubs. His hugely generous and powerful musical spirit made a great impact on me, as did the effortless synergy he had with his partners in the horn section: Pee Wee Ellis on tenor sax and Fred Wesley on trombone (a lyric in my tune "Gold" off the album Linger pays tribute to Fred's musicianship.)
Meanwhile, my husband and musical partner-to-be Stephan was spending a year in Paris, practicing the bass for hours along with Maceo Parker records.. So that's how we came to name our son Maceo.
We recieved a wonderful Christmas gift from Stephan's brother and sister-in-law in Memphis -- a DVD called [A:http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Name-Maceo-Parker/dp/B0001MDQGW/sr=1-1/qid=1168554413/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4483527-4106250?ie=UTF8&s=dvd|"My First Name is Maceo"] from that same special time (after the glory years of American soul music in the late 60's -- 70's, who knew that there were glimmers of light in the 90's) that really lays out what makes Maceo Parker so special. For more information on what Mr. Parker is doing these days, please see [A:http://www.maceo.com|www.maceo.com].
There were and are quite a few African-American men from the south named Maceo. It seems that their parents were themselves inspired by Antonio Maceo Grajales, the great Afro-Cuban military and political leader in that country's struggles for independance from Spain in the late 1800's.
baby opinions for new or expectant parents
2006-08-30
Our baby Maceo will turn 1 year old this Saturday, and we are so grateful that he is such a good happy boy. I'm still getting used to the whole "blog" concept, but it seemed that this was the appropriate place for me to offer a very brief outline of my strongly held baby-raising beliefs, in case any one is interested!
Breastfeeding -- it's better for the baby physically and emotionally. It's better for the mother physically and emotionally,. It's what we are made to do as mammals -- what we are built for. It's much cheaper (free!), healthier, and much easier and more convenient than formula. If you can (and the vast vast majority of mothers produce plenty of milk, can learn to breastfeed without discomfort, can drink a beer or two, can nurse when taking most medication and even between working long shifts, despite what even your doctor may say..) please do! For a year at least -- but even a few weeks is better than none (and by that time you've gotten over the troubleshooting) -- It's a crime that so few American mothers do, especially those whose babies need it most. A crime.
Babycarrying -- Despite the ubiquity and merciless marketing of various bulky contraptions, vibrating swings, singing seats, high-status strollers, etc., it is my observation and the research supports the idea that it is best for the baby's health, intellect, emotional stability and even eventual independence if we carry them more than not, especially during the early months. Here is where the contraptions can actually be of use -- slings and carriers. http://www.mayawrap.com and http://www.babybjorn.com are two that have been very helpful to me. For doing errands and taking the subway and taking a walk, I've found it to be much easier to use a carrier rather than a stroller. The mother can build strength (we need it!) and get exercise (we need that too!), maneuver much easier up stairs and through narrow store aisles, and have two hands free. The baby can feel the natural rhythm of walking, can see different faces and activities, and can feel your heartbeat and body heat. It's both stimulating and comforting. It's nice to put the baby down here and there of course, but I believe it's nicer to hold him freehand or with a sling or carrier when you can. It's such a short time that they actually allow it! And you can still get things done, with your baby in your arms and eventually doing his or her own thing.
More later.
(update 3/12/08 -- we love the Ergo Carrier and use it all the time to carry around our now 2 1/2 year old: http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/)
"Living with War"
2006-08-16
My songs "Election Day" and "Ready" are featured on a section of Neil Young's website that has an extensive listing/listening of Songs of the Times. Check it out at http://www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday/lwwsongspage.html
"Folk the System" Radio show on WXCI, Danbury CT
2006-08-14
I just got around to listening to this interview/performance segment Stephan, Jamie and I taped with the good people at WXCI radio in Danbury CT, on June 27th, 2006. Some of the vocals on the tunes (NYC, Time, Let it Show, Strip it Bare, Passive People, Me Be Me) are distorted (I was too close to the mic..), but there's a good, loose vibe to the talking and playing, thanks to the freewheeling non-structure and spontenaity of the program, the assembled kind people, and our lovely host Chris. Check it out at http://folkthesystem.multiply.com/music.