John and Alton become best friends in elementary school, their mutual attraction prompted by both being new in town. John’s father, with the ink barely dry on his law degree, hangs his shingle on the second floor of the Alexander City Bank. Alton’s father has just relocated his one-chair barber shop from Camp Hill to [...]
Filed under: Alabamians, Bob W., Culture, Education, Folk life, History, Music | 1 Comment »
One of my goals for 2011 is to get to know Alabama a little better. I have called this great place home for four years now, but I must admit, there’s still so much I want to see! My first year here, friends and I visited several must-sees: Vulcan Park, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, [...]
Filed under: Alabamians, Art, Conversation, Culture, History, Literature, Mission, Music | 1 Comment »
Bert Kaempfert was a little known orchestra leader, a songwriter and arranger during the “big band” era of the 1950’s. His recordings enjoyed only moderate success until he recorded “Red Roses for a Blue Lady,” a song that had been around for two decades without hitting the charts. German born Kaempfert’s rendition of this tune, [...]
Filed under: Bob W., Culture, Music | 1 Comment »
“TKAM 2010: To Kill a Mockingbird–Awakening America’s Conscience” contributing artist Bethanne Hill recently created the cover art for the Traditional Musics of Alabama Volume 5 album. Those interested in purchasing the album should visit this link.
Filed under: Art, Folk life, Music, TKAM | No Comments »
Attired to test the limits of the dress code, the 12 surly teenagers shuffle in. Who would possibly look forward to embracing this marginal collection of anti-social misfits whose behavior has them teetering on the edge of permanent suspension? Leaning against the desk up front, Bruce attracts only passing glances until one by one each [...]
Filed under: Art, Bob W., Education, Music | 4 Comments »
When it comes to change, we humans are persnickety. Visits with my father to his old neighborhood on Staten Island, New York, invariably raised his bitter lament about a deli that had become a high-rise apartment complex. I felt obliged to comfort him by repeating what he said earlier in our trip. “Isn’t that the [...]
Filed under: Art, Culture, Hometown, Malík B., Music | No Comments »
We have officially entered into the holiday season! At my house, the holiday decorations are up and the holiday music is playing around the clock. Now that my husband and I have a family of our own, we had to take the traditions from both sides of the family and decide which ones we want [...]
Filed under: Art, Béverly B., Culture, Music | No Comments »
The humanities approach to music, often referred to as musicology, involves more than just listening to or producing sound. Behind the melody, there is a method. Behind the tune, a tale. And behind the instrument, almost always, a rich history. For years, I have viewed our family piano in the same way. To me, it [...]
Filed under: History, Katie C., Music | 2 Comments »
Wherever I may be, whatever I’m engaged in, if I hear music start up—I stop. I listen. And I involuntarily identify the tune. This automatic name-that-tune response must have imprinted on my brain during my early years of music training and brief career teaching music. If I go to any restaurant that features live musicians [...]
Filed under: Bob W., History, Music | No Comments »
Among my many faults is my love for music. I love sports in a sinful way as well, but that is a story for another day. There is a saying around the Tuxedo Junction section of Ensley: “The man who sings his own praise will usually be singing a solo, and will almost always pitch [...]
Filed under: Alabamians, Music, Paul L. | 1 Comment »
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