Dave McGrew’s Fruit Tramp Ballads of the Great Northwest preserves a testimony to those hard working folks who may never experience the elusive “American Dream”. Taj Mahal (bass, mandolin, harp), Cool John Ferguson (guitar, piano), and Music Maker president Tim Duffy...
James Calemine Posts
Billy Bob Thornton Stars in the Paramount Series Landman
"You wouldn't want to have my job any week." --Tommy Norris Landman, a new Paramount series, begins on November 17. Created by Taylor Sheridan, Landman stars Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, and Andy Garcia among others. Landman is based on...
The Boxmasters: Love & Hate In Desperate Places
"People in front of their TV sets Watching hell no one forgets." --"Somebody's Hurtin' Tonight" Love & Hate In Desperate Places, released on August 30, 2024, counts as the Boxmasters' 17th album. In the last year, The Boxmasters recorded four albums worth of...
To Live’s To Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt by John Kruth
“Days up and down they come Like rain on a conga drum.” -“To Live’s To Fly” Townes Van Zandt John Kruth’s book on Townes Van Zandt stands as a close-to-the-bone account of America’s most underrated songwriters. Kruth details Van Zandt’s Texas upbringing to his...
Johnny Neel: Mr. Soul
Johnny Neel: Mr. Soul By James Calemine On the first day I met Johnny Neel we talked for probably an hour before I said, ‘I’ll send you something to read.’ He responded by saying ‘I can’t read! I’m blind!’ It was not my greatest moment, but we became fast friends. I...
Georgia Girl Drive-In
The Georgia Girl Drive-In sign counts as an old favorite. It's located on the corner of East 17th Street and Bedell Avenue in Woodbine, Georgia. It's one of the few places where I've returned numerous times to photograph under the various weather conditions for...
Murder at the Riverside Motel
Established in 1954, a liquor store also operated on the Riverside Motel premises. When I-95 opened, this place began to lose business as traffic diverted to the new limited access (and egress) highway. The Riverside Motel was owned by Knud Olfort and Nellie Vanzant...
Vittles Galore: Jim Harrison & The Soul Food Tour
"Settle down far from town get me a pirogue And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou..." --Hank Williams "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" The writer Jim Harrison once ate 144 oysters in one sitting. That's twelve dozen, if you're wondering. Harrison's book The Raw and the...
Elmore Leonard’s Last Novel: Raylan
“She could be a Miss Nevada but would rather play poker…” --Raylan Elmore Leonard died in 2013. Raylan counts as Leonard’s last novel. U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens first appeared in Leonard’s books Pronto (1993) and Riding the Gap (1995). In 2001, Leonard wrote about...
The Man Who Wasn’t There: A Coen Brothers Film
Released in 2001, The Man Who Wasn’t There was written and directed by Ethan and Joel Coen. The noir film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, James Gandolfini and Tony Shalhoub. The plot revolves around barber Ed Crane (Thornton) and his...