"You think you've come so far In this one horse town Then she's laughin' that crazy laugh 'Cause you haven't left the parking lot." --John Hiatt For today’s Sunday Dispatch we dip back into Don Nix’s timeless book Road Stories and Recipes. Two years ago Elizabeth...
David Crosby died yesterday. By my standards I arrived late to the party. In college I lived with a total CSNY freak, but I always leaned towards the Stills/Young material. I heard Deja Vu more times than I could count. I loved the Byrds, in which Crosby played an...
Cinema Speculation, Quentin Tarantino’s first non-fiction book, revolves around his love for movies, storytelling and filmmaking. Born in 1963, Tarantino’s childhood influences consisted of mostly 70s films. Tarantino describes watching countless movies as a kid in...
Hello, Everybody! On Saturday, January 14, 2023, I’ll serve as the “Author on the Porch” at Sundog Books in conjunction with the 30A Songrwriters Festival in Seaside, Florida. The venerable Sundog Books is located right next to Central Square Records. I’ll be there...
"The fastest dirt track in the South." The racing community in the American south is a formidable one. They started running races at the Golden Isles Speedway in 1970. Dirt track stories revolving around this place echo through the years. Gasoline. Girls. Speed....
A quick dispatch regarding last night's 40th Anniversary Concert in tribute of R.E.M's Chronic Town... It was a cold and rainy night in Athens, but it did not dampen the spirits of about 700 people who experienced this singular performance. Spearheaded by the Black...
The loneliness of an old neighborhood grocery store standing like a tombstone in a green field. The red lettering on the white sign faded to pink and identifies this place as the R.E. Roller Grocery. The ombre coloring and vertical wood plank walls echo the past in...
Recorded in Sydney, Australia, eight months before the Texas guitarist Chris Whitley died of lung cancer at forty-five, Dislocation Blues marks Whitley’s final studio album. These thirteen spooky compositions—some of his best work—remain steeped in country blues....
This could be a cover for some old blues album. Alternate title, "The Heart You Break May Be Your Own". The bed frame seems to outline the piano that I ran across at some rural antique market, but the instrument wasn't for sale for good reason. The rain-worn keys,...
Rockin’ The Blues captures Howlin’ Wolf in his prime. This live recording features The Wolf backed by his stellar Chicago band including guitarist Hubert Sumlin, songwriting bassist Willie Dixon, Sunnyland Slim on piano and Clifton James on drums. Born in West Point,...