01.06.09
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Music, History at 6:07 pm by Tim
I listened to NPR’s Talk of the Nation today, as Neal Conan was interviewing current Blue Note Records president Bruce Lundvall and others on the label’s 70th birthday. I have such an affection for Blue Note, having spun so many of its artists during my tenure on the air at WDET-FM in Detroit. A prized possession of mine is the 60th anniversary, limited edition CD box set it issued a decade ago.
Conan asked his guests and listeners for their “Blue Note moment.” I believe mine was Lee Morgan’s “The Sidewinder,” — the title cut from his classic LP, recorded in late 1963 — but it also could have been Horace Silver’s shimmering “Song for My Father,” the title tune from his 1964 masterpiece. The label remains vibrant, due to newer artists like Norah Jones, and it’s always rewarding to go back to the older recordings, helmed by legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Right now, I’m listening to Hank Mobley’s smokin’ “The Breakdown,” from Roll Call. Alfred Lion founded Blue Note, and Francis Wolff joined him shortly thereafter. Learn more about the label’s amazing history, and enjoy these timeless sounds.
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12.17.08
Posted in Music, Film, Detroit, Art, Food/Drink at 5:55 pm by Tim
Nice list from the Detroit News. Glad to see Number 12 included, as the Dakota Inn is a memorable place.
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11.29.08
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Music, Film, Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Radio, Art at 5:37 pm by Tim
Jim Griffin and the team over at AnnArborAlive have broadcast from their Ypsilanti studios for some time now, and it’s a pleasure to have them in Depot Town, as they’ve made this outstanding business/shopping district all the more so. Give a listen to their passionate brand of community radio, which offers up the best in music, theater, and more throughout the area.
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09.16.08
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Music, Michigan, Great Outdoors at 10:29 am by Tim
Recent financial news got you down? The place to share your blues is this Friday, September 19 and Saturday, September 20 in Lansing. The state capitol will host the Old Town BluesFest, a free event packed with acts from around Michigan and the country. Acts (tentatively) include George Bedard & the Kingpins, Madcat & Kane, The Alligators, and more, all of whom you can see and hear while visiting the many food and craft vendors on hand. Dig in.
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08.04.08
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Music, Michigan, Detroit, Great Outdoors, Family at 3:18 pm by Tim
The 29th installment of one of America’s finest musical gatherings is a Motor City traditon, and a splendid way to mark Labor Day. The Detroit International Jazz Festival will cook and swing on six stages in and around Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Park and, as is tradition, the 2008 lineup boasts stars from near and far. In addition to talented-beyond-their-years high school and university ensembles, stalwarts like Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, and the peerless Hank Jones will entertain the huge crowds downtown from August 29-September 1, as will ”A Love Supreme: The Philly/Detroit Summit,” which will spotlight these two musical hotbeds. The festival Web site is packed with jazz links, a photo gallery from last year’s event, and more. Get ready to thrill your ears and eyes over four days at an event that brings together longtime jazz lovers and so many others — especially kids, just beginning to experience this magnificent American art form — fittingly set in the heart of a city that continues to play a large role in its ongoing development.
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06.04.08
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Music, Michigan, Detroit, Great Outdoors, Family, Art at 4:23 pm by Tim
It’s “Detroit’s Unrivaled International Arts Festival,” a claim its organizers back up year after year. The 22nd Annual Detroit Festival of the Arts kicks off this Friday, June 6, and will keep tens of thousands of attendees entertained and well-fed through Sunday. Smokin’ tunes from such national acts as Raul Malo (Saturday @ 7:30) and Guy Davis (Sunday @ 3:15) intermingle with potent sounds from Motor City stalwarts that include Thornetta Davis (Saturday @ 5:30) and the Mosaic Singers (Sunday @ 12:30). Check out these profiles. In addition to the performing arts, there will be numerous practitioners of the fine arts with creations on display, so please visit them. Back in my radio days, I was a frequent emcee on various DFA stages, and loved being immersed within the excitement that unfolded at the event. I still try to attend each year. So often, I discover a new musical act or other artist, and I always enjoy the experience. Kids have plenty of fun, too. Come on down to Midtown’s University Cultural Center for this magnificent festival.
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05.22.08
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Music, Technology, Michigan, Detroit at 1:46 pm by Tim
All weekend, Detroit will crackle with some of the planet’s most exhilarating, inventive sounds. Movement 08 takes place May 24-26, and Walter Wasacz penned a terrific piece on the event in this week’s Metro Times. Get down to Hart Plaza but, first, learn the history of the fabled Amen Break. UPDATE: 5/27 - Model D put together a great slideshow of the event.
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04.30.08
Posted in Music, Michigan, Detroit at 2:11 pm by Tim
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of taking in a show at The Magic Stick, you’ll know why Rolling Stone magazine calls it one of America’s “Best Rock Clubs.” I’ve seen many gigs there myself — Alejandro Escovedo being one of the most memorable – but it’s been some time since I’ve visited the Woodward Avenue mainstay, also a great place for events and parties.
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04.04.08
Posted in Arts & Entertainment, Music, Michigan, Film, Detroit at 10:28 pm by Tim
DJ Afrika Bambaataa, Larval, Niagra, and The Polka Floyd. Oh, and Flint’s own Sandra Bernhard as host. That’s only part of the exceptionally diverse, compelling lineup that will take the stage at the 2008 Detroit Fringe Festival, which celebrates “Experimental Music, Art & Fashion” and takes place tomorrow (Saturday), April 5 at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Check out the full schedule, and try to get yourself downtown.
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