Streamliners, RB Morris, Jenna and her Cool Friends, Blue Mother Tupelo and Fred Eaglesmith

Jazzman RB Morris with the Streamliners, Knoxville Museum of Art

KMA swinging to the Streamliners

I'll start with a few pictures of the KMA from a couple of weeks ago and then I'll launch into what promises to be an amazing weekend for music in the city. Today's post begins with Alive After Five two weeks ago. The show is hosted at KMA by Michael Gill and features superb music, beverages for purchase and a reasonably priced catered meal, admission to the museum and free popcorn for a very modest price. It's a very cheap, but classy date. What could be better than that?

Streamliners at Alive After Five, Knoxville 2012

The music generally veers toward jazz and blues with a healthy sprinkling of other genres. Two weeks ago the featured artists were the Streamliners who play big band style jazz music. Most, if not all, of the members also play in the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra which, if you haven't figured it out from this blog, provide our city with all sorts of excellent musicians playing every shade of jazz in the known world.

Streamliners at KMA, January 2012

RB swings with the Streamliners at the KMA

The kicker this particular night was a promised guest slot for R.B. Morris which, on the face of it, seems like an odd mix, but for the two songs they performed, it was really excellent. One was a standard and the other was "Copper Penny," the classic, clever RB song. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to hear RB sing Marty Robbins songs know what RB can do with his voice when he's of a mind to. And he was definitely of a mind to that night.

RB Morris with the Streamliners

RB Morris sings at the KMA

He rocked, moved about the stage like a slick jazz man, bopping to the rhythms of the band and simply looked like this was his main gig. It was as if this swing man had simply idled away the years as this singer-songwriter while holding this secret passion for the big band world. In any case, he seemed to have a blast and so did, always present, crowd of dancers and diners.

It was a stop on our First Friday tour, but it happens most Friday nights and this one is no exception. Jenna and  Her Cool Friends will rock the house with their mix of blues and more blues. I've written about Jenna playing Alive After Five before. This is a band to see if you have any interest at all in that genre. Jenna Jefferson can belt and croon, make you dance and make you swoon. Watch out - her husband is in the band!

Seriously, Jenna has an encyclopedic memory for the details that make the music come alive. She can spin stories about the artists and the songs all night long. And they can play. Seriously play. They are headed for Memphis soon for a blues version of the Battle of the Bands where they have done very well in the past. The band is popping and I would not lead you wrong on that front. They practice just outside my home, so I can testify. You can't hear them on Sunday afternoons like I can, so Friday night is your chance: 6:00 - 8:30 at the KMA.

She's got some great competition across town. The lovely Bijou Theater will be the site of an outbreak of all things Donna the Buffalo. This excellent touring band from parts to the north is always great fun and the uplifting lyrics, groovy organ and general hipness will not leave you frowning.

But wait, there's more! This weekend, if you aren't in bed dying from an exotic disease, you have no excuse for not hearing great music. Saturday at noon WDVX hosts Fred Eaglesmith for the Blue Plate Special. I wrote about it the last time he appeared. It was amazingly good. I immediately bought his album "Cha Cha Cha" and have enjoyed it every since. He's back and he'll also perform at the Shed this weekend, touring in support of his latest album, "Six Volts," to be released in download form next week and physically in about three weeks. Be there early if you want to see the stage.

Saturday night Boyd's Jig and Reel has outdone themselves by booking Blue Mother Tupelo. This power duo with their intricate harmonies and country-rock, southern twang are just the ticket for a great evening of music. Pick up dinner at the Jig and Reel and have music for desert. It's an amazing deal. These people should be playing to thousands of people at a time and you get them in an intimate setting for this free show. What's not to love?

So, there you go: a great weekend of music and much of it free. It's about as good as a musical weekend in the city could be for my tastes. I hope to see you at the shows!

Odd and End Shoutouts

A great friend of mine from the area, Judy DiGregorio, as warm and funny a person as you'd ever want to meet, early this year released a recording of her reading her humorous memories and observations was released called Jest Judy. The CD contains sort of a "best of" tour of her books Life Among the Liliputians and Memories of a Loose Woman. The stories are autobiographical takes on life's foibles in general and her own, in particular, along with a funny story or two along the way about her husband and life partner, Dan. If you like funny stories, not so much as in a southern tradition, as maybe in the tradition of Lucille Ball, you might enjoy checking out the recording or the books. She lives in Oak Ridge, but is active in the Knoxville Writer's Guild.

Since I've mentioned one local product, I'm going to mention a few others from the area that might interest some of you. The first two I've mentioned before and the last one, I think, is new to this blog. First, if you enjoy historical fiction, there are two fine books by local authors that you really should consider or at least check out on Amazon.

Some of you may have heard Pamela Schoenewaldt read from her new book,  When We Were Strangers, at Central Street Books on First Friday. It is a beautifully written debut novel published by Harper Collins about a girl who leaves Italy in the late 1800s to find a new life in America. It follows her through the pain, loneliness and ultimately the growth and strength she draws from her experiences. It is a very meaningful story in a time when immigration and immigrants are, once more, a very hot topic in America.

The other book which I've mentioned before is The Typistby UT English professor and widely published short story writer, Michael Knight. I've re-read sections of this short book in the last few days and the spare writing is as near perfect as you are likely to find. With great economy Knight tells the story of a young man who became a witness to history while struggling into adulthood as the typist for General Douglas MacArthur. Set in Japan in the time after the dropping of the nuclear bombs and showing a more personal side to history, the novel humanizes the almost mythical general and reveals a view of history also very relevant today.

Bloodroot by Amy Greene is the story of a family in the Tennessee Mountains, examining both their gifts and their curse, which sometimes seem intertwined. This is not a light-hearted book, but is wonderfully well written with language you'll want to savor and read out loud. Recently available in paperback, this is a book that will linger in your mind.

March for Sanity, Knoxville Style

March for Sanity, Market Square, Knoxville, Tennessee

I'd be remiss if I didn't throw in a plug for Sanity. On a recent, beautiful, autumn afternoon a small contingent of Knoxvillians made their plea for sanity in our national political discourse. On the same afternoon the Mall in Washington, D.C. was covered with many thousands rallying at the behest of Jon Stewart, a solid dozen (park service estimate) local citizens made their case for the same. I'm not sure if the small number in the march means there aren't very many of our neighbors interested in sanity or if, perhaps, we feel we are just sane enough, thank you very much.

Clever and Derisive Signs, March for Sanity, Knoxville

I do know that the people interested in sanity seemed to be completely middle-aged, white and, I believe, Unitarian. It is a serious topic, of course, though the attempt was to handle it with humor.

I remain doubtful that we will be able to elevate the level of discourse in this very polarized era in our country's history. The people who shout the loudest and make the most outlandish comments seem to hold our attention far more than anyone who is quietly reasoned. Neither the left nor the right seems to be able to effectively elucidate their stance while at the same time maintaining civility for the opposing view. Even the signs pictured in this rally, while sometimes clever, reflected the irresistible urge to take shots at the opposition.

March for Sanity, Knoxville, Tennessee

Knox Heritage Distributes Awards

John Craig opens the Knox Heritage Annual Meeting, November 2010.

The annual awards ceremony was held at the Bijou in which Knox Heritage recognizes those who have distinguished themselves in the local world of preservation. The meeting also served as the annual meeting and new members were added to the board as old members moved on.

Jim Samples, President of HGTV, speaks to Knox Heritage members, November 2010.

After an interesting lesson in the physics of preservation and energy (it really was interesting) by John Craig, president of the Knox Heritage Board, Jim Samples, president of HGTV, gave the featured address. He talked eloquently of the soul of a city and how he found it downtown when he came for his interview at HGTV.

Tim Burchett, Knox County Mayor takes the microphone for a spontaneous comment (imagine that) while Kim Trent looks on.

Kim Trent then took center stage to distribute the fantastic fifteen awards as well as others. Here are the winners with connections to downtown:

Preservationist of the Year: Pete Debusk (for the renovation of the Old City Hall/LMU Law School

Mary Holbrook (shot not taken at the meeting!) got one of the largest ovations of the night! (Yea, Mary!)

Volunteer of the Year: Mary Holbrook

Bill Lyons gives the Mayor's Award, Knox Heritage, November 2010.

Mayor of Knoxville Award (presented by Bill Lyons): Minvilla Manor, LP/Allan Associates Architects for Minvilla, 447 N. Broadway

Knox County Mayor Award (presented by Tim Burchett): Kevin Murphy/C. Randall De Ford Architecture for Murphy House, 4508 Murphy Rd.

Greystone Award: Johnson Bible College/Brewer Ingram Fuller Architects for the White House, River Court Road

Media Award: WBIR, Erin Donovan and Jake Resler for If These Walls Could Talk

The Fantastic Fifteen went to the developers, organizations, architects and regular folks for the following buildings which have been lovingly preserved. Here are the winners in and near downtown Knoxville:

The Ziegler Building, 9 Market Square

Daylight Building after dark.

The Daylight Building, 505 Union Avenue
PSCC Magnolia Ave. Campus, 1610 E. Magnolia Aven.
West Jackson Workshop, 514 W. Jackson Ave.
3,5, 7, 13, 15-17, 23 Emory Place
Condominiums: The Lucerne, 201 W. Fifth Ave., The Sterchi Oaks, 209 W. Fifth Ave. and Patterson Cottage, 605 King Street
2921 N. Broadway
2743 Wimple Avenue
726 Burgess Avenue
1126 Luttrell Street
2019 Washington Avenue
Fourth United Presbyterian Church, 1323 N. Broadway
2701 Woodson Dr.

I'm assuming that  a complete list of the winners, along with photographs should soon be posted on the Knox Heritage website. It was a good night for a great organization that anyone with a love of history and a respect for those who've gone before us should support. Go to the website and join. It's simple and it helps save the soul of Knoxville. Who could oppose salvation?

We got Veterans, We got Everything and Everybody



Tennessee National Guard leads the way.



Veterans Day Parade, Gay Street, Knoxville, November 2010

 A fluke in my work schedule allowed me to be downtown for the recent Veterans Day Parade. It was quite the event. I'm estimating it lasted an hour and a half. That included a delay while the large American flag hoisted across Gay Street apparently had a slight malfunction which shut everything down for about ten minutes.

Cub Scouts - My Peeps!

Very Enthusiastic Heritage Girl

Got have your men-in-skirts or any parade is a bust!

Bearden High School - I liked the look.

It appeared that nearly every high school band and many of the ROTC programs were represented. Of course we had veterans from every branch of the service, current and the older warriors. The young soldiers-in-training were present: Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Brownies and American Heritage Girls (more Christian-focused version of the Girl Scouts).

Veterans and motorcycles go together like, well, veterans and motorcycles.



Did someone tell them it was a "Veteran's" parade, not a "corVETTERAN's" parade?



That's one big-hearted purple heart!

A Little spooky on an American street.

I have no idea.

A skeleton hanging out of a junk car fits in, how?

Vets arrived in big numbers - Corvettes, that is, as well as Mustangs, Model A's and T's, motorcycles, antique fire trucks, jalopies along with many military vehicles. Seeing some of the armament on Gay Street made me think of the Nazi march and the police in their riot gear with machine guns poised.

Nobody can trump these veterans!

Lighter moments also found their way into the mix as you can see in some of the pictures. No one asked me, but I would think that 45 minutes worth of the above might be enough. I'm not sure EVERY high school band needed to be in there and I wonder if each of the auto clubs might not send a representative vehicle. I think there were around 40 Corvettes.


I cannot imagine.

Some of it just didn't make sense to me - like the jalopy with the skeleton hanging out the window. I also wondered why the rebel flags adorning at least one motorcycle would be acceptable. I mean, we are honoring US veterans and the rebel flag symbolizes, among other things, an undermining of the union that led to many deaths and a treasonous separation from the country whose veterans we are celebrating. Maybe there is another side to that argument, but it seemed misplaced to me. Another suggestion would be to provide labels on some of the vehicles identifying the dignitaries. Finally, I would suggest that the very large plane that flew disturbingly close to the buildings might not be appropriate after 9/11 and after I nearly soiled myself as it unexpectedly flew over. 

Even the animals came in uniform.

Still, large numbers of people came out to celebrate and honor these men and women who give themselves for our sake and it was a good day.

Click the picture to enlarge and check out the shoes.