Solid Potato Salad - The Ross Sisters (1944)

Nothing says summer is on its way like potato salad. Thanks to Paul for the link.

Teen Self-Care in the Age of YouTube

Annalena mentioned last night that she's taken to watching this video every morning -- that if she watches Smokey Robinson and The Miracles sing The Tracks of My Tears, she has a good day. I think back to when she was a baby and discovered the comfort of her thumb to sooth herself through the night. I don't know how she found this video or what exactly about it she finds sustaining, but on a non-linear level, it makes all the sense in the world. The lyrics of the song transcend time, not to mention the suave dance moves. How wonderful that YouTube makes this wisdom of the ages accessible to teenagers in 2009.

will.i.am's "It's a New Day" video

I woke up happy, with this song blasting through my head. Perhaps you, too, would like to watch this video again.

Aaron Neville Kicks Off Holiday Tour at Mahaiwe

Annalena and I went to the mall yesterday in search of a homecoming dance dress (alas, I'm not finding the winning Forever 21 strapless, black and gray-striped, silk bubble dress online to show you...14 year olds are the only creatures with any business wearing such a confection and junior rocks it). Anyway, it's already Christmas at the mall. Normally, I abstain from holiday music until December 1st, but given the economy, I don't begrudge the merchants for trying to stir up some early cheer.

I'm also making an exception to the no Christmas music before December 1st rule for Aaron Neville, who kicks off his Creole-spiced solo holiday tour on Friday, November 28st, 8pm at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington. Backed by a quintet that features his brother Charles Neville on sax, Aaron’s show will focus on classics from his albums, Christmas Prayer and Soulful Christmas, alongside hits from throughout his five decades-long career. Click here for tickets.

I'm especially looking forward to hearing him sing songs from his recent album, Bring It on Home...The Soul Classics. Aaron says on his website, "These classic songs have been pumping blood to my heart from the first second I heard them. They've been a part of my life. Singing them, especially in the aftermath of Katrina, was a deeply spiritual experience. They helped me get through. They gave me hope. And for me, music has always been about hope."

Duncan Sheik to Perform at the Mahaiwe

Next Saturday, November 15, singer-songwriter-composer Duncan Sheik will perform selections from his hit musical, Spring Awakening (which won eight Tony Awards in 2007 ), along with other original material, at the Mahaiwe in Great Barrington. Spring Awakening original cast member Lauren Pritchard will join him for the concert. How fun is that? Be there!

And please consider joining me as a friend of the Mahaiwe, which just lost $150,000 of its funding due to state budget cuts. We are so lucky to have this gem of a venue in our little town.

Guido's Celebrity Sighting

I heard about some ungracious backstage behavior when he performed here earlier this summer and thus gather he may not really be the nicest person...yet my heart skipped a beat this afternoon when I saw D.H. in line for the butcher at Guido's. I was tempted to sidle up to him and strike up a conversation about turducken, but contained myself, as this is the Berkshires where we let our celebrities buy their grass-fed beef in peace.

Dar Williams to Perform at the Mahaiwe

Dar Williams will perform at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington on October 3. I've been immersing myself in her music this afternoon to prepare questions for a blog e-interview with her. Stay tuned...

Video interview with Dar Williams about the making of her new album, Promised Land.

Three Cheers for the Splatto Festival Chorus

There was some seriously inspired and mysterious free jazz juju emanating live from the WBCR studio in Great Barrington yesterday. For more photos and a link to a recording of the broadcast, click here.

The Players:
Dave Barrett (saxophones)
Michael Bisio (bass)
Ed Mann (vibes, percussion, electronics)
Todd Reynolds (violin and laptop)

The Visionary:
Paul Rapp

Dave Blows His Horns

My husband, Dave Barrett (right), with the Splatter Trio.

After a too-long hiatus, Dave is dipping his toe back into free jazz musical mayhem. He will improvise with Michael Bisio - bass (Charles Gayle, Joe McPhee), Ed Mann - percussion (Frank Zappa), and Todd Reynolds - violin (Ethel, Bang on a Can All Stars, Silk Road Ensemble) this Friday, September 19th from 3 pm to 4:30 pm Eastern. The concert will be streamed live on WBCR-LP. Seeing the line-up of incredible players, his old friend Gino wrote, "That's not dipping your toe in -- that's diving off a cliff."

Me & JT

Photo by Bess Hochstein

Hats off to the staff of the Red Lion Inn for so beautifully hosting today's Good Morning America live broadcast. It was an epic undertaking. Click here for more photos of the concert.

JT & Yo-Yo to Perform on Red Lion Inn Porch

Next Monday, September 15th, James Taylor and Yo-Yo Ma will perform live on the porch of the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge as part of Good Morning America's "50 States in 50 Days" whistle-stop tour. See Rural Intelligence for more details about the broadcast.

American Prayer (Barack Obama Music Video)

On Daryl Hall and the Marxist Dialectic

I got a B- in Marxism in college. In fact, I'm pretty sure I pulled an all-nighter with the Cliffs Notes Communist Manifesto to pass the final exam, so I'm not sure if what I'm remembering as the Marxist dialectic is actually the Marxist dialectic, but I did learn one very important thing in Marxism 101: There is no such thing as objective truth. Marx believed that truth is relative depending on one's material circumstances. The notion that Truth with a capital T did not exist blew my mind at age 21 and has stayed with me though the years, helping me sort out the world, though I don't think money is the only thing that defines one's reality.

...which brings me to the topic of last night's Daryl Hall concert at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. I was never a huge Hall and Oates fan, though of course the lyrics to their many 80s neo-soul hits (Rich Girl, Kiss on My List, Sara Smile, and She's Gone, to name but a few -- the duo sold more than 60 million albums) are engraved onto my generation's DNA.

I looooved the concert and while nostalgia was part of my response, it wasn't the dominant element. Daryl sang a lot of his hits, but with looser, more ragged and free wheeling arrangements than the originals. The band of veteran musicians rocked. Daryl held court in what I perceived to be a relaxed, dignified, generous, soulful, and utterly seductive and charismatic manner. The upper registers of his voice aren't what they once were, but he sang the hell out of the songs, delivering them as himself in the present, not as a washed up pop star clinging to his former glory. And he looked darn good. Whatever vitamins he's taking: they're working.

I gather that lately he's been broadcasting concerts from his house in nearby Dutchess County. The Mahaiwe performance felt similarly intimate and done just for the fun of it. Daryl doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. I had the sense that he was performing because he loves music. There's no better gift for an audience.

Soooo...I was surprised by my friend Seth's review of the concert this morning. It's like he saw a different show. Marx helps me understand how that was possible.