Blues, Jazz and R&B: American Roots Music

Turkish instruments from the Yurdan Online Ethnic Music Store

Earlier this year on the Grammy Awards, as they honored various elders who have passed on. Ali Farka Toure and Ertegun were two.

Then, last night PBS broadcast documentary titled Atlantic Records: The House that Ahmet Built about the Turkish-American founder of one of the biggest record labels in United States history. The story was so interesting that I was up 'til 2 a.m. (okay...not just because of the film. I had to clean the kitchen afterward. I've gotta stop staying up so late. But that's beside the point.)

Learning about Ertegun's sacred drift of body and spirit along the path of music was fascinating. And the journey was guided by love, a love of roots blues and jazz. One must also pay attention to how the historical-political, artistic strands of his family history came together to in this man to form this vision and passion. He was no saint, and who can truly claim to be, but was definitely influenced by way of the mystic.

This statement of his talks about living a fiery life fueled by passion...

"I think it's better to burn out than to fade away... it's better to live out your days being very, very active - even if it destroys you - than to quietly... disappear.... At my age, why do you think I'm still here struggling with all the problems of this company- because I don't want to fade away."

Compare it to how such inner fire is connected to the idea of spiritual alchemy/transformation.

If you're interested in more, this article captures the gist of the film. (And be looking out for the quote where he ties together Ray Charles, Carl Jung and the unconsious. I think Ertegun felt this way about all honest contributions to Soul music.):

PBS American Masters: Ahmet Ertegun

Imago

Minnie Evans image http://www.folkstreams.net/film,71

An imago is a very deeply charged image. An image becomes an imago when it activates an archetypal energy field and thereby touches on not just this present occasion but activates our whole history as well. ~Curlee Raven Holton, artist & professor

Looking up the varying definitions of "imago," I found that most references relate the term to the development of insects or, on the opposite end, an idealized vision that one may hold of a parent. Beats me what common ground lies between these two, but whatever.

Many months back, I saw the Curlee Raven quote at an art exhibition that featured the work of a woman named Robin Holder. The idea had a pull that called me to jot it down, yet it took me until today-- as I went about arranging baby's toys and clothes and weeding through the tons of paper I tend to accumulate (usually always with the intention of sharing) to frame it with these gathered thoughts. I'm taking this moment while baby boy naps on the floor nearby to put it here, where it belongs, hoping that some of you friends will think to yourselves and talk to me and one another about the images that really mean something to you.

There are a number of visual artists that I feel are crafting important and beautiful work of the sort that Professor Raven speaks of. Sankofa kind of work that embodies clear knowledge of history and which also gleams with faith in and hope for the future. This kind of work is intimately connected the expanse of heaven and the deep recesses of earth by a starry bridge called dreams. Natural dreams that descend upon clean minds and open souls...

The best Haitian art has this kind of spirit. Renee Stout with her clever Madame Ching and Fatima Mayfield personas, too. Whitfield Lovell is also coming to mind, as are the departed John Biggers and Minnie Evans, Faith Ringgold and Bettye Saar. And then, I'm thinking of a recent issue of the International Review of African American Art; it featured the collection of Samella Lewis. Thumbing through those pages and being reminded of the aesthetics of some of the art from thirty, forty or more years ago...wow!

Surely there are many more that I could mention. But since Little Mr. Son-shine is taking his after-breakfast nap and I've yet to get showered and dressed for the day, I'd best get on and use my time wisely.

Catch you in another post.