« September 2008 | Main | November 2008 »
An old friend just posted this. My jaw was on the floor the entire time. I've never heard of this instrument before today, and it's suddenly one of my favorite sounds in the world. I don't know if Hal is playing in a traditional tonality or not, but I love it. It's ancient sounding but also like Steve Reich or somebody in the minimalist school. I've always been a sucker for droning instruments anyway. Hey Hal, want to make a record? Enjoy.
I've got a review in today's Wall St. Journal about the new B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, MS. The place is cool and very much worth a visit. My longer and hopefully more erudite take on the place is HERE. What I didn't have space for was to remark on King's style, but I'll tell you while writing and listening to his older stuff from his Beale Street years in the early 1950s, I was amazed at his ability to fuse deeply rooted blues with an approachable, warm vocal and downright lyrical guitar playing. He more than deserves his stature as the King of the Blues.
Wednesday night I caught a preview screening of “Crazy,” a film that seems to have been micro-targeted at my own small but proud demographic – those obsessed with guitars, the golden age of Nashville and the fuzzy, fascinating border between country music and jazz. And if you’re into tragic romance, it’s got something for you too. It’s a biopic about Hank “Sugarfoot” Garland, believed by many to be the best guitarist to ever play in the studios of Music City. The film, written and directed by Rick Bieber, has won several film festival awards and opens nationally in a couple of weeks.
