I Need a Light

Actually, quite the bluesman.

I need a light (light)
so I can smoke away this pain
I need a drink (drink)
so I can drink away this rain
maybe a wife (wife)
somebody to share my name
I need a song
a brand new song to sing

:: p o u r s a l i t t l e l i q u o r o n t h e g r o u n d ::

And another son of Sun Ra passes. It cannot be Afrofuturism when so much is in the past.

Noz, one of our role models, has begun to build the real shrine here, here and here. we will make no attempt to exceed that.

Grandgood has a fine effort up here.

There's also an official NYT obit here. Makes us laugh to read "an early graffiti writer" in the lede.

When we read effort by our boy Noz to make a record of how the 'ZΣΣ talks, we have a different reaction, though. Take this in:

I don’t really do music. I never ever really did music. I build tanks, I design letters to fly, I was building my dolls, building my masks. I now have 21 different masks and I go on tour with Death Comet Crew and go on tour by myself. But I mostly do paintings.

:: p o u r s a l i t t l e l i q u o r o n t h e g r o u n d ::

We keep the chronicle of mortality up to date, sadly. But for each loss there is a homegoing long overdue.

Bennie Powell, here.

Reminder: Politickin' Is More than Running Your Mouth

Teacake story? International oppression? We are not close to any of these facts, so we are just going to remain observers, but we invite any and all to remember that the stakes is high.

"We always do stuff like that and sh1t just falls into place."

Aquemini regathered the threads of the GBMA2F* fabric and wove new patterns. In an exercise of oral culture gathering reminiscent of the great XXL piece on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, chaboys at Creative Loafing (Atlanta) have gotten busy on the Outkast slab that wrote their name across our hearts. Go here. Read every word.

* the source:

:: p o u r s a l i t t l e l i q u o r o n t h e g r o u n d ::

The blues is all about recognition after it's due. It's the happiness that will come just a little later after the sadness on you right now. We've been collecting the notices all week. Visit, spin his tunes 'cause you know you shoulda yesterday (but that's about the blues as well), pour a little liquor on the ground tonight, conjure with him.

• NYT obit. Highly recommended.
• LA Times obit.
• Howard Reich for the Trib obit. Highly recommended.
• Haward Reich on the Velvet Lounge.
• Trib editorial.
• AP obit
• Chicago News Cooperative Sunday feature.

OG

We've been missing the grind for the last few weeks, and we have no excuse 'xcept the work. It's all good, and we miss it.

So we find ourselves looking at Clockers, realizing that we haven't put down a word about either Spike Lee, Richard Price, or the blues tradition of moviemaking. tonight, out of laziness that make this commonplacebook what it is, we leave a pointer: It's all about it, already.

:: p o u r s a l i t t l e l i q u o r o n t h e g r o u n d ::

Sad news from NJ, much sadder than murder rap. Here's testimony to a life's work.

The Blues is the Blues

We are not gonna report any news here, tho' you can find it. We just want to testify that our role model Dirty Glove has a cookie jar full of this bluesman's testimony. Our advice is to drop by and grab a Boosie snack.

Both Coasts @ the Same Time

We're way behind, but we had a moment today to find chaboy on both coasts: Here and here. Most of our lissening has been in the car, rolling the streets of the broken diamond. He plays like radio music, not as good as Gucci, but we pick up our ears when he comes on.

While We're On The Subject

My sandwich aint a sandwich w/out miracle whip.

What We're Hearing

We're moving slow these last three weeks. Coming back, though.

Sing the Blues, Old Man

The bluesman archetype knows trouble too many to count. Take this. And this. And finally this: "If you in the street you have to start batter it down from out deh, 'cause the street is just the wider prison. And if you are mixed up in that wider prison them put you in the smaller prison."

Watch the blues travel across the sea and take hold of the old man's soul.

How to Work in the Archive

Let's cast a spell of much love when we say the name one of our role models, brovah O-Dub. We were gleaning fresh over @ Soulsides, when we came across his discog post on Joe Bataan/Pete Rodriguez, and were reminded that Professor Wang knows how to do scholarship. Ain't enough of it either way. From the top to the bottom.

:: makes small circle of dried red peppers ::

:: places votive candle in blue glass @ center of the circle ::

:: lights candle @ noon ::

:: keeps candle lit 'til midnight ::

Get Back

Queen of the blues? Must say we like the politics of Flesh Tone at least as repped by the Voice.