The Southerner Journal

MONTICELLO, Ark. - As many of my students know, I detest Led Zeppelin.

Not that they didn’t make good music, but because they STOLE music. Granted, everyone covers songs by their influences, but Zeppelin actually claimed to have written the lyrics to songs originally written by luminaries including Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Blind Willie Johnson and many others. Were it not for people actually getting to the roots, few people might realize where rock’n'roll originated.

At least somebody’s doing something about it.

This Saturday, Oct. 18, the Mississippi Development Authority’s Tourism Heritage Trails Program, the Mississippi Blues Commission and Visit Hattiesburg continue to honor the roots of Rock and Roll at 8:30 a.m. by hosting the Mississippi Blues Trail Marker Ceremony.

Previous markers have been placed in honor of Dixon, Waters and Wolf, as well as Son House, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, Charley Patton and Magic Sam among others. For more information, please visit www.MSBluesTrail.org/blues_trail/.

COMPLETE is surely a tough requirement, because nearly everybody will agree that not everyone will like every song on an album. It’s also hard because some of my favorite artists, especially blues artists and even Johnny Cash, fall victim to my criteria for the list.

1) At least 85 percent of the album rocks, swings, wails or illuminates the unenlightened.

2) The album CANNOT be a greatest hits compilation, which by definition SHOULD be complete (although I can think of some that aren’t, e.g. Dire Straits “Sultans of Swing,” which inexplicably does not contain “Skateaway,” although that may show my bias). If a Greatest Hits album doesn’t fit the 85 percent requirement, face it: the band sucks and you got snookered out of your cash.

3) No live albums, as the best ones are very similar to a Greatest Hits. If you can think of a live album where every song represented the first time that the masses heard it, I may reconsider.

4) Mix discs are verboten. If you cannot meet the 85 percent requirement on a mix disc, either a) you suck as a dee-jay, b) you were in a rush to make it, or c) you’re politely telling the recipient to phuck off.

5) The Random Factor, i.e. you don’t have to turn off random to enjoy the album if you’re tired of listening to the same songs in a row again and again. To be honest, it makes some discs that you’ve listened to for 30+ years fresh again. That’s important when you’re getting to be a geezer like me.

Five rules; got it? So here we go with my nominees, in no particular order.

Miles Davis “Kind of Blue” - Can I get a hallelujah?

John Coltrane “Giant Steps” - Can I get an amen? Actually, I first got into Coltrane with “Blue Train,” but I consider “Giant Steps” to be a cut above.

The Beatles “Abbey Road” - I hated the Beatles as a teenager. I got turned on to “The White Album” after reading “Helter Skelter,” but then I rediscovered “Abbey Road,” an album my parents listened to not too long after I was born. Of course, they hated both of these because it wasn’t “Revolver” and that’s not what they were ready for; their loss. One of my favorite memories is sitting on the front porch on Laurel Avenue in Knoxville playing the entire second side of the album with my little brother following a hard days drinking after a porch party.

AC/DC “Back in Black” - I first heard heard this gem when my brother brought home the vinyl and nearly blew out my mom’s speakers. While everyone can probably agree on “Hells Bells,”  “(You Shook Me) All Night Long” and “Back in Black,” the rest of the album definitely does not suck and can be considered the best thing AC/DC ever released.

Widespread Panic “Til the Medicine Takes” — The tightly crafted album stresses songs over jams, but fear not: “Bear’s Gone Fishin’” would fit perfectly at the end of Panic’s rendition of Robert Johnson’s “Me and the Devil Blues.” Other gems include “Dyin’ Man,” “Blue Indian,” “The Waker,” “Nobody’s Loss” and my favorite, “All Time Low,” featuring gospel singer Dottie Peoples’ soulful growl.

Fleetwood Mac “Rumours” — The first Grammy show I ever watched had Fleetwood Mac constantly on stage for this album. It features “The Chain,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Don’t Stop” and “Dreams.” But you can start this album, play to the end, randomize or repeat and you’ll never get bored.

Taj Mahal “The Natch’l Blues” — Starting off with “Good Morning Miss Brown” and immediately following up with “Corinna,” Taj blew folks away with his version of the blues. I’d flip this vinyl over again and again and again and again …

Pink Floyd “Wish You Were Here” — I know that some Floyd fans would pick other discs (e.g. “The Wall”), but I think this is the best. It features “Shine on You Crazy Diamond,” “Welcome to the Machine,” “Have a Cigar” and the title cut. It’s one of my favorite all-time albums.

Old Crow Medicine Show “Greetings from Wawa” — I’m sure the guys in the band would not agree with me as they’ve put out slicker albums since, but when I heard this: “WOW!” Their first attempt at recording features snippets from a radio show they played, which is cool. But it’s the raw emotion that grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. Although it’s out of print, I suggest picking it up if you find it in a used rack somewhere. My favorites are “Gospel Plow” and “Pour It on Dock.”

Led Zeppelin “IV” — OK, my students will grieve me for this because I still contend Zeppelin basically ripped off a bunch of blues artists over their career, but this album rocked. This album features “Stairway to Heaven,” “Black Dog,” “Misty Mountain Hop” and “When the Levee Breaks,” one of the covers Zeppelin stole without proper credit. This album was involved in the backmasking scandal of the mid-80s where subversive lyrics were supposedly heard if you listened to the record backward.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Are You Experienced” — Why hasn’t anyone really approached Hendrix for sheer creativity with a basic music form? Because there’s only one Jimi. “Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe,” “May This Be Love,” “Fire,” “Highway Chile,” “Red House” and much more. Had he died after this album, we’d still be talking about him. Luckily, we got to keep him around a little longer.

Metallica “Master of Puppets” — Although a favorite of many cop friends of mine, I did not appreciate this album for a few years. But looking back, it’s awesome. “Sanitarium,” “Battery,” “Leper Messiah” and “Orion” are the jewels on this album.

Philip Glass “Koyannisqatsi” — If you love minor thirds and repetition, this soundtrack is guaranteed to keep you wired. My wife hates it. She’s joined by many former girlfriends. Sometimes I play it just to be left alone … and that ain’t bad.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart “Requiem Mass” — The man was a genius. There is not a more haunting work known to me. In my opinion, it is the most beautiful mass ever composed. It’s even more impressive because it was never finished.

Pearl Jam “Ten” — Although I really like “No Code,” the band never lived up to this debut. How could it? “Black,” “Even Flow,” “Alive,” “Jeremy” … need I go on?

Audioslave “Audioslave” — When this album came out, I fell in love with rock again after listening primarily to the blues and jazz for a few years. Much like Pearl Jam’s “Ten,” it was too good to be true.

Garage A Trois “Emphasizer” — I first listened to this album on the way from Atlanta to Knoxville. I didn’t realize it was repeating until the third time through because I was so into the music.

Blind Melon “Blind Melon” - This self-titled debut primarily got exposure due to a little girl running around in a bumble-bee suit in a video. IMHO, it’s the worst song on the disc. The song “Change” really means a lot to me, as I even quoted it during an interview when I took a job at Muskingum College in Ohio. But the whole disc is good and I only skip “No Rain” every other listen.

Bob Dylan “Blonde on Blonde” — I’ve had some great discussions about “Rainy Day Women 12 & 35,” which most people take to be talking about getting high. I think you can also take it in a religious manner, i.e. no matter what you do, somebody’s going to stone you much as they did to J.C. Even if you don’t agree with that assessment, there’s no denying this album kicks ass. If you don’t believe me, watch “High Fidelity.”

****
As stated before, I’ve left out some of my favorite bands, but this is a COMPLETE album listing. I expect they still have time.

Of course, you may not agree.  Please feel free to add to or subtract from the list. But don’t give me some willy-nilly “It’s just good” excuse. Tell me how your faves fit the criteria, or even bitch at me and improve on my criteria. Besides, I’m always looking for music I haven’t experienced yet because I believe all musical shortcomings reflect the limitations of the listener’s mind.

By Ronald Sitton

LITTLE ROCK (Sept. 17) - Dubbed the “Kings of Little Rock Honky-tonk” by local musician Kevin Kerby, The Salty Dogs are promoting their new album “Autoharpoon,” a 12-song compilation of new and used cuts that fits like your favorite T-shirt.

The band’s second full-length offering provides another welcome reprieve from the slicked-up Nashville sound dominating the country music airwaves. Brad Williams provides lead vocals, plays lead guitar, acoustic guitar and mandolin, and writes the vast majority of tunes played by The Salty Dogs. Bart Angel plays drums and percussion, pairing with Mike Nelson on bass to form a formidable rhythm section. Local legend Nick Devlin rounds out the quartet on electric guitar, lap steel and autoharp. Angel and Devlin often provide backing vocals.

An independent label out of Colorado that that focuses on traditional country, country rock and a couple of bluegrass bands, Big Bender Records picked up The Salty Dogs in February, providing full distribution so that country music fans can grab the album at Best Buy, Sam Goody’s and iTunes. Of course, the album can also be found on the band’s Web site and MySpace page, or by e-mailing Miles of Music.

However, don’t think the band intends to change to attract the major record labels.

“I think if the opportunity came available where we could do something else, we’d have to think about it long and hard,” Williams says. “I don’t see us beating any doors down (to land a contract from a major label).”

Reinventing an old sound

Described anywhere from “Grand Ole Opry-style Country” to “a natural heir to the Bakersfield Sound” to “Traditional Country & Western with a hip flavor,” the band reminds listeners of how good country music could be before Garth Brooks and others turned the genre into a pop-music playground. Yet, some critics of The Salty Dogs contend the band’s influences are too apparent.

Courtesy of The Salty Dogs

On Stage - Brad Williams (left) and Nick Devlin (right) perform during the Memorial Day Weekend.

“The hardest thing to do is to do anything simple,” Angel says. “It’s a lot harder to make this sound new and fresh. I’m not sure how far to get away from the Bakersfield Sound without becoming a completely different band or Nashville act. If you want to stay traditional country, you’ve got to stay traditional country. What do we do, put a tuba in the band?”

Williams agrees.

“I don’t see how a band cannot reflect its influences,” he says. “Someone’s subjective view will compare to something else.”

Williams should know, as he’s often accused of mimicking Dwight Yoakam (though he doesn’t wear the skin-tight jeans). Yoakam faced similar criticisms from people who thought he sounded too much like Buck Owens when singing the Kentucky bluegrass sound.

“I think ultimately it’s a compliment,” Williams says. “I do respect Dwight Yoakam. In the same sense, it’s not that you’re trying an impersonating act.”

“I’m tired of hearing it,” Angel interjects. “I’m sure you are.”

“That’s a lot of people’s frame of reference,” Williams continues. “I take it with a grain of salt. You do want to be known for what you do.”

Williams notes his influences came from the bluegrass and gospel music he heard growing up in Marked Tree, where he was raised listening to Ralph Stanley, Bill Monroe, Jimmy Williams and Sun Studio artists including Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.

“Every time I write a song, I write it as a bluegrass tune,” he says, somewhat to the surprise of Angel. “To write a pop song, it’s hard for me to do.”

Williams’ songwriting skills might be genetic. His grandfather, Roy Wagner, passed away in the ’80s, but not before he had written a bunch of songs, some funny and some with a Gospel influence. Williams found the words to “Holding to my Lord” and wrote the accompanying music. His mother, Virginia Williams, provides background vocals on the track that appears on “Autoharpoon.”

“I know it means a lot to her and a lot to me,” he says. “We have three generations in the song.”

The opening track, “Starting now,” features Elvis’ drummer, D.J. Fontana, known for his instantly recognizable intro to “Jailhouse Rock.” Williams contacted Fontana and asked if he’d be interested in recording.

“(Fontana) said, ‘Let’s do it,’ and set aside a date,” Williams says. “We went to Nashville with a friend to record it. After two run-throughs, he knocked it out. He was in and out in an hour.”

Not that Angel needs to worry about losing his place in the band. Though he grew up listening to Kiss and Cheap Trick on his own and Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings through his parents, he owns a peculiar style in that he stands to play his drum kit. While his kit may not be as big as Johnny Cash’s drummer, W.S. Holland, Angel still gets a full sound.

Cash’s influence can be felt in a few different ways. Williams’ family would often talk with the Man in Black when he came back to Marked Tree in Northeast Arkansas’ cotton country. The band dedicated its first full-length album, “The Salty Dog and Friends,” to Cash.

The new album features a song, “When my blood runs cold,” that emulates the Cash sound. The Salty Dogs recorded the song for the soundtrack of a Kelly Duda documentary about Cummins Prison, where Cash played in the early 1970s.

“Autoharpoon” also showcases the vocal talents of Devlin on Mickey Newberry’s “Why you’ve been gone so long?” (the song made famous by Johnny Darrell). One of two cover tunes on the album, the song often appears in The Salty Dogs’ live show, as does Steve Davis’ “Take time to know her,” made famous by Percy Sledge.

“We play it off the cuff,” Williams says. “I thought it was a great addition to the record. It’s still one of my favorite songs.”

In an effort to keep reinventing the music, Nelson adds synthesizers to a few tunes, much to the chagrin of some critics. Williams scoffs at their queasiness.

“This record is still staying true to country music, but trying to think outside the box,” he says. “I don’t think it changed the style of music.”

Branching Out

Courtesy of The Salty Dogs

The Salty Dogs - (left to right) Brad Williams, Bart Angel, Mike Nelson and Nick Devlin.

Williams, Angel and Nelson also play in Big Silver, which Williams describes as “Beatles post-Rubber Soul.” Between the two bands and some occasional back-up duty for singer-songwriter Amy Garland, each knows what the other will do in almost any situation.

“We get kind of rougher pop with (Big Silver) and traditional country with (The Salty Dogs),” Angel says. “It’s kind of a blessing. I approach the three situations differently. It’s nice — as a drummer, I have to approach them differently. It’s nice to do that stuff.”

Those who’ve followed the band know that it started as “a lark” to enter The Arkansas Times’ Musician Showcase. Big Silver won the showcase in 2000 and The Easys, a pop-rock band led by Big Silver’s Isaac Alexander, took the title the next year. Williams and company decided to do “something directly opposite, over-the-top country” in 2003 to make fun of themselves.

“We put together enough songs for a 30-minute set list,” Williams says. “We kind of played the role as much as possible, including wearing too much cologne.”

According to Angel, guitarist/vocalist Chris Lipsmeyer came up with the name “The Salty Dogs.”

“He was going to be a member, but life in general sidetracked him,” Angel says. “We kept the name though he didn’t stay with us.”

As fate would have it, The Salty Dogs won the Arkansas Times Musician’s Showcase, the accompanying recording opportunity and the moniker, “Best Original Band in Arkansas.” They made an EP, “King of Broken Hearts,” and could have been content stopping there. But they enjoyed playing country music more than they realized.

“I don’t consider it to be a lark now,” Williams says. “I don’t think anybody would consider it that. I don’t think we have the same motive as during the Times’ showcase.”

Angel agrees that the band started taking its task more seriously following “The Salty Dogs and Friends,” which featured guest appearances from some of their favorite musicians and friends in the Little Rock music community. He credits the continued improvement to Williams’ songwriting.

“The more he writes, the better he gets,” Angel says. “One of the things people say, we’re playing this music that’s old in a sense, but we keep it fresh and inject new energy.”

The Salty Dogs have opened for Junior Brown, Moot Davis, Hank Williams Jr., Pete Anderson, the Gourds, Old Crow Medicine Show, David Rawlings and the Legendary Shack Shakers. Their rise into the country music consciousness means most shows are played at night, which made their “unofficial” album release at North Little Rock’s William F. Laman’s Public Library that much more interesting.

“Amy Brower was doing a summer concert series at the library,” Williams says. “She thought it would be cool if we did it. It was a good show. It was a venue where people actually listened and it was the first time we played the new songs. It was pretty cool.”

“Brad brought a bubble machine,” Angel interjects. “I thought that was kind of cool.”

“My daughter got to come to the show,” Williams says.

“We got home at a decent hour,” Angel adds.

The Whitewater Tavern hosted the official release party. Compared to the library gig, the official release party did not start on time and featured a lot more people and about three times the sound, Williams says. Dan McCorison, a singer/songwriter from Nashville, opened the show with Devlin. All in all, the result was the same: happy people listening to quality country music with good lyrics and little pretentiousness.

If anybody’s wondering if The Salty Dogs accept tips at their shows, they do. And they prefer Old Spice cologne.

Catch The Salty Dogs live at the Old State House Museum with Charlotte Taylor on Oct. 4.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2007 Little Rock Free Press.

By Ronald Sitton

NORTH LITTLE ROCK (June 1) - Believe it or not, I still get out to live music on occasion. Just not as much as I’d like.

Two weeks ago, I missed the Towncraft festival. I really wanted to catch the reunions of Ashtray Babyhead and Mulehead, as well as see Ho-Hum again. But I suffered from finals-lag. Instead, I get to see video clips here and there.

Original art for GRASSMUSIC for the Era

But I did take the time to catch a second reunion of sorts. But first a little background. Back in the mid-’90s, I met Chuck Brouillette, who introduced me to Jeff Davis and Mark Jones. Jeff and Mark played guitar in Grass, a blues-rock band that occasionally played around town. Chuck, Mark and I worked at Friday’s. We all hung out with Micah Hall, Ron Hollis and Doug Morgan on the corner of JFK and McCain in North Little Rock. Those were crazy times.

Prior to my leaving Arkansas, Grass broke up. By then I knew everyone a little better, so I offered to provide backup vocals and cover art when Jeff made GRASSMUSIC for the Era. The cover art worked much better than the vocals, primarily b/c I came in to sing after fishing all day. A wicked sunburn knocked me down and out. So if you ever hear the disc, I’m on maybe four or five tracks.

We all kept in touch after I left the state. I’d catch up with Chuck and Jennifer whenever I’d come home, and I even got to spend a little time with Mark and V when they lived in Fayettenam. Jeff visited me in Knoxville and saw me at my worst when I was still in the throes of the worst heartbreak I ever lived through. To this day, when his friends tell me they’ve heard about me, I don’t know what to say.

Ready, Turn, Stoned at the White Water Tavern

But enough of the past. Unlike the Towncraft festival, which brought together people who swore they’d never play together again, Grass did not have a reunion. But Chuck and Veronica opened the May 22 show at the White Water Tavern in a new band called Ready, Turn, Stoned. I’d describe their music as southern blues punk. I don’t think any song lasted longer than a couple of minutes, but you could tell they loved to play together. I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to see them again.

A second band (I think they were called They Got High on Drums, but I can’t be sure) played while we sat down and drank a little. Jeff introduced me to Annie Ellicott, who now sings for Jeff’s new band, Ben.Ben. She adds a great flavor to Jeff’s experimental music, which I’ll just call jazz because that’s what it reminds me of … something familiar but different every time I hear it.

On this night they actually performed as Jeff Davis and the Shuffle Band. I assume it’s due to more people in Arkansas knowing Jeff than Ben.Ben. Still, they played some tunes I knew from back in the day, e.g. “City of the Blues,” “Cat in the Rain” and “Mule in the Road.” It’s interesting to hear how those songs have progressed as Jeff’s progressed. I look forward to an album at some time.

My wife had to work the next morning, so I sat with Chuck, Mark and V until intermission. After the set break, I stayed to watch a few more songs before heading to the after-party for Ready, Turn, Stoned. Although enjoyable, my body does not keep up as well in my late 30s as it did in my early to mid-20s. Needless to say, 3 a.m. doesn’t sit so well on these old bones. But it was a great time.

Oh … one last thing. A few weeks prior to this show I’d e-mailed Jeff about the ill-fated Fields of Sound Music and Art Festival. He replied that Arkansas didn’t even know he was gone. After the White Water show, I think they remember now. If you’re in Oklahoma, take a moment to catch what Arkansas lost.

Jeff Davis and the Shuffle Band

Connecting the Dots
by Glynn Wilson

TUSCALOOSA, Ala., April 14 - The streets of downtown Tuscaloosa were practically deserted late Saturday afternoon when we rolled into town for the Third Annual Crawfish and Blues Festival, a testament to two facts. The rain kept most people away and the blues alone just doesn’t have the drawing power it used to have in the South.

Maybe people have forgotten what B.B. King always said about the blues. It’s not about being sad all the time. Its about celebrating the roots of American music that spawned jazz, soul, funk and rock ‘n’ roll.

Photo by Glynn Wilson

Josh Shurley, Hayes Dobbins and Amy Williams put down about 11 pounds of crawfish at the Third Annual Crawfish and Blues Festival Saturday in downtown Tuscaloosa.

Or maybe it’s just that certain segments of the U.S. population are isolated from the blues, living in an organized religious cocoon. I suspect a Christian rock revival would draw more people in the South these days, and so would a country music festival or a hip hop convention.

But if the American public doesn’t start reading between the news lines about global warming, there may be a major resurgence of the blues dead ahead.

There is some good news on the subject of climate change and pollution, however. You just have to dig for it.

In case you missed it, the U.S. Supreme Court rebuked the Bush administration last week for it’s inaction on global warming, in a decision that the Associated Press reports could lead to more fuel-efficient cars as early as next year.

That may be a tad ambitious, but the court, in a 5-4 ruling in its first case on climate change, declared that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. Duh!

The Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate those emissions from new cars and trucks under the landmark environment law, the court said, and the “laundry list” of reasons given by the Bush administration for declining to do so are “insufficient.”

The reasoning in the court’s ruling also appears to apply to EPA’s decision not to impose controls on global warming pollution from power plants, a decision that has been challenged separately and will have a major impact on the future air quality in places such as Alabama.

High Court Rebukes Bush on Car Pollution

The ruling should influence a lower-court fight over pollution from four Alabama Power plants.

In a unanimous decision with industry wide implications, according to the AP, the Supreme Court ruled against Duke Energy Corp. in interpreting how emissions increases should be measured when utilities upgrade power plants.

Utilities, including Alabama Power, had argued for an approach allowing them to expand capacity annually without triggering requirements for expensive new pollution controls. But environmental experts say the decision will trickle down to pending cases across the country, including the EPA’s case against Alabama Power for problems at its plants in Shelby, Walker, Greene and Mobile counties

Supreme Court Ruling Could Sway Alabama Power Pollution Case

For those of you who take the position that unfettered corporate capitalism is a better governing model than a strong regulatory federal government, how do you respond to this fact?

Just days after the high court’s ruling - and this is a Supreme Court with a majority of members appointed by Republican presidents - Alabama Power issued a press release saying the company decided to take a step toward improving air quality in the Birmingham area by adding one of the world’s largest scrubbers to its Walker County plant. While the company has had the technology and the money to make this change for years, only in the wake of the ruling did it announce the spending of $261 million for a scrubber to be installed next year on its coal-burning power plant near the Jefferson County-Walker County line.

The aging plant is required by the U.S. Clean Air Act to install the scrubber to remove pollution from three of its stacks to decrease sulfur dioxide emissions by 98 percent and also reduce the emissions of mercury and fine particles. Power plants are the largest source of soot and ozone in the area, the most significant corporate, point source of pollution that keeps Birmingham out of compliance with federal rules every summer. The other big sources are old cars and trucks and the absence of an auto inspection program with teeth.

Studies show that particulate pollution can reach the lungs and the blood stream and cause lung cancer and heart disease.

A subsidiary of Southern Company, Alabama Power has a virtual monopoly on power generation in the state, serving 1.4 million homes and businesses. Most of the power comes from aging coal plants, and estimates show it would take an expenditure of $3 billion to bring those plants into compliance just with current environmental standards - by 2012.

Alabama Power Installing Big Scrubber in Walker County Plant

Meanwhile, the power company spends millions of dollars influencing the mainstream, corporate media in Alabama by advertising itself as an environmentally friendly company. In academic circles, we call that “green washing.”

Watch the news this week for another local example of green washing.

Samford University’s Center for Environmental Stewardship and Education will host a symposium April 21 where nationally renowned leaders in science, religion and the environment will come together to discuss “saving life on earth.”

E. O. Wilson Coming to Birmingham April 21

The problem with the conference is that the big name sponsor is Vulcan Materials, one of the worst corporate polluters on the planet.

We will be there to cover the event - and raise a little hell while we’re at it. Isn’t that what the alternative Web Press is about?

Who knows? If something major is not done to reverse climate change due to global warming from the burning of fossil fuels for energy, the blues may make a major comeback.

Personally, I would rather see a sea change in attitudes and a new economy emerging from new technologies.

I would rather start with the blues as a base and concentrate on creating new forms of music by combining the best influences of jazz, blue grass, rock and folk.

Dog knows America could use a new round of protest songs. Maybe we will live to see a cleaner day when the wind actually blows in March, the showers come in April - not winter storms - and the spring bird migration starts on time…

Photo by Glynn Wilson

Topper Price wails the blues in the background at the Third Annual Crawfish and Blues Festival Saturday in downtown Tuscaloosa.