Lore Article Archives
Power Rankings: College Football Tradition By State
by Patrick Snow With the football season fast approaching, we thought it was time to take a State-by-State look at the schools and traditions that make up the religion that is college football in our Swampland footprint. Gold read more...
LOST IN SPACE: The Epic Saga of Fort Worth's Space Opera
by Frank Gutch A FOREWORD, OF SORTS... I have to laugh when I think of how many people, including those in the music industry, considered Space Opera one of Canada's best rock exports. It is understandable, as the only information on read more...
Guest Blog by Dick Cooper: Remembering Jerry Wexler
by Dick Cooper This has been a hard time for me. Jerry Wexler was more than a mentor; he altered the forces of nature and changed the world for me. I was never sure why he read more...
What It Is--Is Swamp Music--Is What It Is
What It Is—Swamp Music—Is What It Is
Dr. Milly Caudle: A Renaissance Woman for a Renaissance Town
by Penne J. Laubenthal Milly Caudle, affectionately known as “Red,” is a petite dynamo who was appointed a year and a half ago to fill the unexpired term of Athens City Councilman read more...
Mystery And Manners' Honorary Southern Artists: Volume One
Mystery And Manners' Honorary Southern Artists Overview: Volume One By James Calemine
Steve Cropper: The Master Song Craftsman and Rhythm King
The Steve Cropper Interview
Resurrection
by Penne J. Laubenthal Birthdays are often opportunities for self-examination and reflection. Some birthdays provoke more introspection than others. A couple of years ago I decided it was time for me to "live deliberately," in the words of Thoreau: read more...
Charlie Musselwhite: The Master of Smokestack Lightning
Charlie Musselwhite Interview The Master of Smokestack Lightning By James Calemine "I'm ready as anybody could be..."
Bob Dylan's Renaldo & Clara: Asleep In The Tomb
Bob Dylan’s Lost Classic Renaldo & Clara: Asleep In the Tomb By James Calemine "I've been read more...
See You In A Hundred Years
An excerpt from SEE YOU IN A HUNDRED YEARS: Four Seasons In Forgotten America By Logan Ward Benbella read more...
The Gentle Spirit of Jonathan Wilson
A Southern Son Out West By James Calemine “Are you satisfied? Are you occupied? Do you have enough time To read more...
Eddie Hinton Does Porretta--Again!
by Penne J. Laubenthal Eighteen years ago in April of 1991 an Italian named Graziano Uliani, founder of the
Driving With The Devil
An excerpt from DRIVING WITH THE DEVIL: Southern Moonshiners, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR By Neal Thompson Crown read more...
Jim Dickinson's All-Star Music & Film
In Jim Dickinson’s first contribution to Swampland/Mystery And Manners, he wrote an indelible piece on Memphis barbecue. For his second installment Dickinson cites his favorite pianists, films and a desert island music stash. The High Priest of Memphis read more...
Billy Bob Thornton : Six Degrees of Swampland
YOUR GUIDE TO ALL THINGS BILLY BOB AT SWAMPLAND.COM
New York City Southern Style: Alabama Studio Weekend in the Shoals
by Penne J. Laubenthal Imagine starting off your Saturday morning with the perfect Bloody Mary, garnished in typical southern fashion with pickled okra, and served to you by one of the country’s foremost clothing designers,
Widespread Panic: On The Beach
Widespread Panic: On The Beach
Th' Legendary Shack Shakers: "Treulogizing the Gothic South"
A review of “The Tentshow Trilogy”, consisting of “Believe”, “Pandelirium” and “Swampblood” (All on Yep Roc Records) by Frank Gutch
Jim Dickinson's Best Memphis Barbecue & Favorite Meals On The Road
When I interviewed the High Priest of Memphis Mojo—Jim Dickinson—I asked him if he’d be interested in submitting his inimitable insight on barbecue, music and movies. Mr. read more...
Natasha Trethewey: Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
by Penne J. Laubenthal Pulitzer Prize winner Natasha Trethewey is a poet who gives voice to the voiceless, names to the nameless, and who creates read more...
"Inhale! Inhale! Rock N Roll" by Chris Robinson
INHALE! INHALE! ROCK N ROLL By Chris Robinson Originally Published in New Musical Express July 17, 1993 You pick up the block of read more...
Dixie Fried with The High Priest of Memphis Mojo Jim Dickinson
JIM DICKINSON INTERVIEW DIXIE FRIED WITH THE HIGH PRIEST OF MEMPHIS MOJO By James Calemine "Some people say worried blues read more...
Down In The Groove With Widespread Panic's Todd Nance
DOWN IN THE GROOVE WITH WIDESPREAD PANIC’S TODD NANCE “Either brace yourself for elimination/Or your heart must have the courage read more...
Sena Jeter Naslund and Growing Up in the Segregated South
Four Spirits, a novel by Birmingham native Sena Jeter Naslund based on the aftermath of the1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four little girls, made its world premiere read more...
Luther Dickinson Interview: The Secret Code of Memphis Guitars
Luther Dickinson Interview The Secret Code of Memphis Guitars By James Calemine "I'm gonna leave Memphis and spread the news/Memphis women read more...
Deryle Perryman and Dangerous Highway, a Film About Eddie Hinton
by Penne J. Laubenthal Dangerous Highway is an amazing documentary about the life and music of the incredibly talented and tragically fated Eddie Hinton, called the "greatest unknown
The Sounds of David Barbe
THE SOUNDS OF DAVID BARBE
Fifth Annual Oxford Film Festival
The Fifth Annual Oxford Film Festival (OFF) will open Wednesday evening, read more...
The Appalachian Sounds of Fonotone Records
The Appalachian Sounds of Fonotone Records By James Calemine “I went out in the open field/Black snake bit me on the read more...
Billy C Farlow is Having Too Much Fun
by Penne J. Laubenthal Billy C Farlow, blues musician, song writer, and harmonica player who skyrocketed to fame in the early ‘70s with Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, is a force to be reckoned with read more...
Goodbye, Babylon: A Patchwork Quilt of American Music
GOODBYE, BABYLON A Patchwork Quilt of American Music By James Calemine
Way Down South With John Sayles
Way Down South with John Sayles By James Calemine John Sayles’ films command respect. His latest film, Honeydripper, takes read more...
Cosmic Art Show in Georgia: A Photographic Retrospective
Buena Vista, Georgia's St. EOM is a Mecca for Cosmic Art Pasaquan's second annual Arts for Pasaquan Day on November 3rd, 2007 featured some of America's best visionary artists including Miz Thang, Robert Seven, Chris (Chubb) Hubbard's Heaven & read more...
A Celebration of The Life & Work of Paul Hemphill
A Celebration of The Life & Work of Paul Hemphill By James Calemine "I was ridin' number nine Headin' south from Caroline
Confessions of an Auburn Fan or It's Not Easy Being Orange (and Blue)
by Penne Jones Laubenthal The state of Alabama is a red state. It has been slowly turning red politically since 1960. In the past twenty-seven years, Alabama voters read more...
Hunting the Cotaco Creek
by Charles Ghigna His hand in hold so trigger tight even its blood believes in ghosts. It clings with set finger on steel and waits inside a dream of ducks. The twilight gives into a rise of eastern sky as sun reveals herself too proud read more...
The Alabama Wiregrassers
by Charles Ghigna Dry rooted in penny coated clay, the wiregrassers come suntan tamed in drawl through the mire faster. Machetes high aimed for home, they carry the clues of day across their open, flying clothes. Blade read more...
Shacks on Highway 231, Along the High Red Clay Embankments
By Bonnie Roberts These words are for those who never wrote a word, or sang a song, or thought a great thought, or invented something, or made something lasting. These words are for those who lived extraordinary read more...
Truck Driving Man (An American Roadsong)
Truck Driving Man (An American Roadsong)
Auger and Old Shoes
by Eric Smith I. On her rocker’s each forward pitch she glimpses the scuffed toes of shoes down the hall, read more...
Tom Coerver: On Louisiana, China Sky and Hurricane Katrina
BACKWATER TALES FROM A GREAT SOUTHERN MUSICIAN by Michael Buffalo Smith Tom Coerver is a musician's musician. A good ol' Louisiana boy who has an inate ability to play just about any musical instrument he can get his hands on, including a
St. Simons Island: Seaside Reckoning
read more...
My South
By Doris Gabel Welch My South is
The King Is Dead! Hang The Doctor!
The King Is Dead! Hang the Doctor!
Phillip Quinn Morris
Phillip Quinn Morris, author of Mussels and
W.C. Handy Music Festival, Florence, Alabama, July 22-29
“If Beale Street could talk Married men would have to take up their beds and walk…” Beale Street Blues W. C. Handy wrote those words when he was read more...
The Bayou Sideshow
The Bayou Sideshow By James Calemine
The Divine Spark of Sly & The Family Stone
By James Calemine
The Challenge of Pro Sports in the South
It seems like a simple equation. Growing markets equals new growth opportunities for outside businesses seeking new markets. New economic engines in the South (new factories, new banking and financial concerns, growing tech base, growing populations, and increased buying power) have read more...
Clifton Taulbert at the 6th Annual Writers Conference
Ah, April in Alabama---blistering sun one day, pouring rain the next. A certainty regarding the South is that one just has to wait long enough and the weather will change. Outside the conference building at Calhoun Community College in Decatur, Alabama, a precious rain is falling, read more...
Kirk West
Kirk West Swampland Interview James Calemine April, 2007 KIRK WEST’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES Kirk West plays an integral part in The Allman Brothers Band organization. West began taking photographs in the '70s which included read more...
Tim Duffy: Music Maker Relief Foundation
Tim Duffy Swampland Interview Music Maker Relief Foundation A Treasure Trove of American Music by James Calemine March, 2007 Music Maker Relief foundation, a non-profit read more...
Charlie Louvin
CHARLIE LOUVIN INSURED BEYOND THE GRAVE by James Calemine February 2007 The Louvin Brothers legendary songs transcend time. Born Ira (April 21, 1924) and Charlie (July 7, 1927) Loudermilk, the brothers were read more...
Reflections on Willie Nelson: The Complete Atlantic Sessions
WILLIE NELSON: THE COMPLETE ATLANTIC SESSIONS …A JOURNEY TO THE RESERVOIR OF AMERICAN COUNTRY & SOUL… by James Calemine “If America had one voice, it would be Willie’s…” - Emmylou read more...
Reflections on Gram Parsons: The Complete Reprise Sessions
GRAM PARSONS - THE COMPLETE REPRISE SESSIONS by James Calemine “In my hour of darkness, in my hour of need Oh Lord grant me vision oh Lord grant me speed.” (from Return of the Grievous read more...
Phil Walden Memorial
Phil Was a Capricorn By Michael Buffalo Smith May 2006 Phil Walden, 66, the Capricorn Records founder who launched the careers of Otis Redding and the Allman Brothers Band, died on Sunday, April 23, 2006 after a long read more...
The Georgia Sea Island Singers - Preserving Coastal Music Traditions
The Georgia Sea Island Singers Preserving Coastal Music Traditions By James Calemine Spring 2006 After four decades, Frankie and Doug Quimby continue to travel the world as the Georgia Sea Island Singers, read more...
Sam Shepard Stars in "Don't Come Knocking"
The Electric Cowboy Stars In Wim Wenders' Latest Film by James Calemine December '05 Sam Shepard’s career epitomizes the rugged soul of America’s West. The award read more...
Rodney Moag
Austin's own western swingin', yodel singin', morse-codin', on the roadin', book writin', out-of sightin', college teachin', language speakin', fiddle playin', radio deejayin', pickin' singin', always grinnin', college professor
John D. Wyker's Cat Tales - Eddie Hinton
AN EDDIE HINTON CAT TALE October, 2005 In The long, hot, stinking summer of 1984 Eddie Hinton caught a Greyhound Bus back into my hardware store, Hammer Swingin' Life...This was Hinton at his worst...No Nothin'...but a mean read more...
John D. Wyker's Cat Tales - Dan Penn
A DAN PENN CAT TALE by JD Wyker April, 2005 Conway Twitty's version of "Is A Bluebird Blue" was real important to Dan Penn...or should I say Wallace Pennington..It was the first real money he made as a read more...
John D. Wyker's Cat Tales - Macon & Capricorn Records
Macon & Capricorn Records Cat Tale The year 1969 was a wild and strange and crazy time for me.When the editor of GRITZ asked me to write a Cat Tale about the time I spent in Macon,Georgia I was honored to be asked and to be able to say read more...
Breakfast With Hunter
Breakfast With Hunter: A Film By Wayne Ewing Starring Dr. Hunter S. Thompson by James Calemine Feb. 2005 “There may be flies on you and me, but there are no flies on Jesus.” read more...
Sam Peckinpah
The Furious Legacy of an American Maverick by James Calemine December read more...
Rich Robinson (Black Crowes)
AS THE CROWE FLIES RICH ROBINSON ON THE BLACK CROWES AND GOING SOLO By James Calemine This interview was conducted with Rich Robinson four months before the Black Crowes regrouped in February of 2005 to tour for their “All Join read more...
Drive-By Truckers: Southern (Dis)Comfort
DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS Southern (Dis)Comfort: It’s Only Rock and Roll by James Calemine I “People need trouble——a little frustration to sharpen the read more...
Capricorn Records
By Russell Hall April 2004 In a business where executives often achieve legendary status, Capricorn Records founder Phil Walden has always been something of an anomaly. Unlike say, Jerry Wexler or Ahmet read more...
The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
A deluge of Townes Van Zandt releases flood the market since his death on January 1, 1997. A bitter legal battles ensues over Van Zandt's prolific song catalogue. Various related projects recently became available such as Norah Jones' Handsome Band: Live 2004, Margaret Brown's read more...
Hurt: Remembering Johnny Cash
by Michael Buffalo Smith September 2003 During the last several years of his life Johnny Cash was in severe pain 24 hours a day. For many men it would have meant retiring from the spotlight and into read more...
Tom Dowd
From The Manhattan Project to the Allman Brothers Band An Interview with Tom Dowd by Michael Buffalo Smith Fall 2002 Okay. We know that he has produced some of the greatest records in the read more...
Tom Dowd Memorial
TOM DOWD The Legendary Producer Dies on October 27, 2002 By Derek Halsey Last May I was invited to be backstage at the Grand Ole Opry as the guest of the excellent country and western singer, Joni Harms, whom I had interviewed read more...
George Lindsey
GEORGE LINDSEY A Chat with Mayberry’s Goober Pyle by Michael Buffalo Smith June 2002 There’s no doubt about it. George Lindsey will read more...
Clarence Fountain (Blind Boys of Alabama)
Clarence Fountain Interview Higher Ground by James Calemine Spring 2002 On September 3, 2002, Real World Records released the new Blind Boys of Alabama album titled Higher Ground, featuring read more...
Barney Barnwell, A Possum's Tale
What follows are some true-to-life tales told by a genuine mountain man, my friend Barney Barnwell of Campobello, S.C. (Camp'beller, that is.) Barney has lead The Plum Hollow Band as singer and fiddle player for over 25 years, playing a unique mix of bluegrass and rock and roll read more...
Alan Walden
Skynyrd, The Allmans and Otis Alan Walden's Career in Rock and Soul by Michael Buffalo Smith January 2002 Anyone who has read anything at all about the history of Southern Music is familiar with read more...
John Hartford Memorial
Where Does an Old Time River Man Go? John Hartford Remembered By Derek Halsey December 2001 In the cool autumn air the sounds of the riverboats were everywhere. There is nothing like the whistle of a ship like the Delta read more...
Red Dog Campbell
The Original Road Dog Red Dog Campbell’s Thirty-Three Years with The Allman Brothers Band by Michael Buffalo Smith August 2001 He’s the most famous “roadie” on the planet, no read more...
John Lee Hooker Memorial
John Lee Hooker (1917-2001) The Man is Gone, But The Boogie Lives On by J.C. Juanis June 21, 2001 The music community lost a great one today, when news of the death of bluesman John Lee Hooker read more...
Stanley Booth: Can I Get A Witness
Can I Get A Witness The True Adventures of Stanley Booth By James Calemine Winter 2000 Jack Kerouac was a writer. That is, he wrote. Many people who call themselves writers and have their names on books aren’t writers read more...
Remembering Eddie Hinton
Remembering Eddie Hinton "A Musician's Musician" by Dick Cooper Winter 2000 Eddie Hinton was a jewel. The many facets of his talent shone independently, and the whole was much greater than its parts. read more...
Janis Joplin Remembered
Recollections of Janis Seen Through the Eyes of Big Brother by Sam Andrew Summer 2000 Janis Joplin spent her childhood in Port Arthur, Texas. That town and indeed all of Texas east of Houston is bayou country, read more...
Moon Mullins
THE LIFE OF A ROADIE Arthur Mullins Recalls His Days with The Marshall Tucker Band by Michael Buffalo Smith June, 1999 Spartanburg’s Arthur “Moon” Mullins was almost as read more...