Article Archives
Get In Union: Bessie Jones with the Sea Island Singers: 1959-1966
Get In Union: Bessie Jones with the Sea Island Singers and Others: Alan Lomax Recordings 1959-1966 Tompkins Square By James Calemine Alan Lomax once declared the Golden Isles of Georgia home of the American song. Get In Union: Bessie Jones read more...
Deep Water And Blue Souls: Roger Pinckney's Blow The Man Down
Deep Water And Blue Souls Roger Pinckney's Blow The Man Down By James Calemine "Got two reasons why I cry away each lonely read more...
Rich Robinson's Ceaseless Sight
Rich Robinson's Ceaseless Sight The End Records By James Calemine read more...
Cheyenne Mize: Shades of Blue & Grey
Cheyenne Mize: Shades of Blue & Grey By James Calemine "If I could think of a way to do it right now, I'd head back to Louisville, sit on the porch drinking beer, drive around Cherokee Park for a few nights, and try to sink back read more...
The Bloom of Underhill Rose
By James Calemine "I've been told I've got a restless soul How much dirt do I need to dig through Before I hit the gold I tried to be read more...
Bloodkin's One Long Hustle
By James Calemine CLICK ON LINKS WITH
Gimme Some Sugar, Darlin': The Quintessential Southern Cookbook
If you love to cook or just love to collect cookbooks, start making space on your bookshelf now because there's a new cookbook in town. This delightful compendium of all things culinary, Gimme Some Sugar, Darlin' by Mississippian Laurance Daltroff Triplette, is true piece read more...
Stranger In Paradise: The Works of Howard Finster
Stranger In Paradise: The Works of Reverend Howard Finster By James Calemine "For nation will rise read more...
New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music
New Horizons By James Calemine "I'm gonna sail like A ship on the ocean..." --The Georgia Sea island read more...
The Shoals Area Heats Up for the 31st Annual W. C. Handy Music Festival
It's almost that time again when the hills of North Alabama are alive with the sound of music. The 31st annual W. C. Handy Music Festival, which runs July read more...
Luther Dickinson: A Thousand Footprints in the Sand
By James Calemine Luther read more...
Games People Play: Atlanta Songwriter Joe South
Games People Play: Atlanta Songwriter Joe South By James Calemine Joe South's songs remain timeless. To me, he always epitomized the story of a living legend that no one can seem to find. He's out there somewhere, but no one has heard from him read more...
The Paintings of Georgia Artist Steve Penley
The Paintings of Georgia Artist Steve Penley By James Calemine Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1964, Steve Penley was raised in Macon, Georgia. By the time he attended the University of Georgia, he'd been painting and drawing for as long as read more...
Tennessee Williams: 27 Wagons Full of Cotton
Tennessee Williams: 27 Wagons Full of Cotton By James Calemine Born in Columbus, Mississippi, on March 26, 1911, Thomas (Tennessee) Williams wrote plays, short stories, novels and poetry. Some of his characters rank as the most memorable in read more...
Inning of a Lifetime
Inning of a Lifetime By Jerry Grillo One inning of Class D ball almost 60 years ago gave Joe Louis Reliford a lifetime of fame and free baseball – that’s right, Reliford gets into Major League ballgames on charm alone, because as an read more...
Levon Helm: Across The Great Divide
Levon Helm: Across The Great Divide To me, Levon Helm's voice captured the authentic roots of America's south. Born in Turkey Scratch, Arkansas, Helm grew up on Sonny Boy Williamson, traveled with
Swampland's Top 25 Albums of 2011
As March fades and the first quarter of 2012 comes to a close, Swampland has used this moment to look back on 2011 putting together our list of last year's best music releases from the South. Although we've named 25 records on our Top 25 Albums of 2011, each one serves as read more...
"What Does the Lord Require of You But to do Justice...?"
By Patsy Glenn, Guest Writer
American Roots Music: "The Jefferson County Sound: Alabama's Black Gospel Quartets"
The new documentary film, "The Jefferson County Sound: Alabama's Black Gospel Quartets," (One State Films, Stone Ridge, NY, 2012) is a tribute to and an affectionate preservation of roots music, in particular black gospel a capella quartet music. The read more...
My Year of Scary Movies: (Part 9) The Shining
My Year of Scary Movies (Part 9): The Shining By Daniel Hutchens The story goes that during filming of The Shining, director Stanley Kubrick once called novelist Stephen King (from whose book the film was drawn) at about 3:00 in the read more...
A Georgia Son in the Big Apple: The Brit Whittle Interview
A Georgia Son in the Big Apple The Brit Whittle Interview By James Calemine Acting is a rough trade. Few attain moments on the silver screen. The streets of Hollywood and New York are paved with bones of dead aspirant thespians. Georgia read more...
My Year of Scary Movies: (Part 8) Halloween
HALLOWEEN (1978) Directed by John Carpenter Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence By Daniel Hutchens "He came home..."
Michelle Malone Works It Out
Michelle Malone Works It Out By Jerry Grillo Watch Michelle Malone on stage, feel the rhythmic wave wash over the crowd, the tangible electric surge of rock and badass blues and sensual, sweaty soul, and it’s difficult to read more...
Going Up The Country: The Sixth Annual Sautee Jamboree
Going Up the Country: It’s Music for the Little Masses as the Sixth Annual Sautee Jamboree Rocks the Hhillsides By Jerry Grillo “I’m gonna leave this city, got to get away; All this fussing and fighting, read more...
Jimmy Hall: Still Smiling, With Plenty of Horsepower
Jimmy Hall Still Smiling, With Plenty of Horsepower By Jerry Grillo Jimmy Hall might write a book some day, and the whole thing will be about that one song, the one that got read more...
My Year of Scary Movies (Part 7): Roman Polanski's Unholy Trinity
My Year of Scary Movies (Part 7) Roman Polanski's Unholy Trinity by Daniel Hutchens Roman Polanski made three horror films over the course of eleven years which have come to be referred to as his “Unholy Trinity” or his read more...
My Year of Scary Movies (Part 6): Satan In the 70s
My Year Of Scary Movies by Daniel Hutchens Part 6: SATAN IN THE 70s Thrills and chills have always been popular entertainment, and of course this series of essays about scary movies I’m writing skips back and forth across several read more...
My Year of Scary Movies: (Part 5): Psycho
My Year Of Scary Movies by Daniel Hutchens Part 5: Psycho (1960) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh
Making Merry in the Marigny: FMIA Tour of Homes, New Orleans
Visitors to New Orleans who think the city is defined by the French Quarter and the Garden District are in for a delightful surprise when they wander past Esplanade and across Elysian Fields into the fabulous Faubourg Marigny. Popularly known as the
HOMEGROWN: An Exhibit of Regionally Influenced Designs in Nashville, TN
HOMEGROWN is a special exhibition of regionally influenced, culturally significant, contemporary design, bringing the designs to an underexposed market outside of the major design centers. The exhibit will take place from place from June 1 through June
The Secret To A Happy Ending
The Secret To A Happy Ending A Barr Weissmann Documentary (ATO Records) By James Calemine "The secret to a happy read more...
Matthew Nolan: Crumpled Paper Dolls and Exhuming Juliet.
"My pen sustains me, " writes poet Matthew Nolan in his poem "Muddy Hearts" from his first volume of poetry and prose Crumpled Paper Dolls (2004). Nolan, through his read more...
My Year of Scary Movies (Part 4): My Trip To Meet Fritz
MY YEAR OF SCARY MOVIES by Daniel Hutchens Part 4: My Trip To Meet Fritz “Iʼm just happy Iʼm still able to warp your young minds.”
My Year of Scary Movies: (Part 3): Nite Owl Theatre
MY YEAR OF SCARY MOVIES by Daniel Hutchens Part 3: Nite Owl Theatre “Greetings, Good Groovers.” As a kid I would sometimes visit my older sister Sandi in the summertime. She lived in Athens, Ohio, and one of read more...
My Year of Scary Movies (Part 2): Plan 9 From Outer Space
MY YEAR OF SCARY MOVIES by Daniel Hutchens Part 2: Plan 9 From Outer Space(1958) Directed by Edward D. Wood Jr. Starring Bela Lugosi, Tor Johnson, Vampira. “You are interested in the unknown, the mysterious, the unexplainable. read more...
My Year of Scary Movies (Part 1): Bats On My Birthday Cake
MY YEAR OF SCARY MOVIES by Daniel Hutchens Part 1: Bats On My Birthday Cake When I turned six years old, my birthday cake was decorated with bats. Not bats of the baseball variety, but bats with wings. As in vampire bats, as in read more...
Rock and Roll in the Rocket City: Rocking The Army
by Jane DeNeefe First among Alabama cities to integrate public facilities relatively peacefully, Huntsville could thank musicians and read more...
Meeting the Icons: Flo Kennedy and Rosa Parks
by Patsy Glenn So many of the high points in my life are framed and on the walls in my computer room. One of those is the program from the 1985 State Conference of the Alabama National Organization for Women. We met in October that year at the Econo Lodge on Battleship read more...
Alabama's Artisanal Goat Cheese Belle Chevre:"You Can Taste the Love!"
Belle Chevre Fromagerie, a tiny creamery nestled in the countryside of rural north Alabama, is a small business that packs a big punch. Just pick up any food related magazine this month and you may see
Rock and Roll in the Rocket City Part 2: Rock and Roll Boomtown
by Jane DeNeefe Last month in
The Roots of Rock and Roll in the Rocket City by Jane DeNeefe
Huntsville's rock and roll scene got its start in a racially segregated world. Black and white neighborhoods and business districts coexisted side-by-side downtown, with separate record stores, churches and night clubs. When Sun Record tours came through read more...
The Buzz Around Savannah Bee: The Ted Dennard Interview
The Buzz Around Savannah Bee: The Ted Dennard Interview By James Calemine Ted Dennard's company, Savannah Bee, ranks as one of the most vibrant read more...
Rock and Roll Mommy
Rock and Roll Mommy by Shannon McNally I didn’t recognize the first signs of being pregnant. I mistook them for extreme road weariness. I was in the studio in Lafayette making a record with Mac Rebennack, (also known as
When The Saints Went Marching Out: Artists Remember Katrina, 24 August 2010
by Diann Blakely “I do not know much about gods, but I think that the river Is a strong brown god-- T. S. Eliot, “The Dry Salvages” At first I thought it was the Dog Days: that period between July and September when it is not only read more...
Young Man With A Horn: Ken Watters, Jazz Trumpeter Extraordinaire
"Ken Watters is one of the finest young trumpet players to come along in a very long while. His is a unique trumpet voice that utilizes the read more...
Widespread Panic's Michael Houser: Eight Years Gone
Michael Houser: The Quiet Genius: Eight Years Gone By James Calemine Eight years ago Widespread Panic’s founding guitarist died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 40. It doesn’t seem like eight years since he’s been read more...
The GRITZ Stone Ground & Southern Compilation Home Page
Welcome to the official information page for the GRITZ Stone Ground and Southern Music Compilation Series. We hope you will enjoy these free downloads, visit the band websites and order their albums. Please be sure to give us your read more...
Bill Kirchen – Twangin’ His Way To The Top
By J.C. Juanis Bill Kirchen, known as the “King of the Dieselbilly” when it comes to playing his trademark Fender Telecaster guitar,
Meet David Lummis, Author of The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans
In April of this year I had the opportunity to spend four glorious days in that queen of cities, New Orleans. One of the highlights of the trip, as recorded in my
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 24, Jam 4 George 2007, The Lost Pictures
We recently ran across a whole new batch of photos from the 2007 Jam 4 George (McCorkle) in Spartanburg, SC, Visit our original story and photos
Promise To Thomas Benefit Rocked
by Dewayne Fields The Promise To Thomas benefit show took place on May 9th in Castle Hayne, N.C. The event benefited Thomas King, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ryan King. Ryan is frontman and singer of the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Band Tuesday's read more...
Truth And Salvage Company: From the Hills of Carolina To the Hills of California
Truth and Salvage Company: From the Hills of Carolina To The Hills of California By James Calemine The rare collection of songwriters in Truth And Salvage Company originate from Atlanta, New Orleans, Tupelo and Ohio, met in Asheville, North Carolina, read more...
Athens Cobbler Practices "Dying Art" by Holly Hollman
ATHENS, Ala. (AP) — Dust particles dance in the dim light at Dobbs Shoe Shop as Mike Latimer grinds a custom sneaker sole for an orthopedic patient. Grit and black polish outline his calloused fingertips. The smells of beeswax, used for
New Orleans Journal Episode Three: Culture, Cuisine, and "Coffee Shop Chronicles"
Randy and I arrived in NOLA on April 9 by way of Hattiesburg, MS. We elected to spend the first night of the trip in Mississippi because we had heard of a superb restaurant in downtown Hattiesburg read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Twenty-Five; Ronnie Van Zant
RONNIE VAN ZANT FOREVER! A Scrapbook
New Orleans Journal Episode Two: Dr. Lutz, Galatoire's, and Urban Gardens
When writing about New Orleans, one scarcely knows where to begin. Last week I just jumped in and provided an overview of our fabulous holiday in the Crescent City, including a description read more...
"Ain't No City Like New Orleans"--New Orleans Journal Episode One
April in Paris? How about April in one of the most incredible cities in the world--a city rich with history, redolent with aromas of exotic cuisine, and resounding with jazz-- New Orleans, Louisiana. New read more...
GRITZFEST II Photo Retrospective
Photos from GRITZFEST II, The Haiti Relief Concert at Crossroads Music Hall, Huntsville, Alabama; February 26, 2010 Photos by Michael Buffa;o Smith except where noted
Six Degrees of Swampland: Drive-By Truckers
The Six Degrees of Swampland: The Drive By Truckers serves as a compendium of all DBT-related read more...
UA Press Releases Alabama's Civil RIghts Trail: An Illustrated Guide
This amazing 350 page volume, Alabama's Civil Rights Trail: An Illustrated Guide to the Cradle of Freedom, is every person's guide to the last 150 years of the civil read more...
Expanding The NCAA Tournament Would Further Erode An Already Suffering Sport
It’s Championship week in college basketball, and it’s a thrilling time to watch teams from smaller conferences earn their way into the Big Dance. While few believe that the regular season is what it used to be (especially when compared to college football), the read more...
Athens Georgia's Finest: Patterson Hood's 2010 Guitar Pull
Athens Georgia's Finest: Patterson Hood’s 2010 Guitar Pull By James Calemine A cold wind swirled down the streets of Athens, Georgia, on the evening of February 24. Wednesday night’s Guitar Pull was hosted by read more...
Six Degrees of Swampland: The Dickinson Family
Jim Dickinson--The High Priest of Memphis Mojo--shines like a beacon of light in the music world. Dickinson’s indelible read more...
Bloodkin Sails with Lynyrd Skynyrd
BLOODKIN SAILS WITH LYNYRD SKYNYRD By Daniel Hutchens Back on January 14,
Super Bowl XLIV Will Be Special for the South
The world’s biggest sporting contest is upon us, and the Southern storylines could not be more prevalent. With the Saints and the Colts meeting in the Super Bowl,
Remembering Capricorn's Frank Fenter: The Push To Get Him Into The Georgia Music Hall of Fame
by Michael Buffalo Smith Frank Fenter is truly an unsung hero of the music world, especially in the world of Southern Rock. Today there is a movement afoot set into motion by Fenter’s step[son Robin to get Fenter into The Georgia Music Hall of Fame. His work read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 23, The 2010 Simple Man Cruise
January 21-25, 2010 Photos by Tom Bell
SEC, Big 12, & ACC Bowl Primer: Post-January 1 Edition
SEC 01/01 –.Auburn vs. Northwestern - Outback Bowl (11 am EST – ESPN) 01/01 – LSU vs. Penn State - Independence Bowl (1 pm EST – read more...
SEC, Big 12, & ACC Bowl Primer: Pre-January 1 Edition
SEC 12/27 – Kentucky vs. Clemson - Music City Bowl (8:30pm EST – read more...
Memories of Vic Chesnutt By Daniel Hutchens
LISTENING TO A LOT OF LITTLE: MEMORIES OF VIC CHESNUTT By Daniel Hutchens
James Gurley – Janis Joplin’s Guitarist 1939-2009
By: J.C. Juanis James Gurley, the fiery guitarist from Big Brother & the Holding Company, the band that helped propel singer Janis Joplin to international prominence, passed away at his Palm Desert home on December 20th, 2009.
Bloodkin Gears Up For Christmas, The Shining And A Long Hustle
Bloodkin Gears Up For Christmas, The Shining And A Long Hustle By Daniel Hutchens
A Real Christmas Letter: Writer Counts Blessings
The following is a real Christmas letter that I received last year. It was too late to publish it on Swampland so I saved it for this year because I found it not only inspirational but very funny. During 2009 I read it over and over in order to remember to count read more...
The Big House - America's Finest new Rock'n'Roll Museum
by John Charles Griffin Macon Music Ambassador The much anticipated Allman Brothers Band Big House Museum in Macon, read more...
Tides and Times
Tides and Times By Michael Gowen
The Who Tragedy in Ohio: A First Hand Rememberance
My First Hand Remembrances of the Who Concert Tragedy 30 Years Ago Today By Derek Halsey It is hard to believe that it has been 30 years since the tragedy of The Who concert in Cincinnati on December 3rd, 1979. On that tragic night 11 read more...
Capricorn Records - A Tribute
Swampland's Tribute To Capricorn Records When Jerry Wexler of Atlantic Records gave Phil Walden and Frank Fenter the read more...
Lisa Love's Soulful Mission for The Georgia Music Hall of Fame
Lisa Love’s Mission To Preserve The Georgia Music Hall of Fame By James Calemine My old friend
Johnny Mercer: A Georgia Peach of a Songwriter
by Billy C. Farlow Elk River November 2009 Johnny Mercer is not your usual Southern music icon. In the genre of down-home music greats most life stories are all too read more...
The Endorsement: McIntosh County Smoked Oysters
The Endorsement- In Defense of the Ga. Oyster McIntosh County Smoked Oysters Lately these days, from the high end destination restaurant with celebrity read more...
Chuck Leavell Fall 08 Interview (Part One)
The Chuck Leavell Interview Fall 08 (Part One) "The cultivation of trees is the cultivation of the good, the beautiful and the read more...
First Annual Southern Shorts Film Festival by Guest Writer Kelly Kazek
Organizers of the Southern Shorts Film Festival, the first of its kind in Athens, Ala, will be screening three feature-length films read more...
The Michael Gowen Interview: Kayak Fishing On St. Simons & Coastal Georgia
The Michael Gowen Interview Fall 2009 By James Calemine A couple of weeks ago my old friend and I Michael Gowen conducted this read more...
Weekly Fever Review #5: The ACC Still Not Progressing Quickly Enough
As we head into October, we've learned quite a few things about this current college football season. SEC - This conference remains on top, not only for our Footprint, but also nationally. There are still 3 SEC teams in the top 5, and there are two teams read more...
Weekly Fever Review #4: NYC Bowl Hypocrisy, Etc.
It's going to be a briefer than normal weekly fever. We will take a look at some key games coming up and how they affect our teams and conferences as a whole, but first let's start with a subject that really has us a bit miffed.
Weekly SPF Rating #3: Teams in Turmoil
We warned about a difficult season in SPF land, but we didn't think the wheels would come off so fast for certain teams. The good news is with a few of our top teams. The Colts and Saints sit at 3-0 and look like potential Super Bowl contenders. The Falcons, the read more...
The 25 Best Songs: The Atlanta Rhythm Section
The genesis of ARS began with The Candymen, a group that backed up Roy Orbison. Later, some of the members formed The Classics IV and charted with the classic “Spooky.” ARS were all accomplished studio musicians, and when they all came together in their home read more...
Weekly SPF Rating #2: The Desperation Factor
We already warned everyone that 2009 looked like a down year for our SPF teams across the board. It could be worse than we imagined after one of our better read more...
Weekly Fever Review #3: The South "Officially" Becomes the Home of College Football
We would be remiss if we didn't start our Weekly Fever with some big news - the College Football Hall of Fame will relocate from South Bend, Indiana (home of Notre Dame) to Atlanta by read more...
Weekly SPF Rating #1: 2009 Could Be A Long Year For Our Pro Teams
Yes, it is only the first week of the NFL season, but there are signs that it could be a seriously down year for our 13 SPF teams. It starts with the core of our group of teams - the eight squads that make up the NFC South and AFC South. In the past, these two read more...
Weekly Fever Review: College Football's Week Two - Big 12/ACC Struggles, etc
Now that week two of the college football season is behind us, we've learned a little more about our teams and what the season might have in store.
Weekly Fever Review: Reflections on College Football's Week One
We thought we'd provide a few thoughts after the first week of the college football season just before tonight's Clemson - Georgia Tech game. In the months that pass between each football season, certain things are put under the microscope by the media and the fans. Here read more...
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Six Degrees of Swampland
The 2009 Allman Brothers Band Beacon Run in Review
Swampland Reviews The Entire 2009 Beacon Run Be Sure read more...
Pat Conroy: An Affair to Remember
by Penne J. Laubenthal When I read my first Pat Conroy book, it was love at first paragraph. I have just finished reading the prologue to
Cornbread Chronicles: Excerpts
by Jerry read more...
Jerry Wexler and Muscle Shoals Music
by Dick Cooper On the occasion of the first anniversary of the death of Jerry Wexler it becomes more evident to the extent of his contribution to Muscle Shoals Music. He died August 15, 2008 at his home in Sarasota, FL of congestive heart failure.
Alabama Filmmaker Robert Clem, Atticus Finch, and Big Jim Folsom
by Penne J. Laubenthal The New Yorker magazine, renowned for its esoteric analyses as well as its eclectic literary pieces recently published a provocative article entitled
Going Green in New Orleans--Worn Again Art in NOLA
by Penne J. Laubenthal Having had its share of trouble over the years but forever out there on the cutting edge, New Orleans is a city whose name has always evoked history, music, literature, and art. Now read more...
Billy C Farlow Talks about Jaybird Coleman and the Blues Harp
by guest writer Billy C. Farlow After my rant about harp blowers not getting enough credit in Ted Gioia's fine book
Folk Music Legend Mike Seeger Dies at 75
The New Lost City Ramblers Last Ever Concert at Clifftop 2009 By Derek Halsey It is the night of July 30th, 2009 at the Appalachian String Band Festival, an annual musical gathering also referred to as simply “Clifftop” held read more...
Widespread Panic's Official 2008 Induction Into Georgia Music Hall of Fame
2008 Widespread Panic Induction Into Georgia Music Hall of Fame By James Calemine (Published in the Official 30th Anniversary Georgia Music Hall of Fame 2008 read more...
Renowned Artist James C. Watkins and the Trinity Museum Project.
by guest writer Diane Lehr On Friday July 17,2009, I spent the late afternoon in Athens, read more...
Walking Through The Fire with Mark Karan
by Sonny Edwards Because live music is what it’s really all about, Jemimah Puddleduck will celebrate the release of Mark Karan’s Walk Through the Fire by playing on David Gans’ Dead to the World show on KPFA on July 1st, 2009, from 8 pm to read more...
Celebrating Juneteenth and the End of Slavery in the US
by Penne J. Laubenthal "This is the use of memory/ For liberation -- not less of love but expanding/ Of love beyond desire and so liberation/ From the future as well as the past." T. S read more...
The Marshall Tucker Band: Six Degrees of Swampland
Blending their Carolina country roots with r&b and jazz stylings, The Marshall read more...
Macon GABBAFEST Soars to 101 Degrees
Barney Hoskyns' Biography Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits
Barney Hoskyns’ Biography The Lowside of The Road: A Life of Tom Waits By James Calemine “Take an eye for an read more...
Brad "The Animal" Lesley Guest Blog: Baseball & Marshall Tucker
I met Toy Caldwell for the first time at the Walnut Grove Opry House in Spartanburg, SC in the late 70's. Did my first shot/sip of moonshine that night as well - what a shock. I was playing with the Greensboro read more...
Rags to Riches: From Anderson Books to Books-A-Million
By Penne J. Laubenthal The old Anderson Bookland store in downtown Florence, Alabama, will soon house the elegant corporate headquarters and retail store for internationally known clothing designer read more...
The "Widespread Panic Archives" Guide
Rick Bragg Receives Harper Lee Award
By Penne J. Laubenthal At the 12th Annual Alabama Writers Symposium held earlier this month in
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook
Sometimes, a picture truly is worth a thousand words... Welcome to the GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook. This will be an ongoing, often updated, collection of classic and new Southern Rock photographs, many of which have never before read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 22, Lynyrd Skynyrd in Concert
Turning Stone Casino, Verona, New York. November 22, 2009
Ean Evans of Lynyrd Skynyrd: A Memorial; Frynds Remember the "Mississippi Kid"
Wayne “Ean” Evans, bassist for Lynyrd Skynyrd, has died after a hard fought battle with cancer. He was 48. Evans was
Ordinary Heroes: A Series---Nell Smith Lutz and the World War II Honor Flights
by Penne J. Laubenthal This feature is the first in a series about ordinary heroes—those persons who live next door or just across town, people we see every day who have, in their own quiet and special way, made the world a better place to live in. Last month read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 21: The Outlaws
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 18 Memorials
The following photos feature the final resting places of some true Legends of Southern Rock. The photos come to us courtesy of GRITZ reader Ken Avin. Thank you brother Ken. PART ONE: LYNYRD SKYNYRD
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 19, Memorials
Memorials, continued. Allman Brothers Band and Marshall Tucker Band. Duane Allman and Berry Oakley read more...
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 15, 1971, Skynyrd, MTB, EQT
Ronnie Van Zant playing in the park in Jacksonville, 1971.
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 16
Volunteer Jam: Toy Caldwell, Dobie Gray; Henry Paul; Jimmy Hall.
The GRITZ Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part 20, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rossington Collins Band
Mr. Cool, Ronnie Van Zant. Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The True Era of Southern Rock 1969-1979
by Michael Buffalo Smith The definitive Southern Rock era began in 1969. In Macon, Georgia. Phil Walden, who had previously been known for his work with r&b acts like read more...
Billy Reid: A Touch of Southern Style in NYC
For lack of a better explanation the South is a place where city and rural cordially interact and blend daily. This makes for a very interesting environment and culture - Billy Reid Nestled within a construction-filled street in the NoHo area of NYC, read more...
Merlefest 2009 - April 23-26: A Preview, and The Influence of Duane Allman On Newgrass
Gritz interviews James Nash of the Waybacks and New Grass Revival legend John Cowan on being a part of the now infamous Hillside Album Hour ‘Led Zep’ jam at last year’s Merlefest, on what is in store for Merlefest 2009, and how groups like the Allman Brothers read more...
Let's Have a Party: Wanda Jackson Still Rocking at 71
by Penne J. Laubenthal When I was young, I did not even know Wanda Jackson by name but there was no mistaking that distinctive voice. She could rock the rafters with
Legends of Southern Rock: Cowboy
Calipari, SEC Hoops, and the Coming NBA "Bubble"
Watch out - Rick Pitino and Louisville! John Calipari gave Kentucky what it wanted - a coach that makes them instantly competitive in their state, their conference, and the nation at large. There is little doubt that it has been hard for Kentucky to watch their read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Ten; Winters Bros. Band, Charlie Daniels, Marshall Tucker Band
An ad from Rolling Stone.
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Twelve
The boys at their finest!
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Thirteen
Molly Hatchet, 1978
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Fourteen
Gregg Allman with The Allman Joys.
The Top 40 Moments From The Allman Brothers Band's 2009 Beacon Run
The 2009 Beacon Run was one for the books. Never have The Allman Brothers welcomed so many diverse guests onto their stage during a single run. And the results were read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Eight, Capricorn Days
Frank Fenter, Phil Walden, Dick Wooley and Don Schmitzerly do the Marx Brothers.
The Allman Brothers Band: An Essential Link Through America's Music Generations
by James Calemine “You don’t need no gypsy to tell you why/You can’t let one precious day slip by…” --Gregg read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Seven
Phil Walden and Frank Fenter lakeside.
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Eleven
Busted! But Duane kept on smilin!
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Six; Capricorn Days
Frank Fenter in his office at Capricorn Records, Macon.
Six Degrees of Swampland: Widespread Panic
It Came from Old Memphis
The Death of Community Activist/Blues Musician Willie King 1943-2009 by Andy Moore In early 2002, I worked a stint at a small, family owned record distributor in Nashville. Nothing too exciting, we had our only sales success with some locally read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook : Part Nine, Skynyrd, Tucker and more
This series of pictures was sent to us by a reader. They were taken on May 20, 1974 at Santa Monica Civic read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook; Part One
Duane Allman having fun backstage.
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Two
THE RANTS: Toy Caldwell and George McCorlkle's pre-Toy Factory, pre-Marshall Tucker band. read more...
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Three
Lynyrd Skynyrd 1973.
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Four
Mark Emerick (Commander Cody) jams with Dickey Betts & Great Southern.
The Legends of Southern Rock Photo Scrapbook, Part Five: Cowboy, Capricorn & MTB
The Cowboy House in Cochran, GA. Actually called "The Shedd House" at the time, it was where read more...
Dennis Linde Memorial Benefit: A Photo Retrospective
PHOTO RETROSPECTIVE "A Night of Burnin' Love" Benefit and Dennis Linde Memorial Nashville, February 9, read more...
George Washington Harris' Cemetery Party by Special Guest Dr. Sheila Byrd
As I stood on the hillside of this compact, well-kept cemetery in a place I had known for a few short months, I was struck by the beauty of the spring day: the blooming dogwoods, the bright green grass, the fresh air, and brilliant sunshine. It was as if he had ordered it read more...
My Longstanding Love Affair with Guitar Magazines (by William Tonks)
My Long Standing Love Affair with Guitar Magazines By William Tonks I have been enamored with the guitar since I was about 8 or 9. read more...
The Derek Hess Photo Album: A Swampland Exclusive!
The following collection of phoros come courtesy of Derek Hess. Be sure to read our interview with Derek here.
Southern Literature: Roots and Branches
---by Penne J. Laubenthal What is Southern literature and when did it begin? We know that literature was being written in the not yet self-consciously read more...
The 25 Best Album Covers of Southern Rock
by Michael Buffalo Smith I am really excited about the recent comeback of vinyl records. I mean, not only is the old analog sound richer and warmer, but the big LP jackets were always a treat in and of themselves, from the liner notes and photos to the inserts. (Our read more...
Legends of Southern Rock: Lynyrd Skynyrd
by Michael Buffalo Smith SIX DEGREES OF SWAMPLAND:LYNYRD SKYNYRD (A one page guide for all Swampland articles, interviews, and review about Lynyrd Skynyrd)
Billy Powell Memorial: Friends and Family Pay Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd Pianist
The outpouring of love for Billy Powell over the past 24 hours has been unprecedented. It is very obvious that both he and his beloved Lynyrd Skynyrd are absolutely loved and adored read more...
Recruiting Never Ends in the South
When it comes to college football, just ‘Google’ the phrase “recruiting is the lifeblood” and you’ll see a ton of results. The fact that quality recruiting is the number one key for long-term success in the big-time world of college football has never read more...
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...
The Gonzo Tapes: The Life And Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
The 25 Best Songs: Lynyrd Skynyrd
by Michael Buffalo Smith And now, my choices for the 25 all-time best songs recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd. 1. Freebird
The Simple Man Cruise 2009: A Photo Retrospective
January 8 -12, 2009 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Marshall Tucker Band - Molly Hatchet - 38 Special - and more... Photos by Tom Bell
The 20 Best Songs: ZZ Top
by Michael Buffalo Smith For nearly 40 years Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard of
Delaney & Bonnie & Friends: Six Degrees of Swampland
Bo Bice: Six Degrees of Swampland
"He’s a really nice guy, and I read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 13): William Faulkner Provides Our Rankings
As the season nears conclusion, it's time to break down our 13 teams into groups, Faulkner-style. With apologies to this great writer, the titles and themes of his novels and stories seemed to fit our group of thirteen as the season nears its close.
Warren Haynes Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of His Christmas Jam
Warren Haynes – Asheville ~ New Orleans ~ New York City Haynes Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of His Christmas Jam By Derek Halsey There was a phenomenon in major league baseball back in the day called “The McCovey read more...
Van Zant Helps Make Timmy and Hannah Benefit a Huge Success
by Darlene Stevens The families of Timmy Mooring and Hannah Roddy would like to thank everyone for their support during their time of need. Timmy, who was burned over 50% of his body in a debris fire at his home on August 9th 2008 and stayed almost three months
Art and the South: Paxton--Out of This World
By Penne J. Laubenthal When Midrealist artist Paxton opened his recent show at the
2008 Georgia Music Hall of Fame Inductions
2008 Georgia Music Hall of Fame
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 11): The Stretch Run Begins!
We know quite a bit about our SPF teams by now. The only thing left to determine is which teams are playoff bound and which teams have Super Bowl potential. At least half of our 13 teams will be at home and that number could continue to rise. We can also call at read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 10): Ranking the Coaching Trees
1. Tennessee Titans - The Titans remain a fantastic SPF story. Their way of winning - brute force, matched by a will not to lose - has them as the NFL's only undefeated team for yet another week.
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 9): Shakeups At The Top!
1. Tennessee Titans - Like the #1 college team working each week to hold their place at the top, the Titans have methodically marched through their undefeated season. This isn't a big play team. It doesn't have to be. They attack opponents read more...
The 25 Best Songs: The Allman Brothers Band
by Michael Buffalo Smith They were the the first, and many consider them the best, band of the Southern Rock era. The fiery slide guitar of Duane Allman, the country meets Django guitar and decidedly country vocals of
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 8): Halfway Home
1. Dallas Cowboys - They pulled off a critical victory against the Bucs last Sunday. It was ugly, but that's how it goes sometimes. A win is a win. The Cowboys can't afford to be worried about style points right now. They continue to read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 7): Hanging Hammers
1. Dallas Cowboys - Let's hear a few words of wisdom from one of Swampland Sports all time coaching greats, Jimmy Johnson: Show me one player who doesn’t need a hammer hanging over him. I don’t think there’s ever been, or read more...
Rooting Out Kudzu the Spartanburg Way
by Dianne Smith Fergusson “Far Eastern vines. . . . prospered until rooted out.” James Dickey –
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 6): Tennessee Reigns!
1. Tennessee Titans - The last undefeated team in the NFL has to get the top spot for at least one week this season. They have become Tennessee's team as the Vols in Knoxville have struggled to maintain their own identity. 2. Dallas read more...
No Holds Barred: Ric Flair
by Michael Buffalo Smith One of the most enigmatic and popular wrestlers of the seventies and eighties was the one and only Nature Boy Ric Flair. The recently retired champion was on of my personal favorites, and by far the all time favorite of my old friend and read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 5): Identities Found, Lost
Identities. This is the "Team Identity" Poll after all. We are far enough into the season to get a sense of where teams are. Some have done an amazing job. Others are teetering, losing their connection to their fans and read more...
No Holds Barred: Ox Baker
by Michael Buffalo Smith One of my favorite wrestlers was always Ox Baker. I witnessed many a smack down at the hands of big Ox, the 6’5,” 342 pound Sedalia, Missouri export. Ox was born Douglas A. Baker on April 19,1934, and began his career in 1964 when read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 4): Adjustments
The NFL vs College. It's a distinction that has begun to blur. The two games have been getting closer and closer over the past ten years. Scholarship reductions are one of the main reasons combined with increased TV exposure for all schools. Watching Vandy read more...
Legends of Southern Rock: 38 Special
by Michael Buffalo Smith
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 3): Who Are You?
In any season, there is a moment where teams begin to show who they are. After three games, our SPF teams are showing just that. 1. Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys took care of business on Sunday night against the Packers. The Cowboys as a read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 2): Consistency, Both Good and Bad
1. Dallas Cowboys - Our recent SPF review of Jeff Pearlman's book on the Cowboys of the 1990's called Boys Will Be Boys shows how this latest era in Cowboys history might possibly be even read more...
Space Opera - LOST IN SPACE (Chapter 2)
The Epic Saga of Fort Worth's Space Opera CHAPTER TWO: HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PARTY (and later, a problem)... "I'm at the club one evening and three guys show up, and we're talking gawky, zit-faced teenagers... they wanted me to come to Fort read more...
Suicide and the South
by Penne J. Laubenthal When he was only 31 years old, the brilliant and talented John Kennedy Toole killed himself by using a garden hose to asphyxiate himself with exhaust fumes from his car. His read more...
SPF T.I. Poll (Week 1): Overcoming Adversity
Starting last Thursday, the NFL season began another year which means that SPF is back with our weekly "Team Identity" Poll. To recap, SPF rates teams not on how good they are, but how well they relate to the fans in the Footprint. Pro sports isn't as read more...
Where Are They Now? Former Marshall Tucker Band Bassist Tim Lawter
by Michael Buffalo Smith Tim Lawter played the bass guitar in The read more...
Charlie Daniels: Six Degrees of Swampland
"Bocephus and
Space Opera - 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. read more...
GRITZ Comments from Friends & Legends
AND NOW, A FEW KIND WORDS FROM SOME FRIENDS OF read more...
The 25 Best Songs: The Mashall Tucker Band
by Michael Buffalo Smith I will never forget the first time I heard the music of The Marshall Tucker Band. Not only were they a blend of every kind of music I loved, from blues to country rock to jazz, they were from my home town of Spartanburg, SC. It was an immediate read more...
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Six (Final Installment)
17. Bonnie Bramlett’s Run On Roseanne (1991) Bonnie (Then called Bonnie Sheridan) shows up as a waitress in a diner and a friend of Roseanne in both the third and 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
GRITZ Presents: Buffalo Roaming
BUFFALO ROAMING
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Five
by Michael Buffalo Smith And we continue.... 28. “Stompin’ Room Only” Released (2003) The “Holy Grail” for Marshall Tucker Band fans, read more...
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Four
by Michael Buffalo Smith 39. Jammin’ for Danny Joe Brown - (July 18, 1999) An all star concert headed up by Riff West to raise money for
Chuck Leavell: Rolling Stone & Tree Farmer
read more...
Mystery And Manners' Honorary Southern Artists: Volume One
Mystery And Manners' Honorary Southern Artists Overview: Volume One By James Calemine
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Three
59. “Freebird” The Movie Premiers (1996) Drawn mostly from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1976 show at Knebworth Fair in England. the movie also included footage from a few read more...
Resurrection: Kayaking Through the Mid-Life Crisis
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...
Wynton and Willie and the Blues
by Penne J. Laubenthal The Marsalis family and Willie Nelson and I go way back. I have been a fan read more...
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part Two
79. Cameron Crowe Puts The Allmans On the Cover of the Rolling Stone (December 6, 1973) Cameron Crowe went on the road with The Allman Brothers at the age of 15, and read more...
A Southern Strategy For The NBA
Now that we welcome another NBA team to our Footprint (three cheers for OKC), it's time for the NBA to start making some other changes that will help this league's popularity continue to grow in our read more...
The 100 Defining Moments in Southern Rock: Part One
by Michael Buffalo Smith 100. “Pony Boy” Hand bone (1973) Dickey Betts brought country music sensibility into
Filming a Southern Movie in Rome, Georgia with Jimmy Hall and Tommy Talton
by Michael Buffalo Smith Ken Wheeler is betting the farm on a movie. Wheeler, a farmer from the Rome, Georgia area, is putting his money, heart and soul into the read more...
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...
NASCAR: Driving in Different Directions?
by Patrick Snow Some recent events in the world of NASCAR have made us here at Swampland ask the question: In what direction is this sport going? I’ve expressed frustration before about how NASCAR seems to want to forget its Southern roots as they try to put read more...
The Ten Greatest Southern Rock Cities
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Jacksonville, Florida The birthplace of
Guest blog by Bebe Gish Shaw: Magical Mississippi Tour
There are magical moments in teaching which remind us that we do not teach to live but rather live to teach, and Saturday, April 19, 2008, was one of those halcyon days of academic heaven in which one goes into third person, watching himself watching the wonderment sparkle in read more...
Ten Great DVD's For Southern Rockers
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Almost Famous (2000) The semi-autobiographical story of read more...
The Greatest Songwriters of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Dickey read more...
The Greatest Instrumentalists of The Southern Rock Era
INSTRUMENTALISTS (OTHER THAN GUITAR/KEYS/DRUM KIT) by Michael Buffalo Smith
Guest Blog by Molly Hatchet's John Galvin: The Taste of Southern Rock
THE TASTE OF SOUTHERN ROCK by John Galvin of Molly Hatchet I was first read more...
The SEC At A Crossroads: Don't Make NASCAR's Mistake
The SEC sets the pace in all of college athletics. The question is what will it do for an encore? Last week's meetings in Destin, FL ended up largely becoming a time to reflect on
The Ten Best Billy Bob Thornton Movies Ever
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Sling Blade - (1997) Without a doubt Billy Bob’s most famous role. What makes read more...
Guest Blog: Henry Paul On Marshall Tucker
by Henry Paul My first recollection of The Marshall Tucker Band was hearing them on the radio and seeing read more...
The Greatest Keyboard Players of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Chuck Leavell Take one look at the Georgia boy’s
The Greatest Bass Players of the Southern Rock Era
1. Tommy Caldwell - According to all of the members of The Marshall Tucker read more...
Great Southern Record Producers
"There are three kinds of record producers. The first kind is the documentarian -- someone like Leonard Chess, who goes into a bar on the South Side of Chicago, sees Muddy Waters with a six-piece combo, then pulls him into the studio the next day and says, read more...
Kyle Busch: More Sr. Than Jr.?
by Patrick Snow Kyle Busch is in First place in the Sprint Cup standings as the NASCAR circuit prepares for the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. And if you have watched how he tries to dominate the field each lap of each race, you have to admit how good of a driver read more...
The Greatest Drummers of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Jakson Spires of Blackfoot In my opinion,
Eddie Hinton Does Porretta--Again!
by Penne J. Laubenthal Eighteen years ago in April of 1991 an Italian named Graziano Uliani, founder of the
Top 25 Songs of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. Freebird - Lynyrd Skynyrd As if there was any doubt read more...
The Greatest Vocalists of The Southern Rock Era
by Michael Buffalo Smith
The Top Ten Guitarists of the Southern Rock Era
The Greatest Guitar Slingers of The Southern Rock Era by Michael Buffalo Smith
GRITZ Southern Rock Lists
SWAMPLAND'S SOUTHERN ROCK LISTS
Capricorn Records Discography 1969 - 1979
CAPRICORN LABEL ALBUM DISCOGRAPHY Number - Title - Artist [Release Date] (Chart) read more...
Southern Sporting "Events"
by Patrick Snow As I attended a Kentucky Derby function this past Saturday, it was never more evident that Southerners must throw a pretty good party. We are probably more known
Gritz Legends of Southern Rock
A handful of bands from the Southern Rock Era have earned the title of "Legend." These are the bands that defined the genre and set the bar for all other bands in their wake. These are the few, the originals, the Legends of Southern read more...
The BCS: A Friend to the SEC (and the Rest of the Footprint)
We at Tribal Fever find it odd that it would be the SEC who would call for a playoff system. We wonder how the SEC can be so blind to the fact that the BCS has been great for that conference. For those that love the idea of a playoff, we will list the reasons why most read more...
Legends of Southern Rock: ZZ Top
by Michael Buffalo Smith "ZZ Top was the best band in the world at remaining mysterious for so long. That was part of their appeal. You saw these beards, and they didn’t talk as much as they do these days. There was just a real mystery about them for a long read more...
Snowman's 2008 Draft Wrap Up
The annual NFL Draft is now over, and the critics will have a field day with opinions on who did well and who faltered with their choices. I thought I would take a look at the Draft from the collegiate view and see who from our region will have the biggest impact on their new 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...
SPF's 2008 NFL Draft Awards
Although the NFL Draft still have rounds 3-7 to go, we at SPF think it is time to hand out some awards. Except in very rare cases, team's drafts are defined by their day one picks, and we learned a lot about how the SPF slate of teams are approaching the coming season - for 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
Record Stores of the Swampland Footprint
ALABAMA CD Cellar Anniston AL Oz Music Tuscaloosa AL ARKANSAS
Guest Blog by Charlie Daniels; Memories of a Friend
Memories of a Friend by Charlie Daniels I have the greatest respect for talented people who can take nothing and make something out of it. Such is the case of the songwriter. He pulls thoughts out of thin air
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
Billy Bob Thornton's Top Ten Southern Rock Albums
by Michael Buffalo Smith In keeping with our ongoing lists of favorite Southern Rock albums, we present the list of actor/musician
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...
Getting Realistic About College Hoops Coaching Hires
It’s a who’s who of college basketball in San Antonio with all of the #1 seeds making the Final Four. While the games should be great, there may be just as much drama at the Coach’s Convention, which takes place in conjunction with the Final Four. Many tough 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...
The Top Ten Albums of Southern Rock
Southern Rock’s Top Ten Welcome to a new feature at GRITZ called Southern Rock’s Top Ten, where we will be asking the stars an journalists associated with the genre, as well as some of today’s country music stars, to share
The Top Ten Albums of Southern Rock According to...
On the heels of my own Top Twenty Five Southern Rock albums, we asked a few of our friends to share their own lists of Favorite Southern Rock albums, and we got a few real surprises, but one fact read more...
Merlefest at 21, Doc Watson at 85: Festival Notes
A Great American Music Festival And Its Host At The Crossroads by Derek Halsey "In 1934, Dad made me a little home-made banjo,” remembers Doc Watson, on the historic three-CD album of performances and 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...
Legends of Southern Rock: Blackfoot
by Michael Buffalo Smith
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...
Big House Benefit a Major Success
Article & Photos by John Charles Griffin The annual Allman Brother's Big House Museum Benefit was a rock'n'roll home run with near-capacity crowd at Macon's Armory Ballroom on Saturday, January 19th despite weather forecasts earlier that day for potential snow with ice read more...
Toy Story
This Ol' Cowboy Lives On: Remembering Toy Caldwell (1999) by Michael Buffalo Smith When Toy Caldwell graduated from Dorman High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina in the mid-1960's, he knew that he had a steady gig at the read more...
Guest Blog by Dick Cooper: Delbert Needed a Drummer
By Dick Cooper Delbert needed a drummer. I didn’t realize it at the time, but the truth was Delbert read more...
Darius Goes West: Twelve Guys and a Dream
Once in a great while, just when you think there is no reason to get up in the morning and that there is no hope for humanity, and that people will just go on killing one another forever, and that tomorrow will be probably be even worse than today, then something happens to turn read more...
The Garfeel Ruff Story
by Michael Buffalo Smith From the book Carolina Dreams, 1997. When Rick Godfrey was six years old, he was playing the piano at his Grandmother’s house in Greenville, SC. read more...
Legends of Southern Rock: The Outlaws
by Michael Buffalo Smith
Fifth Annual Oxford Film Festival
The Fifth Annual Oxford Film Festival (OFF) will open Wednesday evening, read more...
SEC: Conference King Once Again
By Patrick Snow It’s an argument that will never end-whose Conference is better? Fans will debate this topic vociferously every season, and the answer always tends to lie close to your address. I’m not sure that the Bowl games are the best way to evaluate read more...
Huge Hires for the SEC Old Guard
By Patrick Snow It has already been quite the postseason in the SEC coaching ranks, and it’s only going to get more interesting. With the recent additions of Nick Saban and Bobby Petrino along with Houston Nutt and Les Miles staying in the conference, read more...
Macon Holiday Jam Was a Major Success
by John Charles Griffin Macon, Georgia's 2007 Holiday Benefit Jam was held on on December 21st at Cox Capitol Theatre. The event was a major success that featured music by Randall Bramblett,
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...
Bah Humbug
By Patrick Snow Well it’s the end of the year, and soon you will be inundated with “Best of/Worst of” lists for 2007. Those lists will have the normal good (Peyton Manning/Appy State) and bad (Mike Vick/Bobby Petrino) perspective on a national scale. read more...
Anarchy in the ATL
By Patrick Snow The current Atlanta Falcons mess brings up so many thoughts and issues. I thought I would try to answer some of the questions that are plaguing this moribund franchise. How did everything go so wrong? The forecast for the Falcons never read more...
Goodbye, Babylon: A Patchwork Quilt of American Music
GOODBYE, BABYLON A Patchwork Quilt of American Music By James Calemine
SEC Coaching - None Better
In the end, it was a surprise. But the surprise came in the school chosen, no the destination - the SEC West. Bobby Petrino finally made it to the coaching promised land when he was named the head coach of Arkansas late last night. Fresh off of a Monday Night read more...
Reality Check
By Patrick Snow Some schools in our Swampland Region are currently learning a harsh lesson: if you are going to make a major change like firing your football coach, you must have a better alternative ready to go. Arkansas, Southern Miss(and Michigan on a national read more...
Bonnie Bramlett Returns with "Beautiful" On Valentine's Day
by Bill Thames Bonnie Bramlett now becomes the third former Capricorn Records artist, along with Jimmy Hall (Wet Willie), and the Capricorn Rhythm Section, to sign with Rockin' Camel Music of Gadsden, AL.
Coaching Carousel
By Patrick Snow The end of the college football season always brings with it unfulfilled goals which translates into coaching changes. There has been quite a bit of movement in our region. Some of the firings were inevitable while others showed us just how unrealistic 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...
Southern Rock and Irish Music Join Forces On Tour
Ireland's Best Vocal Group to Tour With Southern Rockers The Winters Brothers Band by Michael Buffalo Smith Talk about a fresh idea. Ireland's number one ballad and folk group (and holders of eight gold albums) The Dublin City Ramblers have 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
First Goal: Win Your Conference
By Patrick Snow 2007 - What a crazy and dramatic season of college football. It seems like the Number 1 or 2 position in the national polls is the most dangerous place to be this year. As hard as it may be for many teams to adjust to all the parity, I believe read more...
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...
College Football: More Balanced Than Ever
By Patrick Snow As a kid growing up in the South, the question of whether you liked college or professional football better just would not have been asked. The NFL was always watched and enjoyed, but it never compared to the passion and excitement of Saturdays read more...
West Virginia Music Hall of Fame To Induct First Ever Honorees
Inaugural Class Of Nominees A Diverse Group by Derek Halsey On November 16th, 2007, the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame will induct its first ever class of honorees. Formed in 2005, the Hall of Fame has been building up to these read more...
Colts and Patriots: Providing the Blueprint?
By Patrick Snow The NFL has historically been a ‘copycat’ league and here’s to hoping that the success of the Colts and Patriots influences more teams to build up their offense. When clubs had to adjust to the salary cap in the ‘90s, the theory read more...
NFL Label Book: Overrated
By Patrick Snow Just like many a bad segment of talk radio, another ‘label’ book was recently released into America to get football fans arguing with each other. We have Philly-based ESPN field reporter Sal Paolantonio to thank for this latest read more...
The Great Southern Sportswriters Series
Writing and storytelling have always been deeply ingrained in Southern culture. The people that combined that art with the Swampland Footprint's passion for sports make the whole experience more special and unique. Swampland Sports is proud to offer this series of read more...
Enjoy the Season
By Patrick Snow Another college football season--another initial release of the BCS standings. This annual ritual seems to send everyone running to call a local talk show to scream about a Playoff system and how the middle letter should be removed from read more...
SEC: Top Level for Coaches?
By Patrick Snow Many of us who grew up in the South have always believed that the SEC was King when it came to sports and our allegiances. We watched and cheered for professional teams, but our passion was always at the collegiate level. For many years, read more...
The State of Baseball in the South
By Patrick Snow (editor's note: Swampland Sports considers the following teams to be part of the Footprint: Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, read more...
The 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards Report
by Derek Halsey On October 4th, 2007 the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) held their 18th annual bluegrass music awards show. In a break from past years, when a lot of the same people seemed to win the awards year after year, the read more...
A Modest Proposal: Southern College Conference Realignment
Now that Swampland Sports has launched Tribal Fever (TF), our dispatch dedicated to college sports in the South, we figured it was time to do weigh in on the current state of college football conferences. The college football conference landscape in the read more...
Post Game Tirades
by Patrick Snow The words and actions after last weekend’s games by two coaches left a lot to be desired. While I may agree with the sentiment of both coaches, there are definitely better ways to express their message. These football ‘CEOs’ have to read more...
Hughie Thomasson Remembered
The world of Southern Rock lost another champion on September 9, 2007 with the passing of Hughie Thomasson. The founding father of the “Florida guitar army” The Outlaws and a long time member read more...
An SPF Tale of Two Waynes
After NFL's week one, Patrick Snow sounded the alarm. The Florida teams in the SPF Footprint were in trouble. It wasn't just about losing games. It was about losing read more...
Athletic Directors: Be Ready To Ante Up
Southern college football-we live it and breathe it year-round, and it has become abundantly clear that the stakes of the game have been raised with some of the recent coaching hires. The ‘price of poker’ is increasing steadily, and if your school is not ready to ante read more...
SPF 2007 Team Previews
As promised, we have our 2007 Team Previews! Since fans can go to numerous places to read about rosters, statistics, etc, we at Southern Pro Football want to focus our 2007 previews on the teams and their connection to their area of the South. We will examine read more...
Danny Brooks: Southern By The Grace of God
Canadian by Birth—Southern by the Grace of God by Bill Thames More than anything else, Danny Brooks is spiritual, but Danny Brooks is soul, too, and deep South gospel tinged with haunting blues. And if you listen close enough read more...
Sunshine State Swoon
Sunshine State Swoon By Patrick Snow Has professional football hit its lowest point in the state of Florida? I’m not trying to overreact to three Week 1 losses, but one has to wonder what direction the franchises in the Sunshine State are going. read more...
St. Simons Island: Seaside Reckoning
read more...
Legends of Southern Rock: The Allman Brothers Band
by Michael Buffalo Smith
The Allman and Oakley Fence Fund Seeks to Protect Grave Sites
by Michael Buffalo Smith There has been an ongoing battle in Macon, Georgia for several years now concerning the grave sites of Duane Allman and Berry Oakley at Rose Hill Cemetery. Over the course of the years, the grave sites have attracted thousands of visitors, and while read more...
Bragg Jam 2007 in Macon: A Photo Retrospective
Macon's annual Bragg Jam, held on July 28, 2007, was again a stellar success. Bragg Jam always draws a lot of Middle Georgia acts, many who were friends with Brax and Taylor "Tate" Bragg, the brothers the event commemorates. The Bragg brothers were read more...
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...
Memories of George McCorkle
The first time I met George McCorkle, I was bagging groceries at a Community Cash store in Spartanburg, SC. During those days, many of the Marshall Tucker Band and their wives shopped at the store for read more...
The Divine Spark of Sly & The Family Stone
By James Calemine
The Challenge of Pro Sports in the Southeastern United States
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...
Alabama Adventure Weekend
It is Earth Day 2007 and the Alabama sun is unseasonably hot. Summer is still two months away, but the living is already easy, especially in the Shoals area of North Alabama where I am spending the day at the
Legends of Southern Rock: Molly Hatchet
by Michael Buffalo Smith
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Mack's Barbecue, Brunswick, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Mack’s Barbecue 2809 Glynn read more...
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Sticky Fingers, Chattanooga, TN
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. Sticky Fingers 420 Broad Street Chattanooga, read more...
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Swallow on the Hill, Roswell, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Swallow on the Hill 1072 Green read more...
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Wilson's Soul Food, Athens, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Wilson’s Soul Food 351 read more...
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Weaver D's, Athens, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Weaver D’s
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Daddy's Country Kitchen, Acworth, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Daddy’s Country Kitchen
Never Ending Soul Food Tour - Fatt Matt's Rib Shack, Atlanta, GA
James Calemine’s “Never Ending Soul Food Tour” includes documented visits to barbecue joints, catfish dens, chicken shacks and any establishment serving memorable vittles. All photos by James Calemine. Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack read more...
Ed King's Journal: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
ED KING'S JOURNAL: Skynyrd Guitarist's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Blog
Legends of Southern Rock: The Charlie Daniels Band
by Michael Buffalo Smith
Legends of Southern Rock: The Marshall Tucker Band
by Michael Buffalo Smith "I saw Marshall Tucker in Memphis at the Midsouth Coliseum back in - it must have been ‘73 or ‘74. They were the headliners and the other two acts were The Outlaws and The Charlie Daniels Band. Of course read more...
Tall Stacks 2006
Tall Stacks 2006 A Music Festival Where The Steamboats Rule Cincinnati, Ohio - October 4th through the 8th By Derek Halsey November 2006 In 1988 the city of Cincinnati decided to commemorate its read more...
2006 Americana Music Conference and Awards
Road Trip to The 7th Annual Americana Music Conference & Awards by Michael read more...
GABBAFEST 2006
AN EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT Article and Photos by Bill Thames November 2006 The Georgia Allman Brothers Band Association read more...
1st ANNUAL GIBSON SUMMER JAM
by Barry Barnes September 2006 Gibson Guitar Corporation hosted their 1st Annual Gibson Summer Jam celebrating the opening of its new Gibson Custom factory on Elm Hill Pike in Nashville, Tennessee on July 27-29, read more...
Mama Louise's Most Excellent Birthday Jam
Story & Photos by by Bill Thames September 2006 A pessimist might say, “a good deed never goes unpunished,” but last weekend, in a room full of smiling optimists, Gregg Allman told the crowd that, “one shared read more...
The Appalachian String Band Festival 2006
An American Diary of a Ukrainian Girl THE APPALACHIAN STRING BAND 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...
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...
One County Over: Ralph Stanley Sings the Music of the Carter Family
by Derek Halsey May, 2006 AP, Sara, and Maybelle Carter did not invent country music. The music had been evolving in the Appalachian Mountains for generations before the trio made their fateful trip to Bristol, Tennessee in 1927 to record their 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...
Immortal Blues - In Memoriam: Chris Whitley
IMMORTAL BLUES - IN MEMORIAM: CHRIS WHITLEY 1960-2005 by James Calemine There’s a dirt floor Underneath here To receive us When changes fail May this shovel Loose your trouble Lay them
Shake Me A Lot & I'll Get Hot
“Shake Me A Lot & I’ll Get Hot ” (Directions for “ 3 N 1 Stuff ” barbeque sauce) By Ron Williams April 2006 Actually, the entire “Hawghouse Jingle/Directions for read more...
Larry Rice Memorial
LARRY RICE Bluegrass Musician and Dickey Betts Band Alumnus Dies of Cancer by Derek Halsey April 2006 Larry Rice- Bluegrass Musician and Dickey Betts’ Band Alumnus- Dies Of Cancer We at Gritz Magazine have sad news to 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...
Road Trip to The Annual Angelus Benefit
by Michael Buffalo Smith & Scott Greene Feb. 2, 2006 Buffalo: I look forward to this every year. The annual pilgrimage from Upstate SC down to Tampa, Florida for Charlie Daniels’ three day read more...
Subdudes Return
subdudes embark on new tour with new album By Richard J. Atkins, Ed.D. February 2006 The subdudes, a New Orleans-based act spanning numerous genres (blues, folk, R&B, country, Cajun, read more...
Marty Stuart Takes Charge of His Music
MARTY STUART TAKES CHARGE OF HIS MUSIC by Derek Halsey February, 2006 Marty Stuart has entered what may be the golden age of his career. He has taken hold of the reins of his musical visions and ideas by starting his own read more...
Derek's Best Albums of 2005
The Top 20 Albums Of 2005 By Derek Halsey Howdy folks. This has been an interesting year in music. While it seems that not as many albums were released in the last year as in the past, a whole lot of great music was thrown out there. read more...
Buffalo's Best of 2005
BEST OF 2005 The Best Releases of 2005, in the Humble Opinion of Michael Buffalo Smith 2005 was a year plagued with sadness, the loss of more Gritz family members than in any year past - Jakson Spires, Danny Joe Brown, Vassar read more...
Kelly Perdue Memorial
KELLY PERDUE - REST IN PEACE Leader Of The Mando Mafia Band Dead At 45 by Derek Halsey December 2005 On the morning of December 15 the music community lost yet another musician with the read more...
Lynyrd Skynyrd's Well Deserved Hall of Fame Induction
Would You Still Remember Me? LYNYRD SKYNYRD'S WELL DESERVED HALL OF FAME INDUCTION by Michael Buffalo Smith December 2005 Eight years. Eight long years of 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...
The Jam for Duane: 2005
THE JAM FOR DUANE: 2005 by Mitch Lopate November 2005 Jam For Duane October 27-29 2nd Street Music Hall Gadsden, AL I’m tellin’ ya 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
Big Joe Duskin Still Kicks Out Old School Blues Piano
Big Joe Duskin is one of the last of the old time blues piano players who made boogie woogie music what is today. Coming off of his first CD release in 10 years, Big Joe Jumps Again! on Yellow Dog Records, the blues piano master was nominated for the 2005 WC Handy Comeback read more...
Mighty Field of Vision Internet and Radio Foundation Started
JOHN D. WYKER HEADS UP INTERNET RADIO STATION Decatur man's Internet station called a 'vision' of the future; music includes oldies, demos By Ronnie Thomas/Decatur Daily, Decatur, Al October, 2005 The read more...
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...
Road Trip to the Ray Brand Memorial Shows
The Ray of Light Benefit Shows Down in Alabama by Michael Buffalo Smith September 1, 2005 It seems like I have spent half of 2005 driving between Greenville, SC and Huntsville, Alabama. But this trip was a read more...
In Memory of Ray Brand
A TRIBUTE TO RAY BRAND GRITZ Archangel Benefit, May 7, 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...
Good Ol' Tater Soup
GOOD OL' TATER SOUP IN THE WINTER; VIZZY SWIZZY IN THE SUMMER By Ron Williams March, 2005 Shhh! Don't tell nobody, but this recipe has some, well, rather French roots. Naw, not celeriac or such, I mean 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...
Road Trip to The Angelus, 2004
Roadtrip - Charlie Palooza 2004 by Michael Buffalo Smith My fourth trip to the Annual Charlie Daniels Country Concert and Golf Classic to benefit The Angelus House was the best ever - A road trip under sunny skies, quite a drive from read more...
Sam Peckinpah
The Furious Legacy of an American Maverick by James Calemine December read more...
2004 Americana Music Conference
AMERICANA MUSIC CONFERENCE NASHVILLE, TN SEPTEMBER 23-25, 2004 by Michael Buffalo Smith October 2004 The ride up to Nashville was beautiful. The majesty of the Blue Ridge read more...
Americana Late Night
by Derek Halsey October 2004 One of the cool things about the Americana Music Conference is the nighttime jams that happen throughout Nashville during the week. I arrive on Tuesday night and end up read more...
Road Trip To The Mountains
Road Trip to the Mountains The Appalachian String Band Festival Camp Washington Carver - Clifftop, West Virginia July 27- August 2, 2004 by Derek Halsey October read more...
Mudcat: Shake 'Em On Down
MUDCAT: SHAKE ‘EM ON DOWN By James Calemine October 2004 Daniel “Mudcat” Dudeck sits in a wooden chair on the small stage playing Blind Willie McTell’s 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...
Johnny Neel: Mr. Soul
Johnny Neel: Mr. Soul by James Calemine “Smokestack Lightning Shining just like Gold.” Howlin’ Wolf You can’t teach soul. Johnny Neel ranks as one of the country’s most read more...
How Southern Are You? Dare Ya! (Pork Brains)
How Southern Are You? Dare Ya! (PORK BRAINS) by Ron Williams (Photo features My Pet Pig, Prissy...) July 2004 I think it's one of those Jeff Foxworthy "Redneck" jokes that says the last words read more...
Duane Allman at FAME Studios: A J.D. Wyker Cat Tale
by John D. Wyker (First appeared in GRITZ Print Issue 7, Summer 2004) This is another Cat Tale about Duane Allman that took place back in the late 1960's at Rick Hall's FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Rick Hall was famous for read more...
The Winters Brothers Stampede Ahead
by Craig Cumberland First appeared in GRITZ Magazine, Issue #7, June, 2004 I didn't come across the Winters Brothers Band until about four years ago - but I tell ya, I love their music. It's inspired to say the least. Unfortunately, they don't have read more...
Phyllis Ann Bailey's Strawberry Preserves
Phyllis Ann Bailey's Strawberry Preserves by Ron Williams Spring City, Tenn., May 16, 2004 The Mexican migrant workers were picking strawberries and loading them onto a Chevy flatbed across Highway 27 outside of 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...
The World Comes Out To Merlefest
THE WORLD COMES OUT TO MERLEFEST By Derek Halsey June 2004 Merlefest Music Festival April 29-May 2, 2004
I Like My Chicken Fryin' Size
by Ron Williams December 2003 The Yellowhammer, Mockingbird, Brown Thrasher, Great Carolina Wren, no matter what is listed, are NOT the State Birds of Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, or South Carolina. It is The 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...
Bluegrass Rules at the 2003 IBMAs
by Derek Halsey August 2003 The International Bluegrass Music Association’s yearly convention is already a couple of days old when I arrive on Wednesday afternoon on read more...
Remembering June Carter Cash
REMEMBERING JUNE CARTER CASH By Derek Halsey July 2003 On May 18th, 2003, Johnny Cash sat in the pew of the First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee looking as old as he ever has. read more...
Ace Moreland: A Remembrance
Ace Moreland: A Remembrance by Paul Doell February 2003 Ace Moreland’s most recent album (Give It To Get It, released on the King Snake-Icehouse label in 2000) includes a 1998 photo of the lean, lanky read more...
The Yucatan is not a tanning salon: Pastel de lujo
by Ron Williams February 2003 I was basically asleep when our oldest son called in from Austin. I think I yelled to ask if his gig paid any real money, and then rolled over and hugged whatever damn dog was in the bed. Turns out, he was calling read more...
Hot Tamales and They Red Hot
Hot Tamales and They Red Hot by Ron Williams December 2002 On Friday, November 27, 1936, in a hotel room in San Antonio, Texas, Robert Johnson recorded "They’re Red Hot." While this song read more...
2002 IBMA Bluegrass Awards Roadtrip
IBMA BLUEGRASS AWARDS ROAD TRIP By Derek Halsey December 2002 As I drove into Louisville, Kentucky on this misty October night I reached for the radio dial to see read more...
QUE TAL, Y'ALL! Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas
by Ron Williams October, 2002 Hatcher leaned back in the chair, "Back in the 60’s when I lived in Dallas, we could get some good stuff. Sometimes we’d have to go to the border or even into Mexico to get 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...
Etoufee d' Ecrevissess (or "Mudbug Gravy")
Etoufee d’ Ecrevissess (or "Mudbug Gravy") by Ron Williams September, 2002 I caught crawdads as a kid under the rocks of creeks near Siloam Springs, Arkansas. It was great fun to turn over a rock and see read more...
Road Trip to New Orleans
ROAD TRIP TO NEW ORLEANS THE LEGENDARY JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL Report/Photos By Derek Halsey First Appeared in GRITZ, Print issue #2, Fall 2002 New Orleans is a city being rebuilt these days, as Hurricane read more...
O Sister Thou Hath Been There All Along - Women in Bluegrass
O SISTER THOU HATH BEEN THERE ALL ALONG Women in Bluegrass Music by Derek Halsey June 2002 In the documentary/concert movie Down From The Mountain the women musicians are just read more...
Earl Scruggs Family and Friends
Earl Scruggs Family and Friends A WBZI and Cityfolk.org Production Dayton, Ohio April 14,2002 by Derek Halsey The Earl Scruggs Band featuring; Earl Scruggs, banjo and guitar. Gary Scruggs, vocals and 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...
Best Releases of 2001
by Michael Buffalo Smith 1. The Deep End Volume 1 - Gov't Mule What an amazing and unparalleled tribute to the late Allen Woody. Featuring all of his favorite fellow bass players, playing some great music with his band mates Warren Haynes and Matt read more...
Cincinnati Five Way Chili
King-Federal, and the Queen City's Claim to Fast Food Fame Cincinnati Five Way Chili by Ron Williams December 2001 (OK, so I lied about waiting till March to write another column! This is my gift to the 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...
Holiday Recipe - Cornbread Dressing
Holiday Recipe - Cornbread Dressing by Ron Williams November 13, 2001 Why You Don't Hear, "I'll Beat The Dressing Out Of You."
Celebration of Life Event, 2001
On the Road in Florida Celebrating Life in St. Augustine by Michael Buffalo Smith November 1, 2001 The Celebration of Life memorial Concert and benefit was held on October 20, 2001 read more...
Retail Canned and Frozen Ready - to - Serve Southern Products
Company's Coming! Retail canned and frozen ready - to - serve Southern products A TRUE STORY by Ron Williams October 2001 (ring - ring) "Hello?"
Labor Day Recipes
Yeah, It's Me and I'm Drinkin' Again Labor Day Recipes by Ron Williams August 15, 2001 Labor Day in the South means one thing: Barbeque. It also means NEVER buy any product that happens to be manufactured the day read more...
Leon Wilkeson Memorial
The Cat in The Hat - Remembering Leon Wilkeson July 27, 2001 "If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me? I must be traveling on now, there's just too many places I've got to see." - RVZ We had been read more...
The Great Molly Hatchet Give Away, 2001
THE GREAT MOLLY HATCHET GIVEAWAY ROCKS LAS VEGAS by Michael Buffalo Smith, 2001 The First Annual "I Love Molly Hatchet" contest wrapped up in Las Vegas, Nevada June 1-3, 2001, with first place winner 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...
Bloodkin: Cutthroat Blues
Bloodkin Cutthroat Blues by James Calemine The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.
Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Get Your Biscuits in the Oven, and Your Buns in the Bed (Biscuits and Sausage Gravy) by Ron & Sandra Williams January 2001 When the South rises again, it will be with the help of White read more...
Best Releases of 2000
My Top CD's of 2000 by Michael Buffalo Smith It's never an easy task to attempt a "Top 40" list. My opinions, like those of everyone else, change with the wind. Still, as a music journalist, I feel compelled at year's end to 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 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...
Charlie Daniels: Renaissance Hillbilly
Renaissance Hillbilly A Look Inside the Mind of Charlie Daniels by Michael Buffalo Smith October 2000 Not unlike the great state of Texas, Charlie Daniels is a little bit Western and a little bit Southern. read more...
Farther Down The Road with Taj Mahal
Farther Down The Road with Taj Mahal By James Calemine Taj Mahal remains a craftsman of many musical styles. His career reveals a vast scope submerged within traditions of roots music. This year Columbia released four Taj Mahal read more...
In Memory of Allen Woody
In Memory of Allen Woody October 2, 1956 - August 25, 2000 This is the poem Warren read at the funeral.
Jimmy Farrar: Still Alive and Well
by Scott Greene What do you think the "odds" are of someone who struggled and worked hard to make it in the music business and when they finally made it they walked away for what they consider to be the most important thing in life? Well, that's just 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...
In Memory of Lonesome Dave Peverett
A TRIBUTE TO LONESOME DAVE PEVERETT by Roxane Crutcher Monday afternoon, I received the news of Lonesome Dave from the webmaster of Foghat...it was all I could do to hold back my emotions..."Rox, Just in case you haven't read more...
Johnson Family of Muscle Shoals
A Legendary Family by Dick Cooper, January 2000 Muscle Shoals music is hard to label because of its diversity. It is Rock, Pop, R & B, Country, Jazz, Folk, and most genres in between. While many influential people have come to the area and read more...
Road Trip To Macon II
Road Trip to Macon, Georgia: The Sequel Makin' it Back to Macon, Again .38 Special, Chris Hicks, Eddie Stone and Remembering the Brothers by Michael Buffalo Smith and Scott Greene 2000