Saturday, December 11, 2004

Friday, December 10, 2004
KSFR, Santa Fe, NM
Now Webcasting
10 p.m. to midnight Fridays Mountain Time
Host: Steve Terrell


OPENING THEME: Buckaroo by Buck Owens & The Buckaroos
The Wayward Wind by Lynn Anderson with Emmylou Harris
Where The Devil Don't Stay by Drive-By Truckers
Let Him In by The Gourds
Dead Cats on the Line by Vassar Clements
Say it Say When by Goshen
The Van Lear Rose by Loretta Lynn
Baghdad Baghdad by Acie Cargill

Hard Liquor & Handgun Night by Jim Hoehn
Rocky Top by The Osbourne Brothers
Pretty Polly by Ralph Stanley with Patty Loveless
Love's Gonna Live Here by Bill Monroe with Melissa Monroe
Shame on You by Sid Hausman & Washtub Jerry
The Friendly Beasts by The Buckarettes
Throw a Seven by Ken Keppeler
Come On by Hundred Year Flood
Good Christian Soldier by Kris Kristofferson

See That My Grave is Kept Clean by Blind Lemon Jefferson
One Kind Favor by Canned Heat
A Dying Man's Plea by Mavis Staples
Find Blind Lemon Part 2 by Geoff Muldaur
Done Got Old by Jim White
The Twist Came from Tampa by Ronny Elliott

This Little Light of Mine by Neko Case
Only a Rose by Geraint Watkins
Fill My Way With Love by Iris DeMent
Try and Try Again by Billy Joe Shaver
Returning by Buddy Miller
The Maple Tree by Grey DeLisle
Love and Mercy by Jeff Tweedy
CLOSING THEME: Comin' Down by The Meat Puppets

Steve Terrell is proud to report to the monthly Freeform American Roots Radio list


Friday, December 10, 2004

TERRELL'S TUNEUP: MAVIS FOR PRESIDENT

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Dec. 10, 2004


One of my fondest memories from the Democratic Convention in Boston last summer was the last day of the convention when I went to the FleetCenter early to type up some notes.

My assigned work space was right next to the band, a horn-heavy ensemble whose main job was to play little snatches of “Soul Man” or “Respect” or Kool & The Gang’s “Celebrate” before politicians’ speeches. (One delegate told me she heard them play “Mr. Big Stuff” before Gov. Bill Richardson’s speech. I was there, but I honestly don’t remember.)

So on the last afternoon of the convention I was sitting there typing notes on a laptop.

Although virtually nobody was on the floor, the band was there. They started playing a song called “The Promised Land.” The singer was doing an excellent imitation of Willie Nelson, I thought. Then I looked down to the stage below, and dang if it wasn’t Willie Nelson himself. He was doing a sound check for his performance at the convention later that night.

Next, the band started playing a soul/gospel version of “America the Beautiful” and there was another familiar voice. Sure enough, it was Mavis Staples, dressed in a sweat shirt for the sound check.

Twenty years before, “America the Beautiful” was performed in a similar style by Ray Charles -- except he sang it at the Republican Convention. Brother Ray had just died a few weeks before, so singing this song at a political convention was bound to draw comparisons. But pulled it off spectacularly. In fact, what living singer is better qualified to assume the mantle of Ray Charles?

This hardly was the first major political event where Staples performed. As part of The Staples Singers with her father and siblings, she sang at the inaugurations of both John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter. The Staples also shared the stage many times with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.

Amazingly, except for a few guest spots (on various-artist albums such as the most recent Los Lobos album, cuts on recent tribute albums for Johnny Paycheck, Johnny Cash, Stephen Foster and a gospel tribute to Bob Dylan), Staples until now hasn’t been putting out much of her own music in recent years.

Have a Little Faith is Staples’ first new album in nearly a decade -- and the first since her father Roebuck “Pops” Staples died.

This is an album of mostly gospel tunes with the old standby “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” along with lesser known tunes like the funky “There’s a Devil on the Loose” and “God is Not Sleeping.”

The best songs are down-home and rootsy like the opening cut “Step Into the Light,” which features a mean slide guitar and background vocals from The Dixie Hummingbirds.

Like The Staples Singers, whose biggest hits were songs like “Respect Yourself” and “I’ll Take You There,“ which were spiritually uplifting without specifically mentioning God, on this album Mavis sings tunes like “At the End of the Day“ and “In Times Like These” (“In times like these/We need to be strong/We need to carry on/We need to get along …). The latter features backing vocals by the Rev. Jesse Dixon and The Chicago Music Community Choir.

There’s a sweet tribute to her father, “Pops’ Recipe,” (“He said accept responsibility/Don’t forget humility … Don’t subscribe to bigotry, hypocrisy, duplicity …)

But I think my favorite one here is a classic Blind Lemon Jefferson song The Staples Singers used to cover. Blind Lemon called it “See That My Grave is Kept Clean.” Canned Heat rocked it up and knocked it up, calling it “One Kind Favor.” Mavis calls it “A Dying Man’s Plea,” and, backed by a dobro and fiddle, infuses it with countrified soul.

My only complaint about this album is that it doesn’t include “America the Beautiful.”


Also Recommended

* I Just Want to Be Held
by Nathaniel Mayer. To be honest, I’d never heard of this guy, but the liner notes of his new Fat Possum CD assures us that he had a bonafide hit in the early ‘60s with a song called “Village of Love.” But, like too many soul codgers, Mayer fell on hard times -- drink, drugs, poverty and obscurity.

As is the case with the best Fat Possum albums, Mayer’s is rough, raw, rocking and raunchy.

Songs like “You Gotta Work,” with its bitchen Farfisa organ and “I Wanna Dance With You,” with its slightly grating but truly addictive guitar hook, will remind you of the links between ’60s soul and garage-band music.

And songs like “Stick It or Lick It” will explain why Nathaniel Mayer wasn’t invited to perform at the inaugurations of John F. Kennedy or Jimmy Carter. (But Bill Clinton surely would like it.)

The true sign of twisted genius here is Mayer’s cover of John Lennon’s seething “I Found Out.” This was one of Lennon’s angriest songs from his “primal scream” Plastic Ono Band. It’s a rage against religion, drugs, false promises and childhood pain. Mayer spits out “There ain’t no Jesus gonna come from the sky,” like a fallen evangelist drunk on heresy.

Thursday, December 09, 2004

ROUNDHOUSE ROUND-UP: THIS BUD'S FOR YOU

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Dec. 9, 2004


Christmas is a-comin' and the heartwarming news releases are getting fat ...

My nominee for the holly-jolly media advisory of the week was an e-mail from the state attorney general's office announcing a Wednesday news conference in Albuquerque with Attorney General Patricia Madrid and Mark Bordas, director of government affairs -- corporatespeak for top lobbyist -- for Anheuser-Busch.

The purpose: "to encourage safety and responsibility this holiday season." Specifically, "to encourage parents to be good role models for their children by remembering to use a designated driver and to talk with their children about underage drinking."

Heartwarming. You can almost hear the clip-clop of Clydesdales pulling Santa's sleigh. It's like a government public-service announcement and a beer commercial rolled into one.

Fortunately, the news conference had a little more to offer than that. Madrid also announced she will ask the Legislature to pass a bill with tougher sentences for repeat drunken drivers.

I assume this means Anheuser-Busch won't oppose this. In recent years, the liquor lobby has not fought stiffer penalties for driving while intoxicated. The biggest fight it has gotten involved in here lately was squashing a move last year to impose a higher tax on alcoholic beverages.

In this Christmas season, it's good to remember that Anheuser-Busch is not just generous in sending the king lobbyist for the King of Beers to New Mexico to spread words of wisdom about safety and responsibility. The corporation has been generous through the years in spreading good cheer in the form of campaign contributions to our state leaders.

According to the Montana-based Institute on Money in State Politics' Web site, followthemoney.org, Anheuser-Busch and its lobbyists donated at least $30,000 to New Mexico politicians during the most recent election cycle. The company's wholesaler, Premier Distributing, kicked in another $7,500 or so.

But according to institute spokeswoman Sue O'Connell, these figures only include campaign-finance reports up to June 28. Final figures will be available later, she said.

In the 2002 election cycle, Anheuser-Busch donated more than $31,000 to New Mexico politicos, while Premier Distributing gave even more -- $41,409.

Madrid, who was re-elected in 2002, collected $1,000 from Anheuser-Busch plus $5,000 from Premier that year.

But that was small potatoes compared with Gov. Bill Richardson's $5,000 from Anheuser-Busch and $25,000 from Premier.

Anheuser-Busch donated to dozens of legislators for the 2002 and 2004 elections.

The top legislative leaders get the most from the company. Retiring Senate President Pro tem Richard Romero, D-Albuquerque, received $2,000 in 2002.

Former Senate Majority Floor Leader Manny Aragon, D-Albuquerque, got $500 from the company in 2002 and $1,500 in 2004. (Aragon resigned from the Senate after being named president of Highlands University. He won an uncontested primary for his Senate seat in June.)

House Speaker Ben Luján, D-Nambé, received $1,000 from Anheuser-Busch this year.

But just as the company believes in safety and responsibility, it also believes in bipartisanship.

Senate Republican Floor Leader Stuart Ingle of Portales got $1,000 in 2002 and another $500 in this election cycle.

House Republican Floor Leader Ted Hobbs picked up $1,000 in 2002 and $1,500 for his 2004 race.

Lobbyist Bordas himself is a generous soul. Last January, The Associated Press reported he paid nearly $700 for four legislators -- Aragon, Luján, Sen. Ben Altamirano, D-Silver City, and Rep. Jim Trujillo, D-Santa Fe -- to attend a San Francisco Giants baseball game plus another $250 for food and drink, while the four were in San Francisco for a national legislative conference.

Of course, Anheuser-Busch isn't the only player in the liquor industry in this state. In 2002, beer, wine and liquor companies donated a total of $181,021 to New Mexico politicians.

My advice: Be safe and responsible this holiday season. If you drink, use designated drivers. Be a good example to your kids and talk to them about drinking.

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

JC Wants More JC

As published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
Dec. 8, 2004


A Republican state senator on Tuesday announced that he is contacting every school district in the state to “remind them and encourage them that the name Jesus can and should be mentioned in public schools” and that “Instead of taking ‘Christ’ out of Christmas, schools are encouraged to keep Him and Christmas in public schools.”

In an e-mail press release, Sen. Joe Carraro, R-Albuquerque, said, “There is no question about it. Jesus of Nazareth can and should be taught about in our public schools. During this holiday season when there is such an uproar about taking the word ‘Christ’ out of Christmas, I want to remind our teachers that the Senate memorial passed in 1994 allows them to mention Jesus and encourages them to teach about Him as a historical figure, not only at Christmas time, but at anytime there is a discussion of historical figures of great importance.”

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Carraro said his decision to contact the schools came after he saw several television news features, including one on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor, about efforts to remove religious aspects of Christmas celebrations in schools.


When given a copy of the press release, Peter Simonson, executive director of the state branch of the American Civil Liberties Union said, “This looks like a shameful attempt to encourage public schools to teach Christianity.”

Simonson said Carraro seemed to be coming “as close as possible without quite stepping over the line of church/state separation.”

Carraro in 1994 was the prime sponsor of Senate Memorial 83, said that Jesus’ name “be included in any comprehensive study of history,” and “it is permissible to mention the name Jesus of Nazareth in the public schools in the state of New Mexico.”

Memorials, while expressing the will of the Legislature, don’t have the force of law.

“Certainly schools can teach about Christ and his affect on western civilization,” Simonson said. “But equally, students should be informed about Mohammed and Buddha and Friedrich Nietzsche.”

Carraro denied he wants to make schools teach religion. “We’re not saying you have to bow down and pray and all that other stuff,” he said.

Carraro is scheduled to appear today to talk about the issue 11:45 a.m. on Issues and Answers, which broadcasts on a local religious television station, KCHF Channel 11.

Monday, December 06, 2004

TERR-IFIC NEWS

There's no truth to those ugly rumors that Santa Fe songwriter, filmaker, humorist and Sultan of Shameless Self Promotion Jim Terr is actually my brother but he changed his name because he was embarassed to be associated with me. (That would be my real brother Jack, who changed his name from Terrell to Clift.)

But whoever this Jim Terr guy is, he's got a couple of cool events tonight and tomorrow. I'll just cut and paste his e-mail here:

Tonight at 7 pm at Page One Books in Albuquerque (11018 Montgomery NE) will be the release party for my DVD, Five Frightfully Fine Videos (see review below, and see 12-minute clip at www.bluecanyonvideo.com, if you can).

...And Tuesday night in Santa Fe, 7 pm, at St. Bede's Episcopal Church, San Mateo & St. Francis (SE corner).

No doubt some of the interviewees and other project participants will attend, and I hope to see you there. At the Santa Fe event ONLY, you can purchase a copy of the DVD for $20 (half price), which will be used to retire some of the still-outstanding costs of the project.

You can hear an interview about the project, hopefully, on KUNM News (89.9 FM) tonight, Monday, sometime between 5 and 5:30 p.m.
_____________________________


Also, tomorrow (Tuesday) through Thursday, a great British video site, www.3btv.com, will be celebrating "Jim Terr Day" with thirteen of my short films. They're actually up there on the site already, but Tuesday through Thursday they'll be listing them all, and running a funny promo spot about it from BuDDy. (Excruciating details at www.bluecanyonproductions.com/3btv.html)
__________________________


(from Santa Fe Reporter, December 1 issue):


FIVE FRIGHTFULLY FINE VIDEOS

The only acclaim most educational videos receive are groans and yawns from an ungrateful audience., but Santa Fe producer Jim Terr has assembled a DVD of videos on subjects as diverse as driving safety, World War II and teen reading that's been praised across the nation. The DVD will be distributed to schools and libraries across New Mexico and Hawaii.

WACKY WEDNESDAY: Albums Named for Unappetizing Food

O.K., I'll admit this is a pretty dumb idea.  It came to me yesterday after I ran into my friend Dan during my afternoon walk along the ...