Tales from the Corners

He conjures up a young Jackson Browne in style, but Jake Thistle is an accomplished musician/singer-songwriter in his own right. Jake joins me here in The Corners to talk about his latest release, Down The Line , a collection of awesome songs penned straight from his native New Jersey. Indeed fellow New Jersey natives like Bruce Springsteen inspire Thistle, it is Tom Petty who has the biggest impact on him.  Some will claim that I'm "burying the headline here" by not first mentioning that Jake is a 16-year-old as I write this post. I beg to differ because Thistle wise beyond his years. In my honest opinion, the bigger headline here is that Jake is a top-notch musician who writes on a high level of quality.  Click the the box below to view our conversation where Jake talks about the new project along with some amazing performances:

jesselynnmadera.com Singer-Songwriter Jesse Lynn Madera stops by The Corners to discuss her latest single, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" as well as her groundbreaking album Fortunes. The critically-acclaimed release features deep, emotional tracks including "Dante," "Funny Man" and "The Door." The album also features a pair of duets including "You With The Sullen Eyes," with John Hawkes and "Sentimental" with Joel Taylor. Listen to the fun conversation available right here: Also, head over to Jesse Lynn's website and order her latest single, album and other releases. 

Twitter I didn't know about John Lennon's murder until the morning after the tragedy took place. That was a school night for me at the time. Indeed I knew John Lennon was a Beatle, but I wasn't familiar with his solo work. I knew about "Whatever Gets You Through The Night," "Imagine," and "Instant Karma." I recall hearing the  Double Fantasy  singles, but didn't really put two and two together at that time. Like many millions, I quickly became familiar with his solo years. Forty years later, I am even more disappointed that Lennon's life was cut short. He would have been a great advocate for many causes as well as continuing on a spectacular musical journey. So, on this December 8, remember peace, love and John Lennon. 

DodgertonSkillhause Recently I was fascinated with seeing the amount of bike lanes when visiting Cambridge, Massachusetts. It looks like an innovative program which encourages citizens to travel by bike rather than automobile. That very idea has been done on a smaller scale in Atlanta. Just like the streetcar in the downtown area, bike lanes' reception has been lukewarm to motorists, who seem to be in more of a hurry these days than every before in the city's history. So, there's no doubt the common complaint is that the lanes take away from sedans, SUVs, trucks and minivans.  Especially here in the car-loving U.S., there's no doubt that implemented bike lanes is a risk for any city leader. Just ask current Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York, who was once chewed out on ABC-TV's The View  by co-host Whoopi Goldberg. It would be an understatement to say that Ms. Goldberg has been nonplussed by the bike lanes in New York City. I came across this awesome article on BBC...

On my afternoon run, I noticed that one of my dear feline visitors was a number of houses down from my own. My first thought was, "That is one hussy. How dare she? I thought she was 'spoken for' at my house." OK, I admit to the dated language in my thought, but I was running after all, so the soreness has a lot to do with my thoughts. I'm speaking about Tabitha, that affectionate cat who poses for some nice photos for me. Apparently Tabitha goes from one family to the next. She has spent the night in my bed -- er, well, most of the night. Tabitha usually gets up by 6 a.m. wanting to get into the great outdoors. She is a bit of a nomad, but still has a lot of domestic qualities.  Without further adieu, I have some new photos: On occasion, Tabitha does not finish her meal so the possum who hangs out around the house, finishes things off on a semi-regular basis. I call this opossum "Gertrude." I'm hoping it's the same possum, but not quite sure.

Check out my conversation with Andrew Stern and Laura Arias of the power duo, 3 Pairs of Boots. In this episode, we discuss their latest album titled,  Long Rider  and what went into making this amazing new album available soon. For more information on this release, their previous album Gone South  and more,  visit their website. Their story is quite fascinating. Andrew, who has had a lifelong devotion to creating music, recently was able to walk away from his day job to fully concentrate on songwriting, performing and producing new music for 3 Pairs of Boots. His wife Laura provides the awesome vocals.  Watch my interview available on YouTube:

What a year it’s been! Certainly COVID-19 impacted our livelihoods in our neck of the woods. Like so much of the nation and world, there are those who were directly impacted by the virus. The stories range from the mild to the most heartbreaking ones that anyone could ever hear.  For that, they are always in our thoughts and prayers. One moment we were living the lives we knew and then suddenly, a surreal situation took hold. Who ever would have guessed that we would be in this situation.  From the acceptance of a lockdown to hope upon hope that the world emerges from COVID by Easter to the mantra of “wear masks/socially distance” to a vaccine that is just around the corner, it has been a long haul. Speaking of long haul, CBS-TV recently aired a “60 Minutes” segment about COVID long haulers. I highly recommend viewing that feature on their site. The biggest takeaway from the segment is how young people are dealing with health issues long after battling COVID.  In the mome...

  Dom Flemons stops by The Corners to talk about his career as a master of many instruments and styles including (but not limited to) the guitar, banjo, fife, quill, harmonica, rhythm bone and percussion. Flemons also goes into detail about his new box set, which is a re-release of his classic Prospect Hill: The American Songster Omnibus featuring "Georgia Drumbeat," "Hot Chicken," "Grotto Beat" and more.  Watch this entertaining interview right here where we talk about music and Dom's appearance in The Great Debaters , a Denzel Washington film:

In this video cast, I have a lively talk with Singer-Songwriter Julie Gribble  about performing, songwriting, the music business, stories about Comic Actor & Late Late Show host Craig Ferguston and much more. This is a really fun conversation that took place on a rainy night in Georgia. Check out our talk below:

In my latest video chat, I speak with Blues Legend Bobby Rush. We speak about his latest projects which include Sitting On Top Of The Blues and Rawer Than Raw . We also dig back into Bobby's extensive catalog including his earliest recordings and of course, the hit single, " Chicken Heads ." Watch here as we discuss Bobby's experiences with Little Richard, B.B. King to traveling throughout the United States in the pre-Civil Rights days:

  Singer/Songwriter Alex Shillo visits The Corners to talk about his music and those inspire him including Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Tom Petty and others. Shillo also discusses his original songs as well as his upcoming project. Click the box below to view:

Fall is here. The chill is in the air. Well, certain days, it’s not, but for the most part, we have turned the corner officially from the humid season. What a season it was. It felt like we lived in the rainforest. We had equal parts heat, humidity and rain which was the perfect storm for endless weed growth. That means far too much time whacking down those weeds, cutting gross and trimming bushes.  Frankly, I’m over the yardwork and ready to move to Vegas. Well not so fast. Las Vegas, Nevada has plenty of its own issues. I never believe the old adage that they experience dry heat. No way. Heat is heat.  Who in the world needs Las Vegas’ critters and even worse, snakes! Forget about it! Speaking of “forget about it,” I’m not pushing so hard to move to New York or the northeastern part of the nation. Well, if I had to, I would, but I’m not fond of their cooler months. There’s no doubt that the northeastern quadrant of the nation is simply filled with amazing sites and culture, ...

  On this episode of Tales From The Corners , I had the pleasure to speak with Drummer/Musician   Liberty DeVitto. Liberty recently released an autobiography which chronicles his life growing up on New York’s Long Island through his days drumming for some of the biggest icons in the music industry. DeVitto most notably drummed for one of the biggest solo acts in recorded history — Billy Joel . The book also details Liberty’s personal triumphs and setbacks.   In this episode, Liberty and I talk about those good times and the bad while having a bit of fun along the way. Please click the box below to view our conversation where we discuss the magic of the music and recount some of Liberty’s stories working with Billy as well as some other music legends including Sir Paul McCartney, Cyndi Lauper and Karen Carpenter.  

Photo from Morguefile/Cohdra Hurricanes, fires, COVID and plenty of unrest around the nation and world is what describes the year 2020. All of these unfortunate events are obviously unwanted and all seem to come together at once. It is bad, but like anything else, it could get worse. With that said, we cope -- or we at least try to cope. Some days, weeks or months are better and/or worse than others, but we continue to deal with the situations at hand. We either tackle them or we temporarily escape. Certainly, we would like to permanently escape the nightmares surrounding us, but there is no choice: we temporarily escape whenever possible. Whether it is zoning in while escaping in film or television programs, gaming, listening to music or exercising, we go off into our own little bubbles for a while, hoping that everything will indeed be, “okay.” While outdoor running is optimal for my escape, I see both the good and bad of society. The good is that nature is awesome. Whether a deer or...

Morguefile/MPatterson Just when you thought all was well with pollen season behind us, we now have the fall allergy season. That’s right. According experts, ragweed is the biggest culprit that causes allergies in autumn. It pollinates from mid-August through early October. Another cause of these seasonal allergies in mold, another frightful enemy in our environment. Outdoors, mold increases due to the falling leaves and indoors, it’s always a problem in bathrooms and for some of us, even the kitchens. Dust is another culprit, and like mold, that nasty stuff is a year-round menace. No matter how hard one tries, dust is tough to tamp down in our worlds. Those little mites really seem to love our electronics now more than ever. Outdoors the rain and wind exacerbate the problem thus making it all far worse for us. In the Southeast U.S., we typically associate allergies with spring, so it’s tough to accept allergies’ return in September and October.  Still, we muddle through the allergi...

 

I confess that I love autobiographies. It’s not that I’m into them because I want to live someone else’s life. Rather, I look for someone to tell me scores of amazing anecdotes. Oh, and I might learn a thing or two. In late 2020, look no further than Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness. The book’s main title is a play on words since the author is Liberty DeVitto, drummer, musician, son, father, Brooklyn resident and now, author.  Dear Reader, please notice how I just described Liberty. I think the description is fitting and in what I think, is the right order. You see, those who know Liberty and even those who are familiar with him typically say: Liberty DeVitto, Billy Joel’s drummer. Indeed that is what Liberty is best known for, but this gifted performer is known for so much more. That in and of itself is what I learned after reading this incredibly well-written and researched life story.  What I’m most astounded with in ‘Liberty,’ is the rich detail that the a...

While many of us have been holed up during this pandemic, singer/songwriter/musician John McCutcheon took to his North Georgia cabin to create a batch of new material. The result: Cabin Fever , a collection of 18 spectacular songs featuring "Front Line," a tribute to the essential workers who have been keeping the world running while most of us have been sheltering in place. Speaking of staying in, "Sheltered in Place" and "Six Feet Away" truly capture what's taking place at the moment. In this three-part interview, McCutcheon talks about how the peace and solitude of the cabin inspired him to create another well-done project in a short amount of time. From "My Dog Talking Blues" to "One Hundred Years," Cabin Fever  is yet another McCutcheon masterpiece, his 41st release in 45 years. In the discussion, McCutcheon speaks about this remarkable achievement as well. McCutcheon also dedicated a song to folk legend John Prine. He s...

Robert J. Nebel, Monday, June 22, 2020 Congratulations to us: it’s summertime. Well, officially it’s summertime, but here in our neck of the woods, it’s been summer for a few weeks. I do have to say that we have been experiencing spring, which during most years, we do not receive such a gift from Mother Nature. I can’t complain.  Here’s summer during a rather wet season. We have storms one moment and then sunshine and resulting humidity the next. It’s quite an ugly feeling. The only good to me that comes out of it are those occasional rainbows. Speaking of weather, there is something else to think about as I write this post. A dust cloud from the Sahara Desert is heading towards us. I’m told not to be alarmed, but it makes me wonder if that will affect any outdoor activities.  I’ve been taking on the challenge of attempting to get a run in each morning. This is known as “streaking.” Some folks commit to streaking year-round, while others choose specific dates to s...

Melodi2/Morguefile With everything going on these days, what is your escape? I feel like using that phrase from the Capital One TV ads, “What’s in your wallet?” Hmm, maybe I ought to pose the question, “What’s on your playlist?” For me, I have been diving into the Rolling Stones’ 1978 classic titled, Some Girls . That one has always been great for me on my neighborhood runs. Of course I always suggest anything from The Beatles catalog to get things going. Some folks say, yes to The Beatles for a running playlist, but a big no to post-Beatles-Beatles. I wholeheartedly disagree of course. Anything from the Wings or Paul McCartney solo years is good with me. Just crank up 1979’s “Old Siam, Sir” and I’m off to the races. There are some tunes that I have been rediscovering of late. Tears for Fears’ greatest hits collections has been making its way back onto my playlists. Indeed we know about “Shout” and “Everybody Wants To Rule The World,” but there are a ton of singles that did...

Meet my neighbor Willie Jo Camp Willie Jo always takes center stage when he arrives for a meal. Willie knows it. In this recent montage, Willie shows that he means business when he's hungry. Anyone who encounter Willie knows that he is territorial. In this video Shiney (the black cat) makes a quick appearance. Shiney is perfect in the age of COVID. He refuses to come into contact with anyone. Summer seems to be tough on Willie. The heat makes him a bit cranky, just like the rest of us. 

On days that I work from home, I always have the need to get out into the Great Outdoors As the Peach State reopens, I’m starting to witness the traffic building. I’m not thrilled by this fact on one hand. On the other, common sense says that traffic is an unfortunate reality when the economy is humming along just fine. I’m hoping as we emerge from early 2020’s quarantine phase to living with what so many label, “the new normal,” that many businesses will continue to have a great deal of their employees work from home. As the economy comes up to full speed, perhaps Atlanta metro traffic will not come up to full speed -- not because many are not working, but many are working from home.  As is well known, many jobs that cannot be performed remotely. From service/hospitality/utility workers to healthcare employees/first responders, we know these people as society’s heroes -- and rightfully so. They keep the lights on, the Internet buzzing to making sure that we are all safe as...

We enjoyed paying tribute to those who inspired us. Oy Vey, It’s Mr. Goldstein! is one of those efforts. For those who are too young to remember, Mr. Bill was a recurring, clay-sculpted character on NBC’s Saturday Night Live within its first five seasons. While it can be labeled a blatant rip-off, it was fun to do this effort at parody.  As we shot this, I truly had some empathy with the original Mr. Bill creators. One could do anything that they wished to do with pieces of Play-Doh as it was proved on Saturday Night Live . My favorite moment was when Mr. Bill met then-cast member John Belushi. Mr. Bill asked for an autograph. Belushi obliged but the result was quite tragic. We somewhat created that moment in the film when Mr. Goldstein receives a true “knuckle sandwich” and is then, spoiler alert, doesn’t do too well with my childhood Mighty Casey train set.  As for the fullscreen titles, I’m not sure where Dan was going with those, but I think they still get ...