Piney Woods Live June 2013

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june 2013

ANNUAL

ISSUE

TYLER LENIUS

BO BRUMBLE LADY CHAZZ & THE TRAMPS

TYLER JOHNSON AND MORE!

THEATRE IN Opera House Theatre h t Players Pl y Club Pl Cl b Presents Cl P t VINEYARD & WINERY

ENOCH’S WHITE GRAPE STOMP Enoch’s invites you to celebrate our White Grape Harvest

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One of America’s Most Beloved Musicals

For the entire family!

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7:30 7: 7 :30 pm Jefferson Transportation & Visitor Center

Available online or at Blessings Gift Shop or at the venue from 5-6 p.m. show days.

FFor or ttickets ickets & information, information call call 903-665-2310 903 665 2310

East Texas Performing Arts Presents

Harvest Day Package – Adult ď™“ď™‡ď™ƒ*

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Dinner and Dessert Only – Adult ď™“ď™…ď™ˆ*

• These packages are prepaid only and do not include sales tax. Package purchase not required for entry to event. Children’s Packages available online.

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Enjoy a performance of singing and dancing and a return to a simpler time, the 1950s. This musical will be a celebration and is produced in collaboration with some of Jefferson’s finest musical and stage talents.

Available online at www.ETXPA.org or at Fashion & Art Revival, Layfayette Gallery, & Roys Rails.

Jefferson Transportation & Visitor Center

Shop • Dine • Stay

Visit our many restaurants, antique stores

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“Artt is de “A defined as a produ ductt of deliibe b ra atelyy arrangin ng ele emen nts in n a wa ay th t at ap ppea als to th he se ensess orr emottions. Pineyy Woodss Live e is an exxpresssi s on of th he comm mmun nityy it se ervess.”

ART A AND ND M MUSIC USIC C

6 Mary Mary Ma yN Norvell orve velll by Dawn-Renée Rice 8

Ce Celebrate elebrat ate A Art rt by Claudia Lowery

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Th The he Faces Face es o off Piney Woods Live Liv ve

by Dawn-Renée Rice

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P ayiin Pl Playing ng Itt F Forward orward

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Jiive JJumpers Jive umpe um pers s

by Gary Borders

by Claudia Lowery

feature Lulu & the Vipers

by Ben Valencia

Keep calm and rock your Piney on! Join us as we honor and recognize some of the most amazing local musicians to hit the Piney Woods area, including Tyler Lenius, Lulu & the Vipers, Jive Jumpers, Bo Brumble, Lady Chazz and the Tramps,

ABOUT THE ABOUT THE COVER....

Granger Smith, and Tyler Johnson.

Lulu Vantuckett of Lulu & the Vipers. Makeup by Romonda Stoker of Estée Lauder

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Bo B Bo Brumble rumb rumb ble le

by Andrea Johnson

in Dillards Dilla lards at the e LLong Longview Mall.

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by Andrea Johnson

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Musi Mu Music s c Ci C City t T ty Texas ex xas

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by Andrea Johnson

by Dawn-Renée Rice by Dawn-Renée Rice by Tony McCullough

STAFF Publishers / Editors Tracy Magness & Gary Krell Publ Pu blic icis ists ts Andrea Johnson & Ben Valencia Adve vert rtiisiing Di Dire rect c or Suzanne Warren Cont nttri rib buting Wri rite t rs

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Ta ast ste of Win ine ine by Danielle DuPont Clower

Th he “B B” Side de o of Mu Musi sc by Randy Brown

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Histtoriccal Per ersp specttive es

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Ce en ntter e Sta tage g C ge Cui uis ui sine e

by Gary Borders

by Claudia Lowery

30 0 Ar Artist st’s ’s sW World ld by Jan Statman

Sign up for our newsleettter by going to our website: Piney yWoo ods sLive e.co om www.face ebook.com/Piney yWoodsLiv ve © 2013 by Piney Woods Live. All rights reserved. This publication, its associated website and their content is copyright of Piney Woods Live. Any reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher is prohibited.

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Gary Borders, Jan Statman, Tony McCullough, Dawn-Renée Rice, Randy Brown, Claudia Lowery, Danielle Dupont Clower, Andrea Johnson, Ben Valencia G ap Gr aphi h c Arti hi Artists s Jeremiah Shepherd, Joni Guess, Tracy Krell, Ben Valencia, Andrea Johnson Sale Sa les s Ben Valencia, Andrea Johnson,Carolee Chandler, April Harlow, Kathy Hollan, Cookie Bias, Suzanne Warren, Lori Martin, Shea Vogel

How to reach us : 903-758-6900 or 800-333-3082 info@pineywoodslive.com Fax 903-758-8181 100 W. Hawkins Pkwy., Suite C. Longview, Texas 75605

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Raise your hand if you have made an effort to go hear a local band or musician play in the last year. If you have, you probably know that the Piney Woods is well-known for harboring talented musicians – past and present. You also know that we believe East Texas musicians deserve our attention. Music plays a very important part in our lives. As children, it teaches us about life. As young adults, it helps us make sense of our transition into adulthood. As adults, it can bring back memories, inspire and motivate us, or just give us an excuse to enjoy and have fun. When I attend a concert – whether at a local music venue or at a huge arena – I am always made aware that the artists are providing a bond that brings everyone into the whole. As we listen, we forget about our differences. Instead, we concentrate on that which everyone attending has in common... our love for the music we are hearing and its message. If you enjoy music, but don’t venture far from the recorded kind, you owe it to yourself to sample some of the local offerings. Our annual music edition is always one of our favorites to put together, and this issue has been no exception. This year, we are showcasing an eclectic group of local musicians. They are all very talented and represent different genres of music... from country to rock and roll to jazz and the sounds of the music of the 30s. You will be introduced to 17-year-old Tyler Lenius, a rocker from Winnsboro, who comes alive on stage with high energy and strong vocals. You will also meet Bo Brumble, a solo country singer who has turned music into a full-time career. Have you ever heard Lulu and the Vipers or Lady Chazz and the Tramps perform? Both female-lead bands have a following of their own in East Texas with lead singers that have sultry voices and plenty of style. Their stories are also within these pages. Randy Brown is this month’s Face of Piney Woods Live magazine. Randy has written his column, “The ‘B’ Side of Music,� for Piney Woods Live since our very first issue. Randy always has good advice for musicians and songwriters, based on his personal experience and things he has learned from seasoned professionals of the “biz.� He also includes pearls of wisdom from which artists of any type can benefit. This month, you will get to know even more about Randy. It’s almost time for the T-Bone Walker Blues Fest at Music City Texas in Linden. The event will be held June 21 and 22, and it is a “don’t miss� for blues fans. Really. If you have never attended the festival, we highly recommend that you go both days and attend both the outdoor and indoor concerts. You can also check out our story about the inception of Music City Texas Theater and the venue’s plans for the future. A Music City Texas Theater board member, Ken Chinn, has involved the venue in a new project called Play if Forward in which guitars are donated and given to children who would otherwise not be able to afford one. I can’t help but believe that many Piney Woods musicians of the future will be encouraged by this program. As a final note, we recently witnessed something that must be a first for this area: a group of local musicians donating their services to put on a benefit performance for a “for profit� music venue. Certainly artists of all types, including musicians, are routinely involved in charitable and public service events. But this was unique, in our view. Charlie’s BackYard Bar in Marshall was the beneficiary of a pair of weekend concerts by area musicians who wanted to do something to help the venue. Organizer and singer/songwriter Nick Brumley was quoted as saying “This place has been good to us. Everyone who plays [here] really likes the place.� A refreshing change from the usual stories of strife between performers and club owners. As always, our goal is to get you to get out there to enjoy the talented artists that reside in our area. Make it a goal this summer to attend some performances by local musicians or participate in an area art walk. You just might see East Texas in a whole new light. As always, we want to hear your thoughts, concerns, complaints and suggestions about the magazine and art topics in general. You can comment on individual stories at pineywoodslive. com or at Facebook.com/pineywoodslive. Email us at publisher@pineywoodslive.com, or just give us a call at 903-758-6900.

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M N

ary orvell

by Dawn-R Renée Rice

M

arshall artist Mary Norvell is an integral part of the artistic culture in the East Texas area, from her beautiful watercolors and acrylics to her metal sculptures reminiscent of the steampunk style, which calls forth imagery of late 19th century industrial machinery mixed with her own special touch. As an artist, Mary creates in different ways – with watercolor, acrylic, metal, and clay. “One thing leads to another for me. It’s a journey and a process to me. I love clay, so I guess I’m in mixed media. But I love the purity of watercolor.

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I the h past In six months, I have found myself going back to acrylics and exploring that again,” she explains. Mary started her artistic journey nearly twenty-five years ago while living in New Orleans. “It was a magical time for me. I had a friend who wanted me to come and do art with her, and I wasn’t really interested. I was selling real estate at the time, but I went anyway. “Something clicked, and I realized I had found a piece of who I am, and from that point it was like I couldn’t get enough. So, I took any opportunity I could to explore and went back to school. My degree was in physical education, and I taught for about four years, had a family, and then stepped back from teaching for a little bit,” she explains.

Living in New Orleans made Mary feel like it was a magical place and time to create, and she was in the perfect setting to explore. She felt that she was doing what she was called to do. Eventually, wshe had to leave New Orleans and move to the East Texas area to take care of her ailing mother. “When I discovered this place, it was pure magic for me. Moving here was

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great because it allowed me to be surrounded by other wonderful, creative artists and explore my creative abilities too. “I felt like when I first came here that the other artists just took me under their wings and nurtured me in my progress. When I paint or create, I’m not thinking about the process. I’m just in the moment, listening to whatever it is that’s telling me to create,” she says. After painting in watercolor and acrylics for a while, the opportunity to try a different medium became available when Texas State Technical College in Marshall started an art welding class. “I always enjoyed seeing outdoor sculpture pieces in metal and always wondered what it would be like to explore that. When the opportunity came along, I didn’t want to miss out. “When I went and took it, I thought it was awesome! After four or five years, they stopped offering them but it sparked an interest in metal art,” she explains. “I’m really into using keys and puzzle pieces in my work. I like to use the old skeleton type keys, and when I was in welding, I created a sculpture called

Keeper of the Keys. The human form is also the shape of a key, and the shapes of keys are used throughout the sculpture.” She also finds inspiration for her work when she sees sculptures of angels. “When I first started exploring watercolor on my own, we went to an old cemetery in Shreveport and took photographs of the angels there in the cemetery. I showed the photographs to my mentor, and a few weeks later, I received a package of photographs in the mail of angels from a cemetery in New Orleans. My mentor included a note that said she thought I should explore this. “I sometimes feel like a moth being led to a flame, because I’m just drawn to them. There’s such a connection for me when I see a sculpture of an angel. As a result, I’ve been drawing them for the past ten years or so. They don’t just represent cold, stone pieces. There’s a human essence about them,” she explains. Mary also says that for her, “Painting and creating is my attempt at conversation. I tend to be very private. Communicating with words is something I always felt I really lacked, so I speak through my art.”

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CELEBRATE ART!

ne of the missions of the Marshall Regional Arts Council is to promote area artists and showcase their talent. The competition called Celebrate Art provides an opportunity for all entries to win prize money. This event is one of the few fundraisers for the MRAC to support local arts and award grants through art education in the Tri-County area of Harrison, Panola, and Marion counties. This competition is limited to 50 entries and is open to any artist living in the Tri-County area, plus it is open to dues-paid members of the Marshall Art League. Artists must be 18 years of age or older. A wide variety of visual art medium is eligible to compete. In addition to the $1000 grand award, there will be three people’s choice awards of $100 each. The people’s choice awards will be selected by members of the MRAC. Family and friends are encouraged to join the MRAC during this membership

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Live Music

drive to be eligible for voting on their three favorite entries. This year begins a new feature of Celebrate Art called Celebrate America. A condition of entering the main Celebrate Art competition is the donation of one small piece of artwork for silent auction at the closing reception. Upon delivery of the Celebrate Art entry, artists will receive a 6�x6� gallery wrap canvas for painting, or if they choose to do a 3-dimensional sculpture, they will receive a 6�x6� tile‌ the artist’s choice. Interpretation of the theme Celebrate America will be entirely at the discretion of the artist. There will be a set opening bid on every artwork, and it’s believed this will generate a lot of excitement in bidding. All funds raised will go to the MRAC for the support of the arts. If you are interested in supporting local fine arts, then plan to attend the two receptions for the Marshall Regional Arts Council’s fund raising events. There are educational programs, concerts, theatrical performances and more that are supported by the MRAC. Please consider joining during this time and secure an opportunity to vote on your favorite three artworks.

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Wine A Taste of

with Danielle DuPont Clower

Hello again to all my fellow wine lovers! I hope you have been enjoying our journey throughout Texas to discover various vineyards and wines. I have enjoyed taking you on our little adventures, but I would like to take you out of East Texas, well for that matter, out of Texas all together. Let us travel this time to the beautiful sun drenched coast of California. Well, not just one coast but to three different coastal areas that have helped create my favorite wine, Meiomi. Meiomi is created by the Wagner family who has been making beautiful wines for all of us to enjoy since the 1880s. Grown in Sonoma, Monterey and Santa Barbara helps give this delicious Pinot Noir complexity and depths full of abundant bright berry flavors with rose petal aromas. Meiomi is the name for coast from the coastal dwelling native tribes of the Wappo and Yuki. To say it is my favorite wine is an understatement. This velvety, aromatic vino has become my number one seller in my store. Sonoma’s vast coastal areas help develop the abundant tannins and mineral based earth notes while the sandy loam soils of Santa Barbara with foggy mornings, has long been referred to as the spice box when it comes to Pinot Noir. Cinnamon, clove and candied cranberries from the moist soil are just one characteristic you could perceive from this region. In between these two coasts you will find Monterey. With its windy and sunny valleys, Monterey’s contribution ties the whole blend together. These two weather com-

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ponents from Monterey help create a Pinot Noir grape with thick skin and dark, hard seeds which is key in creating a grape that helps with the extraction process. Food pairing is not a challenge when it comes to this Pinot Noir. I personally cannot think of anything that would not go well with it, including a starry sky and a romantic dinner with a loved one or group of friends. To find out more about this wine go to: www. meiomiwines.com or just Google Belle Glos Vineyards and check out what other wines the Wagner family is famous for, like Caymus! I hope you have enjoyed our trip this month and look forward to our next journey. Who knows where the next voyage will take us! As always, may your life be filled with joy, your hearts filled with kindness and your glass topped off with your favorite wine!

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“B si ”

The

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ofmusic

by Randy Brown

Big Yellow Taxi Late last night I heard the screen door slam A big yellow taxi took away my old man Don’t it always seem to go You don’t know what you got till it’s gone They paved paradise and put up a parking lot From “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell This month’s lyric is from a song that has been around since 1970. As the story goes, Joni Mitchell traveled to Hawaii for the first time, arriving late at night. She went to bed, and when she woke up, the first thing she could see out the window from where she lay were beautiful, green mountains. However, when she got out of bed, a different scene revealed itself. There was a parking lot stretching all the way to the base of those beautiful mountains. Hence, the inspiration for the line, “they paved paradise and put up parking lot.” The song “Big Yellow Taxi” never got far on the charts but has become a classic anyway. Its lyric perfectly illustrates my thoughts this month, which are probably less about music than any column I have written. However, I believe it applies to music, as well as everything else. Two years ago, I lost two people who were very important to me. Please understand, I did not consider either of them close friends. One was probably just a close acquaintance. I will call him “Mike.” The other was a friend and fellow songwriter. I had coffee with him a few times a year, and we occasionally swapped songs. Let’s call him “Jack.” Mike and Jack both had a huge impact on me that I did not properly appreciate at the time I was associated with them. Just as Joni says in this

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month’s lyric, “ Y o u don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” that unfortunately often goes for the really important folks in life. Mike, the close acquaintance, rarely gave me the time of day. Oh, we were cordial enough. Passing out, “How are ya’ doing?” and “Good to see you.” when we would meet. Like most, he had his own burdens and issues, and we simply didn’t really connect. That lack of connection was in no way personal. He had a lot of clout in my little music world, and many people wanted to get close to him in order to win his favor. That made him a little standoffish. Plus, he was a pretty private person, certainly not the “put it all out there” kind. I think Mike and I were very much alike, and that is probably why we never really hit it off. Because of that “alikeness,” I failed to try to really feel a connection with him. Also, Mike seemed to relish having people need him. Not in an evil way, mind you, but in the same way we all want to be needed. I don’t do needy too well either, which didn’t help our relationship. But after I heard of his death, I got to thinking that I had done a lot of things that I would not have done otherwise in order to get his attention – from a distance. I wanted him to invite me into the fold rather than invite myself and show my neediness. Without his influence in my life, I would not have pushed myself as hard to be a better songwriter and performer, hoping beyond hope to garner some attention. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried to gain his approval, all I would get in return was the occasional nod and acknowledgment that perhaps I held some tiny spark of promise. It infuriated me, but his ambivalence to my music made me work all the more to prove I was good enough, which in turn made me better and more focused as an artist. A little about the singer/songwriter community. Most of us live far apart or are out playing, traveling or writing and don’t get a lot of opportunity to hang out together. Therefore, we look forward each year to going to one of the many folk festivals held across the

country each year. That is where our “tribe” gathers, you might say. At these festivals, the real music is not on the stages but instead in the campgrounds adjacent to the festivals. Songwriters and musicians hang out in random – casual groups sharing songs, playing music, writing new songs and catching up with each other’s lives. This is the world where I met and interacted with both Mike and Jack. With the stage set, I can return to the story. Jack was an entirely different person. Jack was my friend, nemesis, critic, role model and often unwelcome guest. I spent many long mornings with Jack at a certain music festival drinking coffee, talking, reminiscing, and listening to Jack pontificate, and Jack could pontificate. Wherever there were other songwriters, he would hold court, directing the flow of the proceedings by sheer force of personality. Jack was a larger-than-life person. His stories, his thoughts, his songs and his whole life seemed larger than mine. He was a great songwriter – probably the best I have ever known personally, and I have known quite a few great ones. His songs were deep, full of beautiful, evocative images and the deepest, rawest emotions. He was a bard, poet and a songwriter’s songwriter. He could by way of the sheer force of his personality take over a gathering and put it to his own purposes. My relationship with him was interesting. I was both energized and cautious in his presence. Since his death, which was sudden and very unexpected, I have spoken to many of his other friends, and their experiences were similar in that we held him in the highest regard yet were a little put off by his antics and threatened by the brashness and immensity of his sheer presence. Having people like Jack in your life are often few and far between. I am thankful to have known him and even to have felt intimidated by him. So, why exactly am I talking about Mike and Jack – these two individuals, who could be referred by the term coined by Carlos Castaneda in his series of Don Juan books as “petty tyrants?” I love that term because, for me, it says it all. Petty tyrants are those who push our buttons. It’s frustrating but energizes us to work harder at our chosen art or craft. When writing a new song or a new column, I ask myself, “What would Jack or Mike say upon hearing or reading this? Would they approve or laugh?”

But alas, those petty tyrants are gone from the world and mostly from my life. But their leaving has taught me something important, which is that what makes me uncomfortable is not necessarily bad. That discomfort can be the seed of great improvement. Oh, I still have my petty tyrants, but I don’t let them bother me as much. In fact, I welcome them into my creative process to help me be a better artist and person. Is it possible that I am someone’s Mike or Jack? Once upon a time I would have said, “That is one thing I would never want to be.” But now I think I would answer that question differently by saying, “I really hope so.” I would love to believe that the way I have lived and conducted myself has pushed someone else to be better, stronger and work harder at their art. I used to worry about coming across to people like Mike or Jack. But I think I can leave that behind now. I can finally honestly appreciate their effect on me. Going forward, I am making a conscious effort to recognize that those that push my buttons and make me crazy aren’t really my enemies but are instead my best friends because praise and accolades don’t make me better. Oh, to be sure, praise and accolades have their place. We all need and long for them. But the truth is that any real drive to be better comes from the Mikes and Jacks in my life – my petty tyrants. Hopefully, from now on I will appreciate those that remain and even thank them for their gift, before that big yellow taxi takes them or me away. As always, thanks for reading, and if you have comments, suggestions or criticisms about this or any of my columns, feel free to send them to me: randy@brownrandy.com If you ever simply get curious about what the heck this rambling old man does, then go to www.brownrandy.com/music. Listen to a few songs and let me know what you think. We’ll talk again next month.

Randy Brown is retired from a real job, though he still manages to function as a singer/songwriter living in East Texas. and has been involved with many sides of the music business over the years, from being a sideman, a sound man, touring songwriter, operator of a venue, and a recording studio owner/engineer. When that big yellow taxi comes for him, he plans to be out of town.

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The

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Adventures of

by Dawn-Renée Rice

Randy Brown is a Texas singer-songwriter and columnist for Piney Woods Live who compares his music to that of a mash-up between Charles Darwin, Guy Clark, and Van Morrison. As he likes to say, “Imagine if Charles Darwin met Guy Clark and Van Morrison at an MIT barbecue in honor of Albert Einstein’s birthday.” This gives you a sense of the smartly clever mind and the type of music he writes and performs. He considers himself to be a self-proclaimed performing philosopher who accompanies himself on guitar and mandolin while singing his folk-Americana style songs. He’s won several awards for his music, including the 2009 Texas Independent Music Expo (TIME) and the 2007 New Traditions Songwriting Contest in Nacogdoches, TX. He’s also a two-time regional finalist in the Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition and is the recipient of the honorable mention citation for the 2011 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival songwriting competition. His music and lyrics call to mind downhome imagery and cover offbeat topics such as quantum mechanics, extraterrestrial conversations by flashlight, and testosterone poisoning. Brown has released two solo recordings – Dream Big in 2007 and more recently But Wait, There’s More in April of this year. “I’ve been a musician since I was ten years old and played in a series of bands in high school and a folk group during college,” Brown explains. “We played all around the Dallas and East Texas area. [My wife and I] moved to Mineola around ’74, and there wasn’t much of a music scene there, so I took a job playing in a country band as a guitar player. I played with vari-

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Italy

Southern & Northern “She asked me to write something about music and taxes. A lot of musicians don’t have a clue about what’s deductible and what’s not, so I sat down one day and wrote a little article about it. I sent it to her and forgot about it. Next thing I knew, Denice called me up and asked for the next one. I said, ‘What do mean the next one?’ She told me this is going to be a column, so I’ve been doing it ever since. I named it “The “B” Side of Music” because back when we had records, singles used to have a “B” side and it also stood for the business side of music.” Piney Woods Live readers can check out his column every month, where he shares his insights and knowledge about the business side of the music industry. Fans of his music can find out his tour dates online and purchase his new CD But Wait, There’s More on iTunes.

SEPT 25 - OCT 8 Taking 2 groups twice a year. Sign up now! Everyday is a Treasure Hunt. Come Explore the Store!

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ous bands for about 15 years all over Texas 202 S. Main St. • Gladewater two to three nights a week and had a career and raised a family at the same time.” brownrandy.com In the ‘90s, Brown teamed up with John DeFoore in Mineola. DeFoore was the guitar teacher for Miranda Lambert and Kasey Musgraves, and he and Brown played together for several years in a band called Jealousy Motel. “It was all original stuff, and we did that for eight years and released two CD’s. After we stopped playing together about eight or nine years ago, I started playing solo, which I really enjoy. [My wife and I] owned several businesses, which we sold in September, so we’re completely retired. Music City Texas Theater | Linden, Texas “I’ve written songs since I was 13 and only perform original material. I picked up the guitar when I was ten and never had a lesson in my life. I play everywhere I can – Austin, Houston, and just all over Texas. After retiring in September, we lit out in October to travel Iowa and Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin and just played. This • THE DUKE ROBILLARD BAND was my first real tour where I’ve played • ZAC HARMON BAND about 14 or 15 dates. I [also] do a lot of • DOUG MACLEOD • TEXAS FLOOD house concerts, where people invite 20 or • AJ & the TWO TONE BLUES BAND 30 of their friends, everyone pays 10 bucks • ROBIN & THE BLUEBIRDS a pop and buys my CD’s. By the end of the • BUDDY FLETT night I’ve made four hundred to five hun• RAFAEL ESPINOZA BAND dred dollars or more, and I’ve got a couch • THE PETERSON BROTHERS BAND to sleep on,” he says. • MATTHEW DAVIDSON BAND He also became a columnist for Piney • PLEASANT HILL QUILTING GROUP Woods Live magazine a few years ago quite by accident. He explains, “As far as writing for Piney Woods Live, it all happened as an accident. Denice Barton, who started Piney Tickets, Pricing, Details Online at: Woods Live magazine years ago, was an acwww.TBoneWalkerBluesFest.com quaintance who had an office in Winnsboro. (We owned several H&R Blocks, with one Mid South Engine American located in Winnsboro in the arts district be& Machine Classifieds fore it even became the arts district.)

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JUNE 21 - 22, 2013

For Information: Call 903-756-7774

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Fashion

by Ben Valencia

inspired by music From the twang of country,

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to the head bangin’ of rock, this fashion will keep you lookin’ gorgeous; dancin’ all around the clock!

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(1) Dress w/Black Lace on Pink, $42; Cross Necklace, $7; both from Just Add Jeans. (2) De Blossom Collection Lace & Rhinestone Booties, from Crystal Spur. (3) MMS Design Studio Black Fringe Purse w/accented Gold Studs, $39, from Just Add Jeans. (4) Skull Coin Purse, $4, from Just Add Jeans. (5) Black Belt w/Rhineston Accent, $15, from Just Add Jeans. (6) Cowgirl Rhinestone Belt, from Crystal Spur. (7) Rhinestone Studded Leather Bracelet, $38, from Calamity Jane. (8) Gypsy Soul Buckle Bracelet, $125, from Calamity Jane. (9) Rhinestone Snap Bracelet, $14, from Just Add Jeans. (10) Copper Worn Bracelet, $22, from Calamity Jane. (11) Silver Strike Horseshoe Blue Rhinestone Necklace & Earrings, $49, from Calamity Jane. (12) Gem Stretch Ring, $14, from Just Add Jeans. (13) Music Note Earrings, $7, from Just Add Jeans. (14) Rose Accented Hat, $24, Just Add Jeans. (15) Scrooples Vintage Aqua Cross Necklace, $49.98, J&Co. (16) Cross Necklace w/Rhinestone Accent, $52, Calamity Jane. (17) La Scale Chevron Print Dress, $40.70, Crystal Spur; Aqua Bracelet, $14.98, J&Co; Mad Style Fushia Purse, $59.98, J&Co; Silver Studded Bracelet, $1, $1 Jewelry Galore. (18) Blue & White Elan TyeDye Dress, $57.20, Crystal Spur; Silver Strike Horseshoe Blue Rhineston Necklace, $49, Calamity Jane; Bracelet, $20, Calamity Jane. (19) Cowgirl Hat, $, Crystal Spur; Blue Elan Top, $39.60, Crystal Spur; Scrooples Vintage Aqua Cross Necklace, $49.98, J&Co; Copper Worn Leather Bracelet, $22, Calamity Jane. (20) Bling-A-GoGo Top w/Rhinstone Accents, $58, Calamity Jane; U Style Fringe Skirt, $22, Calamity Jane. Model: Andrea Johnson

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Playing Ladies Night: July 18 7 – 9 pm (BYOB) Anup Bhandari, Instructor Abstract Painting Paint bright and bold acrylics on canvas with Longview’s most prolific artist! $20 ******************************

July 22-26

July 1-3

IPAD Art APPS Mary Squier, Instructor 10-noon Bring your IPAD and have fun using it to create works of art using free apps. Ages 13-Adult $30

July 22-26

July 1-3

Art The Nevelson Way Amy Brown, Instructor 10:30-noon Louise Nevelson was an American sculptor known for her monumental, monochromatic, wall pieces and sculptures. Create your own wall sculpture the Nevelson way. Ages 8-13 $50

Digital Photography Sheryl Phillips, Instructor 1 – 2:30 Bring your digital camera to class, as we will learn about camera settings, composure, lighting, etc. Some shooting/critique time will be included in the last two days of class. Ages 13-Adult $50 ******************************

July 1,2,3 & 5

Introduction to Art Journaling Christy Adair, Instructor 1–3 pm Bring your sketchbook or journal, and we’ll supply writing instruments unless you have a personal preference. Learn the art of Art Journaling from a master! (Note this is a 4 day class--the museum will be closed on Thursday, July 4, Independence Day.) Ages 14 and up (15 students maximum) $30 ******************************

July 8-12

Paper Mache Animal Masks Jessica Riggs, Instructor 10-noon Create an animal mask out of paper mache. Ages 11-14 $50 Plaster Wrap Mask Amy Brown, Instructor 1-3 pm Create and paint a plaster cast of your face. 13-Adult $50 ******************************

July 16-19 (Tues-Fri)

Paint Till You Faint Ann Werline, Instructor 10:30-noon Four days of experimenting with different painting techniques and styles. Ages 6-12 $40

July 15-19

Digital Photography Sheryl Phillips, Instructor 10:30-noon Bring your digital camera to class, as we will learn about camera settings, composure, lighting, etc. Some shooting/critique time will be included in the last two days of class. Ages 6-12 $50

Fused Miniature Quilts Nneka Gamble 1:30-3 Students will make their own quilt design, and use their design to create a small quilt that is meant to be hung on a wall. No sewing machine required! Ages 8-13 $65

July 29-August 2

Zen Doodle Amy Brown, Instructor 10-noon Enjoy the fun of meditative Zen Doodle. Ages 6-13 $50

July 29-August 2

Zen Doodle Amy Brown, Instructor 1-3 pm Enjoy the fun of meditative Zen Doodle. Ages 14-Adult $50 ******************************

August 5-8

Introduction to Glazing Bisque ware Jeff Hull, Instructor 9:30-11:30 am; 1-3 pm; or 6:30-8:30 pm Explore the difference between glaze and under glaze. Glaze the bisque ware you made earlier this summer or choose from our selection. At week’s end, all of your wares should be ready for glaze firing in the kiln. Ages 14-Adult $100

August 5-9

Dog Days Of Summer Ann Werline, Instructor 10:30-noon Learn to draw a variety of breeds of dogs using different artistic medium. Ages 6-12 $50

August 5-9

Mini Abstract Fiber Art Nneka Gamble, Instructor 1:30-3 Using fabric paints students will make their own unique textile, and enhance it with fibers and other embellishments to create their own original piece of fiber art. No sewing machine required! Ages 13-Adult $65

it Forward

by Gary Borders photos by Andrea Johnson The Music City Texas Theater in Linden has become a well-known venue that invariably sells out its 400 seats, especially when it brings such wellknown performers as Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther and Robert Earl Keen — all of whom have appeared in the past year. When Longview businessman Ken Chinn joined the board of the nonprofit group that runs MCTT, he had a vision of the venue doing more than simply selling out its performances. Chinn and others began enlisting corporate sponsors so that MCTT could launch a project dear to the heart of a guitar lover like Chinn — whose favorite business card is imprinted on a pick. Play it Forward launched in March and has already givien away guitars to young people at high schools in Atlanta, Texarkana, Linden, Spring Hill and Jefferson. “There are many more on the wish list, and the group of potential donors is growing as well,” Chinn said. “The response has been incredible,” Chinn said, as he spoke from his financial advisor office in Longview, several guitars tucked away in the corner. Chinn talks to area principals, who in turn talk to teachers to find appropriate students to be recipients. “They go to kids who have a desire to play, and maybe they don’t have the means to afford an instrument,” he said. In addition to the guitar, the students are given a tuner, an instructional book and a DVD to help them learn to play. Future plans are to have jam sessions and teaching lessons at MCTT on Saturdays, with some of the more adept students even being able to perform

on stage at some point. The goal is to bring a higher profile to MCTT, to “take it from something just hidden away to more people knowing about it,” Chinn said. “There is just so much momentum for it,” Chinn said. Mundt Music in Longview has been an early donor, while several individuals have provided money to buy guitars and the related supplies. “The impact the program is having on the students — and their parents — has been considerable,” Chinn said. He described a recent scene in Linden. “This woman was just hugging me, tears running down my shirt, saying how meaningful this was to her… Her son had always wanted a guitar.” Chinn said his ultimate goal is to circulate enough guitars that school districts will consider offering guitar as a music elective and employ qualified guitar teachers in the area to teach the courses. In the meantime, he anticipates the popularity of Play it Forward to continue to grow beyond the immediate area served by MCTT as the word gets out. For more information about the program, or to become a sponsor, visit the theater’s website at

musiccitytexas.org or call 903-238-7558.

Longview Museum of Fine Arts 215 E. Tyler St. • Longview, TX 75601

903.753.8103 www.LMFA.org ju une 2013 - page e 14

Students at Longview High School receive guitars from Ken Chinn’s Play it Forward program in early May.

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Jive O

n any given weekend you can find just about any style music in Texas, but you can also come to East Texas for a mid-week swinging good time. Every Wednesday night at OS2 Pub in Marshall, the locals attend Boogie Woogie Wednesday from 7 - 9 p.m. for a unique musical experience. A recent visit yielded a tight, little band called the Jive Jumpers who brought out the swing dancers in the crowd. They performed little two-step tunes and “jive jumpin’ way out ‘cutting the rug’ numbers” that got people off their ever lovin’ barstools. That’s what they do … make people smile and move! The Jive Jumpers have evolved over the last few years after decades of trying every genre of music in search of the one that best suits them. For the past year, the band has been made up of four members: Sylvia Carrell, with her sultry, sexy voice is featured on vocals and percussion, Steve Epperson on snare/high hat playing mostly with brushes, Rodney Beal playing bass guitar and singing background vocals, and Jim Cobb on guitar and vocals. Combined, there’s about a hundred years of musical experience, but we won’t try to figure that equation out! Formerly part of the band Diddley Squat, three of the five members became the band now known as Jive Jumpers and you can expect to hear a blues and swing base to their music and a dabble of jazz. Like NPR host Steve Cushing says, “…the bluesier side of jazz, and the jazzier side of blues,” is exactly how I would describe the Jumpers’ sound. Although the band favors all styles of blues – everything from Robert Johnson to TBone to Freddie King, they lean towards the jump sounds of the west coast, the 50s blues shouters like Big Joe Turner &

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Jumpers

Bringing on the Swing! by Claudia Lowery

Wynonie Harris, the smooth jazz of Peggy Lee & John Pizzarelli, and classics like Roy Hamilton, Louis Prima, and Clarence “Frogman” Henry. Among the four musicians, they have widespread tastes but a focused love for music. Individually, the band has a varied past. Sylvia Carrell sang with Catdaddy, a blues band out of Longview. Drummer Steve Epperson played with country rock band Crossroads. But Rodney Beal and Jim Cobb go way back over twenty years where they met in Killeen, TX, and played in so many bands they couldn’t name them all… well, except for an interesting sounding band called Texas Bar Sluts, a name that brought the interview to a pause while we wiped tears from our eyes from laughing. They also played in the more respectable sounding band, Southern Man, and many more. Their history is full of stories and adventures. Just ask them, and they’ll be happy to share some with you. Venues for the Jive Jumpers have been mostly blues clubs, and they have traveled along the Florida coast and along the U.S. southern coastline playing Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Now they are settled in East Texas, where they play private parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs, and just about any music venue available. They love touring on the road, and as local bookings grow, they hope to be back out there sharing the good feelings given by jive music. “We love the blues crowd and interacting with them. They are friendly, and we really enjoy the reciprocal relationship we have. It’s smaller and more intimate at places like OS2, where we can really sense the crowd is listening, dancing, and just having a great time,” shared several of the band members.

Coming up Saturday, June 22, you can enjoy the Jive Jumpers at the TBone Walker Blues Fest in Linden on the outdoor stage at noon during the car show. For more information about venues, booking private parties and

more, you can call Rodney Beal, band member and owner of Band Stand Music in Marshall, at 903-927-2661, Jim Cobb at 903-407-5768, or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ JiveJumpers

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june 201 13 - page 15 5

Lulu

and the vipers by Ben Valencia

Photos by Ben Valencia & Gary K Krell

W

hen the sun sets and fireflies caress moss covered trees, you’re in Lulu’s world. You are in Lulu’s world when the sound of a banjo and an upright bass can make you feel like you’re sitting on a back porch way off in the country somewhere as dragonflies dance across the murky waters of a bayou - as if in Antebellum days. ju une 2013 - page e 16

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Lulu & The Vipers are a wellknown four-man and a lady band with a skillet-fried sound that is dipped in all aspects of the Deep South: despair, sin, heartache, poverty and sadness. Like a whippoorwill crying out in a thicket of ancient trees, Lulu’s voice resonates with smokey, sinful vocals that conjure the sultry, feisty ghosts of Memphis Minnie and Lil Green. Lead vocalist Lauren Smith, also known as Lulu VanTuckett, says that her band captures the feeling of “hard times.” The band is heavily influenced by the blues and the sounds emanating from honky-tonks of the past. “Our biggest inspirations for music stem from the 30s blues women and the grandfathers of country, such as Hank Williams Sr. and Jimmie Rogers,” Lulu said. The band had its first performance four years ago with just three members, and soon after they added two more.

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Lulu is joined by the sounds of band members Allen Nichols (guitar, resonator), Brandon Nichols (guitar), Billy Franke (banjo) and Jeremy Baker (upright bass, percussion).

The Voice With a voice that can quickly silence a room of unsuspecting listeners, Lulu says she has always loved to sing, and growing up with her father’s influence to play the guitar, she had all the tools she needed at her fingertips. “When I was young, I remember my dad playing his 12-string guitar. I learned to play it just enough to sing to it,” Lulu said. “I just learned the basic chords to accompany me singing. I loved singing.” Lulu recalls that her dad was a huge fan of The Beatles. “Grow-

ing up, we knew all of The Beatles’ songs,” Lulu said. “My siblings and I shared this mutual love for The Beatles. Then it became Beethoven and Acid Bath.” Just by closing their eyes, Lulu’s sultry voice can take any crowd to a Saturday night honky-tonk and make them feel the heart drenching pain of a breakup or the despair of wandering a lonesome road that leads to nowhere. “When I sing, I like to portray what the song makes me feel, like they are part of me,” Lulu said. “I like to make people feel that same feeling. To me, music is a translation of emotion.’ ‘It was created as a religious expression. Music itself is religious to me. From the first beats around the campfire, it was something spiritual. It is a very necessary thing to have in nature.”

“When I sing, I like to portray what the song makes me feel, like they are part of me...”

The Plan With the Longview band having just formed four years ago and having families and day jobs, it hasn’t been easy for them to just pick up and travel. But Lulu says that traveling is something she would like the band to start doing. “I would love for us to do a small tour of Louisiana and play in New Orleans,” Lulu said. I’d like for us to play in several different places. We’ve been to Austin and Dallas in the past.” Lulu says that she is working on bringing her friends from the Walker & The Texas Dangers band in Ft. Worth to Backstreet in Longview on June 22. They also hope to have a CD out within the next year.

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Lulu’s Day Job Singing and playing in her band is just one aspect of Lulu’s busy life. She is also a tattoo artist at her business, Third Street Art, in Longview. Lulu and her husband Allen (also a band member) opened Third Street Art about five years ago. “I’ve always been an artist,” Lulu said. “I’ve always painted or drawn since the first day I could hold a pencil. I went to college at Texas State and got a degree in communication design and later changed the focus of my degree to illustration in order to better my tattooing skills. I really do love art. I wish I had more time to paint and sculpt.” At Third Street Art you can find many different pieces of Lulu’s work adorning the walls. From singing to tattoos to her performance garb and her sultry voice, she is a special lady. And with a band that backs her up with the sounds of the Deep South, Lulu &The Vipers will have any crowd shuffling to the sound of redemption, sin and heartache and a dash of good ole’ blues. Lulu invites everyone to like the bands Facebook page, Lulu & The Vipers. Also, Lulu can be contacted at lauren.3rdstreetart@me.com.

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Bo I

t’s the summer of 2010, a scorching, hot East Texas day, and my friends and I are looking for some fun and excitement on a Saturday night. We decide that we are in the mood for some country music. We pull on our cowboy boots and decide to go to Leon’s Steakhouse in Longview for a little bit of boot scootin’ and fun. We turn into the parking lot, and the sign out in front of the building reads “Gypsy Rebel.” The name automatically catches my interest, and I just know it is going to be a great night for live music and dancing. We eat dinner and “girl talk,” then decide it’s about time to put our dancing skills to the test. At Leon’s, they have a stage area, where there are many tables and a dance floor. We are heading toward the dance floor when I am startled by what I hear. There are two young men up on the stage singing and playing acoustic guitar. They are Gypsy Rebel: Danny Patterson and Bo Brumble. I grab a seat, and instead of dancing the night away, I spend the evening listening to country music, but it is not the type of country music I am used to hearing. It is more soulful than anything I have ever heard on the radio. “I make you crazy, you make me want to sing ... Rum and coke, lazy summer evening …” The song resonates in my blood, and I catch myself grinning a grin the size of Texas. My heart and soul are singing with this amazing act that is before me. Once the evening is over, I think, “I have got to hear them again!” Time passed, and I saw Gypsy Rebel perform several times in different parts of East Texas. Bo Brumble was the lead singer, and the raspy and pure, raw tones in his voice were tantalizing. Every time I heard him sing, I wanted to hear more – like a PineyWoodsLLive.ccom

Brumble by Andrea Johnson

Photos by Twinty Photography crazy, musical addiction. His voice was comforting, and the songs he sang made my heart smile. I wanted to know more about this artist, to find out more about this extremely creative young man. Bo Brumble, a Hallsville native and graduate, started singing in church when he was a “young whipper snapper” at the age of four. Throughout his childhood, he was involved in choir and picked up his first guitar when he was 19, which his grandfather taught him how to play. Gypsy Rebel was formed in 2007 with Danny Patterson. The duo’s sound was unique in the local band circuit. It was a raspy combination of Texas country and classic rock, a “down home, good feelin’” sound. Gypsy Rebel performed packed houses from 2007 until 2011, and they still play random shows. To pursue his music career further, Bo quit his day job as a bartender and as a landman for an oil and gas company and moved to the Texas eclectic music capital of Austin to play music full time. Brumble has written 40 original songs, all of which are based on life experiences. “Rum and Coke” and his favorite self-written song, “Missing You,” are just a couple. He covers the Black Crows, the Toadies, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Wade Bowen and many more. He plays more than solo gigs; he has performed alongside Ray Wiley Hubbard, Bri Bagwell, the Rankin Twins, and Brandon Rhyder, to name a few. Bo Brumble is a true Piney Woods musical heart throb with a heart and soul the size of Texas. For more information about Bo Brumble and his music, please visit: www.BoBrumble.com, facebook/bobrumblemusic, Twitter and Instagram @bobrumblemusic, and YouTube.com.

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Tyler

Lenius “Can’t you see what your love’s done to me....you made me crazy...” The crowd goes wild in Spring, Texas, as a magnifying, young artist jumps off the stage with his electric guitar, and while on his knees, shows off his guitar skills, as well as a voice as unique as his performance. He is the perfect description of AC/DC meets Jimi Hendrix meets The Black Keys. The sun is setting, and the concert continues as he draws more and more onlookers into his tangled web of talent, and just when you think you have heard it all… BAM! He’s on his back, playing guitar. The adrenalin from performing live in front of an audience has electrified him. Like he’s done this for years, he dances back and forth on stage and once again shocks the audience as he slides down on both knees and starts playing his red, electric guitar with his teeth. The fans go crazy. The performance comes to an end and shortly thereafter you hear the announcer come on stage and pronounce, “Welcome the Toadies to the Texas Crawfish Festival!” This young man had just opened for the Toadies, a popular alternative rock band from Fort Worth, best known for the song “Possum Kingdom.” Who is this young man? As the lyrics he sings seep deep into your soul, you find yourself reliving moments of your life and seeing them in a new light. You may suddenly find hope out of moments of despair. You may get lost for a brief time until the sound of the “Rock Gods” comes to you through an insane guitar rift. When you come out of your musical coma and glance on stage, it is Tyler Lenius standing there. Tyler Lenius is an up-and-comer from Winnsboro, and he is taking the local music scene by storm. The moment Tyler’s dad brought home

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by Andrea Johnson Photos by Stephen Woloszyn

an AC/DC album, the inspiration began for Tyler to take that unique sound and make it his own. At the age of 11, Tyler started teaching himself the guitar with the help of his father, who showed him only three notes. Shortly after, he quickly learned many of the songs played by his musical idols, the band AC/DC. Then Tyler’s grandfather introduced him to Jimi Hendrix. This changed how he experienced music, and he began the transformation into the one-of-akind performer he is today. Tyler’s dad Richard Lenius told him, “There are a billion guitar players and weekend warriors that like to play, but only a handful can sing.” Richard was right. Tyler needed to be able to play guitar, sing, write, and have a big stage presence to have the kind of career he wanted out of music. By the time Tyler was 14, he started writing his own music and performed his first live performance at the age of 16. Tyler has written over 100 songs and performs between 20 to 25 of them. He prides himself in one song he wrote, “Just Want You to Know,” which was inspired by a girl he was in love with at the time. Besides performing songs he has written, Tyler also performs many rock and roll cover songs such as “100 Dollars” by the Manchester Orchestra, as well as an infamous version of “I Got Mine” by the Black Keys. A small town kid with big dreams that include getting signed to Gibson and filling arenas, Tyler says that if the music scene doesn’t pan out, he may fulfill his career by becoming a comedian. Let’s just say, we don’t think there will be any new comedians anytime soon. For more about Tyler and his music and shows, visit his website at www.tylerleniusband.com or on facebook at facebook.com/TylerLenius

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Lady Chazz

and the tramps by Andrea Johnson

Soul, Soul, Soul! The East Texas band, Lady Chazz and the Tramps, bring a soulful oldworld jazz and rhythm & blues feel to the stage. Their unique one-of-a kind and upbeat sound is a rare commodity in the East Texas music scene and guaranteed to please your musical taste buds – from old school, feel good songs to contemporary music. Lady Chazz and the Tramps are composed of five musicians who are well-known throughout the Ark-La-Tex music circuit. Charlotte Lee (Lady Chazz), Daddy Rich (Richard Lee), Kenneth Brackeen, Jimmy Piatt, and Bill Lee have been involved for many years, each bringing their unique style to the forefront while providing a solid foundation so that Lady Chazz and Daddy Rich can shine. Lady Chazz, singer/keyboard, began her musical career in San Diego singing backup with her father as a child and later as an Otisette with the Johnny Otis Revue, which toured the globe performing with Big Joe Turner, Chubby Checker, Little Richard and many more. She also has the distinction of having worked with Tina Turner for a time. In the early 80s, she formed her own group, the Chaztity Girls, which was the opening act for many recording artists, including the Bobby “Blue” Bland, War, Midnight Star and Big Daddy Kane. When you see Lady Chazz perform, you are in for a night you won’t soon forget! Daddy Rich, singer/keyboard, started his musical journey in Daingerfield as a teenager with a duet called Night and Day. In the early 70s, he joined the Navy, and during his naval career, was a pivotal member in a musical quartet called The 2+2. This group performed with the Navy’s 7th Fleet band touring the West Coast, the Far East, Australia and the Western Pacific. His voice sounds like a hybrid of Ray Charles and Otis Redding. Kenneth Brackeen, drummer, has been involved in music since a young age; both of his parents were musicians. He started playing the guitar, then moved on to the cello and later to the drums. His mother was a pianist, while his father played guitar. He has played in numerous bands throughout East Texas, and in 1990, he moved to Austin and created the band Down-n-

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Dirty with some friends from Kilgore. Kenneth joined Lady Chazz and the Tramps in November of 2001, creating the band’s up-beat rhythms. Jimmy Piatt, guitarist & vocalist, was born in Alexandria, Louisana, and grew up in Oklahoma City. He moved to the Longview area in 1984 and began playing guitar at age 14 after seeing Kiss on the Paul Lynde Halloween Special. He joined forces with Lady Chazz around 2001, took a few years off, and then joined back with the band in 2008. Jimmy’s passion is music, and his love for the guitar brings heart and a pure sense of enjoyment to the stage. Bill Lee, bass player, has played bass for “one hundred and twenty-five

years,” starting with Jesse James and the Train Robbers way back in 1888. Truthfully, he’s kept the low end for thirty-four years, with bands in Texas, Idaho and Oregon. Bill recently moved to the Tyler area, living in Lindale where his “day job” is as a voice actor, doing voicing projects all across America. You might hear him on the air locally, where he works weekends and does voice work for 96X. In his spare time, Lee looks for Sasquatch… seriously. Although his luck at finding Sasquatch hasn’t been that great, Lee is proud to perform with Lady Chazz and the Tramps. Lady Chazz and The Tramps can be seen regularly at Sam’s Town Casino in Shreveport and many

other venues throughout the Ark-La-Tex region. Every year in October, they participate in the Boo Benefit for burn victims in Jefferson, which is always a monumental event. Lady Chazz and the Tramps have a timeless sound, and each member is unique. Combined, they produce an energizing blend that will stir memories of past years with classic music from days gone by, along with the today’s music. Bottom line, Lady Chazz and the Tramps are just plain fun for everyone. For more information go to facebook. com/LadyChazzAndTheTramps or contact Daddy Rich at 903-241-5478 or Lady Chazz at 903241-KISS (5477), email: richchazz2@aol.com

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Tyler Tyler Johnson is a solo musician

originally from Lufkin, Texas, and currently living in Philadelphia where he’s spending the summer working on his debut album Cut Me Down. Johnson considers his music to be a mix of new age acoustic, blues, and folk with a raw sound. His voice is gentle and melodic with a soft, raspy tone. Johnson started in music as a kid singing in the choir at a Southern Baptist Church. About three years ago, he became involved with a Christian rock band called Red Wall as the lead singer but picked up the guitar when the band needed a new guitar player. Musically gifted, Johnson taught himself to play the guitar, and he’s been playing ever since. As an up-and-comer, he’s spent some time in the East Texas music scene making his way to Orlando, Florida, for a time. After a recent move to the northeastern part of the country, he’s looking for inspiration in the Philadelphia area, with plans to eventually return home to Texas.

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Johnson

Cut Me Down is in the works and expected to be out in the fall. His inspiration for the album comes from “hard work, booze and a little old cabin. There’s something about the Rocky Mountains that enlightened my soul,” Johnson explained. He discovered that through his experience cutting wood on top of a mountain, a certain rawness and grit came out of his songwriting. He’s currently written six songs depicting those experiences and their effects on him. He’s working on six more songs for the upcoming album, which he will self-publish. When asked who inspires him musically, he said he finds inspiration from the band Kings of Leon, a mainstream Grammy-winning rock band from Oklahoma. “Kings of Leon have inspired me because in every song they have written, I can say I’ve been in that situation. I know what they are singing about, and I can feel that same emotion with them. It’s a good feeling to have. Not many bands have done that for me,” he said.

by Dawn-Renée Rice Photo by Andrea Johnson

For now, he’s playing the Philly music scene and assimilating to life in a town much different from the laid-back East Texas area he knows well. But through the experiences of meeting new people and other musicians and just the day-to-day things that happen as he lives a traveling musician’s life, he’s gathering material that will enhance his songwriting and bring the true authenticity of his folksy sound to a new level. It’s something he hopes to depict on his album and through the years to come. His music can be seen and heard on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ user/TylerBlakeMcConnell where you can watch videos of his songs “Night of Revelry,” “I’m Going Down,” and “Just for a Sound.” You can also listen to and purchase some of his songs at reverbnation.com/controllingofthefolkbloom, where he states, “I love playing music that connects to the heart and soul. Something that, when you close your eyes, you can make a little movie out of it.”

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Granger Smith by Dawn-Renée Rice

Granger Smith is a Texas singer/songwriter changing the face of traditional country music with each song he records. Smith, who has been in the music scene since his teens, creates one hit after another within the realm of traditional country music but with a sound uniquely his own. According to his online bio, he says, “When I knew I wanted to be a singersongwriter for a living, I never set out to be totally grassroots. Probably no one does. At that time, there was a system and most people followed that system. Write a song, book a studio and musicians, play a showcase, get a record deal, get famous, request all green M&M’s.” *quote on his online bio www.grangersmith.com/about.html Instead, he’s doing things his way with a group of musicians he’s become close to as they create his own blend of country music. His music is authentic and from the heart, with every album created in his home studio and personally edited until he feels it’s the right time to release it to the public. His latest album, Dirt Road Driveway, which was self-produced, was released in April on his label Pioneer Music. The new album features songs such as “I Am the Midnight,” which he considers one of the deepest songs on the album according to an interview with Billboard.com. He says, “A lot of my songs I write in the morning, while drinking my morning coffee – that’s when my head is the clearest. That was one of the few late night songs. I’ve had this different kind of scenario about songwriting over the past few years – we see a lot of late nights and transitions from Saturday

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night into Sunday morning.” *quote from Billboard Review article with Chuck Dauphin www.billboard.com/articles/columns/ the-615/1558312/granger-smith-pulls-intodirt-road-driveway Another song on his album, “19 Forever,” was inspired by a bit of nostalgia and one of his family members. “I think it’s fun to live in the happy place in our mind of the good old days,” he explains. “That reflects in country songwriting. I’ve done that several times on my records. I have a brother – we call him ‘The Caboose’ of the family. He’s nineteen years old, and he was a lot of the inspiration for ‘19 Forever,’ as I’m looking at him from age 33.” Smith also includes cuts from his humorous alter-ego “Earl Dibbles, Jr.,” which allows him to have a little fun amongst the deeper, thought-provoking tracks on the rest of his album. His alter-ego gives him the chance to switch back-and-forth from being serious and just having fun. Aside from touring the country to promote his refreshingly unique country sound, he’s also played by invitation at the White House and paid respect to American soldiers with multiple tours in Iraq and Kuwait and with his 100-mile soldier walk. Smith’s new album Dirt Road Driveway can be purchased online at his website or on iTunes. He is currently on tour, and his tour dates can also be found online at his website www.grangersmith.com. *Smith was on tour at the time of this writing and didn’t respond to requests for an interview.

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Music City Texas

L

inden, Texas. To many East Texans it’s just a turn in the road from State Highway 155 onto Highway 59 leading the way to Texarkana. The little town consists of a small motel, a Dairy Queen, a convenience store, and a few other scattered small businesses that are still in operation. I never really paid much attention to the small town that was slowly being suffocated by the new Walmart Supercenter that opened just a short drive north in neighboring Atlanta. To be honest, after driving through the heavily wooded, deer-ridden twenty something mile strip of mostly two lane road from north of Ore City traveling to Texarkana, the relief of seeing the broad, five lane Highway 59 North actually encouraged me to speed through the city limits of Linden… until December 31, 2011. The band I sing with, Borderline, had been booked to play the Music City Texas Theater for the big New Year’s Eve party. As musicians, we were thrilled. With the reputation for high standards, not just any band was invited to play this venue. We were familiar with the musical folklore of the theater: the East Texas home for Don Henley, the place where Jackson Brown, Merle Haggard and so many other legends had played, and home for the T-Bone Walker Blues Fest. The theater is run by a board of directors that have made quite a reputation for themselves in the music business. Richard Bowden is one of those – I have been his fan for almost 20 years. Richard grew up in the house next door to Don Henley, of the Eagle’s fame. He and Don have been lifelong friends, even played in their first bands together. After moving to Nashville, Richard recorded several albums as half of the comedy duo Pinkard and Bowden. Another board member is John Early. John is a member of the world renowned bluegrass band, Hickory Hill. John also plays guitar in Richard Bowden’s current band, The Moon and Stars Band. These men and women on the MCTT board know music and the music business. As I arrived at the Music City Texas by Tony McCullough Theater that afternoon, I drove into the courtesy of Music City Texas Theatre parking lot and looked at the red brick building that had been standing since around 1950. The building was originally the Linden American Legion Building. Don

Celebrating 10 Years of Music photos

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Henley and Richard Bowden played here for veterans when they formed their first band while still in high school. Although the building reminded me more of a small warehouse than a music venue, I hurried inside to check out the place. When I entered through the doors, I saw not just a renovated old building. It was a work of architectural art. When Richard Bowden moved back to Linden from Nashville in the late 1990s to be near his elderly mother, he pushed the idea to use music to put the small decaying town of Linden back on the map. He would use his connections to bring top quality entertainers to perform in his small home town. He and some long-time friends in the community decided the old American Legion Hall was the right location to be the foundation of that campaign. During the renovation of the building, large wooden beams concealed in the attic of the old building were discovered. It was quickly decided to remove the ceiling to display the beautiful, newly cleaned woodwork that had been hidden away for years. The large hall of the theater received an exquisite facelift. At the back of the hall, a kitchen was modernized to be used for concessions that serve the ever so popular barbecue that is hard to resist at one of the theater’s “super shows.” Near the kitchen, leading to the restrooms, is a hallway adorned with autographed posters and photos of artists that have performed for the theater audiences. At the back of the room, there is a complete sound booth wired directly to the stage. When Richard announced his plans to embed the ceiling light fixtures within old drums, his friend, Don Henley, had special “drum” fixtures fabricated to hang from the beams as musical chandeliers. It was decided the seating would be versatile – folding chairs for traditional concert seating of 400 guests or tables and chairs for a banquet setup. The large stage was appended by a wide spacious apron and the opening was beautifully framed by a custom, personalized proscenium frame bearing the words “Music City Texas,” the new name for the facility. The backdrop for the stage is a moonlit scene of Caddo Lake, hand painted by a local artist with backlighting so the moon appears to be glowing. The renovations were completed and the theater opened its doors in 2003. Once Richard Bowden and the board of directors opened the facility, it was time to go to work on their vision to bring “the best” to East Texas. They filed the proper forms and made Music City Texas a nonprofit organization with the goal of helping bring people and businesses to their community. The concerts are classified into three categories: music shows with local artists, headliner shows with stars such as Asleep at the Wheel, Pat Green, Merle Haggard, etc., and super shows with stars such as Don Henley and Jackson Brown. The artists came, and the word spread throughout East Texas of the the quality of talent booked at

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songs on the air on KYKX, was waiting to hear us play. There was John Early, an incredible musician and member of my favorite bluegrass band, Hickory Hill. I wondered who else could be in the crowd? I stepped to the microphone and couldn’t help but think, “This is the same spot where Merle Haggard, Don Henley, Jackson Brown and so many more superstars have stood and sang.� Leaning on the seasoned professionalism of the guys in the band, I shook off the butterflies and had a great time that night, even get-

the venue and of the wonderful facility, equipment and acoustics of the Music City Texas Theater. At any given event, it is not considered a surprise to see a musician who has been inducted into the country music hall of fame or a recording artist you’ve heard for years on the radio who just dropped by to see the show or visit with some of their old friends at the theater. Many people will agree with board member John Early, “It’s one of the best music venues in the country. We want people to know that if it’s booked here, it’s going to be good.� This is the ten year anniversary of the Music City Texas Theater. With a decade of concerts under its belt, the board still strives to bring quality acts and entertainment to East Texas. In 2005, the Linden Economic Development Corporation started the T-Bone Walker Blues Fest, another nonprofit organization, to honor the blues legend T-Bone Walker, also born in Linden. The festival is a success and has continued to grow over the past eight years bringing in some of the most popular blues artists in the nation. The festival is scheduled this month, June 21 and 22. Strongly founded and based around the local community of Linden, Music City Texas has also started, with the help of board member Ken Chinn, a

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program called “Playing it Forward� to assist the young, potential musicians of the area. (See our separate story in this issue entitled “Playing it Forward� by Gary Borders.) It seems the old American Legion building in Linden has been born again over the last ten years, crossing the boundaries of music genres and becoming East Texas’ home for rock, country, gospel, bluegrass and blues. Music lovers can only hope that East Texans will continue to support the concerts and events at the Music City Texas Theater, bringing us the best in entertainment. If you have not attended a show or event, we encourage you to do so. In speaking with John Early, I asked, “What are the goals of the board for the future of the theater?� John replied, “We just want to keep bringing in top notch entertainment. However, we would like to book some more super shows.� As I walked on stage that night to join Borderline to start the New Year’s party, I’ll have to admit I felt more than just a couple of butterflies in my stomach. As I looked out through the lights, there sat Nashville recording artist Richard Bowden waiting for me to sing. The same guy who grew up playing and singing with Don Henley, the same guy who had played in Linda Ronstadt’s band, the same guy I had been in trouble with more than once for playing his

ting Richard Bowden on stage to perform a few songs. It was a fun night, and I look for every opportunity to return to Linden, the small town that is making an East Texas mark in music history with the Music City Texas Theater. The Music City Texas Theater holds many concerts and events throughout the year. For more information, schedules, or tickets to their events, please check their webpage: musiccitytexas.org/wordpress/

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It’s one of the best music venues in the country. We want people to know that if it’s booked here, it’s going to be good.�

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Historical Perspectives by Gary Borders Photos provided by the Museum of East Texas, Lufkin

Tex Ritter

T

ex Ritter, the singing cowboy who became one of the best known Western movie stars of the 1930s and 1940s, was born in Murvaul, Texas, in Panola County in 1905 — a town that is now under the waters of Lake Murvaul. He was named Woodward Maurice Ritter at birth and went to live with his sister and attend high school in Beaumont. Afterwards he attended the University of Texas at Austin but never graduated; while there he fell under the influence of historian J. Frank Dobie and folklorist John Lomax, who sparked his interest in cowboy songs. Soon he had joined a musical troupe and headed to New York City, where he landed a part on a western radio program. That led to a movie contract in 1936 for Song of the Gringo, followed in rapid order by The Utah Trail, Arizona Frontier, and Roll Wagons Roll. Ritter’s films were considered a cut above the films made by contemporaries such as Gene Autry, because he sang traditional cowboy songs and utilized more ambitious plots. All told, Ritter appeared in 85 movies, 78 of which were Westerns. For seven years, Ritter was among the top ten money-making film stars in Tinseltown. His singing career may not have been as highly acclaimed, but Ritter did win an Academy Award for his version of the song “Do Not Forsake Me,” from the movie High Noon in 1952. He also had success recording “You Are My Sunshine” and “Wayward Wind,” among other songs. In 1964, Ritter became just the fourth

person elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. He is also honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He successfully made the transition to television, hosting a series called Ranch Party from 1959 to 1962. He then joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1965. Ritter made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate from Tennessee in 1970. He died of a heart attack in Nashville four years later and is buried in Port Neches. His son, John Ritter, was a successful television actor best known for playing Jack Tripper on Three’s Company. John Ritter died unexpectedly of heart problems at age 54 in 2003. Tex Ritter is memorialized in nearby Carthage at the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame/Tex Ritter Museum, a $2.5 million facility that opened in 2002. The museum features memorabilia from his career, as well as a Jim Reeves display and features an annual Texas Country Music Hall of Fame Show and other events. Sources: Handbook of Texas online; imbd.com; carthagetexas.com/halloffame/museum

Alma Pennell Gunter

A

lma Pennell Gunter took to painting fairly late in life, in her early 50s, after the deaths of her father and her husband. The Palestine native was born Alma Pennell in 1909 and developed an early interest in art. Apparently her mother discouraged that interest and directed her toward a more practical vocation — nursing. After working in typical trades at the time for a black woman — seamstress, domestic, hairdresser, among others, she saved enough money to enroll at Prairie View State College, where she taught herself to paint while she received her nursing degree with honors. Gunter married C.C. Gunter in 1941, and the couple moved to California, where they lived for the next 23 years, and Gunter worked as a nurse. After her father’s

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death, and then her husband’s passing in 1964, she returned to Palestine to care for her mother and took up painting. She considered it a form of therapy for the increasing tragedies in her life, including the death of her sister in a car accident and other deaths. Gunter focused on recreating scenes from her East Texas childhood, such as in Preacher Man, where she depicts the interior of a church, right down to the stained glass, the clothes worn by the church-goers and the gestures being made by the preacher. Although she is referred to as a “naïve painter” because of her lack of a formal education, her paintings conveyed a strong sense of vitality. She began to supply descriptions with each painting such as with the accompanying Winter Cry: “Hogs were killed during the first ‘hard’ freeze of winter — the colder weather seemed to get the meat preservation off to a good start. They were felled with a sledge hammer (note man at gate) blow to the head. I ran in to the house to keep from hearing this. Next they were placed on the slatted boards where with scalding water and sharp knives the hair was scraped off. Then, they were hoisted to remove the viscera and on to the table for dissection…” Gunter’s work by 1978 was being exhibited throughout East Texas, including at the George Washington Carver Museum in Austin, and what is now the Museum of East Texas in Lufkin. Since her death in 1983, her work has been included in a traveling exhibition organized by the Laguna Gloria Art Museum and in a pair of exhibitions held at the Museum of African American Life and Culture in Dallas. Her work is included in many private collections as well. Sources: Handbook of Texas online: Museum of East Texas, Lufkin

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CenterStage C|U|I|S|I|N|E A Taste from Near or Far with Claudia Lowery uality, consistency, and cleanliness are the holy trinity of a great dining experience. If one of those is missing, the whole thing just falls apart. After years of eating at Central Perks, I’m still going back. It never fails me. Owners Robert and Debra Sorich have managed Central Perks quite well for several years, and the quality has never wavered. Offering locals and visitors a warm, friendly atmosphere that is conveniently located within the historic Weisman Center in Marshall, diners love the open, airy space with high tin ceilings, natural wood floors, and white, cloth-covered tables. Orders are placed at the counter and delivered quickly to your table. Large windows face the busy main street of town leading to the courthouse square, and additional outside seating makes relaxing afternoons a great place to meet friends for coffee or tea. After dining, guests can visit the Weisman Center, a one-of-a-kind marketplace containing an eclectic selection of antiques, art, jewelry, gifts and collectables, all within a few steps and continuing onto the second and third floors of the building. Primarily a lunch venue, Central Perks also opens by 8 a.m. for a cup of java to go and a morning muffin. Daily they serve a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, quiche, burgers, wraps, salads, soup, and vegan meals. Their popular favorite is the Whole Enchilada, a chicken enchilada casserole smothered in cheese and served with chips and salsa. One of my favorites is the Kelehan Wrap, named for one of Marshall’s doctors. It forgoes the carbs and is a neat package of mesquite smoked turkey, bacon, avocado, red onion and cilantro with sweet jalapeño cream cheese held together with green leaf lettuce. Full of flavor and always fresh, I know I’m eating healthy when I order the Kelehan. Hot sandwiches include Roasted Pork Chile Verde, Black Raspberry Chipotle Pork, Chicken-Tomato-Feta, and a

Q

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Central Perks Great food and good friends!

Lacie Carpenter and the Southern Sting Line

lighter version reuben with turkey pastrami, kraut, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on toasty rye. Other sandwiches are named after locals, and I’m not sure where the name “When Pigs Fly” originated, but the ingredients sound delicious: smoked turkey and ham, Swiss cheese, tomato, fresh spinach and basil with an avocado spread on marbled rye. Six varieties of burgers range from a Southwest burger to the Black and Blue, Classic, and a Texas Heat that comes with a heat warning. I’ve tried many things on the Central Perks menu over the years, but like everyone, I have my go-to favorite sandwich, the Turkey Provolone. Why? Because it is perfect every single time I order it, and the flavor combination meets my needs. Served on thick slices of wheat berry bread and spread with a generous amount of mayo, the insides are layered with smoked turkey, provolone cheese, sliced avocado, red onion, lettuce, and tomato. All sandwiches are served with either fruit or kettle chips. About every fifth visit I try something

new, but I always come back to this sandwich, which they really ought to consider renaming the Artist, the Writer, or the Claudia. But if not, I’ll just keep right on coming back to eat at Central Perks because it’s always delicious and well-prepared. The owners are usually in house and maintain a watchful eye over all operations. They really care. And what about the coffee? They are named Central Perks for a reason. It is a full service espresso bar with cappuccino, lattes, macchiatto, café au lait, mochas, and nearly twenty flavor shots available. Equally important is their Tea Forte line of gourmet floral, herbal, and natural teas with lavender citrus, jasmine, green mango peach, white ginger pear and more. They serve freshly brewed iced tea, but many enjoy the Tropical Tea. Friends and families meet at Central Perks regularly to relax over a leisurely cup of tea or coffee. Free WiFi for customers makes this a great spot to do a little work or catch up on email. During Marshall Main Street Second Saturday, annual festivals like the Fire

Ant Festival, Stagecoach Days, and the Wonderland of Lights, business is brisk due to recommendations by locals. Dropping in during peak hours might be cause for alarm at most places, but the Central Perks staff is fast and efficient. You will get excellent service at all times. At other times, you’ll find a laid back atmosphere that lends itself to short chats with the owners and staff. They are always friendly and available for questions and help with ordering. Central Perks also caters, and it is not unusual to attend an event that they have catered. Their flavorful, fresh food is the norm, and repeat customers are not unusual. Banquet space is available in several areas, and they are ready to accommodate your event needs. Recently, I dropped in for a visit and to enjoy the music of Lacie Carpenter and the Southern Sting Line. Central Perks hosts a supper club once a month with a gourmet buffet and musical guests. Local stringed quartets and other musicians entertain with an evening of music to be enjoyed after dinner. It is highly recommended that you make reservations as there is limited seating, and it is usually a sellout. This location is just one of many music venues in Marshall, which it’s known to be a “town full of music.” Center stage cuisine can happen anywhere there are people who truly care about your dining experience. Lucky for me, this one is close to my home and is really an easy-to-find treasure. Central Perks is located in the historic Weisman Center at 211-A N. Washington in Marshall, TX. Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-.5.p.m., closed Sunday. Phone: 903-934-9902. Find them at www.centralperks.us

The opinions expressed here were based on the writer’s personal experience. Please be sure to visit and form your own opinion.

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live entertainment entertainment - arts live food - daily daily drink specials food 1408 E. Marshall Ave. | Longview, TX 75601 Check out our event calender at

www.fastfreddysrocks.com w.fastfreddysrocks. astfr redd dysroc and also on reverbnation.com PineyWoodsLLive.ccom

june 201 13 - page 29 9

the country western guitar be Johnny Cash black, Dolly Parton pink or Brad Paisley? Come along Mr. Fender, bring on the bling! Pianos, for some reason, are the most versatile instruments. Before electronic keyboards were a clatter in their inventor’s eye, that big old rosewood upright in our living room could go from a Chopin etude to honky-tonk blues in a heartbeat. That piano could be lyrical. It could be schmaltzy. It could pour “Tea for Two,” and then it could pound those black and white keys so we could all swing dance, or foxtrot or rhumba. In art, rhythm depends on patterns. Patterns can be created by colors, by line, by repeating positive shapes and by separating them with negative spaces. Regular rhythms have identical images. Each of them is separated by an equal amount of space. This is like the repeating note in music. The shapes stay the same, and the distance between them stays constant. The best way to understand regular rhythm is to think it is happening on a well-kept picket fence. The boards are the same size, and they are the same predictable distance apart. Changing the shapes of the boards at regular intervals can change the whole image to alternating rhythm. What if there are two boards for every space? What if there are two spaces for every board? Random rhythm happens when the shapes are no longer a predictable distance apart so that you can’t exactly know where the next thought is coming from. When rippling lines and curved shapes are repeated, they make the flowing sort of rhythm you might see in a photograph of waves rolling in on a calm ocean. In progressive rhythm there is a change in the objects that manages to change the visual beat every time they are repeated. The spaces between the shapes are not so easy for the eye to predict. Piet Mondrian’s painting Broadway Boogie-Woogie was his masterpiece. It was the last painting he ever made. In it, he uses the rhythm of color, movement, and pattern. The painting is all about New York City. It captures the movement and the spirit of the city in a way that nobody else has ever done

AArtirtist's World by JANSTATMAN

We understand the world through sight and sound. Music enters our heart through our ears. Art enters our heart through our eyes. At first, art and music appear to be very different and yet, in many ways, they are very much alike. Artists say that a painting has color notes, tones, patterns, shading, and drama. Musicians say that music has color notes, tones, patterns, shading, and drama. Music can be “bright,” or “dark.” A painting can be “crisp” or “soft.” Both have depth and texture, and more than anything else, they have rhythm. Visual art flows the same way that music flows – they “flow like a river.” They start someplace and then they go someplace. The true beauty is in the journey. Once they find a sequence, both art and music move in space, as well as time. There are rhythmic variations in visual patterns. Sometimes they can be so powerful that when you concentrate on what is happening in a work of art, you can hear the piece as clearly as you can see it. Once upon a time, a composer friend of mine was able to hum along with my paintings, sensing the musical patterns I did not even realize I had painted on the canvas. Rhythm in visual art, like the rhythm of music, organizes time and space to make sense of what you are sensing. Musical rhythm can be slow and calm,

featuring

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or it can be quick and lively. The same goes for the visual rhythms of a painting. If you can drum out a musical rhythm on a tabletop, you can take what you’ve processed with your ears and translate it into something you can see with your eyes. Rhythm is art’s visual beat. I can’t play the violin, but a painting that expresses what a violin can say would be deep and rich, possibly with shades of orchid and purple. The sound of a harp would be watery violet, while the whole horn section would ring out in forceful tones of gold. Reeds would be the darkest greens and yellows. The cornet is sunny and orange, while trumpets have a coppery glow. The sax, of course, would have all those blue notes – call them the Midnight Blues. Drums would be red, no doubt about it. That goes for all the drums from the big, old thunderous kettle drum to the steel drum to the lightweight portable bongos. (I’ve got rhythm. I can play the bongos. Back in the day, let me tell you, I could be a mean hand with a tambourine.) The guitar is a remarkably personal musical instrument. Musicians do not just hold it, lift it, and play it. Musicians cradle the guitar in their arms as though they love it. The classical Spanish guitar would be every shade of crimson. The folk guitar would have to be rosy, and then there is a nice, rich butternut for that bluegrass sound. Would

before or since. He painted it in 1943, three years after he moved to New York. Please don’t panic when you look at the painting, because there are no skyscrapers, no subways, and no monuments. You can’t even find Central Park, no matter how hard you look. The painting is pure squares of line and color, and it is pure rhythm. Mondrian was inspired by the grid lines of the city streets. Once you get away from the cow trails of the Village and the random Dutch wanderings of lower Manhattan, all the streets and avenues are the same kind of squares you would see on a chessboard. The city never sleeps. Everything is forever moving, 24/7. Traffic is hideous. Congestion is unbearable. Noise is constant. The rivers echo. Streets are trashed. Taxicabs are hostile. There is an excitement and exuberance like no place else on this or any other planet. The city has a beat that pounds like a living pulse. In this painting, Mondrian makes you “hear” that pulse with your eyes. He divides the canvas into squares on a

solid white background. The lines and squares are painted basic blue and grey, lipstick red and taxicab yellow. They move. They dance. They make you feel the boogie woogie beat. For Mondrian in 1943, it was the boogie woogie beat of the music he loved heard in the city he loved. Get a copy of the painting and really look at it. Then see if you can “listen” to it with your eyes. You can actually drum out the rhythm on your tabletop.

Jan Statman is an award winning artist whose paintings are owned by museums in Europe and the USA. She is listed in Who’s Who in American Art and many other biographical references.

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may 2013 ne k one t ke tak l s -– take i les iceles priceles

2- Singer songwriter Robert “Blind Dog” Cook at the Blue Frog Grill, Marshall, March 7, 2013.

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3 & 4- Artist David Brown along with host Jimmy Arber at Salon Verve’s “Meet the Artist” event, Tyler, April 27, 2013.

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PHOTO BOOTH

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5 - Vocalist Shannon Monk, AKA “Miss Demeanor” entertains diners at Brewbaker’s Pub, Winnsboro, May 4, 2013.

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6 - Kayla Reeves at AlleyFest, Longview, May 11, 2013 10 - Wirelight on Marshall’s Telegraph Stage, April 19, 2013.

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1- Alisha Bellamy with her staff in May at the Grand Opening of her salon, Bombshell.

7, 8, 9, 11, 12 Enjoying AlleyFest, Longview, May 11, 2013. 13 - Andrea Johnson & Tyler Lenius at the Texas Crawfish Festival, April 26, 2013.

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Check out all of our photo galleries att www.pineywoodslive.com/photos/galleries ies or scan the QR code below.

Up and Coming

EVENTS June 1 10:00 a.m. “It’s a Small World: Hummel Figurines” from the Mary M. Tracy Collection exhibit at Tyler Museum of Art. Continuing daily through June 9. 2:00 p.m. The Colt Classics at The Cork Yard in Jefferson 8:00 p.m. Daniel Foster at The Gladewater Saturday Night Opry 8:30 p.m. Billy Joe Shaver, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Cody Canada and the Departed at Gladewater Rodeo Arena 9:00 p.m. Cyrus James at Charlie’s BackYard Bar in Marshall June 3 11:00 a.m. Kid’s Day / Night Out at Create ART! in Longview June 4 5:00 p.m. Adult Night Out! at Create ART! in Longview June 6 7:00 p.m. Close Encounters of the Third Kind at Liberty Hall June 7 6:30 p.m. Nick Brumley at Charlie’s BackYard Bar June 8 10:00 a.m. Hopkins County Dairy Festival Kick Off 12:00 p.m. Marshall Main Street Second Saturday at Downtown Marshall 1:00 p.m. The Florida State Bluegrass Band at Overton Bluegrass Festival 2:00 p.m. Family Day at Tyler Museum of Art 4:00 p.m. Connie Mims, Danny Everitt, and Mark Beets at The Blue Frog Grill 9:00 p.m. Matt Begley and Bitter Whiskey at Alamo Bar and Grill 9:00 p.m. Ally Venable Band at Dick’s Bar and Grill, Mount Selman

June 13 7:00 p.m. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan at Liberty Hall June 14 8:00 p.m. East Texas Comedy Festival at Liberty Hall in Tyler 8:00 p.m. Bayou Boogie at Downtown Kilgore 8:00 p.m. Ricky Lynn Gregg at The Back Porch in Kilgore June 15 8:00 p.m. Ally Venable Band at The Back Porch in Kilgore 8:00 p.m. Cody Abbott at Alamo Bar and Grill in Carthage June 21 6:30 p.m. T-Bone Walker Blues Festival at Music City Texas Theater in Linden 7:00 p.m. The Mice From Outer Space at ArtsView Children’s Theatre in Longview 8:30 p.m. Jason Helms Band at Charlie’s BackYard Bar in Marshall 9:00 p.m. Tyler Lenius Band at Texas Players in Longview June 22 7:00 p.m. Matt Bradshaw & Heather Little at The Forge Bistro in Ben Wheeler 8:00 p.m. King Richard & The Bayou Boys at Pirates Club at Paradise Harbor in Hawkins 5:00 p.m. T-Bone Walker Blues Festival at Music City Texas Theater in Linden June 27 7:00 p.m. Superman at Liberty Hall in Tyler June 28 7:00 p.m. Ben Lowery & Wes Hendrix at The Forge Bistro in Ben Wheeler June 29 7:00 p.m. Jerry Branch & Jimmy Wallace at The Forge Bistro in Ben Wheeler 8:00 p.m. King Richard & The Bayou Boys at The Back Porch in Kilgore

MORE EVENTS ONLINE AT WWW. PINEYWOODSLIVE.COM/EVENTS PineyWoodsLLive.ccom

june 201 13 - page 31 1

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