Piney Woods Live – September 2014 by Piney Woods Live Magazine

priceless -– take one

Live

September 2014

AWARDS 2014 Red Carpet Media Event

Artists

3 Weeks Play Fuzzy Biggs

How It All Started A Night of Eagles Music

Jeans ‘n Classics

Jefferson

SHOP • DINE • STAY • PLAY BUGS HENDERSON BLUES FEST

SEPTEMBER 20, 2014 CYPRESS RIVER FLY-IN

SEPTEMBER 27, 2014 VISITJEFFERSONTEXAS.COM

No matter the medium, we’re pleased to support the Arts in East Texas. “There is incredible power in the arts to inspire and influence.” Julie Taymor American Director

3700 Gilmer Road 202 Hollybrook Dr. 903-759-0751

springhillbank.com September 2014 - Page 2

PineyWoodsLive.com

contents

“Art is defined as a product of deliberately arranging elements in a way that appeals to the senses or emotions. Piney Woods Live is an expression of the community it serves.”

The east texas music awards

The East Texas Music Awards is vamping up for the 2014 Awards held September 19th at KE Bushmans Celebration Center in Bullard, TX. Find out how it all started with founder Nathan Hunnicutt.

6 7

10 14

6 about the cover... It’s award season and September 19th is right around the corner. Wes Jeans and Tyler Lenius grace our cover for September with the East Texas Music Awards. The first awards ceremony of its kind that gives recognition to local musicians and talents.

Emmy Loves Lee by Jan Statman

Publishers / Editors Tracy Evans & Gary Krell Publicist Andrea Baros Advertising Director Suzanne Warren

3 Weeks Play by Jeremy G. Butler

Fuzzy Biggs by Crystal Davis

Jeans ‘n Classics by Claudia Lowery

Melrose Plantation

Fashion

by Jan Statman

by Andrea Baros

PWL STAFF Contributing Writers Randy Brown Crystal Davis Claudia Lowery Jan Statman Jeremy Butler Graphic Artists Jeremiah Shepherd Joni Guess Andrea Baros Sales Andrea Baros Tracy Stopani Carolee Chandler Lori Martin Shea Vogel Cookie Bias

Cover Photo by Gary Krell Special Thanks to Troy Hayes with Troy Hayes Photography

The “B” Side of Music

Center Stage Cuisine

by Randy Brown

by Claudia Lowery

PineyWoodsLive.com

Artist’s World by Jan Statman

www.facebook.com/PineyWoodsLive

903.758.6900 100 W Hawkins Pkwy., Suite C Longview, Texas 75605

September 2014 - Page 3

FEATURING... Jimmie Vaughan with Lou Ann Barton and the Tilt-a-Whirl Band

Publisher’s Note by

Rick Derringer Band Eric Gales Trio Lurrie Bell’s Chicago Blues Band with Eddy Clearwater Tony Joe White

ALONG WITH...

Trudy Lynn & Steve Krase Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets Jimmy Wallace & The Stratoblasters Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Texas Flood John McVey & the Stumble Cool John Ferguson Chris Cain Band The Peterson Brothers Band Tyler Lenius Band Ally Venable Band The Alan Fox Band Matthew Davidson Dagnabbit Band Glenn McKenzie

LONGVIEW Live

For me, Sept. is about change. When I was a child, it was all about the first day of school. Back then, we started school after Labor Day, and I remember that it always seemed to rain on that first day, with temperatures cooling just a little – a sign that autumn was arriving. Years later, I can still feel that change in the air. For instance, this morning, I drove past the high school. It is the first day of school, and I imagined all the ninth graders’ nervous, excited energy as they walked into those halls for the first time – a huge change in their lives and a strong memory in mine. This Sept., there is a big change happening in Longview with the onset of the T-Bone Walker Blues Festival the weekend of Sept. 12. We reported last month that the festival has been moved from Linden to its new home in Longview, and it is going to be bigger than ever. I can’t wait to attend. The festival in Linden has always been one of my favorites, and I wait with excited anticipation to see how the festival has changed, and I will be happy to see that it has also, in many ways, remained the same. This September is a big month for East Texas music. On Sept. 19 the ETX Music Awards will have their third annual event at the KE Bushman’s Winery & Celebration Center in Bullard. It’s a red carpet event that includes some great, live music. You can find more information about the awards in our interview in this month’s edition with Nathan Hunnicutt, the founder of ETX Music. And, we are excited to announce that our publicist, Andrea Johnson Baros, will be one of the emcees! And if on Sept. 20, you still find yourself craving more great, live music, then head to Downtown Marshall for Jeans ‘n Classics, which will be a night filled with the music of the Eagles. Presented by the Marshall Symphony and the Marshall Regional Arts Council, it features the talented Michael Shotton. You can read about him in our story about the event. By the way, all of these events are ticketed, so be sure to get yours now! Did you know that there is a Longview native who has won an emmy? If you love Futurama, then you have probably seen his name in the credits. Lee Supercinski is the producer, and Jan Statman got to talk with him. Find out more about Lee in this issue. There is another story this month that caught my attention on an emotional level. Melrose Plantation in Natchitoches, La., was originally owned and operated by a free African American in the late 1700s. She was a brilliant businesswoman, and I found the entire story of the plantation’s history to be of particular interest, since I had the opportunity to visit the site a decade or two ago. You can still visit some of the original buildings. Clementine Hunter, perhaps the most famous African American folk artist of all time, lived and worked there. Each of the people we write about in Piney Woods Live, artists and performers alike, make a difference in our community. And that’s what makes our job publishing the magazine such a joy.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Art... Music of the Soul

For Tickets & Information, go to

www.TBoneWalkerBluesFest.com September 2014 - Page 4

Co-Publisher

Go to PineyWoodsLive.com and click on EVENTS! There you will find many listings to choose from. PineyWoodsLive.com

More for Family Vacations Than You Do for College? Vacations Than You Do for College? Do You Do YouPrepare Prepare More for Family More for Family Vacations Than Vacations Than You Do for College? You Do for college College? For aa free, free, personalized college cost report, report, For personalized cost

www.edwardjones.com Having fun fun with with your your family family is is important. important. Butwww.edwardjones.com nothing is is more more Having But nothing vital than than your your child’s child’s future. future. That’s That’s why why at at Edward Edward Jones, Jones,we we vital can help you put together a strategy to save for college. can help you put together a strategy to save for college. Having fun with your family is important. But nothing is more

adMiSSion: adulTS $8.00

vital than your child’s future. That’s why at Edward Jones, we Using our our education education funding funding tool, tool,we we can can estimate estimate future future Using can help you put together a strategy to save for college. expenses at more than 3,000 schools and then recommend expenses at more than 3,000 schools and then recommend aa financial strategy based based ontool, yourwe unique needs. True, True, vacations financial strategy on your unique needs. vacations Using our education funding can estimate future are great. But graduation ceremonies are even better. are great. graduation ceremonies arethen evenrecommend better. expenses at But more than 3,000 schools and a financial strategy based on your unique needs. True, vacations Having funfun with your family is important. But nothing is more than your child’s future. Having with your family isceremonies important. But is more are great. But graduation arenothing evenvital better.

12 and under Free (must be accompanied by a parent)

That’s why at Edward Jones,future. we can That’s help you putat together strategywe to save for college. vital than why Edwarda Jones, call or your visitchild’s today. call or visit today. Using our education funding tool, we can estimate future expenses at more 3,000 can helpfun youwith put together a strategy to save forBut college. Having your family is important. nothing is than more For aand free, college coston report, schools then personalized recommend a financial strategy based your unique needs. True, vital thaneducation your child’s future. That’s why at Edward Jones, we Using funding tool, we canareestimate future vacations are great.today. But graduation ceremonies even better. call orour visit

fREE PaRking

can help at you putthan together strategy save for college. expenses more 3,000 aschools andto then recommend a

SEPTEMBER 6 7, 2014 SaTuRday 9aM - 5PM | Sunday 9aM - 4PM

Forfinancial a free, personalized collegeon cost report, strategy based your unique needs. True, vacations Using our education funding tool,are weeven canbetter. estimate future call or visit today. are great. But graduation ceremonies

LanceSlaten Slaten Lance

Financialand Advisor expenses at more than 3,000 Financial schools then recommend a Advisor .. financial strategy based on your unique needs. True, Lance Slaten For a free, personalized college cost report, 2304 Judson Rd Suite Suite Cvacations C 2304 Judson Rd are great. But graduation ceremonies are even better. call or visit today. Financial Advisor Longview, TX 75605 75605 Longview, TX . 903-234-8087 903-234-8087 2304 Judson Rd Suite C

gunS, aMMo, knivES, PowdER, PRivaTE SalES, REloading & aRchERy SuPPliES, cuSToM lEaThER goodS

For a free, personalized Longview, college cost report, TX 75605 903-234-8087 call or visit today. Lance Slaten

Sponsored by

Financial Advisor

winnSBoRo aREa chaMBER of coMMERcE

2304 Judson Rd Suite C Longview, TX 75605 903-234-8087 Lance Slaten

Info - Doug Grantham or Carolyn Burns 903-342-3666 info@winnsboro.com - www.winnsboro.com

winnSBoRo civic cEnTER (ciTy audiToRiuM) in ciTy PaRk 900 whEElER dRivE, winnSBoRo, TExaS

Financial Advisor .

2304 Judson Rd Suite C Longview, TX 75605 903-234-8087

MemberSIPC SIPC Member

Member SIPC

Everyone’s talking about Venus ... venus Member SIPC

Member SIPC

l ik E vEnus l ongviEw on

tex as aduLt video & toys

PineyWoodsLive.com

aduLt accessories

55 FrJ drive, Longview, tx 75602 1907 industriaL bLvd, kiLgore, tx 75662

903.758.3687 903.986.2090

E. Marshall Ave. (Hwy. 80) Frj Dr.

Loop 281

w w w.venuspLeasures.com

dvd’s

Industrial Dr.

Frj Dr.

Lingerie

N. Eastman Rd. (Hwy. 259)

E xclusivE DEals Through FacEbook !

E. Cotton St.

September 2014 - Page 5

By Jan Statman

he Emmy we are talking about here is sometimes fickle, but she is a golden woman. She is sparkling, and she has wings, and she is holding up an atom. The atom represents the electron of science, while her wings represent the muse of art. The much coveted statuette represents an award presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), and the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. She was designed to be a symbol of the Academy’s goal of supporting and uplifting the art and science of television. Her name was originally Immy, which was short for the Image Orthicon Tube, which was used in early television cameras. It was later changed to Emmy to match the winged lady statuette. She is the most celebrated honor in American television – equal to the Oscar, which is awarded for film excellence, or the Grammy, which is awarded for music. And Longview native Lee Supercinski has one. More than that, the East Texan has been nominated for another one. “Of course, I would like to win one,” he said in his down to earth manner. But just to be nominated for one is pretty special.” Supercinski took home his first Emmy for producing an episode of the animated series, Futurama. Before he was an Emmy award-winning producer, he was hired as post production supervisor for Futurama. Through hard work and a diligent vision, he rose up the ranks on the show’s production to become the producer. When he was asked exactly what it is that a television producer does, his surprised comment was, “It’s a little hard to explain because basically a producer does not write, does not direct, does not act, but he or she does everything else.” He went on to describe the responsibilities of a producer. “The producer in an animated series like Futurama is the production manager, works with the studio to create a schedule and budget, helps hire writers and production staff, and also finds and hires actors for the right voices. He or she hires the animation studio and monitors everything to be sure everybody makes all the deadlines. After that, he oversees post production in which he helps to market and promote the show.” Understanding this, it is apparent that the producer is the one who brings the show from the drawing board to the television screen. Lee is the son of retired Longview educator Becky Supercinski and Longview attorney Frank Supercinski. Although he and his wife Nicole and their young son Reed now live in Southern California, Lee says that growing up in Longview means a lot to him. “Longview was September 2014 - Page 6

a great place to grow up,” he said. “It was a safe place for a kid to be. “It has always been sophisticated for a smaller city. The people were always supportive of what I do. I’m proud to be from Longview. I want my son Reed to think of Longview as his second home, which is one of the reasons he was baptized at our home church. I always say Reed is half Texan.” He admits that his wife Nicole insists that since their son was born and is being raised in California, he is a Californian, but Lee reminds her that Texas roots run deep. Even though people are often confused by his obviously Polish sounding last name, his family has lived in Texas since the 1860s. “I will always be a Texan,” he said. “Although I have been away for 23 years, I enjoy coming back. All my family lives in Texas and Oklahoma. My wife’s family lives in California, so we are fortunate to have our Texas relatives and our California relatives.” Supercinski took broadcast journalism classes in high school, which reinforced his interest in television film and production. After graduating from Longview High School in 1991, he was accepted to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and he left home for California. “It was like leaving Longview for another world!” he laughed. “It was a great way to transition to life in a big city. I studied creative writing, film and TV at college. During my senior year, I did an internship, and the company I interned with hired me as a production assistant, which is really the lowest low man on the totem pole. I got really interested in animation and finally met the people who were working to put the Futurama show together. A lot of it was luck, but it was luck and hard work.” He is not only known for his work on Futurama but also for his work on The Ant Bully and Spawn. Futurama is a sort of science fiction based animated series, which skewers everything about science fiction as well as everything else in our contemporary culture. Philip J. Fry is the hero, if he can be called that. He is a pizza delivery guy in New York City when he is accidentally flash-frozen at a cryonics lab and wakes up in the 31st century. Lost and alone, he finds a job at his great great grandnephew’s delivery service. With his amoral robot pal Bender and his one-eyed Cyclops sweetheart Leela, Fry travels to the outer edges of the universe and beyond. “I was a huge fan of Matt Groening’s animated show The Simpsons when I was in Longview High School,” Lee said. “I was lucky enough to be working for Matt Groening when I was on the Fox network for four seasons.” When the show was not renewed by Fox, Supercinski went to work on Ant Boy. It was pro-

duced in Dallas, which gave him the chance to be back in Texas, but Futurama was revived in 2007 as four straight-toDVD films. Comedy Central entered into an agreement with 20th Century Fox Television to syndicate the existing episodes and air the films as 16 new half-hour episodes. Futurama was renewed for a seventh season, consisting of at least 26 episodes, which aired in 2012 and 2013. “Futurama has won an Emmy, and it also won an Emmy nomination for our final program, which we had worked on for over a year. Animation is a slow and painstaking process,” he explained. “That makes it difficult to make any changes. It’s not like using live performers when you can just call them back into the studio to do a scene over. In animation, you need to gather together the writers, the voice actors, the animators, the sound effects people. Each Futurama episode took at least 10 months to produce. We used the hand-drawn animation style. The cels were all hand drawn by animation studio artists then scanned and colored in a combination of old and new technology.” Still, Supercinski considers Futurama to be a highlight of his career. “People love the characters, and there are all sorts of toys and credited items,” he said. “Viewers connect with Dr. Zyborg because he was always being picked on, and he was always looking for love. The actor Billy West developed the voices for Frye, Farnsworth and Cyborg, but when he was developing a voice for Dr. Zyborg, he thought of an old vaudeville actor he once knew. Because of that, Dr Zyborg sounds like a Borscht Belt comedian even though he is an alien. Bender, of course, is just the opposite. People love him because he says and does all the most awful things, and he gets away with it. This is no R2D2 or C3PO of a robot. All robots probably are as selfish and self-absorbed as Bender. In that alien future world, Leila proves that a Cyclops can be a beautiful, romantic star.” When they started the seventh season, they discovered that Twentieth Century Fox had sold the show to syndication. “This meant Futurama would live forever,” he said. “Of course, that made

us happy, but we learned that we had to take two minutes out of each show in order for the commercials and productions to fit in. We didn’t want to let anybody else do that because they might cut things out here and there and then the show wouldn’t make any sense. I supervised the syndication series, so now people can still watch Futurama, and it will be with us for a long time.” Lee is now working at Universal Studios on an animated Christmas special that will air on the NBC network. It will be called How Murray Saved Christmas. He confided, “It is written by a Simpson’s writer. I have been working at producing it for over a year now. We started in July of last year for the upcoming Christmas season. How Murray Saved Christmas will also have the hand-drawn, scanned and colored animation style, but because of the subject, it will be richer and more detailed, more defined with darker darks and lighter lights. It will look beautiful.” At the same time, he is producing Mystery Island, an animated comedy pilot for NBC. He said, “Actor Ed Helm created it and stars in it. We are using the same animation studio that we used for Futurama. It should air in the fall of next year, and hopefully, the pilot will be picked up for another long series.” Supercinski said he came to realize that the uniqueness of his name is an advantage. “People remember it so they remember me, and that,” he said, “is an asset in this business.” PineyWoodsLive.com

By Jeremy G. Butler Photo by Thomas Myers Photography

ou kind of get used to things living in a small town, especially when it comes to your entertainment. You

know what movies are going to end up at your theater, which music is going to end up on the radio, and you know what bands you can expect to hear at any given bar. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing; more often than not, it’s exactly what you’re in the mood for. But every once in a while you find yourself with something new, something that catches your attention in such a way that it makes you realize just how established everything around you actually is. Every once in a while you stumble upon a band like 3 Weeks Play. Granted, they’re not the first East Texas band to step out of the area’s comfort zone, but they’re certainly one of the better ones. A 5-piece (but temporarily 4-piece while their keyboardist is on hiatus) out of Hallsville, 3

PineyWoodsLive.com

Weeks Play is made up of Jered Ochoa, Brenton Arney, Daniel Collier, Jonathan Dorsey and Trevor Philips. Coming from families that were very musically inclined, Jered and Brenton discovered their interests early when they started writing and recording their own songs at the age of 12. At 15, they joined their neighbor’s rock band just for the experience but, after playing a few shows, they realized that standard East Texas heavy rock wasn’t what they wanted to do musically. So, in 2007, they hooked up with the rest of the guys mentioned above and 3 Weeks Play was born. I suppose if you had to give them a label, it would be indie alt rock, with influences like Modest Mouse, Coldplay and Radiohead peppering their seven(!) albums. But you can’t really pin them down to one sound or one description (and if you really listen you can pick up on a much wider variety of influences than just the three bands I listed). The thing about playing in the indie sandbox is that it lends itself to experimentation and boundary pushing. You’re not locked into one sound or one goal, and as such, you can play with different

instrumentations and arrangements to create everything from straightforward songs to abstract instrumental soundscapes, and none of it winds up feeling out of place. It’s kind of like LEGO - you can follow the formula and build the set that came in the box, or you can toss out the instructions and just build. The pieces are the same, but the results are different. And if you really have a knack for how things work and are pieced together, you can create something unique that does not feel unrecognizable or alienating. It’s a philosophy the band has that carries over into their name; 3 Weeks Play isn’t some sort of inside joke or clever little metaphor - it’s just three common words freeassociated into a unique phrase that just feels right. That’s about as appropriate as a band name can be in terms of its relationship to the band. As for the future, they’re still playing shows here in East Texas as well as branching out into not only other cities but other venues as well. You can listen to a lot of their stuff on Spotify, you can buy it from iTunes and Amazon, and if your favorite neighborhood bar has a TouchTunes jukebox, you can find them there too.

And while that’s going on, they’re searching for a good, solid manager, one that can help them tackle the business side of the industry the same way they’ve tackled the music part of it. And if their recorded work is any indication (they pretty much self-produce all of their albums with a ProTools rig they purchased as a band, which is a very impressive thing to consider as you’re listening), then they’re gonna do a fine job finding that manager. You may read this and decide that maybe these guys aren’t really for you. And that’s okay – like what you like and don’t let anybody make you feel bad about that. But there’s gonna come a weekend sometime in the future where maybe – just maybe – you’re going to feel like trying something different. And when that time comes, I hope that you take it, because no matter how much you like whatever it is that you like and no matter how long you’ve liked it, there’s always something new out there waiting to be discovered. And you never know where those discoveries might lead you. When it comes to East Texas music, 3 Weeks Play is about as good a first step to expanding your comfort zone as there is.

September 2014 - Page 7

LOOK WHAT’S COOKING AT

Visit our showroom where we have equipment from Maxx Cold, Maxx Ice, American Range & Imperial KITCHEN EQUIPMENT: Refrigerators, Freezers, Grills, Broilers, Fryers, Ranges, Griddles, Convection Ovens, Microwave Ovens, Warmers, Slicers, Choppers, Smokers, Popcorn Machine, Prep Tables, Stainlss Steel Tables, Faucets, Sinks, Dehydrators, Meat Grinders, Meat Tenderizers, Meat Saws, and So Much More! BAKERY EQUIPMENT: Mixers, Dough Dividers, Dough Rounders, Proofers ICE MACHINES: Large Ice Machines with Storage Bins, Undercounter Models, Water Filtration Filters and Supplies Ice Merchandisers, Ice Dispensers BAR EQUIPMENT: Keg Coolers, Bottle Cooler Slide Tops, Margarity Machines, Wine Refrigerators, Portable Bars, Bar Sinks, Bar Ice Bins, Accessories

All proceeds beneet the Ark-La-Tex Burn Foundation “Camp I’m Still Me”

SEPT 27, 2014

AT THE GLADEWATER RODEO GROUNDS

2502 WEST UPSHUR AVENUE

WE SERVICE WHAT WE SELL!

To Pre-Register or order shirts visit brotherskeepersmc.com/longview

1150 CLEMENT ROAD, PARIS, TEXAS

LIVE AUCTION FEATURING WALT CADE

LET US HELP YOU CUSTOMIZE YOUR KITCHEN

903-785-1972 | 903-517-2313

AS SEEN ON A&E’S STORAGE WARS TEXAS LIVE AUCTION STARTING AT 9:30PM

o great food

c i s u m e v li hhhh h day r u t a s • y a id r f • y wednesda ents for details

hh h h h h hhhhhhhh hhhhhh hhhh h hhhhh ho kilgore, tx 75662 o 904 broadway blvd h903.984.8141 hlikehush facebook h o www.thebackporchkilgore.com hhonh v see calendar of e

September 2014 - Page 8

PineyWoodsLive.com

by Randy Brown

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC Don’t you feel it growin’, day by day People gettin’ ready for the news Some are happy, some are sad Oh, we got to let the music play What the people need Is a way to make ‘em smile

It ain’t so hard to do if you know how Gotta get a message Get it on through Oh, oh, listen to the music Oh, oh, listen to the music Oh, oh, listen to the music

Written by Tom Johnson, from the album Toulouse Street by the Doobie Brothers

“Listen to the Music” is a song recorded by The Doobie Brothers on their second album entitled Toulouse Street. This song remains a concert staple and is one of The Doobie Brothers’ biggest hits. The songwriter and vocalist, Tom Johnston, described the motivation for the song as a call for world peace. The song peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1972. Its commercial success helped the album skyrocket on the charts. The song remains a favorite on adult contemporary and classic rock radio, and the band uses it as an encore song during live shows. As the song suggests, music should be listened to, even by those of us whose primary goal is making more music. This month, we explore why we, as artists, should “listen to the music.” I love music. It is a big part of my life: writing it, making it and listening to it. Listening to music, particularly that of others, has a big role in the education of songwriters. As a songwriter, I will admit that sometimes I do avoid listening to music - mostly during times when I am writing intensely. It is a natural response intended to protect my creative urges and leave them as free as possible from outside influence. By the term “outside influence,” I mean the human tendency to absorb external information and then later unconsciously attribute those externally captured words, ideas or musical hooks into our own creation. Musical history is full of such unintended plagiarism. A case in point is George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord,” which sounds like it was taken directly from the 1962 Chiffon’s hit “He’s So Fine.” Harrison spent many years in legal wrangling attempting to defend himself, but in the end, he lost. No songwriter wants that experience despite the fact that we all spent years absorbing music PineyWoodsLive.com

in our everyday life from radio, TV, church and other venues. Therefore, no matter how hard we try to say we are totally original, I believe that each of us stands squarely on the shoulders of those who came before. We cannot help but be influenced by our history. Despite the danger, I believe we should listen to music at every possible moment and particularly to live music because as performing artists and songwriters, there is much to be learned about what makes an effective performance. I recently had an experience that underscored that thought. While on a weekend getaway, my wife and I went to a concert. It was a dual bill consisting of an artist who was unknown to us and a couple whose music is well-known to many, particularly in the Texas music scene. I will name the first artist but will avoid naming the famous artist for a couple of reasons that you will understand later. The first artist on stage was Scott Miller, a Virginian, who was unknown to me, but from the moment he took the stage, he owned it. His songs were good, but his presentation was even better. He told jokes, endearing stories, and anecdotes, which totally sucked my wife and me and the rest of the audience in. Despite his less than world-class musicianship, he totally enthralled all 200 or so of us in attendance. He was at ease and put the audience at ease; he was willing to expose his own foibles and mistakes, and as a result of seeing his humanity, we were mesmerized. I urge you to check Scott out, he is a consummate performer. The second act, which I will not name, gave us a totally different experience. I am sure two-thirds of the audience was there to see them specifically. They hardly engaged the audience. Their comments were brief and not endearing at all. They spent more time

talking to each other in whispered voices than addressing the audience. Their performance was acceptable but not even close to Scott’s. I had the feeling much was being held back. I do not mean that they were musically deficient, because they weren’t. All the notes were hit, and the instruments were played well, and as a couple, there was a certain chemistry. But, for me, and I believe for the rest of the audience, they didn’t reach the mark set by the first artist. So why am I talking about this? It certainly doesn’t hurt artists to do a little research so that we can compare performances with our own. I learn something at every show I attend. I am not a passive consumer of music. I envelop myself in it, let it wash over me and hopefully, become moved, inspired, or at the very least, entertained. But even if that is not the case, I will always learn something. Maybe it is something new to do to make my show go smoother and to connect better to my audience. Or I might learn something not to do, because the artist did something that left me feeling disconnected. Every time I see a new performance, I learn something new. I participate with the artist as fully as possible while constantly analyzing, comparing and taking mental notes of what works and what doesn’t. I try to pay particular attention to song selection, pacing, stage patter, my perception of the artist’s comfort with the audience and my overall response as well as the response of the rest of the audience. Go listen to live music whenever you get a chance, known or unknown artists, inside or outside your genre, it makes no difference. The important part is paying attention to your own responses as well as the audience’s. Performance is a dance that requires artists to understand the mood and makeup of the audience. Watching someone succeed or fail

in that dance is one of the best learning experiences you can have. Don’t be tempted to YouTube a bunch of performances rather than go to live shows. You can learn a lot from videos, but actually being there lets you feel the energy exchange taking place between the artist and the audience. Performances are a feedback loop. The artist gives out energy, and if the artist is effective, the audience returns that energy with applause and attention, which the artist takes and returns. The best performances feel levitating and transcendent, and the worst feel dull and lifeless. So, there you have it – watching other artists perform is research. You might even be able to write it off your taxes as education. If you make all or part of your living as a performing artist, that is a real possibility. Regardless, if you pay close attention to others performing, you can learn more than you ever expected as well as being entertained. How can you go wrong? So, there goes another chunk of time wasted while I babble on about the music business. As always, thank you for reading and your comments and suggestions are appreciated. You can send them to randy@brownrandy. com See you next month. Randy Brown is an award-winning East Texas-based singer-songwriter and self-proclaimed “performing philosopher” bent on deciphering the intersection of spirit, faith and science with a sense of wonder and whimsy in smartly clever folk-Americanastyle songs and stories. He writes this column as much for himself as anyone else. He loves to hear new music that surprises him, but that often makes him dissatisfied with his own music. I guess you can’t win them all. September 2014 - Page 9

by Crystal Davis There is a language spoken in the musical community that only some will understand and few can speak fluently. Words like gain, distortion, reverb, feedback, absorption, diffusion, clipping, and crossfire can all sound like jargon to the average music lover, because the people that use this speech are producers and engineers. They are the acutely talented ears that understand music at its most complicated level. They are the people that help translate the message from the artist to the audience through the current of electricity. In East Texas, there is a man who has been engineering sound for bands at every level, in every genre for more than 35 years. His name is Steven Biggs, known to everyone in the industry as Fuzzy, owner and operator of Big Sound, a live sound engineering company. He lives among us as a gentle giant, towering behind a massive sound board with long, white hair and a handlebar mustache that he’s had for most of his life. Despite the bars and clubs he’s in and out of constantly, you’ll never see him with anything other than a gallon of sweet tea, a bag of life savers, and genuine love for what he does. He is a champion for the industry and has contributed much to some of the wonderful, local sounds that fill our ears. Ask any band that Fuzzy has run sound for and one will hear nothing but genuine admiration, appreciation and respect— even from performers like Hank III, Sevendust, Saliva, Mushroomhead, The Toadies and Blue October. “The guy is a local legend,” said Robert Eitelman, an electronic DJ who worked with Biggs at Cantons, a former venue in Longview. Bigg’s wife, Carol, says he always aims to make the performer sound their best. “To him, it’s always about the people playing on stage,” she said. This born audiophile stumbled into his career one day while performing with his band, and poor sound quality ruined the set. Today, that experience drives him to make each performer sound their best on stage. Fuzzy has accumulated enough equipment throughout his career to set up four stages simultaneously, which he

September 2014 - Page 10

PineyWoodsLive.com

often does. He has been running sound for many festivals throughout the Piney Woods like Lake Palestine Palooza and the Harvest Festival. He has engineered front-of-house sound for venues like Clicks, Pub & Grub, Legends, and Tyler Junior College’s Cowan Center. “There was no one else I’d ever consider,” said Kevin Blalock, successful East Texas musician and show promoter. “Always on time, always professional, always courteous … as dependable as time itself...” Working with Fuzzy is a humbling experience because he is immensely talented and skilled but never seeks out notoriety, publicity or fame. It’s all about the sound. That kind of genuine dedication to the art of his craft versus the trade of his profession is a rare quality. Jonathon Terrell, Longview native and lead singer of Not in the Face out of Austin, has fond memories of working with Biggs.

“Fuzzy always said it was the best show we had ever played, no matter how bad or shi--y drunk we got. It was always the best gig he had seen us play. [With] a guy like that at the helm, any band wants to play better. At some point, you’re just playing for Fuzzy, because you look around, and he’s the coolest guy in the room.” Mr. Biggs has seen many transitions in our local music scene as well as adapted to an ever changing world of technology, though he professes a love for analog over digital sound. “Some people call me old school, but I guess I’m more dinosaur school,” said Biggs as he showed off his vintage 4-track recorder. He loves to listen to melodic metal like Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, with the ability to emulate the same guitar shredding and ballad styles so characteristic to that genre. Fuzzy is currently building his own recording studio in Upshur County.

JOIN US! Season Highlights

2014 2015

season

Cliburn Competition Gold Medalist Vadym Kholodenko ~ The Royal Family of Guitar: The Romeros ~ Internationally Acclaimed Celtic Fiddler Natalie MacMaster ~ plus performances of

Brahms’ Symphony No. 4, Rossini’s William Tell Overture,

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3,

5 Concert Subscriptions start at $38 ~ 3 Concert Subscriptions start at $27

Strauss’s Die Fledermaus Overture,

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 8, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, and much more.

Call 903-566-7424 Visit www.ETSO.org

SAVE UP TO

25%

Richard Lee, Music Director

Photo: Portraits by Bryan

SEASON OPENS SEPTEMBER 27 PineyWoodsLive.com

Mamma Mia, Americans “invade” italy!

This book contains hilarious, hair-raising, and true stories of what Americans do in Italy. Hop aboard with Stephani Chance and her Sicilian papa Tony Filaci for the most magical and fairytale adventures of your life as they take you to Italy and beyond. After four teen-plus years of taking groups of Americans to Italy twice a year, Stephani finally shares some of the “true stories” of what the Americans experience on her Italy tours. Stephanie Chance

Book is available at local bookstores and worldwide on Amazon.com

September 2014 - Page 11

AWARDS

September 2014 - Page 12

PineyWoodsLive.com

September 2014 - Page 13

Welcome to a Night of Eagles Music BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND by Claudia Lowery Marshall, Texas, continues to emerge as THE place to be for music lovers. Pull out your casual, chic blue jeans and bling for another year of Jeans ‘n Classics on Saturday, September 20 at 8 p.m. The Marshall Regional Arts Council and Marshall Symphony present a collaboration of The Eagles classic rock along with the Marshall Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leonard Kacenjar. Michael Shotton

will present a concert of classic rock for a magical evening of memories. The Eagles music is familiar and timeless and Marshall Regional Arts Council will again host the Jeans ‘n Classics outdoor concert that has entertained guests for the past eight years. This season, Leonard Kacenjar celebrates 39 years as the conductor of the MSO. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Mr. Kacenjar received his bachelors degree

ULAR DEMAND“Our Best for Lenny”

Honoring our Maestro of 39 years

BY POPULAR DEMAND Leonard Kacenjar

nny”

SEPTEMBER 20

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

from the Juilliard School of Music in New York City and his masters degree from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. He has served on the faculty of Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond and has attended the Aspen Music Festival. He moved to Shreveport in 1971 and served as Concertmaster with the Shreveport Symphony for seven seasons. He founded the Summer Music Festival in Shreveport and serves

Featuring

The Music of The Eagles Jeans ’n ClassiCs & Marshall BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND syMphony orChestra

TogeTher “Our Best foryears Lenny”AgAin Best for Lenny” of 39 DownTown

Honoring our Maestro of 39 years

MArshAll 8:00 p.M. rnjar Maestro ofLeonard 39 years Kacenjar

“Our Best for Lenny”Featuring ard Kacenjar Honoring our Maestro of 39 years

Featuring The Music of The Eagles e Eagles Leonard Kacenjar

LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHT! OPEN MIC NIGHT 1ST TUESDAY EACH MONTH

The Music of The Eagles ic of The Eagles Featuring

MichAel shoTTon leAD VocAls

FeATuring DAVe Dunlop guiTArisT

FOR TABLE OR TICKET INFORMATION CONTACT THE MARSHALL REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL @ 903-935-4484

Call or Email to book.

clAssic rock MeeTs PRESENTED BY THE MARSHALL REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL AND THE MARSHALL SYMPHONY SOCIETY syMphony orchesTrA

PRESENTED BY THE MARSHALL REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL AND THE MARSHALL SYMPHONY SOCIETY

FOR TABLE OR TICKET INFORMATION CONTACT THE MARSHALL REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL @ 903-935-4484

Tickets Available at: Weisman Center - 211 North Washington Marshall Convention Visitors Bureau - 301 North Washington TABLE INFORMATION THE Drive BooksFOR & Java - InORtheTICKET Marshall Mall - 1300CONTACT East Pinecrest MARSHALL REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL @ 903-935-4484 KGAS Radio Station in Carthage R TABLE OR TICKET INFORMATION CONTACT THE

PRESENTED BY THE MARSHALL REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL AND THE MARSHALL SYMPHONY SOCIETY

RSHALL REGIONALFor ARTS COUNCIL @ 903-935-4484 Table or TickeT inFormaTion

conTacT The L REGIONAL Amarshall RTS COUNCregional IL AND THEarTs MARcouncil SHALL SY@ MP HONY SOCIETY 903-935-4484

Presented theSMarshall Regional UNCIL AND THE M ARSHAbyLL YMPHO NY SOArts CIECouncil TY and the Marshall Symphony Society

September 2014 - Page 14

106 W. Main St. • Henderson, TX

903-392-8200

Email: gomojoes@gmail.com Mon.-Thurs. 7am-10pm Fri. 7am-12am • Sat. 8am-12am

as its Artistic Director. He has distinguished himself as a soloist and first violist with the Festival String Quartet. He performs in numerous solo and chamber music recitals in the Ark-La-Tex area. Mr. Kacenjar is currently serving as adjunct professor at Panola College in Carthage, Texas, and has been asked to develop a strings program at the college level. He also teaches violin and viola for Project String Power, Inc., a non-profit music education program in Panola County. He conducts the Super Group, the student orchestra of Project String Power. Born in Newcastle, England, Michael Shotton loved music from the moment he discovered The Beatles. Performing by the ripe old age of three, Michael accumulated years of experience playing drums (He is a southpaw!) and singing in countless original Top 40 and specialty tribute acts. In 1988, Michael signed to Herb Alpert’s label, A&M, with the pop-based group Diamond Life, whose hit, “Habits of the Heart,” is still heard on Canadian AOR radio. This launched a most diverse, storied kind of career. He plays; he sings; he entertains. But he also writes; he engineers; he produces. Consult his friends and family, as character witnesses, and they will say, “It doesn’t do Michael justice to simply say he’s versatile or eclectic. He’s possessed by an inexhaustible, energetic spirit.” Michael Shotton is a human dynamo. Offered as evidence: In 1991, after appearing on Boston’s platinum fifth album, Walk On (MCA), he signed to EMI records worldwide with his own original hard rock band, Von Groove. To date, Von PineyWoodsLive.com

Groove has completed their ninth album under the Z Records/Marquee labels. In 1998, Michael also became part of the rock group The Outpatience, releasing their debut album, Anxious Disease (Teichiku/Virgin). This album features all of the members of Guns n’ Roses (including a duet with Axl Rose), Steve Stevens of Billy Idol fame and Louis Conte (of Phil Collins, and many other A list sessions). Recently, Michael has been playing drums with the well-known Canadian band The Spoons as well as performing as a solo vocalist on many symphony dates all across North America - all of this while providing the voice behind many radio and television commercials such as Coke, Labatt’s, Coors, Crunchie, Fosters, the Bay and many more. In 2001, he independently wrote, produced and released a 9/11 fundraiser song entitled “The Heart of America,” which is currently part of a compilation album, which includes performances by Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen. The indefatigable and prolific Burlington Ontario-based Renaissance man has also teamed up with Gordon Deppe (The Spoons) and Tom Lewis (Partland Brothers, Alan Frew) to form the pop rock band 5 Star Fall. Currently, Michael has teamed up with Canadian Hall of Fame icon Rik Emmett, playing, co-producing, and co-writing the melodic hard rock of Airtime. The debut album, Liberty Manifesto,

is available internationally under the Marquee/Escape labels, at Maplemusic.com and www. rikemmett.com. In the summer of 2007, Michael had the honor of writing and co-producing “Just Believe,” the new theme for the annual Canadian Special Olympics, a song that captures the spirit of the games and its competitors. He still found time to develop his own television show for pre-schoolers called Mike’s Garage, featuring a kaleidoscope of songs, characters and adapted for television with support from Bob McGrath of Sesame Street fame! His almost impossibly wide vocal range, the spectrum of his abilities, the charisma of his stage presence, and his astonishing appetite and lust for life are the qualities that shine through in the multitude of artistic endeavors of Michael Shotton. For the past eight years, Marshall has hosted a canopy-covered outdoor venue in downtown Marshall along North Washington Street, which covers an entire city block, with overflow all the way to the historic courthouse square. Three large screens, a delay sound system bringing true sound delivery and all instrument miking assures every listener a quality experience regardless of seat location. Priority seating at tables for six or ten may be purchased in advance, while season ticket holder seating is provided next, followed by general admission seats. Local restaurants will be

happy to deliver food to concert goers’ tables as well as beer and wine sold by local vendors. Families are encouraged to bring the kids on Friday, Sept. 19 for a $10 gourmet hotdog supper, which is a fundraiser, at 6:30 p.m. and concert rehearsals, which is free, at 8 p.m. Then, leave the kids with a sitter and

have a wonderful night out enjoying the full concert under the stars on the beautiful autumn night of Saturday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate. For tickets, call the Marshall Regional Arts Council at 903-935-4484 during regular business hours, Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. through 5 p.m.

2014 sAve the DAtes 2014 sAve the DAtes

April 3 April 3 OctOber 2 OctOber 2 December December 1111 5:00 8:00 p.m. p.m. 5:00 -- 8:00

AAself tourofofdowndownselfguided guided tour town businesses townLongview Longview businesses exhibiting and selling exhibiting and sellingart. art. for more more information for information www.artwalklongview.com www.artwalklongview.com

Sponsored by by Sponsored

Scan This!

featuring East Texas Artists Gift Certificates Available

Leonard Kacenjar PineyWoodsLive.com

Michael Shotton

beads available through September! 207 N. Horaney Street • Longview • 903-242-9944 September 2014 - Page 15

By Claudia Lowery

THE FORK - A Hometown Favorite

like to arrive early in a dining service to observe the lunch or dinner crowd. Hearing about Gladewater’s hometown café, The Fork, tempted me enough to head out mid-morning to make the drive. From where I live, it’s about 50 minutes, but who’s counting? But with today’s gas prices, I always have the thought that “this had better be good.” I’ll jump to my conclusion now and tell you that on the way home, before we were a block away, it was agreed we’d make the drive AGAIN if only for the rolls … but wait … there’s more. Tucked squarely into the heart of a thriving antique store district, The Fork provides delicious meals for locals and visitors. The owner, Gay Humphries, was out on a catering job when we arrived, but our server, Marti, was as friendly as your best neighbor. Her smile never left the entire time we were there, even when tables filled up with hungry diners on their lunch break. It got busy, but she and another server never missed a beat. The atmosphere is homey, slightly worn, and comfortable. In the near distance, we heard a train whistle as it passed through town. A nice touch, although I don’t think The Fork provided that just for us. It sure added to the hometown ambiance. A marker board behind the checkout counter displayed the daily special with a reasonable $6.95 price point for a chicken fried steak, vegetables, roll, dessert and more. I ordered a grilled chicken breast that was moist and flavorful with sides of spinach and purple hull peas. And there was a roll. Not just any roll … THE roll. It was something like a cross between a thick, chewy biscuit and a yeasty roll. We promised ourselves that when we returned, we’d buy a dozen. My husband and brother both ordered chick-

September 2014 - Page 16

en fried steak, which I sampled, and it was also great. They cleaned their plates. The Fork is known for some interesting burgers. I heard plenty of them being ordered, so I’m going to guess they are a crowd favorite. Some of the titles are the Sweet Baby Ray (hickory with bacon), The Gusher (lots of molten cheese between two burger patties), and the Krispy Kreme. Yes, they use donuts for the bun. You’ll have to decide for yourself on that one. There are salads, a children’s menu, dinner plates, and a full breakfast menu all priced very reasonably. The choices are plentiful. After a while, Gay returned from delivering a catering job and sat down to chat with me. “The Fork has been here three years,

everyone to have good food to eat and to come back.” If that’s what Gay wants, I’m pretty sure by the size of the crowd, that is exactly what she gets. The Fork is located at 111 N. Main St., Gladewater. Phone: 903-845-3675. Call for hours. The opinions expressed here were based on the writer’s personal experience. Please be sure to visit and form your own opinion.

but before that I had a place for 15 years in a house up on the hill. It was called the Pea Patch, but it burned in a fire. We’ve been here ever since.” I asked her how the food was prepared, and she explained that almost everything is made from scratch. “My husband makes all the cheesecakes for us, too. The pies are homemade, and almost all our items are made fresh daily.” There were three chocolate pies cooling on the dessert case, topped with three to four inches of cloudlike meringue. I could tell Gay wasn’t the type to sit around and chat while her customers were lining up to pay, so I ended with a question about her personal philosophy. “I just want

PineyWoodsLive.com

Downtown Jefferson

ESTATE SALES at

RV paRk &

JEffErson Ice Express

factory outlet

Jefferson Images 108 east Lafayette Jefferson, TX 75657

903-665-1128 1-800-657-5073

207 N. Polk Jefferson 903.665.8282

special factory Prices

proudly providing purified ice and water using a reverse osmosis filtration system the best drinking water in Jefferson!

we have ten (10) rv spaces available for rent $30.00 per night with full hook-ups located within walking distance of all the downtown shops and restaurants.

610 E. Broadway JEffErson, TExas 75657

(903)431-0043 or (903)407-5599

www.JEffErsonicEEpxrEss-rvpark.com

The Old Store The Fudge Store AND

Restaurant & Bar

123 N. Walnut Street Jefferson, TX 903.665.3562 • 800.227.1030 JeffersonFudgeCompany.com

Friday Oct 10, 2014 12pm Sunday Oct 12, 1pm

Mon-Fri 11am until | Sat & Sun 7am until

903.665.7121

107 W. Austin St. Jefferson, Tx 75657

THE CORK YARD Wine Bar & Bistro

eal

of m e s a h c r u ith p

ket w c i t r u o y f 5.00 Of

FRIDAY NIGHT PRIME RIB LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY - SUNDAY NEW ORLEANS SUNDAYS

(gourmet coffee, beignets, monte cristo, fried chicken & waffles, & steaks) Sun., Mon., Wed. & Thurs. 11am-10pm | Fri.-Sat. 11am-Midnight 903.665.8500 | 122 E Austin St. • Jefferson, TX 75657 PineyWoodsLive.com

sary

1 Year Anniver

Special

Mention this ad for a

FREE 32 oz. FOUNTAIN DRINK with min. $5 deli purchase.

Bike Rally, Poker Run, Bike Games, Bike Show, Live Music, Indoor & Outdoor Stage, Live Auction

Home of the One-Table Deli!

Easy In / Easy Out Convenience Store Fresh Chicken & More! Monday – Sunday

Lunch Specials Mon.-Fri. 10-2

505 E. Broadway • Jefferson

903-665-2831

September 2014 - Page 17

M E L ROSE PLANTATION

he Melrose Plantation, which has looked out across the waters of the Cane River in Natchitoches Parish, La., for more than 200 years, is one of the few large plantations of the Old South that was originally built and operated by an African American. Marie Therese Coin-Coin was born into slavery in 1742, only ten years after George Washington was born. Her parents were African slaves owned by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, the first commandant of the French post at Natchitoches. At a time when people could be bought and sold, Marie was leased to French merchant and planter Thomas Pierre Metoyer. Legend says that Marie Coin-Coin was not only beautiful but that she was also a brilliant woman who was trained in nursing as well as in the preparation and use of medicines. Metoyer fell in love with Marie. They had ten children together. When he purchased her freedom in 1778, he gave her a tract of 68 acres. She gradually freed the surviving eight of their ten children. As a free African American with property of her own, she became a wise businesswoman, building the plantation. About 1794, her son Louis Metoyer applied for a Spanish land grant and was awarded the standard 666 acres. Between 1794 and 1803, Marie and her sons applied for and received a number of additional Spanish land grants. It must have been a remarkable responsibility for the family to clear so much land, build roads and establish fences in order to raise indigo, tobacco, cotton, and the other crops that made their plantation successful. The first buildings Marie and her sons built were the Yucca House, the African or Ghana September 2014 - Page 18

House and a large barn. The Yucca House and the African House are among the buildings which still stand on the plantation grounds today. The African House is an almost square building first used for curing tobacco and then for food storage. It has an umbrella-like roof, which extends ten feet out past thick outside walls. Although it is built of brick and cedar and has a shingled roof, the 2-story building resembles the traditional thatched roof houses of Africa. It has been called the only standing structure of Congo-like architecture on the North American continent that dates as far back as colonial times. The Yucca House was the original main house of the plantation and served as the Metoyer’s home. Built completely of local materials, it is a simple building of whitewashed brick with heavy, green wooden shutters, which could be closed to protect the house from strong winds or damaging storms. The original part of the house has three large rooms located one after the other in a straight line. There are heavy, hand-hewn cypress beams and uprights. The waIls were crafted out of mud from the Cane River bottoms, mixed with deer hair and Spanish moss and then baked to form sturdy bricks. Wood burning fireplaces provided warmth in the winter. The doors and windows were opened during the summer to capture any passing breeze. It was the largest building on the plantation until 1832, when Louis Metoyer began to build the main house. Sadly, he died that year, leaving his only son, Jean Baptiste Louis Metoyer to finish building and to expand and improve the plantation. Under his direction, the Big House became a large, raised cottage structure. When Jean Baptiste died six years later, he left a sizable estate worth over $100,000. By 1843, Marie’s great-grandson, Theophile Louis Metoyer inherited two plantations as well as a third smaller parcel of land. He was married

to his second cousin, Marie Elina, and was heir to some 13,000 acres. His life should have been a glorious dream. Unfortunately, he was only 19 years old and had no business experience. In only four years, he lost almost everything he owned. He was forced to sell the family’s beloved Yucca Plantation It was purchased by brothers Henry and Hypolite Hertzog. Their expert management made it even more profitable than it had been when Marie & Louis and Jean Baptiste Louis Metoyer were alive. When the brothers’ sister, Fanny Hertzog, came to live with them, she was determined to make it into a place of culture and beauty. She closed the upper gallery and the above ground cellar and transformed the raised cottage into a large plantation home that was four times its original size. The War Between the States brought its misery to Cane River. During the Red River Campaign, the land surrounding Cane River saw both the Confederate and Union armies advancing, retreating, battling, and stripping the land of any usable goods. How the Melrose Plantation managed to survive the war still remains a mystery. Louisiana remained under Union occupation until 1877. During the Reconstruction era, the entire economy was unbalanced. The systems of sharecropping and tenant farming were put into place. Families lost their wealth, their property, and their way of life. Even so, it was during this difficult time that Fanny Hertzog established the Freedmen School at the suffering plantation and provided the first formal education for former slaves. The Hertzogs continued farming at the Yucca Plantation until it was sold to a New Orleans businessman in 1881. Three years later, it was sold to an Irish immigrant, Joseph Henry. Henry changed the name to Melrose in honor of Sir Walter Scott’s

b y J a n St a tm a n Photos by Daryl Pentacost

poem, “The Lay of the Last Minstrel, Canto Second,” about Melrose Abbey. Joseph Henry’s son and daughter-in-law, John Hampton Henry and Carmelite (Cammie) Garrett Henry, later bought Melrose and made it their home. Cammie restored many of the buildings on the property. Her major construction at the Big House was the addition of the two garconniere towers at each end of the gallery to accommodate their sons. She also added a bedroom, indoor kitchen and indoor pantry. She replanted the gardens, rescued colonial buildings, revived local handicrafts, and built a library of Louisiana books and stories. When her husband John Hampton Henry died suddenly in 1918, “Ms. Cammie” not only maintained her plantation empire but decided to make Melrose an artists’ colony. It became a retreat for well-known writers and artists of the early 20th century. She hosted such prominent people as William Faulkner, Erskine Caldwell, Alexander Woollcott, Rachel Field, Roark Bradford, Alberta Kinsey and others. Artists and writers were welcome to stay as long as they wished, but in order to stay, they had to be working on some creative project every day. Although the average stay was less than a month, the writer Francois Mignon arrived for a 6-week visit in the early 1940s and stayed for 32 years. His Plantation Memoirs and thousands of pages of journal entries detailed daily plantation life. He remained at Melrose even after Cammie Henry’s death in 1948. He did not leave until 1970, when her son and the manager of the plantation, J.H. Henry Jr., died. It is an interesting twist of fate that the most noted artist at Melrose Plantation was not one of Ms. Cammie’s invited guests but a woman who had been a field hand, a housekeeper and a cook. PineyWoodsLive.com

Clementine Hunter was born at the nearby Hidden Hill Plantation in 1887. Her parents came to Melrose as sharecroppers for the Henry family. She never learned to read or write. She lived her entire life in rural, northwest Louisiana, and never traveled more than 100 miles from her home, but she managed to achieve fame. Clementine served the artist guests as cook and housekeeper. While she was cleaning artist Alberta Kinsey’s room, Clementine found some discarded brushes and oil paints Kinsey had left behind. Those discarded paints changed Clementine’s life. She had watched artists work, and so she began to paint. Although her first painting was a bowl of flowers, she quickly began to paint the scenes of the plantation life she had once lived and remembered. As a self-taught, primitive artist, each of her paintings told a story about the world she knew. Her unique African American experience captured the day-to-day lives of the workers whose energies made the plantations successful. She painted angels and devils, weddings and funerals, washdays and church days. She painted people picking cotton and children playing. She

painted on everything she could find: canvas, cardboard, paper, window shades, ironing boards, lampshades and walls. Although they are worth thousands of dollars now, she sold her earliest paintings for as little as 25 cents! The artists who stayed at Melrose sold her paintings so she could buy art supplies and continue her work. Clementine Hunter completed thousands of works of art and is recognized as one of the most famous African American Folk Artists in the United States. She has been called “The African American Grandma Moses.” She used oil paint and plywood to paint her most famous works, The African House Murals. These large paintings were installed on the second floor of the African House in 1986. Clementine Hunter received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Northwestern State University of La. She was 101 years old when she died in 1988. When Cammie Henry’s son, J.H. Henry Jr., died, Melrose was sold at auction. Everything in it including the furnishings as well as Miss Cammie’s collections and her library was sold to the highest bidders. It was stripped of the Clementine Hunter murals. All except the African House murals were torn from their walls and sold. The Southdown Land Company purchased the property. In 1971, Southdown donated 6.55 acres to the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches, which continues to own and operate Melrose Plantation as a historic house museum. Melrose has been named a National Historic Landmark. Today, Melrose Plantation contains nine historic buildings including the African House, the Yucca House, a weaving cabin, bindery and the Big House. The Plantation is open Tuesday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The address is 3533 Hwy 119, Melrose, La. 71452, and the telephone number is 318-379-0055. When you visit, be sure to ask for Luke Williams. He is an excellent and informative tour guide. He will explain about the French planter and the beautiful slave from the household of St. Denis, the family that founded a community, the woman who survived the Civil War and educated former slaves, and the artists and writers who encouraged a cook to become a national treasure.

Downtown Henderson

We Cater!

SGourmet crumptiouS! cupcakeS & DeSSertS

Daily lunch SpecialS

414 Hwy. 79 N. Henderson

homemade Desserts Soups • Salads • Sandwiches Fresh Frozen casseroles available Daily

Located inside Debbie’s 79 Bistro/Kaleidoscope

414 hwy. 79 n. • henderson

903.392.8036

903-312-9124

Mon-Fri 11am-3pm

Vintage Furniture • Home Decor Clothes • Candles • Antiques • Collectibles Chalk & Clay Paint • Baby Items, The Resident Chef Food Products

GO LIONS!

128 E. Main Street, Henderson, TX

903.392.8288

Mon.-Fri. 10am-5:30pm, Sat. 10am-4pm

Studioon the101square • Fashion Jewelry

• Boutique

• Sterling Silver

• Jrs & Real Women’s Sizes up to 3X

• Gold

Cosmetics Opi Nail Polish

• Diamonds • Gemstones • Pearls

Ms. Sylvia has retired. Please come meet the new owner, Melinda Leslie. PineyWoodsLive.com

• Purses

101 N. Main St. • Longview

903-657-3569

Monday-Friday 9:30-5:30 • Saturday 9:30-12:30 September 2014 - Page 19

by JANSTATMAN

he popularity of pastel painting dates back to fashionable portraits of the 18th century, but if you consider outline drawings made with different kinds of colored earth, you might just say it has been with us forever. Pastel painting is one of the simplest and most direct methods of painting. It uses pure colors that are not mixed with the liquid mediums used in oil or acrylic paint or even watercolors or egg tempera. The colors stay where the artist places them without the danger of fading or crazing or any of the other problems that time and chemistry can bring. If an artist uses high quality pastels and creates a work on the best paper made to be used with pastel paints,

the painting becomes remarkably permanent. Framed under glass, kept away from direct sunlight, and treated with the usual care and respect that any proper work of art deserves, pastel paintings can last for ages. Paintings that were done in the 1750s have survived. They are, in fact, as fresh and bright as they might have been on the long-ago day when they were completed. Of course the use of pastel painting is not limited to the traditional forms of the past. It has been successfully adapted for contemporary work. The attraction for some artists to the medium is not only the permanent quality of the color but also the direct quality of the pastels. Since there is no liquid medium used in creating a pastel painting, there are no brushes or

palette knives needed. While this is true, some artists prefer to use paper stamps or even bristle brushes, which have been specially trimmed in order to spread the color or to blend and soften edges. Still, pastels are hand-held and usually go straight from the artist’s hand into the work of art with nothing coming between them. Even though pastel crayons may closely resemble the old, familiar chalkboard chalk or the colorful drawing chalk that children like to use on sidewalks and driveways, artists’ pastels are another thing altogether. Pastels are not chalks. They are pure powdered pigment. They are made by grinding permanent pigments into a crayon or color stick, using as little vehicle as possible to mold the colors into shape and to keep the pastel

crayon together without allowing it to flake or crumble. Pastels have to be strong enough to survive the artist’s hand without breaking or splintering, but at the same time, they have to be soft enough to leave the proper amount of color on the paper. For that reason, artist’s pastels usually come in three strengths - hard, medium or soft. The soft are most often used for color blending and mixing. The hard and medium are usually used to create special effects. Today, everybody can go down to the local art supply store and buy good, quality pastels, but artists of the past had to grind and mix their own. That involved grinding the colors with a mortar and pestle and then mixing them with a bind-

Downtown Kilgore

Incredible Instruments Learnable Lessons Music for Life

Join us for an evening of sipping, shopping and strolling – say goodbye to summer and hello to fall in Downtown Kilgore!

119 Longview Street • Kilgore

903.984.4900

903.218.5636

100 N. Kilgore St. • Kilgore

604 S. Palestine St. (Hwy. 19) • Athens

903.292.1733

Food • Fashion • Fun For more information, call

903.988.4117

kilgoremainstreet.com September 2014 - Page 20

PineyWoodsLive.com

ing solution. Early 18th century artists’ recipes for making pastels mixed each color with a different binding solution with the idea that different solutions gave different results. Some of these recipes included using binding materials made out of milk, honey, stale beer or oatmeal water! Any soft drawing paper can be used, but special papers work best for pastels. Most pastel papers are white, but some are actually tinted in grey, tan, or in a variety of different colors. When an artist wants to make a pastel painting with solid colors that will cover the whole sheet of paper, the color of the tint is not important. White will probably work best. When the artist decides to make a pastel painting that will be loose, sketchy, or free so that whole parts of the paper will be seen, a tinted paper ground can completely change the whole idea of the work. Dark red paper adds a warmer glow, while pale paper colors give a softer effect. Many pastel paintings rely on the color of the ground for special effects. Some artists even choose a dark blue, black or grey background color to automatically provide the shadows and contrasts they want in their work. Tooth indicates how much pastel pigment the paper is able to hold. Paper with more tooth allows more pastel to adhere to the paper. Paper that is too smooth is difficult to use. Many drawing papers and watercolor papers have enough tooth to accept and hold the loose pastel pigments. For best results, artists find that one of the three types of pastel papers works best. Fibrous paper is the most popular. Artists use this when they want to create

a bold work of art that has a lot of texure to it. Granular pastel paper is made with a coating of fine-grained pigment so that it works like a really gentle, fine-grained sandpaper that can scrape the pigment and hold it. By contrast, there is a pastel paper that has been coated with powdered cloth, almost as though it has been flocked. Both the granular and coated papers work best for paintings that will have smoothly blended areas. The problem with painting in pastels is that, since there is no liquid medium, the painting has a powdery surface that is easy to rub away when it comes in contact with other papers or even when it touches the glass of a picture frame. To avoid losing color, many artists use fixatives to set pastel colors. Most of the older fixatives depended on weak solutions of non-yellowing resins in an alcohol base. These were sold in jars and sprayed on the painting with a mouth-blown atomizer that had to be held at just the right distance from the painting and sprayed carefully so as not to make puddles in the paint. Thankfully, today there are fixatives made of non-yellowing synthetic resins that are sold in convenient spray cans. Unfortunately, these spray can fixatives look and feel so much like hair spray that some artists just grab the nearest can of Rave and spray away. This is not a particularly good idea since hairspray is not permanent. It will eventually crack the paper, and the paint colors will change. Many artists who work in pastels want to keep bright, clear colors, which is why they decided to work with pastels in the first place. They choose not to use fixatives at all.

The Village 2002 Judson Rd., Longview 903.236.7776 Mon.-Fri. 10-7 & Sat. 10-5

Facebook.com/Dog Style USA PineyWoodsLive.com

Award winning artist Jan Statman’s paintings are owned by museums in Italy and Spain and by art collections across the USA. This month her paintings are on view in a one Artist Exhibit at Salon Verve, 121 E. Erwin Street in Tyler or see her paintings on Facebook at Artist’s Studio of Jan Statman American Artist.

Cafe • espresso Bar Catering

great food & good friends. that’s the Central perks difference.

211 n. Washington ave Marshall, tX 75670 M-f 8-5:30 saturday 8-5

903-934-9902

Tomboni’s Fresh Food

Unique, healthy and wonderful things for your four legged Best Friend

• Treats (Only the best!) • Designer Pet Apparel & Collars • Exclusive Spa Products • Five Star Rated Dog Foods

As fragile as they are, unfixed pastel paintings can take a lot of careful handling. They won’t be harmed badly by vertical movement, but lateral, side-toside movement can dust off lots of color and be a disaster. This makes framing pastels a bit tricky. They should be mounted on a firm board and then they should always be framed under glass. Because they have to be protected from laying flat against the glass, thick or even multi-layered mats and framing inserts work to keep the pastel painting away from the glass. The most important thing to remember about pastel paintings is that, like any other work of art, pastels can last forever with care, and they can be enjoyed for generations.

Gallery Main Street 110 W. Erwin • Downtown Tyler

(903) 593-6905 downtowntylerarts.com

Good Food To Go!

Awesome Pizzas, Shrimp & Scallop Ceviche, Tuna Nicoise Salad, 2 Chicken Salads, Tabouli, Quinoa & Orzo Pasta Salad. Fresh Mozzarella, Almond Spread, Cilantro-Lime Pesto, Hummus & Fresh Salsa. Entrees & Enchiladas, Vegan Super Casserole, Breads, Muffins & Desserts!

cusTom made jewelry and one-oF-a-kind aprons

802 N. High Street, Longview - M-F 10am-6pm We Cater! 903.452.7492 September 2014 - Page 21

by Andrea Baros

Spice up that little black dress for the East Texas Music awards with these amazing boots and booties. They’re “a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll.”

“Uptown Girl” chic. With a pair of black leather leggings, you will stop the show. Available at Exotic Stitch in Marshall, TX.

Unique Couture! Any black dress will match perfectly with these ornate beauties. Available at Exotic Stitch in Marshall, TX.

Comfy and one of a kind. These boots can be found at The Crystal Spur Boutique in Kilgore, TX.

Add that special touch to any pair of boots with these boot socks available at The Crystal Spur Boutique in Kilgore, TX. Country by day and rock ‘n’ roll by night. Available at The Crystal Spur Boutique in Kilgore, TX.

Pair these pretty little gems with a pair of black palazzo paints for the ultimate ensemble. Available at Exotic Stitch in Marshall, TX.

September 2014 - Page 22

PineyWoodsLive.com

OUTDOOR SOUND SYSTEM

OUTDOOR SOUND SYSTEM CONTROLLED BY ANY BLUE TOOTH DEVICE. STOP BY FOR A DEMO You’re not going to believe your ears!!!

Discover Your Voice Study Voice or

Concealed Handgun Class VETERANS, ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY & LAW ENFORCEMENT, please call for your DISCOUNT RATE. Certified NRA Firearms Instructor

eagleeyefirearmsusa@hotmail.com

Piano Lessons www.MusicLongview.com

CHL CLASSES • FIREARMS TRAINING

Call us for your firearm needs!

Private Lessons

Eagle Eye Firearms

903-988-4035

903.371.1134 christina@musiclongview.com

Now! Two Great Radio Stations

sePT. 13 FULL HD 3D SMART TV* Motion Flow 480Hz Built-In WIFI

*Comes with 2 pair of 3D glasses!

The Pineywoods

PolkaFesT wiTh Brave ComBo at the houston County airport.

For more info, call PineyWoods Fine Arts

2608 Gilmer Road, Longview

936-544-4276

Tech Support With Every Sale!

www.pwfaa.org

903.297.1933

or go online at

1240 AM, 105.3 FM Kilgore & 101.9 Longview

100.3 97.9 ...Listen! Longview

Tyler

Unforgettable

Stitch Boot Co.

ONE OF A KIND BOOT... FOR A ONE OF A KIND YOU 207A N. WASHINGTON | MARSHALL, TX 75670

903-930-7002

WWW.EXOTICSTITCHBOOTCO.COM PineyWoodsLive.com

September 2014 - Page 23