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Living Folklore

@livingfolklore

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Carnival Arts & Cultural Dreams 🧵 🪶
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Rina and I just returned from an amazing week in Paris. We have lots of epic photos in all the best places around the city which will be exciting to share soon. As I digest and reflect on how the trip imprinted my soul, this is the single image that somehow represents everything for me.

The Parisii were the original indigenous, Celtic inhabitants of the place now known as Paris. They lived on an island in the middle of the Seine called the Île de la Cité. Today it is the island where Notre Dame stands… but we wanted to find a quiet place to honor the original people away from the hoards of tourists.

We wandered off a trail on the northern and western tip of the island and found a magnificent Willow Tree. When we stepped into the canopy of branches it was serene and peaceful though we could still hear the hum of the city all around us.

The blurred photo is of Rina and our dear friend Merrick. I love that they are unrecognizable because that’s how it felt… as if we were merely timeless souls in temporal bodies coming to honor a sacred site that lives outside the bounds of time. That’s how our whole visit to Paris felt.

The same way French impressionist painters like Monet and Renoir blurred lines with warm colors, we blended across timelines in search of the true heart and soul of the city. We felt an enormous presence guiding us through the streets as if the ancestors were celebrating our arrival (return).

Cafes where artists, poets and revolutionaries sipped the green drink, Absenthe allowing the waking and dreaming worlds to spill across the canvas like blood poured on the land in the struggle for liberty, equality, and Justice.

We felt it all and mused deeply as our feet danced across the cracks of cobblestone streets. It was all visually stunning, but what hit most, on the deepest levels, was layers of emotional waves, feelings, impressions, and memories spread like confetti across the city.

The three of us held hands in a circle around the old Willow Tree. It was a prayer of gratitude, of guardianship. A momento of love, friendship, family, a souvenir of nature. It resonates within me as connection, the most essential ingredient in the recipe of life. taken in Paris, France by @livingfolklore

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a month ago

Tom McDermott (@tom_mcdermott_music) plays Jellyroll Morton’s “The Crave” at Liz Story’s (@lizstoryofficial) studio in AZ. Tom is one of my favorite living pianists not only for his musical creativity, but because of his deep wisdom about the history and tradition of New Orleans, Caribbean and Brazilian piano.

Jelly Roll Morton, one of the greatest innovators of jazz piano in history, is special to me for many reasons. Recently after learning about Jellyroll’s time in Arizona which is left out of the record for most musical academics. The reason his time in AZ is unaccounted for in musical circles is because he was here chasing his muse/love, Anita (Johnson) Gonzales AKA The Cuban Queen. I plan to do some more writing and creative expression about this untold local history in the coming months.

The Crave is a quintessential composition for many reasons… the “Latin Tinge”, or Tresillo Rhythm originates in Sub-Saharan Africa and spread to the Caribbean through slavery. It is the foundation of Cuban Music, Habanera, Reggaeton, and the off-beat syncopation played a central role in the style of Funk made popular by The Meters. Jellyroll wrote this tune as a French Creole in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War. No radio, no internet, yet these rhythms and the stories within the melodies traveled freely from Cuba through the music that continues to inspire the world via New Orleans.

Few pianists attempt this difficult composition. Thanks to Tom, and @jonclearymusic the tune is seeing a bit of a revival! French pianist @remitoulon does what I feel is the most creative contemporary interpretation of the tune (look it up)… and apparently there are some efforts to inspire @rivereckertmusic to learn it as well. It is a centerpiece for anyone interested in the history of New Orleans roots music and the piano.

Arizona has its’ own rich history in the story of Jazz music and the piano with Prescott, AZ once being known for honky-tonk saloons and ragtime dances. The emergence of Western swing happened in these places and around campfires across the Southwest 🌵 There is a resurgence happening in these parts…

Enjoy! #TheCrave #jellyrollmorton #Pian by @livingfolklore

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a month ago

Lazy River Daze by @livingfolklore

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2 months ago

My grandma told me a story about how her family had the best piano on St. Croix and they hosted many of the great pianists as they traveled through the islands. I am so grateful to keep that tradition alive in Arizona.

Last week Rina & I hosted legendary New Orleans Pianist & Musical Historian, Tom McDermott @tom_mcdermott_music.

Rina and I read The Ghost of the Cuban Queen to each other last year. We love that history! I also sent a copy to Tom.

It was special beyond words to hear Tom play The Crave for us at our home this week!

I first saw Tom play at a White Buffalo Day Celebration at St. Augustine’s Church in the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans. At that time I had been reflecting on my Grandmothers stories from the Caribbean and Tom had recently released his album “The Crave”.

On the album he explores & plays compositions from throughout the Caribbean that include Brazilian ragtime (called Choro), and the works of Louis Moreaux Gottschalk, Jelly Roll and many others dating back to the 1850’s. These syncopated compositions predate what historians claim to be the ragtime era by 50 years!

They illustrate the influence of Chopin, and the cultural cross pollination of European, African, Caribbean and Indian rhythms & sounds. These are the roots of blues, jazz, gospel, rock and funk that we enjoy to this day. Many of the composers are barely known because they don’t fit in the romantic, classical genres.

In these melodies and stomps are the feelings of the time, the struggles with racism, and the ever-present human yearning to celebrate in the face of uncertainty. These feelings and social circumstances are still with us today as is the piano.

There is something very beautiful brewing. I feel the ancestors looking on and haunting us in the best way! They still want to be heard… and if we decide to listen we may realize there’s a whole lot to learn.

New Orleans has left its mark on the entire world with its music and infectious rhythms. Arizona has its own place in the illustrious history of this artform. I look forward to continuing explorations, deepening friendships, and contemporary creative expressions along these lines. Stay tuned! by @livingfolklore

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2 months ago

Join us this Saturday as Fairweather Social Club celebrates SatchmoFest with a full day of live music in the courtyard!

The day begins with Ines & Meg at 1:00 pm, followed by Jacob Devaney at 3:00 pm, before Bad Cactus closes out the evening at 7:00 pm with their unmistakable blend of New Orleans-inspired brass, funk, soul, and jazz.

SatchmoFest is a celebration of the music, spirit, and enduring legacy of Louis Armstrong. Spend the day with us enjoying live music, craft cocktails, and the kind of atmosphere that makes Fairweather a favorite gathering place in downtown Prescott. by @livingfolklore

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2 months ago

Rails, Rivers, and Rhythms… A Creole Wild West. Tied up with roping tricks. The sweetness of an Ice Cream Cowgirl, Ghost Horses in the sky, Hobby Horses for the kiddos, a Rainbow Dragon and a Parade in a Suitcase.
It’s the Year of the Fire Horse… but we needed to balance that with a Water Horse & an LED Ghost Horse (inspired by @pantao.de)
Grateful for a beautiful write-up in the Telluride Bluegrass Festival program celebrating my 30th year of shenanigans. I I can’t wait to see the parade photos from Sunday ❤️ by @livingfolklore

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4 months ago

Groovin’ out with Green Sky at Telluride Bluegrass.
Usually I am carrying the dragon or walking on stilts but on this night I was fortunate to watch and film her dancing through the crowd with Gala the Flower Faerie in her rainbow wings. by @livingfolklore

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4 months ago

Oh, to be a bluegrass kiddo 🌸🌞🌀🍦🥳🧸

One of our favorite festival traditions is the kids' parade, which just celebrated its 30th year today! Throughout the week, the kiddos spend time playing and creating art and costumes in the Family Area, which they then get to show off to the entire festival on Sunday. Fun for all 💞

#telluridebluegrassfestival taken in Telluride Town Park by @livingfolklore

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4 months ago

One of our favorite things about Rhythms is watching generations experience it together.

While the bands play, you’ll find giant puppets roaming the grounds, families marching in the parade, kids making flags, faces getting painted, hula hoop contests, songs being shared, and future performers stepping up at the Kids Talent Show.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Final ticket price increase this Sunday, June 21 at midnight.

🎟️ RhythmsOnTheRio.com taken in Del Norte, Colorado by @livingfolklore

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4 months ago

Hanging out with the one and only Rob Garza of Thievery Corporation at Hotel Congress. It was an exceptional show that included some tasty and intimate acoustic tunes. 30 years of Thievery Corporation and we’re still celebrating stolen goods! Roots and rhythms so ancient fused with electronic sounds bringing people together to stomp their feet in the Sonoran Desert. The Old Pueblo was dancing with ancestors last night. Something powerful is brewing…. A memorable evening in Tucson. So great to be surrounded by friends in this majestic and powerful place! 🌵#luckyweliveaz @robgarzamusic @thieverycorporation by @livingfolklore

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5 months ago

A fun night at @the_crescent_bar_fwsc @fairweathersocialclub thank you @toddjones21 for pulling this together and to Zach Dominguez, Liz Story and other musicians who came out to make revelry 🎶 by @livingfolklore

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5 months ago

We continue to rise to do what we can to take care. This short video gives an idea of how many times certain individuals went out of their way to destroy the rock wall and 'ahu we built. It also shows the many times we collectively came together to rebuild. There is always hope when we have faith, love, compassion and live with aloha.

Music Credit: Israel Kamakawiwoʻole, Hawaiʻi ‘78 by @livingfolklore

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8 months ago