The Rise of Michael Jackson's Popularity

Its been one year since Michael Jackson's untimely and tragic death, and his music and estate (i.e. licensing, publishing, merchandise, etc.) has generated close to $1 Billion in the last year alone, but does that make him more popular and influential than the Beatles or Elvis as this article seems to suggest.

It's impossible to say at this point-in-time, as popularity increases and decreases longitudinally according to sociocultural conditions and market demands, among other factors and thus, popularity and influence must be measured overtime, and one year's worth of data is not sufficient for drawing conclusions, nor making comparisons.

Regardless, it is fitting to pay homage to the King of Pop today, as there's no doubt that he is one of the most influential artists and cultural icons, and his seminal music will endure for generations to come.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

Plastic Lennon Band: John Lennon Anniversary Show

December 8th, 2008 will mark the 28th Anniversary of the tragic death of John Lennon.  Atlanta based multi-instrumentalist, Lee Schwartz, who is a founding member/drummer of Outformation is fronting a tribute show to celebrate the life and music of the late John Lennon.  The show will be a snapshot of John's music with the Beatles and as a solo artist, performed by a stellar group of musicians for one night only:

Lee Schwartz (Outformation) as John Lennon on Guitar
Benji Shanks (Captain Soularcat, Last Waltz Ensemble) on Lead Guitar
Tony Giordano (Ancient Harmony, Tommy Talton Band, Captain Soularcat) on Piano/Keys
Shawn McCrystal  (Indecision, Wombat) on Bass    
Kevin Rustchman (Last Waltz Ensemble, Wombat) on Drums

When:  December 8, 2008
Venue: Smith's Olde Bar
City:    Atlanta, GA
Price:  $10 + 2 cans of food for the Atlanta Community Food Bank
Time:  doors open at 8pm, show starts at 9pm

Btw, I normally don't make these kinds of posts, but these guys are friends of mine with tons of talent, so it's going to be a very good show, one you definitely will want to see, and it's for a good cause.

Merl Saunders Tribute

I just learned that the legendary Merl Saunders died yesterday from complications related to his stroke in 2002 at the age of 74. Another great musician has passed this year, another artist I used to see when I was in college. Surprisingly, you could still catch him at bars back then as his fan base was primarily from the small Jam Band scene at that time. Saunders was one of the original funk masters of the B3; he will be missed. Here's a clip of the groovy tune, "Aunt Monk" from 1974:

LeRoi Moore Tribute

As you probably know by now, LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band died unexpectedly yesterday from complications related to an ATV accident (more info can be found here). This is tragic news, and hits home for me as I started watching the DMB back in college when they were still playing fraternity/sorority parties, and I have fond memories of seeing scores of DMB shows during my twenties. They continue to be one of my favorite bands today. I found this video and thought it was a fitting tribute to LeRoi - he will be missed:

New Barack Obama Music Video: A Tribute by Greg Hester

About two weeks ago, Greg Hester phoned and said he was thinking about creating a music video for Barack Obama using a song he wrote several years ago called, "President," as he was in the process of re-recording it with Eric McConnell in Nashville. I knew right away that Greg had a great idea and the funked-up version, now called "Prezident" with Ivan Neville, Danny Ray and the James Brown Band (the JBs) would do well, and would probably generate some new listeners for Greg as well... so, we moved as quickly as possible to release it, and just a few minutes ago I received the final edited video from Shannon Pengelly, so please take a look and tell us what you think:

Undergoing MyBlogLog Verification

Porter Wagoner Tribute

In honor of Porter Wagoner's life, he was a legend and a master songwriter. He will be missed.

Sugarfoot Rag:

Albert Erving:

I'll Fly Away: