The Genius of Sylvester Stewart

DUKES FANS: “Before there was Prince, there was Sly. Before there was Parliament-Funkadelic, there was Sly.” Questlove of the Roots I was planning to write today about the origins of Father’s Day as many of us will observe and celebrate it this Sunday. But yesterday a friend sent me an e-mail letting me know that a musical hero of mine had died. Sylvester Stewart, better known as Sly Stone, died at age 82 yesterday. Leader and founder of Sly and The Family Stone, he and that band have long been one of my favorite musical ensembles. With their strong, exuberant singing, unique blend of voices and powerful bass and horn lines, they were a joyous combination of gospel, soul, what would be called funk, and psychedelia. They set the groundwork for much of popular music in the 80’s and 90’s. I loved them. Dance to The Music was the first song of theirs that I heard, and I was immediately hooked. I loved the gospel-tinged group harmonies and shouting, the bright horns, the bass lines, the “take no prisoners” drum beats, and the strong alternating lead voices.’ It was bright and bold, and their follow up songs, “Stand, "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and " Thank you (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Again) all had that same intoxicating combination. And they were all high-energy and joyous. You just had to move, sing along, and dance when you heard Sly’s music. And there was the band itself: garishly dressed and seemingly on a mission to lighten everyone’s load. They were one of the very few integrated bands at that time, and they had females as full members of the band, not just back-up singers. That was unusual also. Of course, they had their demons. Success came fast and sudden, and drugs and alcohol became an issue for several of them, including Sly. There were also personality problems that developed and financial troubles. By the mid-70’s the group had essentially broken up. There were occasional performances and TV things with Sly, and on occasion the band would get together for a one time thing. But it was never to be a touring or full time performing band”again. Sly and the Family Stone was essentially done by 1975. They slipped out of view,heard occasionally on oldies stations. But there has been a lot more interest in Sly recently. Sly wrote a memoir, and it won an award. He also did some appearances with several pop and funk performers such as George Clinton and Bootsy Collins. There have also been a couple of films released recently featuring Sly. Questlove produced and released the film, Summer of Soul, about the amazing 1969 concert in Harlem that featured all types of Black music and was a grand celebration of both the people and the place. Sly and The Family Stone have a set that is super-hot and catches them at their best. Questlove also released a documentary on Sly’s life called Sly Lives, (aka the Burden of Black Genius), which is available on Hulu and Disney streaming channels. I haven’t seen it yet, but I definitely will. He also has been inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and much of his work is getting serious analysis. His amazing contributions to soul, rock, and pop are finally being recognized. Sly’s music was ahead of its time. It combined facets from various musical styles, and he somehow made it all work. It was all celebratory and joyous. Thank you, Sylvester Stewart. Your work has enriched my life and given me many smiles and joyous moments. Thank you. (The films Summer of Soul and Sly Lives are both available for streaming on Hulu) Sly’s website is https://www.slystonemusic.com/ There is also an excellent Wikipedia article on him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sly_Stone

Hot Fun in the Summertime

DUKES FANS: We are at the halfway point in the year now. Somehow, 2025 has been moving along and we are just about through two seasons and on our way to the start of a third. We have had a lot of rain recently, but the sun’s brightness and the increased temperatures have been present for a longer period of time now; sunsets are now happening after 8PM, and evenings are lovely. June is here. June has always been a special month for me. As a kid it meant the end of the school year and the start of summer vacation. This meant free time, some new adventures and surprises, great summer foods, and some travel. As a young kid it meant regular trips to Coatesville, PA to stay with some of my father’s family. We would stay for a few weeks and often go to sleep to the sound of the trains coming into or going away from Lukens Steel Mill. We would stay at Aunt Janey’s and run through the woods at the back of the property. I also enjoyed sitting on the porch with some of the neighbors and my uncles and cousins. It felt as if I was being let in on some of the adult world, and I loved it. And I also loved the magic of being in a different place. As I grew older June still meant the start of seeing some new things, and travel was still a big part of that. I worked for one summer as a custodial aide through the Neighborhood Youth Corps program, and I served as a roadie with The Central High School Orchestra. I got to hear and to appreciate classical music, and I also got to go to several places outside my normal neighborhood. That led me to become curious about nearby suburbs, and I would travel to places such as Narberth, Paoli, and Ardmore, just walking around, hanging out, spending time in libraries, trying restaurants, and occasionally hearing some music. In my latte teens and twenties downtown Philadelphia became an important destination for me. Center City Philly had become a hotbed of political, social, and cultural activity in the late 60’s and 70’s, and I began to spend a lot of time downtown experiencing it and drinking it all in. I was jamming with folks in Rittenhouse Square, going to hear music at The Second Fret, The Magic Theater, Artemis, The Trauma, JC Dobbs, and Bacchanal, and attending be-ins in Fairmount Park. I was also going out to the suburbs to such music venues as The Main Point and the Philadelphia Folk Festival. Going to museums and theaters in Bucks and Chester County also became things that a bunch of friends and I would do. My world was expanding. It was also a time of protests marches and music festivals. I spent time at civil rights and anti-Vietnam War demonstrations and protests in Philly, but also in Washington, DC and New York City. And music still mattered. In 1969 a friend and I hitchhiked from Philadelphia out to Michigan for the 2nd Annual Ann Arbor Blues Festival, where I got to see and to hang out with some of my all-time musical heroes. It was totally in me now: summer travel, adventure and music. I was lucky to have been married for 37 years to a partner who loved traveling, birding, camping, “musicing” and “museuming” as much as I did. We camped in several places in New York State, West Virginia, upstate PA, and more and took non-camping trips to Ohio, Arizona, New Mexico, Connecticut, New York City, the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Baltimore and more. We ended most of our summer travels in Kingston, Ontario camping at Ivy Lea Provincial Park and enjoying the Limestone City Blues Festival. We had some incredible summer adventures. Summer means travel and explore. Yes, I am a bit older now, but I know I will do some more of that this summer. Wishing you all a summer of discovery, new adventures, and the building of great memories. Happy June!

Poetry and The Library

DUKES FANS: Last week’s newsletter contained a poem about Spring by e.e. cummings that I absolutely love. Some of you were moved by that too; I got a number of responses to that newsletter that featured quotes from other cummings poems or bits from other poems and poets. Those responses reminded me of the power and beauty of poetry and reminded me of a newsletter I had written way back in 2016. Poetry and the Library Americans love observances. We have special days and months to celebrate everything from the divine to the historical to the esoteric to the downright silly. There is Black History Month, Women's History Month, Take Sons and Daughters to Work Day, Senior Citizens Day, Tartan Day, Wear Red Day, Pretzel Day, Apple Day, and too many religious holidays and observances to mention. In fact, the word holiday itself is derived from “holy day’-days set aside by various religions for special rituals and practices. And due to our wonderful diversity, the United States is simply awash in special days and times, April is among my favorite months for these special times because April is National Poetry Month, and it also features National Librarians Day and National Library Week. These three observances recognize things that have been and are very important and wondrous to me; words, knowledge, curiosity, creativity, and helpfulness. Together these have all played a vital role in my life and in me becoming the person I am. I am grateful that these three things have been a part of my life for quite a while. I do not know exactly how I got into poetry. Yes, there were all the rhymes we used to say as kids and the poems we had to memorize in elementary school. But I think that reading “Childcraft’, the literary and educational set of books my mother got for us that went along with the World Book Encyclopedia, was where poetry really settled into me. “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes with its magical and evocative, “The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas”, and its rhythmic and exciting, “The Highwayman came ridin’; the highway man came ridin’; up to the old inn door” just caught me. I remember lines from that poem today, over a half century later. That set of books also had memorable poems by Edgar Allan Poe and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that sometimes sent me to the dictionary to find out what some of the words meant, thus enlarging my vocabulary and furthering my sense of wonder at all the things words could mean and do. I am still fascinated by the uses, subtleties, meanings and origins of words. And I trace it back to those early experiences. I am also a child of the 60’s, and in the energy of the Civil Rights Movement I discovered the works of earlier Black poets such as Langston Hughes, Fenton Johnson, and Gwendolyn Brooks and new ones such as Le Roi Jones, Lucille Clifton, and Ishmael Reed. Through that I saw how poems could touch on both the eternal and metaphorical as well as the here and now. It was also a time of great cultural change in the whole of US society, and the anthology, The New American Poetry and friends of mine such as Steve A. and Dave F. introduced me to great wordsmiths such as William Carlos Williams, Charles Olson, Ed Dorn, and my all time favorite poet, Kenneth Patchen. Popular songs by artists such as Bob Dylan and Smokey Robinson and Simon and Garfunkel has similes and metaphors and allusions. Poetic works were all around, and my love for poetry was fed and took off. Even now I browse books of poetry in book stores and subscribe to the Poetry Foundation’s daily e-mail service. ( Poetry Foundation ) It is a life long love story that will only end when I do. Librarians helped with that and so much more in my life. When I had read a poem that interested me, I could ask a librarian where I could find more works by that poet or by poets who wrote in the same way. And I had the same experience whether I was researching a historical question, looking for something about music, following up some odd, weird idea, looking for how to copyright a song, or any of the thousands of things I asked librarians about over the years. Libraries and librarians have always been there for me, willing and able to help. Libraries themselves have been so many things to me; places to gain refuge from the outside world, a source to unlock new knowledge, a place to answer questions and feed my insatiable curiosity, or in the case of some of the turn of the 20th century ones, places to go to be amazed at the architecture. It still amazes me that we have public free libraries and have had them for such a long time. I used to do some classes on US law and life for foreign students and professionals. Some of them were from developing or recently independent countries, and the openness and ease of access of our libraries was one thing that always intrigued and amazed them. Public schools have them. Just about every neighborhood has them. Colleges and universities have them. And they are open to anyone at all. That was definitely not their experience, and they marveled at it. I got my first library card to take home and hold onto when I was in second grade. I have had one ever since then; well over half a century. The 3 public libraries in West Philadelphia were places where I spent tons of time regularly, and as I got older the main library at 19th and the Parkway became a haven. I could find books on things I was curious about and take them home with me-for free! I could listen to music I could not afford to buy repeatedly. For free! I could ask for help with a vexing research question or process and receive one on one help. For free! It is both wondrous and ordinary; we rarely think about how special it actually is. I was a high school and middle school teacher for almost 40 years, and I always had the good fortune to work with excellent librarians. I have long said to my students that if there is a heaven, I may not get in, but librarians are automatically guaranteed entrance. They go through all of that college training and professional development work, not for themselves, but just so they can help other people. Repeatedly. And for free. Wow. That is simply incredible. Libraries are in tough financial times now. School districts, cities, and towns have been cutting funding for them even as the needs for the many services they provide have been increasing. They have also become targets of politicians and special interest groups that want to limit our thinking and our looking. I encourage people to donate whatever they can to their local public library; they are an indispensable part of the intellectual infrastructure of this country, and they represent us at our best. Think about all of the students, perhaps even you, who learned to do research, finished a school project and/or had their curiosity sparked by a librarian or at a library. Think of all of the immigrants who learned and are learning about being in this country through library programs over the decades. Think of all the parents for whom libraries are safe and free after school programs. April is a great time to remember what libraries and librarians do for all of us and focus on what we can do for them. National Library Week, April 6-12, and National Library Worker’s Day, April 8, offer us a chance to reflect on the vital role these workers and these institutions play. As the historian Barbara Tuckman said, “Nothing saddens me more than the closed and locked door of a library.” That is so true. (To see a great film about what libraries do on any given day go to http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/libraries-now-new-york-video.html

ee cummings and spring

DUKES FANS: In Just – Spring in Just- spring when the world is mud- luscious the little lame balloonman whistles far and wee and eddieandbill come running from marbles and piracies and it's spring when the world is puddle-wonderful the queer old balloonman whistles far and wee and bettyandisbel come dancing from hop-scotch and jump-rope and it's spring and the goat-footed balloonMan whistles far and wee ee cummings I was having coffee with a good friend of mine Monday, and we were enjoying the real spring-feel weather, and sitting outside the coffee shop and enjoying a day that really felt like spring. He mentioned the above poem by ee cummings, and I realized I had not read any cummings in quite some time. It is spring, magnolias and cheery trees are popping, and April is National Poetry Month. Enjoy (For more on ee cummings, go to https://poets.org/poem/spring-perhaps-hand

George Carlin's Thoughts On The United States

DUKES FANS: One of the things I love about doing these newsletters is the responses and conversations some of them lead to from Dukes fans from various places. This week’s newsletter features a piece by one of my favorite comedians and social observers, George Carlin. It was sent to me by Kim, a longtime Dukes fan. Thanks, Kim, for allowing me to send this out to everyone on the mailing list. A Message by George Carlin. The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses, smaller families and more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete... Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment, for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. If you don't send this to at least 8 people....Who cares? George Carlin (Apologies for the length-I think)

Morning Lights

DUKES FANS: “Come see me early in the morning...” numerous blues songs I am an early riser. I like to get up between 5 and 6 and often walk north up towards Chestnut Hill. I love the quiet of that time, and I am a lover of winter night skies-intense and dramatic as they are. That combination of waking early and walking in the presence of the winter night sky regularly bring me quiet joy and comfort. I love watching the slow change in the locations of the constellations over the course of a winter. I love watching the moon cycle through each of its phases. Both of these celestial happenings seem so much starker and definite in winter. They are quiet bits of joy that often get my day off to a fabulous start. Watching the day come into being earlier and earlier as winter goes on is also fascinating. I notice the way shadows shift, the way light is reflected off rooftops and grass, and on some mornings I get to see this wonderful eerie rolling fog move over some of the larger expanses of lawns and streams in Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill. This last week in February that starts to change a bit, and I have to adjust. It is lighter when I arise now, and the sky at 5:30 is not quite as dark and dramatic as it was a week or so ago. The constellations are not as bright, and the light of the new day is visible earlier. It is a different sky now, and we are relentlessly transitioning from one season to the next. Part of me misses the old winter night sky; I almost go through a brief mourning period. Then I notice that at around 6: 30, if I am looking southeast, I can see the sun as a bright reddish-orange disk above the housetops and the day seems to just rush into being, And if I am out for a nice long walk like I was this morning, I can watch that sun gradually become more and more visible and seemingly rise above us. This, too, is a glorious way to start the day. So while I like the story of Punxsutawney Phil and know that its origins are with Candlemas Day and the hedgehogs in Germany during the Roman era, it is the changes in light that most alerts me to the fact that hat we are entering that next phase of the cycle of seasons. It lets me know exactly where we are in that cycle; it is undeniable. And when I am out noticing the light, I also get to look at the lawns and I notice the snowdrops and pansies as they make their first appearance of the year. I also get to be aware of more bird activity as species that have been around all winter get more active, and some new ones are starting to be heard. And watching the different colors and aspects of sunrise is a joy to behold. Yes, I still miss the winter night sky, and I probably will for a while. But I also welcome this new sky, the one that tells me this marvelous cycle is still in play and that it has different joys and wonders for me if I pay attention. And that is very good, indeed

Brrrrr!!!

DUKES FANS: “We’re having a heat wave; a tropical heatwave..” Irving Berlin OK, Folks. This is it. We are officially past the middle of February, and I am officially tired of winter. Done with it! Over it! Tired of it! Yes, I still love that in this region we get all four seasons. Yes, I still love the bright and dramatic winter night skies. Yes, I can still love walking in the morning and seeing the moon still in the sky as sunrise begins. And yes, I can still love the beauty and eerie stillness and quiet right after a snowfall. But they have just about worn out their welcome this year. I am so getting over them! It was 16 degrees yet again this morning, and I was thoroughly layered and bundled up again as I walked to the bus stop to freeze yet again as I waited for the route 23. I am tired of winter. Of course, we in this region of the country have been fortunate (or Spoiled) for the last several years. Our winters have been fairly mild for the past 5 or six years. We have had the obligatory two snowfalls or so each year, but none seemed to be over 6 inches. And there were time gaps in between when they arrived. We have had cold, but rarely multiple or weekly cold spells where 33 degrees felt like a heat wave. And the wind has been ferocious, intense and constant this year. It cuts though you, no matter how many layers you have on. It chills to the bone. This has been a “real” winter. When I first started teaching in the 1970’s, I taught at an alternative public school-Alternative East. My second or third year there the faculty was complaining about winter as we headed into President’s Day. We had had several snowstorms, and we were exhausted. Gisha Berkowitz, the head of the school, had the brilliant idea to work all of the Federal Monday holidays except for President’s Day, and then combine them into a week off from school; a mid-winter break. What a wonderful idea! I loved it, and I still think it is a great idea, There are a few school districts that do have a mid-winter break now, but it is not common. I know I need one now. Yes; Punxsutawney Phil said 6 more weeks of winter weather. And yes, we are definitely having that. And I am still missing that mid-winter break and am still officially tired of winter. Bah Humbug! DUKES GIGS: 1)Saturday, March 1; Steel City, 203 Bridge Street, Phoenixville PA 19460: 7:30PM:tickets $20 adv; $25 door;$26 reserved seating; https://www.steelcityphx.com/product/dukes-of-destiny/280 The Dukes are happy to start our 2025 schedule with a return to Steel City Coffeehouse and Brewery, a wonderful venue in Phoenixville. We are so happy to be back in this town. We have played the Phoenixville Blues Fest several times and also headlined Steel City several times, and we love this town. It is a great walkable little town with arts and craft shops, a great vinyl record store, and wonderful places to grab a cup of coffee and snack. And it has Steel City: an intimate place, with great seating, a great sound system, a wonderful staff, delicious snacks and food, craft brews, and a great vibe. All of that and The Dukes nest weekend. If you have seen us here before, you know how much we love this place and how much fun it is. Come on out and welcome us back. $29 adv; $25 door;$26 reserved https://www.steelcityphx.com/concerts-and-events 2) Saturday, March 15; Kennett Flash 102 Sycamore Alley, Kennett Square, PA,$25:Doors 7PM-Show 8PM We are back at another one of our favorite places in one of our favorite towns. We love Kennett Square, its sense of history, the incredible food places, and the wonderful, friendly people. And we love the Flash-intimate, great sound, friendly waitstaff, and space to dance. Come out a little early, get a great dinner at one of the outstanding restaurants, and finish up with snacks, beverages, and dancing at The Flash (BYOB fee-$5) https://kennettflash.org/event/the-dukes-of-destiny-4/kennett-flash/kennett-square-pennsylvania/ JOHNNY NEVER AND JOHN COLGAN-DAVIS GIGS; guitar & harmonica acoustic blues duo; https://johnnynever.com 1)Saturday, March 8; Letty’s Tavern; 201 State Street, Kennett Square PA 19348;7-10PM https://www.lettystavern.com 2) Friday, March 14; Triple Sun Distillery, 126 South State Street Newtown, PA 18940; 8-11PM We have two gigs coming up in March at two of our regular and favorite places. Letty’s is a great restaurant in the lovely town of Kennett Square, and it features great food, a wonderful vibe, and a great workstaff. It is fun to play here. Triple Sun is in the gorgeous quiet town of Newtown, PA, and it is a wonderful room with craft spirits, Cajun and French inspired food, and gorgeous views of the night sky as you walk down State Street to the door and look up. Come catch us at either or both of these places; you will be glad you did. The Sunday Blues Jam at Jamey’s House of Music; 32 S. Landsdowne, Ave; Landsdowne, PA; jamey@jameyshouseofmusic.com Blues lovers and players have made Jamey's Sunday Blues Jam the place for great blues jamming, inexpensive and tasty eats, craft brews on tap, fresh brewed coffee, a great waitstaff, and friendly people who love the blues.  Each Sunday features an hour long set by a different house band, and then there is an open jam until 3PM. This month the jam features The Philly Blues Kings with various guitarists and singers. The 2nd Sunday of each month features The Roger Girke-John Colgan-Davis Project as the house band, and our next gig is Sunday, March 9. Got an instrument? Sing? Just want to listen to some exciting blues and have some good food? Come on out and take part in this great blues jam with great food and liquid refreshments. (Don’t want to receive any more of these e-mails? Simply reply with “Unsubscribe “in the Subject Line)