Finding Joy in This Fall

DUKES FANS I am jealous of two sets of friends today. One set got back from the Adirondacks last week, and one just got back from New Hampshire. And they both told me how great it was seeing Fall in all of its brightness and glory. I am jealous because Fall here in the Philadelphia area has been a tad subdued-drab. I have visited some of my favorite trees already this Fall, and they are not the spectacular reds, oranges, and yellows that had been so magnificently dancing with each other just a few years before. Coming up from the Richard Allen Lane train station, I was usually greeted by two tall widespread trees on Cresheim Valley Road that were a joyous mix of colors reaching for the sky. On Mt Pleasant Ave there is a bush in the 100 block which, when I look at it from the bottom of the little hill at Mt Pleasant and Germantown Ave, looked like a flaming red fire in the middle of the block. Both of these trees have shown a little red, but they are both much, much 'quieter' than they have been in the past. As the leaves have started falling, there is little chance of the appearing in their previous glory. I have noticed several trees on Germantown Ave near Mt Pleasant that have some good reds on parts of the trees, and that is good to see. But it has been somewhat of a disappointing fall for tree lovers in this region. The skies of the past couple of weeks, though, have been absolutely gorgeous. I did not get to see the Northern Lights earlier this week as I live in the city, but the moon, clouds, and skies of the past week have all been breathtaking. The cumulus clouds have been bright white, thick, and numerous, clumped together and/or stretching out in all sorts of wonderful shapes. It has been clear, so the clear, deep blueness of the sky has been almost sparkling in its brightness and depth. And the moon has been going through several phases, from quarter to almost full. And when I travel up or down Mt Airy Ave, I see bees and butterflies getting nectar from the flowers in the gardens in front of so many houses. My walking early in the morning, then, has been a true pleasure, and looking up has been marvelous. It has not failed to bring smiles. So it will be a "whisper" of a fall instead of the expected "shout." Some of the things that I have gotten used to and come to expect are not happening as I wanted them to, but there are also new and other plweasures to behold. I hope you are all able to find your own joys this season.

Vote As If Your Country Depended On It

DUKES FANS: “If you vote, it takes two people to overcome your ideas. But if you don’t vote, it only takes one” Ruth Edna Davis As usual, my mom’s advice was and is right on target. Election Day is less than 30 days away, and it is time to check your registration, and if you haven’t yet done so, register to vote. If you have paid even cursory attention to the news this year, you know that this is not only an unusual election but a supremely important one. This election may well be the one that determines the future structure, powers, functions, and direction that our republic will take for at least the next decade. It is vitally important that everyone who is legally able to do so register and then vote to have a say in this process. It is one of our opportunities and one of our duties as a citizen. If you do not like the outcome but did not vote, to me you have no right to complain. It is in our hands at this point, and we all need to step up. Registration deadlines for the tri-state area are October 12th-this Saturday- for Delaware, October15th for New Jersey, and Oct 21st for Pennsylvania. And if you are registered, it would probably be a good idea to check to make sure your registration is in order, especially if you have not voted in a while. Some states have removed people from the voter rolls, and they have not necessarily informed everyone who has been removed. Here is a link to a site that can help you find important registration and voting information: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/government-elections/info-2024/state-voting-guides.html I hope you all participate in this process; it is essential to our republic remaining a republic.

Philly:One of The Rudest Cities in the United States?

DUKES FANS: “Be the change you wish to see in the world” Mahatma Gandhi “Philadelphia Ranked Among Rudest American Big City” is what the headline read on a post that came across my phone a few weeks ago. As a lifelong resident and lover of Philadelphia, I was taken aback. My city was one of the rudest cities in the US?? My hometown?? What was going on? I read through the article and a link or two, and I was surprised by what I read. It seemed that the respondents to the questions posed in the study were residents of the cities that were being studied, and that they had to have lived there for at least a year. And the behaviors that the study focused on were things that mostly occur in ordinary, daily life, and could well be taken as indications of friendliness, rudeness, and/or self-absorption. They include not letting people merge into traffic; being too loud in public; not noticing, responding to, or helping strangers; not stopping for pedestrians, even at crosswalks, and being rude to service staff. This reminded me of a phrase that I grew up with and still try to apply today: “common courtesy.” And it seems to me as I consider that article on rude cities that “common courtesy’ has become quite uncommon in many places and at many times these days. I was raised in a working class African-American family in the 1950’s. My parents, particularly my mother, put a great stress on politeness and common courtesy. We were taught to say,” Please” and “Thank You.” If you needed to go past someone, you said, “Excuse Me,” and you said it BEFORE you started moving past them. If you were on a bus and an older person needed a place to sit, you offered your seat to them. And you tried not to be too boisterous in public. Of course, I was/am not perfect in all of these things, but they are still a part of my social DNA. And as the society around me changed, it brought new challenges to politeness and common courtesy. I first noticed it with electronic devices. People with boom boxes were sometimes not shy about letting you know that they had them, and that annoyed me, especially on public transit or when I was sitting in a park. Headphones and earbuds meant that people could be in public but also be somewhat oblivious to the fact that they were actually in public. They would sing along with the song they were listening to, and of course, when you are plugged in you need to be louder in order to hear yourself. Cell phones multiplied all of that, as people would have loud conversations as they walked down the street, waited in line at the coffee shop, and rode public transit. I was so happy when the “quiet car” became a feature on most commuter rail lines in the country. Before that I would overhear family arguments, profanity, relationship details, and even business deal details whether I wanted to or not. But COVID, to me, really damaged common courtesy the most. It was as if people felt cornered or trapped and denied something, so they had to take it out on someone and make people notice them. Driving too fast, ignoring traffic signals, blasting music out of their cars was an easy way to do that. And people started buying larger cars, more trucks and more SUV’s. The combined result of all of that was a marked increase in pedestrian and cycling deaths that is still with us. Service workers were treated with more rudeness, verbal abuse, and even violence. Transit workers, servers, and nurses all reported increases in workplace rudeness and violence; nearly half of all US nurses reported incidents of verbal abuse and physical violence in hospitals and clinics. COVID made me realize that I had to be sure I was being polite and courteous; I had to be sure that I was acting the way I wanted the world to be. I smile the vast majority of the time, and I say, “Hi”, and “Thank you” to servers, transit workers, and others who help make my life easier and more manageable. And I have noticed things improving a lot in the past year and a half, I am glad to say. It has been a while since I have seen someone cursing at a service worker or clerk in a market. Transit workers still have to put up with a lot, so I try to say, “Hi” to them and wish them a safe and good day. I don’t know if that reduces the “rudeness factor” that this study looked at, but I do not that I am doing my part. And I still love this city. And I do not want to leave. (Here is a link to the article about rudest cities, should you want to read it. https://preply.com/en/blog/rudest-cities/ And please feel free to share any thoughts, ideas, etc that you have about it and/or this newsletter)

The Magic and Beauty of Fall

DUKES FANS: The Continual Beauty of the Fall Autumn 2024 came into the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday, September 22 at 8:44 AM Eastern Standard Time. That is when summer officially ended and our Hemisphere began gradually moving into that time of shorter daylight, cooler weather, the movement of butterflies, birds and other wildlife species across state lines, and the slow, steady emergence of remarkable shades of color on thousands of trees, flowers, and shrubs. It is a magical time. This region has approximately equal amounts of time in each of the four seasons, and I love each of them. But spring and fall are my favorites. They both make me super aware of and grateful for the way the natural world around us can announce itself. Spring, like fall, is about big color changes in our surroundings, the movement of animals, and changes in their color. The difference, though, is that spring is bright; it seems somewhat flashier, quicker, and louder. The changes seem to happen more rapidly and more intensely. Fall, on the other hand, is more subdued; it is slower, quieter. I love them both, but this is the time that I resonate with that slower and quieter feel of autumn. Over the next month or so I will have the time to fully take in and experience the changes just as they happen. I can delight in how a given street, or yard, or tree or a particular garden gradually makes its way quietly through these changes. And then, suddenly, there is a whole new landscape in front of me-differently colored trees and bushes, longer hours of darkness, and the arrival of more differently colored birds. It is a subtler process than spring, but both of them present me with changed worlds. Fall is always magical to me; it never fails to re-awaken my joy and wonder in my surroundings. It was not always like this for me; when I was younger, fall had not really been a “special” time to me. It was nice, but it was not “special.” That all changed one October when I was 20 and taking a trip to visit friends in Rhode Island. I was riding the old Penn Central rail line from Philly to Providence, RI., and a few seats in front of me was a couple that was apparently super-excited about the trip. They kept getting out of their seats, walking to one side of the train and then the other, looking out the windows, and “oohing” and “ahhiing.” I watched this for a bit and was mystified. It was just a train trip, after all; what was the big deal? So I went up to them and asked what was going on; why were they going through all of this running around and looking out the windows? The man looked at me and said, “We’re from Los Angeles. This is our first time East-we have never seen fall before! We read about it and saw some photos, but this is our first time actually seeing it! It is incredible!” Just then the train was crossing the Connecticut River. Looking down, the view that hit our eyes was an unbelievable riot of all different shades of oranges, reds, greens, and yellow. And through their eyes I suddenly awoke to a new appreciation of the season. That trip started my revised relationship with autumn. I spent the rest of the train ride marveling at the beauty outside the train window, and by the time I reached Providence I was hooked on fall. I still revel in the fall. I still feel all the beauty and can express gratitude and amazement as I once again realize what this world presents me with the gifts that are there just waiting for me when I take the time to notice and appreciate them. Happy Autumn, everyone. Enjoy and experience the beauty and wonder of the mid-Atlantic fall.

Thank You!

DUKES FANS: “Sometimes, the best thing to say is to say nothing” Anonymous Those of you who have been on the Dukes’ mailing list for a while know that I like to share thoughts, ideas, questions, and observation about a whole bunch of things. I often talk about experiences that I have had in particular places that have wowed me, particular books, music, and musicians that I love, experiences with the weather, and much, much more. This week, however, I have nothing special to say. Nada. Zip. Nothing. No, nothing is wrong; there are no problems. I simply do not have much to say about anything this week that seems to merit being in this newsletter. Except to thank all of you who show up at Dukes’ gigs and concerts and have done so for over 38 years. And to say, to “Thank you” to those of you who have signed up for these e-mails. Sometimes a sincere, “Thank you” is more than enough to say. So, “Thank you!” (If you do want to read some of my thoughts and ramblings over the years, please feel free to check the “John’s Blog” section of our website: www.dukesofdestiny.com And note that the website is in the process of being updated. I will let everyone know when the updates are complete.)

The Importance of Voting

DUKES FANS: “Buddy, you have to vote in every election. Every one. People died so you could get this right, and if you don’t vote, then you are spitting on their graves Ruth Davis That is what my mother said to me when I was a kid and she would take me into the voting booth with her. Voting was almost a sacred ritual to Ruth Davis. My family was a working- class African-American family, and I was born after WWII. This was at the start of the postwar rise of the suburbs, the rise of the middle class, and the beginning of the social upheavals of the 1960’s- the Woman’s Movement, the counter-culture, and of course, the Civil Rights Movement. Both of my parents were Southern-born, and they lived through Jim Crow segregation, Ku Klux Klan violence, and limited economic opportunities for Blacks.We subscribed to the Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia’s black newspaper, Ebony magazine, and the Evening Bulletin newspaper. Our church held voting registration drives and took part in marches and demonstrations to, among other things , get Pepsi Cola to award franchises to Black beverage distributors. I grew up in a family that read about, talked about, and took part in important social and political issues. Mom and Dad wanted their kids to live in a world that offered more opportunities for their children than they had as they were growing up. So it was not a surprise that in high school I participated in numerous Civil Rights and Anti-Viet Nam War marches and protests. The voting age at that time was 21, and I used to stand on street corners with petitions calling for the voting age to be lowered to 18. At 18 we had to register for the military draft and could be sent off to Viet Nam; many of us thought we ought to at least have a say in picking who it might be the one who would send us there. In 1971 the 26th Amendment was passed, and the 1972 Presidential election was the first one in which 18 year- olds could cast a vote. I proudly voted in that election, and I have voted in every election since. I was not going to be spitting on any graves. I say all of this to urge people to register to vote in the upcoming November election and then to show up and actually vote. If you have paid even cursory attention to the news this year, you know that this is not only an unusual election but a supremely important one. This election may well be the one that determines the future structure, powers, functions, and direction that our republic will take for at least the next decade or so. It is vitally important that everyone who is legally able to do so register and then vote to have a say in this process. It is one of our opportunities and duties as a citizen. If you do not like the outcome but did not vote, to me you have no right to complain. Registration deadlines for the tri-state area are October 12th for Delaware, October15th for New Jersey, and Oct 21st for Pennsylvania. And if you are registered, it would probably be a good idea to check to make sure your registration is in order, especially if you have not voted in a while. Some states have removed people from the voter rolls, and they have not necessarily informed everyone who has been removed. Here is a link to a site that can help you find important registration and voting information: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/government-elections/info-2024/state-voting-guides.html I hope you all participate in this process; it is essential to our republic remaining a republic.

The Wonderful Gift of An Early Fall

DUKES FANS: Gift of an Early Fall Week The weather last week was a wonderful relief from the intense weather we have had for so much of this summer. It seemed as if we either had extreme heat and humidity, or we had torrential rains. Few people were out of the house on those days, and most of those that were out were generally not in very good moods. We grumbled, turned up the AC, moaned about climate change, and missed the summers of our youth. It has been a rough summer weatherwise. But last week was different. The temperatures were in the normal range-mid 70’s to low 80’s. The humidity was low for the whole week, and there were nice, easy breezes accompanying us when we were waking. The sun was out, and the sky put on marvelous shows of thick and curvy clouds seeming to dance in the bright skies. It was wonderful. Wednesday of last week I was looking for a book I had read several years ago, and I went online to see which Free Library branches had it. There were two copies available for circulation, one at a library near me and one at the Central Library Main Branch of the Free Library in Center City. I suddenly realized that, somehow, I had been to the Main Branch only once or twice this year, and not at all this summer. So I decided to do that, and I am so glad that I did. I trained into Center City and walked from City Hall to the library on 19th street, going most of the way along the Ben Franklin Parkway, a route I have taken literally thousands of times in my life. It was glorious: folks of all ages were out strolling, and many of them were friendly, smiling, saying, “Hi,” and waving. I walked The Parkway past the library down to 22nd Street, reveling in the beautiful weather and the vibes. There were tourists in front of The Barnes Foundation, The Academy of Natural Sciences and The Franklin Institute. There were folks sitting and eating lunch and playing with kids in Logan Circle. And as I walked, I had that wonderful downtown experience of seeing people from a variety of ethnic groups and nationalities and hearing a variety of languages being spoken freely and loudly. It was a great walk. And then I went into the library itself. I have always thought of libraries as sacred places. The 52nd and Sansom Branch and the Haverford Avenue Branch were places that I went to as a kid, and the librarians were so helpful. They answered my questions, helped me find books, and in a very real way, helped me become the ever-curious and questioning person that I am today. And when I went to junior high at Masterman and discovered that I only had to walk a few blocks to get to the Main Branch, that was all taken to a whole other level. It was truly wondrous and magical. Frist off, I loved the design of the building. It was both grand and welcoming at the same time. And I loved the size of the place: the rooms, the stairs, the high ceilings. It was clear that this was a place of honor and significance; a cathedral to learning and to the possibilities it could help bring into being. I spent some time in some of my favorite sections of the building: the Social Science and History Department, the Main Lending Room, where I found the book I was looking for, and the Music Listening Room. The Listening Room was where I spent hours as a high schooler listening to tons of records I could not afford to buy. It is where I heard Muddy Waters, Lightning Hopkins, Miles Davis, and The Alan Lomax Southern Folk Heritage Series, among many, many more. The room has changed over the years, of course; there are now videos, CDs, DVDs, and cassettes in addition to LP’s. And you can now borrow instruments! There were guitars to borrow, of course, but there were also violins, tablas, steel drums, kalimbas, mandolins, and ukuleles all available for folks who maybe wanted to play an instrument but could not afford to buy one. It was wonderful and powerful being back in that room and seeing how it is continuing to find ways to engage people in learning and growing. I will go back to the Main Branch in a week or two. There is an amazing celebration of the life and works of James Baldwin outside the Social Science & History Department, and he is one of my favorite authors and thinkers. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, this exhibit examines how his ideas and messages are having an impact on political, cultural, and literary life today. I did not have time to fully explore it last week, but I will be back before it leaves at the end of September. It was wonderful being back in a place that has given so much to me and provided me with so much in the way of curiosity, questions, amazement, and wonder. And it was all made possible last week by the unexpected gift of an early fall. (The history of the Main Branch of the library is intriguing. Here is a link to a site that looks at some of that: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/digital/feature/75th/history/ )

Farewell To Limestone City

DUKES FANS: It is the third week in August, and for more than half of my life this has been a special time. As a long-time teacher, it meant the rapidly approaching end to summer vacation and time to start planning for the new school year. I had always started making some plans before and throughout the summer-reading some new things I wanted to bring to the curriculum, seeing some films I would like to use, visiting some sites I could take students to either actually or virtually, and more. But this third week made it clear that school was only a few weeks away. There would soon be a week of teacher’s meetings, room setup, and professional development followed by orientation of new students, and then, right after Labor Day, the official start of a new school year. I liked that routine; it was known and comfortable. But what I enjoyed most about the third week in August was that for nearly 20 years it meant spending a week with my wife attending the amazing Limestone City Blues Festival in Kingston, Ontario. That was always joyous. Penny and I happened to see a newspaper article in 1998 about the 2nd Limestone City Festival while we were camping in upstate New York, so we booked a motel for the weekend in nearby Kingston just to hear a couple of my favorite artists who had been mentioned in the newspaper article. I was also curious about what a Canadian blues festival was like. We had a beautiful drive there across some lovely bridges and along The Thousand Islands, looking at Lake Ontario. We arrived in Kingston, and instantly fell in love with both the festival and the city. and the festival. We were hooked. It was a great city with an amazing array of restaurants, bookstores, galleries and museums. We stayed in motels in Kingston the first two years, and then we found Ivy Lea Provincial Park, some 30 miles outside of Kingston, where we camped for the ensuing years. With the exception of two years, every third week in August from 1998 to 2018 found us enjoying the natural beauty and urban life in and around Kingston and absolutely loving the festival. I had not realized that there was such a lively and talented blues scene throughout Canada, and I got to hear some wonderful performers who had gotten no airplay in the US. I also got to see some great US performers as well. And I really loved the way the entire city embraced the festival. There were free concerts on weekend afternoons, great paid evening concerts featuring three or four artists in the evening, and then all of the clubs and hotels in downtown Kingston featured blues and blues-based acts after the evening concerts for that entire weekend. It was a blues lover’s treasure of delights, and we were always excited to go. I went up to Kingston for two years after Penny died in 2018, and while it was hard, it was still a time of great music and great people. But the pandemic meant no travel there in 2021, so I have not been back since 2020. And sadly, I can go no more. The festival producers announced that the 2023 festival would be the last Limestone City Blues Festtival. A new festival is slated to begin in 2025, and it will be more of a world music festival, celebrating the ethnic and cultural diversity of The Limestone City. That makes sense, of course, and I sincerely hope the new festival can do for the city what The Limestone City Blues Fest did. And I may well visit in 2025. But right now I am both a little sad and grateful to be remembering the incredible times I had at The Limestone City Blues Festival in the wonderful little city of Kingston, Ontario. Thank you, Kingston. You provided me with so many experiences and helped keep my ears open. Thank you! (Here is a link to a piece I wrote several years ago about four of my favorite Canadian blues performers: http://dukesofdestiny.blogspot.com/2017/09/o-canada.html)

The Immense Power of That Little Cell Phone

DUKES FANS: I love coffee, and I love meeting with folks and talking over coffee. I have some folks I do that with fairly regularly, and a couple of them have had cell phone problems over the past month or so. One person lost their phone, and another one had a phone that died, and they had to wait a few days to get a new one. And one friend left her phone home and was amazed at how uncomfortable she felt about not having her phone with her. Clearly the cell phone has become a ubiquitous and super-powerful part of our lives, and it seems to have happened without us realizing it. Sharing the tales of cell phone woes of my friends reminded me of a piece I wrote in 2017 about my own cell phone problems. Here it is 12 Days Without a Cell Phone “The cell phone has become the adult's transitional object, replacing the toddler's teddy bear for comfort and a sense of belonging.” Margaret Heffernan “People have no memory of phone numbers or directions now because of the cell phone - their address book and their maps are all in a cell phone.” Gordon Bell I got a new cell phone and I upgraded. That is a normal occurrence for most people, and it is not a big deal; I have done it several times before. This time, though there were complications that I neither expected nor had experienced before, and they led me to some interesting realizations. These realizations have helped me look at my relationship with this bit of technology in a deeper, and I hope, healthier way. The first problem with the process of upgrading was a technical one. The SIM card my carrier sent me turned out to be defective, but we didn’t discover that until I had spent the better part of two hours talking with a tech person trying to activate the new phone, taking a trip to STAPLES to see if their tech people could help, and being back on the phone again with another techie from my carrier. My carrier finally agreed to send me a new SIM card. The catch was that it was going to be delivered in five days, when I would be in Ohio birding. So I would have to wait even longer before I could have my new cell. Oh well-disappointing, but no problem; I still had my old model to use. Except that I didn’t have my old model to use. Somehow in trying to activate the new phone my old account stopped working. So I again had to call my carrier. We tried everything to get my account up, but for some reason my account from the old phone wasn’t working. Then the phone itself stopped connecting with the carrier. We tried a variety of things; taking out and putting back in the SIM card; going through what the ICIS number was and trying to synch with the carrier, turning off the phone, leaving it alone for half an hour and then trying to restart it. Nothing worked. And then the final indignity: the phone just died. Expired. Passed on. Bit the dust.I was suddenly cell phoneless for the first time in some 20 years. That meant I was to spend over week without a cellphone, some of it while I was away in Ohio. When I first started using the computer I quickly realized how dependent I was becoming on that technology. Many of my contact with friends, family, clubs, booking agents and more became e-mail contacts and not phone calls and actual conversations. I have not handwritten a letter in ages aside from some birthday, sympathy and other greeting cards. And I rarely receive them. My school before I retired had become very computer centered-every student had and was encouraged to use a device of some kind-laptop, tablet, etc.. I knew there were some social losses connected with that, and I think I have made my peace with that. It was simply the way of the world I was in, and I needed to get along in that world. But when I got a cell phone (and later a smart phone), I was determined I was not going to be become overly dependent on it. I would not be one of those people having loud conversations on my phone in a restaurant or on a bus, constantly looking at a screen rather than around me and at the sky on mornings at the train station, or sitting with someone in a coffeeshop and spending more time texting and checking e-mail than paying attention to my companion. I did not go to those extremes, but I realize now that I had only partially limited my ties-and my dependency-on the phone. Unconsciously I gave over a lot of things that I used to do over to my device, and over the next twelve days I came to realize that very quickly and very suddenly. Before the days of cell phones I knew what time of day it was within 5 minutes-I just knew it. I realized after a couple of days without the phone, though, that I had lost that ability-I gave it away to my phone. I also used to know by heart the schedules for the Chestnut Hill West rail line, the general times for H, 23, and L buses in the morning and in the evening, and the addresses and phone numbers of family members and close friends. I just knew this. But just like the people in the Gordon Bell quote above, I had forgotten most of that because I put them on my phone or used apps. I now had to try to recall those things, and it panicked me for a day or two. I did eventually recall most of the public transit schedules; the info had been dormant, but it was still there. That was a relief. But I still do not remember most of my family’s numbers, and addresses, and that disappoints me. There were other realizations I had as well. Some were physical ones. I usually carried my cell in my front left pants pocket. That side of my body now felt strange-unusual. No phone. It took me days to get used to not feeling it in my pocket. I would often check my e-mail and text when I was in the bathroom, and I found myself for several days, unconsciously reaching for the phone that wasn’t there when I was in the john. I had not been aware of how much that was now a part of what I did automatically. When I was on the bus or train I realized I was now actually reading more of a book-I wasn’t interrupting the reading to respond to a text or a call. And when I was in Ohio, I felt lighter-less pressured. Part of that was due to the birding, of course. But part of it also had to do with not having a cell phone. The band, my family and a few close friends have my landline number, and if someone really wanted to talk with me they had to call my landline, leave a message and wait for me to get back to them. I would call in to my home once in the morning and once in the evening. If you left a message for me, I got back to you within 24 hours. And no catastrophe happened. Another good thing was that there were no texts while I was phoneless in Oho; none! I found it a great freedom to not be “on call” all the time or feeling that I had to get back to someone right away. I could spend more time being in the moment of where I was. That was so refreshing;-I was with myself where I was.. I do have my new cell phone as of a few weeks ago and it is working. I am glad to have it; I have sent some texts, checked my e-mail a few times, and learned how to synch my computer calendar with my phone calendar. I have a transit app, Google maps for directions, a calendar, and a search engine on it. And I also have a new commitment to be more aware of how I allow the phone to be a part of my life-what I give over to it and what I don’t. There have been some changes, and I think they are changes for the better. I am not necessarily responding immediately to a text, call or e-mail. Yes, if it is expected or important I do. But the vast majority of calls, texts and e-mails are really not so important that they need an immediate response. Most things can wait until I have finished my book, finished hiking, finished eating or whatever it is I am up to when the contact comes in. From the experience of those 12 days I know that I do not have to give huge chunks of myself over to my device. It can respond to me rather than the other way around. I do not have to give it control, and that gives me relief and peace. I can spend more time with myself. And that is a good thing. (Of course, as I re-read that I realized that I have given more of my life over to my phone than the last paragraph above seems to indicate. I have to consciously stop myself at the bus stop, for example, from looking at the phone beyond seeing when the next bus is coming. I have to remind myself that there is sky up there, birds around, and other things going on that I can focus on...The struggle continues )

The Great Plains

DUKES FANS: I was idly flipping through channels a week or so ago when I came upon an interview with one of my favorite filmmakers, documentarian Ken Burns. A hallmark of public television, he is to me the quintessential, wide-eyed, questioning American, exploring things social and cultural about us in a wide-ranging manner that focuses on the people involved in the midst of great events and cultural changes. I have seen and loved many of his films: The Civil War, Jazz, Baseball, Country Music, The Viet Nam War, and many, many more. As I watched the interview, I was thinking about the heat waves we have been endlessly experiencing for the last three months, and I suddenly thought about the Mid-West and The Great Plains. I first traveled through some of the Plains States in the late 1970’s playing with a great bluesman by the name of Sparky Rucker. We played the National Folk Festival , which one year was in city of Winfield, Kansas. We also visited Tulsa, Oklahoma and several places in Missouri. It was eye-opening for this East Coast city kid. The skies went on forever, there were few mountains, and what ones we saw were way off in the distance. The motels we stopped at showed us how to get to the storm cellars. We saw storms brewing some 30-40 miles off and witnessed great ground-to-sky lightning strikes. It hit me then that the Mid-West, year in and year out, probably had the most extreme weather in the country. And that is true today. While the heatwaves here have been tough, parts of the Plains have been in drought conditions since May. And those conditions have been interrupted by tornadoes and torrential rains that have led to floods. Extreme conditions, indeed. Thinking about that and the Ken Burns interview led me to pull up a newsletter piece I had written in 2020 about one of Ken Burns ‘films, The Dust Bowl, and one of the books that helped inspire that film; The Worst Hard Times by Timothy Egan. Here, slightly edited, is that piece: The Great American Dust Bowl “…history is that old woman Sitting in a doorstep, eating lemons” Le Roi Jones I don’t know exactly when I fell in love with history, but it has been a major interest of mine for decades. I do remember memorizing the Presidents AND Vice-Presidents of the United States in order in third grade and knowing the start and end dates of a ton of wars. I was a reader and super-curious; I asked a lot of, “How “and “Why” questions that drove my parents and teachers crazy. So it seems inevitable that I would love and later teach US and World History. By junior high I was beyond just the dates and famous people. I was looking for connections and cause and effect that linked events. I was growing in the depth of both my questions and my reading, And then, somewhere in junior high school, what history meant really hit me: HIS- STORY. STORY! That was what made it all come together for me. I was most interested in the stories of the interactions between people and history. Yes, big events and theories were important. Major players in the historical arena matter, of course. But what really drew me in were the personal stories of real people who were there. How did big events affect common people? How did common people affect events? What did it mean to be a ‘worker” at a certain time and in a certain place? What was it like to be a 12-year-old girl in a certain part of the world at a certain time? What do farmers really do?? Was it like to be in a war? I needed to know those stories and more. I say all of this because I am thoroughly engrossed in a wonderfully written and moving book called, The Worst Hard Time; The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl.” Written by journalist Timothy Egan, it is an in-depth look at the people who stayed in the Great Plains even as nature seemed to turn on the human species. I knew a little about the Dust Bowl and I knew some factual things about the Great Depression: I have read several historical books and historical novels about that time period. Many of us who were “folkies” in the 60’s are familiar with the songs and stories about the traveling hoboes of the Depression: Woody Guthrie wrote many great songs about “Okies” and families always on the road and desperately looking for a place to work and to settle. Many of us are also familiar with the book and the film, The Grapes of Wrath. All of those were largely about people who left the Dust Bowl and wandered. Egan’s work, though, is about those who stayed behind. The ones who tried to live through the Dust Bowl. I always meant to see Ken Burns’ film, “The Dust Bowl,” but I never got around to it. I do know now that I will see it as soon as I finish this book. The power and beauty of this book for me is that it looks at more than just the historical events and science of what led to the dust storms that devastated an area larger than the state of Pennsylvania: an area that stretched from half of Kansas to parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and 1/3 of Texas. Egan tells the stories of the people in that area at that time. People who stayed throughout the storms and what their lives were like. He gives detailed looks at individual people of different ages and backgrounds and what it was like to live in a sod house or an underground dugout. Or what it was like to shake someone’s hand and be knocked down by the static electricity contained within the dust. What it meant to plant a crop of wheat and have no rain for two years. How some families had to rotate the days of the week on which each of their children could eat in an attempt to make their meager food supplies last. How towns had to deal with invasions of hundreds of rabbits, grasshoppers, tarantulas and black widow spiders. What it was like to take a breath and have your throat fill with tiny particles of dust. And what it was like when the dust repeatedly flew so heavily that it blotted out the sun. The Plains had a surprising mix of people, and Egan also gives us backstories of the different people there and how they got to the Plains. Why so many German-Russians came from the Volga River area across thousands of miles to settle. How Jews wound up in the Oklahoma panhandle. How the Homestead Acts of the mid 1800’s led to a flood of people of all types-Welsh, Irish, African-American and more, trying to find work or make a claim and get rich planting wheat during a “wheat boom” that suddenly went bust. And what about the Naive Americans who had settled there first? Egan ties all of this together in a way that is involving and compelling. He transports us there, and we don’t just read about it. We feel it through and through. He takes a part of our history that most would rather forget and brings it back to life. The book has plenty to teach us, especially in light of our now near desperate climate crisis. Maybe, just maybe, we can learn something from it in time to help us reverse our own human-made environmental disaster. I certainly hope so (Here is a link to Ken Burns’ PBS film, The Dust Bowl. Timothy Egan was a consultant: (https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/ ) (I have since seen the film and was blown away by it. Here is a link to a list of all of Ken Burns’ Films: https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/films/ ) Sparky Rucker’s site: https://sparkyandrhonda.com

The Seamier SIde of the Music Business

DUKES FANS: “Just give me some of that rock and roll music..” Chuck Berry I was reading the Inquirer a few weeks ago when I came across an article about July 5, 2024 being the 70th anniversary of the release of the Elvis Presley recording, “That’s Alright, Mama,” the start of the Elvis craze that swept the nation and made him a star. Some consider this the first rock ‘n’ roll song, although that phrase had been used before this release, but it was defintely that recording that started the rock revolution. Jukeboxes, radio stations, teenage dances and more all across the country began to feature that and similar songs, and some outraged parents even gathered rock and roll 45’s and burned them in massive bonfires to protest the influence of this new “evil and sinful music” on their kids. This, along with the explosion of the number of students in high school, teenage driving, the development of the transistor radio, the rise of suburbia, and the popularity of the electric guitar was the start of what was called the “teenage rebellion. Something was going on with a large number of America's teenagers. But the Inquirer article was not about that. Instead, it was about a man named Arthur Big Boy Crudup, a Mississippi foundry worker and bluesman who had written and recorded that song in the 1940’s. Crudup wrote the song and, by rights, should have made thousands of dollars in royalties. But he, like hundreds of other black musicians at the time, had signed contracts that gave copyright ownership over to a manager, in Crudup’s case, Lester Melrose. He got the royalties. It was common practice for this to be done, and it took decades of legal efforts, negotiations, and actions to eventually get royalties from this song to Crudup’s estate and his descendants. He died in 1974, before the legal battles were worked out. His estate is finally getting royalties from other recordings, as well; his material has also been covered by artists such as The Beatles, B.B. King Led Zeppelin, and Elton John.Finally there is sme justice. Elvis, by the way, publicly acknowledged that he got That’s Alright, Mama” from Crudup, as have many of the other performers who covered some of his tunes. The problem is not knowledge of who wrote certain tunes; the problem is the arrangements many managers had their musicians agree to. There are still a number of other Black musicians whose work is still legally under the original copyright agreements, and many of them have yet to see a fair return for their work. It is a story that still has not completely played out, and it is a part of the seamier side of the music business. Arthur Big Boy Crudup is now proudly acknowledged as one of the founders of rock ‘n’ roll. There are still debates about what was the first rock and roll record and what city played the greatest part in its rise, but it is clear to everyone now that rock’n’roll was origianlly an outgrowth of up-tempo blues mixed with country and heavy rhythm. Like so much of American cultural expressions, it is a blend of peoples and styles across and through time. And Elvis and Arthur can stand side by side, with dozens of others who made it all possible.Where would we be without them? (Attached below is the article from the Inquirer. Also, below is a link to the original recording of Jackie Brenston’s Rocket 88, which many people consider to be the first true rock ‘n’ roll record. That is Ike Turner of Ike and Tina fame on the piano: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=260hXID0Yo0. )

THE RULES OF THE BLUES

DUKES FANS: “Woke up this morning, looked around for my shoes..” countless blues songs. Normally in these missives I tend to write about my experiences, thoughts, and observations about the world around us, what I have been up to, etc. I rarely write anything that can be called, “humorous.” But a friend of mine shared something humorous with me that I loved, so I thought I would pass it on. Hope you like it: "Rules of the Blues" by Memphis Earlene Most Blues begin, "Woke up this morning..." "I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you stick something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman, with the meanest face in town." The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes... sort of: "Got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher, and she weigh 500 pound." The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a ditch--ain't no way out. Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or Sport Utility Vehicles. Most Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft and company motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die. Teenagers can't sing the Blues. They ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis. Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just clinical depression. Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the blues in any place that don't get rain. A man with male pattern baldness ain't the blues. A woman with male pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg cause you were skiing is not the blues. Breaking your leg 'cause a alligator be chompin' on it is. You can't have no Blues in a office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster. Good places for the Blues: a. Highway b. Jailhouse c. An empty bed d. Bottom of a whiskey glass Bad places for the Blues: a. Nordstrom's b. Gallery openings c. Ivy league institutions d. Golf courses No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, 'less you happen to be a old ethnic person, and you slept in it. You have the right to sing the Blues if: a. You older than dirt b. You blind c. You shot a man in Memphis d. You can't be satisfied You don't have the right to sing the Blues if: a. You have all your teeth b. You were once blind but now can see c. The man in Memphis lived d. You have a pension fund Blues is not a matter of color. It's a matter of bad luck. Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues. Sonny Liston could. Ugly white people also got a leg up on the blues. If you ask for water and your darlin' give you gasoline, it's the Blues Other acceptable Blues beverages are: a. Cheap wine b. Whiskey or bourbon c. Muddy water d. Nasty black coffee The following are NOT Blues beverages: a. Perrier b. Chardonnay c. Snapple d. Slim Fast If death occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to die. So is the electric chair, substance abuse and dying lonely on a broke-down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis match or while getting liposuction. Some Blues names for women: a. Sadie b. Big Mama c. Bessie d. Fat River Dumpling Some Blues names for men: a. Joe b. Willie c. Little Willie d. Big Willie Persons with names like Michelle, Amber, Debbie, and Heather can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis. Make your own Blues name Starter Kit: a. name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.) b. first name (see above) plus name of fruit (Lemon, Lime, Melon, Kiwi, etc.) c. last name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.) For example: Blind Lime Jefferson, Jackleg Lemon Johnson or Cripple Kiwi Fillmore, etc. (Well, maybe not "Kiwi.") I don't care how tragic your life is; if you own at least one computer, you can't sing the blues Hope you enjoyed this. Hope it provided a laugh and a little relief from this oppressive heat. Hydrate! DUKES GIGS 1)Wednesday, July 17th; Chet Tyson Pavillion; 80Windsor Ave; Narberth, PA; 7PM-9PM; Concerts in the Park 2) August 7th;Kahn Park; 11th & Pine Sts. Phila, PA: 7:30-9PM (rain date August 8th 3) August 10 Nassau Park Pavilion, off Rt 1,Princeton, NJ: sets 5-7:30: https://westwindsorarts.org/event/summer-music-dukes/ We are at three of our favorite outdoor places for our next gigs. Narberth is another one of those cute little suburban towns near near Philly with a variety of great shops, some nice pubs, and tons of great dining spots where you can pick up a picnic meal and bring it with your blanket and lawn chair to the park. Likewise, Kahn Park is an area with great shops and places to dine and pick up food for the concert. And it is in my old stomping grounds where I lived for 10 years during the late 1970’s. Nassau Park is behind a shopping mall, but there is wonderful open seating area right next to a creek. And the creek is regularly visited by a great blue heron. Three outdoor gigs in three great spots; come on out and enjoy outdoor summer gigs with the Dukes of Destiny JOHNNY NEVER & JOHN COLGAN-DAVIS Acoustic Blues, Guitar, Vocals and Harmonica 1)Saturday, July 20, Triple Sun Distillery; 8-11PM; 126 South State Street; Newtown, PA 18940; Phone: (215) 944-3057 2)Friday, July 26; Hummingbird to Mars; W 16th St,Wilmington, DE 19806 (it's around back; ring the bell!) 9 – midnight: Reservations recommended;http://catherinerooneys.com/hummingbird 3)Saturday, July 27) Kennett Square Roots and Blues Festival; Anson B Nixon Park, 405 N. Walnut Rd;Kennett Square, PA; Festival 11 AM - 7:30 PM; The Two Johns: 2:15-3:15PM; https://www.ansonbnixonpark.org/events/2024-roots-blues-festival 4)Wednesday, July 31; Letty’s Tavern;201 State Street, Kennett Square PA 19348; 7-10PM https://www.lettystavern.com The middle to the end of July finds Johnny Never and John Colgan-Davis at several places we have played before and loved. Triple Sun is in the cute town of Newtown, and it features classic drafts and its own brewed whiskeys. There is also a good menu. Hummingbird is one of our favorite spots-a beautiful speakeasy themed restaurant/bar with great food and drinks and a wonderful waitstaff. Letty’s is our monthly haunt in the wonderful town of Kennett Square. Great food and wonderful waitstaff. And Kennett is also hosting an amazing festival featuring many of the area’s top blues players, including Deb Callahan, Slim and the Percolators, Steve Guyger, and of course, The Two Johns. Think of it as a true blues Christmas in July. So come one out; have a blues drenched July with The Johns. Sunday Blues Jam; Jamey’s House of Music; 32  S. Lansdowne Ave; Lansdowne, PA:215-477-9895; House Band from 12-1PM: open jam 1-3:00pm $5 brunch minimum 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 ground coffee, a great waitstaff, and friendly people who love the blues.  Each Sunday features an hour long set by a house band, and then an open jam until 3PM. Most Sundays the great Philly Blues Kings, featuring guitarist AC Steel and keyboard ace Dave Reiter, do the hour set, and on the second Sunday of the month, July 14th, The Roger Girke-John Colgan-Davis Project do it. Got an instrument? Sing? Just want to listen to some exciting blues? Come on out and take part in this great blues jam with great food and liquid refreshments.  (If you wish to no longer receive these missives, just reply with “Unsubscribe” in the Subject Line) DUKES FANS: “Woke up this morning, looked around for my shoes..” countless blues songs. Normally in these missives I tend to write about my experiences, thoughts, and observations about the world around us, what I have been up to, etc. I rarely write anything that can be called, “humorous.” But a friend of mine shared something humorous with me that I loved, so I thought I would pass it on. Hope you like it: "Rules of the Blues" by Memphis Earlene Most Blues begin, "Woke up this morning..." "I got a good woman" is a bad way to begin the Blues, unless you stick something nasty in the next line like, "I got a good woman, with the meanest face in town." The Blues is simple. After you get the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes... sort of: "Got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Yes, I got a good woman with the meanest face in town. Got teeth like Margaret Thatcher, and she weigh 500 pound." The Blues is not about choice. You stuck in a ditch, you stuck in a ditch--ain't no way out. Blues cars: Chevys, Fords, Cadillacs and broken-down trucks. Blues don't travel in Volvos, BMWs, or Sport Utility Vehicles. Most Blues transportation is a Greyhound bus or a southbound train. Jet aircraft and company motor pools ain't even in the running. Walkin' plays a major part in the blues lifestyle. So does fixin' to die. Teenagers can't sing the Blues. They ain't fixin' to die yet. Adults sing the Blues. In Blues, "adulthood" means being old enough to get the electric chair if you shoot a man in Memphis. Blues can take place in New York City but not in Hawaii or any place in Canada. Hard times in Minneapolis or Seattle is probably just clinical depression. Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City are still the best places to have the Blues. You cannot have the blues in any place that don't get rain. A man with male pattern baldness ain't the blues. A woman with male pattern baldness is. Breaking your leg cause you were skiing is not the blues. Breaking your leg 'cause a alligator be chompin' on it is. You can't have no Blues in a office or a shopping mall. The lighting is wrong. Go outside to the parking lot or sit by the dumpster. Good places for the Blues: a. Highway b. Jailhouse c. An empty bed d. Bottom of a whiskey glass Bad places for the Blues: a. Nordstrom's b. Gallery openings c. Ivy league institutions d. Golf courses No one will believe it's the Blues if you wear a suit, 'less you happen to be a old ethnic person, and you slept in it. You have the right to sing the Blues if: a. You older than dirt b. You blind c. You shot a man in Memphis d. You can't be satisfied You don't have the right to sing the Blues if: a. You have all your teeth b. You were once blind but now can see c. The man in Memphis lived d. You have a pension fund Blues is not a matter of color. It's a matter of bad luck. Tiger Woods cannot sing the blues. Sonny Liston could. Ugly white people also got a leg up on the blues. If you ask for water and your darlin' give you gasoline, it's the Blues Other acceptable Blues beverages are: a. Cheap wine b. Whiskey or bourbon c. Muddy water d. Nasty black coffee The following are NOT Blues beverages: a. Perrier b. Chardonnay c. Snapple d. Slim Fast If death occurs in a cheap motel or a shotgun shack, it's a Blues death. Stabbed in the back by a jealous lover is another Blues way to die. So is the electric chair, substance abuse and dying lonely on a broke-down cot. You can't have a Blues death if you die during a tennis match or while getting liposuction. Some Blues names for women: a. Sadie b. Big Mama c. Bessie d. Fat River Dumpling Some Blues names for men: a. Joe b. Willie c. Little Willie d. Big Willie Persons with names like Michelle, Amber, Debbie, and Heather can't sing the Blues no matter how many men they shoot in Memphis. Make your own Blues name Starter Kit: a. name of physical infirmity (Blind, Cripple, Lame, etc.) b. first name (see above) plus name of fruit (Lemon, Lime, Melon, Kiwi, etc.) c. last name of President (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.) For example: Blind Lime Jefferson, Jackleg Lemon Johnson or Cripple Kiwi Fillmore, etc. (Well, maybe not "Kiwi.") I don't care how tragic your life is; if you own at least one computer, you can't sing the blues Hope you enjoyed this. Hope it provided a laugh and a little relief from this oppressive heat. Hydrate!

Black Music Month

<bDUKES FANS “Hot fun in the summertime”…Sly and The Family Stone It is now past mid-June, and summertime is around the corner. As I age, summer is harder for me; heat and especially humidity can be rough for us oldsters. My wife and I came to dislike going through August in Philadelphia, so we started taking two-and three-week camping trips in August in the Northlands. We would head up to each of the Finger Lakes in New York state, occasionally to the Poconos, and once to the Adirondacks. And we almost always ended our Augusts camping outside of Kingston, Ontario and attending the Limestone City Blues Festival in that town. So this June, and the unusual heat wave we are in now got me thinking about that. But it is still June, and this month has one of my favorite celebrations. June was declared National African-American Music Month by President Carter in 1979, and I love the attention that our contributions to the rich stew that is American music gets during this month. There are a lot of great concerts and festivals, and there is also an array of streaming documentaries. Some of them I have mentioned in previous newsletters: Soulsville, USA. about Stax Records, and Standing in the Shadow of Motown, about Motown records. Over the past few months, I have also watched a couple of new to me documentaries about James Brown and Son House. It is always exciting for me to discover new films about people I love and who influenced me, so I recommend these films highly. If you are on this mailing list you obviously know that there are lots of way of celebrating Black music. And the power, joy, and soul stirring depth of the music never stops. It still moves and inspires me. Happy African-American Music Month to you all. James Brown : Bing Videos Son House : Why You Should Listen to Son House | His Life and Music | Delta Blues (youtube.com) Standing in The Shows of Motown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL9fF4Jtovc Stax: Soulsville USA | Official Website for the HBO Series | HBO.com

Hot Fun In The Summertime

DUKES FANS: “Summertime and the living is easy..” George Gershwin In a few weeks it will be the time that I recall looking forward to with great joy and delight. Summer vacation will be here, and regular school will be out for several months. I was a public-school student, and I used to look forward to the close of school with great enthusiasm. Summer vacation was the start of new adventures and was a great time. When I was in elementary school summer vacation meant a number of things. I grew up in the AME Church, so there was two weeks of Vacation Bible School. There were also trips to Coatesville, PA to spend a week or two at my Aunt Jane’s house. Seeing my father’s brothers and sisters and other family members and going to sleep to the sounds of the train carrying things to and from Lukens Steel Company are fond memories for me still. Summer also meant playing halfball and hopscotch on the street in my neighborhood with my friends, and eventually playing on a neighborhood baseball team with traveling games in different sections of Fairmount Park. That was a great experience for me as it broadened my sense of the world As I got older, it also meant trying to earn some money for myself. I did that by delivering newspapers, doing shopping for older neighbors, and collecting bottles from people’s trash and exchanging them for dimes and nickels at Dubin’s Lumber yard in the years before recycling. When I was even older-junior high school it meant taking a class or two at the Franklin Institute, which I really loved, and spending time at Bill Bennetts Farm Day camp on the ground of what is now Saul Agricultural high School in Roxborough. I did have to go to summer school once, as I failed Algebra 1. That was a terrible summer. In high school I worked for two summers under a Federal program for youths from low income families. One year I was a janitorial assistant at Central High School, and for the other I was a roadie for the Central High School Orchestra. I loved that! Listening to them rehearse and helping to carry their gear and attending their concerts got me interested in classical music, and that expanded my ears. I am truly grateful for that experience. All of this got me wondering once just where the idea of summer vacation came from. Initially I thought, quite erroneously, that it was a vestige of the days when so many Americans lived on farms and in rural areas. That was not true; it turns out that people in rural areas need the greatest number of workers in spring and fall and not summer for planting and harvesting. Early rural public school calendars reflected that need. The rise of the current form of summer vacation is due, instead, to the urbanization of the country and the desire of some public school advocates and reformers, such as Horace Mann, to bring rural and urban school calendars more in line with each other. It was also believed that 12 months of being in a school building was bad for students emotionally and, especially in hot urban areas, exposed them to disease. So by the late 1800’s what we think of as the “normal” school year was in place in much of the country. By the early 20th century, summer break ax we know it today was an established entity. I like the idea of summer vacation. As a student it gave me time to do things I really liked and learned from, and as a teacher for 40 years it gave me a break to learn new things, not think about school for a while, and to spend important and wonderful time with my family. It was almost always a good time for me. So I am hoping that students, teachers and families alike all have a summer this year that truly works for them. “Homework, they shout; is over and out. Vacation time has begun” (Chuck Berry. (Here is a link to Chuck Berry’s ode to Summer Break: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbhVvJ-KX8U ) (Many people are questioning the need for summer vacation and are arguing for some form year round school. Here is a PBS selection about that:-(you have to go through an intro to a show about disco; hang in) https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/debunking-myth-summer-vacation )

The Magic of Surprise

>DUKES FANS: “Being a sentient being makes one capable of experiencing surprise. But surprise is not going to come up to your door, knock, and ask to be let in. To encounter it, you have to be out in the world, heads up, and open to it.” Anon. I love that quote. It is one of the ways I try to meet the world, and if there are times I am not in that frame of mind and I can recall it, it helps me get back to that openness to the world. I am thinking about that quote because of experiences I had Tuesday in the wilds of Phoenixville, one of my favorite towns. I was In Phoenixville to record some harp on a track by my friend Paul Michael, a great guitarist, songwriter, and singer who used to live and play in the Philly aera for years. We did the recording, and I went off to the Phoenixville Library to see if I could display a poster for The Dukes’ upcoming show at Steel City. While in the library, getting water and getting out of the hot sun, the bus I planned to take back to King of Prussia Mall as the first leg of my trip back to Philly arrived 5 minutes early and passed by. Another one wouldn’t come for an hour or so. I was loudly upset for a bit, then I breathed deeply and decided to respond to the situation rather than just react to it. I decided to walk a few blocks further on Main Street to Steel City to get a bottle of water. In so doing I passed a record store-yes, a genuine record store with vinyl records-that I had not noticed before. I went in to see about dropping off a poster, and the sign in the door of the shop announced an LP entitled “Radical Optimism” Hmmm. I went in, introduced myself to Shawn, the owner, showed him the poster, and things somehow took off. We went from talking about what radical optimism meant to both of us, to talking about the blues in Phoenixville-yes, he is a real blues fan-to talking about our youths, what being in a record store means and feels like, and our relationship with blues, jazz, and gospel music. I flipped through various record racks and had the feeling of again picking up, looking at and reading an LP cover. It turned out that Shawn Cephas' father, James, owned King James records, a legendary chain of 3 Philadelphia record stores. One was at 52nd and Market Sts, near where I grew up, and I listened to and bought some of my earliest jazz records there. We then talked about clubs we had both been to, such as The Aqua Lounge, and The Second Fret, and memorable concerts we had been to as well as special moments listening to the radio years ago and before the internet and You Tube. It was an amazingly wonderful experience, and I made a new friend. And it only happened because I missed the bus and for some reason, decided to keep walking instead of stewing in my disapointment a So surprise is out there waiting, and it can come in wonderful and totally unexpected ways. Yes, sometimes surprise brings unpleasant things to us that we have to face and deal with, and that can be painful and tough. But often it is something small and delightful that gives us something that inspires us, makes us smile, brings a laugh, and reminds us that there are good things and good people in the world. We just have to be out there and open to it. (Shwan’s store is Forever Change https://foreverchangesrecords.com Another great record store is Hideaway Music on Germantown Ave in Chestnut Hill : https://hideawaymusic.org )

The History of Stax Records

 

DUKES FANS:

“Let’s Go to Memphis in the Meantime, Baby”  John Hiatt

   In my newsletter of January 25, I wrote about the experiences Johnny Never and I had in Memphis Tennessee, when we went to compete in the International Blues Challenge. As many of you know, it was a rough trip, with some unexpected happenings that gave a new meaning to the word, “challenge.” But there were some wonderful highlights for me during that trip as well. One of them I mentioned in that newsletter was my trip to the Stax Records Museum on McLemore Avenue. I called it a “pilgrimage,” and indeed it was. Visiting that museum was something I had wanted to do for a while. And it really was a spiritual experience.

   I was and am a giant Stax records fan.  The music of Booker T and The MG’s, Otis Redding, Issac Hayes, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, The Staple Singers, Sam and Dave…these were some of my favorite soul acts during my teens and early 20’s. The unabashed and unapologetic roughness and deep soul in the voices and the instrumental arrangements moved me deeply and brought me great joy. Motown was big then, of course, and garnered a lot of the media notice and attention, but Stax was gradually getting bigger and bigger, and for a while it was a worldwide phenomenon. And it was a big part of my personal soundtrack, along with acoustic and electric blues.

    As the label grew, Stax musicians traveled the country more and more during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. I had the chance to see Sam and Dave and The Staple Singers both live in Philly, and being in the museum helped me relive those memories. There was the organ Booker T used on Green Onions, Al Jackson’s drums, and Duck Dunn’s bass. The museum also featured interviews with musicians, writers and producers talking about how certain songs were written and recorded. It also featured videos of some of the recording sessions. There is an incredibly sad and moving interview with Steve Cropper about having to put together the song Dock of the Bay in the wake of Otis Redding’s tragic death in a plane crash. I cried as I watched that video.

    I mention that now because there is a new music documentary series on Max-HBO network about the history and legacy of Stax Records. Stax: Soulsville U.S.A, tells the history of the label and looks at the incredible roster of writers, musicians, performers, and more that helped what had been a small local label gain worldwide recognition. There are a generous amount of interviews with a lot of the people who were involved with and integral parts of the label and its amazing product. The filmmaker, Jamila Wignot, also looks and the social conditions into which Stax was born and grew, and looks at some effects Stax records and its music had on those conditions. The film also takes a look at the workings of the music industry itself, and the effect that corporate policies can have on a label. It was mostly that and not a decline in the quality of the music that led it to shut its doors in 1975.

   The depth and breadth of this docu-series makes it another addition to my list of great music documentaries. I hope you get to see and enjoy Stax; Soulsville U.S.A. It is a tribute to some of the greatest music and music makers that I have been fortunate  enough to listen to and be inspired by. I am glad to see their story so wonderfully and lovingly told.

(PS- Here is a review of Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.

 https://slate.com/culture/2024/05/stax-records-hbo-max-documentary-memphis-soul.html )

The Stax Museum: https://staxmuseum.com) 
 (PPS-There was some dispute amongst some African-Americans and some musicians as to which was the “real” soul music in the 60’s and 70’s-Memphis’ Stax or Detroit’s (later LA’s) Motown. I liked Motown-The Supremes, the Temptations, Smokey Robinson, and especially The Four Tops, but I was a young radical, and I felt I had to criticize Motown’s use of strings and super-polite TV appearances. I have mellowed some, (smile) so I also want to recommend the another great music documentary-Standing in the Shadows of Motown, by Paul Justman and Allan Slutsky Standing In The Shadows of Motown)

Deep Spring

 

DUKES FANS: 

  

“Every blade of grass has it angel that visits it and whispers, “Grow..grow.”  

                                       The Talmud  

  

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s Party!”  

                                        Robin Williams  

 

This is the time of the year I often refer to as, “Deep Spring.” And this year it is exceptionally “deep.’ The steady rains we have been experiencing have led to an incredibly lush landscape with redbuds, magnolias, irises, roses, various lilies, and more all strutting proudly in gardens all over Mt Airy, Germantown, and Chestnut Hill. And the trees, grasses and bushes are all glowingly green and wildly overgrown. My wife, Penny, both loved and hated this time of the year. She loved it because it put her into full gardening mode-planting, trimming, mulching and more. And she hated it because it meant constant mowing of the wildly growing grass and trying yet again to cut back on the eternal ivy growing on the fences.  

However one feels about it, it is impossible to ignore the growth and natural life that is so boldly present. It is all around us, and it is undeniably here. I know I will have to hire a gardener to do the work that I was never any good at, and I will have to mow the front of the house and cut a lot of weeds. I do not like doing either of those things..(smile) But doing them is another reminder that the Earth and nature are doing their thing, joyously and fully. And we are lucky to be both witness to it, and if wish, participants in it. It is a joyous time. Happy Deep Spring!  

DUKES OF DESTINY   
1) Sunday, May 19th RAIN DATE Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Fest; Germantown Ave & Bethlehem Pike: Philadelphia, PA; 11:30-1:45;  Chestnut Hill Home + Garden Festival - Chestnut Hill       
The unofficial return of spring has been pushed back as there was a 70% chance of rain Sunday. So the rain date of Sunday, May 19th will be the return of The Chestnut Hill Home and Garden fest. We have played this gig for a long time and love it. Lots of craft vendors, great food, families galore, and of course, music. Come celebrate spring with the Dukes in the great Chestnut Hill area.      

2) Friday, June 14; Steel City Coffeehouse and Brewery;203 Bridge St; Phoenixville, PA 424- 924-8425; $20/adv; $22 day of show; THE DUKES OF DESTINY LIVE 6/14 | STEEL CITY COFFEEHOUSE & BREWERY  

  We are excited about returning to one of our favorite spots in one of our favorite towns. We have not played here since before the pandemic, and we are looking forward to our return. Phoenixville has a great restaurant and food scene, and Steel City is a great listening room that is now also a brewery with craft brews and great food and snacks. Great sound system; comfortable seats with great stage views, wonderful waitstaff and vibe: we love this place. If you have seen us in Phoenixville before, come on out and welcome us back, and if you haven’t, you are in for a treat.   

3) Friday, June 28; World Café Live with Johnny Never and John Colgan-Davis as Opening Act; 8:30 PM; 3025 Walnut St; Phila. PA; 20 adv. $25 door; 215-222-1400;    

https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/56856264/the-dukes-of-destiny-the-two-johnsjohnny-never-and-john-colgandavis-philadelphia-the-lounge-at-world-cafe-live?partner_id=240&_gl=1*1tfx6n8*_ga*NDg2MDQwMjAuMTcxNTYzMjQ5NA..*_ga_M5DZ4KXGSY*MTcxNTYzMjQ5NC4xLjEuMTcxNTYzMjcwMS40Ni4wLjA.&_ga=2.157680186.1020252205.1715632495-48604020.1715632494   

  We did this double bill last year at WCL, and it was such a wonderful show with such a great turnout that we are doing it again. This is one of our favorite clubs in the area. This place has a great sound system, room to dance, great food and beverages, and a great staff. Johnny Never and John Colgan-Davis, contestants in this year's International Blues Challenge in Memphis TN, open the show with a set of acoustic Delta and Piedmont blues. Then the Dukes do a set of electric blues, including some new arrangements and originals. It will be a night of incredible blues at a fantastic club with great seating, great sound, and wonderful food. Come on out and enjoy. Early reservations are strongly suggested.          

(If you know of a place, club, event, or private party that could use a little Dukes’ energy, let them know about us and us about them. Thanks (www.dukesofdestiny.com)  

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