Give The Drummer Some!

No, he's not a beat machine. ?uestLove unfortunately has to play to his listening audience. Drummers play a critical role when it comes to improvisation! Some are subtle others are right in your face. ?uestLove is not a Jazz Drummer, but he's definitely not mechanized. I would argue that some artist will typically play down their improvisational skills if they believe the audience is not willing to go on the journey with them. I saw it first hand when the Roots came to Richmond, VA during the summer of 2007. It was so clear to me at this show -> You had real fans of their music (I been down with them since 1993 when I heard them perform in Atlanta impromptu) and you had people who just came to see the Roots. For example, The Roots has a fifth Beetle Position which they allow other artist to sit in with them from time to time. Well, in Richmond, they had a tuba player named "Tuba Gooding Jr." (yep). People (non roots fans) in the audience really weren't feeling this Tuba player. I would say most tuned out (got beer/waited in lines). This was too bad because they missed the highlight of the show!

Tony Williams

Check out.. Chic Corea aided by the great Roy Haynes
They finish up with the Thelonious Monk piece.. classic!!

?uestLove and Travis Barker.. Improvising ..

NO, I'M NOT GOING TO EAT STEAK! LOL

They Call Me.. Mr. President

Second (Last?) First Friday Lunch Bunch?

Anybody up for lunch this Friday? We'll be doing it at the Plant Zero Cafe, as usual, at 12 noon. I'm hoping and expecting that we'll have something exciting to talk about, something like, say, oh, I don't know....THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT!?!

Who can make it? Anyone?

By the way, since a good portion of the group won't never be able to make a weekday lunch move, is anyone interested in a regular, early-dinner move? What about this: we already meet to discuss books on the third Saturday of every other month (except during the summer), so what if we met for dinner somewhere on the ALTERNATE third Friday of the month when we're not meeting?

Now, look: brothers are busy; I know I am. Better to be real and say something like, "Yo, sounds great---I'd love to do it, but I know full well my schedule just can't handle it, and I'd never make it. Wish I could. Can't. Sorry, gonna hafta say 'Not'" rather than saying "Yeah" when you know it's just not possible.

But if it IS possible, like maybe an early, after-work deal---5 o'clock? Six? Which would put us home by 8, nine at the latest?---then say "Yeah," if that's possible for you, okay?

So. I'm throwing it out: is there any interest in setting up a regular, non-binding, come-if-you're-free, off-month dinner for the men of Black Men Read?! If so, say "Yeah," and if not, say "Not."

What say you?

Colson Whitehead This Way Comes!

After much time and effort, the Tucker-Boatwright Committee and the Distinguished Writer-in-Residence Search Committee have exciting news to report. Colson Whitehead will be the distinguished writer in residence at the University of Richmond in fall 2009. He has published four novels: The Intuitionist, John Henry Days, The Colossus of New York, and Apex Hides the Hurt. His fifth novel, Sag Harbor, is forthcoming next year. The Intuitionist won the Quality Paperback Book Club New Voices Award and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. John Henry Days won the New York Public Library Young Lions Award and was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. His reviews and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Granta, Harper’s, The Village Voice, Salon, and Newsday. The recipient of a MacArthur "Genius Award" Fellowship and the Whiting Writers Award, Whitehead is a visiting professor at Princeton this fall. He has taught creative writing at Columbia, Hunter College, Brooklyn College, and the University of Houston.


Brothers, I hope we can read and discuss one of this guy's books at one of our meetings while he's in town. We'll discuss it one way or the other, but it's a valuable experience, and at the very least, we can likely hook up and take him to Cafe Guttenberg to chat with him afterwards, since having him at an actual meeting might be a bit uncomfortable.

Bliss Broyard This Way Comes

Bliss Broyard, American fiction writer and memoirist
November 17, 2008 at 4 p.m.
Weinstein Hall’s Brown-Alley Room

Bliss Broyard is the author of two books: a “beautifully choreographed” collection of stories, My Father Dancing, (Booklist reviewer Donna Seaman) and a provocative memoir/family history, One Drop: My Father’s Hidden Life—A Story of Race and Family Secrets. Broyard’s short fiction has appeared in a variety of venues and was selected for both the Best American Short Stories of 1998 and The Pushcart Anthology.

The daughter of New York Times literary critic Anatole Broyard, Bliss Broyard learned when she was in her early twenties and shortly before her father died in 1990, that he had African ancestry. One Drop explores the reasons behind her father’s choice to pass for white, traces her hidden family history back to New Orleans, details her meetings with family members whom she did not know and reveals her own struggle to come to terms with what all of this means for her own identity and sense of self. Her latest book, which reads like a novel, was published to widespread acclaim last fall and will be out in paperback in September. The Richmond Quest is sponsoring Broyard’s visit.


It's being held in the same room used for Trey Ellis's reading. Now, I know it's in the middle of the afternoon on a week day, and 4 p.m. might make it tough to make for some brothers (whenever I sponsor events, I usually hold them at night, but this ain't my event). Still, I hope the advance notice will allow you to arrange for some time off and you can come check her out...

The Green Collar Economy

If you don't know, you should read up on Brother Van Jones. He's got something to say about poverty and environmentalism. Yep, I said the same thing. How are these two concepts related? He seems to offer an interesting perspective. I caught this while reading the bestseller book section of the New York Times. The focus of this book is not about merely recycling your trash (***Not preaching but WE need to help keep the world clean also**). It's a call to action for all people, cutting across race and class. Since many of our manufacturing jobs are going over seas, it's leaving huge potholes in communities around the country. This hits home with me as I saw my entire family lose their jobs in the closing of a Burlington manufacturing plant in my home town (over 700 jobs lost). The effects of this shutdown is still being felt (increase in drug related crimes,murders,clinical depression,etc..)
Van Jones' thought is to provide training so people can get the necessary skills that helps them secure jobs associated with improving the environment (i.e. solar panel installs,weatherzing homes). It's a great idea!

Nope, I haven't read it but after our next two reads are done, amazon.com here I come. If you're interested in reading more on Mr. Jones and the cause, check out his GreenForAll blog.

Debate #3 - Thoughts?

That John McCain. Is he angry or what!?