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MVS 2012: RASHAAD NEWSOME AT THE POWER HOUSE For most critics, filmmakers, journalists, scholars, and audiences, music videos are a disposable, ignored, and—when they are mentioned at all—maligned pursuit.

One of the goals of the Live From Memphis Music Video Showcase is to recognize and highlight the artistry in the humble music video. In addition to being the largest one yet, this years’ edition will expand beyond the screen to explore the connection between music and the moving image.

Besides the main music video programs and the panels, the 2012 Music Video Showcase has appropriated the Power House, a former industrial building and late, lamented art gallery, to present a group of works by artists who have been touched by music.

Rashaad Newsome is a New York artist whose work has spanned videos, performances, and, most recently, an acclaimed series of collages based on imagery from hip hop. Newsome, whose work will be brought to Memphis by Crosstown Arts as part of the Our Vibe, Our City exhibit, has worked in music videos before, but Swag is his most ambitious and acclaimed opus. The artist has explored the materialism and search for status in contemporary hip hop with a series of collages that combine familiar hip hop images such as diamonds, champagne, and expensive cars with traditional European heraldry. The series of videos created in collaboration with the musicians for Swag continue these themes, but go far beyond in scope. Combining “highbrow” and “lowbrow” culture freely and without regard to their traditional contexts in a complex, baroque style, the varied video series reflects the groundbreaking work of earlier video artists such as Nam Jun Paik and Laurie Anderson, the latter of whom is a Newsome collaborator.

This is the first time Newsome’s work has been exhibited in Memphis, and the first of a series of visiting artists presented by Crosstown Arts. Newsome will be honored with an opening reception on Thursday, March 1 at 5 PM, and will present an artist lecture at 6 PM at the Power House, 45 G.E. Patterson. Swag will be on display throughout the Music Video Showcase weekend.

MVS 2012: RASHAAD NEWSOME AT THE POWER HOUSE For most critics, filmmakers, journalists, scholars, and audiences, music videos are a disposable, ignored, and—when they are mentioned at all—maligned pursuit.

One of the goals of the Live From Memphis Music Video Showcase is to recognize and highlight the artistry in the humble music video. In addition to being the largest one yet, this years’ edition will expand beyond the screen to explore the connection between music and the moving image.

Besides the main music video programs and the panels, the 2012 Music Video Showcase has appropriated the Power House, a former industrial building and late, lamented art gallery, to present a group of works by artists who have been touched by music.

Rashaad Newsome is a New York artist whose work has spanned videos, performances, and, most recently, an acclaimed series of collages based on imagery from hip hop. Newsome, whose work will be brought to Memphis by Crosstown Arts as part of the Our Vibe, Our City exhibit, has worked in music videos before, but Swag is his most ambitious and acclaimed opus. The artist has explored the materialism and search for status in contemporary hip hop with a series of collages that combine familiar hip hop images such as diamonds, champagne, and expensive cars with traditional European heraldry. The series of videos created in collaboration with the musicians for Swag continue these themes, but go far beyond in scope. Combining “highbrow” and “lowbrow” culture freely and without regard to their traditional contexts in a complex, baroque style, the varied video series reflects the groundbreaking work of earlier video artists such as Nam Jun Paik and Laurie Anderson, the latter of whom is a Newsome collaborator.

This is the first time Newsome’s work has been exhibited in Memphis, and the first of a series of visiting artists presented by Crosstown Arts. Newsome will be honored with an opening reception on Thursday, March 1 at 5 PM, and will present an artist lecture at 6 PM at the Power House, 45 G.E. Patterson. Swag will be on display throughout the Music Video Showcase weekend.

Jazz isn’t all that common in Memphis, but Friday night I played a jazz set at Cafe Soul on South Main Street with Cecil McDaniel on bass and George “G-Smoove” Taylor on drums. We also had guest musicians visit, including percussionist and flautist Ekpe Lee, pianist Steven Lee and trumpeter Ralph Collier.

Jazz isn’t all that common in Memphis, but Friday night I played a jazz set at Cafe Soul on South Main Street with Cecil McDaniel on bass and George “G-Smoove” Taylor on drums. We also had guest musicians visit, including percussionist and flautist Ekpe Lee, pianist Steven Lee and trumpeter Ralph Collier.

Memphian Andrew Booker makes his debut on the Southern Soul scene with his new EP “I Miss My Mom N Dad”, featuring eight first-rate shots of soul and blues. From the opening “Bingo Lover”, where he complains that his woman loves bingo more than him, to the title track which will move anyone who has lost their parents, “I Miss My Mom and Dad” walks the line between blues and soul. There are traditional blues like “I’m About to Get Old” and “Don’t Tell Me”, and uptempo romps like “20 Hard Days” and “Policeman Coming ‘n You Going to Jail.” While there’s little here that would be unexpected, this is a well-done debut from a new voice in Memphis blues and soul.

Memphian Andrew Booker makes his debut on the Southern Soul scene with his new EP “I Miss My Mom N Dad”, featuring eight first-rate shots of soul and blues. From the opening “Bingo Lover”, where he complains that his woman loves bingo more than him, to the title track which will move anyone who has lost their parents, “I Miss My Mom and Dad” walks the line between blues and soul. There are traditional blues like “I’m About to Get Old” and “Don’t Tell Me”, and uptempo romps like “20 Hard Days” and “Policeman Coming ‘n You Going to Jail.” While there’s little here that would be unexpected, this is a well-done debut from a new voice in Memphis blues and soul.

Fans of Three-6 Mafia are of course familiar with M.C. Mack and Scanman as members of Killa Klan Kaze AKA Kamikaze Inc, but by 2009, the national rap focus had moved away from the classic Memphis style. Nevertheless, M. C. Mack keeps it true to his Memphis roots on his solo album Pure Ana Part I. There are plenty of gangsta-walk friendly Memphis anthems here, like “Whatz My Name”, the title track “Pure Ana” or “Let’s Make a Stain”, but the real jewels are the thoughtful, political “Life So Hard” which decries the way society seems stacked against inner-city Blacks, or the sunny “Money Motivated” with its tuneful Mel & Tim Stax sample in the background repeating that “We’re gonna make it”, and guest appearance from Lord Infamous and Skinny Pimp.  The classic Triggerman feel backs the dance anthem “Hell Naw” featuring Memphis veteran Al Kapone, and former Three-6 Mafia diva Gangsta Boo makes an appearance on “Go to Church.” Altogether Pure Ana Part I is an important document in the Memphis rap tradition and one not to be missed for fans of the genre.

The high school band situation in Memphis is not a pretty picture this year. I drove out to Southwind to see the Southwind vs. Wooddale game, only to find that neither team brought a band to the game. So I drove back out to Raleigh to catch Raleigh-Egypt and Trezevant, and at least Trezevant brought a small band, but not Raleigh-Egypt, who just a few years ago looked like a program that might be on the right track. What I find even more disturbing this year is that most of the schools have tiny bands, with only a handful of horn players added to a large drum section. I would assume that the problem is a breakdown at the middle school level of music education. Perhaps the pending merger of Memphis with the county schools will improve the band and music education, but I’m not holding my breath. 

The high school band situation in Memphis is not a pretty picture this year. I drove out to Southwind to see the Southwind vs. Wooddale game, only to find that neither team brought a band to the game. So I drove back out to Raleigh to catch Raleigh-Egypt and Trezevant, and at least Trezevant brought a small band, but not Raleigh-Egypt, who just a few years ago looked like a program that might be on the right track. What I find even more disturbing this year is that most of the schools have tiny bands, with only a handful of horn players added to a large drum section. I would assume that the problem is a breakdown at the middle school level of music education. Perhaps the pending merger of Memphis with the county schools will improve the band and music education, but I’m not holding my breath.