Citizen Brand

Creative Capital

There are so many causes to support that sometimes it seems impossible to believe enough support can be found for all of them.  The needs are great in so many basic areas from health to housing to education to food.  And yet, we also need to remember the arts.

Audeamus.com points us to an incredible idea launched in New York seven years ago to support artists of all types working in all mediums.  The program is called Creative Capital and this paragraph from their website says it all:

Creative Capital supports work with the potential for significant artistic and cultural impact. We seek to act as a catalyst for the development of adventurous and imaginative ideas. We are interested in artists who are deeply engaged with their art forms and exhibit a rigorous commitment to their craft, as well as projects that transcend discipline boundaries. In particular, we look for artists who are articulate about their work and who have an understanding of the professional landscape. Creative Capital is committed to diversity in all its forms.

The Creative Capital website is also one of the best and most useful I have seen in a while.  One link takes you to the Creative Capital Channel where you can learn about many of the artists who have received grants and the work they have done.  It ranges from art exhibits at leading galleries to films that have been award winners at film festivals worldwide.  Yet another link gives artists access to professional development programs to help them in all phases of their projects.

Arts education in our schools always suffers most when budgets are cut.  If there is no support for arts as our children are growing, where will we get the next generation of artists?  We need to find ways to support programs like Creative Capital and figure out how to create more of them as soon as possible.

Picasso, Jazz & Hans Solo

It's been a long stretch these past couple of weeks so it's time to set the serious issues aside for a moment and see what we can find floating around in cyberspace that's fun....

Let's see, a Picasso went for a near record $95.21 million.  That is some serious money for a piece of art.  The London Telegraph described this painting of one of his mistresses, Dora Maar:

Picasso painted his strong-willed and temperamental mistress at the height of their always fiery relationship and once described her as having the allure of an exotic cat.

In art history the pairing of cats and women is usually an allusion to feminine wiles and sexual aggression, and this may have been the reason for the animal by her right shoulder. As Dora Maar is known to have disliked cats, Picasso may also have been trying to annoy her.

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is in full swing.  Rolling Stone gives us a great description of the first weekend where hundreds of local jazz, blues and gospel artists made it clear New Orleans will be back.  And there supporting the reemergence of the real heart and soul of New Orleans, its music, were Dylan, Springsteen and Costello.  Paul Simon and Fats Domino kick off the second weekend.

This Festival had to happen.  And once you understand the force behind this Festival, you know there wasn't a chance it would not take place.  George Wein is the music impresario that knew from the day Katrina hit last year, that he and his company would make sure there was a Jazz & Heritage Festival this year.  I had a rare opportunity earlier this year to meet George Wein.  He is an incredibly intelligent and gracious man who loves music and loves to help people enjoy music. 

And finally, George Lucas has relented.  The original Star Wars trilogy will finally be released on DVD -- but not until September 12.  (For those who want to take note, that is my birthday.)

At the time, there may never have been a bigger movie than the first Star Wars.  And I can imagine that this September, some of that magic we all felt in 1977 will return.  I know some have been upset it has taken so long, but it will be worth it.

Heading to the Weekend

It's been a busy and productive week and the posts on Citizen Brand have veered toward the serious side of the spectrum.  Time to talk music.

My tastes are broad but here is a little flavor of the soundtrack I will listen to as I move through the weekend.

First, hit NPR and listen to their song of the day.  Rocky Votolato has a great sound and a great pedigree.  I'm sure some of you already know of him, but thanks to NPR, now so do I.  I'm going to be downloading some of his music this weekend.

I am a huge David Gray fan and will have his music on throughout the weekend.  He has a new single coming out that can be pre-ordered apparently so I might have to look into that as well.

I had a special opportunity this week to meet George Wein, one of the true giants of the music business.  He was in our area to talk with some folks about a possible project down the road and I was invited to a reception in his honor.  Since he is the man who started the Newport Jazz Festival and whose company manages just about every great festival in the country, meeting him got my jazz bug going.  So I will likely have a little Coltrane, Tatum and Charlie Parker on my weekend playlist.  As for jazz vocalists, I don't think there is anyone finer than Diana Krall.  Of course if you go back in time, I love to listen to Billie Holliday and Ella.

And there are always three very different artists that always find their way onto my soundtrack:  Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot, and Sinatra.

I always have music going, sometimes only in my head.  But it's always there.  What are you listening to this weekend?

Vault Radio

I heard a great story on National Public Radio this morning about Vault Radio.  It's a unique musical offering that's part of a site called Wolfgang's Vault.  It consists of live recordings from the glory days of rock on the stages of the Fillmore venues, Winterland and others.  All live just as the bands played them without digital enhancement.  Yes, there was a time like that.  Check it out.

My musical selections tonight include Dylan, Citizen Cope, Gordon Lightfoot and the late Jimmie Spheeris.  Of course any song shuffle around here will always land on a tune or two from Sinatra.  What are you listening to this weekend?

End of the Day

Random thoughts on things that interest me.

If you love great basketball, there is a team that is under the radar that is about to burst on the national scene.  The Kansas Jayhawks have virtually nothing but freshmen and sophomores and they will continue to get better and better.  If you haven't seen them play yet, just wait until you have the opportunity.  I have never seen a team that shows pure joy for the game and demonstrates no fear like these guys do.

Switching to music a moment - is there seriously anyone better to listen to than David Gray?  His White Ladder CD is one that I never grow tired of hearing.  And I'm a big fan of Lost Songs.  I'm downloading his last CD after this post.

And finally the Oscars are approaching.  It feels like one of those years when all the winners are preordained.  We will see.  I have one performance I feel very passionate about and that is Paul Giamatti in his role as Joe Gould, the fight manager for Russell Crowe's Jim Braddock in Cinderella Man, directed by Ron Howard.  He won the Screen Actors Guild award for Best Supporting Actor.  The movie was fabulous and Giamatti's performance is one to remember.  If you have not seen the movie, please do and pay close attention to Paul Giamatti.

The Grammys

It's Grammy night.  More than 50 performances are slated for the show and as The Los Angeles Times tells us, that is the most important part of the show.  Face it, we all want to hear and see the musicians perform.  The awards are an afterthought.  And the article in this link proves the point that the artists know it is better to give (a performance on the Grammy's) then it is to receive (an award.)

This is more evidence that it is the work and the creativity that truly pay off in the end.

I Love Radio

Music is important.  It provides the soundtrack to our lives.

Information is important.  And we can't seem to get enough of it today.

Even with all the ways we can access both music and information today, my favorite method is still radio.  I started my career in radio at one of the nation's best public radio stations.  It was known by different call letters then - KANU-FM.  We worked out of Broadcasting Hall right smack dab in the middle of the campus of the University of Kansas.  I have great memories of those years which may find their way into this space sometime.

Public radio is special and we all need to do what we can to support it.  It is the perfect blend of great art and information.

There is another great radio station I want to tell you about and it is in Boulder, Colorado.  KBCO is the best music station in America until someone tells me otherwise.  Take a listen to both of these stations online and renew your love for great radio.