How I Got to Memphis

I'm thinking maybe there's a compilation album in here somewhere. Presenting The Avett Brothers, with a harrowing tale of love gone bad, Memphis-style. The cello's a nice touch.

Another unusual Memphis song

The Cass Brothers, "Memphis"

"Lovely ladies, it's up to you and me, to make it in Memphis."

Stuff Memphians Say

Okay, I know this meme is very tired, but this little segment does have the ring of truth to it, and there are some good references (weatherman Dave Brown, wrestling legend Jerry Lawler, and Jerry's Sno Cones) in it. And yes, Memphis is full of terrible driving, and Poplar Avenue should always be avoided whenever possible. One thing that struck me when watching this for the first time was that none of the characters actually sounds the way I remember Memphians talking. Such is the influence of mainstream media that the drawl of yore has been superceded by a more Midwestern sound in the younger generation. Oh, and I miss Libertyland, too.

Standing on the (pork) shoulders of giants

Here is yet another reason why Memphis is the undisputed center of the universe. Payne's Bar-B-Q: there's nothing like it on the planet, and you can't beat it with a stick!

Soulsville Gateway

On my trip to the States in August, I had a very fruitful day out taking photos in some of Memphis' darker and more distressed corners. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the light lent itself to getting some good results. These were taken in the "Soulsville Gateway" on South Bellevue, where portraits of Memphis music legends adorn both sides of an underpass below the two Frisco railway trestles. The whole undertaking was a wonderful thought, though best experienced on foot - probably not a choice many make in a town so reliant upon the automobile.

Everybody Here Wants You

Sixteen years ago this week I arrived in London to begin a life here, which now encompasses one-third of my time on this planet. A little under two years later, Jeff Buckley moved to Memphis on the recommendation of his friends The Grifters, a band I had known and worked with occasionally for years. He lived on the street I had last lived on, knew a lot of people I was friends with, played solo downtown at Barristers (a venue I had booked the first gig in five or six years earlier), and was set to begin a new album at Easley - McCain Studios (a place and people I knew well) the day after he unwisely chose to take a dip in the Wolf River.

So, beyond the obvious power of his creative talent, I guess I have always had an interest in him by virtue of a sense of connection, all of which centers on Memphis. Recently, I posted a great live version of "Lover, You Should Have Come Over" to Facebook, which elicited a response from an American woman who lives nearby, whose kids have gone to school with my own for a number of years. I have never gotten to know her well, but I knew she hailed from New York City, and in the exchange which followed, she revealed that Matt Johnson, drummer with JB (and now with the Wainwright siblings, inter alia) was a close friend and roommate in NYC before he departed for the lengthy Grace world tour. Life is strange and wonderful.

Enjoy this BBC documentary, which features some familiar Memphibian faces.

King Cotton