Raissa St.Pierre Poop 02


Here’s where I found my thrills…………

1.Tonight at Noon: A Love Story by Sue Graham Mingus
I love Sue. I love Charles. I love every word in this book! Charles had such an amazing mind and his music was so exciting, as of course was his style and how he led his life. Charles did everything to the maximum, took risks and got emotional all over the place.

2.Snapshots From the Lost Highway (more biography on Hank Williams) by Colin Escott, Kira Florita, Rick Bragg
A great collection of photographs and anecdotes that you have not seen or heard before. This makes a perfect companion to the Columbia 10 CD Complete Hank Williams Box Set that came out in 1998. This book helped me mark the 50th year since Hanks death. I was also lucky to spend an evening watching Hank on video just after the new year. My friend Darwin Lee Hill Jr. who is the man behind the microphone for The Hillbilly Music show on WHVW 950 on your AM dial (Sundays from 3-6pm) shared his excerpts from the Kate Smith TV show. Hank is mesmerizing!!!!
Whether its recordings, photos or video no singer musician is as powerful and great as Mr. Hank Williams!

3.Linda Thompson Fashionably Late
How lucky I feel that Linda made another recording. Lots of these songs concern the difficult and painful topics. Man how I love to cry and feel bad, nice when I can do it to such a great voice, beautiful music and poetry.

4.Truck Driver’s Boogie: Big Rig Hits Vol. 1 (1939-69)
This is toe tappin’ rig rock in all its historical glory. The liner notes are a great read! Hearing the originals of all of these great truck drivin’ hits will certainly convert you….come on in, the water is fine.

5.The 4 day Appalachian Film Festival at TSL (Time Space Limited in Hudson NY)
A super collection of films were screened…..women coal miners, marijuana farmers in west virginia, a birdseye view of an eccentric healing herb hunter, documentaries on Ralph Stanley and Hazel Dickens. My favorite film was a documentary on the Carter Fold….a great hillbilly music meeting house/music venue……..WOW!

6.Smokey & Miho at the Black Swan in Tivoli
Great live show and recordings. Brazilian Bossa Nova done by Tom Waites and Beck’s guitarist and one half of Cibo Mato. I love the fact that these 2 met while their respective bands were on tour together and then decided to play out of an inspired love of a Baden Powell recording. My favorite new instrument was discovered: the tambourine tree

7.The Lil’ Rascals (New Orleans Brass Band) at the Black Swan
Hands down, the best live show of 2002! The singer trumpet player was 16 and he was GREAT! Snare drummer was all things…he was swinging as well as marching. Best wrist work and rim shots ever. Bass Drummer was just as happenin’…right along with the Tuba and the trombone. The swan was packed and it was hotter than hell…loved it!

8.Armen Ra (Iranian drag queen) who played the Theremin at the Hudson River Theatre in Hudson
Armen Ra can really play the Theremin and it ain’t easy. I especially enjoyed the rendition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. This theatre is a lot of fun; they do cabaret, theatre and drag acts. They have a bar and the bathrooms are wallpapered with old groovy LP covers….which are almost worth the visit themselves. One of the proprietors was in that band that did that song about wanting to be Jackie Onassis. If anyone guesses the band and song name I’d be impressed.

9.Stuart Hall’s radio show on WKZE “Groove Stomp and Shout” on Sundays from 4-7pm 98.1 on the FM dial
I look forward to this guy’s show. He plays a great mix of music and makes it hang together real nice. Especially like the music he plays from the swamps and bayous. Check him out.

10.A Cook’s Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines by Anthony Bourdain
This doesn’t have anything to do with music but I really enjoyed reading this book. People are calling him the “Jack Kerouac of the kitchen”……you can also catch him on the food network, I think on Fridays at 9pm.

Raissa