Month: June 2020

Categories
Politics Politics Beat Blog

State Supreme Court Has Mail-In Ballot Case

The State of Tennessee remains on a losing streak in its appeal of a three-week-old ruling by a Nashville Chancellor granting the right to a mail-in absentee ballot to any eligible Tennessee voter who for any reason is wary of on-site voting this year because of the ongoing COVID-19 virus.

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear the case on appeal but has denied the state’s request for a stay of Chancery Court Judge Ellen Hobbs Lyle’s June 5th order, a request filed by Secretary of State Tre Hargett and state Election Coordinator Mark Goins.

The state Supreme Court granted a request by the defendants by bypass an intermediate appeals court in order to expedite a decision on the Lyle ruling, which directs the defendants to expand eligibility for mail-in voting, to send such mail-in ballots to voters requesting them, and to ensure that all election officials throughout the state also comply with such requests.

In her ruling, Chancellor Lyle had discounted the state’s objections — ranging from concerns about costs to concerns about fraud and excessive demands upon the state’s capability. She noted that the Tennessee constitution is “more explicit than the federal Constitution” in guaranteeing the right to vote and that the state’s “restrictive interpretation and application of Tennessee’s voting by mail law” constituted “an unreasonable burden on the fundamental right to vote.”

Lyle did not require the state to automatically provide the state’s entire voting population with mail-in ballots, merely those voters who might apply for them. Voters could still choose to vote in person if they wanted.

Subsequent to her original ruling, she pronounced as invalid and confusing the state’s rewording of the official voter application forms for mail-in ballots and insisted on language that was clear and unambiguous in its listing of concerns about COVID-19 as an acceptable condition for requesting an absentee ballot.

In another follow-up ruling issued on Thursday, Judge Lyle admonished the state to ensure that all county election commission websites or other county posts included clear advisories of the COVID-19 reason, requiring Goins to provide proposed language for the court to order by 3:30 p.m. Thursday. This was in response to reports that dozens of counties across the state had failed to fully comply with the court’s order. Lyle said “an omission of COVID-19 in such Posted Information where the other reasons and excuses are addressed does not conform to the Absentee Ballot Application, and is inaccurate, incomplete and potentially misleading.”

Meanwhile, the state Supreme Court has asked for a brief in the case from the state by July 2nd. from the plaintiffs by July 9th, and any response to that from the State by July 13th. Oral argument via Zoom will be scheduled for some time thereafter.

Categories
News News Blog

Rhodes College and Baptist Announce COVID-19 Prevention Partnership

CREDIT: Photo courtesy Rhodes College

Photo courtesy Rhodes College

Running a college is a tough business at the best of times. But in the midst of a global pandemic, ensuring the health and safety of all students is of paramount importance both on and off school grounds. With that in mind, Rhodes College is pursuing a partnership with Baptist Memorial Health Care to create a thorough prevention plan for the 2020-21 school year.

Baptist will assist Rhodes with developing and implementing a safety protocol, which will have five key areas of focus: prevention, symptom monitoring, testing, care and tracing, and a resource center.

“As we began planning for the fall semester, our planning committees quickly identified the need for additional healthcare resources,” says Rhodes College president Marjorie Hass. “This relationship with Baptist will provide our campus with resources normally found at a large research university with an academic medical center. Most importantly, our students, faculty, and staff will be supported and cared for by physicians and providers from one of the nation’s top integrated healthcare networks.”

Leading the charge on Baptist’s end will be Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, co-director of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis’ infection prevention program and a Rhodes alumnus. “This is a wonderful opportunity to help one of the country’s finest institutions welcome students, faculty, and staff back to campus safely,” he says. “We feel a tremendous responsibility to help our community weather the COVID-19 pandemic. This partnership is a natural extension of the tremendous investment we have made into educating, treating and protecting people from COVID-19, and we are excited to help Rhodes get back to educating its students.”

Through the partnership, Baptist will provide regular symptom monitoring that includes contact tracing and contingencies for a community occurrence of COVID-19. A virtual care clinic for positive cases will also be created in conjunction with the Rhodes Student Health Clinic. All returning students, faculty, and staff will be tested prior to the Fall and Spring semesters.

The hospital system will also advise Rhodes on procuring the necessary personal protective equipment and best sanitation practices for public areas, in addition to other services. If proper safety conditions are met, Rhodes plans to resume in-person classes in August.

Categories
News News Blog

Officials Outline Steps Toward Police Reform

City officials laid out steps to reform the Memphis Police Department Thursday, June 25th, assuring the community that it is committed to change.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said his administration has been meeting with clergy and other community leaders over the past four weeks to discuss ways to improve the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

Alex Smith, chief human resource officer for the city, said the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of law enforcement have led city officials to “continue to push further to ensure that Black lives matter.”

“As we have met with clergy and concerned Memphians, we understand that there’s a strong desire for change to policing in Memphis,” Smith said. “And as an administration, we agree that change must happen.”

As a result of the meetings, Smith said the city has identified “swift and immediate action that we can take to improve outcomes for MPD and the citizens that we serve.”

Those actions include:

• MPD updated its policies to include the sentiment of “8 Can’t Wait”

• Made improvements to the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB), including enhancing communication with the public, providing training for CLERB members and staff, and reviewing the request for members to have subpoena powers

• Started posting board opportunities on the city website

• Began discussions with the Memphis Police Association to look for opportunities to strengthen language in the memoranda of understanding between the city and association to ensure that officers will be held accountable when using excessive force

• Looking to partner with community activists to improve implicit bias, cultural awareness, and cultural diversity training for MPD officers

“We know this is just the beginning,” Smith said. “It’s the beginning of a longer journey, but we are committed to change, committed to Memphis, and committed to seeing this through.”

MPD director Michael Rallings said he understands the frustration that citizens are feeling and realizes “the importance of transparency and accountability as we reform law enforcement nationwide.” He continued saying that he “believes in reimagining law enforcement.”

“We are committed to making changes that will aid in building trust among citizens and among law enforcement,” Rallings said. “We have been called upon to follow the ‘8 Can’t Wait.’ Many have heard about it and we actually started reviewing ‘8 Can’t Wait’ in 2016 long before this became an issue.”

Regarding the “8 Can’t Wait” policies, Rallings said the department already bans chokeholds, requires de-escalation, requires warning before shooting, follows a use-of-force continuum, does comprehensive reporting on its use of force, and exhausts all alternatives before shooting. Additionally, the department recently updated its policies to require officers to intervene and report if another officer is using excessive force.

MPD also bans shooting from vehicles, another “8 Can’t Wait” policy. However, Rallings said it is allowed when deadly force is authorized.

After requests from the community, Rallings said MPD has also banned no-knock warrants.

“I just want to assure and reassure Memphians that we are listening and we are moving forward,” Rallings said. “We cannot stand idle and we must continue to work together.”

Strickland said the discussion and work around police reform “is not over” and that the city will “continue to work every day to do better and to be better.”

“We’ve made an intentional decision to go through all our policies and procedures to see where we can improve,” Strickland said. “Second, we will create some means to broaden the discussion in terms of people and topics so that more people can contribute with their ideas and on the topics which they want to be heard.”

Strickland said the city will solidify plans for further discussion in the next week.

Categories
Music Music Blog

The Flow: Live-Streamed Music Events This Week, June 25-July 1

Cory Branan

As live-streamed concerts become the new normal (even as some venues have begun tempting fate with non-virtual events), we’ve seen an explosion of online shows by national acts.

The beauty of virtual shows is that they could be happening anywhere, while viewers enjoy them from their homes. The Flow remains focused on Memphis acts who perform online from Memphis, but check out other listings to see what’s happening on a national scale. Our hometown music television heroes at DittyTV, for example, maintain a running calendar of online events in the Americana world that originate from all over the nation.

REMINDER: The Memphis Flyer supports social distancing in these uncertain times. Please live-stream responsibly. We remind all players that even a small gathering could recklessly spread the coronavirus and endanger others. If you must gather as a band, please keep all players six feet apart, preferably outside, and remind viewers to do the same.

ALL TIMES CDT

Thursday, June 25
Noon
Amy LaVere & Will Sexton
Facebook

Noon
Live DJ – Downtown Memphis Virtual Carry Out Concert
Facebook

7 p.m.
The Rusty Pieces
Facebook

8 p.m.
Devil Train
Facebook

Friday, June 26
Noon
Bailey Bigger – Virtual Fridays in HSP
Facebook

8:30 p.m.
The Juke Joint AllStars & The Sensation Band
Wild Bill’s Stay Safe At Home Live Stream
Facebook

Saturday, June 27
10:30 a.m.
Tony Manard – Coffee in a Cadillac
Facebook

1:30 p.m.
Michael Graber – Microdose
Facebook

7 p.m.
Cory Branan
Instagram

7 p.m.
Southern Avenue – at Loflin Yard
Facebook

7:30 p.m.
Cyrena Wages – Orpheum Theatre’s Memphis Songwriters Series: Virtual Voices
Facebook

8:30 pm
The Juke Joint AllStars & The Sensation Band
Wild Bill’s Stay Safe At Home Live Stream
Facebook

9 p.m.
Gerald Stephens – Tribute to Stevie Wonder
Facebook

Sunday, June 28
3 p.m.
Dale Watson – Chicken $#!+ Bingo
Facebook

4 p.m.
Bill Shipper – For Kids (every Sunday)
Facebook

8 p.m.
Cashmere Kashjimer & That Memphis Band – Lamplighter Lounge
Facebook

10 p.m.
Defcon Engaged (every Sunday)
Twitch TV

Monday, June 29
8 p.m.
John Paul Keith (every Monday)
Facebook

Tuesday, June 30
7 p.m.
Bill Shipper (every Tuesday)
Facebook

8 p.m.
Mario Monterosso (every Tuesday)
Facebook

Wednesday, July 1
7 p.m.
Miz Stefani (every Wednesday)
Facebook

8 p.m.
Richard Wilson (every Wednesday)
Facebook

Categories
News News Blog

Virus Death Toll Rises By Nine

COVID-19 Memphis
Infogram

Virus Death Toll Rises By Nine

Test results reported Thursday morning showed 294 new cases of COVID-19 in Shelby County.

The county’s overall average positive rate for COVID-19 rose slightly from 7.4 percent to 7.5 percent on all test results.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 2,963 tests were given. The total number of COVID-19 cases here stands at 8,688. The death toll rose by nine and is now 176 in Shelby County.

Categories
News News Blog

Navigating Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Your Questions Asked and Answered.

It’s been more than three months since the city and county mayors declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus, and we’re still figuring out how to live through this global pandemic.

While the spread of the virus slowed enough in May for local officials to begin reopening businesses, a recent spike in cases and hospitalizations delayed a move into the next reopening phase. On Saturday, the Shelby County Health Department reported the highest one-day increase in COVID-19 cases.

Over the last several weeks, the Memphis Media Collaborative (Chalkbeat Tennessee, High Ground News, the Memphis Flyer, and MLK50: Justice Through Journalism) sent a COVID-19 information needs survey by text message to residents across Memphis.

Dozens of you responded, with questions about everything from summer school to bill payment assistance to coworkers who won’t practice social distancing.

Below are answers to some of your questions and links to resources you may need.

Coronavirus Protections for Customers and Employees

As businesses reopen, are there any assurances that workers will wear masks and properly social distance?

Are there county guidelines that mandate this? Yes. Is enforcement robust? No.

The Shelby County Health Department’s latest health directive outlines the specific measures businesses must take to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

For example, employers must make sure customers maintain six feet of distance and that employees who work with the public wear masks that cover the nose and the mouth.

If you notice a business that isn’t following these guidelines, there are three ways to file a complaint: call the Shelby County Mayor’s Action Line at  901-222-2300; call the Shelby County Health Department’s COVID-19 Hotline at 833-943-1658 or email shelbytnhealth@shelbycountytn.gov.

You can remain anonymous, but the more details you can provide, the better.

I am unsure how my employer is going to follow socially distant guidelines in the workplace. What are my rights if I don’t feel protected as I return to work?

Employers are required by federal law to provide a safe working environment. Under the county health department’s COVID-19 guidelines that includes providing workers with face coverings, performing temperature and health screenings, allowing for social distancing at the workplace and providing places for workers to wash their hands and/or supplying hand sanitizer.

Whether employees can successfully petition bosses to implement and enforce these mandatory precautions or go further than the law requires is a different matter.

If you’re represented by a labor union, such as the Kroger warehouse workers represented by the Teamsters, the union can take workers’ concerns to management, which could protect individual employees from retaliation.

If you’re not represented by a union – and most employees in the Memphis area aren’t – you can file a complaint with the Shelby County Health Department, which investigates workplace safety issues. You can also file a complaint with the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration, but TOSHA is unlikely to investigate if the complaint does not allege an immediate risk.

The more specific your complaint is, the better. You can remain anonymous, but doing so may limit TOSHA’s ability to follow up. To file a complaint, call the Memphis TOSHA office at 901-543-7259 or submit a complaint online here.

It’s fine to file a report both with the state and the county, which can be reached via the Shelby County Mayor’s Action Line at  901-222-2300, the Shelby County Health Department’s COVID-19 Hotline at 833-943-1658 or by email at shelbytnhealth@shelbycountytn.gov.

– MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

Children and Education

What will happen over the summer? Will there be summer school and in-person camps?

Memphis summer learning will be online and smaller than usual this year.

Memphis students who did not earn passing grades before buildings closed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic will have the opportunity to advance to the next grade, through online summer school that also will provide them laptops and hotspots for internet access. Online classes are scheduled for June 8th through July 16th.

This year, the district plans to limit its summer learning academy to reading lessons for Kindergarten and first grade students. The district had hoped to expand the academy to all elementary school students and eighth-grade students transitioning to high school, but the county commission declined the district’s request to fund it.

Summer camps’ plans are a bit of a mish-mash. Many camps are open and operating under COVID-19 protocols, with daily temperature checks for campers, no parents past the doors, and in some cases, campers wearing masks. Other camps made the decision not to open this summer. In some cases, camps’ application windows have closed. Memphis Parent offers a Camp Guide here; calling camps individually may be the best way to learn how they are responding and if they are still accepting new campers.

Where can I find free meals for my child this summer?

To ramp up food distribution for children who need it this summer, Shelby County Schools is resuming meal preparation with help from the YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South.

Shelby County Schools will resume food preparation starting July 1st and YMCA will help the district add new distribution sites and recruit volunteers to meet the heightened demand. You can go here to find the current food distribution site closest to you.

Families can also apply by June 29th for about $5.70 per child per day through the state’s Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program.

How is Shelby County Schools preparing for the fall and the new school year? What will school look like?

There are still a lot of unknowns, but Shelby County Schools is endeavoring to give every student a laptop or tablet by November, with distribution starting in August.

District officials have said that instruction in the fall could be in-person, online, or a combination of both. More details are expected in early July after a community task force submits recommendations to Superintendent Joris Ray. Classes are scheduled to start Aug. 10th – though even that start date is tentative.

How could social distancing occur in crowded classrooms? Will masks be provided for students and staff?

The short answer is: no one knows yet.  The coronavirus has forced school districts across the nation to address a host of pandemic-related needs to ensure the safety of students and teachers when classes resume in the fall while also trying to address the loss of instructional time due to school closures this year.

Shelby County Schools officials gave a first look into some of the options being discussed during a budget presentation in May before county commissioners.

“For safety, we’re thinking about digital thermometers, PPEs or personal protective equipment, handwashing, sanitizing supplies, training,” said Toni Williams, finance director.

She noted that the needs change every day “as we’re learning more and more and becoming educated about how everyone is addressing this pandemic.”

– Chalkbeat

Reopening

What is the current time frame for reopening businesses in Memphis? What framework are the city and county using?

There is no set-in-stone time frame and the framework to advance is a colored-coded matrix that includes case predictions, capacity of our healthcare systems, and testing capabilities.

The plan is a three-phased approach with a minimum two-week wait before re-evaluating and moving to the next phase. Each category has specific metrics that get a green, yellow, or red rating. Some things can pass on yellow, some only on green. For example, hospital capacity is one category. It’s based on the percentage of ICU beds currently in-use. As long as capacity stays at 95% or lower, the category gets a passing score.  

Phase II started on May 18th. Officials have delayed Phase III twice. To move to Phase III, the metro area must have a flat or negative growth rate in new cases for the previous 14 days. The number of confirmed cases has risen since Phase II began. The Shelby County Health Department reported the highest single-day increase on June 20th with 385 new cases.

Find a full explanation, decision matrix, and the general recommendations for each phase here. Find the full list of rules for businesses and public spaces in each phase here.

What volunteer opportunities are available to help front line workers and families or individuals who are remaining isolated?

There are tons! Volunteer Odyssey says the best strategies are to 1) look around your neighborhood and 2) reach out to your favorite organization directly and ask what they need based on your needs.

Virtually every community group, business, and nonprofit in the city has big and small needs right now, too. There are monetary needs and needs for in-person volunteering, but there are plenty of opportunities that are low- or no-cost and can be done virtually. Find Volunteer Odyssey’s citywide list of high-priority needs here.

– High Ground News

Healthcare

What doctors and clinics are now accepting patients for non-coronavirus related health issues? Is elective surgery available again?

Generally, checking in with your healthcare provider is the best first step. Hospitals have begun certain elective procedures again, but it depends on the procedure and the particular doctor/clinic. Dentists are to be able to reopen for non-emergency appointments in Phase III, which has been pushed back.

Are homemade masks or bandanas adequate protection?

Wearing homemade masks can help stem the spread of coronavirus. They offer a barrier to viral droplets being released into the air by people who may be infected but asymptomatic. They do not provide the level of protection of CDC-approved N95 respirator masks but can be crucial in reducing infection levels by protecting family, friends, and the community from exposure. The CDC has in-depth information on face coverings and their benefits.

– The Memphis Flyer

Making Ends Meet

What other bill assistance programs or aid is available for unemployed workers during this time?

This is a hard one. There are a lot of programs or aid funds coming and going and a lot of existing programs are at capacity, but there are some trusted resources. Find MLGW’s residential resources page here. The Shelby County Community Services Agency offers utility, rent, prescription cost assistance to those who qualify. Click here or call 901-222-4200. LINC 2-1-1 has the most comprehensive database of assistance resources in the area. Access LINC here or dial 2-1-1 on any phone.

– High Ground News

I need to figure out how to keep my utility bill paid because I am out of work. What is MLGW’s policy right now? How will I be protected from a mounting bill?

During the pandemic, MLGW enacted their pandemic protection plan, temporarily suspending all disconnect notices; disconnects will resume on Aug. 3rd. Bills have continued to accrue while disconnections are suspended between April 3rd and Aug. 3rd. MLGW says it is unable to offer discounts or suspend billing, but have ensured users that they will work with them during the coronavirus pandemic. For more information check MLGW’s COVID resources page.

A number of community resources are offering utility assistance during this time. The Department of Human Services is providing emergency cash assistance; Shelby County’s Community Services Agency offers a Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program; the State of Tennessee is offering emergency cash assistance to those who have lost jobs due to COVID-19.

Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA), Society of St. Vincent de Paul (901-722-4703 or 901-274-2137), Millington Crisis Center Ministry (901-872-4357), and United Way of the Mid-South’s COVID-19 Economic Relief Fund (888-709-0630) are providing direct economic relief to those affected by the pandemic.

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Emergency Financial Assistance program (901-874-7350) is providing utility and other assistance for active duty and retired military personnel, their widows, and spouses with power of attorney. The Sickle Cell Foundation of Tennessee is offering assistance for sickle cell patients.

– Memphis Flyer

For Seniors

How will I really know if it’s safe to start leaving my house again, especially if I am over 65?

This is a difficult question to answer. Ultimately this decision must be made by each individual (or family). Many health professionals believe that the virus will continue to spread through communities at some level until a vaccine is created, tested, and made available to the public. That might not happen for a year or more.

Shelby County updates its COVID-19 Health Directive frequently (including guidance specifically for individuals), based on the most recent data and input from experts at the Shelby County Health Department. Currently, the guidance is still to stay at home when possible, limit unnecessary activity, practice social distancing, and wear a mask whenever leaving the home.

Older adults continue to be at higher risk. The Centers for Disease Control has some information about specific precautions seniors can take.

Will programs for seniors at city community centers continue in some form? What is available to seniors to aid with physical, social, and mental health right now?

According to the Mayor’s Citizen’s Service Center (311), community and senior centers will begin opening in Phase III of the city’s reopening plan. The date for Phase III has not been announced yet. There is not any more information at this time about how programs will be phased in. Most senior centers are offering meals and other resources ‘to-go’ in the meantime.

The Aging Commission of the Mid-South provides information about other resources available for seniors;901-222-4111 or 866-836-6678

– High Ground News

Resource Hubs:

These organizations can connect many different people, needs, and services across multiple assistance categories.

LINC 2-1-1: Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Access LINC here or dial 2-1-1 on any phone.

United Way’s Relief Call Center: Open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at 1-888-709-0630. After hours intake form can be found here.

Regional One Health’s One Health Connect: Find it here.

Categories
News News Blog

Virus Case Count Rises by 191

COVID-19 Memphis
Infogram

Virus Case Count Rises by 191

Test results reported Wednesday morning showed 191 new cases of COVID-19 in Shelby County.

The county’s overall average positive rate for COVID-19 dropped slightly from 7.4 percent to 7.3 percent on all test results.

The Shelby County Health Department reported 1,342 tests were given. The total number of COVID-19 cases here stands at 8,394. The death toll rose by one and is now 166 in Shelby County.

Categories
Politics Politics Beat Blog

Disproportion: The Legislature’s Shorting of Shelby County

It probably needs to be enshrined in some encyclopedia of Tennessee county history. In 2020, a year of both medical and financial crisis, a statewide infrastructure development fund that ultimately totaled $215 million was recast by the General Assembly as a no-strings-attached emergency aid bill to be distributed to all of Tennessee’s cities and counties.

In the process, and this should take a central place in the encyclopedia, one county, and only one, Shelby County, saw the amount of its aid reduced from the first formulation of the aid fund until final distribution.

That was Shelby County, originally slated to receive $7.7 million — a sum proportionate to its population size, largest among the 95 Tennessee counties. But in the process of final allocation — which included budget reviews by the Senate, the House, and, ultimately, a joint House-Senate conference committee, Shelby’s amount was reduced from $7.7 million by $2.7 million, all the way down to $5 million. It was the only county so reduced.

For purpose of comparison, Knox County, whose population is 456,185 compared to Shelby County’s 937,005, began the process with an allotment from the fund of $4,108,218 but saw its final amount boosted to $5,151,760, outdrawing larger Shelby.

To be sure, the city of Memphis, with a population of 650,618, drew a separate allocation of $10 million. Meanwhile, the city of Knoxville (pop: 187,500) took home $4,167,836. In that case, the emergency-aid appropriations seem proportionate to the size of each city’s population.

Again, though, by any index of proportionality, Shelby County has undeniably gotten short shrift. And it bears repeating, too, that it was the only one of Tennessee’s five counties to withstand a reduction in its aid from beginning to end of the allocation process.

What gives? (Or perhaps: doesn’t give?)

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

Big, Loud, Quiet, Calm

I’ve walked nearly 300 miles over the course of quarantine. I’ve explored practically every accessible nook and cranny of my neighborhood several times over. I’ve come to know the jagged stretches of sidewalk, what houses have the best front-yard gardens, and what hours to expect the old dog Beau to be on backyard watch, dutifully canvassing the edges of his chain-link fence, limping over to say hi when folks pass. I don’t know his owner’s name, but I greet Beau and his sister Lucy (according to their name tags) several times a week.

I now have favorite trees — the ones that tower triumphantly, anchored with massive trunks, whose roots and branches know the history of Normal Station better than any of its current residents. I have favorite houses — the ones with bungalow roofs and big front porches with swings. I miss my coffee shop, Avenue Coffee, which closed early on during the COVID crisis; grabbing a pick-me-up there at the start of a journey was a pleasant routine.

I’ve lived in this neighborhood more than a decade, so taking a stroll here wasn’t a new thing. But during quarantine, the walks morphed into something more than just a stretch of the legs or a break from the laptop during work-from-home hours. More than just a time to soak up some much-needed vitamin D or clear the head. They have served all those purposes, but now I’ve really seen my neighborhood and gotten to know it more intimately. I stop to photograph little bursts of beauty: a particularly wondrous flower, a patch of moss, an interesting cluster of mushrooms growing on a stump.

I stand in awe when the sun’s shooting through limbs and leaves, casting shadows that dance erratically across the sidewalk. If I venture toward the University of Memphis, I pause when a train comes through at Southern, letting the blaring horn beat against my eardrums as it announces its arrival, followed by the clacking of its wheels on the tracks, and then the whir that, within moments, drifts into near silence as it passes. Big, loud, quiet, calm.

Trains aside, I think a lot of us have felt the big and loud parts of the past few months. From the panic and fear surrounding coronavirus to the protests that hit our streets following senseless killings at the hands of law enforcement — we’ve been flooded with overwhelming information, immense emotions, a desire to do something, to speak out, while simultaneously perhaps feeling helpless. What do you do when you feel helpless and overwhelmed?

I often admire my dogs as they lounge in the backyard, lying in a sunspot, gazing off into the distance or ears perked at the buzz of a bee or the sight of a squirrel. They’re so perfectly in the moment at times — just being. I envy that.

But I’ve found a new sense of being on my many walks — a deep gratitude for the people and creatures that inhabit our space, a better connection to my own thoughts and feelings. A long walk tends to help a person sort through what’s going on in their mind and heart — in some ways, to cope. At least that’s the case with me.

Have you ever stopped to watch branches sway in a warm breeze? Or followed the clouds as they move across the sky when a storm’s approaching? Or honed in on the shadow of your dog, tongue out, as you lead it (or it leads you) on an afternoon adventure? Have you followed the calls of birds to the source, to find a nest of squawking hungry babies poking their tiny beaks out in search of a bug or worm? I hadn’t paid too much attention to those types of things before. Not in the way that I do now.

Pre-quarantine, my camera roll was filled with random outings, concerts, gatherings of friends — and I miss that so much. I do. But scrolling through my photos since mid-March, I’ve seen so much beauty, really seen it, because I was made to slow down, to — as cliché as it is — stop and smell the roses. Even amid a worldwide pandemic, even with horrific injustices happening all too often, there’s a flower in bloom somewhere, a bird perched on a limb, just outside your doors. For even a brief moment, something as simple as that can bring you a small measure of inner peace, if you’ll let it.

Shara Clark is managing editor of the Flyer.

Categories
Music Record Reviews

Don Bryant’s You Make Me Feel is an Instant Classic

In recent years, the appeal of classic sounds from the the ’60s and ’70s has grown and grown, leaving many wondering if such retro stylistic moves are mere trend-hopping, simply another attempt to create a flavor of the month. And yet, there’s a certain rightness to the sound, an undeniable frisson when you listen to a contemporary act capture the sound and feel of that era, as if synth-pop and Pro Tools had never happened. As it turns out, this may all be because the records of that era were simply, objectively better. In an interview with Tape Op, Gabriel Roth, co-owner of the retro soul label Daptone Records, puts it like this:

I started making records because I was listening to old records and they sounded great. It’s not really an agenda or an angle as much as it is just kind of being honest with ourselves. In articles, people say, “Aren’t you just doing something that’s been done before?” or “Isn’t this some kind of retro fad?” First, we’re not making enough money for it to be called a fad, that’s for sure. We’re just trying to be tasteful and try to make the kind of records that sound good and feel good. If they sound old, that’s great — I dig old records … the truth is we dig old records, so we’re going to try to make old records.

Daptone is based in Brooklyn, but it turns out that the same philosophy holds true in another epicenter for classic soul and funk sounds: Memphis. It shouldn’t come as a great surprise, given the longevity of many legendary studios here. Some of them, like Royal Studios, still have the same gear used to make those classic sounds in the first place. Others, like Scott Bomar’s Electraphonic Recording, take pages out of the Royal playbook and stick to the same methods. 

Beyond that, one needs players who are sensitive to the classic sounds and textures and, most of all, an artist capable of delivering performances with all the soul, integrity, warmth and outright heat that was more typical in the days before sequencing and cut-and-paste production.

And all those elements come together seamlessly in Don Bryant’s latest album, You Make Me Feel (Fat Possum). It’s not surprising, given that Bryant, after a brief foray as a solo artist, was a house songwriter for Willie Mitchell’s Hi Records, eventually marrying Ann Peebles, who made his “I Can’t Stand the Rain” famous. He carried on behind the scenes for decades, until his second solo album, Don’t Give Up On Love, was released in 2017. That album, like the latest, was produced by Bomar, pairing Bryant with Bomar’s crack soul band, the Bo-Keys. It was such a powerful return to form, with all of the classic ingredients, that one might consider it Bryant’s 21st century comeback. Now, with the same team in place for a second album, we see that Bryant, now nearing his 80th year, is not slacking his pace or his taste in the least.

The album kicks off with a classic horn-driven intro conveying the majesty of a blues-based riff in a soul context, before laying down a very ’70s groove that can’t be denied. Then, track two reveals Bryant’s take on a song (that he wrote) made popular by his wife back in the day, “99 Pounds.” Also sporting some powerful horn riffs, this one captures the classic Royal sound, with the same driving Howard “Bulldog” Grimes beat that made Hi a beacon of soul back in the day.

From there, we hear plenty of mood swings, all delivered with an aching, heartfelt panache  that few singers can pull of these days. For Bryant, it seems it’s second nature. And, as tracks evoking various emotions go by, we are reminded of how eclectic Bryant’s career was even before the mid ’70s. Some tracks here, like “Your Love is Too Late” or “Cracked Up Over You,” evoke more of a ’60s soul sound, with the latter sporting echoes of the old Satellite Records (pre-Stax) track by Prince Conley, “I’m Going Home.” It’s an earlier take on R&B than the classic Ann Peebles-type, funk-infused grooves, but Bryant, who was singing and recording from the 1950s onward, can carry both with equal aplomb.

Interspersed along the way are some moving ballads, which, given the homespun strength of Bryant’s voice, may be his strong suit. (Though, to be fair, he can howl on the uptempo tracks with a unique urgency). The standout here may be “Don’t Turn Your Back on Me,” which begins with only solo guitar and Bryant’s vocals. From there, it adds layers of sound and emotion as the band falls in.

Both the ballads and the groovy numbers have one crucial element: air. The sound of a band playing mostly live in a room just may be the key to that “old record” sound. And it only makes it better when it’s a room in Memphis, where one of soul’s great architects is pouring his soul into every note. 

Don Bryant’s You Make Me Feel is an Instant Classic