Month: May 2022

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News News Blog News Feature

MLGW Again Declines To Name Power Bidders

Courtesy: Southern Environmental Law Center

Several Memphis environmental groups want to know what firms are bidding to supply the city’s electricity, but Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) said (again) they don’t have to share the information and won’t until the time is right. 

MLGW is in the midst of picking a power provider, either staying with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) or selecting a new company. The local utility is now the largest customer of the TVA and has been with the authority for more than 80 years. The idea to move away from TVA has been around for a long time, but last year MLGW formally began a process to possibly find other suppliers with a request for proposals.   

Bids came back from nearly 20 companies, but when Sam Hardiman, a Commercial Appeal reporter, asked for company names earlier this year, MLGW declined to provide them, citing state law that says MLGW can keep the company names and their proposals secret.

The laws in question say MLGW can hold the records until recommendations for awarding the contract are submitted by staff to the MLGW board. MLGW said Friday it would adhere to that process.

But several Memphis groups asked MLGW to see the proposals again this week. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) asked for the records in a Thursday letter to MLGW on behalf of the Sierra Club, Memphis Community Against Pollution, and Protect Our Aquifer, known collectively in the letter as “Community Groups.” The decision is a big one, the letter says, and the public should know who is involved. 

 ”Community Groups — and the Memphis community generally — lack access to crucially important information related to the more than 20 bids MLGW has received in response to the [requests for proposals]. Shutting the community out of the process is profoundly concerning in light of the significance of MLGW’s impending decision.”

In a Friday statement, MLGW again refused to provide that information.

”In accordance with state law and MLGW policy, the proposals received in response to those [requests for proposals] “shall not be open for public inspection’ until notices of an intent to award are issued,” the utility said. “Once recommendations for award are submitted by MLGW staff to the MLGW Board regarding an RFP, all proposals submitted in response to that RFP will be available to the public for inspection, except to the extent that any information included in those proposals is protected in accordance with federal and state law for proprietary and system security proposes. 

”Members of the public will have further opportunities to provide comments and input as recommendations are considered by the MLGW Board and the Memphis City Council.”

MLGW said public input was “instrumental” in completing its integrated resource plan to decide what sources of power it wanted to use. SELC’s letter agreed and urged that MLGW be as transparent as possible in its current proposal process.

The SELC was concerned that by keeping the other contenders secret, TVA’s incumbent status would be given an “unfair advantage” with the public. It noted that group members have received emails from TVA touting its proposal, read multiple news stories about it, and even saw ”TVA’s high-visibility co-sponsorship with MLGW to provide drinking water at the Beale Street Music Festival.”  

SELC asked MLGW to make a decision on sharing the records within a week. 

Categories
Film Features Film/TV

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange.

It wasn’t obvious at the time, but in 1980, one of the most significant movies in the history of American cinema was filmed in the woods around Morristown, Tennessee. The Evil Dead was the brain child of Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, who scrounged together just enough money to pay a 13-person crew to live in a broke-down cabin for a few miserable months. Raimi, who was 20 years old at the time, combined the supernatural horror of The Exorcist and the slasher gore of Halloween with the slapstick comedy of The Three Stooges. In the editing room, Raimi met Joel Coen, who, inspired by the fledgeling director’s can-do spirit, convinced his brother Ethan to make their own low-budget indie film, Blood Simple. After a rapturous review by Stephen King, The Evil Dead became a wildly profitable cult classic. 

In 1990, the year after Tim Burton’s Batman, Raimi directed Darkman, an original superhero film starring a young Liam Neeson. When the now-disgraced director Bryan Singer’s X-Men films took off in the late 90s, Raimi’s innovative vision earned him the director’s chair for Spider-Man. When the Marvel Cinematic Universe launched with Iron Man in 2008, it resembled Raimi’s light-dark, comedy-drama tone more than Christopher Nolan’s gritty, sour Batman Begins. 

Raimi felt burned by the mixed reaction to Spider-Man 3 and stopped making superhero movies until Disney loaded up the money truck to lure him into helming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It’s the best investment the House of Mouse has made in a long time. 

Xochitl Gomez, Benedict Wong, and Benedict Cumberbatch go Dutch angle.

Benedict Cumberbatch returns as Dr. Stephen Strange, the former surgeon turned sorcerer who was the brains behind the world-saving operation when the Avengers took on Thanos. The film opens with Strange and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) soaring through an aerobatic sequence recalling the beginning of Revenge of the Sith. But when the sorcerer falls to a space demon, we learn that this is not THE Doctor Strange, but merely A Doctor Strange from a different corner of the multiverse. America is a wild magic talent who can travel between realities, and someone is sending giant tentacle monsters after her. 

That someone turns out to be Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), the Avenger who has completed her heel turn into the Scarlett Witch after creating her own sitcom pocket universe in WandaVision. She is seeking a universe where the two sons she never had in this world actually exist, and that means stealing America’s power. Strange realizes she has been corrupted by the Darkhold, a tome of forbidden chaos magic, and seeks the mythical Book of Vishanti, which contains spells to counter Wanda’s newfound might. 

Rachel McAdams, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Xochitl Gomez step between worlds.

Marvel comics appropriated the concept of the multiverse from quantum physics to explain the contradictions between different writers’ versons of their heroes histories, and now, with Everthing Everywhere All At Once and Rick and Morty, the concept has invaded mainstreams pop culture. With writer Michael Waldron (who won an Emmy for the Rick and Morty episode “The Vat of Acid”), Raimi milks the multiverse for all kinds of fun romps over its spry, two-hour running time. His restless camera swoops and dives, pushes in for comic effect, and pulls back to shoot fights like MGM dance sequences—especially in a music-themed magic duel which brings super-genius Danny Elfman’s score to the fore. 

Cumberbatch is loose, playful, and supremely confident as Marvel’s resident magical curmudgeon. Olsen adds dark nuance to her sympathetic WandaVision interpretation of Scarlet Witch, creating the best super hero-villain pairing since Black Panther and Killmonger. The multiverse story creates opportunities to introduce all kinds of new characters and variations on old ones, and then kill them off without consequence. In one parallel Earth, we meet a version of Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) who took the supersoldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, and put the Union Jack on her shield. (Why does Captain Carter get a jetpack when Captain American doesn’t?) There’s also an emotional appearance by the great Patrick Stewart as an alternate Charles Xavier, who matches minds with Wanda. And of course, the legendary Bruce Campbell has a brilliant comedic cameo.

After a series of Marvel movies that range from the bloated Infinity War saga to the ho-hum Eternals, this is an exciting, visually inventive adventure actually worth the money to see on the big screen. Sam Raimi doesn’t need $200 million to make a great film, but when he has it, he shows everyone how it’s done.   

Categories
News News Blog Politics Politics Beat Blog

Dem Brass Comes to Memphis, Calls D.A. Race a Priority

Hendrell Remus and Steve Mulroy (Credit: Jackson Baker)

Yes, Virginia, there is a Tennessee Democratic Party, the current Republican supermjaority in state government notwithstanding. And an impressive delegation from the TNDP arrived at the Flyer office Thursday, headed by the party’s state chairman Hendrell Remus (who happens to be an ex-Memphian) and executive director Brit Bender.

Their mission was made clear: With the county primaries over, said Remus, “we know that back here in Shelby County and in Memphis, the political climate is a little bit different. … We know that there’s some Democrats, incumbents, who won’t be returning. So we want to make sure that we’re able to coalesce voters, especially of our base, around those Democrats who have been nominated to carry the torch for us in August and beyond.”

Accordingly, the local primary winners, along with the other candidates and the party’s rank-and-file, had all been invited to Loflin Yard for a combination fundraiser and post-election rally Thursday night. “Hopefully, that gives us an opportunity to light that spark and grow,” he said.

Remus made the state party’s priorities clear. “We’ll be here making the case for [County Mayor] Lee Harris for re-election, because obviously, we want him reelected. But most importantly, the D.A.’s race is a top priority for for the state party this year, almost as important as the gubernatorial race is for the state. It is at the top of our list of targets for this election cycle. And so we’ve got to be intentional about where we put that investment in how we’re down here, coalescing people around the the nominee … to move the needle [and] give us an opportunity to bring everybody together.”

Remus referred to the post-primary invitation by GOP incumbent D.A. Amy Weirich to defeated Democratic primary candidates Janika White and Linda Harris, both African Americans, for a look-around in her office. He called that “a political stunt,” adding, “she [Weirich] has a diversity issue in her office. It’s a reality that that there’s no diversity in that office. So either one of those candidates would probably be more qualified than she is to run the office. But it’s a telling approach to take after a primary’s over.”

The chairman also alluded to the fact that “we have a Democratic incumbent who seemingly endorsed the [Republican] opponent, because she didn’t win her  primary.” That, it turned out, was defeated Circuit Court Clerk Tamiika Gipson, who lost the Democratic primary to City Council chair Jamita Swearengen. The potential beneficiary would be Sohelia Kail, the Republican nominee for the position.

So, per Remus, the state party’s mission was clear: Bring everybody together in common cause and energize the troops for what the chairman saw as the most important August contest — the equivalent, as he said, of a gubernatorial race  — that between Democratic D.A. nominee Steve Mulroy and incumbent Republican Amy Weirich.

Later, once a goodly crowd had settled at the Loftin Yard event, Remus wasted no time in broadcasting that message. Standing on a table-top, he said: “In this election cycle, the most important race at the top of that ticket, is a district attorney, a very terrible district attorney, someone who has shown that she’s willing to step into a courtroom and strictly show up to score. She doesn’t care about whether or not she’s telling the truth. She doesn’t care about whether or not she inconveniently leaves evidence in the backseat of the car, or leaves it locked up in evidence or somewhere else.

“Here’s someone who talks about being tough on crime. Someone who wants to drive the crime rate down. The entire time she’s been district attorney, the crime rate has gone up. It’s because she’s not tough on crime in a way that drives crime down. … We cannot cannot let her become the district attorney for eight more years. Imagine what crime will look like over the course of the next eight years. Imagine what that would mean for young black and brown children who are being charged as adults almost every single day, because her office is more concerned about scoring a win than they are about truly fighting crime in the county.”

The antidote? “We’ve got a hell of a candidate for district attorney,” Remus said. Whereupon he summoned Mulroy to the table-top alongside him.

Mulroy gave the crowd more of the same, beginning with an appeal for party unity: “I really appreciate the opportunity to speak here, and I’m really glad to see all of you Democrats. Democrats are in the house tonight. The thing we need to remember, in Shelby County, is we’ve got the numbers. If we stick together and we turn out, there ain’t nobody stopping us.”

As to the importance of his race: “Now, obviously, I am very concerned about district attorney’s race and everything that’s being said is exactly on point. There is a reason why this particular race in Shelby County is gonna get national attention. Our district attorney has received national attention over the last decade for all the wrong reasons.

“We [were] written up in The New York Times and in best-selling books for prosecutorial misconduct and ethical violations which led to overturned convictions. We don’t disclose evidence when we’re supposed to; we make improper comments to the jury when we’re not supposed to. And not only does it give us a black eye and erode public confidence in the fairness of our system, it also overturns convictions. So either we’re trying to convict people who are innocent, which happens a heck of a lot, or criminal defendants who actually are guilty are being let free, because we’re not playing by the rules. Either way, it needs to be repaired.”

Mulroy continued: “We’re number-one in the state in transferring young African-American men from juvenile court to adult court, where they end up in adult prisons, which are essentially crime colleges with no rehabilitative services, and where they’re more likely to reoffend when they come out. Ninety-five percent of them are black. We’re number-one in the state for the number of people who are languishing behind bars who haven’t  been convicted of any crime. They’re awaiting trial at 201 Poplar; they’re waiting their day in court. Over a quarter of them are there for 500 days or more, the longer they’re in there, the more likely they are to be black.”

And it went on from there — Mulroy’s catalogue of misprisions on the part of the incumbent. Eventually he summed up: “We can reform the system, refocus on violent crime, restore public confidence and the fairness of our system; we can get the community to cooperate with law enforcement in a way that they have not been. I’m going to end tonight in a slightly modified way, because there can be no Mulroy remarks at a Democratic function without a Mulroy limerick. I think it’s federal law somewhere.”

“So let’s make this a bash, not a bummer.
Let’s all march to the beat of the same drummer.
Thanks for Tuesday night’s win,
Let’s all do it again.
Let’s go kick ass and win this summer.” 

Categories
News News Blog News Feature

Cohen Bill Would Likely Lower TVA CEO Salary

TVA president and CEO Jeff Lyash. (Credit: Toby Sells)

A new bill would likely lower the pay for Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) CEO, bringing the controversial salary down to a level comparable with those of CEOs at other public utilities. 

TVA CEO Jeff Lyash made $9.9 million last year. His base salary of $1.1 million was upped from a series of bonuses after he helped the federal utility meet or exceed some long-term and short-term corporate goals. His salary makes Lyash the highest-paid federal employee, far outpacing even the U.S. President’s pay of $400,000.

TVA has long defended its pay. For one, it says, salaries are not paid with taxpayer dollars but with revenue from electricity sales. Also, TVA has said pay, especially for its CEO, must be high to recruit and retain leaders who could make such salaries at other companies. 

See our interactive infographic here.

“The entire industry is competing for this talent as we all work toward a collective goal of a carbon-free energy future,” TVA spokesman Scott Brooks said in a statement. “That’s why we routinely benchmark with other utility peers to create a competitive compensation system. This ensures we have a well-rounded, diverse and skilled workforce that can deliver the outcomes our customers expect, including keeping rates low.”

However, TVA has been heavily criticized on the compensation. In 2020, President Donald Trump called Lyash’s pay “ridiculous” and threatened (but failed) to cut that pay “by a lot.” 

In February, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville) and Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis) filed a bill to make TVA’s top salaries more transparent. The bill would require the government-owned corporation to list salary information for any employee making more than around $240,000. 

“Southeastern communities should be able to evaluate if those salaries match the service provided by TVA.”

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Knoxville)

“TVA’s top earners are paid generously, and Southeastern communities should be able to evaluate if those salaries match the service provided by TVA,” Burchett said in a statement at the time. “Compensation transparency from TVA’s key decision makers is important for maintaining the public’s trust.”

A bill filed by Cohen Friday takes the issue further, likely lowering pay for Lyash and other TVA executives. Current law only requires TVA’s salaries to be on par with any other power provider in the U.S., including private, for-profit companies. Cohen’s bill would make compensation comparable to “compensation of executives in public utilities in both the U.S. and Canada.”    

“It is past time to get realistic about TVA salaries and to do so fairly and transparently.”

Rep. Steve Cohen

“It is past time to get realistic about TVA salaries and to do so fairly and transparently,” Cohen said in a statement. “Electricity generation and transmission managed from Knoxville should not earn its CEO three times what a typical Canadian utility CEO makes. The comparison I am suggesting may open some eyes and restore some reality to compensation at TVA.”

A statement from Cohen’s office said a review by the Congressional Research Service found CEOs of “Canadian power companies make significantly less in annual total reported compensation than American CEOs.”

Salaries are not paid with taxpayer dollars but with revenue from electricity sales.

In May 2020, former Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander — a longtime TVA supporter — claimed (in a Knoxville News-Sentinel opinion piece) that Lyash’s salary ranked in the bottom fourth among “big utility CEO salaries.” 

“The Tennessee Valley Authority plays in the big leagues.”

former Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander

“The Tennessee Valley Authority plays in the big leagues,” Alexander said. “It is our country’s largest public utility, a $10 billion company serving 10 million residents in seven states. Big utilities pay big salaries to attract the best executives.”

Categories
Music Music Blog

The Blues Music Awards Go Live Once More

Triple BMA-winner Tommy Castro (Credit: Andrea Zucker)

The Renasant Convention Center played host to scores of blues musicians and fans Thursday night, as the ceremonies of the 43rd Annual Blues Music Awards (BMAs) took place. Between handing out honors in over two dozen categories, the evening featured performances from many nominees, culminating in a joyous all-star jam by the night’s end.

It was especially welcome after the 2020 and 2021 ceremonies took place online only. Judith Black, president and CEO of the Blues Foundation, recognized the watershed moment in a statement: “What an amazing reunion after nearly three years of separation. It was an awards evening filled with awesome music, wonderful fellowshipping, and exciting honors. It was apparent everywhere you looked that people were thrilled to be back and, I am sure they could tell we were ecstatic to welcome everyone back.”

Tommy Castro snagged three BMAs: the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (which he won previously in 2010 and 2008); the Album of the Year for Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came to Town; and Band of the Year for Tommy Castro & The Painkillers.

Sue Foley at the 2022 BMAs (Credit: Andrea Zucker)

Sue Foley, who we featured in this week’s music column, was one of two double-winners, with her Pinky’s Blues recognized as the year’s best Traditional Blues Album, and Foley herself garnering the Traditional Blues Female Artist – Koko Taylor Award, repeating her 2020 win in that category. Fresh off his Grammy win, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram took home Contemporary Blues Male Artist for the third consecutive year. He was also awarded Contemporary Blues Album, which he previously won in 2020.

Also on the local tip, the Best Emerging Artist Album award went to Rodd Bland & The Members Only Band for Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland. Native Memphian Eric Gales won in the category of Instrumentalist – Guitar, and longtime Memphis resident John Nemeth took home the award for Instrumentalist – Vocals.

The complete list of 2022 Blues Music Award winners:
Acoustic Blues Album: Dear America, Eric Bibb
Acoustic Blues Artist: Keb’ Mo’
Album of the Year: A Bluesman Came to Town, Tommy Castro
B.B. King Entertainer: Tommy Castro
Band of the Year: Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
Best Emerging Artist Album: Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland, Rodd Bland & the Members Only Band
Blues Rock Album: Resurrection, Mike Zito
Blues Rock Artist: Albert Castiglia
Contemporary Blues Album: 662, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Vanessa Collier
Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Instrumentalist-Bass: Danielle Nicole
Instrumentalist-Drums: Tom Hambridge
Instrumentalist-Guitar: Eric Gales
Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Jason Ricci
Instrumentalist-Horn: Jimmy Carpenter
Instrumentalist Pinetop Perkins Piano Player: Mike Finnigan
Instrumentalist-Vocals: John Nemeth
Song of the Year: “I’d Climb Mountains,” written & performed by Selwyn Birchwood
Soul Blues Album: Long As I Got My Guitar, Zac Harmon
Soul Blues Female Artist: Annika Chambers
Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Album: Pinky’s Blues, Sue Foley
Traditional Blues Female Artist Koko Taylor Award: Sue Foley
Traditional Blues Male Artist: Taj Mahal

Meanwhile, the Blues Hall of Fame held this year’s induction ceremony on May 4th. The inductees included pre-war performer and songwriter Lucille Bogan; soul, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll star Little Willie John; renowned songwriter, artist Johnnie Taylor; and legendary songwriter Otis Blackwell.

Classic recordings that the Blues Hall of Fame honored this year were Sonny Boy Williamson II’s “Eyesight to the Blind,” Bobby “Blue” Bland’s “Farther Up the Road,” Roy Brown’s “Good Rocking Tonight,” B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby,” “Rollin’ and Tumblin’” by the Baby Face Leroy Trio, and Bo Diddley’sclassic album, Bo Diddley. This year’s non-performing inductee was Mary Katherine Aldin, who worked as an editor, disc jockey, compiler, and annotator of blues and folk reissue albums. The Classic of Blues Literature entrant was Red River Blues: The Blues Tradition in the Southeast, written by British author Bruce Bastin.

Today, May 6th, the total blues immersion continues with a special reception at the Blues Hall of Fame for award-winning music photographer Jérôme Brunet, and the first volley of a four-day run for the International Blues Challenge.

Categories
Art Art Feature Fashion Fashion Feature

Memphis in May Returns in Style

Credit: Accra Fashion Week/Memphis In May International Festival

Note: Though the culture of Ghana is more than some governmental policies, the Memphis Flyer and the author do not support the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and human rights violations occurring in Ghana. For more information on this issue, read “Honoring Ghana, Malawi Troublesome for Some In Local LGBTQ+ Community,” and visit LGBT+ Rights Ghana’s website, a cyber activism blog raising awareness of LGBTQ+ issues in Ghana and throughout Africa.

Absent for the past two years, Memphis in May International Festival is back and ready to celebrate the culture and history of the Republic of Ghana. While, of course, you can expect the usual smattering of exhibits and educational opportunities, for this year’s festival, Randy Blevins, the festival’s vice president of marketing and programming, is especially excited for two events: Ghana Live! Riches & Rhythms and “Kente & Kitenge: The Fashions of Ghana.”

Ghana Live!, Blevins says, “is going to be a very entertaining evening of authentic music from the nation of Ghana.” The Thursday night show at the Orpheum will begin with performances by the National Dance Company of Ghana, telling the story of West Africa, and will conclude with a performance by Okyeame Kwame, one of Ghana’s leading highlife musicians. “The highlife music,” Blevins says, “is that colorful, kind of calypso sort of sound. It’s very upbeat and makes you think of a tropical paradise. You’ll bounce right out of the Orpheum.” Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online.

As for the “Kente & Kitenge” fashion show on Saturday, Blevins says, the Memphis in May Festival has not had a fashion show, at least since he’s been with the organization. Organized in partnership with Nana Tamakloe, founder of the popular FashionGHANA blog and of Accra Fashion Week, the show will feature, as Tamakloe says, “designers that are very Ghanian-centered with a more modern twist — in fact, I’d say more of a futuristic twist. We are looking at the future of African fashion.”

 The four designers, who were also featured in the Accra Fashion Week, include Broots Fashion, FashionGHANA, Style by Magbrien, and Red Cotton Boutique. Broots Fashion, a relatively new brand operating in Ghana, blends African print with funk. “When I say funk,” Tamakloe explains, “I’m literally referring to American funk, like when you go back to the ’70s. They’re taking that and blending it with the African culture, and they have this whole retro people-power thing behind their brand.” Meanwhile, Style by Magrien focuses on more high-end, couture clothing, and Red Cotton Boutique creates “free-flow” pieces for “the mature woman.” “Most of their clients are diplomats and businesswomen,” Tamakloe adds.

The FashionGHANA collection, called the “Direction Collection,” is by Tamakloe’s company of the same name. The collection is sort of a blueprint for designers to take inspiration from when creating pieces for mass production. “It comes out of the experience of trying to advise designers who showcase at the Accra Fashion Week,” Tamakloe says. “Most of the artists are caught up in the art, which is nice, because they’re very artistic. … But we’re trying to advise them to keep their creativity in a way that keeps a minimal end of production [i.e. by keeping costs down through simpler, more stream-lined designs].” In doing this, Tamakloe hopes, more Ghanian designers and African designers, in general, will have access to a larger market and influence. 

Overall, since starting the FashionGHANA blog 10 years ago after working as a music-producer-turned-modeling-agent in the U.K., Tamakloe’s goal has been to promote African and Ghanian fashion. “When I came to Ghana, I realized there was so much that could be done for the fashion industry,” he says. “We’re looking at a time when Instagram was not there, so many creators were unknown. FashionGHANA was a window into African fashion as a whole. … We were the first African blog to receive one million followers on Facebook.”

Tamakloe will be in Memphis for the “Kente & Kitenge” show and says he is excited to celebrate the 10th year of FashionGHANA in Memphis. “It’s a beautiful coincidence that this is happening,” he says.

Tickets for the fashion show at the Hilton Hotel East, Saturday, May 7th, 11 a.m., can be purchased online for $65 and will include brunch and champagne. For more information on this year’s Memphis in May and its accompanying events, visit memphisinmay.org. 

Some other events and exhibitions of note include:

  • “Where I Come From,” exhibition of work by Ghanian artist Theresah Ankomah, whose creations allow her to reflect her origins and story. Register online for the opening reception on May 7th at 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. | Urevbu Contemporary, on display Thursday, May 5th-May 31st
  • 2022 Black Star – Black Tie Gala, celebrating the Ghanian history and culture with an exclusive menu, dancing, and entertainment. | Renasant Convention Center, Friday, May 6th, 6:30 p.m., $350/ticket
  • Durbar Ceremony, at which His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, king of the Asante Kingdom, will address the public in this traditional ceremony, including a procession and dancing. | Beale Street, Saturday, May 7th, 1 p.m., free
  • Cuisine of Ghana, a full five-course dinner created by visiting Ghanaian chef, Jove Ansah. Reservations must be made by calling Chez Philippe at (901) 529-4000. | Chez Philippe at the Peabody Hotel, Saturday, May 7th, 7 p.m.
  • Taste of Ghana, an evening of Ghanaian music by Obruni Dance Band, authentic small plates and soups, shopping from artists and craftsmen, and listening to and sharing personal stories from the local Ghanian community. | Museum of Science & History, May 7th, 6 p.m.- 8 p.m., $20/youth, $35 adult
  • Indie Memphis Film Series, screenings of films as part of an ongoing “Global Lens” series. Featuring The Burial of Kojo, Sankofa, and Queen of Glory. | various locations, Wednesdays, May 11th, May 18th, and May 25th, 7 p.m., $12
  • “Beautiful Metals of Ghana, Adornments, & Wearables,” exhibition featuring metal objects exploring the culture and craftsmanship of Ghana. | Metal Museum, on display through May 31st
  • “Contemporary Art of Ghana,” exhibition featuring contemporary works by artists from the Artist Alliance Gallery, Accra. | The Goodwyn Gallery at Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, on display through May 31st
  • “Every Human Being is a Human Being,” exhibition exploring Ghana’s role and contribution to trans-Atlantic slavery. | National Civil Rights Museum, on display through May 31st
  • “Isaac Hayes: Black Moses Gives Back,” exhibition showcasing Hayes’ unique dashikis collection and humanitarian work in Ghana. | Museum of Science & History, on display through July 31st
  • “Palms & Plants of Ghana,” live exhibit of flora from Ghana, including rare Sansevieria, Euphorbia, and Kalanchoe. | Memphis Botanic Garden, on view through the season; no admission required.
Categories
Music Music Blog

The Flow: Live-Streamed Music Events This Week, May 5-11

David Collins (Credit: photonical)

The sheer variety of music available in Memphis is head-spinning. Taking only the live-streamed shows available below (to say nothing of the other bands playing around town), the offerings range from the extended Americana-rooted jams of Devil Train, to the spontaneous music of the city’s top players at the Memphis Hang Suite, to the semi-free/semi-composed instrumentals of David Collins. It’s a cornucopia of tonal delights, all for the picking online for whoever may want to enjoy music with an abundance of caution. Enjoy the harvest, and don’t forget to tip players!

ALL TIMES CDT

Thursday, May 5
9:30 p.m.
Devil Train — at B-Side Memphis
Facebook YouTube Twitch TV

Friday, May 6
9:30 p.m.
Aubrey McCrady and J.D. Westmoreland — at B-Side Memphis
YouTube Twitch TV

Saturday, May 7
7 p.m.
Velvetina’s Burlesque — at B-Side Memphis
YouTube Twitch TV

7 p.m.
Heavy Eyes and Arc of Quasar — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way
Website

Sunday, May 8
7 p.m.
Shaker Maker — at B-Side Memphis
YouTube Twitch TV

Monday, May 9
9 p.m.
Aubrey McCrady & Friends — at B-Side Memphis
YouTube Twitch TV

Tuesday, May 10
8 p.m.
Memphis Hang Suite — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way
Website

8 p.m.
David Collins — at B-Side Memphis
YouTube Twitch TV


Wednesday, May 11
5:30 p.m.
Richard Wilson
Facebook

7 p.m.
Dan Whitaker Trio — at Hernando’s Hide-A-Way
Website

8 p.m.
Dylan Dunn — at B-Side Memphis
YouTube Twitch TV

Categories
Music Record Reviews

Obruni Dance Band Brings Ghana to Memphis

The Obruni Dance Band (Credit: Misti Rae Holton)

“World boogie is coming,” the late Jim Dickinson often quipped, and it’s usually taken to mean that the rhythms and sounds of the South will one day become universally embraced around the globe. But sometimes the rhythmic currents flow in the other direction, as Africa, the mother lode of the groove, resonates with those who have already been steeped in American blues, jazz, and funk, and they go straight to the source.

Such a dynamic informed the musical journey of Adam Holton many years ago, as he absorbed the music of Ghana while studying at the University of Colorado. The Memphis Flyer detailed his journey with the Obruni Dance Band some four years ago, and since that time his journey has continued apace. Now his group, dedicated to the sounds of Ghanaian highlife music, has released an intriguing new EP, Highlife in Memphis.

Put in perspective, it’s a minor miracle that these Memphians have so mastered the rhythms and feel of highlife. Having been a fan of the genre since the ’90s, I know highlife when I hear it, and this is it. The loping, infectious beat, colored by cascading guitar ostinatos, with keyboard jabs added for punctuation, is a musical world unto itself, and this band inhabits that world effortlessly.

Perhaps more importantly, Holton makes the sound his own, with a handful of originals done in classic highlife style that nonetheless flow organically from this white bass player from Memphis. It works largely because Holton delivers the songs in a plainspoken, unaffected voice, free of mimicry or theatrics.

That perfectly suits the subject matter, which, in keeping with the tradition’s classic songs, dwell earnestly on the simple pleasures or frustrations of life. “Flat Roof” is paradoxically joyful plaint about a leak in a rainstorm; “Oh Awurade” can be translated as “Oh Lord,” and is both an exclamation and an earnest prayer; “My Buddy” is a lovely ode to the bond between father and child; and “Lonely,” which ventures into a more Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti-inspried Afrobeat/funk style, dwells darkly on “talking to ourselves in an unaccepting tone.”

As with Ghanaian highlife, the key to Memphis highlife songs is simple, heartfelt expression paired with the complex rhythms of the music. Take these lyrics by Daddy Lumba in the Twi language, translated by a blogger in Ghana:
Ɔdɔ abɔ n’ani akyerɛ me – My love has winked at me
Ɔte biribi ara ase – She understands something
Ɔsere kakra kyerɛ me – She smiles a little at me
Dada, woama ma nane – She makes me melt

Holton echoes these uncomplicated sentiments with “My Buddy”:
Whatever you are
You will be adored
Wherever you go
You will take my love

The real clincher is the strength of the flowing, unhurried melodies, as they unwind over the jumping, rolling rhythms of Ghana. And the band, comprising some of this city’s A-list players (Holton on bass and vocals, Logan Hanna on guitar, Felix Hernandez on congas, Robinson Bridgeforth on drums, Tim Stanek on keyboard, Victor Sawyer on trombone, and Hope Clayburn on saxophone) plays with a looseness and precision that befits the music’s importance in West Africa.

It’s an unexpected perk that Memphis, now celebrating the country of Ghana in this year’s Memphis in May festivities, just happens to have an ace highlife band living here. That happenstance will come to its full flowering this Saturday, May 7, at the Museum of Science & History (MoSH), when the Obruni Dance Band plays the Taste of Ghana event from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  

In collaboration with the Ghanaian Association of Memphis, MoSH will celebrate the history and culture of Ghana with an evening of Ghanaian music, food, shopping, and more. Guests can sample authentic small plates and soups while they enjoy the rhythms of the Obruni Dance Band, as well as hear and share personal stories from the local Ghanaian community.

It’s all part of the new Isaac Hayes: Black Moses Gives Back exhibit at MoSH, a colorful exhibit that introduces a side of Hayes that many may not be familiar with. Hayes was known for his interest in Black pride and Afrocentrism, often sporting African clothing and doing philanthropic work in Ghana. Indeed, he was made an honorary king of the Ada region of Ghana for his work there.

The celebration of Ghana by the Memphis in May International Festival is a perfect time to explore this unlikely and moving example of cultural transformation. Lest anyone condemn it as mere appropriation, take note of the music: it’s from the heart.


Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Take Game 2 Against the Warriors, Even the Series 1–1

Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Tuesday night the Memphis Grizzlies continued their playoff series against the Golden State Warriors. A 47-point game from Ja Morant propelled them to a win, 106 to 101.

Let’s get into it.  

These playoffs are built different. Different energy, different intensity, and different officiating. This is fitting because the Warriors are a vastly different team than the Timberwolves. Golden State is inarguably better than Minnesota, but the latter was a much tougher matchup for this Grizzlies team.  

Game two got off to a chaotic start when Dillon Brooks was ejected from the game less than three minutes into the first quarter, after an attempt to stop Gary Payton II from going to the rim went very wrong. Brooks was assessed a flagrant foul 2 and Payton was led back to the locker rooms and then taken off to get X-rays on his elbow. After the game it was reported that Payton had suffered a fractured elbow, likely ending his season.  

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr called out play in the first half as dirty, and in his postgame interview insinuated that Brooks had broken a code of sorts. Injuries suck and this one is no different, but the irony in Kerr calling Brooks dirty when he coaches Draymond Green is not lost on me. Especially when Green’s flagrant foul on Brandon Clarke in Game 1 had just as much potential for injury.  

Make no mistake about it, Brooks’ play was reckless, but calling it dirty implies intentionality that was not present.  

Shortly after Brooks was ejected, Draymond Green took an inadvertent elbow to the face from Xavier Tillman Sr., which led to him going back to the locker room for treatment. Green displayed two middle fingers to the crowd in FedExForum on his way to the back. He returned to the game shortly after receiving a couple of stitches and did not seem much the worse for wear.  

Memphis led the game from the opening tip until sometime in the third quarter, when Golden State was able to temporarily edge past them. But there was no stopping Ja Morant in the fourth quarter, not even the Warriors’ so-called death lineup of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins. And when the final buzzer sounded, the Grizzlies had come away with a 106-101 victory.  

By the Numbers:  

Ja Morant led all scorers with 47 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, proving once more that when the Grizzlies need help, they can count on 12.  

Please enjoy this video of Morant bringing the work to Jordan Poole on his way to the basket.

And this one of Morant taking flight and throwing down a dunk.

Rookie Ziaire Williams came up big off the bench, finishing the night with 14 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 4-8 from beyond the three-point line.  

Jaren Jackson Jr. struggled in game two scoring just 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks and then fouling out in the fourth quarter.  

Brandon Clarke closed out with 10 points on 4 of 4 shooting. Clarke was a key contributor to the success the Grizzlies had in the first round, and he continues to prove his worth.  

Who Got Next?  

Blessedly, game three is not until Saturday night when the Grizzlies will bring the battle to the Bay. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. CDT on ABC.  

Categories
Politics Politics Beat Blog

Harris, Mulroy Win as Form Sheet Prevails in Primary

Successful candidates Lee Harris and Steve Mulroy exchange congratulations at their shared headquarters. (Photo by Jackson Baker).

Round One of the Shelby County election process is over now, and the results ran fairly close to advance expectations.

There was minimal suspense at the top of the ticket, on either the Democratic or the Republican side. Incumbent Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris handily disposed of his Democratic primary opponent Kenneth Moody, 33,753 to 14,369 (and, in a classy move, praised Moody in his remarks to a jubilant crowd at his campaign headquarters at Poplar and Highland). City Councilman Worth Morgan collected 14,259 votes against no opposition to become the Republican nominee for Mayor.

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated outcome was in the Democratic contest for District Attorney General. University of Memphis law professor and former County Commissioner Steve Mulroy, who shared the Poplar and Highland campaign space with Harris, fell just short of an absolute majority, disposing of two hard-running opponents, polling 22,123 votes to 15,876 for Janika White and 10,055 for Linda Harris. As Harris had done, Mulroy had kind words for his defeated opposition.

G.O.P. incumbent D.A. Amy Weirich was unopposed in the Republican primary and finished with 14,526 votes. She wasted no time in responding to Mulroy’s win. After praising his two Democratic opponents (and all but offering them jobs in her office) she accused Mulroy of running “one of the most dishonest and vile campaigns we have witnessed in Shelby County history.” Her Democratic adversary, she said, among other things, has “lied about my record and my office but most important he has lied to the people of Shelby County about his radical intentions if elected D.A., which include defunding the police and freeing violent criminals from jail.”

Mulroy responded with a statement of his own: “A false charge in print from a D.A. known for making them in court. I don’t want to defund law enforcement or free all violent criminals.  This is an attempt to distract the voters from the fact that violent crime has risen steadily to record numbers under her watch, while multiple courts have overturned convictions due to prosecutorial misconduct.” 

Clearly, the D.A.’s race in August will have some of the bare-knuckle aspects of the current Grizzlies-Warriors NBA playoff series.

The big winner of Tuesday night, of course, was Sheriff Floyd Bonner, with 45,172 votes. Bonner, unopposed,  had the Democratic nomination to himself and had a de facto endorsement of the Republican Party, as well. 

County Commission Races:
In District 1, Republican incumbent Amber Mills was renominated without opposition, garnering 1,530 votes. Donna McDonald-Martin polled 2,052 on the Democratic side, reinforcing the anomaly that had showed up in early voting, when more Democratic voters than Republican ones had gone to the polls in this traditionally Republican outer-county district.

In District 2, Collierville and its environs, things returned to form, with Republican David Bradford getting 2,052 and no Democrats qualifying to oppose him.

Similar results occurred in District 3, Bartlett, with GOP incumbent Mick Wright garnering 1,948 votes and no Democrats on the ballot.

In District 4, East Memphis/Germantown, there was a Democrat on the ballot, with Britney Chauncey polling 2,079 votes for the right to oppose Republican incumbent Brandon Morrison, who nosed out her primary challenger, Jordan Carpenter, 2,724 votes to 2,585, in a GOP grudge match, in which Carpenter had the support of four sitting Republican Commissioners.

In District 5 (Cordova), a three-way Democratic primary contest was won by Shante Avant who, with 1,887 votes, outran Reginald French, with 1,053, and Quran Folsom, with 665. Republican Todd Payne was unopposed and got 898 votes.

District 6 (Frayser/Raleigh) saw Charlie Caswell in an easy win over his Democratic primary opponent Alexander Boulton, with 2,135 votes to 967. No Republicans qualified to run.

District 7 saw the return of controversial former Commissioner Henri Brooks to the limelight, with 1,607 votes to get the Democratic nomination. School Board member Althea E. Greene was second with 1,531 votes, Cartavius Black had 638, Kathy Temple 517, Orrden Williams 51. No Republicans qualified. 

Democratic incumbent Mickell Lowery was unopposed in District 8. There was no Republican candidate.

In District 9, Democratic incumbent Edmund Ford Jr., with 6,156 votes, easily defeated opponents Sean Harris and Sam Echols, who had 600 and 554 votes respectively. No Republicans ran.

District 10 was another all-Democrat affair, with Britney Thornton, who had 2,198 votes, defeating Kathy Kirk, with 1,314, and Teri Dockery, with 1,005. 

In District 11, again no Republicans. In the Democratic primary, School Board member Miska Clay Bibbs outpointed the Rev. Eric Winston, 1,285 to 1,267, with Candice Jones getting 836 votes.

In District 12, Democrat Erika Sugarmon, who always seems to be in a nail-biter, edged out the Rev. Reginald Boyce, 2,268 votes to 2,000. James Q. Bacchus had 920, and David P. Walker 197. No Republicans.

Incumbent Democrat Michael Whaley, with 2,717 votes, had the Democratic primary to himself. In August, he’ll have a Republican opponent in Ed Apple, who had 1,378 votes.

Other Countywide Races:

In the Assessor’s race, Democratic incumbent Melvin Burgess beat challenger Rod Blount, 39,273 to 7,676. Republican Steve Cross had 13,961 votes.

Trustee Regina Newman was unopposed in the Democratic primary, polling 43,481 votes. Her Republican challenger in August, Steve Basar, also unopposed, had 13,594 votes.

In the race for Circuit Court Clerk, City Council chair Jamita Swearengen defeated incumbent Democrat Temiika Gipson in that primary, 26,850 votes to 19,285. Republican Soheila Kail was unopposed in her primary, with 13,322 votes.

In the race for Criminal Court Clerk, incumbent Democrat Heidi Kuhn’s 20,091 votes beat opponents Carla Stotts, with 13,347 and Maerne Bernard, with 11,293. Republican Paul Houston had 13,790 votes in his primary.

Four Democrats vied for the nomination for Juvenile Court Clerk, with Janeen Fullilove-Gordon coming out on top with 22,356 votes. Reginald Milton had 10,299 votes, Stephanie Gatewood had 10,174, and Marcus Mitchell had 4,236. Republican Rob White was unopposed in his primary, with 13,838 votes.

In the race for Probate Court Clerk, outgoing County Commissioner Eddie Jones won the Democratic primary, with 21,032 votes, William Chism Jr. had 13,282, and incumbent Bill Morrison had 11,380. Republican DeWayne Jackson had 13,393 votes in his primary.

In the race for County Clerk, incumbent Democrat Wanda Halbert won handily, with 38,818 votes to 5,434 for William Stovall, 5,370 for Arriell Q. Gipson, and 2,168 for Mondell Williams. Jeff Jacobs had 13,848 as a solitary Republican candidate.

The Democratic primary for Register had outgoing County Commissioner Willie Brooks prevailing with 20,468 votes. Wanda Logan Faulkner had 13,119, and incumbent Shelandra Ford finished third with 12,929. Unopposed as a Republican was Brian Edmiston, with 13,901.