This Date in Music – August 7, 1937 – Blues Guitarist Magic Slim was born!!

On this date August 7th in 1937, Morris Holt, better known as Magic Slim was born at Torrance, near Grenada, Mississippi. Magic Slim followed Muddy Water and Howlin’ Wolf to Chicago and became a force in the Chicago blues scene. I discovered his music when I started the blog Me, Myself, Music and Mysteries. Here’s my post about Magic Slim from 2o1o…..after this post Slim released one more album Bad Boy (2012) prior to his passing in February of 2013. From Wikipedia…. Read More

Exploring the Music of the Amazing Rashaan Roland Kirk on his birthday! (August 7, 1935)

Rashaan Roland KirkOver the years I have heard the name Rashaan Roland Kirk and have listened briefly to his music. Since I was not really a big fan of  improvisational and avant-garde music, I most generally avoided his music! But last year, I discovered the album Kirk’s Work, when I was researching Jack McDuff‘s music and was really, really impressed by the album. So today, on the 79th anniversary of this inventive and influential musician, I thought that it was a good time to explore the man and his music. Read More

Today in Music – August 6, 1957 – Harmonica and Vibes Virtuoso Hendrick Meurkens was born!!

Live at Bird's EyeOn this day, August  6, 1957  vibraphonist and chromatic harmonica virtuoso Hedrick Meurkens was born to Dutch parents in Hamburg, Germany. Meurkens was listed on today’s birthday list at All About Jazz as a harmonica player . When I went to Spotify to listen to his music, I started with his new release Junity, which opens with a nice rendition of The Beatles “Blackbird”. I listened to a few more tracks and then went to the next album his 2011 release Live at Bird’s Eye. As I listened to the album, I thought. boy, he sure is nice to give that vibes player so much time! Well, I thought he is pretty damn good! After I listened a little more and really liked the album, I went to Hendrick’s website, where I read that……. Read More

This Day in History – August 4, 1964 – The Bodies of Three Slain Civil Rights Workers Found in Mississippi!

James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner(top to bottom)

James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner(top to bottom)

On the night of June 21-22 in 1964 three American civil rights workers, James Earl Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael “Mickey” Schwerner were shot at close range and killed.   The workers had been working on the “Freedom Summer” campaign, attempting to register African-Americans to vote. On today’s date August 4th, their bodies  were found in an earthen dam near the murder site. Read More

Fredric Wertham and the Comic Code Authority Making Comic Books Safe for Kids!!

One of the books that I am reading is Harold Schecter’s The Mad Sculptor: the maniac, the model and the murder that shook the nation. The Mad Sculptor is Robert Irwin, prior to committing the murder (I haven’t gotten that far yet) Irwin is committed to Bellevue hospital, after an attempt at a little self-emasculation (he stopped because of the pain). While he was there one of the psychiatrists who saw him was Fredric Wertham.
Frederic Wertham
  Read More

Today in History – July 31, 1200 – Byzantine's Game of "Broken"Thrones starring John "the Fat" Komnenos

On this day in the year 1201 or 1200? John Komnenos nicknamed “the Fat” attempted to usurp the imperial Byzantine throne from Alexios III Angelos – pizza (- sorry my mind just thinks pizza when it hears Angelos) Below is a map of the Byzantine Empire *circa 1204…..

Byzantium1215

Map to show the partition of the empire following the Fourth Crusade, c.1204. The overall outcome of the Crusades leaving the Empire permanently weakened.

Read More