John Edwin Mason: Documentary, Motorsports, Photo History

Funky Friday with Nadine Hutton

When I met Nadine Hutton last October, my first thought was this:  She's what I would have been, if I were South African, a woman, had far, far fewer hangups, and more talent.  Of course, that's a complete fantasy.  I know -- heck, you know -- that no matter how South African, female, footloose, and fancy-free I manage to become, I'll never be as cool as Nadine.

Nadine's an artist and photographer, not a musician.  But, as the second video clearly shows, she's sure 'nuff funky.  (The first video is an introduction to her wide-ranging work.)  She's in Los Angeles right now, where for the next few weeks, she'll be an artist-in-residence a the 18th Street Arts Center.  That's reason enough to celebrate.

 

 

 

Nadine's one of my favorite photographers.  I love her portraits -- for instance, two images that she made of the great Hugh Masekela.  The first makes me happy; the second blows me away.  You can see them here and here.

I'm also a big fan of an ongoing series of photographs that she's making with an iPhone, in which she's exploring, as she says, "a personal, often ironic and humorous vision of home, Johannesburg."  You can see these wonderful images here.

 

 

 

Nadine's documentary photography is as strong as her more purely artistic work.  "I Have Fallen," an essay on poor whites in South Africa is an example.  As both photography and journalism, it's probably the best work I've seen on the subject.  (I've discussed some recent photo essays on poor whites here and I've looked at the historical backstory, here.)

A Funky Friday without music?  Not a chance.  Play that second video, again.  It will make you want to dance.

Funky Friday: DJ Li'l Miss Dolemite (2.0)

Yes, it's Li'l Miss Dolemite, strange visitor from another planet, with powers and abilities to funk you up, far beyond those of mortal men, women, and DJs.  She's back for another Funky Friday with "Shutterbugg remix."  Play it loud.  It just might be the best three minutes and two seconds of the day.

 

Shutterbugg remix by Li'l Miss Dolemite 

 

You can hear more of Li'l Miss Dolemite's fabulous, funky, and funny remixes on her SoundCloud page.  (Funny?  you bet.  They don't call her Miss Dolemite for nothing.)

 

 

Photo courtesy of Li'l Miss Dolemite.

Funky Friday: DJ Li'l Miss Dolemite, "Dolemite for President"

This is funky beyond words.  Also damned clever and very funny.  But mainly it will make you want to get up offa that thing.  Dance, and you'll feel better.

 

DJ Li'l Miss Dolemite - Dolemite for President (Full Mix) by The Vicious Mark 

 

I can't tell you much about DJ Li'l Miss Dolemite.  Rumor has it that she's the bastard child of the world-renowned, yet underground, comedian of soul Dolemite.  Other folks say that her life's ambition is simply to become the funkiest white girl this world has ever seen and take the Dolemite name into the twenty-first century.  If that's right, she's sure enough on her way.

 

 

DJ Li'l Miss Dolemite herownself.

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By the way, if you're not hip to Dolemite, check him out here.  But, be careful with the clips, he's definitely NSFW.

PS  My friends at Duckrabbit, the multimedia production house, are also celebrating Funky Friday.  This week, with the brothers and sisters on the streets of Egypt in mind, they're serving up some classic Public Enemy -- "Fight the Power!"

Veronica Swift & Hod O'Brien: Jazz at Fellini's #9

About a month ago, I wandered down the street to Fellini's #9, my neighborhood pub, to hear some terrific jazz served up by the singer Veronica Swift and pianist Hod O'Brien.  I heard two long sets of standards and bebop, and I've rarely heard musicians respond as sympathetically to each other, anticipating every nuance of each other's performance.  It makes sense that they were so perfectly in sync -- Hod and Veronica just happen to be father and daughter.

 

 

John Edwin Mason:  Veronica Swift, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, October 2010.  (All photos copyright John Edwin Mason, 2010.  Click directly on any of the photos to see larger versions.)

If Hod's name rings a bell, you're a real jazz insider.  He's a charter member of the "underground of the jazz renowned" -- musicians who are revered by their peers, but are largely unknown to the general public.  For many years, he was a prominent part of the New York jazz scene.  In fact, he replaced Bill Evans in the Oscar Pettiford Quintet when he was only 21 years old. He and his wife, Stephanie Nakasian, a jazz vocalist with an impressive resume (and Veronica's mother), have made Charlottesville their home since the early '90s.

 

 

John Edwin Mason:  Veronica Swift and Hod O'Brien, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, October 2010.

You probably haven't heard of Veronica, yet, no matter how closely you follow jazz.  But chances are that you'll be seeing her name more and more frequently over the coming years.  She's got style and poise well beyond her years (she's still in high school).

 

 

John Edwin Mason:  Veronica Swift and Hod O'Brien, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, October 2010.

Three things most impressed me about Veronica's singing:  Her sense of time -- she nailed both swing and bebop grooves to the wall; her intonation -- she placed every note was right where it was supposed to be, something that's not easy to do, given the harmonic complexity of the music she was singing; and her interpretations -- she already knows how to sell a lyric.

 

John Edwin Mason:  Veronica Swift and Austin Patterson, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, October 2010.

Austin Patterson, another high school singer, joined Veronica for a couple of numbers.  As you can see, they were having fun, and, trust me, so was the crowd at Fellini's.

 

 

John Edwin Mason:  Veronica Swift and Stephanie Nakasian, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, October 2010.

Stephanie Nakasian was on hand to watch her daughter sing, and there would undoubtedly been a riot if she hadn't agreed to sing a duet or two with Veronica.  (We're all Nakasian fans around here.)  They sounded great together.  It was the perfect way to end the evening.

Saturday Night @ Fellini's: John D'earth, Miles Griffith, & Stephanie Nakasian

It's the twenty-first century, and scientists still aren't very good a predicting when magic will happen.  Maybe they should talk to photographers, especially those who moonlight as historians.

I knew -- or, at least, I had a strong hunch -- that magic would happen last Saturday night at Fellini's #9, my neighborhood pub.   Miles Griffith, the brilliant New York-based jazz singer, was in town to perform in concert with the University of Virginia's Jazz Ensemble.  The best musicians in town would be there to see him.  Later that night, the Jazz Ensemble's director, John D'earth, was scheduled to play a late night gig at Fellini's.  Chances were awfully good Miles and some of his fans would show up and that they'd sit in with John's band.  Mix together heaping helpings of talent and post-concert energy, and something good was sure to happen.  Call it magic.

 

 

Miles Griffith sings, John D'earth listens, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1 May 2010.  (All photos copyright John Edwin Mason, 2010.  Click directly on any of the images to see larger versions.)

Miles's singing blends harmonically sophisticated improvisation, high-wire risk taking, and exuberant good humor.  It's wonderful, and there's nothing quite like it.

 

Miles Griffith, vocals, Bob Hallahan, piano, Pete Spaar, bass, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1 May 2010.

John's band included Bob Hallahan, on piano, and Pete Spaar, on bass.  Like John, both are members of the University of Virginia's music faculty.  Devonne Harris, who was sitting in deep shadows and isn't in these photos, was playing drums.  You couldn't ask for a better rhythm section.

 

Stephanie Nakasian and Miles Griffiths, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1 May 2010.

Stephanie Nakasian, who also teaches in the University of Virginia's music department, was one of the musicians who was at the concert to hear Miles and the jazz ensemble.  When Miles saw her at Fellini's, there was no question that they'd end up singing a duet, or three.

Stephanie Nakasian, Bob Hallahan, and Pete Spaar, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1 May 2010.

Stephanie's a major singer in her own right.  Just a couple of weeks ago, Terry Gross interviewed her on National Public Radio's Fresh Air.  You can listen to the interview (and hear Stephanie sing a couple of songs), here.

John D'earth, trumpet, Bob Hallahan, and Pete Spaar, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1 May 2010.

It's worth remembering that this was John's gig.  Besides being a miracle worker, as director of the jazz ensemble, he's a terrific trumpet player.  You can listen to him play with the Thompson D'earth Band by clicking, here.

Roberta Keil, the best bartender in town, Fellini's #9, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1 May 2010.

Last, but far from least, is Roberta, the barista who always keeps everyone happy.