​A Rowdy Night in Hopewell
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Turns in a Stunning Performance
The last day of April was a beautiful one. I made the thirty-minute drive from my home in Midlothian, Virginia to the quiet town of Hopewell, nestled along the banks of the Appomattox River. The sun was moving west, retreating towards the horizon, the clear blue sky taking on the colors that herald the close of the day. As the light began to fade a faint warm breeze seemed to carry the promise of a special night. 

Eric Bibb's newest release, Dear America, is his most timely, and perhaps, his greatest work. Which is quite a claim coming after the glories of the double disc set Global Griot.

Bibb is unique among troubadours in that his catalog and his career serve a higher purpose. The son of the late Leon Bibb, actor, folksinger, activist, and civil rights champion, Eric Bibb legitimately carries the torch for Dr. King's vision.

It is that fire in the belly that drives Eric Bibb's life and career. In a time when frustration has led to anarchy, Eric Bibb still believes in non-violence. And even more than that, he believes in hope and love. 

Dear America, as Bibb describes it, is a letter of love to the land of his birth. In that letter he casts an unflinching gaze on America's troubled and brutal history of race relations. From any other artist you might expect a set of blistering protest songs. But Bibb's vision is bigger than that. His eyes - ever on the prize of a new world where we can do better - are full of hope.

Which is what makes this record so important and so special. Rattling off a list of grievances is one thing. To do it well requires skill. To rise above history and tragedy and offer vision, especially a hopeful one, requires spirit and a heart wide enough and deep enough to transcend mankind's darker impulses. To see all the evidence of man's injustice and hate, to look that devil in the eye and still point towards a better day, one has to draw from a deep well of faith.

To do all that, and make a record that is eminently listenable, deeply rewarding, and truly inspiring, is the mark of a true artist. Bibb has the wisdom to know when to take the view from 30,000 feet, and when to scale it down to the living room. Nowhere is that more evident than on Emmett's Ghost. The story of Emmett Till has long been a defining one in the history of the Civil Rights movement. But here Bibb makes it personal, recalling the time when, as a young boy, he saw the pictures of Till's disfigured face,and started to cry. It is a stark reminder of the impact of generational sin.

The musicality of the record is wonderful, brought to life by a group of talented performers. Bibb has been building a musical community over the course of his career, and the fruit of his labors are displayed on Dear America. Bibb, along with his producer/collaborator Glen Scott, has assembled a dream team of musicians and singers including such virtuosos as Ron Carter, Steve Jordan, and Eric Gales, to name a few.

The result is a banquet for the weary soul. Eric Bibb invites you to come to the table and feast. 

At a time when so many are suffering with sickness and death, music sometimes can act as a divine instument of hope and healing. The Mockingbird published my first article with that journal this past week. Based on an earlier article I wrote about processing grief, but expanded for our current times, the folks at Mockingbird greenlighted it! You can find it here:
​https://mbird.com/2020/04/the-muse-brings-clarity-in-the-time-of-chaos/

My feature story for okra magazine issue 10 is about two long-time friends who have created a travel show that will debut on PBS this April. But it is no ordinary travel show. It is filmed in a style reminiscent of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown. But while Bourdain used food as his entry point to immerse into other cultures, Craig Martin and Earl Bridges take another route. They are self-described philanthropolgists. That is, they study and document the work of people doing charitable, or philanthropic, work. The show shines a light on those who work to help their fellow man, often in dangerous places. WETA is giving this show a big push, so, come April be on the lookout for it. In the meantime, here is the trailer for the show...
the Good Road trailer...  

https://vimeo.com/364765141


also check out their podcast Philanthropology...

​https://www.philanthropologypodcast.com/
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