Monthly Archives: April 2008

Where I’m Comin’ From

Now normally I would not send anyone, least of all my readers, to a really dodgy newspaper website.  However, this particular one happens to be my hometown rag.  The editor-in-chief is a drummer and a big fan of the jazz program in my hometown, so he always gives good coverage to the state championships, where the Harlan Band has been placing in the trophy class since they started that competition.  I am proud to say that I played drums in that band the first time they ever won Iowa Jazz Championships in 1999.  Congrats to another group of young Iowa jazz players, the Harlan Jazz Experience.

You may not hear from me for a few days for the same reason that my posts have been sporadic and short for the past couple of weeks.  I’m in the middle of writing my preliminary exams, after which I’ll be ABD!  Then it’s off to Uganda again . . . that link should keep you busy while I’m out.

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Nu Badu Review

See my review of Erykah Badu‘s recent New Amerykah Pt. 1 (4th World War) in this month’s issue of Black Grooves at www.blackgrooves.org.  They’ve also posted reviews of the new Chuck Berry box set, Lionel Luecke record, and some other juicy media in their April issue.  Hopefully this kind of update will become a common site on ArtclecticAcademic: it looks like I might get to review the second installment of this record and some other media for these folks in the near future.

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Featured artist: Banksy

Too often art in public places has been shaped by the forces that put together funding to get it there or by the ambitions of an artist to go so far over the top that nobody can understand what they’re saying.  Not the case with Banksy.  I must be way behind the hipness curve on this one, because apparently this person has been around in the U.K. and has even done some work in Palestine.  Check out this clip from a British television program:

Now the weird part about Banksy is that he doesn’t want to be seen or known by anyone.  At first glance this seems to me like an effort to annihilate the ego, but with a name like Banksy, I’ve got to wonder…he’s obviously adept at publicity and he makes a living at this though nobody knows who he his.  Sure, nobody gets into art for the money, and yet he seems to be doing just fine.  Say what you will (no really, comment–I’m curious); this is still very honest art and it’s getting noticed all over the world, so he must be doing something right.

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