Tag Archives: Memphis

More Memphis Music

2 Replies

We spent the day touring and interviewing at three important Memphis music museums – all of them excellent – Sun Studio (where Sam Phillips first recorded Elvis Presley), STAX (home of the soul giants like Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers and Aretha Franklin) and a return visit to finish up some photos at the excellent Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum. Then we ducked across the street so Craig could fondle the guitars at the Gibson Factory (no purchases made).

Tomorrow … onwards to the Mississippi Delta and Clarksdale. Can hardly wait.

In the meantime, thanks Memphis. You’ve been great to us!

From the land of the blues …

4 Replies

We’re on a long research trip, gathering material for our upcoming travel book on the roots of the blues. 
Rather than detailed blog posts, we’re going to post photos and video bits to show you what we have to do to put a book together. Each photo will have a line or two to tell you what it’s about.

It all starts with checklists, phone calls, tons of emails and – eventually – a massive spreadsheet that details each day of interviews, museum stops, etc.

We leave …

Once out of the snow, Craig really, really, really needs to wash the salt and grime off the Roadtrek … 

In tiny Holly Springs, Mississippi we interviewed local blues collector, 90-year-old David Caldwell. His shop is stuffed with 91,000 records (no CDs here) and is so full that you cannot actually go inside. Mr. Caldwell remembers when B.B. King used to play at a Holly Springs venue for a whopping five cent entry fee. 

Memphis welcomed us with open arms – we toured Beale Street, the Center for Southern Folklore, the Lorraine Motel, the W.C. Handy home, the Blues Hall of Fame and the Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum.

Rigby finally gets her own star … 

 

Words on the page

2 Replies

Our stories and articles appear in Canadian magazines and online.

Spring and fall, we load the van – with everything from guitars to laptops – toss in a thick bundle of maps, several notebooks and roll down the road. We meet great people, gather wonderful story material and then write, write, write. Browse the links to some of our pieces in print:

BIG TRIP #1: ROOTS OF AMERICAN MUSIC: 9,000 km through the Southeast U.S.

Music Trails of the American Southeast1

BIG TRIP #2: TUNES, RUINS & STARS: 13,000 km across the American Southwest

American Southwest

BIG TRIP #3: HUGGING THE ATLANTIC COASTLINE; MUSIC INLAND: 7,064 km

Google Maps Big Trip #3 PDF-page-001

BIG TRIP #4: ROCK & ROLL: 10,950 km exploring western U.S. National Parks

 MISCELLANEOUS