Taj, Music Maker and Tobacco
Juke Welker
Smokin' Blues: For those upset with revival tour sponsored by Big
Tobacco, Taj Mahal says butt out....
..."If it takes R.J. Reynolds to do this," Taj says from his Pasadena,
Calif., home, "at least it's getting done. Where's Sony and Time Warner
and all the guys that have made a billion dollars off of this music? The
point is that no one else is putting this kind of money into something
like this. At least these guys are putting their money where their mouth
is....
..."I'm sure (R.J. Reynolds) are making something that may not be healthy,"
Taj acknowledges. "But this is the first time that I know of that a
corporation has gotten behind this music. If someone don't like it, this
is what I say: Here's how much money has been put out. You wanna match
it?"....
story about this and more @
http://www.bostonherald.com/bostonherald/entr/09katzw.htm
Don O.
>..."I'm sure (R.J. Reynolds) are making something that may not be healthy,"
>Taj acknowledges. "But this is the first time that I know of that a
>corporation has gotten behind this music. If someone don't like it, this
>is what I say: Here's how much money has been put out. You wanna match
>it?"....
There was also a Benson and Hedges blues series that lasted about 3 years.
They brought a lot of great music to Dallas and other places.
Don O.
Dallas/Fort Worth Blues website at http://www.chrysalis.org/don
Rich Gordon
do...@chrysalis.org writes:
<< There was also a Benson and Hedges blues series that lasted about 3 years.
>>
I remember one show in Chicago at the Arie Crown Theater....Willie Dixon,
John Lee Hooker, Dr.John, David Bromberg, and the Kinsey Report. I believe
there were a couple of other performers but mind is a bit cloudy. Might have
been Elvin Bishop and Koko Taylor too.
Rich Gordon
Sunday Night Blues
WXRX 104.9 FM
Rockford,IL
Barry B. Bean
corporation has gotten behiond blues. It is true, however, that
liquor and tobacco have been the most generous.
BBB
On Thu, 10 Dec 1998 21:55:37 EST, Juke Welker wrote:
>I got a kick out of this article from the Boston Herald:
>
>Smokin' Blues: For those upset with revival tour sponsored by Big
>Tobacco, Taj Mahal says butt out....
>
>..."If it takes R.J. Reynolds to do this," Taj says from his Pasadena,
>Calif., home, "at least it's getting done. Where's Sony and Time Warner
>and all the guys that have made a billion dollars off of this music? The
>point is that no one else is putting this kind of money into something
>like this. At least these guys are putting their money where their mouth
>is....
>
>..."I'm sure (R.J. Reynolds) are making something that may not be healthy,"
>Taj acknowledges. "But this is the first time that I know of that a
>corporation has gotten behind this music. If someone don't like it, this
>is what I say: Here's how much money has been put out. You wanna match
>it?"....
>
>story about this and more @
> http://www.bostonherald.com/bostonherald/entr/09katzw.htm
>
-
B.B. Bean - Have horn, will travel bbb...@beancotton.com
Peach Orchard, MO http://www.beancotton.com/bbbean.shtml
Jim Bardsley
Juke Welker wrote:
I got a kick out of this article from the Boston Herald:Smokin' Blues: For those upset with revival tour sponsored by Big
Tobacco, Taj Mahal says butt out....
AAAARRRRGGGHHH, I suppose this your idea of some cruel pun?
William Sakovich
>I got a kick out of this article from the Boston Herald:
>
>Smokin' Blues: For those upset with revival tour sponsored by Big
>Tobacco, Taj Mahal says butt out....
>
>..."If it takes R.J. Reynolds to do this," Taj says from his Pasadena,
>Calif., home, "at least it's getting done. Where's Sony and Time Warner
>and all the guys that have made a billion dollars off of this music? The
>point is that no one else is putting this kind of money into something
>like this. At least these guys are putting their money where their mouth
>is....
>
>..."I'm sure (R.J. Reynolds) are making something that may not be healthy,"
>Taj acknowledges. "But this is the first time that I know of that a
>corporation has gotten behind this music. If someone don't like it, this
>is what I say: Here's how much money has been put out. You wanna match
>it?"....
>
>story about this and more @
> http://www.bostonherald.com/bostonherald/entr/09katzw.htm
Thanks for passing this along. This is an excellent article, and I hope more
people here read it.
Not for RJ Reynolds giving out money to support the blues. I'm not a smoker,
but I'm not ideological about it, so the whole issue doesn't bother me.
The interesting part of this article is about TM's support of something I
believe is called the Music Maker Foundation.
He talks about an unknown (to the general public) older woman who plays like
Lightnin Hopkins. She lost everything she had in a fire in her trailer.
Mahal saw to it that she got bought a new instrument, plus one for her
bass-playing accompanist son.
Now THAT'S the kind of thing Blues-L should be putting its money into, on
the rare occasions it actually talks about money.
Occasionally around here you read stuff about doing some project and
donating the money for a plaque or for a gravestone. There was a comment a
few months ago quoting Living Blues to the effect that the fans should put
their money where their mouths are and buy a marker for someone's grave.
Flame me if you want, but I can't think of a more pointless, self-serving
activity than paying for a gravestone. Well, a gravestone might make some
widow feel good. A plaque is even more pointless.
People want to spread their money around to help the blues, they should find
some live people to spread it around on. Live people who actually can use
the help, like the musician who lost her guitar in a fire. Not even a
"handout", because she can go back to work and earn some money playing to
support herself.
Really an excellent article. I would like to know more about that
foundation.
- Bill Sakovich
Juke Welker
<< Really an excellent article. I would like to know more about that
foundation. >>
Music Maker website
Don O.
>
>Flame me if you want, but I can't think of a more pointless, self-serving
>activity than paying for a gravestone. Well, a gravestone might make some
>widow feel good. A plaque is even more pointless.
>
>People want to spread their money around to help the blues, they should find
>some live people to spread it around on.
It is, in fact, possible to do both. I wish you had you been at Wortham,
Texas in September of 1997 at the dedication of the Blind Lemon Jefferson
headstone. Had you met the members of Lemon's family who were present, had
you seen the moving ceremony and the gratitude that was shown to blues-L by
numerous members of the community (including several elderly folks who were
Lemon's contemporaries), had you seen the effect it had on the cemetery as
a whole, perhaps you would have another description than "pointless or self
serving". Maybe not.
The funny thing is, when YOU come to blues-L with a specific project to
help some living blues person in need, don't be surprised if it's the same
people who supported that "pointless and self serving" gravestone project
who answer your call. It's not an "either/or". You can support both
historical and living blues artists. Neither are "pointless and self
serving".
Bill Fountain
>Texas in September of 1997 at the dedication of the Blind Lemon
Jefferson
>headstone. Had you met the members of Lemon's family who were present,
had
>you seen the moving ceremony and the gratitude that was shown to
blues-L by
>numerous members of the community (including several elderly folks who
were
>Lemon's contemporaries),
Does Lemon's family still reside in Texas?
Bill
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Scott Perry
> Really an excellent article. I would like to know more about that
> foundation.
Try their webpage:
http://www.musicmaker.org/mm1000.html
Scott Perry
Steven Levine
> He talks about an unknown (to the general public) older woman who plays like
> Lightnin Hopkins. She lost everything she had in a fire in her trailer.
> Mahal saw to it that she got bought a new instrument, plus one for her
> bass-playing accompanist son.
>
> Now THAT'S the kind of thing Blues-L should be putting its money into, on
> the rare occasions it actually talks about money.
That is something blues-l HAS done. Funds from blues-l bought an air
conditioner for, I believe, Jessie Mae Hemphill, and profits from the blues-l
t-shirt and one of the blue-l compilation tapes went to charitable blues
related organizations.
-Steve
I.B.
healthy," Taj acknowledges. "But this is the first time that I know of
that a corporation has gotten behind this music.>>
What about the Benson & Hedges Blues Festivals? They ran those for
several years. I think that there have been
other fests that have benifited from
the generosity of some beer and liquor
companies.
Yours,
I.B.
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