All results / Stories / Garrad Lee
The Best Medicine
Charles Jackson, CEO of New Orleans-based comedy booking agency Jack's Entertainment Group, says stand-up comedy is "the hardest craft in the entertainment business because you have no back-up when you are on stage performing alone." And without a comedy club in Jackson, many local comedians don't have an audience to back them up, either.
Just Cookin' With Justin Cook
Justin Cook, of Jackson-based rock band Mr. Kid and the Brothers Fox, has a mean bass face on the stage. Off stage, he loves to cook great food.
Break Down the Wall
Wiz Khalifa is probably the hottest rapper in hip-hop today. Source magazine recently named him Rookie of the Year, and MTV named him the Hottest Breakthrough MC of 2010. "Black and Yellow," his current record, has spent time at No. 1 on the iTunes hip-hop chart and in the top 20 on Billboard's Hot 100 list.
A Little Love Note to the City of Jackson
Fashionista, Screech-hater and, dare I say, philosopher Lisa Turtle once asked, "What is art? Are we art? Is art art?"
Show Some Love
If you have been reading my column for a while, you know a few things about me: I like records, sneakers, hip-hop, funk, reading and the occasional dose of rock 'n' roll. You also probably know that going to see live music is a huge part of my life.
Support Your Local (Mall) Record Store
At a New Year's Eve potluck, James Crow (aka Herbert Brown) told me a tale of buying records at the FYE music store at Northpark Mall. He captivated me with descriptions of full record bins loaded with new albums and re-releases of classics. He came home with A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders," among others.
Dreams Come True
"You can dream a little dream, or you can live a little dream, I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase, but never get it." —Aesop Rock, "No Regrets"
The Full Circle
He was a tall, kind of goofy-bumbling-professor type who was nice to me, even though I was there to whisk his daughter away. We did not get much time to talk and get to know each other on this first meeting, as is to be expected given the circumstances. I learned a lot about Charles that day, however, when Catherine took me to the den saying, "You've got to check this out."
The Search is Over
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, June 21, the normally "reserved and nonchalant" Jason "PyInfamous" Thompson was concerned and nervous. The Jackson MC had just put the last 10 days of his life into relentlessly pursuing a specific goal with only one desired outcome: winning the Coors Light "Search for the Coldest MC" contest.
Fear and Loathing at Sneaky Fest
The following account may or may not be a truthful re-telling of my day at Sneaky Fest Aug. 27, 2011.
What I Did on My Summer Vacation
Sure, summer is not officially over. In fact, it is nowhere near being over in any real sense of the word. As those of us who have spent sizeable amounts of time in Mississippi know, our relief will not come until October—if we're lucky.
The South's Coldest MC
This week, Jackson music fans have an opportunity to propel one of our own into the national spotlight. Jason "PyInfamous" Thompson, 29, is a top-four finalist for Coors Light's "Search for the Coldest MC" contest as the winner in the South region. Fans can vote for PyInfamous through June 17 at http://www.searchforthecoldest.com.
Better With Age
My top-five favorite recording artists of all time are: Stevie Wonder, Wu Tang Clan, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Talking Heads. This never changes, as these are the five artists on which all of my music tastes are based. It does get a little iffy, however, when I try to make a top-10 list.
Lead 'Em to the Light
Over a perfectly sparse, yet somehow still-cinematic beat, David Banner leaves no doubt about where his mind is with his new collaboration record with producer 9th Wonder, "Death of a Pop Star."
The Art of the Mash-Up
Lemuria employee Simon Hamburg has been on a mission. During the first few months of his employment, he noticed that the music-book section in the store looked "untouched." He knew there were some good books, but they were all too high up on the shelf to reach. He moved them down and re-arranged titles to give the area a fresh look.
How Malaco Got Its Groove Back
You might remember a piece I wrote for Boom Jackson magazine a couple years ago about Jackson's Malaco Records, the world-famous and highly revered label known as a soul, blues and gospel powerhouse. My piece focused on the label's ability to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances in the music industry over the years. Transitioning from full-service record label to gospel compilation seller to distribution channel for independent artists, Malaco has never backed down from a challenge.
4 the Record
One of my favorite films of all time is "Pee-wee's Big Adventure." It has stuck with me my whole life. It entertained me as a kid, and it made even more sense in college, often at 3 a.m. while I was discussing the meaning of life with a bunch of hippies. It continues to make me laugh and remember what it was like being a child.
Tupac Shakur: 15 Years Later
I have often written in these pages about the cool opportunities that find their way to me based on my position as a music columnist. One of the coolest things I have experienced so far is building a relationship with famed hip-hop journalist, scholar, poet and author Charlie Braxton.
New Year, New Music
Happy New Year, Jackson! Is anyone else glad that 2011 is over? While we all had our good and bad times, I like the idea of starting anew and making positive changes.
Pizza, Beer and Improvisation
The northeast Jackson Pizza Shack at Colonial Mart hosts Jackson band The Ruminants each Tuesday during January for a residency that brings together food, beer and improvisational music. I caught up with saxophonist daniel johnson (who prefers to spell his name in lowercase letters) to talk about the gigs.