Arts & Culture Blog

Arts & Culture Blog

Swinging Southwesterners, Carmel Star Power and the Death of a Jazzman.

TEXAS TWOSTEPS: So Michael Nesmith’s VideoRanch3D cybercast from South by Southwest went off well, despite the inevitable technical glitches, personally tweaked by Nesmith to his Facebook homies, with some help from tech administrator Lorrie Dewar.

Among the performers: Guitar “shredder" Brad Davis, who’s worked with the late, great Warren Zevon, among others; smooth operator Aitan; and country crooner Carolyn Wonderland, who recently got married to comic A. Whitney Brown on Doug Sahm Hill in Austin (Nesmith officiated, in his capacity as a Universal Life Church minister.) No doubt in Sahm’s honor, Wonderland did a version of Sir Douglas’ cover of Dylan’s “Wallflower" at the VideoRanch3D event, which Nesmith warmed up with an impromptu set of his own. Rocker Steve Poltz and the sweet-sounding Chapin Sisters, who’ve worked with She and Him, were also on the bill at the unusual venue, which the Dallas Morning News described as “perhaps the most groundbreaking moment" of the multi-faceted music, film and interactive social media fest. Check out the Chapin Sister’s sounds in this clip:

Oh yeah, and in other Monkees-related news, Neil Diamond, who wrote their first hit, “I’m A Believer," was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame the other night, along with the likes of the great Tom Waits, Darlene Love, Alice Cooper, Dr. John and Leon Russell, the master of time and space who’s got a new lease on commercial life through his recent collaboration with Elton John.

Here’s a blast from the past of the Monkees in their prime:

DOUBLE NEGATIVE: The great Ansel Adams “forgotten prints" dispute is being resolved, sort of. Baycitizen.org reports that Rick Norsigian, the Fresno man who claimed to have found some negatives at a garage sale that were the work of the master and the Ansel Adams Publishing Rights trust have reached a confidential settlement and that both parties “have agreed not to make any defamatory statements about the other." Whether it’s the real deal is another question entirely.

And tickets are running out for that special screening of the “Carmel-by-the-Sea" movie benefiting the Monterey Bay Film Society Saturday night. It’s the local premiere for the long-troubled flick, starring Alfred Molina, Josh Hutcherson, Lauren Bacall, Hayden Panetierre and Dina Eastwood. Get information here.

TIME OUT: And a fond farewell to Joe Morello, the great longtime drummer for the Dave Brubeck Quartet, who died Saturday at 82. Morello’s quiet touch with the brushes endeared him to legendary Brubeck saxophonist Paul Desmond but he refused to join the group until Dave assured him that he’d be given a chance to solo and have a chance to shine. Sensibly, Brubeck agreed. I’ll let Joe play you out, on the Quartet’s most famous song, “Take Five.’’ RIP, Mr. Morello.