Soon after I started reading The One, R. J. Smith’s fine new biography of “The Godfather of Soul” James Brown, I realized I didn’t know many of his funk albums. I didn’t even know what made an album funky or soul except by listening to the beats. I grew up on soul music, but as funk goes, I was inclined to spend my hard earned on World, Jazz and Blues. Growing up with the soul sounds of black music that baptized me in my junior high and high school years. And for me, the Godfather was my Soul King.

As I journeyed through The One, I became more curious about Brown’s funk period on vinyl, of which I own none but have listened to extensively since the CD era. While reading The One, I have enjoyed to its fullest Joaquim Paulo’s fine and extensive study, Funk & Soul Covers. I even found a few vinyl gems in my collection that are among the main stays of my musical listening experience.

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In 1969, when I was forced to go to summer school to beat the draft, I was late and cut a must-be attended class that must be passed or go to 1A. (For you youngsters, 1A was a quick ticket to Vietnam.) The reason for being late was Issac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul in full album (both sides) was being played on the radio and I heard for the first time his version of Walk on By. Long songs made this record and I couldn’t stop listening. Hot Buttered Soul soon became part of my record collection. I flunked that class but squeaked by the second semester and did not have to visit the jungle.

In 1979, We Are Family by Sister Sledge played constantly in Lemuria as the World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates wives danced on top of the dugout at Three Rivers Stadium.

In 1974, my second most influential Soul and Funk Album is Oluntunji’s Soul Makossa, my first Baba Olatunji discovery. I found this gem in a small record shop in Washington, D.C. Before the Internet, young folks, record hunting was truly like prospecting.

Without question, my favorite, most listened to, most partied to, most drummed with, and a record that says it all about my choice of funk is the brilliant 1974 Wild Magnolias with the New Orleans Project which includes the great New Orleans hand drummer Alfred “Uganda” Roberts. Occasionally a record can change lives and for me and my pals, this masterpiece did just that.

Back to James Brown. Funk and Soul includes three James Brown covers. One is Mother Popcorn featured above. The other two featured are Get on the Good Foot and Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.  I ‘m not sure I have ever seen or listened to these albums.

If you have either of these three records bring them to share at our James Brown party Friday June 29 at 5:00 for a couple of beers. It’s vinyl time for James Brown as we celebrate R. J. Smith’s fine biography The One: The Life and Music of James Brown.

From Funk and Soul Covers, I have many CDs of the included, from which I have enjoyed countless hours of listening pleasure. However, many of the albums just passed me by. I don’t know if these are any good except for their cover art.

However, one album cover caught my eye and it has no accompanying description. I feel certain I would have bought it based just on the cover alone. In 1974, I guess I didn’t flip it by while I was browsing: Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky by O’Donel Levy. If you own this one, you would most likely remember the album art. It’s outrageous!

If anyone knows this record, please burn me a disc, bring it Friday night and I will give you a beer. If you have never seen this cover, check it out in Funk and Soul Covers.

If you haven’t been to the Livingston Farmers Market already, it’s a great Thursday night to get away! At the corner of Hwy 463 & Hwy 22, you’ll find fresh produce, handmade items, live music, food + chef demonstrations, super water slides for the kids & more.

Next Thursday the 28th Lemuria Books will be at the market with photographer Ken Murphy to sign Mississippi State of Blues plus live music with Jimmy “Duck” Holmes. We hope you’ll join us!

It’s time to pull out your old vinyl (78s, 45s or 33s) and bring them to Lemuria.

Lemuria is very excited to celebrate James Brown Friday, June 29th at 5:00 at our Dot Com Building. We want to encourage all fans and especially James Brown friends to attend. We welcome any stories or tall tales you want to share.

R. J. Smith has written the definitive biography of James Brown, and we want to celebrate The One. I have been working for six months against ridiculous odds to bring R. J. to Jackson. I’ve never met R. J. but for an author to write such a good book, he must be fun. Here’s a little insight into his journey while writing The One:

“During the three years of researching and writing this book, I crawled around a South Carolina cemetery as it sank into the swamps, reading tombstones in the dark with my hands. I got run off the road by an eighteen wheeler near Macon, caught pneumonia twice, and lost my job.”

-R. J. Smith

R. J.’s research is extensive and his work is presented with great care and insight.

Lemuria is taking this opportunity to put together an afternoon of God Father celebration. We want to hear your stories as we hear R. J.’s and we want to see your old vinyl. I’ve gone through my collection and found a few.

And of course bring your old vinyl and receive free beer.

Not only would it be fun to share records but we’d also love to hear your stories. We know a few folks in Jackson who have known James Brown personally and we can’t wait to hear your tales of encounter. We welcome any personalizations and autographs, old photos with the King of Soul or just anything you want to throw in the pot for fun.

It’s rumored that Lee “of Jackson Royalty” King will show up with his first hand accounts and his own style of soul. Lee is welcome to be the evening’s MC and DJ.

Darden, of BeBop Fame, won the prize with his “Bobby Keys event” collection, at Bobby’s party. I wonder what spins Darden will bring? The oldest record gets two beers.

Is there a James Brown impersonator out there that’s willing to show up? We welcome all ideas for fun. Tell your friends and I suggest reading The One in advance if you can.

Dig out your old vinyl, start listening to your King again and plan to show up for a fun Friday afternoon for James Brown with R. J. Smith.

The One: The Life and Music of James Brown by R. J. Smith

(Gotham Books, March 2012)

The One is also our First Editions Club Pick for July.

I can’t believe we haven’t talked about this book yet. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes won the Man Booker last year. It’s now in paperback, so no one has an excuse not to read it. It’s a small, quiet, British book. But that doesn’t mean it’s not thrilling. Tony Webster, divorced and in his 60s, reflects back on his adolescence and early adulthood when a puzzling reminder of that time prompts him to look up a college girlfriend. As Veronica reluctantly opens up, Tony begins to suspect his perspective of that time in their lives, which ultimately resulted in the destruction of his friendship with Adrian, who dated Veronica after Tony and eventually ended his own life, is flawed somehow. The end of this taut novel, which could be read as a treatise on memory, will leave you reeling.

He’s not British, but Peter Carey’s new book is. I’m only a third of the way into The Chemistry of Tears, which opens as Catherine, a conservator at a museum in London, finds out that her married lover of 13 years has died. Unable to show her grief outwardly, Catherine immerses herself in her work. She’s presented with the parts of an automaton duck from the 19th century, but before beginning the process of reconstruction she delves into the journal of the man who first had the duck assembled for his consumptive son. These journal entries, which describe his journey to a small town in Germany where he gets the help of a mysterious clockmaker, are interspersed with chapters in 2010, as Catherine reflects on the nature of life and of the soul when juxtaposed with artificial existence.

I haven’t started it yet, but I also just picked up Mark Haddon’s new book The Red House, in which a British couple vacations with the wife’s estranged extended family. Simon’s just finished it and will probably write about it soon. Get a signed copy from us today; they’re going fast!

In her NYT review of The Sense of an Ending, Liesl Schillinger begins, “Many literary careers have been made, and doubtless more will be, by conveying the inwardness, awkwardness and social anxiety that constrict British mores like a very tightly wrapped cummerbund.” Mark Haddon, in his 2003 bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, explored the awkwardness of a teenage boy with Asperger syndrome, and Ron Charles, in his review of Haddon’s new book in the Washington Post, says, “in The Red House, [Haddon] proves that he’s just as astute about the verbal miscues and social awkwardness suffered by anybody.” And what could be more awkward than a horologist grieving in secret while she tinkers with an over 150-years-old robot duck that eats and defecates? Celebrate awkwardness this summer; read a British novel.

After I had my bone graft surgery at the end of May I had grand intentions to read many books while being laid up.  I was in bed for about 6 days and am still on crutches and am doing a good bit of sitting.  What a great time to catch up on reading right?  Wrong.  I’ve somehow failed to finish the first book I started reading while still on bed rest; The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock (which is amazing by the way).  How is this even possible?  I can’t tell you.  However, starting today I vow to get some major reading done during my two days off and will continue to hit the books hard until I’m forced to walk on my own again.

Since my return to work a couple of weeks ago I’ve found several books that have been added to my post surgery reading stack.  Because I’m still so slow moving I’ve had a lot more time to look at new books that have come in recently rather than just rushing past them on my way to finish the 15 projects I’ve got going at once.  Here are a couple of the new releases that have made their way into my must read mountain:

A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers

The Red House by Mark Haddon

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

My hope is that if anyone of you out there ever has to (god forbid) be on best rest for any length of time that you’ll do a much better job of taking advantage of the time you have to read than I have.

by Zita