Blues Brother UM PROFESSOR, BLUES ARTIST RELEASES SUCCESSFUL ALBUM
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dam Gussow never had any intention of performing a s a one-man band, but the blue s si n ger a nd h a rmonica player recently became just that, releasing a solo modern blues album to critical and commercial accolades. “I’ve always had a good strong sense of rhythm,” says Gussow, associate profe ssor of Eng lish and Southern studies at The University of Mississippi. For more than two decades, Gussow has performed as half the acclaimed blues duo of Satan and Adam, but he recently had an opportunity to step out on his own and work with Oxford producer Bryan Ward for “Kick and Stomp.” “What I’m trying to do is something that is done rarely, and that would be to be a one-man band without guitar,” Gussow says. Most bands rely on guitars to provide the rhythm, but Gussow uses his voice, an amplified blues harp and a drum to produce distinctive thump-and-metal rhythms. Since its release on Sept. 15, “Kick and Stomp” (Modern Blues Harmonica) has spent two weeks atop the rankings for MP3 downloads in Amazon.com’s “Hot New Releases in Acoustic Blues” category. Gussow, a New York native who spent many years playing on the streets of Harlem, mixes a variety of blues into his solo debut, including traditional old blues, hill country blues, urban blues, jazz blues and his own unique twist on the genre. “The material I do covers my fairly wide interests,” he says. The album includes 14 tracks, some of which are covers of Gussow’s favorites. A rendition of B.B. King’s “Everyday I Have the Blues” is one of Gussow’s favorites on the album. “When I play it, I think you really forget that there’s no guitar,” he says. “Part of what I’m doing is trying to get people to forget about what’s not there and just say, ‘Hey, that sounds great!’” Other favorites of Gussow’s include the original “Shaun’s Song,” named after his son, and “Crossroads Blues,” a renowned tune by blues legend Robert Johnson. AR
UM CENTER TRAINS POLICE, JUDGES TO CATCH CYBERCRIMINALS
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s the number of cybercrimes increases nationwide, judges and law-enforcement officers are charged with knowing the most up-to-date legal principles regulating computer searches and seizures. To prevent mistrials caused by improperly obtained digital evidence, the National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law (NCJRL) at The University of Mississippi School of Law has received a $120,000 grant from Mississippi State University to develop and conduct judicial and police training conferences at both institutions. A judicial conference took place in January, and another is scheduled for Aug. 25-26 at Ole Miss, while eight police training conferences are set at MSU with NCJRL providing instructors. “This grant continues a relationship that NCJRL has had with Mississippi State for several years,” says Thomas Clancy, center director and UM professor of law. “Judges will have increased knowledge on the legal principles related to the search and seizure of computers. Police officers will be better trained on the legal requirements for obtaining digital evidence.” Having UM law faculty provide legal instruction for the training program is vital to its success, says David Dampier, associate professor and director of the Forensics Training Center at MSU. “As computer people, we understand the technical aspect of cybercrime, but we rely on Ole Miss faculty members’ legal expertise to teach what we don’t know about the law,” Dampier says. NCJRL has years of experience in cybercrime, which includes everything from identity theft and embezzlement to child pornography and terrorism. “Cybercrime is the up-and-coming crime in the country. It’s growing, and growing very fast,” Dampier says. “More and more lawenforcement agencies are being forced to deal with it, and Mississippi is no exception to the trend. Hopefully, the more lawenforcement officers we have trained, the more cybercriminals will be caught.” AR Winter 2011 13