2 STEAM MAGAZINE JANUARY 2019 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
January 2019 VOL.7 ISS.10 #82 ON THE COVER...
314 E AVENUE G, PORT ARANSAS 361-290-7143
2 NEW MOVIES & MUSIC 4 COMICS 5 QUICK READ 6 ALBUM COVER OF THE MONTH 7 CD REVIEWS 8 HUNT SALES: DRUMMER TO ROCK ROYALTY 10 DEBRA FRASER: FEATURED ARTIST 13 CHRIS CASTLE: STEEL GUITAR DREAMS 14 MUSICAL CATALOG OF SORTS : ACCORDION BEAUTY 15 FILM, ART NEWS RED SAIL BY GENVIÈVE GARAND PUBLISHER RUSTY HICKS EDITOR TAMMA HICKS COMICS EDITOR ALLENE HICKS STAFF WRITERS STEVE GOLDSTEIN, TAMMA HICKS, RUSTY HICKS STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS ALLENE HICKS, RUSTY HICKS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J MICHAEL DOLAN, DEREK SIGNORE, ROB DICKENS, RICK J BOWEN, DEBBIE NOBEL Alternative Weekly Network
TO ADVERTISE WITH US 361-904-4339 SALES@STEAMTX.COM SEE US ONLINE AT WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET SUBMIT YOUR MUSIC, BOOK, ART, OR SHOW FOR REVIEW! HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SUBMISSIONS@STEAMTX.COM
STEAM Magazine is published monthly by STEAM Magazine, South Texas Entertainment Art Music, in Corpus Christi, TX. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Views expressed within are solely the authors and not of STEAM Magazine. Typographical, photographic, and printing errors are unintentional and subject to correction. Please direct all inquiries to: submissions@steamtx.com
iNeedCoffee.com LunarBaboon.com TheAwkwardYeti.com
4 STEAM MAGAZINE JANUARY 2019 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
Hazardous assumptions J. Michael Dolan — Assuming that others know what they’re doing, because they’ve been doing it a long time. — Assuming that when people say “ok,” that means they get it. — Assuming that no one knows the real you. — Assuming that if you just keep doing what you’re doing, things will someday improve. — Assuming that the decline of your business has to do with the times we live in. — Assuming that when others finally understand what you’re trying to say they will side with you. — Assuming that a representative from a big company will discover you, or buy you out some day. — Assuming that since you’ve been doing this for so long, odds are you can’t fail. — Assuming that “that’s just the way it is” is a true statement. — Assuming that when you wake up in the morning and look around your world, that the room you’re in, the town you’re in, the country you’re in, the culture you’re in, the career you’ve chosen and the society that you’re a member of is basically set in stone. Important because assumption is the ball ‘n’ chain that slows the progress of our goals ‘n’ dreams to a crawl.
Outta the box J. Michael Dolan Inside the box: where the known lives. Outside the box: where possibility lives. Inside the box: common sense at work. Outside the box: experimentation at play. Inside the box: withheld expression. Outside the box: full self-expression. Inside the box: where caterpillars dwell.
Outside the box: where butterflies soar. Important because while others insist on tried & true, artists and entrepreneurs get anxious & antsy when confined to any regular routine. And while it’s the desire of others to maintain the status quo, it’s the destiny of artists to climb out of the box and report back to us what they find—through their lyrics, music, movies, screenplays, art, books and breathtaking performances.
Stuck in time J. Michael Dolan Unfortunately, for some pro artists & treps, the end of 2018 doesn’t look that much different then it did back in January. Or for that matter from the year before! — Has your income changed much? — Has your personal time-management system or your daily routine changed much? — Did you manage to breakthrough any of those barriers that prevent you from gaining ground? — Did you exceed your goals? Did you go beyond this year’s projections? — Have you grown your base? Improved your art? Upgraded your business? Revised your strategy? — Are you still fighting the same demons you were fighting at the beginning of the year? — Have the books you read, the seminars you took or the podcasts you listened to provoked any real, lasting results? Did you actually partake in any? — Did you keep all the promises you made to yourself this year? Did you even make any? — Are you still wondering when it’s all going to finally start working out? Important because what if nothing changes? What if your current circumstances remain stuck where they are? What if the end of 2019 looks the same as today? Would you be okay with that? Or, is it time to finally consult with an intelligent advisor or a knowledgeable cohort who could help? .
WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JANUARY 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 5
The life of Elvis Presley has been chronicled to the hilt from his birth in Tupelo, Mississippi to his death at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee in 1977 at age 42, and I won’t even try to add to everything that’s already been said about “The King of Rock and Roll.” But I will acknowledge the musicians who broke ground with the man that changed popular music forever. When Elvis arrived at Sun Records studio in Memphis in 1953, Sam Phillips had the foresight to match the teenager’s soulful vocals up with The Blue Moon Boys; 23 year old Scotty Moore, a seasoned guitarist with roots in jazz and country, and Bill Black, an experienced 27 year old bass player and Memphis native. Scotty and Bill had been playing together for a few years by then, and when they got around to recording Arthur Cruddup’s “That’s Alright, Mama,” they knew they were on to something. They were soon joined by 23 year old drummer, D. J. Fontana, and the trio would continue to tour, record, and make movies with Elvis. Scotty Moore’s unique, rockabilly guitar work inspired so many of the British guitar heroes of the 1960’s. Scotty worked sporadically until shortly before his death in 2016 at age 84. Bill Black’s slapping bass was equally influential in the early days of rock and roll and his influence has been passed on to generations of bass players, such as Paul McCartney, who now owns Bill’s white trimmed doghouse bass. Black remained active until complications from a brain tumor led to his untimely death in 1965 at 39. D.J. Fontana pretty much stayed with Elvis throughout the
‘60’s. He passed in June 2018 at 87. RCA also brought in Gordon Stoker and his Jordanairs for vocal backup and they became a fixture on Elvis’ records. They also worked with Patsy Cline and were the go-to gospel group until Stoker’s death in 2013 at age 88. There would be various reunions over the years, most significantly for Elvis’ 1968 television comeback special. This record is a compilation of 14 million sellers on RCA from 1956 on through to 1958, including many hits from his first three films. Unfortunately, they’re not in chronological order. Even so, this is the King, still in his prime. The first RCA session in Nashville produced “Heartbreak Hotel,” a dark song Elvis came across written by Mae Axton (mother of Hoyt). It features a haunting guitar solo by Scotty Moore and still remains a defining song of Elvis’ early meteoric rise to the top.
6 STEAM MAGAZINE JANUARY 2019 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
The story goes that in 1962, the big man from Macon, Georgia with the big voice showed up at the Stax recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee carrying equipment for Johnny Jenkins and the Pinetoppers, who were booked for their own recording session. At the end of that session, Otis Redding approached Stax owner, Jim Stewart, and asked if he could sing a couple of songs. What came out was one of the most soulful voices in the history of popular music wailing on “These Arms of Mine.” Otis took the influence of Sam Cooke and combined it with his own brand of Southern soul to create a sound that has been passed on to generations of singers and songwriters. The “Big O” would go on to record several hit records, tour Europe with fellow Stax label mates, and make a much heralded appearance at The Monterrey International Pop Festival in June 1967 with Booker
T. and the M.G.’s. It all came to a tragic end on December 10th, 1967 when the plane carrying Otis and his backup band, The Bar-Kays, crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin. Bar-Kays’ trumpet player Ben Cauley, the only survivor of the crash, tried unsuccessfully to save the lives of the others in the freezing water. This was the first of many albums released after Otis’ tragic death at age 27. The title track, co-written with Steve Cropper, not only became Otis’ biggest hit, but was also the most successful single release on the Stax/Volt record label. The song is pretty far removed from anything else he had previously recorded, but still remains pure Otis. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” was conceived while spending a week on a houseboat in Sausalito, California after repeated plays of The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” It was the last song Otis ever recorded. The album is a compilation of singles, B sides, and unreleased songs completed after his death; some dating back to 1965. Of special note is a great give and take with Carla Thomas on “Tramp.” The singers and musicians that accompanied Otis on these tracks make up the A-list from the Stax roster at the time. Along with Cropper are his M,G,’s band-mates, Booker T. Jones, Donald “Duck” Dunn and Al Jackson, Jr. Also featured are Isaac Hayes and various members of the Memphis Horns. It’s unfortunate that Otis didn’t get to see his song top the charts, or see his own influence passed on. Need a reminder? Try “Don’t Mess With Cupid” that closes side one. It’s Memphis soul at it’s finest.
THE MICHELLE TAYLOR BAND DIRTY LOVE (JD INITITIVE) BY RICK J BOWEN
Powerhouse vocalist Michelle Taylor has garnered a legion of fans from nearly two decades of hard work and sweat in the Northwest music scene fronting several popular cover bands and then joining forces with guitarist Justin Dean to form Michelle Taylor and the Blues Junkies in 2011. They earned top spots in the KING 5 Best of Western Washington and Seattle A-List competitions as well as a nomination for Best New Band Award in 2013 in the Washington Blues Society Best of the Blues Awards (“BB Awards”). Sharpening their focus to become simply The Michelle Taylor Band, the duo along with the solid rhythm section of Robert Baker on bass and Rob Morill on drums, the group has released a debut full-length album Dirty Love in October of 2018 recorded at the vaunted London Bridge studios. The set of 10 original tracks is influenced by blues, soul and country making it a great American rock and roll record. The opening track, “Hanging On the Vine,” is a scorching rebuke of unrequited love punctuated by a funky clavinet from keyboardist Jim Barnes. A punchy drum groove and big harmonies highlight the rockin’ tale of turmoil “One Foot in The Gutter.” What classic album would be complete without a traveling tune, so Michelle and the boys take a sentimental trip down south on the country tinged “Highway 65,” complete
with sweet high and lonesome slide guitar. Dean opens the title track with a razor sharp riff on a celebration of the world’s oldest profession; then takes over lead vocals for the old-fashioned house-rockin’ boogie, “Trashy Queen.” Taylor lets her softer side show on the introspective ballad “Throwing It All Away,” and then shows off her full vocal range on the emotional “Down in Flames.” The band shows off their Northwest grunge rock roots on the heavy-duty rocker “Gasoline” and then Taylor spells out her anthem of power, “Black Lace and the Blues.” The closing song, “Wasteland,” urges us to hold on to hope even in the darkest times. “Wasteland” has a powerful message: Only by knowing loss can we understand its true value, and while dreams may die, others will rise to take their place if we let them. Dirty Love is rock and roll poetry at its finest.
EDWARD DAVID ANDERSON CHASING BUTTERFLIES (BLAC DIRT RECORDS) BY ROB DICKENS
DANNY BURNS NORTH COUNTRY (PINECASTLE RECORDS) BY ROB DICKENS When I saw Danny Burns a while back at Music City Roots (please find a new venue MCR, we miss your intelligent spirit!), I learned a few facts – a lad from County Donegal in Ireland, given the opportunity to work with some impressive musicians, a new album with some gifted contributors, the new songs previewed that night sounded strong. Well the new album has taken quite a while to surface. Not just since that MCR appearance, mind you, but it follows two decades of touring both sides of the Atlantic, slowly honing his craft and solidifying his position. After living in America for almost twenty years (first in New York City, followed by stints in New Orleans, Chicago, and the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC) it’s not exactly an overnight sensation. North Country, his debut, is a sparkling and passionate jewel. A collaborative album filled with appearances by icons like Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Tift Merritt and Dan Tyminski, with
further contributions from Holly Williams, Mindy Smith, Cara Dillon, Tim O’Brien, Chess Boxer and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Critter Fuqua. The songs drip emotional essence, soaring, infectious and Burns’ moving and swooning vocals echoing more than a fair whack of life experiences. The instrumental interplay is ornate and hypnotic – Douglas and Bush in particular. It reminded me of watching episodes of that unique and magical series Transatlantic Sessions. I can imagine Burns with the aforementioned cohorts sitting in a room in some Scottish castle, blending seamlessly into one strand of Celtic and American roots music. Highlights are the opener “Let It Go”, the Celtic ballad “Darling Róisín”, and the harmonies (with Merritt) on “Human Heart”. Produced by Danny Burns himself, North Country was largely recorded at Gary Paczosa’s home studio in Nashville, as well as the city’s Butcher Shoppe studio (owned by John Prine and David “Fergie” Ferguson). DANNYBURNSBAND.BANDCAMP.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM
Edward David Anderson might not be that well known to many of you (he sure wasn't to me before I got hold of his CD). But that should change given what he has been able to deliver with Chasing Butterflies, his third solo studio record (released this October on his own Black Dirt Records). Anderson has been writing songs, making records, and playing shows for a living for more than two decades. A gifted songwriter who spent his formative years fronting a Midwest band, Backyard Tire Fire, and penned eight albums for the band. Since the group’s hiatus in 2011, Anderson has continued to write and tour as a solo artist, with his solo debut, Lies & Wishes, out in 2014. It was through a tip from a friend that Anderson connected with Grammy Award winner Jimmy Nutt (The SteelDrivers) from the historic Muscle Shoals region. A natural rapport between the two developed quickly which led to Jimmy’s NuttHouse Recording Studio in Sheffield Alabama. Diverging from past albums Anderson used local session musicians for his backing band. “I felt the way to get the most authentic Shoals sound was to play with people who live and work there”, he said. Nutt played bass and brought in Jon Davis (Dylan LeBlanc) on drums, Brad Kuhnon keys, Todd Beene (Lucero) on pedal steel and Kimi Samson on (violin). The core of the ten-track album was cut live in just a few days with minimal overdubbing, making it feel both cohesive and human.
THEMICHELLETAYLORBAND.COM RICK J BOWEN: WABLUES.ORG
“We brought in strings on a few and pedal steel on one, but didn’t want to get too carried away” Anderson recalls. The chemistry from the commingling of Anderson with Nutt and then the studio players leaps out from the speakers. The quick, studied immersion they all experienced in the studio is another bristling, tangible benefit. It’s easy to picture Anderson totally living the experiences in the narratives here and his wry and candid insights educate and amuse us all. Key tracks are the disturbing epic tale of race and injustice (with majestic, swirling fiddle) in “The Ballad of Lemuel Penn”, the brutally honest “Bad Tattoos” (“The story of my life’s written on my skin”) and the hypnotic “Crosses” with its rousing and extended instrumental section closing out the track. On Chasing Butterflies, Edward David Anderson commands our attention with his accomplished songwriting and sublime presentation. He certainly has mine. It’s a triumph. EDWARDDAVIDANDERSON.COM ROB DICKENS: LISTENINGTHROUGHTHELENS.COM
WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JANUARY 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 7
By Tamma Hicks, STEAM Magazine
Every fall and winter South Texas becomes home to thousands of people looking for warmer temperatures than what home has. These people are affectionately known as Winter Texans and we patiently await their arrival, especially in the costal bend and valley areas. So it was no surprise that on a quick trip to Port Aransas we met a new Winter Texan and aspiring artist, Debra Fraser. Debra has been producing quality quilts for a large part of her life while also dabbling in dance, painting, and drawing.
What was the first piece of art work you sold? When was that? To be honest, the only pieces I’ve sold have been my quilts. I’ve spent most of my time quilting for the past 30 years and have recently picked up drawing again. It never occurred to me to sell any of my drawings. I’m kind of a closet artist.
What
is your go-to medium to work with? Lately, I enjoy using micro ink pens. They’re available in different point sizes for detailing and are a perfect medium for my drawings. I’m interested in water colors but I have a long way to go in using that medium. Water colors are very unforgiving when applied incorrectly. I also like to draw on muslin, fuse fabric scraps, finishing off the seams by sewing, and applying beadwork. These usually end up as cool custom-made pillows or wall hangings.
What kind of process do you have when creating your masterpieces?
I don’t have any particular process. Most of my drawings are a reflection of my moods as an escape and as form of relaxation for me. I was once told I needed therapy but explained that the drawings are my therapy. I have a lot of “squirrels” running the wheel upstairs so art is my way of trying to slow them down. (laughing)
Do you have the final piece planned out or do you just play it by ear with color, shape, and flow? A lot of my drawings are never planned. I just go with the flow - ink, paints, or fabric and of course the “squirrels”. I love working with different shapes but at the same time those shapes still need to fit with each other whether drawing or sewing. Things just fall into place as I go along while drawing. Maybe I should get my drawings analyzed. (laughing)
Well, that could be like opening a box of squirrels! How long does it take you to complete one? What size and type of paper do you use? The black ink drawings take up to ten hours sometimes more depending on the detail. As well, I never complete a drawing at one sitting. It can take more than a week with a couple of hours here and there to complete which means there are many different moods of mine going on in each one. The ink drawings are done on 11x14, Bristol drawing paper and the water colors are on 8.5 x 11 water color paper.
Do you do any other styles of painting? When I was in high school I did many landscape pictures and portraits in pencil. I was pretty darn good at it too but I got bored with it. I stopped drawing for a while as I
10 STEAM MAGAZINE JANUARY 2019 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
concentrated more on dance for quite a few years. Not professionally but for my own soul, so-to-speak. Recently, I attempted an oil painting of a portage on one of the lakes in Nestor Falls, Ontario. I’m a bit of a perfectionist so when I looked at the painting compared to the photo I wasn’t happy with the piece. I think classes might enable me to be less of a perfectionist and to accept the outcome. Most of all to be more confident with my art.
Who are your influences? Of course, I’m a big Dali and Picasso fan. Their paintings say it all for me - lots of “squirrels”. I would love to know what went on with their thought processes when creating their masterpieces. An off-the-wall favorite of mine is Donald Roller Wilson, an American artist who paints in oils. His paintings include dogs, cats, monkeys, et al in period costumes. During the 80s and 90s he was Frank Zappa’s visual coordinator. And, at my age, I still like listening to Frank Zappa. I also like Impressionism - Monet, Renoir, and Manet etc. These masters went outside of the box - explore and paint what they saw instead of copying those before them. Their paintings are diverse and colorful.
Wow, your tastes are very well rounded. Did you go to school for art? The only art classes I took were in high school many years ago. I was drawing from the time I could hold a crayon - so my mother told me. I’m not sure how to answer your second question. I visit galleries, read about art/artists that interest me. Since I haven’t painted much I don’t really have a style or technique. Yet!
Do you have a favorite color? No, I have many favorite colors.
The brighter the better! That sounds funny since most of my drawings are black ink. After quilting for 30 years I learned that almost any color can complement each other when used in the right way.
Are your children or parents artistic? I have no children and neither of my parents are. I have close relatives on both sides of the family that are very artistic.
In so many of your pieces you have eyes – not a whole face, but just the eyes. Why?
Without going into great detail, I think back on some of the crazy things I’ve done in my past and I honestly believe I have someone or more than one someone watching over me. Thus the eyes in my drawings
Have you ever thought about combining some of your drawings as a color book? People have commented that I should create “adult coloring books” from my so-called ‘doodles’. They aren’t doodles to me and the drawings are finished the way I want them – some colored, some black and white.
By the way, I believe this is your first winter here in Texas; Welcome! I’m from the Canadian prairies where it gets pretty darn cold in the winter and most of us like to hibernate. As of November 2018 I am officially retired which gives me the opportunity to take art classes and workshops to learn new techniques and explore different media. Maybe one day soon, I might have a painting or two hanging in a small gallery as inviting as the Port Aransas Art Centre. FACEBOOK.COM/DEBRA FRASER
WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JANUARY 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 11
BOOKS! GAMES! & MORE! LUNARBABOON.COM
TheAwkwardYeti.com
‘ By Gene., STEAM Magazine
Chris started playing pedal steel guitar when he was 9 years old. “My grandpa had a steel guitar and I was always fascinated by it. I started playing around on it and learning from instruction books. I started with my papaws when I was 9, but I got my black one when I was 11 and the first songs I learned were The Wreck Of The Old 97 and I Fall To Pieces.” Chris’s dad got him started playing other instruments including drums, guitar, and bass and was always playing too. ‘’Dad always played guitar and sang with me at steel guitar shows.’’ At the age of 10 Chris auditioned for Billy Jean in Bourne’s Kentucky Opry in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. That day, he became their steel guitar player for almost 7 years.
Steel Guitar Says Country Music! Who are your musical inspirations? “Favorite artists are George Strait, Vince Gill, Conway Twitty, Steve Wariner. I love the classics of Mel Tillis, Ray Price, Johnny Cash.” How about today’s country music? “It’s different than what I grew up on. The music is constantly changing. Steel guitars and fiddles are fading away and it makes me pretty sad, though I do like some of the songs today. I like Miranda Lambert, Scotty McCreery, Dierks Bentley, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton (from my hometown in Paintsville Kentucky)... there is still some true country music out there.” Chris’s dad has been his first inspiration for music, his biggest fan, supporter, and critic. His Grandpa and Dad have passed and Chris misses singing and playing with them…but it looks like his folks are pushing him from the stars to the STARS! On Labor Day weekend in 2015, he opened for Ronnie Milsap and Mo Pitney. What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when thinking about that weekend? “That weekend was amazing! I got to see and open for a legend... one of my favorite singers that I’ve lis-
tened to all my life.” He then played for Georgette Jones in Moberly, Missouri. “It was cool to work with her and hear stories about her mom (Tammy Wynette) and dad (George Jones). She sings songs from both of them as well as her own. She sounds a lot like her mom so it was really cool.”
And YESSSSS Being A Musician Attracts Girls!!!! In Illinois, while opening for Ned Ledoux (Chris Ledoux’s son), in a show he did with Ray Scott a girl in the crowd asked, “Who is the guy in the wheelchair playing honkytonk piano!” Chris’s career is growing fast every day and he had to move in Nashville last summer. He first went there on a weekend to play a couple of songs. Drove back to Kentucky and went to work. Then he got a phone call. “They were asking if I wanted to go on a two weeks tour. Really?? Not sure I had to think about that.” He quit his job and went to work on a show opening for Brantley Gilbert and Kip Moore in Minnesota. He also got to play with Ken Mellon’s Jukebox Junkie in Nashville. For 2019, 2 road gigs are already planned. One is with a new duo in Nashville called, The Steel Blossoms and the other is with a guy he used to work a lot with, Steve Wariner. But this is just the beginning! His aspirations are to be on the road for gigs, play in old barns in Texas, and play at the Ryman Auditorium and of course at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Chris is so talented! We are sure we will see him touring nationwide with a wellknown artist soon.
Chris Castle on stage, doing what he loves! ___ ___ ___
Chris sharing a laugh with Ronnie Milsap
Are you looking to add some steel to your songs? Chris has a home studio where he offers his talents to many, including recording and producing as well as adding steel parts on many projects. His sound may be what is missing from your next hit! Visit and follow Chris on his Facebook page: Chris Castle Steel Guitarist WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JANUARY 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 13
By Kit Gutherz with Tony Saracene was given my first accordion by my dear Mother when I was about 30. She was visiting and decided I didn't have enough furniture and clocks, so off we went to Corpus to buy stuff. The first stop was at a young mother's home where we bought an old worn-out piano accordion. As luck would have it, my next door neighbor had earned extensive honors playing accordion and he gave his very first accordion book to me. I learned to play a little and also how to do f u n d am e n t al repairs. At that time accordions were very inexpensive and I acquired several that needed some small amount of repair. Before too long a few numbers featuring accordion became part of my show. he appearance of a full-size piano accordion can be daunting; with a 120 buttons on the left side, but the reality is the system is very easy to understand and use. It's also the same system used on popular Hammond chord organs. I got my first job featuring accordion at Jay's Spaghetti Works. He asked me if I played piano and I said “No, but I play accordion!” Of course I was lying, but I got the job and I played very slowly and mostly Tunes my mother had sung to me when I was still in the cradle. I smiled a lot in front of my amplifier, which was on with its bright cherry red light but nothing was plugged in. That was 35 years and lots of shows ago. hen the well-known Accordion Rose came to town a few years later I would laugh about how we had two people in Port Aransas who repaired accordion, though she was far much more knowledgeable than me having grown up in a family devoted to all things accordion. Subsequently when she retired she gave me about 100 accordions in various conditions that she had been toting around for 40 years and no longer wanted as a responsibility. Those accordions, along with notes and stories by Rose, are now parked at the Aransas Music Emporium and in many cases are being brought back to life by Tony Saracen, who took lessons when he was a wee child. he kind of workmanship, craftsmanship, and ornamentation on many accordions is
nearly staggering. And inside the kind of work and design is of the same level. Of course accordions have been popular around the world for many years. In the USA they are the backbone for both TexMex Conjunto and Cajun Zydeco, a wonderful amalgam of rhythm and blues and c o w b o y along with the use of the patios amongst those born into it. The king of Zydeco is the late Clifton Chenier and one’s time is never wasted getting your Clifton on. His name is associated with his name is associated on the internet with many other wonderful practitioners, but few are up to his quality. s accordions have had a resurgence of popularity, all jokes notwithstanding, the price is up quite a bit but to know the quality and degree of endeavor required to build these monuments to human creativity, the prices seem fair… “just not bargain of the century.” And the simple fact is they are much easier to play than piano and very satisfying. f you’d like a demonstration come by The Aransas Music Emporium in Aransas Pass. Call or Email for an appointment: 361-2559206, aransasmusicproductions@yahoo.com
14 STEAM MAGAZINE JANUARY 2019 WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET
(dictionary.onmusic.org): he accordion was invented by Friedrich Buschmann in 1822 in Berlin. He called invention the Handäoline. In 1829, Cyrillus Damian of Vienna created another version of this instrument and gave it the name of accordion because of the addition of buttons, played by the left hand that sounded chords. ("Accord" is the French term for chord.) Eventually, the name accordion was used for all instruments of this type. It has been a popular instrument through the years with large organizations over the world created for accordion enthusiasts. It has been popular in many cultures as the main instrument in several musical genres. These include Cajun Zydeco from America, Polka of Europe and America, Latino Polka of Mexico, Tango of Argentina, and classical transcriptions of European composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. he accordion is a portable wind instrument consisting of two reed organs connected by a folding bellows. Expanding and contracting the bellows provides air to vibrate the reed organs producing the sounds. It is also known as a squeeze box because of this expanding and contracting of the bellows. There is a keyboard on the right side for playing melody notes and buttons on the left to sound bass notes and full chords. A second type of accordion contains buttons on both left and right sides which includes the concertina and Bandoneon. he keyboard on the right side of the accordion typically contains 41 keys but the smaller models can contain as few as 25. The left hand operates the bellows. By changing the direction of the bellows while pressing the buttons and keys it will produce the desired notes. The speed of the expansion and contraction also effects the dynamics and the sharpness of the sound.
-
By Mindy Raymond Bensen TXMPA Communications Director & New Republic Studios President
This January Texas will launch into its 86th legislative session. For those in the film, TV, commercial, video game and media industry, this means that our rebate incentive program, the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, will be once again appropriated.
Every two years Texas votes on the budget, which this session is over $200B, making Texas the 10th largest economy in the world. As we have seen in other states (namely Georgia and New Mexico), those that offer a competitive incentive for production have won out in the past. In 2016 along, the film industry spent over $2B in production costs in the state of Georgia (time.com/longform/ hollywood-in-georgia/).
Living here I sometimes forget that the Costal Bend is a vacation destination. People from all over the country come here to breathe in the salty air, build sandcastles, and wiggle their toes in our Bays and Gulf of Mexico– now I’m sounding like a commercial, but it’s true. How did you end 2018? For Canadian artist Geneviève Garand, she spent a week in Corpus Christi TX; enjoying the sites, meeting new people, and spending time on the waterfront painting. Geneviève is one of our favorite artists and has been featured three in STEAM Magazine and this issue marks the fourth time her work has graced our cover. This acrylic painting, titled Red Sail, was completed on the Waterfront next to Mirador de la Flor (Selena Seawall Monument) where she also painted two others.
GeneGarand.com Facebook.com/Gene.
However, our rebate incentive program works differently than those states that have state income tax (Texas does not have one which is a good thing for us!) essentially giving a tax credit from the state income tax back to production. We instead say, "Keep that roughly 4% income tax in your pocket!".
Our rebate, which ranges from 5%- 30% (if filming in San Antonio which offers their own rebate incentive), gives money back to spend on Texas, including Texas crew and talent, Texas small businesses and Texasbased companies.
As we approach this next session we are always met with some resistance from a few legislators, however our supporters at the Capitol, including the Governor, far outweigh the nay-sayers. We are hopeful that this session will have a positive outcome, allowing for stability within our program and enough money to bring in some major productions and content creation.
Everyone loves filming, producing and creating in Texas. We have the talent, the landscapes, the infrastructure and the BBQ; we just need more money in our rebate program to keep us competitive with our neighboring states who offer so much in the way of an incentive.
To get involved with our cause and/ or to stay up on the latest developments during session, join TXMPA at www.txmpa.org.
TXMPA is a non-profit, state-wide organization that advocates for the film, TV, video game, commercial and media industry.
WWW.STEAMMAGAZINE.NET JANUARY 2019 STEAM MAGAZINE 15