KURTAS FOR A CAUSE One local employs artisans a world away
L “Biscuits for Your Outside Man” features songs from North Carolina artists such as John Dee Holeman, Algia Mae Hinton and Guitar Gabriel.
DROP A BEET A new album showcases the ties between music and food
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ith tracks titled “Shortnin’ Bread,” “Greasy Greens” and “Cherry Pie,” the lineup for “Biscuits for Your Outside Man” resembles the menu of a hearty Sunday supper. Instead, it’s a compilation of food-themed songs released last month by the Music Maker Relief Foundation. The soulful collection features music spanning three decades from “mostly North Carolina artists and a pinch of South Carolina musicians and a smattering of Georgia musicians,” says founder and executive director Tim Duffy. Proceeds from the album – available on iTunes and Bandcamp and on musicmaker.org – go toward the nonprofit’s aim to support musicians as a way to preserve the musical traditions of the South. Since the nonprofit routinely holds their board meetings at Crook’s Corner, it was a no-brainer that the restaurant’s chef – and a huge music fan himself – Bill Smith was tapped to pen the liner notes. As Bill writes, “The language of the Blues is especially effective in using the metaphors of food and cooking. It’s both honest and funny. It may seem elemental and primitive at first, but to me, it is great poetry.” The album is the musical equivalent of no-frills soul food – hearty and comforting, you’ll want second helpings. “Play this music when you sit down to dinner,” Bill notes. “It’s as satisfying as a T-bone steak.” – Jessica Stringer
oved for their loose styles and lightweight fabrics, Amaya Textiles’ summer-perfect tunics come in a variety of bright, vibrant looks. But the beauty of Chapel Hillian Pam Schaecher’s global clothing company goes beyond the lively designs – it’s also in its do-gooding mission to create work for men and women abroad. Inspired by Pam’s travels to India and work as an educator at international schools in Europe, Amaya Textiles’ products are fashioned together by hand with block printing and embroidery. The company partners with cooperatives in Rajasthan, India to create opportunities for artisans. The quality of their work can be seen – and felt – in the jackets and kurtas. “They are so comfortable,” Pam says, but, in them, “you feel like a princess.” – Laura Zolman Kirk
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You can find Pam’s designs locally at Dovecote Style at Fearrington Village or online at amayatextiles.com.
July/August 2016 chapelhillmagazine.com
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