solo-1

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“There are cool cats and there are cool Memphis cats but no one, not
Elvis, not Jerry Lee, not even the Wolf came close to epitomizing Memphis
and cool like Jim Dickinson did. He was the Top Cat Daddy, an
inspiration, a mentor and my friend.

If you knew his music and understood his role as one of the links between
black and white culture and between blues and rock and roll, you know what
I'm talking about. If he is unfamiliar to you, now's as good time as any
to get to know him, even though he's checked out of the motel.”

--Joe Nick Patoski


For more about Jim go to
http://www.zebraranch.com
http://joenickp.blogspot.com/2009/08/james-luther-dickinson.html

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Jim's still producing.
























On February 15, 2011, I did a reading of Jim's memoirs,
Search for Blind Lemon, at the University of North Carolina,
sponsored by the Southern Folklife Collection, Friends of the
Library, the Center for the Study of the American South, the
Department of American Studies, and the Folklore Program.
The multi media presentation featured music, photos, and film,
illustrating Jim's search for "that magic music." It starts with Jim
as a little boy listening to his yard man chop wood and sing, hearing
the great Will Shade and the Memphis Jug band perform in an alley,
learning to play "Bo Diddley" from Bo Diddley, and much more.

The program went well. The audience laughed a lot. I knew Jim
(in absentia) was a success when a man came up to me
after the show and said he went to music school, spent
two semesters in music production, and never had a clue what
it meant until that day, when he heard Jim's words.

Jim's still producing- his favorite way- in his absence.


Bo Diddley-Jim Dickinson by Jim Dickinson's Legacy

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Waiting for the Grammys

Out here in L.A. as a guest of the Memphis Chapter of the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, waiting
for the Grammy to be awarded in Best Traditional Folk,
hopefully to ONWARD AND UPWARD, the album Luther
recorded three days after his dad, Jim Dickinson, passed away.
Even if we don't win, the honor really is in being nominated by
his peers for excellence.

ONWARD AND UPWARD was recorded with no effects, straight to
two track tape, first take, with two old RCA microphones,
no mixing, just mastering. It's hard to imagine a more simply
recorded cd, with no thought of profit, career advancement, or gain,
just heartbroken musicians gathered to honor their friend and
father and console themselves with gospel music and love.

Angel Band-Luther Dickinson and the Sons of Mudboy by Jim Dickinson's Legacy

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Power to the People



On January 18,  2011, which was Luther's birthday,  producer Jim
Dickinson was inducted into the Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame.
Luther, Cody and I are thrilled and know that Jim would be honored to
be in the company of soul man Rufus Thomas, rap star David Banner,
MTV founder Bob Pittman, rocker Delaney Bramlett, bluesmen Elmore
James and "Big Joe" Williams, and blues historian, Gayle Dean Wardlow,
among others.  Here's Jim's production of John Lennon's "Power to the
People,"by his band, Mudboy and the Neutrons.

  10 Power To The People by dickinsonfamilyblog