Soul music comes from the church.
This also begins to explain soul’s connection with American foodways.
Several years ago I caught the Rev. Al Green preaching at his Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, 787 Hale Rd. in Memphis, Tn. It was his birthday and the spread of neighborly food presented after the service was as abundant as his message. Last summer we returned to his church.
While Rev. Green was not present, I’m still recovering from brunch down the road at T.H. Hamilton’s Piccadilly Cafeteria, 3968 Elvis Presley Blvd. Green beans. Fried okra.
And sweet potatoes. Fried chicken. Crawfish etoufee. Chocolate chip pecan pie.
Herbert Wiley, vocalist-bandleader of the chitlin’ circuit legends Wiley and the Checkmates recalled the ambiance at an early 1960s juke joint before Sunday morning church in North Mississippi: “Hot in the summertime,” Wiley said earlier today while taking a cab to a New York lunch spot.........

The highlight of my July 4 weekend was seeing Chuck Prophet and his Mission Express band kick off the 28th annual American Music Festival at FitzGerald's roadhouse in Berwyn, Ill. Based in San Francisco, Prophet doesn't get around these parts much. Prophet deals vivid mash-ups of soul, country and pop hooks that reflect his travels across America dating back to his 1985 band Green on Red.
I went back to reconsider a 2002 profile I did on Prophet when he was opening for Lucinda Williams. He called me from an economy hotel in St. Paul, Mn. to talk about absorbing the sounds of the road: "In the last five years of traveling, the one thing I've liked to do is pick up mix tapes," he said. "These guys will take Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody' on 45 RPM and put a beat behind it when it comes to the 'mama-mia' part. I'm a fan of DJ culture. I love the way they can turn things sideways....I listen to old music. I've always kept my eye in the rearview mirror, but I've started to look down the road ahead."
One of the highlights of Prophet's July 2 set was his groove drenched "Summertime Thing"" and the encore of a ladies choice instrumental "Theme From a Summer Place.' Lights on, hands off.
And every summer its inevitable someone asks me to assemble a good road mix tape.
Here's 18 songs to consider. Thanks for the inspiration, Chuck.................

Yes, it was "Redneck Weekend" at the ballpark.............

One of the many things I don’t know in life is a daughter’s love of her father.
One of the things on my summer must-do list was to see Cooper Stadium in Columbus, Ohio for the last time.
Next year the Columbus Clippers of baseball’s International League are moving to a new downtown stadium. More fans have seen minor league baseball at "The Coop" than any other ballpark in history. Cooper was built in 1932 as Red Bird Stadium. It was the first stadium built with lights. FDR launched his presidential campaign in the yellow-bricked ballpark. Bob Dylan played Cooper twice.
It was the first place I saw a baseball game.............

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.---In the long and winding road of rock n' roll tourism there's the Jungle Room at Graceland, the gravesite of Jim Morrison in Paris and Barney's Beanery on Route 66 in Los Angeles where Janis Joplin had her last stand. Straight. No chaser.
I've seen them all.
But nothing compares to the Monday morning grand opening of Hard Rock Park. Hearing Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues talk about the park's "Nights In White Satin: The Trip" ride is just plain weird.
The world's first rock n' roll theme park is just three miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The Eagles are playing the Grand Opening concert tonight at the 10,000 seat pavilion on the 55-acre park. The Moody Blues are playing tomorrow. The Nirvana line "Here We Are, Now Entertain Us" greets park guests over a Spanish-influenced archway.
I ran into Hayward while he was sitting in front of a small pub that faced the "Rock n' Roll Heaven" section of the park. I am not kidding.........

The Grand Hotel Santa Lucia in Naples is a regal place to stay. The 96-room hotel was built in 1906 with a dramatic view of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvio in the distance.
I arrived at the hotel after a journey that encompassed a 9-hour flight from Chicago to Rome and then a 35 minute flight south to Naples. After such a long day of travel I like to stretch out in the bath tub.
I crumbled into the tiny white tub at the hotel. Directly to my right was one of those European bidets. Heard about 'em, never used 'em.
A good blogger is honest.
And I have to admit my eyesight isn't what it used to be. I need reading glasses to check out menus and to type this blog. But I don't wear glasses in the bathtub.
Without paying much attention I reached over to pick up the clear plastic bottle of "shampoo " that was sitting on the bidet. The liquid was as gold as honey. I rubbed the gel deep into my scalp. Such a sweet smell.
Two days later I examined the bottle closely in the beautiful sunlight.

The bottle read "Intimate Cleanser."
Man, that's assbackwards!

http://video.ap.org/v/Default.aspx?g=f9f1ffe4-630f-4540-b12e-38728443646b&mk=en-ap&f=ilchs&fg=email

On July 6, 1932 cabaret singer Violet Valli visited Jurges in Room 509 of the Hotel Carlos. She wanted to confront Jurges about their "love affair".............

http://www.foxsearchlight.com/youngatheart/

Choral Director Bob Cilman came up with the idea of having his elder singers cover songs by David Bowie (think “Golden Years”), the Clash and Prince. This was around the same time that the timeless Duplex Planet pop culture magazine was born out of a nursing home in Boston. The group is now the shining stars of the resplendent Young @ Heart documentary which opens on April 18.......

Its Opening Day!
At least it is in Japan, where baseball's Oakland A's are hosting the Boston Red Sox. But this one almost got by me. March 22 was the 50th Anniversary of the opening of Lefty O'Douls, 333 Geary Blvd. in San Francisco. Lefty's may be the longest running sports bar in America.
According to file reports from the San Francisco Chronicle, Mayor George Christopher showed up for the 1958 opening with two Pan American Airlines flight attendants (Lefty was one of the first liasions between Japanese and American baseball) and elder actor Eddie Nugent wore a coachman's uniform and carried a trumpet. Lefty was there. A box of home plate dirt was imported from his beloved Polo Grounds.
It makes me want to go to O'Douls for a beer. RIght now.
But since I am in Chicago, I'll revisit this edited version of an August, 2003 report I filed for the Sun-Times........,

SAN FRANCISCO--One long ago morning after seeing Tom Jones get slammed by brassieres at the House of Blues nightclub in Los Angeles, a friend and I were hit by road fever. We decided to take a day trip up Highway 101 to San Francisco. It's not unusual to see the Golden Gate Bridge. And have dinner in North Beach at Ristorante Fior d'Italia, 601 Union, the oldest Italian restaurant in America (est. 1886). Or laugh at the hippies playing hackey-sack in the Haight.
But our destination was Lefty O' Doul's, the last great sports bar in America. The California sky was as blue as our Advil. She had the top down on her red Mazda and music from Tom Jones' "Live in Las Vegas" tumbled into the air like lucky dice. By the time we reached Santa Barbara, I was feeling so good I began regaling her with stories of Lefty, who opened his San Francisco restaurant and bar in 1958.
Lefty was born in 1897 in San Francisco. He always dressed in green. He had green suits, green pants, green hats and green socks. He had green eyes. Lefty is the only major league player ever to hit more than 30 home runs and strike out fewer than 20 times in the same season. He had a lifetime .349 batting average in 970 major league games.......

MY CHICAGO KITCHEN----Hungry hearts wanted to know the muse behind the spicy "Poorman's Jambalaya" I made for my Sun-Times/You Tube experiment. Here's the video, followed by the recipe. As a template I used the 1984 version of "Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen." You should see my copy of the book. Most pages are stained and some are burned.

Watch me cook Jambalaya!

If you enjoyed this video, the recipe follows............