In spite of the fact that the population of Memphis is 62% African American it wasn’t until 2017 that Civil War statues were removed from the city. This mural expressing the horrors of lynching is near the National Civil Rights Museum. It is a grim reminder that the Civil War was not the end of racial hatred in the USA.
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Memphis Street Art
A lot of people if asked, might say Detroit is the home of Soul Music. Hitsville U.S.A. is the nickname given to Motown’s first headquarters. It was purchased by Motown founder Berry Gordy in 1959. However two years earlier Stax Records was founded in Memphis Tennessee. It was later dubbed Soulsville USA.
The Motown and Stax sound were the roots of American soul music. They were more similar than different. However, you could say that the Motown sound fueled by the Funk Brothers was smoother. Stax artists like Otis Redding and Carla Thomas had their roots a little more in gospel and their music was more emotional.
Visiting the Stax Record Museum is a must for anyone visiting Memphis. More than Graceland it explains the soul of the region.
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Soulsville USA
Soulsville USA
Soulsville USA
Soulsville USA
Soulsville USA
Soulsville USA
In Austin it is six street, in New Orleans it is Bourbon Street, in Chicago it is Rush Street and in Memphis it is Beal Street. This is where you go if you want to hear live Music and in most places it is blues music that you will hear.
Memphis is a famous Music City. Most people think of Nashville when they think of live music which is fine if you like country music. However, Memphis is the birth place of soul. Stax Records was known as Soulsville USA and Sun Records is where Elvis Presley and many others recorded.
In 1956 B.B, King moved from Mississippi to Memphis and founded his own record label, Blues Boys Kingdom, with headquarters at Beale Street in Memphis. He opened his first Blues Club on Beal Street which is still serving live music and Barbecue.
After his death B.B. King’s body was flown to Memphis. A funeral procession went down Beale Street, with a brass band marching in front of the hearse, playing When the Saints Go Marching In. Thousands lined the streets to pay their last respects. His body was then driven down Route 61 to his hometown of Indianola, Mississippi.
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Beal Street Memphis
Beal Street Memphis
Beal Street Memphis
Beale Street in Memphis is where you go to hear live music. The street has many famous clubs where legendary blues and rock artists have performed over the years. Two blocks are closed to traffic and as you get close you can smell the barbecue which is arguably the best in the USA.
It is only fitting that as you stroll down the street there is this magnificent statue of The King, Elvis Presley
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The King on Beale Street
Tomorrow is race day in my neighborhood. Its time for Run Around The Square. Its actually two races in one.
The first race is a 1.5 mile fun run through our neighborhood. People can enter with their dogs and children. The second race is through the neighborhood and through Frick Park ending in Fern Hollow. At the end there are free hot dogs and beer. Along the route there are at least ten musical entertainers. Its a fun event for everyone.
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Run Around The Square 2017
Visiting Mozarts house in Vienna was a wonderful experience. Just knowing you were in exactly the place where he wrote some of the world’s most beautiful music was overwhelming.
I looked out of the windows thinking the view was not much different than the view he saw. This door is the entry to the house. I don’t know if it is the original door but the roundness made me think of Tolkien’s Hobbits.
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Mozart’s Hobbit Hole
Last month I published a series of images entitled Doorways of Prague . Traveling through Europe I have always been fascinated with the architecture. Sometimes it is difficult to capture a whole structure in an image but you can always capture the entire doorway.On my last trip I realized how the doorway is in some way a synopsis of the whole structure.
So here is a new series The Doorways of München (Munich). I am sorry I am not disciplined enough to take notes of the location of each doorway.
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Doorways of München #2
I like images that are not always what they first appear to be. It looks as if this family is upset because the fountain was spitting at them. Of course that is not the case. I am sure it is also not called The Spitting Fountain of Munich
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The Spitting Fountain of Munich
The Jewish Museum of Vienna is a fascinating and well curated collection. The displays are thoughtful and well presented. Although some sections brought tears to my eyes. Some I viewed with amazement. One area did both.
This is a picture of one part of the 4th floor archive archive. It is filled with all the valuable Torah decorations that the Nazis stole form the European Jews. They burned all the scrolls but kept all the decorations made of gold and silver.
It bears repeating that this picture is only one section. The whole third floor of the museum is filled with other glass cases just like this.
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Stolen Art
Every big city has its street hustlers. In NYC there are the guys selling fake Rolex watches, in Honolulu it’s guys selling cruises and snorkel tours but Vienna has its own breed. Many guys of different appearance in white wigs and costumes selling tickets to Mozart concerts.
Vienna is a city of music and every night at multiple venues there are different concerts of mostly Mozart. Mozart is a really big deal in Vienna where he lived for a period. The hustle is the same but it does seem to be slightly higher class.
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Mozart Lives
Imagery Photography 