A little background on the author of this very fine book: “Born on Chicago’s South Side, Cary Baker began his writing career at sixteen with an on-spec feature about Chicago street singer Blind Arvella Gray for the Chicago Reader. His return to writing follows a forty-two-year hiatus during which time he directed publicity for six record labels (including Capitol and I.R.S.) and two of his own companies, working with acclaimed artists such as R.E.M., Bonnie Raitt, The Smithereens, James McMurtry, The Mavericks, Bobby Rush, Willie Nile, and more. Prior to his PR years, Baker wrote for the Chicago Reader, Creem, Trouser Press, Bomp!, Goldmine, Billboard, Mix, Illinois Entertainer, and Record magazine. He has also written liner notes for historical reissues from Universal, Capitol/EMI, Numero Group, and Omnivore. He has been a voting member of the Recording Academy since 1979. He lives in Southern California.”
When I started to get back into writing again in 2012, Mr. Baker was the first publicist who I worked with; at the time he was arranging interviews with Peter Holsapple as The dB’s were about to release their Falling Off Of The Sky album. From that time forward, until his retirement as a publicist, he was a joy to work with and an endless source of material that I will be forever grateful for. His warmth and professionalism went hand in hand and I’m very happy that he’s chosen this current path.
Let it be said, the informative nature of this book, to me, qualifies it as a very good text for a musicology class; it should be added to curricula sooner than later. Opening with an excellent essay/introduction by musician (and seasoned busker) Don Flemons, it introduces the reader to a world of musicians (and subsequently, musicianship) you probably weren’t aware of or ever gave thought to in depth. This isn’t dry text and facts – it’s a wonderfully visual read; the first chapter, which was originally written as an article in 1981 about Chicago’s busker’s area, is descriptive and cinematic to the point you can almost smell the street food cooking and hear the performers amongst the crowds. What makes this even more meaningful is that it’s taken from Mr. Baker’s memories – of his initial and then subsequent visits to this neighborhood. And the well-defined geographic divide clearly helps you envision what the experiences were like in each particular place. The East Coast, South and Midwest, California and Europe are all represented well and with a wealth of information. Interviews are plentiful – among those being Lucinda Williams, The Violent Femmes, Mary Lou Lord, Peter Case, and the late, great Mojo Nixon, plus the reportage of historic conversations well researched.
One of the most poignant quotes in this book is from a 1983 Trouser Press interview with Violent Femmes’ bassist, Bryan Ritchie, about busking/street performances (especially as I STILL have that issue of Trouser Press and it was my introduction to the band) and is a perfect summary “Busking is the epitome of unshackled freedom. Imagine a musician unencumbered by technology, playing or singing anywhere they can fit, moving on when boredom or the cops intervene, changing musical direction at will. Sounds fun, right?” Speaking from (some) experience, not quite… but close – and it certainly had its moments, especially the “fun” part. And when money was placed in our guitar cases, it felt like what we were doing was valid.
The music these people made was just that – valid.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Down On The Corner – Adventures In Busking & Street Music is currently available.
http://jawbonepress.com/down-on-the-corner/
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