I love the lilt of the Memphis accent. It is sheer elegance, recalling stately homes and courtly manners, but times have changed. Memphis, like so many of the other river towns on the Mississippi, is blighted as it loses business and population. And revitalization is slow to return. Visiting Memphis in February, this was driven home to me once again, and if wishing would make it so, I dream that these fine cities recover and go on to a new era of glory. Though I don't know what the catalyst could be to turn the tides. And that wish extends to the Gulf Coast, as the current oil slick threatens the waterways from Louisiana to Pensacola. We do hope the spill gets capped in short order. Life in these parts is hard enough without these tribulations adding to the challenges. Don't think I am simply yearning for an earlier time, nostalgic for the good old days that weren't really good. It is not that, but a time when our economy was healthier so it better supported our citizens. Not that it was perfect, I realize, but it seems more folks could make a living then, that's what I am longing for, for us all.
For me, the accent recalls those days. Keith Sykes voice drips with the charm of white linen, straw boaters and sultry weather. He wears many hats, of course beside the boater...not sure if he really wears that! Singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, record executive. He has traveled and found himself in studios and on stages around the world. What a life! Read all about it by clicking here. When he joined us on the bus during Folk Alliance, he asked what song we wanted to hear thinking he would do "Volcano," which he co-wrote with Jimmy Buffett. I asked instead for "It Don't Matter," which he co-wrote with Jerry Jeff Walker. We send this to the people south of I-10, who are about to have their coastline disrupted. Better times will come, just not sure when. We are praying for you.
-Jessie Scott
