Marsha Music, Live from Hastings Street! @ ArtX Fest

[marshamusic]

I hope you don't mind my posting this.

For many years I’ve written about my [[and my family’s) experiences of life in Detroit. As some of you know, my late father, Joe Von Battle, owned Joe’s Record Shop on Hastings Street. He opened his shop and recording studio in the late ‘40’s and it became legendary in its time, for the production of especially Blues music, and the recording of the Rev. CL Franklin and his daughter Aretha.

After Hastings was destroyed to build the Chrysler Freeway, he moved his shop to 12th Street, where it remained until it was destroyed in the ‘67 Riots. I am writing a book about his life and times.

I write about growing up in the music/record business, as well as other aspects of life in Detroit and Highland Park [[where I grew up). I’ve contributed to narratives on Detroit including: an appearance in an HBO documentary many years ago called City on Fire, about the Tiger’s pennant victory the year after the Riots; a chapter in the book Untold Tales, Unsung Heroes, An Oral History of Detroit; an opening chapter in the recent book on Lafayette Park, Thanks For The View, Mr. Mies.

My narrative in National Public Radio/StoryCore project has been played numerous times on WDET and I am a “character” in Mark Binelli’s recent book, Detroit City is the Place to Be.

Last year [[2012), I was awarded a Kresge Foundation Fellowship in the Literary Arts. Every two years Kresge and Midtown Inc. put on the ArtX Festival, which showcases the work of the Fellows and it is a really cool, five-day series of events. Thousands attend everything from theatre to concerts and exhibitions in a dozen venues in Midtown.

As for my “performance” I will do a presentation in which I will narrate – with the help of photos, video and music - the story of Joe’s Record Shop, and my father’s life and work in the midst of the changes in music, and in Detroit.

Btw, ArtX is all FREE, April 10-14, 2013. My performance is April 14, at 5:00 p.m. at MOCAD. Thanks!

Marsha Music, Detroit


Some links:

ArtX – Marsha Music
http://www.artxdetroit.com/2013-art-...-marsha-music/

Video – Marsha Music
http://youtu.be/nCeTg4o0R_8

The ArtX Festival line-up
http://www.artxdetroit.com/2013-art-x-detroit/

My blog:
http://www.marshamusic.wordpress.com

[downtownguy]

Sounds wonderful. Congratulations on the Kresge Fellowship. That's quite impressive. Thanks for posting!

[Lowell]

That' wonderful Marsha. Congratulations and keep us updated.

[fanniemae]

Great story and history. Thank you MM.

[Honky Tonk]

Good stuff, Marsha! REALLY enjoying it. Thanx!

[Gannon]

You wanna spin a few 45's either warming up or cooling down your crowd, Marsha?! We can arrange that...

This is in my schedule now...

[TexasT]

Very cool - I'm reading Thanks For The View right now, BTW!

[detroittrader]

I'm going for sure! I posted on the "Fly on the Wall" thread that I would have wanted to have been on Hastings during this era, and I appreciated your comments thereafter.

Will there be time before or after spinning 45's with Gannon for us to introduce ourselves?

[marshamusic]

Hey thanks All!

@TexasT - Awesome! Those are some great girls - Europeans living in Detroit - who pulled that book together, a Herculean task over a few years. Go back to near the beginning; my history of Lafayette Park and the seismic changes in Detroit.

@ Gannon - gosh, you must be reading my mind! I was thinking maybe you could do the sound - but I think they already have all that hooked up through the producers, Kresge, et. al. But I'll check though, for sure.

I don't have records though! It will all be from CD or digital. Unless you're proposing 45s! Maybe for the reception afterwards. Lets talk

@ detroittrader Yes, there will be a reception afterwards, so of course, you MUST introduce yourself. I met Gannon a few weeks ago at the CAID gallery, and I almost knocked him down I was so happy to meet a DetroitYes brother. So if you see me coming, brace yourself....

One of the challenges of the performance has been the irony acquiring permissions to use much of the music - imagine, having to track down and ask record companies if I can use music - some of it probably recorded in my living room! LOL!

On the other hand, some have been very gracious, understanding the awkwardness on both sides - them, for having music that might have been acquired through who-knows-what-and-how-many convoluted record company transactions; and me, for having to ask.

But I've got some good stuff now. It's going to be a great event!

[Gannon]

I only do compressed digital when there is no way to present music. It is easier, but that is the only benefit. Every other way is more musical.

I reached out to a few collectors I know who may have some of your father's recordings. We'll see if any step up for this.

This is fair use to show the background of your scholarship, I fail to see how any 'premission' is required to play music recorded by your father. If anything, you should simply be notifying those who hold copyright with a very public welcome to your presentation. Let them chase you if they want to enforce their copyright! Especially those who got 'em by slippery means.

And you tackle everyone from here that you meet? Darn, I was feeling special there for a while...heh.

Cheers!

[Honky Tonk]

I only do compressed digital when there is no way to present music. It is easier, but that is the only benefit. Every other way is more musical.

I reached out to a few collectors I know who may have some of your father's recordings. We'll see if any step up for this.

This is fair use to show the background of your scholarship, I fail to see how any 'premission' is required to play music recorded by your father. If anything, you should simply be notifying those who hold copyright with a very public welcome to your presentation. Let them chase you if they want to enforce their copyright! Especially those who got 'em by slippery means.

And you tackle everyone from here that you meet? Darn, I was feeling special there for a while...heh.

Cheers!

You probably still run tube amps.

[Gannon]

My dream system is a Fosgate tube-based ProLogic II processor, through a bevy of single-channel Manley amps...into speakers I haven't yet chosen. But no, no tubes in any of my systems yet, the only stuff around here with tubes are the things they were throwing away at Western High School...including a VERY cool tube-based instrument tuner that sold for as much as a Cadillac Fleetwood when it was new.

But I do know some of the members of the Michigan Tube Appreciation Society, or whatever they call themselves now...out in Ann Arbor. Been to only one meetup, but that was in the basement of the research doctor who invented the procedure for recycling dog and pig cilia to repair human hearing...a few weeks after his interview on NPR. We had a nice chat...but if THAT dude is on-board with tube amps, there might just be something to 'em!

[Honky Tonk]

My dream system is a Fosgate tube-based ProLogic II processor, through a bevy of single-channel Manley amps...into speakers I haven't yet chosen. But no, no tubes in any of my systems yet, the only stuff around here with tubes are the things they were throwing away at Western High School...including a VERY cool tube-based instrument tuner that sold for as much as a Cadillac Fleetwood when it was new.

But I do know some of the members of the Michigan Tube Appreciation Society, or whatever they call themselves now...out in Ann Arbor. Been to only one meetup, but that was in the basement of the research doctor who invented the procedure for recycling dog and pig cilia to repair human hearing...a few weeks after his interview on NPR. We had a nice chat...but if THAT dude is on-board with tube amps, there might just be something to 'em!

SE & Hi-Eff, the only way to fly. Look @ you're notifications.

[Gannon]

Darn, just got word that the JVB 45s are much too rare...some demanding many hundreds of dollars on resale...whoa. Perhaps we can spin-synch a faux-45rpm player while actually playing the backup computer copies?!

[marshamusic]

Darn, just got word that the JVB 45s are much too rare...some demanding many hundreds of dollars on resale...whoa. Perhaps we can spin-synch a faux-45rpm player while actually playing the backup computer copies?!

whooo....I don't know all the technical stuff, but yes, some - but not all - the records are very rare. I saw one 45 go for $900 on ebay!

When I think of how many times we played frisbee with those records.....

I'll talk to you and we'll work it out. I've got some great CD cuts! Thanks!

[Zacha341]

Great stuff MM! I plan to attend at mush of the artxdetroit.com activities as possible. Great blog, indeed keep us posted. Z341

[marshamusic]

And you tackle everyone from here that you meet? Darn, I was feeling special there for a while...heh.

Cheers!

yes, but you were my first......

[RickBeall]

Just the other day I was digitizing my CD collection and happened upon 70 songs from these CDs:

Blues Guitar Killers Detroit 1950's

Detroit Blues Rarities Vol 4: Hastings Street Blues Opera

Battle of Hastings Street

All the songs were recorded in Joe Van Battle's back room studios on Hastings and 12th Streets. All the CDs were published by overseas companies; they seem to have loved Joe's rough blues much more than we have. As time goes on, these recordings will become more and more valuable.

By rights, Marsha's family should be sitting on a huge catalog of thousands of recordings and getting payments from them all. But the family is not. Why not? The answer is an untold Detroit drama and tragedy.

Joe's store was a place where Heaven and Hell co-mingled, where people who are international stars now, banged on the piano and slept on the back couch. It was a place where the fracture lines of 20th century America gaped open, swallowing Joe and his record shop.

Once Marsha makes the story known to the world, you will see it worthy of being made into a movie, due to the drama, beauty, issues, and scar tissues that have touched us all.

I only know bits and pieces of the story from a few of Marsha's writings, and I post this only because of my enthusiasm for Marsha's and her father's work, and I hope she will not mind.

I am going to her one woman show, are you?

Or to put it in another way, are you willing to touch the joy, beauty and scar tissue that is uniquely Detroit's?

[marshamusic]

Just the other day I was digitizing my CD collection and happened upon 70 songs from these CDs:

Blues Guitar Killers Detroit 1950's

Detroit Blues Rarities Vol 4: Hastings Street Blues Opera

Battle of Hastings Street

All the songs were recorded in Joe Van Battle's back room studios on Hastings and 12th Streets. All the CDs were published by overseas companies; they seem to have loved Joe's rough blues much more than we have. As time goes on, these recordings will become more and more valuable.

By rights, Marsha's family should be sitting on a huge catalog of thousands of recordings and getting payments from them all. But the family is not. Why not? The answer is an untold Detroit drama and tragedy.

Joe's store was a place where Heaven and Hell co-mingled, where people who are international stars now, banged on the piano and slept on the back couch. It was a place where the fracture lines of 20th century America gaped open, swallowing Joe and his record shop.

Once Marsha makes the story known to the world, you will see it worthy of being made into a movie, due to the drama, beauty, issues, and scar tissues that have touched us all.

I only know bits and pieces of the story from a few of Marsha's writings, and I post this only because of my enthusiasm for Marsha's and her father's work, and I hope she will not mind.

I am going to her one woman show, are you?

Or to put it in another way, are you willing to touch the joy, beauty and scar tissue that is uniquely Detroit's?

Aw thanks Rick. This is an adventure, putting this ArtX thing together, and getting more layers of revelations about my father's work. This week, an online group of guys from England, Ireland Germany - and even Australia, described Joe Von Battle to me as their 'hero', and told me that since the sixties they have been collecting the records he recorded. A part of all of this, of course, is a curiosity about Detroit itself, its past and present.

Following the trail that leads from current record companies back to Hastings St. is a virtually Rodriquezian journey of which I appear to be at the starting line.

[RickBeall]

The Rodriquezian angle is very true. You never know where your research may take you. You never know where the seeds blown into the wind have taken root. And may lead back to the old tree, just stump and roots underground, maybe still harboring life.

[RickBeall]

Marsha's presentation is this coming Sunday. I am looking forward to hearing a little living history about Hasting Street and the blues scene in Detroit that basically circled around Joe's Record Shop.

Of course, to tantalize my wife, I told her that Joe's Record Shop recorded and put out all of Reverend Franklin's sermons, and Aretha used to bang the piano there. My wife is not too much into blues, but she remembers Reverend Franklin's records very well.

This will be a great peak into a window that has been closed a very long time. I bet Jim Gallert and his partner in crime Lars Bjorn will be there, "Music Before Motown; A History of Jazz in Detroit" this will be right up their alley. Ah Hastings Street, a place so jammed with people that the alleys had names.

[Gannon]

Thanks for the bump, Rick. We are sitting here going through music and pictures for the presentation now...you won't believe the quality of the Washboard Willie recording.

One of the local collectors has the first recording of Aretha done in Marsha's dad's shop, we are planning on having that transferred to the computer for easy playback...as well as some of the CL Franklin stuff.

This is getting really fun...every time we meet, there is more to the story...out of the woodwork popping...the record enthusiasts are really behind her, and have gone well beyond their due...but I think they are enjoying this as much as Marsha is.

Cheers, see ya Sunday...

[RickBeall]

Excellent Gannon. I look forward to meeting you as well. We each try to stir the pot as best we can. :-)

Time for me to play my Hasting's Street Opera, and walk down Hastings with the Detroit Count one more time, visiting all the bars, having a burger that tastes like a fish sandwhich, while I wash dishes tonight at the sink.

[RickBeall]

I hope while Marsha is doing all the prep work with you guys, and listening to music and sermens she has not heard in 50 years, that she finds time to write down all the memories this must be dislodging.

She will be on fire by Sunday night! Incandescent!

[Whaler]

Wow...Reading about all this is so Cool...What a great Project!!!...Sure hope I can make it....Whaler