Photograph by Bill Streeter
Maybe you've heard that Jack White, formerly of The White Stripes, has started a record company, Nashville-based Third Man Records. And maybe you've heard that Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three have a single out through Third Man's Blues Series, “Chittlin’ Cookin’ Time in Cheatham County,” with “Pack It Up” on the B-side. Two weeks ago at South by Southwest, White played a surprise show outside Third Man's yellow and black bus, which was parked around Austin during the festival. As he explained to the New York Times, the bus, and Third Man's three-color vinyl records, are not just gimmickry: "I hope there’s a teenager in that line who is really excited about music because of this, and he might buy a record today might lead him down different path," he said. "Pokey LaFarge could lead him to Charlie Poole or Jelly Roll Morton. That’s really important."
Every generation or so, young musicians discover that standing on the shoulders of their predecessors can be a powerful, even radical act. As LaFarge told music writer Daniel Durchholz in our February issue: "Part of the reason we’ve become hardened traditionalists in terms of preserving this music is because we’re revolting against things today, just the way you would when you’re a kid—listening to punk rock and revolting against the crappy music being made today, and about how the record business is and how the media has taken over music. You can revolt and listen to this stuff from back in the day, stuff that the media didn’t control."
In 1976—definitely a crappy year for music if ever there was one—another St. Louisian, John Hartford, won a Grammy for Mark Twang, an album of songs inspired by traditional musical forms and the Mississippi River. Pokey LaFarge and his band seem to be heading in similar directions. The band's latest record, Riverboat Soul, has charted high in the UK and ended up on MOJO's top 10 list; and just yesterday, the Independent Music Awards named the album the winner in its Americana category. So: many good things. The band is just about to head out on a big tour, but it'll be playing two more St. Louis shows before rolling out of town. And if you miss them, speaking of rolling, there's nothing wrong with contenting yourself with a little Jelly Roll Morton or Charlie Poole on YouTube.
Thursday, March 31
6 p.m., Free
Vintage Vinyl Records
6610 Delmar,
314-721-4096
Friday, April 1
with 3 Swingin' Picks
Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp
9 p.m., $10
314-773-3363
