After a long time of waiting and planning, we finished this last tour by finally visiting the city and area around Newbern, Alabama to see some of the amazing architecture that Samuel Mockbee and the Rural Studio built.  It's a really fantastic concept that Mockbee started back around '87 - to teach students from the architecture school at Auburn to build beautiful and creative homes for people who were living in the worst conditions of the area - for free - and often using recycled materials like tires, hay, cardboard and carpets as well as local materials (like wood from the Talledega forest) and designs that fit in the environment they are built in. But here's what makes these work: they are truly beautiful structures - aesthetically pleasing and designed for and with the people who will live in them, people who have generally never received any help from the outside community on this scale before. 

And they seemed to not even ask for it.  The stories are that often people who are approached to receive these houses are often reluctant -  mostly because they are afraid to lose what little they do have.  After several tries with some of the families, Mockbee or now the new director Andrew, have had to explain that the families will be totally involved with the process of the building and design and they can also get other things they need in the plans like gardens, large front porches, and smokehouses in addition to the homes which are designed to use little energy to disperse the heat and keep them warm.  That seems to make it easier for the families to make the choice to work with them.  They still have to work on small lots generally right next to the trailers and shacks where they lived but the Rural Studio has done this seamlessly in the houses we saw.

Here's the Butterfly House:

The Carpet House:

Haybale House:

They've since built seven homes (maybe more) for underprivileged families and
also 5 or more large projects for the community around Newbern and their work is truly inspiring to see.  I know this is easy to say and hard to do but, in my opinion, I'm amazed that more colleges and business people aren't doing this around the country.  It's such a great way to improve the community and make everybody happier and proud.   Mockbee's visionary work led him to recieve a Macarthur Grant in 2000 and a trip to Oprah's show. 
Sadly, Mockbee passed away in 2002 at the age of 57.  However, his work is still being carried on by the Rural Studio at Auburn University and they were very eager to help us find the sites that we could visit and let us tour the grounds of the studio.  They are at www.ruralstodio.com -  you have to call them and go in person for the map of the sites. 

They pointed us to a memorial near the Rural Studio that one of Mockbee's daughter's built for him.  She's not an architect but the piece still turned out to be a wonderful and peaceful place to go and meditate where you can listen to things whispered through one side of  the concrete that no one else can hear on the other side.  Here's a look from inside: 

They also built a very cool (and very tall - 100ft!) birding tower and suspension bridge and bathrooms at the Perry Lakes Park outside of Marion, AL for the community to use.  Here's a view of the bridge:

And from the stairs of the birding tower you can look at this cool swamp below:

If you go out to Perry Lakes to see the Birding Tower, keep your eye out for a great BBQ restaurant/gas station called The Idle Inn on the way for a fill up both for your car and your BBQ
needs - the best Pit BBQ sandwiches in the world are there on long road out to Marion, Alabama. (sorry no pic!)

Also, go to Mustang Oil in Newbern for some great food (the catfish po-boy is
not on the menu but it's awesome).  Below is the sideways pic of it with sweet potato fries!:

Everybody in the area is friendly and happy to tell stories about Mockbee and the people who have received the houses and we stayed at a great B&B called Blue Shadows that is just a great spot to be for it all - and the first place Mockbee stayed in the area.  Ok, here are some more of the pics - the rest are larger and  in a folder in the my photos section of my Myspace page - hope you dig 'em and get out to see it sometime yourself!!

Peace - Marty

smokehouse for the Butterfly House made out of stones, bottles and street signs:

The Chapel - a community center type building at Mason's Bend (where most of the houses have been built) with windows made from car glass  - my only complaint in all of the Rural Studio works is here,  it's a lot smaller than it looks and I wish it could have been made larger and be a bit more useful for everybody but it looks like they tried more for the look than the use on this one - it actually looks a bit scary to hang out in and overrun with tall grass and weeds now - they did say they needed help to maintain it - and they did put up some basketball courts behind it.  I think they did a great job with the larger Lions Park in Greensboro - it seems to get a lot of use and it's a huge site - but a little far for these folks to get to - anyways it looks cool and hopefully someday they'll get the funds donated to expand and maintain it:

There's a playground they built behinf the HERO center (which they also built) in Greensboro, the largest city in the area  that looks really great and the HERO center helps people find housing and receive aid, too.  Here's a view of the fence outside:

and another view inside the Mockbee memorial:

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Marty Christian first made himself known in the early 90s as a Blues radio DJ in that town. Then from one side of Austin, Texas to the other side of Eastern France, he honed his skills as a performer. Returning to the scene in Lafayette, Louisiana in 2003, he made his first solo album, "Bluesicana" in 2006. Marty Christian is sometimes heard at the side of pianist Henry Gray, but it is only with the sole support of Andy Cornett on harmonica on two songs (Piney wood Sentimental boogie and blues) that he chooses to speak here.

In this "Underground Blues" produced by Evan Jones, there are no mysteries to decipher in the words, unattainable notes to dissect. Just the pleasure of listening to an interpreter in a compelling original repertoire. Yet, if you look at the titles of the songs, most have a feeling of déjà vu. Make no mistake, this is not a case of rehashing old sounds but of new creations, with the exception of Bluebird borrowed from Howlin Wolf. Good singer, accomplished guitarist, Marty Christian recalls the first sides of an acoustic Snooks Eaglin and at times, Van Morrison in a set of collected blues alternating with shakin’ boogies.

The uniqueness of this record also resides in the iconography of the cover art, a mixture of naive and hallucinatory painting all at once, voodoo imagery created by the painter Kelly Guidry. Christian is represented as being led by a blue haired creature in vibrant red dress and shoes, holding on to the neck of his guitar. Proserpine galloping as his guide through a dangerous underground of black cats and snakes, escorted by a hellhound and winged hearts, while the feet of dancers twist and turn on the ground floor above. Christian, agreed, but there is enough here to confuse and persuade...
- Dominique Lagarde, Soul Bag, March 2009

Translated from/Traduit de:

Natif de Cleveland, Ohio, Marty Christian se fait d'abord connaître au début des années 90 comme DJ blues sur une radio de la ville. C est pourtant du côté d'Austin, Texas puis de l est de la France, qu il part se roder en tant qu'interprète. Il est de retour en Louisiane à Lafayette en 2003, puis réalise son premier album solo, “Bluesicana”,en 2006. Marty Christian se fait parfois entendre aux côtés du pianiste Henry Gray, mais c'est avec le seul soutien de l'harmoniciste Andy Cornett sur deux chansons (Piney wood boogie et Sentimental blues) qu'il choisit de s'exprimer ici.

Dans cet “Underground Blues” produit par Evan Jones, pas de phrases mystère à décrypter, de notesjamais atteintes à décortiquer. Juste le plaisir d écouter un interprète convaincant dans un répertoire original. Pourtant, si l'on regarde les titres des chansons, la plupart ont un parfum de déjà-vu. Ne vous y trompez pas, il ne s'agit pas de reprises mais bien de créations, à l exception du Bluebird emprunté à Howlin Wolf. Bon chanteur, guitariste accompli, Marty Christian rappelle le Snooks Eaglin des premières faces acoustiques et par moments aussi Van Morrison dans une série de titres alternant blues recueillis et boogies nerveux.

La singularité de ce disque réside encore dans l'iconographie de sa jaquette, mélange de peinture naïve et hallucinée à la fois, imagerie vaudoue créée par le peintre Kelly Guidry. Le Christian y est représenté conduit par le manche de sa guitare par une créature bleue à la chevelure, à la robe et aux souliers rouge vif. Une Proserpine galopante qui semble le guider vers un underground risqué de chats noirs et de serpents, escortée du chien des enfers et de cœurs ailés, alors que les pieds des danseurs twistent et tournent au rez-de-chaussée. Christian d'accord, mais il y a de quoi y perdre son latin…
- Dominique Lagarde, Soul Bag, Mars 2009

Acoustic blues singer Marty Christian played in bands all over the country and as far away as eastern France before he fell in love with Lafayette six years ago.

"I spent time in Austin and after 10 years I started to really miss the French language, the music and the energy, so I started to sneak into Louisiana listening to zydeco music because that's where I would hear it," he said.

For Christian, that style of music helped carve out his sound. "I found in my music something that incorporates the early acoustic blues in the Delta with, I suppose, a more energetic Chicago electric blues and I try to combine that with acoustic sounds," Christian said. "Zydeco gave me the rhythm to bring all of that together as a solo act."

Christian performs throughout the state and Texas as a solo artist, as well as a sideman for blues piano musician Henry Gray and the Cats.

Blues lovers can check out Christian live tonight when he celebrates the release of his second album, "Underground Blues," at Noble Savage Tavern.

The album includes 10 songs featuring Christian's signature acoustic blues sound, along with fellow musician Andy Cornett on several tracks and one Howlin' Wolf classic.

- Donecia Pea, The Shreveport Times 3/13/09

Hey Everybody!!  I'm happy to announce the release of my new CD, Underground Blues!!  I just want to take a moment to explain how this CD came about and to mention those who I was so fortunate to work with on this CD - without whom I could have never done it!

If you just want to jump to the music, you can hear samples from the whole Cd right now at my website:

www.martychristian.com

This CD has been a labor of love over the last year and a half and I am extremely grateful for the way it came out.   The goal was to produce an acoustic Blues CD that captured the feel of my solo live shows yet produced the sound quality of an intimate acoustic listening room with no electronics or microphones between me and the listener.  Turns out that's not an easy task!  Fortunately, I ran into Evan Jones one night during Fred's Fest in Fort Worth, TX and he suggested giving his studio a try.   I think he did an amazing job of capturing my sound and my soul on the 9 songs he recorded there because all of this was accomplished and more!   That's why the Cd will be released first at Fred's and I'll be accompanied by the fantastic Darrin Kobetich as well making this a killer kickoff show!!

Rounding out the CD are two duo cuts that came from an exciting session I recorded in Lafayette with Andy Cornett at Ivan Klisanin's studio producing two huge sounding Blues tunes with emotive harmonica and foot stomps from the depths of the Louisiana swamps that only Ivan could create!  Andy will be appearing with me at a the release party in Shreveport and also at the big bash in Lafayette with Henry Gray and the Cats and Carol Fran!!

For the CD cover,  I was extremely fortunate to get involved with the artwork of the Acadiana area's creative genius, Kelly Guidry.   The artwork that he created expressed the sound of my CD better than I could have ever dreamed possible.  It's a beautiful wood cut (chainsawed!) montage of the sounds of the Blues that inspired so much of the Louisiana music and that drew me here to explore it - all that beautiful Blues that's underground here and everywhere else in American music.  You can actually get a collectors edition archival print of the CD cover artwork from Kelly Guidry at his website: www.kellyguidry.com

All of this is being released once again courtesy of Chad Thibodeaux at Street Man Records!

For the next two weeks, the CD will be available at the CD release parties below.  Then it will be for sale worldwide online from the Louisiana Music Factory.

CD Release party schedule:

Fort Worth, TX - Thursday, March 5th 7pm-10pm at Fred's Texas Cafe - with special guest Darrin Kobetich!
Grapevine, TX - Friday, March 6th 8pm - 11pm at Into the Glass
Shreveport, LA - Friday, March 13th - 9pm - 11pm at Noble Savage Tavern
Lafayette, LA - Saturday, March 14th - 8pm at the Blue Moon Saloon - with special guests: Henry Gray and the Cats!! Andy Cornett!! and Carol Fran!!!
Monroe, LA - Saturday, March 21st - 9pm at Enoch's

Well the trip to North Carolina was fantastic.  We had great weather and I was able to get there ahead of the show and spend time with Mom - what else can you ask for?  How about the country's first African-American president?  OK! 

I flew in there on election day and man what a party they were having down at the Broad Street Cafe in Durham!  We were entertained by the "Poll dancers for Obama" (Mom wished she had joined this group!) and celebrated with crowds wearing other signs like Rednecks 4 Obama  and the like.  With every state total count on the big screen came another roar from the place.  We enjoyed the food, too but there was a lot more goin' on then that - A historical night indeed.
 

The next day it was hard not to feel the change in the air.  Now I know that no one can know what's going to happen next - and politics are funky especially in this country.  But so many people have been given a sense of pride and hope by Obama's landslide election that it was impossible not to feel it everywhere we went this week.  This poster was found on the side of a telephone pole downtown and I think it says it all - "Speaking to U.S."  This isn't about Black and White - it's about everybody and I think we deserve it.

Then the real reason for my trip came blowin' into town.  This was my third show as the guitarist for Henry Gray and The Cats and man what a doozy it was!  This band is unstoppable.  I overheard a guy call someone after soundcheck to tell them simply: "sounded like a freight train".  Andy Cornett, B.B. Bruce and Earl Christopher are just so in touch with Henry Gray's fluid Blues energy.  You can't help but get swept up in it. It was so cool being a part of the show and I think the dancin' and shoutin' all night long made it evident that the crowd thought so too.  Jaws were droppin' when Henry went into renditions of Howlin' Wolf's "Little Red Rooster" - which he played on at Chess Records - as well as his own classics "Mr. Lucky" and "Mojo Boogie".I think I'm going to hang around these cats for a while... Little Ronnie and his band from Richmod, VA opened the show with a killer set, too!

And just to hook back into the change in the weather goin' around the country, I read that Obama has Howlin' Wolf on his Ipod!  Now that's a welcome change!

peace - Marty