Do you know what Muddy Waters, Hank Williams, John Lennon, James Brown, Merle Haggard and Tony Bennett have in common?
Not sure?
These notables are all part of our root system and have everything to do with the shape and color of the leaves on our musical tree today.And it all comes from the roots.Unfortunately, the lack of mainstream exposure of American Roots music today is sad. With the exception of some current TV commercials, trying to appeal to baby boomers, you just don't hear it unless you know where to look. How about Count Basie, Ronnie Van Zant, Bill Monroe, Prince, Bob Wills or Elvis? 
Still don't know?Wes Montgomery? DeFord Bailey? George Jones? Sugar Hill Gang? Ray Charles? Not sure?The answer is simple, but complex, because they have little in common yet, they have everything in common. American Roots music.
Robert Z (pic) knows
- as does Mike Dugan, that if not for a bunch of young British musicians in the sixties, many of us American urban/suburban boomers wouldn't know Muddy Waters or Howlin' Wolf.So, we are drawn to the significant cause of promoting American Roots Music in an attempt to preserve the musical art-form for future generations.WC Handy equals American IdolLike Chris Daughtrey - the kid on American Idol last year who sang an arrangement of Johnny Cash's "I walk the line" that had Simon calling him genius - all right, maybe he was too nervous to admit in front of 100 million TV viewers that it wasn't his own arrangement, but his performance, none the less, illustrates my point.Daughtrey listened to Lyve's version of "I walk the line" who heard Johnny Cash's, who listened to Muddy Waters, who heard Robert Johnson, who heard WC Handy.As a musician and singer, everything I do is influenced by everything I've heard before - just like Robert Z - so like it or not WC Handy equals American Idol.That's why we invite singers, songwriters, musicians and music fans of all styles of American Music; Blues, Jazz, Rock, Country, Bluegrass, Rock & Roll, Dixieland, Rock-a-Billy, R&B, Soul, Funk, Folk, Be-Bop or Zydeco, to come together with us to celebrate this significant indigenous, musical art form.The birthplace of today's music; WC Handy, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Frank Zappa, James Brown, et al, spawned Jay-Z, R Kelly, Trisha Yearwood, Black Eyed Peas and Kelly Clarkson - no doubt.Whether your house smells like cigarette smoke or roses influences your decision to open the window... or your nostrils... or your mind... or your calendar to mark American Roots Live into your schedule - in either of two 2 great locations - twice a week.Please join me - Nasty Ned and, Robert Z, John Powers, Billy K, Johnny Charles, Bernie Brauswetter and some of the most talented players on the tri-state circuit as we come together twice per week to celebrate our American Roots hertitage.Check it out. And bring a friend or two - or your kids - for a musical history lesson and some great entertainment.Music is life.Do you see life as art?
Amelia Lange does,
JR Bradfield does, so does Robert Z - and so do I.
Come see for yourself?
Keeping it real,Ned
