Visits with two old musical friends; one you’ve never heard of, but should have —Michael Hoppe (WATCH VIDEO) and one who has probably been part of your cultural consciousness for years — the legendary Robert Plant. Such good men, both of them.
There is something about performing musicians — the good ones, the humble ones — that fascinates me. Their relationship to their audience is so immediate that there can be no disingenuousness in their presentation. And they, in turn, are buoyed and lifted by their audiences, so there is an immediate feeling of mutual gratitude that those of us who create at a distance from our audience never experience in quite the same way.
I feel fortunate to call these men friends. Old artists tend to tell the truth in their art, and these men are truth tellers of the highest order. Best of all, they are only old chronologically. One of the great benefits of being in the arts — something you never truly appreciate until most of the tread has been worn off your tires — is that all art, at heart, is about curiosity, discovery, and close observation of the world. And anyone who has these never truly gets old, but just leavens the passions of youth with the wisdom of age.
Thank You Kent for Three amigos, touching our hearts and souls with great pictures.
I love seeing Robert Pant and Alison Krauss duet and Michael Hoppe cry Tears of the Earth.
Like you, you all help connect us with ourselves, each other and our Sacred Mother Earth.
And the Three amigos. Thank You
Kent -Did you see that a white buffalo calf was born?
https://time.com/6987690/reported-birth-rare-white-buffalo-calf-in-yellowstone-park-fulfills-lakota-prophecy/
OZ from Wisconsin
Just heard about it today.
Well stated, as it has always been, the truths that the elders share may not be truly understood till it is ready to be understood.
I’m nearly 73, but I have to be honest; I had to google Robert Plant. I know, I know, this is blasphemous especially coming from a Baby Boomer, but my tastes in music didn’t lean toward Led Zeppelin and the whole drugs and rock music scene. Sure, I’ve recognized numerous songs/performances over the years; the artists, the instrumentals; guitar riffs, legends, lyrics, the like, but I was never ‘into it.’ Growing up in the 60s I leaned more toward Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, The Stones, The Beatles, and Soul Music — after sufficient time away from it and the civil rights conflicts/riots I found myself involuntarily enmeshed during high school in the late sixties as a white man. Years and years later, Soul proved to be beautiful, familiar. Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard, Elvis. KD Lang. Mark Knopfler, and many others that caught my ears, my moods. Driving through the Dakotas in my ’85 Ford F150, Patsy Cline fit the bill.
But after receiving your email, this evening, I looked up Michael Hoppe (Easy listening/inspirational music) then Rob’t Plant & Allison Krause WOW! Their ‘Raising Sand’ album; ‘Killing The Blues,’ is my kind of music. I loved it. Played it loud down here in my basement office across four speakers until my wife came down and asked me to come to bed. “I will in a couple minutes,” I answered. “I gotta write somethin’…”
Thanks, man.
. .
Yep. Good stuff. The best.
Wonderful thoughts, and, I think, very true.
And plenty of new music for me to check out!
Thank you!
Lovely descriptions about trees in your “Musings” section. Maybe in the past you’ve heard the rustling in the cottonwoods in Pine Ridge? Just returned from there and was magical hearing the sound in the leaves of 80-foot trees early on a spring morning in the prairie. Have heard of Robert Plant and Michael Hoppe – appreciate and respect both artists’ music!
We’ve got tickets to see Alison & Robert here in Eugene, Oregon, in August — we even changed our vacation plans so we could be back in time. When I first heard they were touring together I was flummoxed — I mean, Led Zepplin and Alison, whaaaaaat? But what a terrific idea.
Robert Plant, a great human being and a great friend of Wales. A largely unsung supporter of good causes and generous benefactor. And still making magnificent music!