Patricia Spears Jones's blog
ETTA JAMES Winter’s Daughter
January 21, 2012 by Patricia Spears...
Johnny Otis, the great bandleader, producer and dj whom many thought was Black heard a 15 year old girl singing in his hotel bathroom (she was too bashful to sing directly in front of him) while her girlfriends sang backup. When she finished, he asked her age—she lied and the rest is American cultural history. Etta James is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of her voice and musicianship. Her deep contralto gave voice to ideas of courtship, sexuality, sensuality, erotic yearning, conjugal bliss and romantic loss—in songs ranging from rhythm and blues classics such as “Roll with me Henry” “Tell Mama” and “Stop the Wedding” to standards such as “At Last” and “A Sunday Kind of Love”.
Look at Me--Savage Beauty revisited
July 20, 2011 by Patricia Spears...
Yesterday, I wore a pair of blue Lucite earrings. I bought them at Knobkerry, a design/fashion/art space created and curated by Sarah Penn. I was thinking about her store which was one of the first boutiques to connect the visual arts and furniture items from what some called the First World (Africa and Asia) with garments, accessories, and ephemera. On Spring Street in the 1970s, the culturati aka the niggerati bought colorful dresses, robes, scarves, one of a kind pieces designed by Ms.
Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum
July 6, 2011 by Patricia Spears...
"Savage Beauty" may be one of the best contemporary art installations I have ever seen--and folks I've seen plenty during my 3 decades in NYC and am amazed that it was done at the Metropolitan Museum--great to see the Met take some risk--no statements keeping children out, etc.