This Saturday, travel back in time to a bustling 1970s New York City with award-winning food journalist Jessica B. Harris. Her memoir My Soul Looks Back recounts her time hobnobbing with the likes of Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and Nina Simone.
Also joining us are soul/blues singer Devon Gilfillian and country-rock band The Artisanals.
The time: Saturday, July 21, 7 p.m. on your MPB radio station or online.
Your hosts: Jim Dees and house band the Yalobushwhackers.
Click here for more information about Thacker Mountain Radio Hour—celebrating the music and stories of the emerging South.
Music
Devon Gilfillian
Devon Gilfillian’s self-titled EP has the R&B swagger of Al Green and Ray Charles, peppered with Gilfillian’s down-and-dirty slide guitar. He grew up in Philadelphia and is now based in Nashville. Equal parts swampy, funky, and even gospely, the record finds Gilfillian celebrating the classic sounds of his influences while making his soulful music his own. Voted “favorite new discovery” of 2016 by Nashville Scene magazine. Since appearing on Thacker, Gilfililan has gone on to sign with Capitol Records.
The Artisanals
The Artisanals are a rock band from Charleston, South Carolina, fronted by songwriter Johnny Delaware. The band brings twangy bounce and clear harmonies to their quieter tunes, while their rocking numbers scream with guitar snarls. Indeed, they list Townes Van Zandt and The Clash among their influences. The group has singles available online: https://theartisanals.bandcamp.com/.
Literature
Jessica B. Harris
In My Soul Looks Back (Simon and Shuster), the captivating new memoir by Jessica B. Harris, the author recalls the early 1970s in the vibrant New York City of her youth, where her social circle included Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and Nina Simone.
Befitting a James Beard award-winning food historian, Harris includes vivid descriptions of the restaurants, groceries, and meals she and her famous friends enjoyed—from the sangria and barbecued pork of El Faro in Greenwich Village to Mikell’s uptown, the place for jazz, stiff drinks, and conversation. Harris includes recipes and even a playlist for each chapter that captures the sounds of the times.
Harris is the author of 12 previous books. Her accolades include special achievement awards from the James Beard Foundation and the Southern Foodways Alliance.
