as i may have mentioned, i'm teaching a course on american popular music. it occurs to me that the twentieth century in american music was comparable to, say, the sixteenth century in italy in visual arts. i am quite serious about that. so, you know, botticelli, leonardo, michelangelo, girgione, titian, up to correggio and caravaggio. or: louis armstrong, charlie parker, bessie smith, blind willie mctell, robert johnson, jimmie rodgers, hank williams, tammy wynette, waylon jennings, billie holiday, duke ellington, sam cooke, otis redding, thomas dorsey, aretha, janis and jimi, run dmc, public enemy, biggie, eminem, bill monroe, early scruggs, muddy waters, little walter, b.b. king, duane allman, professor longhair, oh there is no need ever to stop.
