It was a snowy weekend in Memphis – we hope you had a good album to snuggle up with. Or maybe you just let the heat radiating off of Ja Morant keep you warm? There’s enough of that to go around, and the Grizz even get a mention in this week’s round-up of stuff we saw that we think you should see, too.
The Memphis Thing
Loveland Duren – the powerful duo of Van Duren and Vicki Loveland – are still getting praise and press for their 2021 album Any Such Thing. In a recent interview with AntiMusic they talked about the project and what it means to them to be part of the Memphis music fabric.
While acts like Elvis Presley and B.B. King may have put Memphis on the musical map, it is artists like Loveland and Duren who keep the fire burning. The passion that the pair feel for Memphis has its roots in many different things and is sometimes a bit difficult to pin down. “Memphis has always had an integration and blending of musical cultures and styles; there’s a real love for the songs and friendships we make as a result of the struggles we live through together,” says Loveland. “The influences of people like Elvis, Al Green, Ann Peebles, the Hi Rhythm Section, Rufus Thomas and on and on; the history and environment have been embedded in our DNA. It’s a soul and a determination of grace. And you know, Memphis is really just a big city in the middle of cotton fields and farms, with so many musically talented people born from those roots and that energy. It’s not something you can fake.”
Ja, Jaren and the Queen(s) of Soul
Since Ja Morant is basically a walking highlight reel, we’re pretty sure you watched the Grizzlies put the beat down on Chicago yesterday during the annual MLK Day game – and if you’re like us, you can’t stop playing the clip of Steven Adams carrying Tony Bradley to safety. On repeat. But unless you were at the FedEx Forum you might’ve missed the best non-basketball thing to happen: a performance featuring some Memphis music royalty, including the Queen of Soul herself.
MLK Day Carla Thomas, Wendy Moten, Angie Stone and the #Grizzlies vs #Chicago pic.twitter.com/wY3gJJhnAg
— Mearl Purvis (@Mearlonfox13) January 17, 2022
