Memphis Rent Party Robert Gordon (Bloomsbury Publish- ing) Robert Gordon is
one fine author and filmmaker. The first book of his I ingested whole was Can’t Be Satisfied, which set me on a path of locating his precious works and
bookmarking his website to be informed of future works. One of his best was Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story, a great book and also a fine documentary film. With his latest, Memphis Rent Party,
Gordon delivers a collection of previously published essays combined with stories that paint a picture of the Memphis journalist through the years as the diverse array of mu- sicians and their music washed over him. The eclectic group of players featured within these pages run the gamut from indie rocker Alex Chilton to the great Jim Dickinson, producer and artist and accompanist; from blues man Furry Lewis to SUN Records founder Sam Phillips; the “Killer,” Jerry Lee Lewis; song- writing royalty Townes Van Zandt; blues leg- end Robert Johnson; and in a fine essay, the author recounts Jeff Buckley’s fatal swim. With each essay, you get the feeling
that you are actually learning. I like that. Learning things you did not know before about these artists. The profiles are full of de- tails and insights that help to paint the pic- tures.
Memphis Rent Party is another grand
slam home run for Gordon. The book is so en- gaging that I couldn’t stop reading it. This rarely happens in my far too busy life. I read it straight through, other than stopping for
food and rest breaks. Gordon has also produced a fine CD
BOOKS
(Fat Possum), also called Memphis Rent Party, that features deep and rare cuts from many of the artists included in the book. (See review this issue.) The CD only adds to the appeal of the book, a truly addictive look into the wide variety of music that came from Memphis, Tennessee.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
The Brothers of Bragg Jam: A Mother’s Memoir Julie Bragg (Mercer University Press) Most of us music
lovers in the south have heard of Macon, Georgia’s annual Bragg Jam, an al- ways star-studded benefit
including music, auctions and more. And most have heard the tragic story of brothers Brax and Taylor Bragg, killed in an auto acci- dent while on a road trip in Texas. Now, the boys’ mother Julie tells the
entire story in great detail as only a mother could, with
love.The story includes a series of mysterious events surrounding the accident, and the subsequent visits by Olivia, a psychic, who helped to bring major closure to this hurting family. Three weeks after the deaths, friends
staged a memorial concert called Bragg Jam, and the brothers’ legacy was born. This is the story of a mother and family who overcame the hardest blows a parent could ever face and created a beautiful and lasting memorial to two fine young men. It is a heartwarming, honest, loving story. A must read.
-Michael Buffalo Smith
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