if it mixes...if it dances

Learned today that Levon Helm passed, Thursday, April 19.

In the past two months or more, I had been listening often to the soundtrack to The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese's documentary / concert film featuring The Band.

Then yesterday I saw Coal Miner's Daughter.

So lately for me, it's been Levon Helm this,
and Levon Helm that

since his vocals and percussion are featured in The Last Waltz,
and in Coal Miner's, he plays the part of Ted Webb, Loretta Lynn's dad.

I always think it's important to honor and talk up (and revel in) the arts and performances that we like, while the people are alive, not just wait until they die and then, in the eulogy-mania, it's like, "Oh we like ya now that you're dead." (Whatever...)

And I had been going to talk about The Last Waltz anyway, and the following, one of my favorite passages from the ongoing interview with band members in that film was something I wanted to feature wherever I could, anyway -- well, now Levon Helm passed, but this conversation and music and film was great when he was alive, and it will be great forever regardless of who is alive or dead, when. ...

-----------------
(Levon Helm):

Near Memphis,

cotton country, rice country,


the most interesting thing

is probably the music.


(Scorsese)

Levon, who came from around there?

Carl Perkins.

Muddy Waters, the king of country music.


(Robertson) Elvis Presley.

Johnny Cash. Bo Diddley.


(Levon Helm) That's kind of the middle of the country back there.

So bluegrass or country music,

you know, if it comes down to that area

and if it mixes there with rhythm

and if it dances,

then you've got a combination

of all those different kinds of music.

Country, bluegrass, blues music.

- (Robertson) The melting pot.

- (Levon Helm) Show music.

- (Scorsese) And what's it called?


- (Helm) Rock and roll.

-30-