“Attention all planets of the solar federation.

WE HAVE ASSUMED CONTROL.”

Tonight Palladia aired the premiere of the new Rush documentary – Beyond the Lighted Stage and it’s important for me to recognize this documentary as one of the best musical diaries I’ve seen lately.

There’s probably no other band as polarizing as this threesome from the North, but you can’t ignore their success. After watching the video and the lexicon of bands and musicians (UFO, Kiss, Pantera, Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters, Black Label Society, Death Cab, Dream Theater, Primus, Jack Black and others), you gotta give this band the credit it deserves as they continue to build a soundscape that spans close to 40 years.

In the beginning, I didn’t get it either. Awakening in the eighties to rock and roll, the Canadian power trio were way above my head. The voice, the music and the cult following was hard to absorb. Their music, epic, visionary and constantly evolving is enough to revisit the work of Geddy, Alex and Neil.

In the new documentary, there are great performances that date back to their early days in Canada with late John Rutsey, interviews with bands, promoters, managers and fans along with video performances from Snakes and Arrows.

A master of percussion, a bass/vocal legend and one of the most under-rated guitarists in the history of rock, Rush still inspires and I wish there was a performance closer than Atlanta, but I sure hope to catch another tour.

There are plenty of other Rush fans who helped me along my way and they can probably share more than I – Terry McCoy, Bo Bradley, Steve Thompson and Tad Dickens – thanks for helping me see the light and hear the Spirit of the Radio.

By the way – one cool moment in the documentary is when they give props to Johnson City, TN!

The only left for me now is to open the doors to Limewire, cause I’ve gotta have a dose, but I plan on two books this year too. Neil’s Ghost Rider – Travels Along the Healing Road and Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead.

Here’s to Rush – the original geek rock band. Long live the mercurial force.

My new friend Shelly Van Wye came across this wonderful quote by ‘On The Road’ author Jack Keroauc and it’s made my week!

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars…”

Jack Kerouac.

I had lunch yesterday with Doug Beatty, festival organizer for “Racks By The Tracks” – a music/barbecue and micro-brew festival now in it’s second year in Downtown Kingsport earlier today.

It was thrilling to hear him announce (PollStar confirms) legendary blues piano-man Pinetop Perkins will be performing as the headliner this year for the ultra-cool festival held outdoors on the ground of the old train station.

As the history of blues legends continues to be written, Pinetop Perkins has plenty of space devoted to his influence. The original side man to Muddy Waters, Pinetop is a 2007 Grammy Award winner and is still traveling the country at the age of 95.

This will be a memorable afternoon to remember as Kingsport welcomes a true-blue legend and I can’t wait to say I listened to Pinetop Perkins downtown. Can’t wait to hear, “Got My Mojo Workin’,” “Caldonia,” “Pinetop Boogie” and other blues standards. This will be the excellent way to kick off what will be an incredible year of live music in our East Tennessee home.

Last week, the US Mint released a new quarter for the District of Columbia featuring the late American composer Duke Ellington .

This event didn’t receive the fanfare of the recent Obama Inauguration, but equally symbolic, Duke Ellington is the first African-American to appear on a circulating coin and he is a deserving recipient of this honor.

Born in Washington, DC in 1899, Ellington’s contributions to the American songbook may never have another rival. He was a passionate and intense composer who wrote and recorded more than 3,000 original songs including jazz standards ‘Mood Indigo,” “It Don’t Mean A Thing,” “Caravan,” “Take The A Train” and volumes of other material.

My musical education in high school was built upon this music as Sullivan Central High School band director Bill Canny introduced our jazz group to these songs and I’m still thankful for that introduction many years later.

Duke passed on in 1974 at the age of 75 and may very well be one of America’s greatest composers.

What’s more significant about this artist is the the significance of his work in a racially charged era. Duke and his band were the most popular acts in the country and traveled in private rail cars coast to coast performing with musicians that included Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane and Ella Fitzgerald.

In the mid-twentieth century, live music was one of America’s favorite past-times and big bands would dress with impeccable style and work together celebrating elegant functions that provided a romance still evident in the black and white photos of the times.

Ellington’s music made such an impact on the culture he even made his way into American cinema and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1961 for his score to ‘Paris Beauty.”

Wynton Marsalis speaks about Ellington in his book, “Moving To Higher Ground” and describes him as a “man for all people and the most unwavering example in jazz of pure dedication and ceaseless productivity.”

Duke Ellington’s music has such sophistication it deserves all the attention a quarter can give to this iconic figure. The music swings like no other and celebrates the joy, the reverie and spirit of a gilded age.

Marsalis also states in his new book, “I believe that to know the essence of a thing requires returning as closely as possible to the origin of the that thing.”

When it comes to jazz and great American popular music, Duke is a great history lesson.

In honor of this man and his music, here’s an important element in the YouTube archive featuring Ellington with the great drummer Louie Bellson who died just a few weeks ago on February 14th.

For anyone who’s ever met Graham Clarke, you know you’re in the presence of an inspiring man that has empowered many of Kingsport’s youth as coach of the Dobyns-Bennett Indians Football team.

Did you know that Graham also sings a mean James Brown and is now a local television star in a new commercial with Diane Hills?

YouTube stars rarely have any staying power. Here today, gone tomorrow most of the stunts and embarrassing moments pass by like weekly fashion statements.

“The Last Lecture” is an exception to the rule and this video and introduction to this unique author may stay with me for the rest of my life.

Randy Pausch first came to my attention via You Tube but he’s dieing from pancreatic cancer.

He’s 47… with a wife and two young children. He has a successful career and suffering from a disease which has only a 4% survival rate. My own friend Teddy Francisco passed away from this malady a few years ago.

A computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Pausch delivers what he calls his “last lecture” with a stirring breath of intellect, humility and sensitivity that deserves admiration. What he leaves his friends and family is a wonderful testament to a life well–lived too – another lesson for us all.

I can’t think of a better day to launch a new website for Mike Faulk.

Mike’s a great client and a good friend and one of the few politicians and lawyers who has my complete respect and admiration. Today, we launched his new website and since he’s gonna be so busy today with politics, it seemed appropriate to wish him well.

Three years ago, he shared with me his vision for the future. Specifically, we discussed his law firm as he began to focus on a specialized area of law referred to as “Dram Shop” law.

This is a unique Tennessee law that permits victims of drunk drivers to seek damages from not just the driver, but the business establishments that serve alcohol to people who’ve simply had too much.

This new website is a redefinition of that specialty and serves as a stable business platform that will continue to serve Mike as he works toward a bright new political career in Tennessee.

When Mike outlined his future in law and politics and law many years ago, it surprised me to hear such distinct goals. He inspired me, because It was surprising for me to hear anyone look out into their future with that much intent, but everything he told me – is true today.

Faulk is running for State Senate in the 4th district of Tennessee which include  Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, and Union counties. He describes himself as a “country lawyer” and although he certainly knows how to wear a pair of overalls and warm up to anyone in a pickup truck, Faulk is a determined businessman with a heart for public service.

The guys in our office usually scoff at any Republican candidate and at best, many would describe my staff as uber-liberal, but not Mike. Everyone has a great feeling about Mike. He has a presence, patience and spirit that makes me feel priviledged to know him. He’s a handsome man who tells great family stories, loves the outdoors and a true native son of East Tennessee.

He’s got a busy road ahead and yesterday we were looking over the final elements in his website and I asked him about his July 4th schedule. It’s a doozy too and probably typical for a successful politican in Tennessee. He said he had three parades, four barbecues, plenty of hand-shaking, baby kissing and everything you might expect here in the Mountain South.

Good luck Mike and Happy 4th! Glad to know people like you have a heart to serve.

Click more to see Mike’s announcement we videotaped in Rogersville earlier in the year.

If losing Granny a couple of weeks ago wasn’t enough, my pet cat Di-Die-Do died last week at home in Colonial Heights.

An average cat’s life span is 12 to 15 years. “Dido” sailed over 18 this past Christmas, but her health had been failing since the first of the year.

For the past several weeks, she has been too feeble to walk much past my office where she stayed curled up in a chair sleeping most of the day – and night. Occasionally, she would walk along the walls from there to the kitchen for her food, but she had trouble since she started going blind several weeks ago.

It may prove one thing though – I can take care of a cat for 18 years and it couldn’t have been easy.

It was a beautiful day for a funeral last Friday.

That’s the day we laid Frances Irene Bass to rest next to husband Frank in the Jefferson City Memorial Cemetery. She passed away Monday night April 14th at home in Colonial Heights with all of her family by her side.

This wasn’t a complete surprise. After many months of failing health I knew every time we talked, every time we kissed goodbye it could be our last. She became very sick two weeks ago, left the hospital after a week and died a week later on a clear night and a half moon at 9.50 pm.

After weathering a whirlwind of loss over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been taking some time to remember a woman who taught me joy, kindness and what it means to have a free spirit.

This is the eulogy my brother – Keith Cate – delivered at the funeral service of Francis Irene Bass