Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! Let's raise a glass for our fallen comrades and the souls of the departed. One can still give oneself a moment of quiet contemplation amidst the bbq smoke, Riverfest roar and the jet skis' -- pardon, "personal watercrafts'" -- incessant din.

Remember last year when LR's Belvis, the black Elvis imitator briefly was all over
news after an appearance at a Hillary Clinton for president campaign rally? Belvis has got nothing on Jesse Belvin.

OK, it's ridic to mention the two in the same breath, even if only to highlight the cluelessness of RCA Victor in the late 1950s in promoting Jesse Belvin as "the black Elvis."

Hopefully, some of this came to light in Friday's show, it's the first of two-parts on Belvin. Couldn't resist using some of that "black Elvis" stuff in our own narrative, either.

Part two of "Jesse Belvin" discusses his legacy in doo-wop and with some other key pop songs, as well as his tragic car accident near Hope in Hempstead County.....

And as sort of a two-parter on early, unknown central Arkansas jazz greats, we're working on a feature on Junie C. Cobb to bookend with the previous program on Alex Hill. Yeah, we've had to do some digging on these dudes, not to mention the Jesse Belvin two-parter............spent some time at the Arkansas History Commission doing some research, an under-appreciated institution on the capitol grounds. Check them out if you are interested....although we're happy to do the research, so you don't have to!

Ok, with the wet month May very nearly in our rear view mirror, look for "Arkansongs" in June to highlight one of our favorite sons, Levon Helm. "Arkansongs" is again working with Cliff F. Baker and Wildwood Park for the Arts in tribute celebration an Arkansas original, like we did with "Jump!" the Louis Jordan musical, around this time last year. It's called "Levon!," illustrating Wildwood's fondness for exclamation points, among other interests, and is set for one-night-only June 20, 2009.

Things can really change in a short year, eh? I'm here to tell you, Bubba.

To wit, for one: This year, the honoree is alive and kicking and additionally will perform with his 12-piece band. And that's just one thing.

Life is a carnival, believe it or not.

Looking for a reason to believe....