Tag: activism

August 5, 2013 - The heavy metal thrash band Revocation is thrashing against Fracking on their new album. Read more on JTMP Green here. (photo credit: Revocation)

August 7, 2013 - Tennessee musician Ben Friberg became the first person ever to paddleboard the Florida Straits from US to Cuba. The exhausting 110-mile journey took him 28 hours...whew. His father drove a support boat near him the entire journey. When he departed the US on Thursday he told the press he was "doing this to promote peace and understanding between Cuba and the United States and to promote a healthy lifestyle". Ben hails from Chattanooga, and currently is in a trio playing some awesome jazz. Check out some of his tunes at BenFriberg.com. Read more about the journey on NBC News.com here.  (photo credit: www.benfriberg.com)

August 30, 2013 - In a bit of good news, singer Randy Travis has left the hospital and is in stable condition. He is now headed for a long rehabilitation, but JTMP feels he will make it, and we continue to send out positive thoughts of healing to him. Randy has made it through some tough times in life, such as substance abuse, but has always battled back. We hope to see him next year back doing what we like to see him do, which is play music, and hear that rich voice of his. Read more on Today.com here.  (photo credit Gerry J. Gilmore/CC)

July 29, 2013 - In what is being described as a "game changer" move, musician Jack White has donated $200,000 to the National Recording Preservation Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving old audio and musical recordings for history for the US Library of Congress for future generations. White also sits on the board of the NRPF, and donates a lot of his time to this unique mission. Many old musical recording are in "analog format" and on materials such as wax cylinder, magnetic plastic tape, or a plastic phonograph. These range from American folk songs from the turn of the century, to 45-RPM records that have become a part of our American culture and history. These materials break down, and the audio is lost forever. The process to transfer them from analog to a digital format is expensive and time consuming, and this donation will help kick start the effort and raise awareness and action on this endeavor. The foundation also receives matching funds from other individuals, non-profits and even the government, and much of the work will be in exhibits in museums for future music lovers to enjoy and learn from in the future.

Read more about the donation on NRPF's Press Release here. and check out the awesome work of the National Recording Preservation Foundation here.  (photo credit: www.recordingpreservation.org)

July 26, 2013 - There has been some confusion lately on who is and who is not joining Stevie Wonder's boycott of Florida calling for the repeal of "Stand Your Ground Laws"; and part of it why I think some confusion is out there is because many musicians and artists have spoken out in favor of repealing the "Stand Your Ground" laws, and have been publicly speaking out in support of Trayvon's parents and #Justice4Trayvon. Jay-Z has spoke out in favor of repealing the law, and now 5 days ago Beyonce put up a Trayvon Martin tribute page on her website asking everyone to #ActNow4Trayvon, and signing her name and linking to a MoveOn.org petition calling for Eric Holder and the US Department of Justice to file Federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman who believe Trayvon Martin's civil rights were violated; there are many of us who think they were and JTMP is one of them. Check out Beyonce's Trayvon Martin Tribute Page here, where you can sign the MoveOn.org petition also. So, although many artists have come out in droves of the support of repealing the "Stand Your Ground" laws, they will never be any widespread boycott of Florida by musicians and artists; too many have residences there and too much money being handed around. Having civil rights charges filed against George Zimmerman would be a sweet second prize though. Sign the MoveOn.org petition here.