Lonnie Harrington

Single Review: Lonnie Harrington “Such a Groove”

Review by Dawoud Kringle

Lonnie HarringtonLonnie Harrington (guitarist, percussionist, singer, songwriter, and MFM member) recently announced the release of the single “Such A Groove.” This is his first release since his 2018 instrumental single “I Wonder.” “Such a Groove” features Sean Dixon on drums, and Ruben Gonzalez on bass.

Both of the aforementioned singles will be part of nine songs on his next album Part II, scheduled for release in 2024. As of the writing, the single is only available on all digital platforms.

Harrington has been performing as a funk, samba, Soul, R&B, and rock guitarist throughout the U.S. and Canada for more than 45 years. He’s appeared in venues such as SOB’s, The Blue Note, The Village Gate, Tramps, Cornelia Street Café, The Shrine, Bostons’ Summerthing and The Sugar Shack, Summerstage, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Symphony Space, and many others.

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R.I.P.: Robbie Robertson (The Band) Remembered

By Dawoud Kringle

Robbi RobertsonOne of the most iconic and prolific songwriters, guitarists, producers, and rock journeymen, Robbie Robertson, passed on August 9th 2023. He was 80 years old.

Robertson was born on July 5th, 1943 and grew up on the Six Nations Reservation near Ontario Canada. He became interested in rock & roll music at a young age, and started playing guitar. He was mentored in playing guitar by his older cousin Herb Myke and other family members.
At the age of fourteen, he worked summer jobs in the travelling carnival circuit.

In 1956 Robertson, along with pianist/vocalist Bruce Morshead and guitarist Gene MacLellan formed their first band, Little Ceaser and the Consuls. In 1957 he formed Robbie and the Rhythm Chords. They changed the name to Robbie and the Robots after they watched the film Forbidden Planet (which featured the character Robbie the Robot).Later, Roberston and Pete Traynor (founder of Traynor amplifiers) joined with pianist Scott Cushnie and became The Suedes. They caught the attention of Ronnie Hawkins. Eventually, Hawkins recruited Roberston for his band Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks. Levon Helm was also in the band (and guitar virtuoso Roy Buchanan played with them briefly; and had an influence on Roberson’s style of guitar playing). In 1961, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson joined Hawkins. Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks cut sessions for Roulette Records throughout 1961–1963, all of which Robertson appeared on.

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R.I.P.: Sinead O’Conner; a “Musician With Attitude” Remembered

Text by by Dawoud Kringle

Wednesday, July 26th, 2023, iconic Irish singer Sinead O’Conner died.

DooBeeDoo and MFM salutes the memory of Shuhada Sadaqat / Sinead O’Connor;  an artist with immense talent, and a woman of powerful convictions and sufficient courage to stand by both. Her example as an artist and activist stands as an object lesson for us all.

O’Connor was born in Dublin Ireland on December 8th 1966. In 1979, O’Connor left her mother and went to live with her father in Alexandria, VA. At the age of 15, her shoplifting and truancy led to her being placed for 18 months in a Magdalene Asylum (a kind of Catholic reform school for young women who became pregnant outside of marriage, or young girls and teenagers who did not have familial support). While she disliked the conformity imposed upon her, and struggled with a great deal of family problems, she used her time to develop her songwriting.

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MFM Supports Ongoing Strikes by Writers and Actors Unions!

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) expired on May 1, 2023, and the union struck on May 2.

Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) agreement with the AMPTP expired June 30, 2023, and they struck on July 14.

AMPTP includes Amazon/MGM, Apple, Disney/ABC/Fox, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount/CBS, Sony, Warner Bros. Discovery (HBO), among others.

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