I Wish More People Were Here: Mother's Day with Bebe Kern
"Babies Don't Let Your Mamas Grow Up To Be Cowboys" For this Mother's Day episode we have this baby's mama, Ms. Bebe Kern, in the crib. From The University of Alabama's Million Dollar Marching Band through San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury scene of the late '60s, in New Orleans second line parades and Appalachian string summits, my mom is a fascinating eye-witness to music history. Believe it or not there are musicians who for one reason or another keep themselves going by just answering to the music itself and not chasing fame or income. The song is the game and they play like proud cats on the hunt, with little tunes dangling out of their mouths and word-nip in their fur. My mother is one such animal. She's as excited to find and share music as she is to play with it and eat it. And she doesn't suffer fools. Her appreciation of the primitive and arcane, and trained knowledge of theory make her one of the sharpest musicians I know and the best mentor someone like me could hope for. She instilled in me respect for the power of words, rhythm, and the 7th chord.
