In 1991, Walker looked up the word ‘Appalachian’ and found a definition that did not include him.  Specifically, it says that Appalachian people are white and rural.

Not the whole truth, says Walker.  “The whole idea of the word ‘Affrilachian’ is to give people of color a place to belong in this region,” he said in a May 2007 article with the Pittsburgh City Paper.

Walker went on to found an organization to celebrate and share the story of people of color in Appalachia, the Affrilachian Poets. They’ll be in town Thursday night at 8 at the Tricky Fish on the east end of Charleston to present some poetry and visit with the audience that’s there.  It’s part of a 2009 ‘Bus Tour’ around the region.

If Thursday night is already booked for you, check the poets out at the Capital Market during lunch that same day.  You might also be interested in Pluck!, the magazine published by Walker that celebrates Affrilachian arts and culture.  Oh, and p.s., the poets are on Facebook, too.

If you were lucky enough to hear it for yourself in the form of the Tony Monaco Trio this past Friday night at Atlantis Nightclub in Kanawha City (like I was), you may have found a new obsession.  There’s a reason this sweet, rich, intricate instrument has developed a loyal following.

Developed in the 1930s as a cheap alternative to the pipe organ, the B-3 is a monster to play well.  In the hands (and feet) of a master like Monaco, one can only watch and listen in awe.  Monaco, with guitarist Dan Faehnle and drummer Louis Tsamous, delivered two blistering sets.  Highlights included Monaco’s tune, I Remember Jimmy, honoring his mentor and B-3 legend, Jimmy Smith.

In the middle of that tune, I realized I was in the middle of watching ‘the perfect play’.  Not a 360-degree slam dunk; rather, perfect, symmetrical passing between teammates that yields a subtle, spectacular result.  They slowed it down with Called Love, and ended the set with a playful Bach-toccata-and-fugue-in-D-minor-inspired funk tune that had some folks in the audience on their feet.

The highlight of the second set for me was a George Benson tune, Mellow Mood. Monaco and Faehnle traded riffs over the smooth sticking of Tsamous, holding true to the tune’s breezy Benson flavor.  Then, they transitioned effortlessly to an edgy, driving, middle section that had great stretch out solos from Monaco and Faehnle.

The night ended with a breath of spring via a classic tune – April in Paris. I don’t know about ya’ll, but winter is wearing me out a little this year, especially with the economy such a mess.  Friday night was a great tonic for the winter blues.