You'll recall that, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to temporary shuttering public spaces, Third Man Records launched a live-in-studio concert series called Public Access, and then relaunched it as an edited program of performances, music videos and more. The fifth episode is brimming with contributions from members of creative communities both near and far.
Music City folks featured in the latest installment include Adia Victoria reading her poem “A Black Woman’s Abridgement of Robert Penn Warren’s Segregation” with accompaniment from William Tyler on acoustic guitar, reprising their performance on FishCenter Live a few weeks ago. There's also Robyn Hitchcock and Brendan Benson duetting on The Beatles' “Rain,” and Olivia Jean and Ben Blackwell covering The Melvins' “Lizzy.” There are also several audiovisual interludes from Oli Burslem from the U.K. band Yak, and a poetry reading from Memphis' Sheree Renée Thomas (whose Nine Bar Blues Third Man Books recently published and who performed during the recent Far Out Free Fest).
Compelling pieces from Ian Svenonius and Alexandra Cabral's group Escape-ism and Allyson Baker's group Dirty Ghosts are ominous and groovy. You'll also want to seek out guitar-centric solo performances from Detroit's His Name Is Alive (with shifting textures from Frippertronic to Tuareg desert blues) and onetime Nashvillian Robert Ellis (a glistening acoustic improvisation).
Check it out above, and keep an eye on Third Man's site for more.
