The Potential of Patrick

Filmmaker Zach Meiners’ second feature, I Am Potential, celebrates the life of one of Louisville’s most inspiring citizens, musician Patrick Henry Hughes. Hughes was born without eyes and unable to walk, but he rose to national fame through his performances with U of L’s marching band, having been helped by his father pushing his wheelchair on the field. The family has since appeared on several TV shows, and Hughes published his autobiography in 2008.

Q: Why did you want to have the world premiere screening in Patrick Henry’s hometown, instead of New York or L.A. where his story is lesser known?
ZM: The reason why I wanted I Am Potential to premiere in Louisville is because this is where the story began. Patrick Henry has inspired many from around the globe. That all started in Louisville, and I think it’s fitting that the movie spreads from here as well.

Q: Where did you film in Louisville? Did any city leaders help you achieve this production?
ZM: We worked with city officials and LMPD to film a large driving scene on I-65 in downtown. The challenge with this scene was it takes place in 1988, so we had to intermittently stop traffic on I-65 so that only ’80s cars were seen on the highway. We also worked with UofL’s administration and Athletic Office to film some large scenes at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

Q: You know, the name Meiners means a lot in local media.
ZM: Yes, I am Terry’s nephew. He actually was one of the first to introduce Patrick Henry on TV at “The WHAS Crusade for Children.” Patrick John Hughes – Patrick Henry’s dad – plays Terry Meiners as a cameo in the “Crusade” scene of the movie.

Q: Did Patrick John or any other family work with you to shape the story?
ZM: We kept the Hughes family involved throughout the process of writing the script. While they weren’t physically writing anything, their input was essential to me. This is the first script that I wrote that was based on a true story. Having characters that are not only real but are alive – and you can sit and have lunch with them – that adds pressure. But it was a great process.

Q: Is there any one part of Patrick Henry’s story that is most inspiring?
ZM: We really follow Patrick John’s story throughout the movie. Patrick John had to drop his own preconceived plans and dreams for his son so that he could see Patrick’s own potential. That journey is what attracted me to this story and that continues to inspire me.

Q: Does Patrick Henry’s religious faith inform how you told his story?
ZM: Patrick’s faith comes across when you meet him. But he doesn’t preach to you or hit you over the head with anything. The movie is the same way. It’s just a window into their life and who they are.

Q: How did you cast the roles, especially the lead?
ZM: Casting was tricky, especially for Patrick. Beverly Holloway was our casting director in L.A. She and her staff went through thousands of audition tapes. Jimmy Bellinger rose to the top. He just embodied and was Patrick Henry. You forgot you were watching an actor. Working with Burgess Jenkins was incredible. Jama Williamson comes from more of a comedy background, but because of that, she brought an incredible depth to the role of Patricia that was amazing. Patricia’s story has gone mostly untold, so I cannot wait for people to see her in this movie. We also had an incredible supporting cast with Lance Nichols, Judge Reinhold and so many others.

Q: I met Judge Reinhold once, and he was a character, just like fans would assume. Did you get any good Judge stories out of this?
ZM: Judge Reinhold was awesome to work with. He is a character in real life and brings so much to his characters.

Q: What’s next for you?
ZM: I currently run a production company based in Louisville called Chronicle Cinema. I’m always working, and there are exciting things ahead – gotta love NDAs. Overall, I just can’t wait for audiences to see I Am Potential. I hope that people are inspired by Patrick’s story as they see the story in a whole new way.

c. 2015 The Voice-Tribune

Clearing the Airs

Pianist, composer and arranger Rachel Grimes has connected the dots between independent rock and modern classical music for over two decades now, influencing a generation in the process. Grimes’ latest release is a solo album, The Clearing, which finds her collaborating with several old and new friends, including members of her bands Rachel’s and King’s Daughters & Sons.

She says The Clearing reflects her many musical interests more completely than recent solo efforts, piecing together works composed between 2009 and 2014. Grimes and her current ensemble will perform at the Kentucky Center on Friday, June 26.

Q: This is your second solo album, and it’s definitely different from the first. Can you tell me about how writing the new album went in such a different direction?
Rachel Grimes: I have been experimenting with many different ensembles and processes for making new music over the last several years – usually beginning with improvising at the piano, then ideas for specific instruments come out of that process. I make sketches with pencil and then move to Sibelius to arrange the parts for other instruments. Most of the time I have several pieces of music in development, flowing along at different rates.

Between 2011 and 2014, I had several other large creative projects that consumed a lot of my time, so some of these chamber pieces sat dormant for a bit. In between, I was developing more solo piano music and touring. Eventually, a collection of pieces for an album was evident to me, and then it was a question of finalizing the scores, getting the recordings and finding a pleasing sequence. I developed “The Airs” last spring to be connective tissue, weaving in and out around the larger chamber works.

Q: This time, you bring in members of Rachel’s and King’s Daughters & Sons, and Temporary Residence is releasing the album. If a Louisvillian makes music without bringing in their old friends, did it even happen?
RG: I am so happy to be working with (label owner) Jeremy (deVine), another hometown guy. He has been in New York for quite a while now and has a very deeply developed sense for the music business. It is such a pleasure to make music with friends, and sometimes I write moments in the music just for them, like with the viola solo in “Transverse Plane Horizontal” for Christian Frederickson. That said, I also met and worked with several people from far-flung places on this album: an engineer from Brussels, a string trio from Amsterdam and one of my favorite recording artists from Vancouver, Loscil.

Q: How did you start working with Loscil, and how much did he add to this?
RG: In the spring of 2014, I had been introduced to Scott Morgan via email, and being a huge fan of his work, I unabashedly asked him if he would consider working on the “Airs” to help create that unique atmosphere I was imagining. I was delighted when he said yes, and we exchanged music files most of the summer of 2014 to create the six “Airs.” My idea was for Scott to process, or as I called it, “Loscilize,” the existing individual tracks of violin, piano, strings to expand the soundscape, giving an ambient background to the acoustic tracks in the foreground. He also brought new shape to some of the short songs, adding intros and endings.

Q: What other collaborations have you enjoyed in the past few years, and where have you traveled?
RG: I have loved going to Europe, and last fall to Japan and Taiwan. I just returned from sitting in for three shows in Portland and Seattle with the Portland Cello Project. I arranged several of my songs for their group: 10 cellos, two trumpets, bass and drums. Had a great time writing a suite of pieces with cellist Julia Kent for a visual art exhibit in Belfast called “Doppelgänger,” by Peter Liversidge. I have written some music with the band ästrid from Nantes, France, and last spring we got to perform those songs with Sylvain Chauveau singing on several of them. Also, really having a romp with actor Chris Wells creating a musical theatre piece centered around his memoir.

Photo by Jessie Kriech-Higdon.

c. 2015 The Voice-Tribune

Swift Boat

As Pride Month reaches its midpoint, I checked in with one of Louisville’s biggest drag stars, Jade Jolie, to see what’s going on in her world. The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestant moved here after her time on the TV competition, and in the time since, has consistently improved upon her act and found her voice in one tall blonde.

Q: I’m eager to know more about your Taylor Swift. How did you realize that she’d be such a good fit for you?
Jade Jolie: I’ve always loved her music, but actually following her more and more, I’ve truly come to appreciate her as an artist and the similarities we share as being blonde, bubbly and ambitious. We’re two people working hard on our goals.

Q: How have you learned to finesse her character as she evolves?
JJ: With anything, the more you practice a subject – or in this case, a character illusion – the more overall time you spend in fine-tuning that illusion.

Q: You recently went to Vegas to audition as a Taylor. Can you tell me about that experience, and if you hope to pursue that type of Diva life?
JJ: A very positive experience. I loved the city and getting some time in with Coco Montrese, who has been a constant source of support for many years. I am grateful for the opportunity to have met and auditioned for Frank Marino. (Marino’s stage show) “Divas” is a dream I do greatly hope to experience at some point in my career. But I must say, however, that I love my Play family and am proud to be a part of this amazing establishment.

Q: You’ve been in Louisville for around two years now, right? Did Play pursue you, or did you audition? Why did you want to move here from Florida? And how do you like life here?
JJ: It’s hard to imagine that amount of time has truly flown by (laughs), but it has been almost two years and two wonderful ones at that. I actually heard of the opportunity through a friend and fellow entertainer, Dee Ranged, who had been a cast member of Play for several years. I like to think the interest was mutual (laughs), but either way, I was on cloud nine when I was offered the position. Since then, life in Louisville has been one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life. It’s nice to be treated with genuine care by our neighbors and friends, as well as being treated as a valued entertainer new to the city. Play will always be family.

Q: How much time do you spend on the road these days as a touring headliner?
JJ: Part of my motivation for coming to Play Louisville was not only to be in an incredible cast, but (also) to be able to work regularly and have the leisure of traveling without having out-of-town bookings being an absolute necessity. I am quite the homebody, and I love being with my hubby and kitty as much as I can.

Q: How does it feel to be featured one night in, say, Columbus, and then return to the cast at Play?
JJ: I just love what I’m doing. I feel elated that I’m still able to share my craft in or out of town with such respected and talented entertainers. The feeling is just appreciative.

Q: Another season of “RuPaul's Drag Race” has ended. How did you feel about this season? Did the right queen win? I assume the picture you posted recently in a very tight corset was a tribute to Violet?
JJ: I’ve really thought Violet was stunning since the first trailer, and I couldn’t be more thrilled for her. I think Ru knows what she’s doing, so I’ll leave it at that (laughs). Regarding the corset, you gotta love a good cinch!

Q: How is Pride Month different for you than other months? Do you get more bookings, more money, or have more fun than usual?
JJ: Pride is always a popular time of the year. I like to think I’m having the most fun whenever and wherever I am, but Pride can really bring the community together, which just creates more fun to be had by all.

c. 2015 The Voice-Tribune

We Love Mom: Gloria's brisket

Photograph by Eugene Ahn

I grew up in Tampa, Florida, the armpit of the “Armpit State.” Also known as the home of Magic Mike, the strip club-loving city is also known for its shocking lack of quality restaurants. The eatery closest to the house that my parents have lived in since 1986 is an Applebee’s.

Thankfully, at home I was fed better than what the city could otherwise offer. My mother, Gloria, retired last year after a long and distinguished career as an educator — a reading specialist. I credit her good genes with fueling my love for reading, writing, and trying to avoid arithmetic. She was raised in Manhattan, on the Lower East Side — something that made me very jealous as a child, and still does now. The fact that she and my father, Herb, chose to move to a suburb of Tampa instead of living a New York City life will always mystify me, especially since that suburb has 20,000 residents and only one good restaurant. Still, they seem happy there.

What’s so great about my mom’s cooking is that when she cooks for me and my dad, she gives it her all. She puts love in it, which is expensive at Publix these days — it’s the exclusive domain of moms, dads, and other loved ones who are doing their best so you don’t yell at them. Her brisket whisks me back to a simpler time, when the world was still new and we all shared a love for Bill Cosby. It’s also so good: there’s beer in there. Also barbecue sauce. Even healthy junk, like carrots.

Our people eat, and most of my favorite childhood food memories are holiday-based. Now that I’m living in Louisville, Kentucky, it’s harder for me to get good hamantaschen, latkes, or matzo brei. My parents are at their most authentically Jewish when it’s time to prepare food for the holidays, by which I mean we eat even better (“more” means “better,” right?) than ever. And because I live away from their home, it also means extra packages delivered to me.

INGREDIENTS
+ vegetable oil
4–5 lbs first-cut beef brisket
1 clove garlic, crushed
+ salt and pepper to taste (about 2 t salt per pound of meat)
1 C barbecue sauce (or enough to cover the meat)
1 can beer (any cheap brand will be fine)
1 package dry onion soup (Lipton's, of course)
1 1/2 C carrot slices (not too thin)
1 1/2 C potato slices (not too thin)
Makes 6 to 10 servings

1) Heat the oven to 300°F. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer, and sear the meat on all sides until dark brown. Put the meat in 9 x 13-inch roasting pan.

2) In a large bowl, mix the garlic, salt, pepper, and the barbecue sauce. Add the beer, stir, and pour the mixture over the meat. Tuck the carrot and potato slices around the meat and pour the Lipton’s over everything.

3) Cover with foil and cook in the oven for about 3 hours, or until tender. Cool the brisket and then refrigerate after slicing the meat. Cook the brisket at least one day before you intend to serve it; two or three days is even better. Uncover the meat at least once to skim off all the surface fat. Make sure the meat is covered with liquid (more beer and/or barbecue sauce thinned with water can be used) and reheat in a microwave or in a slow oven before serving. Serve the liquid separately as a sauce.



Peter: When and where were you born? Where did you grow up?

Gloria: I was born in New York, and spent my first year in my grandparents’ apartment in the Bronx (the section later immortalized in Fort Apache, The Bronx), and then moved to 20th Street and First Avenue, in Manhattan. I was born in 1947 — one of the boomers born after my father returned from World War II. I lived there until I graduated from college.

Peter: What was your favorite food growing up?

Gloria: Anything Chinese. We often ate in restaurants in Chinatown where the menu was written in Chinese characters on the mirrors that lined the walls.

Peter: What’s your earliest childhood memory involving food?

Gloria: My earliest memories about food center on the fact that my mother was not a good cook and she disliked cooking. We ate in restaurants far more often than did most families in those years. I felt guilty rejoicing in the fact that my mother was an awful cook.

Peter: What’s the story behind this dish?

Gloria: Brisket is a staple of Jewish cuisine. Unfortunately, it can often be dry and rather flavorless. I found a version of this recipe in a cookbook published by a preschool as a fundraiser, and played with it until I was happy with the results. Everyone loves this version of brisket. I always make it for Passover and our friends even request it for Thanksgiving (yes, we have turkey, too). Brisket is a traditional dish, but this never would have been served for an Orthodox Passover seder. Beer is not kosher for Passover because it’s made from a grain.

Peter: Can you describe a typical family meal when you were growing up?

Gloria: A typical meal when I was growing up would have started with a fruit cup or grapefruit slices, very overcooked meat (my dad wouldn’t eat anything that was the slightest bit pink or bloody), canned vegetables (yuck!), and a starch. Dessert was usually Jell-O. My mother kept a kosher home so she had to follow the rules of kashrut.

Peter: What was your favorite thing that was cooked in your house?

Gloria: My favorite dish at home was matzo brei (literally: fried matzo). Sheets of matzo are soaked in water until soft, mixed with beaten raw eggs, and fried in butter. This dish is a traditional treat for Passover, but we ate it year-round. It was one of my mom’s only successes!

Peter: Who did the cooking?

Gloria: I do all the cooking. My husband is excellent at using the microwave, but he doesn’t cook from scratch unless I’m not able to cook. He kept us well fed after I had surgery, but he was happy to give it up once I recovered.

Peter: How did you learn to cook or bake?

Gloria: I learned to cook by reading cookbooks. I shared an apartment with a roommate in graduate school, and our deal was that she would clean if I cooked. My mom never taught me to cook (thank goodness!). She never liked cooking and she told me that I’d have to do it when I grew up so she wouldn’t make me do it before then.

Peter: Do you like cooking? What do you like about it?

Gloria: I do, given enough time. Now that I am newly retired, I’ve gone back to trying out new recipes and revisiting old favorites. I love to go grocery shopping (everyone should have Publix near their house), and I get great ideas from seeing new products and coming up with ways to use the foods that are on sale that week.

Peter: What do you have in common with your mom?

Gloria: My mom and I share a love of eating out! I love to try new restaurants and unusual items. I love living in Tampa, but we are not strong on good, independent restaurants. We do have every chain that has ever been invented and sometimes a burger at Ruby Tuesday is just fine.

Peter: What do we have in common?

Gloria: You and I share a love of good restaurants; you’re a more adventurous eater. Spicy is my least favorite word on a menu. We love to visit you and your wife, Robin, for many reasons, but the list of good restaurants in Louisville is high on our list.

Peter Berkowitz is a writer and editor who lives in Louisville, KY. Gloria Berkowitz is a retired reading specialist who lives in Tampa, Florida.

c. 2015 Lucky Peach

Seluah is back, darker and stranger

Alternative indie psych dub atmospheric doom rock band Seluah released their second studio album, Phase III, this week through Kentucky’s own Karate Body Records. “Phase III” is the follow-up to 2012’s debut full-length album, Red Parole, which saw the quartet reunite after an initial 2004 breakup. Drummer and vocalist Edward Grimes told The Voice-Tribune about their latest phase.

Q: What’s been going on with the band since Red Parole was released in 2012?

Edward Grimes: Much of the core of this record was born while we were scoring a live showing of the Tod Browning/Lon Cheney (movie) masterpiece The Unknown. We have continued exploration of new material and have been on the lookout for unusual venues and contexts for us to play in. (Guitarist) Andrew Killmeier has also made some great films for many of the songs on “Phase III” that are a total blast. We are currently hiring a best boy or best girl to assist us live with the films, by the way.

Q: Seluah went to “Hell and Back” on the last album, and now you’re “Back to Hell.” What’s the connection between those two songs?

EG: They are two of my personal favorite songs of ours, for sure. Andrew K. and I really dig Scotty Moore and Link Wray, and that comes through on those songs respectively, I think. Somehow to us, when Andrew came up with “Back to Hell,” we knew instantly it was somehow a follow-up to “Hell and Back,” and I died laughing when he plainly declared it “Back to Hell.” I love that name.

Q: Is this album intentionally a more cohesive, more “classic” approach to the Seluah sound, as opposed to experimenting with rockabilly or other surprising influences?

EG: “Hell and Back” was no experiment. We just finally had an opportunity to record more songs, so there was definitely more variety in terms of instrumentation and style on Red Parole. We were, thankfully, very open to a lot of wild ideas at that moment in time. I do think Phase III has a more primal subterranean thread running through it. I probably didn’t think we’d ever go darker than Red Parole. Luckily, I was wrong.

Q: How does Jamaican dub influence the band’s songwriting?

EG: It had a bit of an influence for sure in the early days. Now, not so much. But the incredible connection drums and bass have on really good dub is still something (bassist) Andrew Peace and I both continue to strive for, even if we’re less in that world now…

The track “Held So High Above Her Head” certainly has a dub-like ending. This is a track whose foundation was written around the (2002) EP, but we had come back to it. I finally wrote lyrics and a vocal melody to it, and we wrote new guitar parts for the ending section. Then (recording engineer) Kevin (Ratterman) was really able to go to town on a dub-like production for that part of the song, which was a total blast.

Q: What does the album artwork say about Seluah?

EG: We fully embrace that our music is dark and strange, and certainly wanted that in the look of the record as well. A good friend of mine, graphic designer Cesar Perez-Ribas, helped us put it all together, and we eventually came back to a great picture that artist Aron Conaway took. We felt that could be this ominous focal point of the layout.

Q: Has the band been back on track now for longer than the first run? Either way, do you still have that feeling of being reborn, or is it more routine by now?

EG: It’s probably been a tad longer this time around, although we practiced a lot more back in the day. I’d be lying to you if I said we have exactly the same fire and brimstone we had when we very surprisingly got back together, but it is still often very intense. We perhaps have caught ourselves recently coming close to falling into a routine, but have wisely changed up our method a bit in order to be in the moment more and foster new material.

Seluah will play at the Flea Off Market on the evening of Friday, June 5.

Photo by Meagan Jordan

C. 2015 The Voice-Tribune