GREAT VOICES FOR AN IMPORTANT CAUSE

First the cause

Over the weekend, entertainment attorney and media strategy
consultant par excellence Ken Hertz (or
my friend Kenny, as I usually call him) hosted an informational salon at his
home for FAMM (Families Against Mandatory Minimums), an organization whose
mission is, in their own words:

“To shine a light on the human face of
sentencing, advocate for state and federal sentencing reform and mobilize
thousands of individuals and families whose lives are adversely affected by
unjust sentences.”

I could tell you about the heartbreaking personal stories of
non-violent offenders we heard – such as Michael Riggs, a man who shoplifted a
$23 bottle of vitamins, and who the State spent almost $400,000 keeping in
prison for more than a decade, before FAMM working with the law firm Mayer
Brown (who worked on the case pro bono) was able to file a habeas corpus claim
to free him. (see http://tinyurl.com/2ca8dm).

Now, the entertainment: organized and MC’d by JILL SOBULE

But I am here to
tell you about the music Jill Sobule organized for the event. First of all
there was Jill, who performed her beautiful heart-breaking ballad “Mexican
Wrestler”. She also performed with Julia Sweeney – doing a bit from their “Jill
& Julia” show coming to a theater very soon – Jill sings a song and then
Julia tells a story on a related theme – and it works! (I actually hope they
start recording some of their bits and posting them on you tube – that’s my
suggestion for what it’s worth).

Also performing was
Wayne Kramer. WAYNE KRAMER!!!! It’s possible you might say, Who is Wayne
Kramer? Or be surprised that it’s that Wayne Kramer, the legendary icon of the
Detroit Rock scene, founding member of the MC5, (who knows a thing or two about
serving time for drugs) and played with Johnny Thunders in the band Gang War.
Fellow Detroit musical genius DON WAS produced his album, “The Hard Stuff.”

Wayne Kramer performed an amazing song about “The Promised Land” so-called.

Don Was, at one
point was talking to me about doing a documentary about the history, the
meaning, the importance of Detroit Rock. Somewhere along the research I found
out that a documentary was being done on the MC5 and that Wayne Kramer was
working on it and that seemed to cover the territory. On Sunday, I asked Kramer
what became of that documentary and he told me that he parted ways with those
filmmakers but, with a sly grin, he said he hoped that he would find another
way to get the film made. I hope so – the importance of Detroit in American Rock and Roll has never got its
due (beyond Motown – which also deserves a more prominent place in the history
books). I have never been to Detroit, but when I go, one stop I must make is to
the Motown museum.

As well as the great Jude —

Next up was Jude —
one of the great voices and great singer-songwriters around. His last album
“Redemption” was released in France on the naïve label (which is also home to
Carla Bruni). Jude was part of “The Low Stars” a CSN&Y type supergroup
which you might have seen next to cash register at Starbucks.

Last and certainly
not least, was Lissie, a new artist whose voice filled the room – remember you heard it here first — Jewel
is the poor man’s Lissey. She’s opening this Thursday for Lenny Kravitz at the
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium – and I’m eager to see if she blows away the
crowd (and the critics) as she did at Ken’s home.

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