The Well-Worn Wisdom of Bob Mitchell
A man on the precipice of death due to a massive heart attack, his life flashing before his eyes, haggling with God about getting more time as a corporeal being, accepting a challenge to save his soul-these elements are nothing new to storytelling. But this time, in Santa Barbara author Bob Mitchell’s fast-selling novel Match Made in Heaven, the challenge is playing 18 holes of golf against 18 of our world’s most famous characters, from Leonardo da Vinci and Socrates, to Pablo Picasso and Marilyn Monroe.
At a passing glance, the whole concept seems naively idealistic: a for-profit, Internet-based company dedicated to discovering then establishing hand-selected original musicians, writers, and artists while simultaneously-via online song/art/book sales and concerts-raising dough for nonprofit charities engaged in environmental and social justice work. But then you look at the educational and professional credentials of ARIA Global’s founding “mastermind” Brandi Bennitt-which include a completed novel, a master’s degree in business from Antioch, and stints at some of the more impressive marketing firms on the planet-and it’s hard to find the concept whose motto is “You Download, We Donate” anything short of brilliant.
“It’s time to move man. It ain’t time to stand around.” That’s the prescription from blues doctor Taj Mahal for his upcoming performance at UCSB’s Campbell Hall on Tuesday, April 25 with soul queen Mavis Staples. One of the greatest living musicians of any genre-in large part because he plays them all-Taj Mahal’s career spans from his Springfield, Massachusetts upbringing to his globe-trotting exploration into everything from jazz and reggae to hula, Malian kora, and Indian classical. I had the rare chance to chat with Taj-who’s got the gravelliest voice ever-over the phone last week, while he was at the San Francisco airport. Quite the talker, Taj jumped from institutional racism to Frank Zappa to the dirty business of music. What follows is the full version of that conversation.
