Underneath the Kudzu
Haunted Hill Country Poems from Bob Bogdal
KUDZU......is a climbing, woody or semi-woody, perennial vine capable of reaching heights of 65' to 100' in trees, but also scrambles extensively over lower vegetation. The young leaves can be used for salad or cooked as greens; the flowers battered and fried (like squash flowers); and the starchy roots can be prepared as any root vegetable.
Kudzu grows well under a wide range of conditions and in most soil types. Preferred habitats are forest edges, abandoned fields, roadsides, and old burned-out Mississippi jukejoints, where sunlight is abundant.
Looking in your eyes I can see the old man crying,
somewhere his past erased, taken out of time. (from Underneath the Kudzu ©Bob Bogdal 2005)
Bob Bogdal, who I'd met a couple years ago, emailed me out of the blue and asked would I listen to a record he'd put together and maybe do a write up for the Revues section of this place. I said sure and it was laying on the welcome mat in front of my door a couple days later. I've not taken it out of the cd player since then and that was four or five days ago.
His "Underneath the Kudzu" is an intensely personal collection of poems and recollections set to ethereal Mississippi hill country music. He has managed to capture the beauty and the underlying sorrow that a person feels when they experience the lands east of the 51 Highway throughout Tate and Panola Counties for the first time. In those regions of the Holy Lands Where Blues Began life runs on a simpler level. No botox injections, no viagra, no superficial pharmaceutical lifestyle enhancers to clutter up the mind there. Religion, work, music, pay the rent, get some money for groceries....that's what it's all about, and when a person comes back to the regular world, they are somewhat altered in their priorities. Bob went there and he came back altered, just like most everybody else that visit the hill country, except he went a step further and set his visions to music.
I emailed Bob Bogdal back, after four or five listens and asked him to answer a few questions regarding "Under the Kudzu" and this is how that went...
Tweed: Why "Underneath the Kudzu"? Where'd that come from?
Bob: Underneath the Kudzu came to me when myself and
Richard Johnston where travalling to go see the burnt
out site of Jr Kimbroughs Juke Joint , it was the only
time I have ever seen RJ emotional. The Kudzu covered
everything and I thought,"Think of all the memories and
history that is being obscured by this plant." It was
surreal.
Tweed: Tell me how the songs on this record were born. What made you write them?
Bob: About the song Mule Won't Kick- while working with
Daniel Ballinger I had the very fine experience of
rooming with Calvin Jackson as you know, during this
trip Calvin told me a story about Othar working the
mule in the field and how beautiful it was to see and
HEAR. Mule Won't Kick is also a referance to those
pills for erections I talk about in Cure This Disease.
Preachers Daughter - After spending time
with Jesse Mae Hemphill in Holly Springs I started
calling her the Preacher's Daughter she keeps a bible
in every room in the house I think. Yet we all know
how hot she was and still is, I love her dual nature.
Of course we know her daddy was a musician.
The Calling - One night I had the oportunity to go to
a church out in Mississippi to witness the use of
serpents, I had wanted to see a real voodoo ritual but
Johnston did not like that idea, so a person asked
would I be interested in seeing this instead so I went
for it.
Cure this Disease- is my pissed off at the times song,
I figured one political song was enough this time.
Tweed: Are you the sole musician on there? Did you record/produce it all on your own and how long did it take you to assemble this collection of songs.
Bob: The CD took 4 months to complete and I recorded it in
my living room. Davida - sings background vocals on Underneath the Kudzu and Mark Ross played mandolin on a couple of the songs. I played everything else. (several different guitars and harmonicas) I have only been playing guitar since Johnston taught
me (3 years ago.) And lastly I produced and arranged everything, It is
on my Kudzudisc label, and all songs are handled by
Robert Bogdal Publishing- ASCAP.
Tweed: Got any plans to return to Mississippi in the near future?
Bob: I plan to return soon to Memphis , to
start touring the show. I have a new PA on the way.
My goal here is to story tell, the music is a way to
tie the drama of the story to the listener so that our
imagination can build a better picture of events for
our mind to follow.
Tweed: It's very good stuff. I'm glad you sent it to me.
Bob: Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.
Looking in your eyes I can see the old man crying,
I know his heart is broken cause he knows the Delta's
dieing.
my hearts broke too.
I found my way. The path I used is covered up with
vines and leaves.
Underneath the Kudzu can be purchased from CD Baby. For more info on Bob Bogdal, visit his website at Bob Bogdal.Com
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