Saturday Music Hall: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Aretha Franklin says sock it to me. And we say sock it to us. A little R-E-S-P-E-C-T, that is. That's what voters are asking for this time around. Take it seriously. We mean business. We want change, real change, in Iraq, in the economy, in education, in healthcare, in ethics, in energy, in how elections are conducted. We demand that you start representing the people's interests over the narrow, bottom-line interests of your big donors. Period. Or you'll be out too when election time rolls around again. Aretha provides the perfect sounds for our mood. Listen up, politicos (and try to ignore the hairdos).

I also wanted to honor Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ahmet Urtegun today, who passed away recently at age 83. He was the founder of the fabulous Atlantic Records, and signed Aretha Franklin, CSNY and many other musical luminaries. Unlike today's music conglomerate executives, Ahmet loved music, lived music, breathed music, discovered and nurtured musicians. First hooked by early jazz artists and what used to be called "race records," he was a seminal influence in recording and promoting jazz, rhythm and blues, soul and rock, bringing the music into the American mainstream. The son of a Turkish diplomat, he was mesmerized by old 78s he managed to hear in his native country. Later, he haunted the jazz and r and b music stores, clubs and theaters in Washington DC and later NYC. He helped found Atlantic on $1000.

Other artists Urtegun either discovered, signed, produced, distributed or helped popularize include:

Leadbelly
Sonny Terry
Professor Longhair
Joe Turner
Ruth Brown
The Drifters
Ray Charles
Bobby Darin
Duke Ellington
Archie Bell and the Drells
Wilson Pickett
Otis Redding
Booker T. and the MGs
Percy Sledge
Mary Wells
Dusty Springfield
Ben E. King
Sam and Dave
Roberta Flack
Sonny and Cher
The Temptations
Young Rascals
Bette Midler
Cream
Led Zeppelin
Buffalo Springfield
Crosby, Stills, Nash (and convinced them to add Neil Young)
Rolling Stones
Allman Brothers
Stevie Nicks
John Coltrane
Charles Mingus
Ornette Coleman
Erroll Garner
Dizzy Gillespie
Sarah Vaughn