Jon Langford is one of Chicago's renaissance men. He's a visual artist, political activist, actor, comedic prankster of sorts, and above all else, a gifted musician. His bands proper include revered punk outfit The Mekons, insurgent country group The Waco Brothers, and The Pine Valley Cosmonauts, an ensemble dedicated to performing the work of mainly classic country musicians (Johnny Cash, Bill Wills). But his greatest skill may be his endless capacity to create community. It's this ability to persuade people toward a greater or at least more fun good that led Langford to tackle a more serious project: Recording an album of murder ballads in 2002. The Executioner's Last Songs, Volume One was meant to raise the profile of and some money for the Illinois Death Penalty Moratorium Project. 'Last Songs' features stellar musicians like Steve Earle, Edith Frost and Neko Case singing well crafted and rather chilling works made famous by the likes of The Louvin Brothers and Johnny Paycheck. Over a 3 part interview, Alison Cuddy asks Langford about  his relationship to the murder ballad, and music more generally. (Jon Langford, Without A Doubt, 2007)

Jon Langford on the appeal of the 'murder ballad'

Part Two of my conversation with transplanted Chicagoan and jack-of-all-trades (music, art, comic interludes, storytelling) Jon Langford. Langford reveals why he wanted to record an album of murder ballads, and why he finds the most amoral murder ballads also the most appealing. I've again included the full audio version of our interview.  Note: though Lanford references different artists in his discussion of "Long Black Veil" and "Knoxville Girl," I decided to use the versions that were recorded for The Executioner's Last Song in the audio mix. (Jon Langford, Without A Doubt, 2007)

Jon Langford on the 'murder ballad' Part Two

This is the final installment of my interview with Chicago musician and artist Jon Langford, on the appeal of that strange musical form known as the murder ballad. Today we find out more about Langford's punk roots, his attachment to 'journalistic' music, and whether or not he's ever written a murder ballad himself. (Lofty Deeds, Jon Langford)

Jon Langford, Part Three

D'Wayne Ratliff and John Washburn talk about what issues brought them to the polls while waiting for results from the 2012 Presidential election

Election 2012: Alison Cuddy talks with two suburban voters

Election 2012: Alison Cuddy talks with Republican voter as many project Obama win

Dorchester Projects is a performance space nestled in two houses on 69th Street and Dorchester Street on Chicago's south side. Here's a little bit of a recent performance.

Poetry at Chicago performance space Dorchester Projects

Musician and spoken word artist Marvin Tate kicked off a month long residency at Chicago's Dorchester Projects on the south side. Alison Cuddy visited November 8, 2012.

Chicago poet Marvin Tate at the Dorchester Projects: 121108

After 30+ years on Elaine Place, John Kearney's steel bumper sculptures are gone.

Chicago's Lakeview loses long-standing residents: two giraffes and a nanny goat

Ronn Pitts has seen it all - the death of Malcolm X and gay rights activist Harvey Milk. Muhammad Ali training to fight George Foreman. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the march to Selma (Pitts says King kicked him off the Marquette march for throwing a brick back into the crowd!). It was my pleasure to spend a half hour talking with him about his life and times.