Too often people think they must express their own views or deliver an explicit message or moral in a political song. Once you've started your goal should be to write the best song you can wherever that leads you and whether you actually agree with what is being said or not. You probably sing some songs you don't entirely agree with. Don't be afraid to write stuff that's out there.
To make a song podsafe means you allow others to host the song and use it in their podcasts. This means they can allow others to download it from their website.
This is not the same thing at all as making it public domain. In fact the act of giving the permission reinforces your copyright. It is the copyright that enables you to give that permission.
I'm not going to address the download/streaming issue except to say I allow all of my songs to be downloaded. People can capture streams anyway so why not?
And if you have a song available for download why not let others host it too? The important thing is that people download and enjoy your song, not which site they download it from.
There are many way to make a song podsafe. Creative Commons licenses are highly recommended. Another way is to upload your song to a service like the Podsafe Music Network.
Not only can you listen to KGPL you can add songs and program your own playlists. Right now most of the songs are from the Live Music Archive, Jamendo, ccmixter, and Delta Boogie Radio.
The Delta Boogie Radio link above is the dialup version for those like me who are bandwidth deprived. There is also a hifi version.
Anyone can add songs as long as they are available on the internet as mp3 files. Then you can program your own playlists for anyone to enjoy. Widgets and embeds allow you to post these songs and playlists on your websites or myspace.
Please add your favorite music and use the comments to discuss great music on the internet.
I didn't get the title of the CD until I gave it a listen. Although John Scofield is a highly regarded Jazz guitarist all the songs on the CD are Blues and Gospel with plenty of the calling out the name of Jesus going on. Still it maintains Scofield's Jazz sensibilities, all the guitar work is very tasteful and restrained. The keyboard player Jon Cleary sings on almost every track. Great songs like "Motherless Child", "His Eye Is On The Sparrow", "Ninety Nine and a Half", and "I'll Fly Away".
I also like the instrumental, "But I Like The Message", where Scofield plays Jazz guitar over a Blues change.
Yes, it's Blues and Gospel, but not your daddy's Blues and not your momma's Gospel. Clean arrangements and fine guitar work make this CD eminently listenable. Even your momma and daddy will like it. I do and you will too.
I said deep in my heart Lord I do believe that we shall overcome some day.
A message of hope.
More ...
Does anyone know who's funeral she was singing at. Not only is the song great but the prayer at the end comes from the heart as well. She sang "Precious Lord" at Dr. Martin Luther King's funeral.
"We Shall Overcome" was one of the most powerful statements during the Civil Rights struggle. Here's some more links.
And here's Mahalia Jackson and Louis Armstrong bringing New Orleans to the Newport Jazz Festival singing "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" and "When The Saints Go Marching In".
Mahalia Jackson and Louis Armstrong
I just love this stuff. Please add links and embeds to other Gospel music that changed the world in the comments.
Amazon has a promotion on. X5 Jazz sampler. Five free recordings of Jazz Classics. I have an Amazon account already. I did my download. Everything was cool. So I passed the link on to a friend.
He thought they wanted his credit card info and declined the downloads. I'm sure it left a sour taste in his mouth. I tested the Amazon "free" giveaway as a new customer and I did have to create an account and I did have to fill out billing information on a screen that looks exactly like a credit card collection screen but I did not have to actually enter a credit card number. But still is this download Free? Is my time worth nothing? Why do I need to give out my billing address and phone number to receive a free download?
Here's my apology to my friend.
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Sorry. I didn't know. We have an Amazon account and nothing came up.
I guess it's a sales ploy after all. I mean promotional downloads are always a sales ploy but they shouldn't collect information like that. Let the songs be the promotion.
Now I don't mind bands giving away free mp3s when you sign up for their mail list. But that's an upfront transaction and you can always opt out easily if you don't like the newsletter.
I don't do that though. My free mp3s are free. As a bird. They might as well be. People will share music whether you want them to or not.
And, of course, I want them to. Sharing is the new music distribution system. Word of mouth is everything.
I started rambling but this shit is good. I'm going to turn this into a post.
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Like I said I set up a new account and got the download without entering any credit card info. They did send me to a billing address page and I did have to enter a mailing address and phone number which I feel is excessive for getting a free download. But they did not collect credit card info like they would have to if the download wasn't free.
I feel that this is far in excess of the standard practice of getting a free mp3 or pdf for putting an email address into an opt out mail list.
There is no hard rule but there is a question of motivation. Is the promotion about the music or about getting new customers? Amazon made it clear that the reason they are running this promotion is to collect new customers.
Still the mantra in internet sales is WWAD? (What Would Amazon Do?) In this case I disagree. They clearly lost one download customer with their excessive data collection. I mean life is too short.
So I'm going to put my money where my mouth is and define just what "free music on the internet" means to me.
First thing, permanent links to the mp3 file. (or flac or ogg or mov) Plain links that you can read in your status bar. Click on the link or right click and Save Target As or Save Link As. Easy to download.
If I want to play a podcast or provide a streaming experience I use plaintext .m3u or .xspf playlists. Preferably both. These playlist formats provide the listener with a link to the file so they can easily download it if they choose.
Second song files are stored on more than one site. One site can go down. I use archive.org and many other music hosting services besides my web site for my downloads.
Third, I license the recordings for sharing so anyone who downloads them can feel free to share them if they want to. I use Creative Commons licenses but a simple statement from the songwriter is sufficient. I call this Copy Freely and the Creative Commons licenses spell it out in detail.
1. Download links available
2. Posted at many sites
3. Licensed for sharing
Please comment on this and tell me what free music means to you.
Also I have a question to throw out for comments. If your music is available for free on the internet should you also post it to iTunes and Amazon for resale? Will a customer who purchases a download be upset if he later finds it for free. Or are these channels just too big to ignore and should you have your music on them period? (note - that sentence ends, "period question mark")
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
@hairylarryland
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com
This article is available for reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Copy Freely!
What on earth does that mean? Free as in libre radio for free as a bird music. And what does it have to do with KGPL?
Free as in libre is a phrase describing open source software, also called free software. The meaning is free as in liberty or freedom as opposed to free as in beer. When someone gives you a free beer that means you don't have to pay for it. Free software means you are free to use it and modify it and even redistribute your modified version as long as you follow the rules laid out in the free software license. For KGPL I use the GPL or General Public License. More info on that here.
Free as a bird is an evocative phrase that is another way of expressing freedom. For KGPL free as a bird music means that the songs are available for free download on the internet. And I'm not talking about illegal downloads from a pirate p2p network. There are thousands and thousands of songs posted by the songwriters and others with permission. Legal downloads of free music.
Some of those songwriters take an additional step with a license that allows anyone to distribute or even modify the song. I use Creative Commons licenses to license my work. More info on that here.
For musicians free as a bird has an additional meaning. Bird aka Charlie Parker was on of the great Jazz saxophonists, a true original who not only wrote songs but had a seminal influence on Bebop, a far reaching Blues based Jazz style that uses riffing to define frameworks for improvisation. All Jazz players strive to be as free as Bird in their solos.
KGPL is two things. It is an open source internet radio software project. And it's a working station featuring free music. Besides just turning on the radio listeners can program their own shows. Anyone can add songs to the library as long as the songs are available for free download on the internet. Widgets and embeds are available so you can add songs or playlists to your websites or myspace or DailyKos.
So here's a shout out to Charlie Parker aka Bird.
Here's a widget with some Jazz on KGPL.
And finally here's some links to other sites featuring free as a bird music.
Roy Hargrove has been performing live at festivals and at the Jazz Gallery in New York with a Big Band comprised mostly of younger players who haven't had a lot of opportunity to play in this setting. They work well together with extremely tight ensemble work and the sound of a small group on solos.
Emergence mixes originals by Hargrove and others with Jazz Standards like "My Funny Valentine" and "September In The Rain". Roberta Gambarini sings two songs and Hargrove gives great vocal including call and response scat singing on "September In The Rain".
Here's the personell as listed in the press release.
The lineup solidified into the group showcased on the eleven tracks of Emergence, which features Hargrove on trumpet, flugelhorn, and a rare lead vocal (on the standard "September in the Rain") alongside four other trumpet players (Frank Greene, Greg Gisbert, Darren Barrett, Ambrose Akinmisure), four trombonists (Jason Jackson, Vincent Chandler, Saunders Sermons, and Max Seigel on bass trombone), five reedists (Bruce Williams, alto saxophone and flute; Justin Robinson, alto and flute; Norbert Stachel, tenor sax and flute; Keith Loftis, tenor and flute; and Jason Marshall, baritone sax and flute), and the rhythm section of pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Danton Boller, guitarist Saul Rubin, drummer Montez Coleman and percussionist Roland Guerrero. Vocalist Roberta Gambarini (named "Rising Star Female Vocalist of the Year" in Downbeat's 2009 Critic's Poll) contributes two affecting performances.
I love Jazz piano and Gerald Clayton does not disappoint with his solos or rhythm section work. Also Bruce Williams plays some outstanding flute. All the players are to be commended, there's not a weak solo on the CD.
If you like Big Bands you will like this. And if you think you only like small groups you will also like this because most of the time the CD sounds like an excellent small group with only occasional loud brassy parts that lend variety rather than dominating the sound.
Every few years, I get deep into what I call my Elvis Studies; an odd preoccupation, one might say, for a dread-locked sistah like me.
When I wrote this, I had just finished the two-volume masterwork by Peter Guralnick, "Last Train to Memphis - The Rise of Elvis Presley", and "Careless Love - The Unmaking of Elvis Presley".
Together, they constitute a monumental biography, an awesomely - even absurdly - detailed account of the life of Elvis.
As an essential compliment to these works, I re-read, "Elvis" by music critic Dave Marsh, a deeply respectful, wholly intelligent treatise on Elvis and modern music and culture, masquerading as a gorgeous picture book.
Marsh's essay provides the critical, undeniable social context of the Elvis story: the significance of region and race that is obscured in all of the necessary minutiae of Guralnick's work.
Then I topped it all off with Priscilla's "Elvis and Me", a boiling confection I'd been avoiding for years.
So as I finish this course in Elvisology, here's a piece that I wrote on an Anniversary of his Death a few years ago: I've posted it a few times since.
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I think that Elvis was my first love.
I was 5 years old in the 1950s, and I sat in the sun on the living room floor with my legs criss-crossed, album cover on my lap, in a pool of light from the leaded-glass window near the fireplace.
Motes of dust bounced and drifted in the beam of sun, fairy-like.The sun shined on Elvis too on that cover, guitar strapped across his blue stripe-shirted shoulder, as he gazed upward into a faraway sun, or maybe into the light of Heaven itself.
I was besotted by such beauty in a man. The errant forehead curl, the pull of his lip that made the tiny sneer, the imperfection that rendered him more beautiful.
The sun was golden and Elvis was too. Yes, he was tawny then from a life in the Delta sun; his hair a slick, golden crown. This was years before his hair was dyed black to provide contrast for photos and film, and later, to hide the signs of time.
Oh yes, back then, as I gaze at the album cover in my living room, he is a golden boy.
He is Elvis, the light shines on him, and it shines on me.
There is a familiarity about him, a softness of speech and manner that is not unlike my own Southern father and uncles. There is none of the frantic crispness, the stiff, staccato notes of the North.
No, his way is soft, he moves more like folks move in my world. I am 5 years old, yet I know this.
There is too, an oddness about him, some thing unknown. I learned later of a twin who died still born, and oh, the mystery of that child unknown. Another Elvis in the world was too much to contemplate.
But maybe the spirit of the long gone child made Elvis become more than if they had both survived.
His too lush beauty hints, to me, of long-lost secret ways, his eyes too heavy, lips too full, the nostrils spatulate. I wonder just what other blood flowed in those Delta veins, what long ago dark ancestor through him sweetly sang.
My Daddy, Joe Von Battle, was a Record Shop man. Produced, wrote, recorded, pressed, published, sold records. All of my life I've been surrounded by music; as a child I read album covers and liner notes - my earliest history class of the world and the people in it.
Our house was full of records, 45's, 78's and the new "LPs". Records were recorded even in our living room, the high ceilings made for great acoustics.
There were records all around - Stan Kenton and Oklahoma! and Bobby "Blue" Bland and Jerry Lee Lewis and Louis Jordan and Dinah Washington and Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins and Howlin' Wolf and Peter and the Wolf and Mahalia Jackson and Tennessee Ernie and Ike and Tina and, well, a whole lot of albums were in our lives.
But the Elvis album cover I will never forget.
Years later it would be said that Elvis was a thief, a robber, a usurper of the music of others. But I think not.
The men I knew, black blues loving men who lived in the North and hungered for their South, looked at him with the bemusement of affectionate elders, as if one of their own had played a trick on Jim Crow.
"Listen to that boy" they'd say, and shake their heads, "just look at him".
He was as familiar as sugar cane and red dirt. They knew just where he came from, just what kind of church he went to as a child, by the way he played a chord, or sang a note.
They knew he'd seen that Holy Ghost grap someone and make them whoop and holler, in the churches of Mother Boards and Deacons, of the gospel shout and stomp. They knew he just grew up like that.
Wasn't his fault there were others who made money off of the music of others; that society would let him bust through musical doors that barred his darker brothers.
He let rhythm music come through him, past the restraints of his upbringing and environs. He didn't turn our music white, but worked it through the channel of his own Delta life.
Though how tortuous the inner wrestling of Secular and Divine, and oh, how tragic was the price.
All the songs in the world could not bring him peace from his own carnality, his tormented mind and fevered soul sought rest from the world's idolatry.
I miss Elvis, but not the addled, bloated Elvis, not the cartoon, impersonated Elvis of later years.
He is the Elvis on that album cover, the golden Elvis; with a profile as chiseled as Michaelangelo's David, face as angelic as Gabriel, eyes raised towards Heaven.
He's the Elvis in my living room, with the sun shining on him, and shining on me.
A cult figure, that's got religious connotations. It sounds cliquish and clannish. People have different emotional levels. Especially when you're young. Back then I guess most of my influences could be thought of as eccentric. Mass media had no overwhelming reach so I was drawn to the traveling performers passing through. The side show performers - bluegrass singers, the black cowboy with chaps and a lariat doing rope tricks. Miss Europe, Quasimodo, the Bearded Lady, the half-man half-woman, the deformed and the bent, Atlas the Dwarf, the fire-eaters, the teachers and preachers, the blues singers. I remember it like it was yesterday. I got close to some of these people. I learned about dignity from them. Freedom too. Civil rights, human rights. How to stay within yourself. Most others were into the rides like the tilt-a-whirl and the rollercoaster. To me that was the nightmare. All the giddiness. The artificiality of it. The sledge hammer of life. It didn't make sense or seem real. The stuff off the main road was where force of reality was. At least it struck me that way. When I left home those feelings didn't change.
From Bob Dylan Exclusive Interview: Reveals His Favorite Songwriters, Thoughts On His Own Cult Figure Status.
When Woody Guthrie wrote "This Land Is Your Land" the sentiments expressed weren't mainstream. In fact the lyric was considered to be communist. Now the song is sung in every grade school classroom in the nation.
When Arlo Guthrie had his hit, "Alice's Restaurant", it made everybody laugh. But it was more than a funny song. It spoke truths about the draft that could not be conveyed except through music.
There are plenty of good protest songs being written and sung today. But you aren't hearing them on the radio. And they aren't singing them in the schools.
So now we have internet radio. A chance for all voices to be heard even if it's out at the end of the long tail. Add your favorite songs that changed the world in the comments. Please include links or embeds if they are available on the internet. Help me change the world with music.
Here's one of my protest songs, "You Did The Crime (Now Do The Time)". It's a little bit dated being about Alberto and Scooter who is unfortunately not doing his time. So please add more up to date lyrics and maybe I'll record it again.
This sad news just in: Blues and Rock 'N Roll pioneer Bo Diddley passed away today of heart failure at his home in Florida. He was 79. Bo had various health issues in the last year, which rendered him unable to perform live concerts. Bo was born Ellas Bates in McComb, Mississippi on December 30, 1928. He moved to Chicago at age seven, and got his musical start playing blues on the Maxwell Street market. There are many stories about his stage name, one being that he used to play a homemade instrument called the Diddley Bow, and the other that he adapted a name of a comical character that he happened upon.
He lived to say the name served him well; and his early recordings for Chess were instant hits. Songs such as “Bo Diddley”, “Bring It To Jerome”, “I’m A Man”, “Diddy Wah Diddy”, “Diddley Daddy”, "Who Do You Love", "Mona", "Before You Accuse Me", and countless others presented a new sound that was steeped in blues, yet so danceable and rhythmic that it is considered the bedrock of early Rock ‘N Roll. The “Bo Diddley Beat”, taken from the "shave and a haircut" rhythm, was so popular and influential that numerous other hits by other artists adapted this beat.
He maintained public attention through high-profile appearances such as John Lennon’s Live Peace In Toronto concert, playing an acting role in the Dan Akroyd/Eddie Murphy hit Trading Places, a memorable pool hall scene in the music video of George Thorogood’s "Bad To The Bone" (based on a Bo Diddley guitar hook), and a Rock ‘N Roll star/basketball star comparison for Nike remembered fondly by the catch phrase “Bo Knows”. He played a characteristic rectangular guitar which became his trademark. He was inducted in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1987. Bo remained active musically his whole life until stricken by a stroke in 2007. His passing today leaves an unfillable void, as he is one of the undisputed founders of Rock ‘N Roll.
For his complete biography, discography, and wonderful website, click here; to see a photo tribute page to Bo Diddley on Bob Corritore’s website, click here; and to read the Associated Press article regarding his passing, click here. Bob feels privileged to have known, performed with, and recorded with Bo Diddley. Bo was a great man whose music brought joy to multitudes of people. May this musical icon rest in peace.
Bob has many great links with this release. To follow the links go here:
bobcorritore@yahoo.com Wed, May 14, 2008 at 9:45 PM
Reply-To: bobcorritore@yahoo.com
To: hairylarry@deltaboogie.com
May 14, 2008
* Gigs this weekend & Chris's Birthday: On Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 2008, Bob Corritore will appear at the Rhythm Room Phoenix, AZ with The Rhythm Room All-Stars featuring Big Pete Pearson, with Chris James, Brian Fahey, and Patrick Rynn. The All-Stars will also celebrate Chris James's birthday on Friday night. Doors open at 8pm, cover charge is $7. Rack Shack Barbeque will be available at these events. These nights will be patio smoking only events; no indoor smoking will be permitted.
* Mojo Buford Hospitalized: Mojo Buford's Manager Doug McMinn reports that Mojo Buford has been hospitalized in Minneapolis, and has had to postpone a European tour that would have started today. "It is with a sad heart that I inform you that Mojo Buford had to be rushed to the hospital last night (May 12, 2008). He was in diabetic shock, and was having trouble breathing. It turns out that he is suffering from congestive heart failure, and that’s why he was having trouble breathing. Because of some new medicine he was prescribed, he was forgetting to take other medicines, like his insulin; and that’s what threw him into diabetic shock. Mojo is doing better today, as the hospital balances his medications." Mojo Buford is best known to blues fans as the long time harmonica player in the Muddy Waters Band, but Mojo is a great blues artist in his own right with a beautiful voice, great harmonica sound, and a wonderful repertoire. Thanks to Michel Hofkens from Belgium, who first made us aware of this.
* BMA/Delta Groove Recap: As I begin to catch up after three days of non-stop blues activity, my reflections turn to the Blues Music Awards gathering, which included a pre-party, the big night of the Blues Music Awards, and the 3rd Annual Delta Groove Showcase at Ground Zero. At this point, many lists of the winners have been posted and emailed, but for the full list of 2008 BMA winners, click here. Big congratulations to all the winners and nominees! Please note that this recap will cover only my tiny perspective of this huge event, in which every attendee had their own great moments filled with interactions unique to their experience. When you put together an event that draws all aspects of the blues community/industry, there is a tremendous amount of mutual interest, camaraderie, and just plain love going around. Unique combinations of people, introductions, networking, and acknowledgment of both veteran masters and new talent abounded. Each year we all feel a special joy and privilege to a part of this big family of the blues. This year was very special for me, because I was a nominee for the first time for my collaboration with Dave Riley; Travelin' The Dirt Road on Blue Witch Records was up for Best Acoustic Blues Album. A number of CDs that I have played on or produced were up for awards before, but this was the first time that my name specifically was on the ballot. This was a great thrill for me to be recognized this way, and it was a dream come true to be asked to perform at the event.
Our journey began on Wednesday morning as Kim and I caught our plane from Phoenix to Memphis. Big Pete Pearson, who landed a little before us on a different airline, greeted us upon arrival. We ran into Paul Benjamin (Blues Foundation president) and his wife at the airport, and so it began: the wonderful non-stop greetings of blues friends that would not cease until we would board our flight home three days later. We rented a car, and Kim, Big Pete, and I drove down Highway 61 to the Grand Casino in Tunica, Mississippi, where the BMAs were being held for the first time away from Memphis. The scenic ride was filled with Big Pete's great stories of touring the south during the 50s, and the memories jogged by various landmarks. When we arrived at the Grand Casino's Veranda Hotel, we said hello to Sam Lay, Nick and Kate Moss, Gaye Adegbalola, Andra Farr, and many others.
Kim and I had just enough time to check in and freshen up for a moment before the 5:30 bus left for a riverboat pre-party before the Hall of Fame Dinner. Before catching the bus, we met up in the lobby with Dave Riley and his wife Tanja, and Dale Baich and Beth Lipham of Blue Witch Records, as well as a large crowd headed to the event. Getting on the bus, I realized that it was filled with friends: Hubert Sumlin in the front row, followed by Nappy Brown, followed by Magic Slim, Scott Cable, and the list goes on. When Kim and I arrived at the Tunica River Park to board the Tunica Queen Riverboat, everyone took a photo next to a life preserver bearing the boat's name. Great appetizers were served below deck, and the socializing began as we talked with Bob Koester, Art Tipaldi (who I had last seen in Lucerne), Jimmy McCracklin (my first time meeting this legendary blues singer), Blues Foundation Director Jay Sieleman and his lovely wife Priscilla Hernandez, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith (who introduced me to the young Kenny Wayne Shepherd), Janiva Magness, Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records, Mark Hoffman and James Segrest (co-authors of the Howlin' Wolf bio, Moanin' At Midnight), Bill Wax of XM Satellite Radio and his lovely wife Sheila, Bob Porter of WBGO and Music Choice and his lovely wife Linda, Big George Brock, Fruteland Jackson, Gina Sicilia, Dave Gross, Richard Rosenblatt of Vizztone, and many others. The scenic view of the "Big Muddy" and its river banks was spectacular.
Upon landing, we headed to the adjacent meeting area at the Tunica River Park where the dinner and awards would take place. There we said hello to Bob Stroger, David Maxwell, Bobby Rush, Denise LaSalle, Diunna Greenleaf, Nora Jean Bruso, Pinetop Perkins, Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, John Németh, Pat Morgan, Duke Robillard, Bob and Pamela Margolin, Hugh Southard of Blue Mountain Artists, Joe Whitmer from The Blues Foundation, Michael Cloeren, Sharrie Williams, Steve Simon, and many others. The dinner and company were great, and set the stage for the Hall of Fame Awards, which inducted great recordings, literature, producers, and musicians in the blues. For a complete list of this year's Hall of Fame inductees, click here. Bill Wax and Bob Porter were excellent hosts as they alternated in presenting the awards. When Big Joe Williams' Piney Woods Blues was announced, it was accepted by the great Bob Koester of Delmark Records, who told heartwarming stories of Big Joe and the recording session. Bob Koester noted how the blues LP album was a relatively new and unique thing at that time. When Moanin' At Midnight: The Life And Times Of Howlin' Wolf was announced, authors James Segrest and Mark Hoffman related their passion for this project, and told stories of their years of research. An inspiring reflection of the life of record producer icon John Hammond, Sr. was told by Sony/BMG Senior Vice President/A&R Man Steve Berkowitz. The Legendary Hubert Sumlin was enthusiastically cheered as they announced his induction into the Hall of Fame. Hubert was escorted to the podium by the youthful rock guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who awkwardly gave the majority of Hubert's acceptance speech for him. The legendary blues hit maker Jimmy McCracklin also was inducted, and gave a riveting acceptance speech. On the bus ride home, Big George Brock started playing gospel classics on harmonica, which lead to a beautifully enthusiastic chorus of numerous singers switching off on the lead vocal and support roles. We arrived at the hotel to see Evan Caleb (Candye Kane's son and fine drummer) as well as Jerry Del Giudice and Edward Chmelewski from Blind Pig Records and Scott Allen and Jen Taylor of Vivid Pix. Mark Hoffman then introduced me to Vera L. Johnson-Collins, the niece of Mississippi Blues legend Tommy Johnson (how cool is that!). She has started a foundation in her uncle's name; the website can be accessed by clicking here. The day was completed with a conversation by my dear friend Sam Lay before retiring to the room.
The next day started with a 12:15pm sound check for Dave Riley and I, who would perform later that night as a duo. Dave's son, Dave Riley, Jr., and I drove to the casino, and we met up with Big Pete Pearson and Patrick Rynn there. The room at the venue was very nice, and had a good sound to it. They were running a little late, which allowed conversations with Bob Margolin, Dale Baich, Michael Cloeren, and others. We got to hear the sound checks of Sharrie Williams, Gina Sicilia (with Dave Gross and David Maxwell) and the John Németh Band (with Junior Watson) before Dave and I breezed through our stage settings. Then back to the hotel, where I had plans to meet Charlie Hussey, host of the Dublin, Ireland blues radio show Blues Train, who did a 45 minute interview with me, and will edit it, combine it with songs, and broadcast it at a later date. We then went looking for Tomcat Courtney, who had arrived the night before with Chris James and Patrick Rynn. Upon finding Tomcat he and Charlie went off to do a second interview as I stayed in the lobby, saying hello to Chris James, Ronnie James, Debbie Davies, German Blues DJ and photographer Horst-Dieter Fischer, Steve Hecht of Piedmont Talent who introduced me to his new artist signing Samuel James, Lurrie Bell, Scott Dirks, and others. Then it was time to catch a moment in the room before Kim and I would get ready for the awards night. My beautiful Kim looked stunning, as always, as we headed down to the lobby where the next 10 hours would be wonderfully filled with well-dressed blues musicians and fans, greetings, introductions, photo ops, and of course, the Blues Music Awards! As we arrived at the venue, we gathered at an outdoor pre-party where we heard Lionel Young followed by Trampled Under Foot (both were IBC winners this year). To see some photos from this pre-party and to get a second account of the event, check out Lew Jetton's blog recap by clicking here.
We walked into the venue, and were greeted by the spellbinding Mississippi blues of Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, whose brilliant CD on Broke & Hungry Records was up for an award. We sat at a table with Charles and Lori Ragsdell, with Dale Baich and Beth Lipham sitting next to us and Dave, Tanja, and Dave Riley, Jr. as well as photographer Donovan Allen (some great company). Koko Taylor was at the next table, and our other table was also close by, and included Big Pete Pearson, Tomcat Courtney, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Judy Marut of Blue Witch Records. Also in attendance were Robert Jr. Whitall and Shirley Mae Owens of Big City Blues Magazine, Chip Eagle, Dar, Randy Chortkoff and his lovely girlfriend Kelly, Michael Frank of Earwig Music, Frank Roszak and Josh Tempkin of Delta Groove, Arnie Goodman, Don Crow, Rick Booth and Jake Lankheit from Intrepid Artists, Onnie Heaney, Patricia Morgan, Derek O'Brien, Pamela Taylor, Fred Litwin of Northern Blues, David Earl of Severn Records, David Berntson of Crossroads Learning Experience, Mr. and Mrs. "V", who host of Houston's Blues On The Move on 90.1FM KPFT, Amanda Gresham, Dave Wright of Champaign, Illinois' Dave's Blues on 90.1FM WEFT, Carol Marble of Mississippi Delta Blues, Inc, any many other blues VIPs. The night proceeded with numerous awards and performances, and included a greeting by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. Some highlights for us included watching our dear friends and musical associates Sam Lay, Bob Stroger, Koko Taylor, Diunna Greenleaf, and Bob Margolin receive BMAs, and great performances by Lurrie Bell, Big George Brock, Diunna Greenleaf, The Holmes Brothers, and more. The unquestionable performance highlight was Nappy Brown's explosive version of "Night Time Is The Right Time". Nappy had recorded this song before Ray Charles, and Ray's version closely mimics Nappy's original. Nappy's performance was complete with whoops and hollers, rolling around on the stage, waving his legs in the air, and stalking the crowd in search of woman to sing to (Nappy appeared to have a special attraction to Jen Taylor of Vivid Pix!). Nappy combined his show stopping stage antics with his amazingly rich and versatile voice, and the audience was beside themselves with his performance. It was so great to perform at this event, and Dave and I felt good about our duet performances of "Travelin' The Dirt Road" (a Dave Riley composition), "Jelly Roll King" (written by Frank Frost) and "Sharecropper's Blues" (written by John Weston), which were aired live on XM Satellite Radio’s Bluesville Station, along with all performances and acceptance speeches of the night. Though none of the four CDs I played on won, I felt very privileged to be nominated and belong to this great musical family of the blues. We heard that the event went on until 3am, so we missed the last hour, as Kim and I visited with friends in the lobby before heading back to the room to get a little rest before the next day's activity. We enjoyed seeing Tommy Castro, photographer Aigars Lapsa from Latvia (who presented me with beautiful photos that he took at the Lucerne Blues Festival), Mookie Brill, and Nappy Brown. We went back to the hotel with Nappy Brown, as he and I caught up on some of our mutual friends. Nappy and Tomcat Courtney settled in the hotel lobby and stayed up till the early morning swapping stories, while Dale and Beth of Blue Witch and Chris and Patrick of The Rhythm Room All-Stars watched on.
Friday was the 3rd Annual Delta Groove Showcase at Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, which for the last three years has been the prime after-party for the BMAs. Label chief Randy Chortkoff is legendary in his ability to throw some of the most elaborate musical events in the blues. Many of us in the Southwest fondly remember Randy's amazing annual Little Walter festivals of the 90s. Randy's gracious hosting and star-packed lineups were certainly part of this year’s event. In addition to being a stunning showcase for his Delta Groove label, Randy included a number of artists from other labels on the bill, including a Blue Witch Showcase. When we arrived at around 1:30pm, the place was already packed with a who's who of blues people. After sets by Lionel Young and Bill Sims (with Mark LaVoie on harmonica), it was time for our showcase. Randy gave a great introduction, and then turned it over to me to announce the set and call all the featured artists to the spotlight. The core band for our set was The Rhythm Room All-Stars with Chris James (guitar), Patrick Rynn (bass), and myself on harmonica, and we switched drummers between Tony Braunagel of the Phantom Blues Band and Evan Caleb, Candye Kane's son and drummer (both are great drummers). We began the set with Italian harmonica great Marco Pandolfi, who did a jumpin' instrumental. Then I took over on harmonica as the All-Stars spotlighted singers Chris James, Dave Riley, Tomcat Courtney, and Big Pete Pearson (in that order). We felt great about the set, and everyone shined. From there, Kid Ramos's side project Los Fabulocos did a great set of Tex-Mex and roots-rock songs. In the parking lot, there was a stage set up with the great Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm, who served as core band and kept a spontaneous jam going all through the day with many special guests. To the side of the jam stage was Deak Harp, who, in between jam sets, played great amplified harp and foot-driven drums for a wild and wonderful sound. The Insomniacs did an inspired set, as did the amazing Jackie Payne/Steve Edmondson Band, before the West Coast's pride The Mannish Boys hit the stage and brought the night to new level of energy. With The Mannish Boys' great lineup of talent, they alternated singers, harp players, and guitarists to the stationary solid rhythm section of Richard Innes and Ronnie James. We were treated to features by Franck Goldwasser, Randy Chortkoff, Kirk Fletcher, Kid Ramos, Junior Watson, Bobby Jones, Johnny Dyer, and Finis Tasby, as well as special guest appearances by Phillip Walker, Debbie Davies, and Mikey Junior. The entire set was stunning, but the true highlight for me was Johnny Dyer's spectacular take on Little Walter's "Everything's Gonna Be Alright". After The Mannish Boys set, we heard a few by Mike Zito before calling it a long, great day. A few of the many high points of that day:
-Art Tipaldi's expressed enthusiasm after hearing Tomcat Courtney's CD Downsville Blues for the first time on his car ride that day to Clarksdale
-Hanging out with cinema movers and shakers Mars Callahan and David Hughes on the front porch of Ground Zero
-Meeting Holger Peterson of Stony Plain Records and hearing stories of Robert Nighthawk's performances and recording session in Canada
-Connecting with Cam Hayden and his wife Carrol Deen of the Edmonton Labatt Blues Festival in Canada; Cam also hosts the Friday Night Blues Party radio show on CKUA
-Eating spectacular catfish with Kim, Big Pete Pearson, and Judy Marut at the Delta Amusement Cafe
-Stopping by the Gimme Gumbo Gallery and having artists John M. Fekes and Ilse Jouette personally show Kim and I their blues art
-Spending time in the backstage green room with my dear friend and harp mentor Johnny Dyer
-Taking a break from the showcase and going to the upstairs hotel at Ground Zero to Kid Ramos and his wife Linda's room while Kid and members of Los Fabulocos casually played beautiful Mexican songs on accordion and guitar
-Playing a great set of blues with my favorite musicians on the stage as part of an amazing lineup of talent, while people I admire in the blues listened with approval to our performance. In attendance during our set were Bruce Iglauer, Duke Robillard, Doug James (a fine harmonica player as well as a legendary saxophonist), Bob and Linda Porter, DJ Gary Miller, Bill Wax, Steve Simon (who had never heard me play live before), Roger Naber of The Legendary Blues Cruise, Randy Chortkoff, and many others
Thanks, Randy, for allowing us to be a part of your great event!
All in all, an amazing three days of nonstop activity. If you have never been to the BMAs, I would encourage you to make plans for next year. Simply the greatest blues gathering around! It's an event that brings together encouragement, friendship, reflection, and recognition in the blues!
-Bob Corritore
Bob has many great links with this release. To follow the links go here:
Tomcat Courtney CD Release Party this Friday at the Rhythm Room: Tomcat Courtney, though relatively unknown to the mainstream, is one of the great national treasures of traditional blues. At 79 years young, Tomcat is a contemporary of Lightnin' Hopkins, Lil' Son Jackson, and Smokey Hogg, and he carries forth the blues tradition of his native home of Texas. Tomcat possesses one of he greatest voices in country blues around today, and has a stirring, down-home guitar style. He will be appearing Friday, May 30, 2008 at the Rhythm Room for a CD release party. His new CD, Downsville Blues on Blue Witch Records, is his first national release. The CD came out on May 20, 2008, and is already receiving worldwide radio airplay and critical applause from reviewers (click here to see some of these reviews). Backing Tomcat Courtney will be Chris James, Patrick Rynn, Brian Fahey, and Bob Corritore, who are Tomcat's band on the CD. The Rhythm Room is located at 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85014. Doors open at 8pm, cover charge is $8. Rack Shack Barbeque will be available at this event. This night will be a patio smoking only event; no indoor smoking will be permitted.
Blueswax to feature a Bob Corritore interview this Thursday: Perhaps the greatest online blues magazine, Blueswax is a brilliant source for a wide overview of blues news. Their weekly news email comes out each Thursday to a huge list of subscribers from around the world. This week, Blueswax will feature an interview with Bob Corritore by New York Blues kingpin Bob Putignano. To sign up for the email blast and to see the Blueswax website, click here. Thank you, Blueswax!
Janiva Magness Interview this Sunday on Bob's Radio Show: Janiva Magness will appear on Bob's radio show this Sunday for an interview and a preview of her forthcoming CD on Alligator Records. Janiva is simply a great blues singer, and we cheered her on over the years as she has risen to stardom in the blues world. She is now a 2-time Blues Music Award winner in the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year category, and is a national spokesperson for Casey Family Programs for Foster Care children. Janiva will be in Phoenix to sing the National Anthem at the Arizona Diamondbacks game on May 31, 2008 (May is National Foster Care Month), and will be able to stop in at Bob's radio show. Look for an hour (or so) interview starting around 6:30pm. Janiva is scheduled for a Rhythm Room appearance on Friday, June 13, 2008. Listeners may hear Bob Corritore’s KBA-Award-winning radio show, Those Lowdown Blues, anywhere in the world (real time Sunday nights from 6pm-11pm Phoenix time) via web streaming by clicking here, or on KJZZ in Phoenix at 91.5 FM in Phoenix, Arizona, 89.5 in Cottonwood, 98.9 in Tucson, and 99.1 in Kingman.
Chicago Blues Festival, Bob's Gigs in Chicago: Next week, Bob will make his annual visit to his hometown of Chicago during the Chicago Blues Festival. This festival always presents some of the city's greatest talent, combined with great national acts. Appearing at the fest this year will be B.B. King, James Cotton, Little Willie Littlefield, Pinetop Perkins, Louisiana Red, Lurrie Bell, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Barbara Lynn, and many others. For a complete list of the fest lineup, click here. While in Chicago, Bob Corritore will have two scheduled performances and likely a few impromptu sit-ins. Bob's scheduled appearances will be:
Thursday, June 5, 2008 - Louisiana Red at Buddy Guy's Legends. Bob Corritore will appear with Louisiana Red from 7:30pm to 9:00pm at Buddy Guy's Legends, 754 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago IL 60605. Louisiana Red's backup band will include Bob Corritore, Chris James, Patrick Rynn, and Eddie Kobek.
Saturday, June 7, 2008 - American Blues Legends Management Showcase at Reggie's, This great showcase will include Elmore James, Jr. (who will celebrate his new release Daddy Gave Me The Blues on JSP Records), Byther Smith, Eddie C. Campbell, Tail Dragger, The Hayes Brothers, Cadillac Zack, Rick Kreher, Scott Dirks, Bob Corritore, and Donna Oxford. Bob will be making a guest appearance backing his old boss Tail Dragger on this show; Bob's set will be at approximately 11:15pm. Show time is 9pm; cover charge is $15. Party alert: there will be a free shuttle service to the show leaving from the corner of Columbus and Monroe at the following times: 8pm, 9pm, and 10pm. American Blues Legends Management is a booking and management organization founded by guitarist/producer Cadillac Zack, and its primary focus is advancing the cause of traditional blues. Reggie's is located at 2105 S. State Street, Chicago, Illinois 60616. To see a flier for this event, click here. For more information about this show, call (323)377-5291.
As always, Chicago is a real blues treat, and the festival serves as a great center point for a spectacular gathering of blues people. Also, while in town, check out Honeyboy Edwards' annual birthday bash on Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at a new venue (managed by Dave Specter) called Society for the Preservation of Arts and Culture in Evanston (S.P.A.C.E.). This event is being called Blues On The North Shore, and is produced by Lynn Orman. Also included in the show's lineup are Eddie Clearwater, Barrelhouse Chuck, and Katherine Davis. For more information, click here.
Little Arthur Health Update: Here is the latest information about Chicago Blues harmonica ace Little Arthur Duncan, who was hospitalized on April 11, 2008 and had surgery for a brain tumor. This news from Rick Kreher, his guitar player:
"I stopped by to check on Little Arthur yesterday at his new hospital, Advocate Bethany Specialty Hospital, at 3435 W. Van Buren. The hospital is very nice and easy to get to, off the Eisenhower Expressway. That is about the only good news. Arthur is once again hooked up to a battery of machines, and the nurse that was attending to him said that he 'had a lot going on'. I think he knew who I was, and tried to talk, but he would then fade away for a few minutes. His main problem (among many others) is still his breathing, which is still assisted by a ventilator. It's sad, because if he does know what's going on, it has to be very depressing at this point. If any of you are in the area, stop by; because if he does know what's happening, a visit might help his spirits. The hospital is on Van Buren just west of Homan (Kimball); enter from those directions as the streets run weird around there. There is parking right in front. I wish there was better news to report."
Mojo Buford Heath Update: As reported in the newsletter of May 14, 2008, longtime Muddy Waters harmonica player Mojo Buford was hospitalized on May 12, 2008 with diabetic shock and heart complications. Good news came our way via Mojo's drummer and manager, Doug McMinn, who reports: "Mojo is doing great. He is back home. His strength is almost back up. He is planning a November tour to replace the one he had to cancel." Thank you, Doug, for this good news!
Bob has many great links with this release. To follow the links go here:
As you can probably guess by the band name they're from France. I found them on Jamendo and I like them.
Everybody loves the Memphis Sound as played by Booker T. and the MGs and other Stax artists back in the sixties. I have had the great good fortune to work with Joe Lee, a Memphis Sound originator. Ever since the Booker T hits there has been something that grabbed me about this sparse instrumental Blues style.
So was I expecting the Memphis Sound from a group from France? Not really. Was I pleasantly surprised? More than that. This stuff is great. Give it a listen.
All of the albums on Jamendo are available for free, legal, download. Here's a link where you can download, listen, and share.
If you're going to release a CD with nine of the ten tracks being covers of the blues standards, and you hope it will get some recognition, then you - and the rest of the musicians on the disc - better be very good. On "FOLLOW ME TO THE BLUES", PETER McGRAW, and the rest of the musicians, are exactly that.
On his first solo album, vocalist PETER McGRAW is joined by: DONNIE "MR. DOWNCHILD" WALSH on harp; HANS McMINAMIN on guitar; ROY "THE MAESTRO" POWERS on keyboards, RICHARD LOVE on drums; LARRY "O" MAYO on bass.
The disc opens with the title, and sole original track (written by ROY) - "FOLLOW ME TO THE BLUES". The song does exactly what an opening track should do - impress and expose the listener to a taste of what they're in for. In barely over 2 minutes, everyone gets in some impressive highlights and PETER establishes himself as a singer I want to hear a lot more of. My immediate thought was that if this was the type of stuff I'd hear, I'd follow these guys anywhere.
By the next track, "SWEET HOME CHICAGO", the guys are locked into a groove they never lose. RICHARD, LARRY and ROY, old band mates in THE VAGRANTZ, are obviously still in tune with each other after all these years. Their outstanding rhythm on this, and the rest of the disc, are evidence of that. With repeated harp highlights by DONNY, great guitar riffs from HANS and gruff, yet melodic, vocals from a voice that was made to sing the blues, by PETER, this one's a winner.
In the first sixty seconds of "THE SKY IS CRYING", the little pieces you'll hear from everyone in the band will make you happy that there is eight more minutes of it still ahead. I don't care how many times you've heard this track and how many bands you've heard do it - this version will knock your socks off. With everyone at discs best, this one's unquestionably the discs best.
Another track that will have you comparing it to the original is "I GOT A WOMAN". With RICHARD absolutely relentless on the drums behind him, this one has PETER sounding as soulful as Ray Charles sounded.
Anyone that's ever read my reviews of a CD containing the song "I'D RATHER GO BLIND" already know that the song is my all time favorite. As a matter of fact, I've been known to bring the KOKO TAYLOR version of it to clubs with me, so that I could lend it to the band to learn it. The results were always good - I've never heard a version of the track I did not like. PETER'S version allows me to keep that thought in tact. This song is meant to be sung by a strong, soulful and raspy voiced vocalist and ya don't get any stronger, more soulful and raspier than PETER McGRAW. Of course, you also need an incredible guitar lead to make this one work and HANS is all over it. Great stuff!
Another track that had me shaking my head in awe was "AS THE YEARS GO PASSING BY". This ballad is, of course, one of the slower and more low down blues tracks....the kind that always make me smile. With the rhythm section so softly locked in just the right spot, PETER, HANS and ROY excel on the vocals, guitar and keyboards. Another highlight amongst highlights.
Other tracks on "FOLLOW ME TO THE BLUES" include: "HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN", "BRING IT ON HOME TO ME", "UNCHAIN MY HEART" and "LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL".
For more on PETER McGRAW, go to www.bluesdestinyrecords.com. There you'll be able to pick up a copy of this disc and read about his pending new release "MORE McGRAW". After what I've just heard, I'm certainly ready for more McGRAW. By the way, ya know ya gotta tell him the Blewzzman sent ya.
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at www.Mary4Music.com where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com
It's a message song about prejudice and racism. He delivers it with just guitar and vocals. Reminds me of early Dylan which coming from me is the ultimate compliment. The lyrics are great and speak to denial of racism and prejudice by refusing to participate. As Nancy Reagan said, "Just say no. I ain't riding with your KKK." Or something like that.
Give it a listen by clicking on the title above. If it doesn't play in your browser try a right click and choose a Play With or Save As option.
I'm very sorry to have to report that Billy Lee died last night. At the end, he refused treatment that could keep him alive a little longer. He said he was tired of hurting, and he was ready to die. I knew it would be soon, but I wasn't expecting it quite this soon.
His last recording was done on 20 February at the Swifton, Arkansas Community Center with my band.
LD
Billy Lee Riley has been a part of Delta Boogie since we began in 1995. We have several chapters from his unfinished autobiography posted here.
Billy Lee Riley on Delta Musicians
He gave me permission to post some of his original songs from his Blues CDs on Delta Boogie. Here's a playlist with some of his music.
Blues Fest starts on Sunday, September 13 and continues on September 20 and 27. With only one band left to confirm here's the schedule.
Sept 13
1:00 Jams
2:00 Higher Ground (members of the T Horn Carnival band)
3:00 Uncle Fred Wilson
4:00 The Mudcats
5:00 Suzanne Michell
6:00 John Shepherd
Sept 20
1:00 Jams
2:00 Rob Alley Trio
3:00 Mike McLeod
4:00 Shugga Shane
5:00 Snap Crow Leg
Sept 27
1:00 Jams
3:00 Chris Harper
4:00 Even Break
5:00 Jamm Sammich
Thanks to Robin and Jerry Gasaway, Mike McLeod, Snap Crow Leg, and Jamm Sammich for helping us put on these shows. And thanks to all the musicians who donate their time and talents so we can all have a good time at the park. There's a lot of great music at Blues Fest but it's really all about friends getting together to enjoy themselves.
September 13 is also a CD release party for John Shepherd's new CD, "So Low". I will also be giving away copies of The Mudcats CD, "Blues Fest House Band". And we have the return of Blues Fest regulars, Higher Ground, formerly known as T Horn Carnival. Suzanne and Fred will be traveling in from Little Rock and I imagine they will bring their CDs too. And the Blues Fest jam band is past ready and set on go. It's going to be a great day. Don't miss it. If you play or sing come out at 1:00 and join in on the jam session. Everyone is welcome and Blues Fest is Free
John has also been helping me record my new Blues CD, "Lil Sonny Boy Hisself". We have seven tracks recorded with John Shepherd, guitar, Larry Donn, piano, George Hinds, bass, and Luke Reed, drums. I hope to have the CD finished and posted at the HairyLarryLand website this month.
George and Glenda carried Robin and Jerry and I down to Newport to hear the Billy Lee Riley Tribute show in Newport, Arkansas, August 30, 2009. I wrote about it here and posted a ton of pics.
Thanks to Sonny Burgess and Jeannie and The Guys for all their hard work putting on this great show in memory of a great musician, Billy Lee Riley.
I am getting more of the Blue Monday shows posted at the Live Music Archive so I can play them on my Something Blue podcast. Here's the Essie the Blues Lady show from Newport.
And don't forget to listen to Something Blue every Saturday night at 10:00 on KASU, 91.9 FM. If you're not in the KASU listening area you can still listen on the website and everyone can join the liveblog discussions where we chat about the show and about music in general.
The Mudcats will also be playing at the CRDC fortieth anniversary picnic to be held at the Joe Mack Campbell Park on Saturday, September 19. We will be playing from noon to 2:00. The public is invited and everything is free. We're going to have a great time and I hope to see you there.
I want to congratulate Charlotte Taylor and Gypsy Rain for winning the Sonny Boy Blues Society battle of the bands. They will be opening The Biscuit in Helena, Arkansas, this year so go early to hear their great music. I recorded them, Jeannie and The Guys, and The Cruize Brothers at Blue Monday shows at Paragould and I will send out links to these shows when I get them posted. I'll be recording Grant Garland at Newport on Monday, September 14 and then Bluesberry Jam will be playing at the Red Goose Deli in Paragould on September 21.
This is the busiest time of the year for me. Besides all of this fun stuff I'm a hard working student taking Marimbas, Jazz Improv, Composition, and Abstract Algebra. It's been great so far. I just hope I survive.
Please let me know what you've been doing. If you play music I want to promote your act on Delta Boogie and in this newsletter. If you have original songs I can post them on Delta Boogie Radio and use them in my podcast. And if you don't play music but you just love to listen then you're the most important people in the world to musicians. The audience.
Every town has music organizations that put on shows, host jam sessions, and work to preserve the music of their area. I just returned from Little Rock, Arkansas where I enjoyed meeting and playing music with members of three of these groups; Rackensack, The Pickoids, and Whiff n Sip. Each of these groups has a different history and focus and many people are active in all three while others find the one that suits their interests.
My friends, Fred Wilson and Suzanne Michell have introduced me to people from all three groups and I have had a great time both playing music and talking about Arkansas music history with them. If you are a songwriter or musician you can find groups in your area where you can share your love for music and enjoy an occasional night out.
They also provide performance opportunities giving songwriters a chance to present their material with short sets in front of a supportive audience.
Rackensack is the oldest of the groups founded in 1963.
The Rackensack Folklore Society was organized for the purpose of perpetuating the traditional folk music of the people of Arkansas, particularly in the mountainous area of the north-central part of the state. Stone County, located in the area, was unique in having music-making families throughout its boundaries who founded the base of the Rackensack organization.
They hosted regular shows, singalongs, and jam sessions in the Mountain View area and their efforts have been a boon to the local economy with the Arkansas Folk Festival drawing an international audience as well as weekly shows at the Jimmy Driftwood Barn.
During the mid-1960s, a branch organization of the Rackensack was created by George Fisher in Little Rock. This branch chapter assembled a large membership in the Little Rock area and followed the traditional guidelines of the Rackensack in perpetuating the folk music of the area. Their meetings and concerts were held at the Arkansas Arts Center.
Rackensack also promotes traditional music and story telling with their CDs made by Rackensack members. The Rackensack
They are continuing with these recording projects today.
In celebration of the Rackensack Folklore Society’s 45th anniversary, Arkansas musicians are coordinating performances of old-time mountain acoustic music today and Saturday.
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The society is celebrating its anniversary by releasing ... a CD, Down in the Arkansas: Melody and Song in the Arkansas Tradition, a collection of hoedowns, songs and tales.
If anyone has buy links or more information on the Rackensack CDs please post this info in the comments.
Last Wednesday night The Pickoids hosted a jam session at Studio Joe, a coffeehouse in Little Rock. I enjoyed listening to Trainwreck and other musicians playing acoustic music. I also enjoyed playing some of my songs for them with Suzanne Michell and Uncle Fred. They do this on a regular basis. Here's a link to their website where they post a calendar of events.
Whiff n Sip is an informal group that meets weekly on Thursday nights in their member's homes. They pass the baton around the room and you can sing one, play one, or make a request. If you know the song or if you're a quick study you can play along. They are very supportive of people presenting new material and when someone does a song they know they all get to singing and it sounds fantastic. This kind of informal gathering is the most fun for the musicians. It's an absolutely zero pressure environment where you are encouraged to play new material even if you've never played it for an audience before.
Are you a member of a music performance and promotion organization? Please post links to web pages with info about your group. These three groups all play acoustic music but it could be a Blues society, Jazz Society, Dulcimer society, etc. Let us know about the kind of music you like to play and where you go to play it.
Here's Dave Riley singing a John Weston song, "I'm Not Your Garbage Man". Accompanying Dave on harmonica is Bob Corritore. Two American musicians taking the Blues to France.
John Weston had a certain Blues genius with lyrics. He'd sing the first half of the lyric and then have you waiting to see what he came up with next. Dave Riley was a friend of John's and he still carries a lot of John's material in his repertoire.
more...
Dave Riley plays with Sam Carr every year at "The Biscuit" in Helena, Arkansas. They are both featured in Delta Musicians on Delta Boogie.
Bob Corritore has a wonderful newsletter keeping me abreast of what's happening in the Blues. You can read it or contact Bob here. Send him an email and he'll add you to the list.
I was really pleased to find these videos on YouTube. If you are aware of other videos featuring Dave Riley, Bob Corritore, or Sam Carr please post them in the comments. Also please post your favorite Blues or Festival videos. As always any music is on topic.
This is a trailer for Giacomo Gates' new project, "Luminosity". Gates is a Jazz singer and the trailer intersperses interview segments and performance footage in a way that they complement each other. Just the names that Gates mentions in this trailer would give you a great start on a Jazz library. Give him a listen.
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My friend, Charlie Boyer, turned me on to Giacomo Gates in an email. He does a Jazz magazine and website, "Hot House Florida" and he enjoys these diaries and often makes recommendations. Which I always appreciate.
In fact, I had covered Marc Courtney Johnson in a Jazz Obama Songs diary and Marc's vocals reminded Charlie of Giacomo Gates. So there's a compliment for you, Marc.
Gates comes out of the great Jazz vocals tradition and his singing is all the way there. At the end of the trailer he says, "I don't want to be too far out", yet he works in an art form that requires him to improvise and work on the edge. Whether he's scatting horn parts or putting his unique take on a standard ballad it won't be staid or ordinary. He remains new while paying homage to tradition and pleasing a wide audience. Whether you're new to Jazz or a blase cognoscenti his voice will please your ears.
His work on the video is impressive. If you've been lucky enough to see him live please fill us in on that experience. Also please post your favorite Jazz artists or any other music that changed the world.
Bruce "Utah" Duncan Phillips (May 15, 1935 – May 23, 2008) was a labor organizer, folk singer, storyteller, poet and the "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest". He described the struggles of labor unions and the power of direct action, self-identifying as an anarchist. He often promoted the Industrial Workers of the World in his music, actions, and words.
His nickname comes from when he was in the army. No one had ever met anyone else from Utah so they called him Utah.
He sang labor songs and hobo songs. He sang train songs. And he told stories. He tells us here how he first learned the songs he loved to sing.
I got—I left home. I went up to work in Yellowstone National Park during high school. I was going to make some summer money. I went up on the freight trains, and for the first time I rode the freight trains. And I worked on a road rating crew. And at that time, I was playing the ukulele and singing ersatz Hawaiian music—Johnny Noble, things like that, “Lovely Hula Hands,” “Malihini Melee.”
The other hands working on that crew, a lot of them were old, old alcoholics who could only shovel gravel. But they knew songs. And late at night, you know, there would be a fire. We would live in these clapboard shanties. They sang old songs, Jimmie Rodgers, and they sang old Gene Autry songs, songs I had never heard, but were much closer to the way I was living right there at that time, certainly a lot closer than as Hawaiian music. So they showed me how to turn my ukulele chords into guitar chords and taught me those songs.
And it’s right about then I started making songs in that mold, making songs of what I saw in the world around me, but using those tune models and those verse models that had endured for so long and will continue to endure simply because they work. So, you know, I’ve been making songs and stories for over fifty years now. It’s a way of life. It’s like breathing.
Van Morrison did a great job on his Austin City Limits show recorded in 2006. There he was calling out the songs to what I call a world class Honky Tonk band with piano, fiddle, and steel guitar. Of course the backup singers were as good as you can hear and when Van would play Sax one of the singers would play trumpet giving them a horn section. The variety in styles, not just songs, was amazing. It seemed they could do anything. And they did. Including, of course, "Gloria" and "Brown Eyed Girl".
When "Astral Weeks" was recorded Van Morrison was 23 years old and singing with a Jazz band made of incredible musicians.
... three jazz musicians of the highest calibre: bassist Richard Davis, who had played with the likes of Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughan, guitarist Jay Berliner, best known for his work with Charles Mingus, and drummer Connie Kay, a member of the esteemed Modern Jazz Quartet...
Be sure to click through to read the whole fascinating story. "Astral Weeks" remains one of my favorite albums and if you've never lived with it you should give it a few weeks of your life.
Morrison has recreated "Astral Weeks" as a live show. He played the whole album live at The Hollywood Bowl on November 7 and 8, 2008, just two weeks ago. He also played repertoire from before and after "Astral Weeks". These three videos are from that show. There are many more on the tubes.
You've written a great song and you're really proud of it. Not only does it groove like a midnight train but the lyrics really say something. It would be great if some people could hear it besides your family and friends.
Or maybe you've been working on some songs. Some are finished. Some need a little polish. It would really help if you had some audience interaction.
How can you make this happen? How can you get your songs heard? How can you expand your audience? How can you change the world with music?
Play for free.
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Some songwriters are content to stay at home and work on another one. But most songwriters and musicians thrive on an audience. And most songwriters don't play for an audience as often as they'd like to.
Fortunately there are venues that will be glad to have you. I love to play coffeehouses. This goes back to the folk revival of the sixties for me. Whether it was Folk music, Jug Bands, or the Blues I have fond memories of playing and listening in these informal settings. And how about music at the city park? Whether you are just showing up and jamming, which many parks allow, or volunteering to play at free festivals, playing outside like this can't be beat. Benefits and fundraisers of all kinds need music. When you hear of a good cause give them a call and see if they would like to have you play. After you do a few of these and the word gets around organizers will start calling you.
Since this is DailyKos I should mention that political rallies often need music. You can promote your songs and promote your candidate at the same time.
Maybe your songs are fine but you lack confidence in your performance skills. If you would like to play short sets in front of small audiences where the audience is guaranteed to be appreciative play in church. Other venues where you can hone your performance skills in front of non-judgmental audiences are nursing homes and residence facilities for the handicapped. Not only do you get to play but it is certain to warm your heart. Everybody loves music.
I do have rules. I won't play for free anywhere. Your rules may be different than mine but I won't play for free if there is an admission fee or cover charge. In my opinion that money should go to the band and if I'm playing for free it ain't. I won't play for free if alcohol is being served. Why should I sell their beer and enrich a club owner without getting paid? If not me at least some band should be making money when alcohol is being sold. I also don't play for free at private parties. Now that doesn't mean I won't carry my guitar to a party where I am a guest. What it means is that if I'm playing a free gig I want everyone to be welcome. I want to expand my audience.
Expanding your audience is one of the major benefits of playing for free. You can also try your new material out at a free gig more easily than where someone is paying you and you feel obligated to play music the audience is familiar with. Another advantage to playing for free is that anyone can come however rich or poor. Believe me, there are people in the world that can't come to see you if there's a five dollar cover charge. And you can invite people without getting into their pocket. It's much easier for me to invite people to a free show than to say come and see me and make me ten bucks richer.
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with getting paid. Work is work and musicians work harder than most people for their money. But even big stars play some shows for free for many of the same reasons I have listed above.
And just because you're playing for free doesn't mean you're selfless. Music promotion is a business and music promotion costs money. One way of promoting your songs is to play for free. This way it's only costing you time. And a good time at that. If you're playing for free the audience knows you're enjoying it. And the audience loves musicians who enjoy themselves on stage. They're there to have a good time and you're there to help them have a good time.
So go on. Do it. Sing some songs and have a good time. Play for free.
Please Pimp Your Songs! in the comments. Share your experiences playing for free. What are your favorite free venues? Has playing for free ever helped your music career? Has it been a good time?
Ella Fitzgerald is one of the premier Jazz vocalists of the twentieth century. She is perhaps the foremost interpreter of the Great American Songbook a collection of songs most easily defined as songs Ella sang.
The version of "How High The Moon" in this video is interesting because of her extensive scat solo and because in the middle of her improvisation she breaks into The Beatles.
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Ella did not sing topical music. It was her presence, dignity and originality that changed the world. She was an inspiration to African Americans, women, and musicians everywhere. It is impossible not to be moved by her performances.
A few days after Fitzgerald's death, New York Times columnist Frank Rich wrote that in the Songbook series Fitzgerald "performed a cultural transaction as extraordinary as Elvis's contemporaneous integration of white and African-American soul. Here was a black woman popularizing urban songs often written by immigrant Jews to a national audience of predominantly white Christians."
In doing what she did she created American culture. Not Black culture, Jazz culture, or Jewish culture but American culture. Listen to her here, singing the Gershwin classic, "Summertime" with Louis Armstrong on trumpet.
I bet a lot of you thought this was a Janis Joplin song. By covering "Summertime" Janis was paying tribute to Ella and she was smart to bring herself to it. No one could ever do it like Ella.
Buddy Guy also paid trubute to Ella Fitzgerald with his song "Mary Had A Little Lamb". Ella originated the nursery rhyme genre with a song she cowrote with Al Feldman "A-Tisket A-Tasket". Buddy Guy even included the title of Ella's song in his lyric.
In case you're wondering about all the cowboy hats this video is from the 1942 Abbot and Costello film, "Ride 'Em Cowboy".
I'm going to close this diary with a swinging number sung by Ella in Allemagne, France in 1974. The band is incredible. Joe Pass (g), Tommy Flanagan (p), Keeter Betts (b), Bobby Durham (dr), Roy Eldridge (tp), Eddie Lockjaw Davis (ts), Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass (Herb Geller, Art Farmer, ...)
Asking you to post your favorite Ella songs is awfully close to asking you to post your favorite songs so please do it. If Ella sang it and you love it I want to hear it.
On 9 November 2008, she became ill while taking part in a concert organized to support writer Roberto Saviano in his stand against the Camorra a mafia-like organisation local to the Region of Campania. The concert was being held in Castel Volturno, near Caserta, Italy.
Organizers and the construction crew working on Miriam Makeba's last concert in Castelvolturno were threatened by members of the Camorra to pay 2000 euros for the anti-Camorra concert to go on without incident; shaken organizers bravely refused to pay the Camorra and contacted Carabinieri police officers to ensure safety during the concert. Makeba performed for around an hour and suffered a heart attack after singing her hit "Pata Pata", and was taken to the "Pineta Grande" hospital. Doctors were unable to revive her.
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In his condolence message, former South African president Nelson Mandela said it was “fitting that her last moments were spent on a stage, enriching the hearts and lives of others - and again in support of a good cause.”
Miriam Makeba spent her life changing the world with music. She was an outspoken advocate against apartheid in her native country, South Africa, both with her words and her music. Because of this advocacy she was not allowed to return to her home for years. After she testified against apartheid at the United Nations her citizenship was revoked.
In 1966 she received a Grammy award for the Best Folk Recording for her LP with Harry Belafonte, "An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba". This album brought the plight of black South Africans to the eyes and ears of the world.
She never quit singing and she never quit fighting. She remains a role model to all of us who would change the world with music. Her courage propelled her all the way to the end. Now her courage must inspire us all.
Every songwriter wants to be heard on the radio. Unfortunately broadcast radio has become almost entirely corporate playing short playlists targeted at narrow demographics for marketing purposes. They are not in the business of providing music to listeners. They are in the business of providing listeners to advertisers.
Internet radio provides songwriters and indie bands with a great opportunity to be heard. Sure you can put your songs on your website and MySpace but if someone hasn't already heard you how will they know to go to your site? By getting your songs played on internet radio alongside other songs that are similar you will be heard by a new audience that hasn't heard you before. Then if they like your music they will find your website and MySpace to hear some more.
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There are two types of internet radio stations. Them that pay and them that don't.
Live365 is the leading provider of internet radio infrastructure with royalty payments in place. The advantage of using a service that pays royalties is you can broadcast any song you want whether it's your favorite top forty act or the indie band down the street. Live365 and similar services will make sure the royalties get paid keeping you legal. Another advantage to using a service like Live365 is that they provide all the software setup and support. All you have to do is manage your station.
Blues City Radio contacted me yesterday through MySpace.
The other type of internet radio station is called royalty free. Since they don't pay royalties they must have permission from the songwriter to play the songs. One way of getting this permission is by contacting the songwriters directly. Permission can be written or verbal.
Another way to play songs royalty free is through blanket permissions. This is often called cleared for internet distribution or podsafe.
Podcasting is like blogging but it's audio instead of text. Podcasters produce a show and then make it available for download from their website or from a podcast internet service like blogtalkradio. Most podcasts provide RSS feeds so listeners can subscribe to the show. Since the music on podcasts is available for download it must be precleared or podsafe.
Fortunately many artists and labels realize that the internet is the new AM radio and preclear selected songs. Even major labels are getting on the podsafe bandwagon. Recently I added Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis doing "Bright Lights Big City" to Delta Boogie Radio. I was also able to add the Elvin Bishop hit "Struttin' Your Stuff". Of course most of the songs on Delta Boogie Radio are from indies. That's not a bad thing. I get a lot of CDs from bands you've never heard of and I mostly prefer them to what the majors are putting out.
If you're promoting your music on the internet you should clear some or all of your songs for internet distribution and make downloads available. Then you should contact internet radio stations and podcasters that play similar music and make them aware of your songs. They are always looking for new and interesting material so you will be played. Then their listeners will get to hear what you do.
Another option is to start your own podcast or station and include your music along with other songs providing your listeners with variety while still highlighting your recordings.
If you have songs that you would like me to play get in touch. I'm always looking for new and interesting material.
Both of these stations run on different versions of my KGPL software. Both versions are free software licensed with the GPL license. If you are interested in using this software to program your internet radio station I'll be glad to help you.
Do you listen to internet radio? Please post your favorite stations in the comments. And don't forget. If you're a songwriter or musician Pimp Your Song!
Guelel Kumba, from West Africa loves music. When he first heard John Lee Hooker's Blues he thought it sounded so familiar. Now he has joined up with Mississippi Hill Country Blues musicians to form Afrissippi. On their MySpace they put it this way.
Like many bands Afrissippi has undergone some personnel changes. The current lineup is Guelel Kumba, voice and guitar; Eric Deaton, voice and guitar; Kinney Kimbrough, drums; Justin Showah, bass. They have some great live shows up at archive.org.
AFRISSIPPI Guelel Kumba comes from the Futa Tooro region of West Africa, and is a member of the FULANI people, nomadic cow people who spent centuries in the North African desert when it was still green before settling on the Atlantic Coast where many were captured by their enemies and sold into slavery. Kumba was born into the West African social caste known as GRIOTS, who pass down a millenniums worth of oral tradition including songs, stories, and lineages. As a youngster Kumba learned the molo, the one string guitar, and at age 8, the six string. When he was 20, he heard John Lee Hooker. "The blues is close to my music. The lyrics are different, but the emotions are the same," he says. "I loved the melodies but I was too young to understand the anguish yet." The nucleus of AFRISSIPPI was born when Eric Deaton, apprentice of the late JUNIOR KIMBROUGH, invited Guelel to explore the hill country sound of North Mississippi.
- Afrissippi MySpace
Here's Guelel Kumba solo doing a Fulani song, " Bambangel". You can hear the similarities to the Blues.
So Fulani were enslaved and brought to America where they lost the details of their thousand year tradition in story and song but they retained the essentials. Then hundreds of years later a contemporary Fulani musician learns to love the Blues and begins to play with some musicians from Mississippi bringing it all full circle.
Isn't music fantastic!
Like me, many of you may have learned of Mississippi Hill Country Blues from the recordings of Junior Kimbrough and R.L. Burnside. It's great to see their tradition carried on an extended with a global dimension.
Please post more about Hill country Blues and the global reach of Blues music in the comments.
Joni Mitchell's song, "Big Yellow Taxi" laments the urbanization of society and celebrates country values and the natural life. Whether it's too much concrete, not enough trees, or too much DDT, Mitchell finds these things getting in the way of an appreciation of nature and a stable love life.
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Hey farmer farmer
Put away that DDT now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees
Please!
Here Joni points out that pesticides can have side effects. This controversy still rages today with bees abandoning their colonies while no one seems sure why this is happening.
I relate to this lyric.
They took all the trees
Put 'em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see 'em
When the song came out I was doing nature photography and working in Evanston, Illinois at the University Library photo lab. I had to drive an hour to Starved Rock State Park or Morton's Arboretum to take a picture of a tree without an electric line in it. Of course the definition of Arboretum is tree museum.
Joni Mitchell is a writer of love songs. She often works anti-war and pro-environment sentiments into her songs. Like here, in "Woodstock".
And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust
Billion year old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devil's bargain
And we've got to get ourselves
back to the garden
"We are stardust" refers to the fact that the carbon that makes life possible was created in stars long since destroyed. "the devil's bargain" and "back to the garden" refer to the bibilical creation story. Here Joni is longing for a return to nature comparing it to the Garden of Eden.
Joni continues to write. In 2007 she released the CD "Shine". From this CD she won a Grammy for "One Week Last Summer", an instrumental. This is how she describes the process of writing that song.
I stepped outside of my little house and stood barefoot on a rock. The pacific ocean rolled towards me. Across the bay, a family of seals sprawled on the kelp uncovered by the low tide. A blue heron honked overhead. All around the house the wild roses were blooming. The air smelled sweet and salty and loud with crows and bees. My house was clean. I had food in the fridge for a week. I sat outside 'til the sun went down.
That night the piano beckoned for the first time in ten years. My fingers found these patterns which express what words could not. This song poured out while a brown bear rummaged through my garbage cans.
The song has seven verses constructed for the days of that happy week. On Thursday the bear arrives.
Joni Mitchell has been a prolific songwriter since the sixties. This short essay does not scratch the surface. Please post your favorite Joni Mitchell songs in the comments.
When this song came out in 1969 it was electrifying. It was real Jazz. It was accessible enough to be played on pop music stations. And that lyric.
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The President, he's got his war
Folks don't know just what it's for
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
We're chicken-feathers, all without one nut. God damn it!
Tryin' to make it real — compared to what? (Sock it to me)
- Gene McDaniels - Compared To What
In 1969 anti-war protestors were speaking out against the VietNam War. To make this bold statement even in song took real courage. But they spoke full and loud and they were heard.
Now that the election is over I can discuss literary precedent for Rev. Wright without being counter productive. Here's the first verse of "Compared To What".
I love the lie and lie the love
A-Hangin' on, with push and shove
Possession is the motivation
that is hangin' up the God-damn nation
Looks like we always end up in a rut (everybody now!)
Tryin' to make it real — compared to what? C'mon baby!
- Gene McDaniels - Compared To What
No Rev. Wright was not the first to God Damn us all. And he won't be the last. The truth is the United States has a checkered history at best and if it takes a song or a poem or a sermon to remind us of that then they are fulfilling their purpose.
Please post your favorite Jazz, anti-war, or any music that changed the world in the comments.
In the Luganda language of Uganda Bitone means talents. The Bitone Center For Children uses a childs musical talents to help that child in life.
The mission of The Bitone Children’s Home/Troupe is to restore the lives and hopes of Ugandan children between 8 and 18 years old who have been traumatized by the death of their parents or loss of their home due to disease, war, or economic hardship.
They not only provide food and medicine. They educate. They teach music and Ugandan folklore. They connect these children with their past.
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I read about Bitone in TapeOp Magazine, the magazine for and about audio engineers and producers. (If this interests you click over for a free subscription) They interviewed Grant Buhr who recorded the children at this mission.
Over the six months I spent in Uganda, I had the life-changing pleasure of recording the music of this center and its children, and in the process creating some of the most profound friendships in my lifetime.
- Grant Buhr - TapeOp interview
Click over to the Bitone MySpace to hear six of the songs they recorded. You can also buy the CD to support the mission.
This final paragraph in the interview with Grant Buhr really got me. This is why I'm running this diary on a Sunday even though it's not explicitly about Gospel music.
The Bitone children are deeply rooted in a spirituality that's rare in the Western world. They didn't come off as evangelized, or as if they had been brainwashed by missionaries - when they prayed it was the most moving expression of song I have ever witnessed. They would all cram into the backroom of the house, close their eyes, and take turns leading the call and response of their favorite devotional songs, adding whatever they wanted whenever they felt it.
- Grant Buhr - TapeOp interview
This is a wonderful project taking place at an excellent mission. We need more education like this in the world. We need it right here in the United States. The only way to teach creativity is to allow kids to be creative. Kids will survive. But what kind of world will they live in? The best path to a good life is through education.
Ok, you're all on DailyKos so you all know what networking is about. Websites grow and form a community of people who interact and exchange love and info. Sometimes other emotions and disinfo. Starting with BBS systems, before there was an internet, social networking has alway been an important part of the online experience.
YouTube is more than a video delivery service. It's a social network with messaging, friends, subscribers, and embeds. You're on DailyKos so you know about YouTube. It's the number one video delivery network in the world and likely to stay that way. If you want to Pimp Your Song! You should put your song on YouTube.
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Not that you shouldn't put your video on other sites as well. I use TubeMogul so I upload once to deliver my videos to many sites.
So I'm going to go all Jerry Pournelle on you and give you my recent excursions in networking.
It's great to be on the big sites like MySpace and Facebook but often a smaller site will have a more dedicated focus. I got invited to join livebluesworld.com and what I found there was a small but active group of mostly Blues musicians and promoters, the kind of people at the center of every grass roots blues gathering.
You can click on the link above to go to my LiveBluesWorld page. But really I want you to go see this guy's page. My page is barely started. Mark Easton has got it going on.
Scroll down to the ReverbNation TuneWidget. Now I've seen a lot of promotional embeds on the internet. I've even written a few for KGPL. But this embed is something else. Slick and professional. Completely viral. So I headed over to ReverbNation and signed up.
Be sure to listen to his music. He's really good. He's from Australia.
So LiveBluesWorld is a global community of Blues musicians and dedicated fans with the primary purpose of networking and information sharing. ReverbNation is also a community of musicians and fans but here the focus is on artist promotion. And they do a really good job at providing a platform for artists with their embed tools, fan lists, show schedules, and streaming or downloadable music.
Back in the dark ages of the internet, in 1995, before your average user even knew what broadband was, Mark Cuban (yes, that Mark Cuban) started audiocentral.net, a pioneering site that allowed musicians to upload their original music and connect to fans on a 1 to 1 basis. This site became mp3.com which changed the world. ReverbNation is the most professional and complete example of this type of internet application that I have found to date.
Please enter your favorite music promotion sites in the comments. I am beginning a series on Pimp Your Song! about how to use these networking sites not only as networking tools but also as custom feeds to your main website and to other web pages where you are promoting your songs. I will be looking at video sharing, scheduling, playlist widgets, as well as more bbs or forum centric sites like DailyKos. So please turn me on to any recommendations you have for anything that might help.
This article will also be posted on my website and on LiveBluesWorld in their Shameless Self Promotion section, a kind of a whole forum devoted to Pimping Your Song!
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
Pimp Your Song! is a subsidiary to my music that changed the world and change the world with music diaries based on the theory that you can't change the world with music if nobody hears your music. So if you want to change the world with music Pimp Your Song!
This song has already been featured on Gospel music that changed the world. But when it was recommended for our victory party I couldn't think of anything more appropriate. So everybody sing along.
Chicago Blues was the other soundtrack for the Civil Rights era. After the British Invasion Blues had a revival thanks in part to Blues covers by The Rolling Stones, The Animals, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, The Beatles, and many other bands. In Chicago they were ready, to paraphrase Muddy Waters, because the Blues lived in Chicago.
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band was one of the first national acts that was integrated. To think of their audacity. Blacks and whites playing music together on the same stage. And on college campuses all over the country students were grooving on "East West".
Buddy Guy was a top session guitarist at Chess, a Chicago label that recorded Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Koko Taylor, and many others. Guy has been credited with developing the electric blues style popularized by Jimi Hendrix. Of course Jimi brought his own chops to the table. Buddy Guy is now one of the top Blues draws in the world.
At the same time Hound Dog Taylor was playing a rocking slide guitar Blues that became the heartbeat of The Rolling Stones new sound on Let It Bleed and Beggars Banquet. Little Walter developed the electric harp style popularized by Butterfield that now permeates all genres of music.
This was the state of the Blues in Chicago in the sixties. Chicago Blues musicians had developed a sound that was destined to take off and rule the world. Even Country music today owes the Chicago Blues and this sound completely transformed Rock and Roll.
Gospel music was the soundtrack for the Civil Rights movement. And the Chicago Blues was the other side of that coin. This was an African American art form becoming integrated and reaching a white audience. When segregation was denied on America's stages it was a major step to denying it everywhere.
Please join the discussion in the comments. Did the Chicago Blues and the integration of music make it possible for us to have our first Black president? Can music really change the world?
It's election day. Not just any election day. The election day. Spook Handy tells us all what to do.
Get your butt in the booth and pull down the lever.
Pete Seeger liked this song so much he added it to his repertoire. Handy certainly has a way with words as he describes the vast American landscape of personality.
Whether you organize and vote Working Families or whether, like me, you're just a plain old Democrat the important part of Pete Seeger's message is to elect the right people and let them know that you expect them to affect the change they were elected to make.
Vote! To end the war.
Vote! For universal healthcare.
Vote! For equality for all people.
Vote! For a fair shake for working families.
And then after we all vote the work has just begun. That's when we hold their feet to the fire.
Ok, this is a contest. We're making a "best of" video album. The Best Barack Obama Video Songs. This album will be created on YouTube so post whatever you want but if it ain't on YouTube it won't go in the album. I put the album on my blogroll and so can you!
The winner of the contest is everyone who posts. The prize will be to see your recommended video in the album. You can enter more than once. The order of the submissions will vary from time to time and late submissions will be accepted.
On any best of Obama songs album this song would have to be included. In some ways will.i.am started the whole sub-genre with this song. There have been many imitations, some of them better. But "Yes We Can" will always be identified with Obama and the 2008 campaign.
That said I'm not saying this one was the first song about that one. So if you've got an earlier song please include it in the comments.
Here's a list of nominations from my Obama songs change the world with music diaries. My personal favorites.
This one hasn't been featured in change the world with music but no best of album would be complete without it. Seems that humor was in the mix from the start.
Ok, now it's time to do your part. Make your nomination. Post your favorite(s). Then I want you to quit screwing around on your computer and Get Out The Vote!
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
Link over to the playlist to play, share, or embed anywhere YouTubes are played.
One of the most powerful lyrics of the Civil Rights era the song was originally a post Civil War African American freedom song which explains it's strong anti-slavery lyric and the promise of true freedom with the Lord after death.
Oh, freedom, Oh, freedom,
Oh freedom over me.
And before I'd be a slave
I'd be buried in my grave
And go home to my Lord and be free.
Like many Civil Rights era songs "Oh Freedom" has been sung around the world. But it always seems most at home in church. Here's a Gospel Choir singing it for you.
This next version by Afro Blue was recorded at a Jazz Choir recital. Although it's not the best audio the harmonies are stunning. I could have used this in my acapella diary.Afro Blue - Oh Freedom
Now here's baritone David Griffiths delivering the song's message with his deep rich powerful voice.
Like much Gospel music the power of the song lies in the simplicity of the lyric and it's universal application to the human condition. Those who think that slavery ended with the end of the Civil War are taking a simplistic view of history and of slavery. True freedom is not for any of us in this life. But to strive for freedom should be everyone's goal.
Please post your favorite Gospel music and other music that changed the world in the comments.
The day after Barack Obama became the Democratic nominee for President, I took to the streets and asked people what they would say to Barack if they had the chance. "Obama Blues" was made up on the spot by the amazing subway musician and Mississippi Delta blues man, Floyd Lee.
Some people, myself included, love Stevie Ray Vaughan. Evidently that's true of the HOTBluesBand too. They play like Stevie Ray but they got the "Blues For Obama".
If you've been following my change the world with music Obama songs diaries you remember Obama saying he's old school. That he likes Stevie and Marvin and the Temps. Evidently he likes Chicago Blues too. I mean who doesn't?
As much as I like Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan style electric guitar I'm an acoustic Bluesman at heart. Here's an acoustic blues called "Deep Recession Blues" posted yesterday. Yes, it's true. I get my news on YouTube.
By the way, moobogo is from Belgium. So not only has the Blues gone around the world so has hope for Barack Obama.
Located in Israel, bluesforpeace.com doesn't have anything specific about Barack Obama but they do feature Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Hairy Larry. (I just love being able to do that.) Click on over for their excellent Blues site featuring "Blues Guitar Licks, Free Blues Guitar Tab, Blues Mp3, Blues Lyrics" and scroll down for my video, "Blues For Peace".
Except for my song all of these came off of the first page of my YouTube search. In some genres I had to work to find support for Obama but not in the Blues. Blues musicians know what it's like to be down and out and they can appreciate someone willing to give poor folks (read middle class) a little bit of help. Please post your favorite Blues and Obama songs of any genre in the comments.
Fleur de Lisa is an acapella harmony group. They've got a nice song here played behind footage of Barack Obama. They call their work haika meaning haiku songs.
This next group, NighTraiN, is also a female acapella quartet but they have more in common with beat poetry. They are singing here at a fundraiser on August 23, 2008 in Seattle. Like many other songwriters they have noticed that Obama rhymes with mama.
They do a fantastic job with their choral arrangement for eleven singers. For more info about Barackapella and a very interesting story about how this performance came about go here.
It's difficult finding acapella harmony groups on YouTube because of the number of solo acapella singers posting videos. My sister recommends Chanticleer and my wife loves Manhatten Transfer. Please turn me on to your favorite acapella groups and your favorite Obama songs in any genre in the comments.
Doobie's got a great song here. Really funny. Most of the Obama Country songs I found were humorous and dealt with race. Maybe, like in Blazing Saddles, humor is the way to get this message across.
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Here's R.C. Bannon, a country music songwriter with his pro Obama update of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home".
There's a big part of America that really believes that there is a war on terrorism, and that we need to finish up.
So I thought it was beautiful the other day when Obama went to Afghanistan and got educated about Afghanistan and Iraq. He came back and said some really nice things.
So as far as leadership and patriotism goes, I think it's really important that those things have to take place. And I think he's the best Democratic candidate we've had since Bill Clinton. And that's coming from a Democrat."
- Huffington Post quotes Toby Keith
Which brings me to this YouTube sendup. A Kind of a bookend to our lead video.
Maybe you've heard some other Country songs for Obama. I have to admit of all the genres I've covered so far this was the most difficult. Maybe nobody wants to go through what the Dixie Chicks went through over the Iraq War and George W. Bush. Maybe, like junior, country musicians really like McCain-Palin.
There's something about Bluegrass. Banjos, fiddles, and mandolins, the harshness, the dissonance, the nasality, the true American beauty. Nothing screams rural America like Bluegrass. And yes, Bluegrass musicians are also saying, "Yes we can."
This video is the Nimbleweed response to will.i.am. Without as many celebrities. But still just as toe tapping.
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Here's a Bluegrass Obama video recorded in Germany by Sly and Boyle, The Original Bitterroot Boys.
We have to remember that the turning point in "O Brother Where Art Thou" is when the Governor pardons The Soggy Bottom Boys in spite of the fact that the band is integrated. Of course black and white musicians have always played together but the first integrated acts that worked clubs in the US were Blues bands from the sixties. Now, of course, integrated bands are so common that nobody notices anymore.
On a side note I first learned "Man Of Constant Sorrow" from Bob Dylan back when the man of constant sorrow came from Colorado.
Here's Governor Tim Kaine and the Seldom Scene doing "Sitting On Top Of The World".
dalfireplug and I were discussing this song in the comments of my Beatnik Turtle diary and I listed 21 versions by great musicians just on the first YouTube search page. I didn't however list Rhode Island Red doing "Sitting On Top Of The World" at our show in Helena, Arkansas.
For the whole show, Hairy Larry and Rhode Island Red Live at Bunkys Breakfast on October 5, 2006, click here. We've got a thing going on with the harmonica and kazoo that you've got to hear.
I hope you've enjoyed the Bluegrass. Please post your favorite Bluegrass or Obama songs in the comments.
Hip Hop music is by it's nature topical. It's all about the poetry. And it is essentially improvisational. Every performance different.
Hip Hop musicians have come out strong for Obama. They see that we're making history and they want to make us make it. They are working hard at it and they are making an impact.
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When it come to Hip Hop I'm not hip. Now the Talking Blues, the musical progenitor of Hip Hop, I'm all about that. Give me some "Talking World War III Blues" or "Subterranean Homesick Blues" and I get it.
But I would be derelict in my duties, definitely not fulfilling my mission, if I didn't cover some of the most important Obama songs out there.
So I am relying on you current Hip Hop fans to fill in the blanks for me. Tell me what I got wrong and what I'm missing. Just don't get all down on the dissing.
"This Little Light Of Mine" is a Gospel singalong. It is a favorite campfire and children's song around the world.
The reason for this is both because of the repetitive call and response lyrics and because of the direct and easily understood message of activism and faith.
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When we sing it at Children's Church the kids love this verse.
Hide it under a bushel? No!
We shout out "No!" at the top of our lungs.
This text refers to the words of Jesus where he says, "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light." Luke 11:33
Also from Matthew 5:14-15, where Jesus said, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house."
And for the last verse we sing
Shine all over Jonesboro
I'm gonna let it shine
Shine all over Paragould
I'm gonna let it shine
Shine all over Brookland town.
I'm gonna let it shine
personalising the message and bringing it home.
Wikipedia says that Harry Dixon Loes wrote the song around 1920 which puts it in the public domain.
"This Little Light of Mine" is a gospel children's song written by Harry Dixon Loes (1895-1965) in about 1920. Loes, who studied at the Moody Bible Institute and the American Conservatory of Music, was a musical composer, and teacher, who wrote, and co-wrote, several other gospel songs. The song has since entered the folk tradition, first being collected by John Lomax in 1939. Often thought of as a Negro spiritual, it does not, however, appear in any collection of jubilee or plantation songs from the nineteenth century.
The song takes its theme from Mathew 5:16, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your fine works and give glory to your Father who is in the heaven:"
Bobby Blue Bland's hit, "Turn On Your Love Light", is a secular rewrite. A kind of a blue Blues version with new verses. Still it carries a Gospel flavor in it's exhortation to
The song was also recorded by my friend, Matt Lucas, and released on Dot in 1964. Matt's version is much more like the Dead's rock cover than Bobby Blue Bland's Blues version and I have long held that it is actually Matt's record that the Dead are covering.
Please state your opinion about both of these great songs and post your favorite Gospel music that changed the world in the comments.
Beatnik Turtle - Commuter Railway Blues
>p>
"Commuter Railway Blues" is part of thesongoftheday.com, a project by Beatnik Turtle. During 2007 they posted 365 songs in 365 days. Mostly audio but some, like this one, also had a video. In 2008 they've slowed down a little bit. At least on today's page, Friday Oct. 24, they say check back Monday for a new song. It looks like they've gone to once a week. Still amazing.
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They post their lyrics too.
Fat guy takes the door seat
With an old lady standing there
Treated like slabs of meat
And we paid a two-dollar fare
Yeah a two dollar fare
Yeah, that ain't fair
...
I got the commuter
The commuter railway blues
Yeah I got the commuter
Commuter railway blues
I guess I got my walking shoes
And my commuter blues
They make all of their songoftheday.com songs available under a Creative Commons Attribution license so you can use them in your podcasts and other projects. More details about how this works here.
They even send you their .wav files to assure that when you use their stuff for free you can use the highest quality versions.
Beatnik Turtle is part of the new generation of indie bands that promote themselves without relying on major label support. And they've taken what they learned about how to do this and written a book about it.
There's a print version that's cheap. And they still keep their online version free on the internet along with an evolving resource directory for indie bands and labels.
This book and resource is the point of this Pimp Your Song diary. It was this resource that got me started writing my change the world with music diaries. They said something that made a lot of sense to me.
Popular Non-Music Websites
----------
Any website at all can post an MP3 file. It does not have to be a music site. In fact, sometimes being posted on a non-music site can make you stand out.
Before I read that I had mostly lurked at DailyKos with only an occasional post or comment. And it got me to thinking. Progressive music for DailyKos. Protest songs and other topical music. And thus was born music that changed the world, change the world with music, and Pimp Your Song!
What a great idea.
And once I got started these diaries have taken on a life of their own. I enjoy writing and I found my topic. After a lifetime in music I became a musicologist. And I found an audience for what I have to say.
For more about Beatnik Turtle visit their website.
Please Pimp Your Song in the comments. I'm going to. I finished three new CDs this fall and I just uploaded them to Open Source Audio at archive.org. Continue to the comments for links to my new HairyLarryLand CDs and while you're at it post some music for me to hear. I like to listen to music.
A freestyle is a Jazz vocal where the singer makes up the words and the melody during the performance. Everyone knows that Jazz is an improvisational art form but not everyone is aware that Jazz vocalists also shed learned lyrics and melodies and just wing it. Eric Roberson is a master of this style.
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I found Marc Courtney Johnson on this all-about-jazz forum promoting his song, "Brand New Day". He included this link to a free mp3 download of this great Jazz vocal.
It has a very optimistic lyric and an upbeat feel.
We've got fences to mend
Bridges to build and hearts to heal
Overcoming obstacles from without and within
It's a (crazy) lot of work but I know that once it begins
What an amazing place we'll find ourselves in
So sieze the day, this brand new day
Gonna stir it up, gonna break it down
Melt it like we should
Bringing love and light and hope to every neighborhood
It's a Brand New Day.
- Marc Courtney Johnson - Brand New Day
Then I got on YouTube and found this video. The guy is a tremendous talent and I only found him because I was searching for Jazz Obama songs.
I really don't know how much this next video has to do with Barack Obama except his name is in the title. I didn't download the whole video which for some reason got no further than 1:44 for me but it was instrumental up until then. It is great Jazz from Africa and it has some really cool dancing in it. The info with the video says, "Congo-Zaïre is the Mecca of African music." I'll listen to the whole thing when I reach the land of broadband.
Stevie Wonder is another great Jazz singer and a well known supporter of Obama. Here he is with Irma Thomas this year at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
Stevie Wonder sings "Barack Obama" to the tune of "Superstition" at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on May 2, 2008.
He is joined on stage by legendary New Orleans RnB singer Irma Thomas.
There are two dancing girls, the one on the left is Stevie's daughter.
He sings "Barack Obama" two times at the beginning, then Yeah, Yeah...It's time for unity...it's time for us to come together..."
And on a more personal note my friend, Joe Lee, lost his wife, Joy, this week. So all good thoughts and prayers out to Joe, a great Jazz musician and a man who recorded just about everybody in Northeast Arkansas. Here are two of his songs we have featured at Delta Boogie Radio.
"Lazy Gal Blues" is a humorous song and "Amanda", named for his granddaughter, is piano Jazz. These songs are written, arranged, produced, and engineered by Joe Lee. And that's Joe singing "Lazy Gal Blues". Joe is a great saxman but he plays piano on both of these songs.
Please add your favorite Jazz songs in the comments. I have also noticed in researching this diary that there are many live Jazz shows raising money for the Obama campaign. So please post links to any shows you are aware of between now and the election. Live Jazz is the best Jazz.
Well, this is not about class,
nor color, race, nor creed.
Make no mistake it’s the changes
well all the people dem need
Then I’m a shout out...
Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Barack Obama
...
Me callin’ all of the Indians (Obama!),
who live up on the reservation (Obama!),
the Japanese and all the China-men (Obama!),
the Hindu and all the Mexicans (Obama!),
Arabs and Jews and Palestinians (Obama!),
a time ’till we chime up as one,
and shout out...
Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Barack Obama
- Cocoa Tea - Barack Obama
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Here's a live version of the song recorded in The Netherlands on August 9, 2008.
Reggae is essentially topical. It speaks to the people on the streets and if it doesn't it's not successful. Some of the finest Reggae songs of all time are political.
We sick an tired of-a your ism-skism game -
Dyin n goin to heaven in-a jesus name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty God is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you cant fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do? ),
We gonna stand up for our rights!
Get up, stand up!
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Dont give up the fight!
- Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up
Damian Marley was only two years old when his father died. Yet here he is today singing about hope.
Haile Selassie say ah war if colour is a scar
If one from every nation can come live upon a par
So don't care who you are there's a brighter morning star
Its shining with de town and tell the people near and far
You seek and you will search with science and research
The flesh it is the temple and the temple is the church
Haile Selassie say fi work so how some man ah lurk
Dem fix upon the cornerside like like rubbish heap and dirt
Haile Selassie say ah one respect for every man
no care dey race, no care dey colour nor dey religion
So make a decision leave out the division
cause each and every rasta youth to trot pon the mission
From Portmore to Kingston
From Kingston to Montego Bay
From Seaview to Riverton
Come and hundred proclaim
From Jungle to Rema
From Tivoli to Matthews Lane
From Southside to Telaville
From Iraq to USA
- Damian Marley and Stephen Marley - Mission Riddim
This is from Damian "Jr Gong" Marley's MySpace page.
When ..Welcome To Jamrock.. erupted onto airwaves and blew apart iPods halfway through 2005 it came as a shock to some but not to Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley. The song is about the farthest thing from commercial music offerings today, an outraged and unapologetic description of the poverty and political violence ravaging his homeland of Jamaica but ..Welcome To Jamrock.. hit. And it hit hard because it is the sound of truth and the result of years of work to bring that truth to light. "I spent a lot of time thinking and this is the fruit of that labor," explains the youngest child of the musical Marley family.
"Welcome To Jamrock" is Damian Marley's hit CD released in 2005 and produced by his brother, Stephen Marley.
I am barely touching Reggae for Obama songs and videos. This socially conscious genre produces more political statements every year than most of us hear in a lifetime. Please add your favorite Reggae, Reggaeton, Calypso and other Caribbean songs to the comments.
You can download this song for free at Andres Useche's page on VIRB. Volunteers have captioned the song for many languages and there is a link to a page where you can get high quality versions.
Thanks to serrano for turning me on to this great Latino music. I have to admit it's not in my area of expertise however after watching these videos I can see what I have been missing.
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So I am going to rely on all of you to provide background, commentary, and more clips for this diary.
Here's a very professional video featuring many stars in Latin music.
Inspired by his previous work with will.i.am on the viral web video "We Are The Ones," acclaimed music producer Andres Levin has united many leading figures of the Latin music and film community in an all Spanish language video in support of Barack Obama.
I have no doubt that serrano is right and these songs are making a difference in the Latino community. In fact with the quality of the music and the subtitles there's no reason they shouldn't reach all Americans.
Two of these songs were found at La Frontera Times, The daily chronicle of the journey of hope, so here's a shout out to this excellent newspaper and a link.
Maria Muldaur's roots are in the folk revival of the early '60s, a time when figures like Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan were making bold statements about the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and other burning issues of the day. More than four decades later, in the face of political and social issues in which the stakes are equally high, Muldaur assembles a group of legendary female performers to lend their voices in a critical examination of where we are as a nation and where we're going. Songs include "Yes, We Can," "John Brown" and "Pray for the U.S.A." The guest list includes Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, Holly Near, Phoebe Snow, Odetta and Jane Fonda. (Amanda Sweet)
Yes We Can! features Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Odetta, Bonnie Raitt, Phoebe Snow and The Women’s Voices for Peace Choir. Muldaur uses one of her favorite bands, Free Radicals, with keyboardist David Torkanowsky, bassist Hutch Hutchinson, guitarist Shane Theriot and drummer/percussionist Tony Braunagel. Songs on the CD were written by Earl KIng, Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, Marvin Gaye, Allen Toussaint, and others as well as traditional Gospel numbers. The message is sing for peace, one person can make a change.
I first heard Maria Muldaur sing "I'm A Woman, W O M A N" with Jim Kweskin and The Jug Band in the sixties and I've been a fan ever since. She has always used her strong voice to promote social consciousness although her hit single, "Midnight At The Oasis", is a sensual romance.
And to bring us right up to date here's an important announcement from her website.
Maria on Nationally Syndicated Radio Nov. 1-2!
On the weekend of November 1-2, right before the election, Maria will be the major feature on the nationally syndicated radio program, THE HOUSE OF BLUES RADIO HOUR with our pal, Elwood Blues. This airs on nearly 200 commercial radio stations in North America and streams live here: www.thebluesmobile.com To find the station in your town, go here.
This song was originally titled "Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By)".
Can the Circle Be Unbroken (By and By) is a country/folk song reworked by A. P. Carter from a hymn by Ada R. Habershon and Charles Gabriel. The song's lyrics concern the death, funeral, and mourning of the narrator's mother.
The song first gained attention due to the Carter Family.
The original hymn was copyrighted in 1907 and published in 1908 placing the song firmly in the public domain. You can find an image of the sheet music on wikimedia.
The hymn has the melody and chorus we sing today but the verses were added by A.P. Carter.
A.P. Carter (December 15, 1891 - November 7, 1960) was an American Country music musician and founding member of the well known Carter Family group.
He was born Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter in Maces Spring, Virginia (Poor Valley), the son of Robert C. Carter and Mollie Arvelle Bays. A.P. was sometimes called "Doc."
On June 18, 1915, he married Sara Dougherty and they had three children: Gladys (Millard), Janette (Jett), and Joe. In 1927, he formed the Carter Family band together with his wife. They were joined by her cousin, Maybelle, who was married to A.P.'s brother, Ezra Carter, and they together formed the first commercial rural Country music group.
"The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken" was a film that PBS aired on American Experience. Follow the links on the page above for the transcript and much more information.
"Will The Circle Be Unbroken" is a song of grief and loss. Grief is part of the human condition and it affects us deeply in spite of the promise of eternal life or reunion in heaven. When I attended my mother's memorial service years ago I gazed on her picture and felt her presence exactly as I had when I was a child sitting on her lap. This was extremely reassuring to me, this feeling that the circle would be unbroken, but it did not stop me from being overcome by grief. The amazing thing about grief is that eventually time heals all wounds and although the feeling of loss never leaves us the deep grief diminishes.
The Staple Singers included "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" on their album, "Freedom Highway". Here's Mavis Staples singing the song in 2007.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band had an album titled "Will The Circle Be Unbroken" where they reached across generations to perform with many great American singers including Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Merle Travis, Bashful Brother Oswald, and Norman Blake. Here's Johnny Cash joining the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band singing this Gospel classic.
Dave Riley and Carl Hall brought this song to the stage at Bunky's Breakfast in 2007 and it has now become traditional to close the Emporium Orkestra's shows inviting everyone to sing along on "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". Sometimes we even leave the stage and march down through the audience and around the room singing.
Although the song is not topical the universal experience described in the lyrics touches everyone's heart. I don't know anyone who doesn't love "Will The Circle Be Unbroken".
Recorded live at the Strawberry Music Festival in Yosemite, California on August 29, 2008.
I was browsing the front page of DailyKos yesterday and I found a link to a free mp3 of "Freedom Highway" from Mavis Staples soon to be released CD, "Hope At The Hideout".
"Freedom Highway" is a Staple Singers Civil Rights classic. It was the title track of a Gospel LP released in 1965. Recorded live in a church I have heard this called the best Gospel album of all time. It was originally released on Epic and has been rereleased on Legacy but not with all the same songs. So the Epic recording is the one to get although both have great Staple Singers Gospel music.
Mavis Staples has now recorded a live version of the song for her new album coming out on election day. The download above is a prerelease of her new version of this Staple Singers classic. And it sounds great.
The song has extremely powerful lyrics that apply directly to our presidential election.
March for freedom's highway
March each and every day
Made up my mind and I won't turn around
Made up my mind and I won't turn around
There is just one thing
I can't understand my friend.
Why some folk think freedom
Was not designed for all men.
...
Yes I think I voted for the right man
Said we would overcome.
- Freedom Highway
For more information about this soon to be released CD that is destined to change the world go to Mavis Staples' website. Mavis Staples Website
There are also two movies called "Freedom Highway". One is available as a download on archive.org as part of their Prelinger Archives. This movie is about a bus trip across America and features Tex Ritter as well as many other stars. To view the movie and read more about it go here.
The other "Freedom Highway" movie is a documentary directed by Philip King and released in 2001. It's full title is "Freedom Highway: Songs That Shaped A Century" and you can read a review here.
Here's a couple of paragraphs from the review showing how American folk songs have been adapted to other cultures and other movements in other countries.
"We Shall Overcome" arrived slowly on the streets of Ireland, according to journalist Eamonn McCann. But it's establishment was like a juggernaut, encompassing all in its path. Once a song of civil rights in the U.S., it soon became a unifying anthem oceans away.
Woody Guthrie became the "newspaper" of the people with his interpretation in song of events in life. As Emmylou Harris explains, he reached into the human aspects of stories that were almost dismissed by the authorities as being too mundane to care about. "Deportees," a song she sings magnificently, concerns a plane crash in which migrant workers are killed -- "goodbye to my Juan, goodbye Rosalita, adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria -- you won't have a name when you ride the big airplane and all they will call you will be deportees." These "scattered dry leaves" were human beings.
Freedom Highway is more than a song title. It has become a powerful symbol in it's own right. A contemporary incarnation of the Underground Railroad with a permanent place in American and now world literature.
Please help me with my research and post more references to Freedom Highway. Please also post your favorite songs that changed the world.
This song is a reminisce about lost love kind of like Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" or Willie Nelson's "Hello Stranger". It is also a song about class. A bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks falls in love with a good girl who is stuck at home taking care of her ailing parents. The stress of that situation leads her to engage in what some would consider unusual behavior.
I am trying an experiment here with embedded video from archive.org. Please let me know in the comments if anything doesn't work right on your system. As recommended I set autoPlay to false. I also removed scale=noscale from the embed because DailyKos does not allow the scale attribute in embeds. The animated gif below was generated by archive.org from the video. I hosted it at Flickr to include it on DailyKos. I clicked on All Sizes and used their code to display it.
I included a live version of "Ride Me To Heaven" on my new Hairy Larry and George CD, "Hip Sexagenarians". The link above is to an mp3 file on archive.org. For more about that show and CD quality downloads click here.
This is the info I posted with the video at archive.org. Click here to go to the page hosting the video which includes renders for personal video players and a DivX version you can burn to CD and play full screen on your TV.
-
Ride Me To Heaven
copyright by Larry Heyl 2007
Licensed with the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license
Footage and uncompressed audio available.
Recorded on June 6, 2007 at HairyLarryLand
Credits:
Producer - Larry Heyl
Performer - Hairy Larry
Comments:
Please cover my new song "Ride Me To Heaven". I think it's a hit. It pulls all the right strings, working man, bad boy and good girl, sentiment, memories, love, and sex.
If you cover the song let me know how the audience reacts to it and what comments you get. Send me a recording and I will promote it on Delta Boogie.
Thanks,
Hairy Larry
Lyrics:
Ride Me To Heaven
copyright 2007 by Larry Heyl
I used to work down at the mill.
You know I work there still.
She would tend her mom and dad.
They were sickly it was sad.
She head nowhere else to go
So she'd clean and cook and sew.
I'd work my fingers to the bone.
We couldn't wait to be alone.
And she would ride me to heaven
Behind the Seven Eleven.
We'd meet there for some cokes
And I'd buy a pack of smokes.
Then she'd take me out in back
Where the night was inky black.
Behind the Seven Eleven
She would ride me to heaven.
I didn't let it worry me.
Things that could never be.
I was raised up by stray cats
On the wrong side of the tracks.
It was enough to know
That I loved her so.
And then when my work was done
I'd wait on the setting sun.
And she would ride me to heaven
Behind the Seven Eleven.
We'd meet there for some cokes
And I'd buy a pack of smokes.
Then she'd take me out in back
Where the night was inky black.
Behind the Seven Eleven
She would ride me to heaven.
The earliest recorded blues were made in the wake of the First World War. It’s tough to know how many blues musicians served, but the war was clearly a formative experience for many. Every veteran of the Great War was promised a pension that include $1 for every day served on the homefront and $1.25 for every day served overseas. The fight to actually receive this money would turn into one of the most important events of the Great Depression and inspire several blues songs.
Uncensored History Of The Blues is a podcast provided by The Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Click here for "Bonus Blues" plus many other Blues songs about the difficulties Veterans of World War I had getting their promised bonuses. Click here for the most recent podcasts with transcripts.
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Thanks to Jeffersonian Democrat for bringing this song to my attention. In a comment posted yesterday he said, "And as someone fighting the VA for the last six years, I am ready for another Bonus Army camp in DC."
In the Blues movie "Crossroads" Willie Brown and his Lightning Boy are being run out of town by a black sheriff. He says, "Funny how the more things change the more they stay the same."
It's not at all funny how veterans have been treated in the aftermath of their service. I know a disabled VietNam vet who has moved to Costa Rica to get needed health care. And today troops suffering from PTSD are told to tough up and then sent back into Iraq or Afghanistan. The "Bonus Blues" shows us that this is not a new phenomenon in American history. Politicians are all about waving the flag and standing with the troops until it actually comes to supporting them with necessary assistance after they've been through hell.
Sending troops off to an unnecessary war is not supporting them. Denying them needed benefits is not supporting them. Shredding their claims at the VBA is not supporting them.
After VietNam sufferers of PTSD were said to have flashbacks. A car would backfire and they'd hit the ground, back in the jungle. Steve Earles wrote about this in "Copperhead Road".
The DEA's got a chopper in the air
I wake up screaming like I'm back over there.
I wrote about it in my song "Flashback" tying the horrors of VietNam to the horrors of Iraq.
I went from My Lai to Fallujah. Just a short stop at Abu Ghraib.
I went from My Lai to Fallujah. Just a short stop at Abu Ghraib.
White phosporous gives me a flashback. Like napalm raining on my parade.
Here's a video made in November of 2007 featuring the Lonnie Shields band. It's an instrumental number hence no world changing lyrics. But as you watch the video what do you see? Everybody having a good time enjoying the music. White people and black people playing music together. In fact people of all races love the Blues and more than anything this is how the Blues changes the world. It brings people together to party and dance. I widens the comfort zone. It reduces the fear of other that can turn to racism.
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I'm still recuperating from the Arkansas Blues And Heritage Festival lovingly referred to as King Biscuit or just The Biscuit. This annual event brings thousands of Blues fans from all over the world to Lonnie Shields home town, Helena-West Helena, Arkansas. Helena is a big part of Blues history, home and second home to many Blues greats including Sonny Boy Williamson, Frank Frost, Levon Helm, and many many others.
If you type Lonnie Shields into Google Delta Boogie has the top two hits.
When I first started attending The Biscuit Lonnie's act was always hot and the highlight of his show was his hit "I Can Play Dirty", a song that's called in Country music a cheatin' song.
He has a new CD just released called "Keeper Of The Blues". Here's some lyrics from a song Lonnie cowrote with Gary White called "World Needs Some Healing".
I want to talk to everybody in the whole wide world
When 9-11 happened
It gave me the Blues
...
I've been around the world
Seen people in despair
People looking for some help
Let's show them that we care
...
People dying in the street
They ain't got enough to eat
We all need some help
Let's show them that we care.
...
Let's show a little more feeling
Cause this world needs some healing
Yes I know.
- World Needs Some Healing - Lonnie Shields and Gary White
Like many Blues musicians Lonnie started in Gospel music. Other lyrics in this song deliver a Christian message about forgiveness and do unto others. It's the real Blues. It's today's Blues. And Lonnie Shields is delivering a radical message that started changing the world 2000 years ago.
Blues fans from all over the world come to the Mississippi Delta on a Blues Pilgrimage. Some only get to do it once in their life. Others do it again and again. They say there's nothing like hearing the Blues in a little Juke House off the highway. I ran Blues Alley in Jonesboro for 2 1/2 years and they're right. When the Blues gets good in a small club there's nothing that sounds better.
Some like to go to Clarksdale, Greenville, Holly Springs, Cleveland or Inverness, all in Mississippi. But the Mississippi Delta runs on both sides of the river and the number one destination for a Blues Pilgrimage is Helena, Arkansas home of the annual Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival informally known as The Biscuit.
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Helena, Arkansas is also the home of KFFA where the original King Biscuit Time hosted by Sonny "Sunshine" Payne still broadcasts. This is the show where Sonny Boy Williamson, Pinetop Perkins and other greats played every noon during the week selling King Biscuit flour and cornmeal. Pinetop Perkins is still playing and will be at the festival again this year. So if you haven't made that pilgrimage yet there's a reason why, right there. Just seeing Pinetop will be worth your gas money. The festival is free. He's playing this year with "Steady Rollin" Bob Margolin who played guitar with Muddy Waters in the seventies and played with Pinetop last year in this video.
And there are many many other great musicians playing. Click through here for the schedule.
Hairy Larry, Rhode Island Red, and the Bunky's Breakfast Emporium Orkestra will be at Bunky's Breakfast again this year. This has been a great gig for me. We play true acoustic with no mics or PA at all for a breakfast crowd. What a gas. We play Blues, Country, Jug Band, and whatever. We host jams and open mic. Guest musicians are always welcome.
Here's Hairy Larry and Rhode Island Red live at Bunky's Breakfast on archive.org.
I'm leavin' L.A. mama, you know that smog has got me down
I'm leavin' LA mama, you know that smog has got me down
I'm movin' to 'Virginia, where there ain't nobody else around
Come here baby, let daddy take you by your hand
Come here baby, let daddy take you by your hand
You'll be my woman, I'll be your city boy country man
- Taj Mahal - Gonna Move Up The Country (Paint My Mailbox Blues)
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This is a brand new recording of Taj singing at Fort Collins, Colorado on August, 16, 2008. The song was released on "The Natch'l Blues" in 1968. Historically this is right after the Summer Of Love, the hippie movement was in full swing, communes were springing up everywhere, and Taj was speaking to this phenomena.
City kids moving to the country to get away from the smog and city life and back to the natch'l life. For those of you who remember Robert Crumb's Mr. Natural this situation wasn't without some humor and a whole lot of sex. Nonetheless this migration, fueled by The Whole Earth Catalog and Mother Earth News had a major impact and remains important today as many people still strive to make that move to the country.
Also to add some historical perspective to that movement The Whole Earth Catalog was as close as we got to blogging in the late sixties and Stewart Brand and others involved in that publication later evolved it into The Well, an early internet discussion board. And Mother Earth News is still publishing today and breaking important political stories.
This wasn't just a sixties thing for Taj.
Mahal believes in growing one's own food, saying, "You have a whole generation of kids who thinks everything comes out of a box and a can, and they don't know you can grow most of your food." Because of his personal support of the family farm, Mahal regularly performs at Farm Aid concerts.
Taj, whose parents were both musicians, started playing guitar at 13. He was taught by his neighbor, Lynwood Perry, the nephew of Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup.
Although he had been working on farms and loved agriculture he chose to take music in college and led an R&B band called Taj Mahal and the Elektras. He also played in a duo with Jesse Lee Kincaid.
In 1964 he moved to Santa Monica, California and formed The Rising Sons with fellow blues musician Ry Cooder and Jessie Lee Kincaid, landing a record deal with Columbia Records soon after. The group was one of the first interracial bands of the period, which likely made them commercially unviable. An album was never released (though a single was) and the band soon broke up, though Legacy Records did release The Rising Sons Featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder in 1993 with material from that period. During this time Mahal was working with others, musicians like Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Guy, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Muddy Waters.
Taj also sought out early Bluesmen like Sleepy John Estes and Yank Rachell. One of my favorite Taj Mahal songs is "She Caught The Katy" which he cowrote with Yank Rachell.
For those of you wondering what Taj is doing holding up his fingers during this rehearsal he's using functional harmony to cue the band. The I chord is the tonic, the IV chord the subdominant, and the V chord is the dominant. Like many Blues this song only has three chords.
Here's a clip of this great song by Yank Rachell done by The Boundarymen.
The Katy is slang for the KT, Kansas and Topeka Railroad.
Please post your favorite Taj Mahal and other Blues that changed the world. Also please check out my diary yesterday, Sonny Boy Williamson - Fattening Frogs For Snakes. In the comments of my Sonny Boy diary Deoliver47 recommends Taj Mahal. So a big shout out to Deoliver47.
It took me a long time, to find out my mistakes
Took me a long time, to find out my mistakes,
it sho'h did man
But I bet you my bottom dollar, I'm not fattenin' no more frogs for snakes
- Sonny Boy Williamson - Fattening Frogs For Snakes
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So after featuring The Animals yesterday I'm bringing them back, this time backing up a master of the Blues, Sonny Boy Williamson II aka Rice Miller. Sonny Boy not only defined the blues harp sound that has now transcended genres he is also widely acknowledged to be one of the best blues lyricists of all time.
A lot of people wonder, "What does he mean fattening frogs for snakes?" Let me explain it this way considering the mortgage crisis we are going through right now.
When George W. Bush talked about the ownership society he was fattening frogs for snakes. When he talked about ownership what he should have said is, "You're about to be owned." This was not an accident. The Republicans, and unfortunately some Democrats too including our VP candidate, were intentionally passing laws to remove regulations on mortgages and to make it harder for consumers to lose bad debt. They were doing this to bring us to this moment of crisis. A lot of people got richer. A lot of people are still getting richer today in spite of the fact that they're not getting handed an additional 700 billion. This was all part of the plan.
And George W. Bush's job in executing this plan was to use the bully pulpit to fatten frogs for snakes.
The really terrible thing about it is that he specifically encouraged minority home ownership and often pointed to it as proof that the economy was doing great. And now that the bubble's burst conservatives are blaming those lazy minorites for not being able to keep up with their mortgage payments.
New home owners not being able to keep up with their payments was a feature, not a bug. Those contracts were written with that in mind. They were sold a bill of goods and now they're being blamed for the crisis. They were frogs being fattened for snakes.
Just so you can see the man in action here's a real video of Sonny Boy doing one of my favorites, "Keep It To Yourself".
I particularly like the line, "Don't you tell nobody, and don't you tell nobody else."
Not everyone knows this but another famous Arkansas blues band was called Nobody Else before they became Black Oak Arkansas.
I cover this song and in the true blues tradition I add my own verse at the end about yet another famous Arkansas musician.
Don't breathe a word
And don't let your tongue slip.
And don't get on the phone
With old Linda Tripp.
Please baby please won't you keep our business to yourself.
Here's a website dedicated to Sonny Boy Williamson where you can find featured recordings, videos and a lot more information.
Sonny Boy's Lonesome Cabin
One last story. Levon Helm, lead singer and drummer for The Band, is also from Helena, Arkansas. He took The Band to visit Sonny Boy and they all loved him. They even talked about doing some recordings with Sonny Boy playing in front of The Band. But Sonny boy was already deathly ill and he passed before any recordings could be made.
Please post your favorite Sonny Boy stories or myths. Like many Bluesmen Sonny Boy was much more interested in promoting his career through Blues mythology than he was in historical truth and much of his life including his birth date remains an enigma. Also please post your favorite Blues that changed the world.
It was the British Invasion. The Beatles and The Dave Clark Five were topping the charts. All of a sudden there was a British Blues band covering "The House Of The Rising Sun". It was a huge hit.
I've looked. I've studied. I've googled. And the origins of the song are lost in antiquity. In fact nobody can even locate the house. You know what I mean. Even houses of prostitution have a place in history. Especially in New Orleans. But nobody knows where the song came from or where the house was.
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I host a lot of jam sessions. The problem with jam sessions is finding a song that everybody knows. I never worry with "The House Of The Rising Sun". It's one of those songs that every aspiring guitarist learns.
The version that everybody learns was popularized by Dave Van Ronk, a leading voice in the folk music revival in the early sixties. Bob Dylan covered Van Ronk's arrangement on his first album. And then The Animals had their mega hit on the same arrangement.
Dave Van Ronk said he had to quit playing the song after Dylan covered it because everone would come up after the show and thank him for playing that Dylan tune. Ironically Dylan suffered the same fate after The Animals became the new standard bearers.
Now both Van Ronk and Dylan sang the song from a female perspective. But evidentally Eric Burdon had difficulty with this because he sang, "It's been the ruin of many a poor boy." Some songs translate sex easily but "The House Of The Rising Sun" is not one of them. I mean "My sweetheart was a gambling man" and "Tell my baby sister" both imply a female point of view. I know that there are and were male prostitutes. And I know they had sweethearts and sisters. Still ...
Girls love to sing the song and I often sing it with them while I play around the campfire. The funny part is a girl singing "boy" while I sing "girl".
Along with "Stormy Monday Blues" this has to be one of the most covered Blues songs of all time. Leadbelly did it.
Personnel on this set were George Hinds, bass; Scott Mathes, guitar; Randy Gambill, drums; and Hairy Larry, guitar and vocals. We also cover Dylan, Sonny Boy, Warren Zevon, and The Grateful Dead.
The theme of the song is what a hard life prostitution is. It is meant as a warning to others, specifically to the singer's baby sister. It also touches on how hard it is to leave a life of prostitution once you've taken that path.
So tell my baby sister
Not to do as I have done
But to shun that house down in New Orleans
They call the rising sun
There's one foot on the platform
The other on the train
I'm going back to New Orleans
To wear that ball and chain
Please post your favorite version of "The House Of The Rising Sun" and other Blues songs that changed the world.
I went to Mike Misak's funeral this morning. Mike was 49 years old. He was killed in a car accident last Thursday morning, September 25, 2008, near Weiner, Arkansas.
Mike engineered the first Hungarians album, back before we were the Flying Hungarians. Later he played bass in the band. For years it was my daughter Gretchen on drums, Mike Misak, bass, and me on guitar. Mike helped start Blues Fest at Craighead Forest Park and he helped with Blues Fest providing equipment and running sound as well as playing with The Flying Hungarians.
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Mike also helped musicians with his career. First as an audio technician repairing amps and tape machines. Later as an installer of sound systems and PAs in schools, churches, and auditoriums. His boss, Mark Taylor, told us in his eulogy that MIke had installed the sound system in the funeral parlor where we were paying our last respects.
More important to me than any of that, Mike was my best friend. He was my first new friend when I moved to Jonesboro. I met him when I took my Silvertone guitar amp in to be repaired. We worked on many projects together. For years he was my constant companion.
Mike also played six string guitar and we would sit around jamming and singing. I encouraged him to sing with The Flying Hungarians. The song he picked was a Johnny Cash hit, "Get Rhythm".
A Little shoeshine boy never gets low down
But he's got the dirtiest job in town
Bendin' low at the peoples' feet
On the windy corner of the dirty street
Well, I asked him while he shined my shoes
How'd he keep from gettin' the blues
He grinned as he raised his little head
Popped a shoeshine rag and then he said
Get rhythm when you get the blues
Come on, get rhythm when you get the blues
A jumpy rhythm makes you feel so fine
It'll shake all the trouble from your worried mind
Get rhythm when you get the blues
The lyric is essentially about class noting that however poor you are and however dirty and menial your job you can still live a happy life. Especially if you enjoy music and put a little bit of rhythm into your work.
It also points out that there is great benefit to both parties in performing a service.
It only costs a dime, just a nickel a shoe
Does a million dollars worth of good for you
This lyric is most important to Mike Misak's life. He was a man who made his living providing a service to others. He will be missed by all who loved him and he will always live in my heart.
If you disrespect everybody that you run into
How in the world do you think anybody's s'pose to respect you
If you don't give a heck about the man with the bible in his hand
Just get out the way and let the gentleman do his thing
You the kind of gentleman who want everything your way
Take the sheet off your face boy, it's a brand new day
- Respect Yourself - Luther Ingram/Mack Rice
I also love this line from the chorus.
If you don't respect yourself ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot
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Thanks to lrbreckenripple for recommending the Staples.
The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B singing group. Roebuck "Pops" Staples (1914-2000), the patriarch of the family, formed the group with his children Cleotha (born 1934), Pervis (b. 1935), Yvonne (b. 1936), and Mavis (b. 1939).
"Respect Yourself", released in 1971, is associated with the Civil Rights movement. The Staple Singers roots were in straight ahead Gospel like this great song, "Uncloudy Day". The Staple Singers - Uncloudy Day
Their huge R&B crossover hit "I'll take You There" also spoke to the race issue.
I know a place
Ain't nobody cryin'
Ain't nobody worried
Ain't no smilin' faces
Mmm, no no
Lyin' to the races
- I'll Take You There
The smilin' faces mentioned in the lyric refers to The Undisputed Truth's hit "Smiling Faces" which I covered in this diary.
I also featured Mavis Staples singing with Aretha Franklin in last weeks Gospel music that changed the world diary, "Oh Happy Day".
The Staple Singers were featured in "The Last Waltz" singing "The Weight" with The Band.
When they poured across the border
I was cautioned to surrender,
this I could not do;
I took my gun and vanished.
I have changed my name so often,
I've lost my wife and children
but I have many friends,
and some of them are with me.
An old woman gave us shelter,
kept us hidden in the garret,
then the soldiers came;
she died without a whisper.
- Leonard Cohen - The Partisan
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For four decades, Leonard Cohen has been one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, a figure whose body of work achieves greater depths of mystery and meaning as time goes on. His songs have set a virtually unmatched standard in their seriousness and range. Sex, spirituality, religion, power – he has relentlessly examined the largest issues in human lives, always with a full appreciation of how elusive answers can be to the vexing questions he raises. But those questions, and the journey he has traveled in seeking to address them, are the ever-shifting substance of his work, as well as the reasons why his songs never lose their overwhelming emotional force.
As evidenced in the above video Leonard Cohen remains active performing and recording. Here is his own version of "Hallelujah" recorded at the Glastonbury Festival this year.
Cohen recently released a collaboration, "Blue Alert", with Anjani. Some of the songs Cohen had already finished. When they needed more material Cohen opened his song journals to Anjani and she cowrote from his unfinished material.
As often happens I woke up this morning with a tune in my head. I also had the one line, "You don't think I'd wait on a train." I picked up my guitar and had the song going and a scratch copy made in less than five minutes. Then I started on the lyric.
Of course I watched the news last night seeing Obama and McCain meeting with President Bush about the economy. So "Hard Times" came naturally and in just a few minutes I had the song done.
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We had to go to town to fix a tire so it was a few hours before I recorded it. I went direct to my Iriver H320 using the internal mic. I run RockBox so I can record CD quality sound but the internal mic is mono.
I put the second take into SAW Classic for post. I rendered two mp3s and a flac and then I started uploading. I put it up at Delta Boogie Radio and then to archive.org. I'll post it on KGPL next.
So this is the new world for songwriters. Write a song, record the song, publish the song, and promote the song all in a matter of hours.
This exact text will go up on my change the world with music diary on DailyKos and I'll be discussing the song with listeners while it scrolls off the recent list.
Here's the archive.org link in case you want to download the CD quality .flac file.
Thanks to dalfireplug for turning me on to this great video. The first time I watched it tears were streaming down my face.
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The song, written by Eric Bogle, is also called "No Man's Land" and "Willie McBride". Here's his own words about how he came to write the song.
It's a song that was written about the military cemeteries in Flanders and Northern France. In 1976, my wife and I went to three or four of these military cemeteries and saw all the young soldiers buried there.
—Eric Bogle
The Dropkick Murphy's are an American band from Quincy, Massachusetts that plays Celtic Punk. Besides having great taste in cover songs they also do original topical music.
The song "Last Letter Home" contains excerpts from personal letters between Sgt. Andrew Farrar, his mother and his wife. The following is taken from the album notes:
We had already finished this song that was based on general correspondences to & from the soldiers serving in Iraq, when we were contacted by the family of Sgt. Andrew Farrar who had recently died while serving there. The family wanted to tell us he was a big supporter of the Dropkick Murphys. They also passed on a letter that he had written to his mother shortly before his death in which he thanks her for sending him a Dropkick Murphys CD & said that if anything should happen to him while in Iraq, he would like one of our songs played at his funeral. He also left behind a wife, Melissa and two young boys Tyler & Liam. His tour of duty in Iraq was coming to an end & he was due to come home & renew his wedding vows with Melissa to another song of ours, "Forever". Sgt Farrar died on January 28th, on his 31st birthday. We were present at his funeral to grant his wish and played "Fields of Athenry" as his casket entered the church. This song was re-written to include excerpts from that letter.
The band released a single, with the family's permission, including the Andrew Farrar-dedicated "Field Of Athenry" and "The Last Letter Home". All proceeds went to the Farrar family.
Thanks Ma I got your package today
I love "The Fields Of Athenry"
I swear I want 'em to play that song on the pipes
At my funeral when I die
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"We regret to inform you that on January 28th Sgt. Andrew
Farrar died while serving his country in the Al-Anbar province
of Iraq words cannot convey our sorrow"
- The Last Letter Home
If you're not crying as you read this you need an empathy boost.
If you want to view some more Dropkick Murphys songs on their website they have this incredible page of videos.
Whenever I do research for these diaries I find out there's always a story. Before dalfireplug made his comment in my Buffy Sainte-Marie diary I had not heard of the Dropkick Murphys. Now they're one of my favorite bands and I still haven't heard most of their songs. Kind of gives me something to look forward to.
So please recommend your favorite music that changed the world in the comments.
I remember when this song first came out. Nixon was president and we were in the middle of the Watergate scandal.
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Take a whiff on me, that ain't no rose!
Roll up yer window and hold yer nose
You don't have to look and you don't have to see
'Cause you can feel it in your olfactory
You got yer
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
You got yer dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinkin' to high Heaven!
- Loudon Wainwright III - Dead Skunk In The Middle Of The Road
When I played this song at the Craighead Forest Bandshell a few years ago I introduced it like this. "I try not to be political out here when I'm playing music but I do have to thank George W. Bush for one thing. He gave me an excuse to bring back this great song."
I'm still waiting for a hit cover. I guess that's not likely to happen on Clear Channel.
Loudon Wainwright is still writing and performing. His website is here.
His new CD is called Recovery and he wrote music for the new Carl Hiaasen play, "Lucky You". Here's one of his songs from that play featuring Wainwright on his Ukelele.
YouTube has tons of music videos. Some are professionally produced, maybe repurposed from TV shows, movies, or MTV. Most however are done on a much smaller budget. Unfortunately most of them show it.
If you want to change the world it's not enough to make a video of your song. You have to make a good video of your song. Here's some tips.
Lights
It's all about light. You have to have enough of it. And that means lots.
The easiest way to do this is to shoot outside. Shooting outside also provides interesting nature shots for a background. If you shoot outside in full sun you'll have plenty of light. But you'll also have dark shadows. So use a reflector.
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You can buy reflectors fairly cheap but I use some even cheaper substitutes. We have a white plastic card table we use for camping. This makes a great reflector by opening only two legs and setting it up at an angle. Position it so the sun shines on the white surface and reflects into the shadows.
Another cheap substitute are the windscreen reflectors you can buy to keep your car from getting too hot. These are often silver and they fold up like an accordian. You can use mic stands or photo tripods to position them.
If you are shooting indoors a large window letting daylight in is an asset. You can use fluorescent or incandescent lights but be sure you get full spectrum bulbs. If you use fluorescent be sure to get fixtures without a magnetic ballast. Magnetic ballasts are cheaper but they can put hum into your audio. I bought two double fixtures holding four foot bulbs like they use in suspended ceilings. Add rope or handles to make them easy to move and secure in place. Free standing coat racks or standard lighting tripods are also helpful.
Desk lamps and pole lamps are great for incandescent bulbs. 100 Watt and more spotlights for standard fixtures can be bought with full spectrum light.
Lighting for video is a profession in itself. There are tons of techniques and years of developed expertise which you should study and learn. Usually you will use at least three lights. A main or key light that is the brightest source. A fill light to brighten the shadows. And a back light or overhead to separate the performer from the background.
Also learn to set your white balance. Your camcorder instruction manual will have a section on how to do this. This will make your whites white and prevent a yellow or green cast to your video.
But the proof is in the pudding. Set up your lights. Rehearse your song looking at your camcorder display and look for problem areas. Adjust your lights as needed.
Camera
I use a one camera technique. This keeps the dreaded video post production to a minimum by eliminating video edits or cuts. It also makes it possible to shoot a video without assistants.
I recommend a MiniDV format camcorder with a firewire connection. This makes the video capture step where you go from tape to your computer a snap. Make sure the camera has a nice viewscreen that will rotate so you can see it while you play and sing. Set your camera up on a tripod facing you and rotate the viewfinder to face front. Think of a weatherman standing in front of a green screen using his video monitor to see where he needs to point.
Check your background. So many amateur videos have distracting backgrounds. Curtains or blankets work great. Sometimes I use a bookshelf or a door. Performance venues are usually camera friendly and your audience will love it if you shoot a video while you're playing for them. And of course nature backgrounds or other outdoor settings are great. Rehearse your performance while watching the camcorder screen closely. Check on your lighting and background through the whole song.
Many camcorders record audio ok. An external stereo mic plugged into the camcorder is one step up. But don't forget, this is a music video and the audio quality is extremely important. I usually use two studio mics going through an M-Audio Dmp2 preamp (now M-Audio makes the Dmp3) and into my Iriver H320 recording at CD quality.
You cannot use audio tape for video production. All tape recorders run at slightly different speeds so they will not sync with the video.
You can also record audio directly into your computer but you are probably better off with an audio interface or a better sound card then the stock cheapo. One inexpensive sound card that has a good line input is the Creative Ensoniq. The M-Audio Omni Studio provides the preamp and the interface in one product. You can get these used for about $100. High quality mics can be less than $50 and more than $5000.
Here's a great link to the Homerecording BBS mic forum where audio recording techniques are discussed at length.
How many times have you watched a YouTube video where the musician just sat there. Sometimes you don't even see his face. Just a shot of the guitar and a couple of arms and hands. Dead, dead, dead.
People are used to watching TV. A dead shot ruins a video. You would be better off just making an audio recording than to shoot without action.
If you're not a guitarist you will have to adapt what I have to say next to your instrument.
Learn to play standing up. Learn to move while you play without losing time or concentration on the music. This way you can add action to your videos even though your camera is sitting on a tripod with a dead shot.
If the camera is lower you can walk forward a step or two to bring your guitar and fingerwork into a tight frame on the screen. Then back up to see a medium shot which is kind of waist up. If your camera is higher walking forward will bring your face into a closeup. Sometimes you have to get a little bit contorted.
If you use your camcorder mic or a stereo mic plugged into your camcorder your post production can be minimal. Basically you select your start and end points and capture your video and you're done.
You will get better quality audio and more control over your audio by recording your audio with studio mics and then doing audio post by adjusting EQ, compressing, and normalizing. This isn't difficult after you've done it a few times. Then you have to sync your audio to the video. Since you are only using one camera with no cuts or edits this is also quite easy. What I do is play both the camera audio and the produced audio. Then I shift them back and forth until they are exactly together. Then I mute the camera audio before I render the video.
I use Adobe Premiere Pro video editing software. This is a much more powerful package than is needed for this simple technique. There are many softwares easier and cheaper that work fine. Some of the best are freeware. Please discuss your favorite video editing software in the comments.
Render your video to a high quality .avi file. Then you can use this to burn DVDs or make compressed renders for internet distribution.
Real Producer has a free version that I use. It does a good job of making internet videos at the right price.
I recommend QuickTime Pro. This only costs $30 and produces great internet renders to both the .mov and .mp4 formats. It also produces the .m4v iPod version.
Here's the QuickTime settings I recommend for YouTube. I bring up the .avi file and choose Movie to QuickTime Movie. Then I set the options like this.
YouTube is the most popular video site but there are many others. I recommend TubeMogul for uploading. You upload once to them and they will send it to many video sites for you. They also provide statistics on your internet views in one location.
I also post all my videos to archive.org. This gives them a permanent presence with better quality downloadable formats.
In Conclusion
This has been a long diary but it's only the tip of the iceberg. We're talking theatre here so costumes have to be considered. It can't be avoided. If you're wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt it's still a costume.
Since I'm Hairy Larry, for me hairdressing is important. I decide for each video how to braid or brush my hair.
Not every song lends itself to humor but if your song does then go for it. Go over the top in your presentation and you won't be boring.
Titling and credits are an option. I don't do this but many producers do and I can understand why they do. Everybody deserves credit for their work.
If you want your videos to travel to other websites or p2p networks look into Creative Commons licensing.
Please add more info and suggestions about how to make internet music videos in the comments.
In today's political climate many are amazed at bold faced lies repeated again and again. We shouldn't, however, be surprised at this. Most Americans either see it as politics as usual or they are true believers preferring to believe these lies to reality staring them hard in the face.
In fact the one unforgivable political sin is telling the truth. Howard Dean didn't lose because of "The Scream". That was a fake controversy propelled by the media to punish him for telling the truth about Iraq. When, after Saddam Hussein's capture he said “Americans are no safer from these serious threats than they were the day before Saddam Hussein was captured. We are no safer today than the day the planes struck the World Trade Center.” he crossed the line. There's no way those in power could accept a president as bluntly truthful as that.
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"Smiling Faces" is not really about politics. It's really about people that all of us know. Fair weather friends. Backstabbers. Two faced liars.
Yet its lesson clearly applies to politics. How many times have we elected someone thinking that their smiling face and populist rhetoric put them on our side only to find out that when it came to voting on or executing the laws they were actually part of the problem not part of the solution.
Every time I look at the smiling face of she who shall remain unnamed I am reminded of this song.
The last few lines move the meaning into politics and international relations.
Your enemy won't do you no harm
Cause you'll know where he's coming from
Don't let the handshake and the smile fool ya
Take my advice I'm only try' to school ya
Sometimes the simple truth stated in a song has more power and depth of meaning than any speech or political slogan. Songwriters are encouraged to use cliches especially if the context of the song clarifies or redefines the cliche. Please comment on these songs and any others that find their power in the statement of simple truths.
The Edwin Hawkins Singers brought Gospel music to the top of the international pop charts in 1969 with their version of "Oh Happy Day". An established hymn originating in the 18th century and often sung for baptismal or confirmation ceremonies it is one of the only hymns to cross over from Gospel to the top ten.
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Edwin Hawkins’ funk style arrangement of the hymn "Oh Happy Day" has a long pedigree: It began as a hymn written in the mid-18th century ("Oh happy day that fixed my choice") by English clergyman Phillip Doddridge (based on Acts 8:35) set to an earlier melody (1704) by J. A. Freylinghausen. By the mid-19th century it had been given a new melody by Edward F. Rimbault and was commonly used for baptismal or confirmation ceremonies in the UK and USA. The 20th century saw its adaptation from 3/4 to 4/4 time and this new arrangement by Hawkins, which contains the repeated refrain only (all of the original verses being omitted).
Like many Gospel songs "Oh Happy Day" uses the call and response pattern that makes it easy to sing along. It has an infectious beat and a positive message. It remains a popular Gospel song still sung in many churches' music programs.
Please comment on "Oh Happy Day" and other Gospel music that changed the world.
Here's a YouTube video of Blues artist, Memphis Gold, playing for the troops at Guantanamo Bay. I did an interview with him for Delta Boogie and I love his closing sentiment.
I would like to thank all those wonderful parents who have all those wonderful Sons and Daughters serving in our nations military service. Thanks for supporting them mentally and spiritually. Please send all the love and care packages you can!
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Memphis Gold knows what those soldiers are going through in a foreign land so far from home.
Well, Larry, I know what it is to be far away from home and unable to see your family on holidays when normally everyone gets together to share and have fun. I spent a lot of those days on duty or somewhere writing my thoughts down which has resulted in a lot of the songs I record today.
Here he is describing just some of the lonely conditions our troops have to endure.
I have one time in mind, the two shows I played up at the DMZ in Korea. Man that place is so isolated it's unbelievable. There are only a hand full of soldiers there and they are always on alert and constant watch duty every 4 hours. So sleep is gift! But when there is time for down time and entertainment it's off the hook. Another place is Fairbanks, Alaska, where there is 6 months of darkness in the winter. The troops and soldiers have boredom overtake them. I have performed at both the DMZ and Fairbanks!
Memphis Gold is featured on Delta Boogie Radio. Here's an mp3 of a song he wrote called "Prodigal Son".
Memphis Gold - Prodigal Son
I want to give you one more song he wrote. It's a humorous number called "Test Drive That Woman".
Memphis Gold proves that you don't have to play protest songs to change the world. Sometimes just showing up and having a party helps everyone out. Especially if they are young soldiers separated from family and friends.
You can find more about Memphis Gold at his website, visit his MySpace, or enjoy more videos on YouTube. You cna buy his CD, Prodigal Son, at CDBaby.
Uncle Fred Wilson aka Uncle Fred the Deadhead is an extremely talented songwriter from Little Rock, Arkansas. He performs in Jonesboro, Arkansas at Blues Fest and Sunday In The Park every year as a duo with Suzanne Michell. He writes topical songs of the humorous and the protest variety.
Here's an mp3 link to Suzanne and Fred doing "Two Sets Of Books", a song Fred wrote about the Enron scandal. I usually take the long view but in light of the financial meltdown underway I thought this song was particularly timely.
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So what does Enron have to do with Bear Stearns, Lehmen Brothers, Fannie and Freddie, and AIG? Click here and Kossack, wmtriallawyer, will explain. He quotes Robert Kuttner.
The sub-prime mess, the huge risks taken by hedge funds, and the conflicts of interest that led to Enron and kindred scandals, are all the consequences of serial bouts of financial deregulation. Since the 1970s, in the name of free-market efficiency, Congress and presidents of both parties repealed key protections put in place by the New Deal. But the main effect has been to engineer windfall profits for financial insiders, replace real productive innovation with financial engineering, shift wealth from families to corporations, and put the entire American economy at ever greater risk.
Yes it is regulators that stop companies from keeping two sets of books.
Fred also wrote this great song protesting our invasion of Iraq.
This song starts "My daddy had a sex change operation." You'll have to listen to see where he goes with this.
Another great song he introduces as a story about science is dedicated to Murphy's Law. Here's a totally over the top rendition performed live at the Craighead Forest Bandshell in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Suzanne and Fred also do many cover songs in their shows. I do want to feature Suzanne's beautiful voice so here she is singing St. James Infirmary Blues with Fred on harmonica and Blind Boy White on trombone.
For I marched to the battles of the German trench
In a war that was bound to end all wars
Oh I must have killed a million men
And now they want me back again
But I ain't marchin' anymore
...
For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky
Set off the mighty mushroom roar
When I saw the cities burning
I knew that I was learning
That I ain't marchin' anymore
Kossack sboucher recommended this song to me yesterday and it is a perfect followup to Buffy Sainte-Marie's "Universal Soldier". Kind of the same story told from a soldier's perspective.
I see they're still doing it more than 40 years later. Anyway when Phil Ochs released the song "Crucifixion" it became the most requested song ever played on "The Midnight Special". At the start of the show they would acknowledge this and reassure listeners that they would be playing "Crucifixion" later in the night.
Here's Phil Ochs singing this fantastic song in Sweden in 1969.
The story goes, and like many myths it no longer matters whether it's true, that Bob Dylan was holding court in a Greenwich Village coffeehouse when Phil Ochs came in. Both Bob and Phil were acerbic and evidently they viewed each other as friendly competitors. Dylan said, "I'll tell you what. You give me two of your songs and I'll give you one of mine and then we'll be even." Phil Ochs played "Crucifixion". Dylan didn't ask for another. But he did play "Visions Of Johanna".
Phil Och's legacy is maintained by his sister, Sonny Ochs, who runs a series of Phil Ochs Song Nights. She has this great tribute on her site.Phil Ochs Biography
I will close with this touching statement that Bella Abzug (D-NY) read into the congressional record shortly after his death in 1976.
Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, a young folksinger whose music personified the protest mood of the 1960s took his own life. Phil Ochs—whose original compositions were compelling moral statements against war in Southeast Asia—apparently felt that he had run out of words.
While his tragic action was undoubtedly motivated by terrible personal despair, his death is a political as well as an artistic tragedy. I believe it is indicative of the despair many of the activists of the 1960s are experiencing as they perceive a government which continues the distortion of national priorities that is exemplified in the military budget we have before us.
Phil Ochs' poetic pronouncements were part of a larger effort to galvanize his generation into taking action to prevent war, racism, and poverty. He left us a legacy of important songs that continue to be relevant in 1976 — even though "the war is over".
Just one year ago—during this week of the anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War—Phil recruited entertainers to appear at the "War is Over" celebration in Central Park, at which I spoke.
It seems particularly appropriate that this week we should commemorate the contributions of this extraordinary young man.
Thanks so much to diary rescue for helping me promote the music of Phil Ochs. Because of the additional comments to this diary I am late posting my Fred Wilson diary today. Fred is the only person I know who actually knew Phil Ochs.
Here's a link to today's diary featuring some of Fred's great songs.
Steve Earle's song "Copperhead Road" glorifies the underground economy, specifically moonshiners and pot growers. It is a story song that starts with a reminisce about tales heard as a child and ends with the protagonist returning from Viet Nam and finding a new way.
There's also this line about class in America where the poor are sent to fight in wars.
I volunteered for the Army on my birthday
They draft the white trash first,'round here anyway
In the song John Lee Pettimore's grandfather is a seen as a hero for killing a revenue man and John Lee Pettimore, the narrator, threatens to shoot down DEA helicopters.
I try to explain to people that when songwriters write songs the song takes on a life of it's own. The songwriter is more concerned about writing the best song that he can rather than explicitly laying out his own views. A song is not an editorial or an essay.
No one thinks that Steve Earle would kill an officer of the law or shoot down a government helicopter. He's a musician not a violent revolutionary. It's the protagonist in his song, John Lee Pettimore, who expresses these violent thoughts. Steve Earle is concerned with an honest portrayal of those thoughts.
In fact Steve Earle is opposed to the death penalty and by inference, like all reasonable men, opposed to murder.
Earle's mother took part in anti-death penalty vigils, a cause that has been taken up by Earle. He has worked to abolish the death penalty and has recorded several songs about this cause, including "Billy Austin", "Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song)" and "Ellis Unit One" (for the 1995 movie Dead Man Walking). (Ellis Unit, located in Huntsville, Texas, previously housed the Texas male death row, until it was moved to Polunsky Unit near Livingston, Texas.) He is also a regular participant in the "Concerts for a Landmine Free World", benefiting the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation.
"Copperhead Road" was written early in his career. Since then Earle has become increasingly political in his lyrics. His song "John Walker's Blues" remains very controversial. Once again Earle, the artist, is concerned with telling a story from a particular point of view, opening our eyes to what John Walker Lindh may have been thinking. This does not mean he is personally in favor of Jihad, just that he is trying to understand someone who is. Steve Earle - John Walker's Blues
Many of Steve Earle's lyrics as well as a great deal of information about Steve Earle and his career can be found at steveearle.net, The Original Unofficial Steve Earle Site . Including this.
Steve produced Joan Baez's new CD Day After Tomorrow. Available Sept 9th
Also on the cd are two new songs written by Steve as well as Jericho Road from Washington Square Serenade.
Steve and Joan did an interview for the new cd that is on her myspace page.
To pre-order her new cd click on Amazon.com.
Steve Earle has a MySpace page and he can be heard on last.fm. And here's a concert by Steve Earle And The Dukes recorded February 6, 1998.
"Copperhead Road" remains a popular around the campfire protest song. I don't listen to the radio or watch music videos. I almost always learn songs from other musicians. I learned this song when my friend Carol Reed sang it at the Fireman's Campground during The Biscuit at Helena, Arkansas.
I'm going to leave it to you Steve Earle fans who know his work better than I to highlight his more recent work. Please post your favorite Steve Earle songs that changed the world in the comments.
I wrote "Universal Soldier" in the basement of The Purple Onion coffee house in Toronto in the early sixties. It's about individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all. Donovan had a hit with it in 1965.
He's the universal soldier and he
really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
and brothers can't you see
this is not the way we put an end to war.
Daily Kos is a political site and in America today it is required to support the troops. Personally I honor individuals I know who have been through the hell that is war.
But as a pacifist I have to agree with Buffy Sainte-Marie. Each person has an individual responsibility not to fight and kill. If each person would take that responsibility we could put an end to war and this is probably the only way this will happen. Although there may be political solutions that reduce conflict there is no political solution that ends war. Ending war is an ethical issue. The human race has to grow up.
Back in the sixties they said "What if they gave a war and nobody came?"
I did a little research at Quoteland and discovered that in this case "they" are a couple of famous American poets.
"Little girl...Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come."Carl Sandburg(1878-1967)American Poet from 'The People,Yes'(1936)
also"What if somebody gave a war & Nobody came?.Life would ring the bells of Ecstasy and Forever be Itself again."Allen Ginsberg(1926-97)American poet and novelist, 'Graffiti'(1972)
also film title "Suppose they gave a war and nobody came?." written by Don McGuire and Hal Captain, 1969: 'Suppose They Gave a War and No One Comes?'was the title of a piece by Charlotte Keyes in 'McCall', Oct.1966.
Rainbow Quest was an educational TV show hosted by Pete Seeger that featured many folk music luminaries from Johnny Cash and Richard and Mimi Farina to Buffy Sainte-Marie.
Buffy's website is called creative-native.com. Click through for her bio and many links to her educational work and Native American advocacy.
This is interesting.
Sainte-Marie has claimed that she was blacklisted and that she, along with other Native Americans in the Red Power movements, was put out of business in the 1970s.
"I found out 10 years later, in the 1980s, that [President] Lyndon B. Johnson had been writing letters on White House stationery praising radio stations for suppressing my music," Sainte-Marie said in a 1999 interview with Indian Country Today at Diné College... "In the 1970s, not only was the protest movement put out of business, but the Native American movement was attacked."
Additionally, she claims that in the United States, her records were disappearing. According to her, thousands of people at concerts wanted records, and although the distributor claimed that the records had been shipped, no one seemed to know where they were.
Said Sainte-Marie, "I was put out of business in the United States."
I lived through the sixties and the seventies and I do think that there was an establishment effort to diminish the voice of many political artists. I mean what else could explain disco?
Please discuss this censorship and the controversial lyrics to "Universal Soldier" in the comments. Please also discuss the pertinence of Buffy's message to the presidential elections today.
Ok, you wrote a great protest song. You think it could change the world. If only people could hear it.
If you could put it on the internet available for anyone in the world to listen or download that would be great. Then you could email links to your song. Maybe it would even go viral.
But where can you do this? What website supports free speech with more than lip service? What website allows you to post your songs, movies, and text forever? For free?
One of the surprising things of our post 9-11 existence is the rising prominence of librarians as first responders defending our civil liberties. When the FBI issued an illegal National Security Letter to the Internet Archive head librarian Brewster Kahle fought back. And with the help of the ACLU and the EFF he won.
In late April 2008, the FBI withdrew the unconstitutional NSL as part of the settlement of the case. In withdrawing the letter, the FBI lifted the gag order that prohibited Kahle and his attorneys at the ACLU and EFF from disclosing the existence of the NSL, allowing this story to become public for the first time.
In addition to in depth coverage of the case and links to pertinent documents the linked article also has good background information about the Internet Archive. I highly recommend that you click through and read the article.
Besides music and the arts the Internet Archive supports free speech in news coverage. As you are probably aware traditional media is no longer covering the antiwar movement. So independent journalists are posting their coverage to the Internet Archive.
The breadth and depth of the libraries collection is amazing. Do you want to out a politician for scrubbing his website after doing a flipflop? Try the Wayback Machine.
The Live Music Archive is equally amazing. CD quality live shows available free on the internet. Download the .flac files and burn your own hifi CDs of your favorite band's live performance. Record your own shows and upload them for free.
Marshall McLuhan said the media is the message. The Live Music Archive itself is one of those messages. Just the idea that all the great bands in the world can record their performances and make them available to fans night after night is revolutionary.
As a part of that revolution I offer one of my shows as an example. Hairy Larry and George live at Caffe Buono on February 8, 2008. "Red Dirt Girl" and "Blowing In The Wind" are the only protest songs but I don't think a song has to be explicitly antiwar or anticlass to be revolutionary. To paraphrase McLuhan the music is the message.
Curtis Mayfield wrote "People Get Ready" the year after the Civil Rights march on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King gave his "I have a dream" speech. Mayfield drew on Gospel influences from his childhood when his family attended church in Chicago.
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The song became one of the first gospel crossover hits, while at the same time continuing a tradition of American folklore -- the train of salvation -- in the vein of Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash's popular versions of "This Train's Bound For Glory." Mayfield sings about the same train stopping to pick up the faithful of all colors.
Follow the npr link above to hear versions of "People Get Ready" by Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Aretha Franklin, Eva Cassidy, and Bob Dylan.
I also have to add this link to one of my favorite singers, Al Green, doing his version of this famous song.
Wikipedia points out that yesterday's changing the world with music feature, "John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change" is set to the same chord progression and instrumental rhythm." The songs don't sound the same so I had to pick up my guitar and check this out. Yep, same change.
For a change of pace here's "This Train's Bound For Glory".
Now if we had the power
To bring our neighbors home from war
They would have never missed a Christmas
No more ribbons on their door
And when you trust your television
What you get is what you got
Cause when they own the information, oh
They can bend it all they want
- John Mayer - Waiting On The World To Change
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I was first attracted to Mayer's music because of his substantial technical guitar playing skills. He was playing a lot of Blues and I love the Blues so my ears perked up. Only later did I get hip to his songwriting and stage presence. He connects with his audience and his audience loves it.
In 2002, Mayer began the "Back To You" Fund, a non-profit organization that focuses on fundraising in the areas of health care, education, the arts, and talent development. The foundation raises funds through the auction of exclusive John Mayer items, such as guitar picks, t-shirts, and signed CDs, made available on Mayer's auction site.
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Mayer allows audio taping at most of his live performances, and he also allows for the non-commercial trading of those recordings. He does this to give fans the opportunity to recreate the live experience, and to encourage fan interaction.
Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles is a live album and film performed by American singer-songwriter John Mayer and directed by Danny Clinch. The concert for the album was recorded and filmed on December 8, 2007, in Los Angeles, California at the L.A. Live Nokia Theatre for the 1st Annual Holiday Charity Revue, which raised funds for various Los Angeles related charities.
Yes, I have a campfire in my back yard. I was sitting around the campfire with my morning coffee in my hand when the idea for this song came to me. Of course I had to shoot it in front of the campfire.
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One advantage to folk music is you don't need a lot of equipment. An old beat up six string works great. Hand claps and harmonicas complete the orchestra.
Singing around the campfire is a folk tradition. There is something about a campfire that lends the perfect folk ambience. Coffeehouses are also an important folk venue. George and I have been enjoying the coffeehouse circuit here in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
Here's a show we did at The Edge Coffeehouse February 1, 2008.
We start and end with Dylan and cover a broad swath of American music in between including folk classics, San Francisco Bay Blues and Hesitation Blues. Click on over and enjoy the show.
Please use the comments to Pimp Your Song. Also post links to or embeds of your favorite folk songs. Treat this like an Open Music Diary. Let's discuss music that changed the world.
Based on Lady Libertine's recommends I posted a Dylan diary yesterday. I was surprised to find many great videos of Bob's performances shot at the Newport Folk Festival. Then last night my wife was checking the schedule for AETN, our PBS affiliate. So we ended up watching Bob Dylan live at Newport. The same clips as on YouTube. What A Treat.
Wikipedia describes "The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival" as "A re-edit of material from Lerner's Festival! (1967), with full-length song performances, it includes Dylan's controversial electric set from 1965."
What I liked about it. All the full length live clips of Bob Dylan performing three years in a row at the same venue. There's music here to get your teeth into.
I do think that the narrative saying that Dylan's electric performance at Newport changed the direction of music and Rock and Roll was overdone. It happened. Dylan went electric. Some people booed. So what! His albums sold great. He had many hits. He became an international celebrity. (This same thing is focused on in "No Direction Home")
Rock and Roll was well established at the time. Dylan taking his folk music electric paralleled acoustic bluesmen going electric. In fact Dylan chose to give his songs a Blues Rock presentation. He was part of a strong movement toward Electric Blues and roots Rock and Roll that began with the British Invasion and continued through the end of the sixties.
PBS and Dylan must be good for each other.
D.A. Pennebaker's documentary "Don't Look Back" is a PBS fundraiser favorite.
But now we got weapons
Of the chemical dust
If fire them we're forced to
Then fire them we must
One push of the button
And a shot the world wide
And you never ask questions
When God's on your side.
Bob Dylan has an up to date web presence at bobdylan.com and he posts all his lyrics making it easy to cover his songs.
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We are featuring guest VJ Lady Libertine who recommended these Dylan songs in yesterday's Gordon Lightfoot Diary.
Dylan and I have a very close relationship. I had his first LP which came out just when I was learning to play guitar. So Bob Dylan has always been in my repertoire. And more than that his lyrics permeate my subconscious. I can't write without putting a little Dylan in. To say he's an influence would be understating it.
So it's difficult for me to make choices. Thanks so much to Lady Libertine for coming up with these great songs and helping me break that Dylan ice.
"Idiot Wind" was recorded as part of the Rolling Thunder Review in 1976.
It's great to see Dylan with a funny hat. (OMG he's a terrorist!) I always wear a Jester's cap when I do Dylan because of his place in Don McLean's history of Rock and Roll, "American Pie".
Now for ten years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone,
But that’s not how it used to be.
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
And a voice that came from you and me,
Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The jester stole his thorny crown.
The courtroom was adjourned;
No verdict was returned.
I saw Gordon Lightfoot sing this last night on PBS. This is one of those songs where you just have to sing along. I'm expecting spontaneous outbursts across the nation as thousands view this video with their headphones on and sing along.
Go ahead and try it. It's true. Click and watch. I guarantee you'll be singing.
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Although Gordon Lightfoot is known mostly for love songs and what might be called observations about life some of his music is topical and some explicitly political.
During the 1970s, Lightfoot's songs covered an wide range of subjects, including "Don Quixote" about Cervantes' famous literary character, "Ode To Big Blue" about the widespread killing of whales, "Beautiful" about the simple joys of love, "Carefree Highway" about the freedom of the open road, "Protocol" about the futility of war, and "Alberta Bound" which was inspired by a lonely teenaged girl named Grace he met on a bus while travelling to Calgary in 1971.
Who are these ones who would lead us now
To the sound of a thousand guns
Who'd storm the gates of hell itself
To the tune of a single drum
Where are the girls of the neighborhood bars
Whose loves were lost at sea
In the hills of France and on German soil
From Saigon to Wounded Knee
Who come from long lines of soldiers
Whose duty was fulfilled
In the words of a warrior's will
And protocol
Can instrumental music be political? Without words how can it have a message? How is it even possible to change the world with instrumental music?
These questions all flow from another question. Does music have meaning?
One of the most common descriptions of John Coltrane's music is revolutionary. Oh really? Revolutionary! Not left leaning or hope for change but revolutionary?
Thanks to mama hearts obama for recommending John Coltrane.
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We were discussing John Coltrane and pianist McCoy Tyner who played with Coltrane for years.
mama hearts obama- I don't know about anyone else, but this sure changed my world.
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
hairylarry - I love John Coltrane. I particularly enjoy his albums with McCoy Tyner on piano. I found that after repeated listenings the piano parts became my favorites.
The Flying Hungarians used to do "A Love Supreme" back when we had horns.
mama hearts obama - One of my favorite piano players ever.
hairylarry - And his work with Trane is some of his best. Of course he was inspired by John Coltrane. Who wouldn't be?
In the fifties radio wasn't all compartmentalized like it is now. John Coltrane had a radio hit on "My Favorite Things". Genius but still accessible.
John Coltrane Quartet - My Favorite Things
In "Sometimes A Great Notion" Ken Kesey captures what is revolutionary about John Coltrane's music.
And I put on what? Of course. John Coltrane. "Africa Brass" I recall no malice aforethought in this choice, but who can say? Does one ever play Coltrane for the uninitiated without subconsciously hoping for the worst. Anyway, if such was my wish my subconscious must have been greatly pleased, for after a few minutes of that tenor sax ripping away at the privates, Hank reacted according to schedule. "What kind of crap is that?" (Anger, frustration, great gritting of teeth; all the classic responses) "What kind of godawful manure pile is that?
John Coltrane - soprano sax, tenor sax
Eric Dolphy - flute, alto sax
McCoy Tyner - piano
Reggie Workman - bass
Elvin Jones - drums
So here I've made my case for instrumental music changing the world by providing one example. Whether you agree or disagree please discuss this in the comments.
This video was recorded at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on February 14, 2008 proving Aretha's still got her chops. When she sings "One night with the king changes everything" you know you are listening to music that changes the world.
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Aretha Franklin, a preacher's kid, began her gospel music career early.
Adept at the piano as well as having a gifted voice, Franklin became a child prodigy. By the age of fourteen, she signed a record deal with Checker Records, where her father recorded his sermons and gospel vocal recordings and issued Songs of Faith in 1956. Her earlier influences included Clara Ward and Mahalia Jackson, both of whom spent a lot of time in Aretha's home.
Aretha Franklin's 1972 release, Amazing Grace, became the best selling Gospel album of all time. She released another Gospel CD in 1987, One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism.
Although she is known as The Queen Of Soul she also sings jazz, rock, blues, pop and gospel. She is best known for "Respect" and "Think", both huge hits later featured in the Blues Brothers movies where she played Matt "Guitar" Murphy's wife.
In 1999 President Clinton awarded her the National Medal of Arts. In 2005 George W. Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
You can't change the world with music if nobody hears your songs. There are many songwriter friendly venues like coffeehouses, college campuses, and city parks. But the friendliest of all venues and the easiest to book is church.
So find a church you like and play in church. At our church we have Sunday night music where anyone has the opportunity to play a short set. Most churches also have "specials", where a singer sings one song during the service.
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Get involved in the music program. Volunteer to help. I take my guitar to Children's Church once a month and lead the kids singing. Once a month. You too can manage one hour a month to help kids learn to love music. Or volunteer to work in the food program or visit the elderly. Not everyone's cut out to be a Sunday School teacher or sing in the choir. But every church needs help in many ways. You can help.
Then when they have some singing or you get your opportunity to play a special everyone will be on your side. You don't have to play Gospel music or sign hymns although one or two favorites won't hurt. There may be some songs you've written you would rather not play in church. So don't. Basically anything with a positive message or that makes you think is appropriate.
I played "Since The Fall" at church last week. It's a kind of English Professor's dream, two short verses chock full of The Bible, mythology, and Shakespeare. It's not really a Gospel song but The Bible plays a central role in the imagery.
For better video you can download "Since The Fall" from archive.org's Open Source Video collection.
The downloadable formats are in the left column. The 17MB DIVX is the best for burning to a CD and viewing on a TV. The 4.1 MB MPEG4 is the best for watching on your computer.
It seems that musicians everywhere want to sing about Obama and put their songs up on the internet. Vigorous self promotion combined with a political statement.
The Obamapedia even has a page called Obama Music.
His father works some days for fourteen hours
And you can bet he barely makes a dollar
His mother goes to scrub the floor for many
And you'd best believe she hardly gets a penny
Living just enough, just enough for the city...yeah
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In a later verse Stevie Wonder writes.
His hair is long, his feet are hard and gritty
He spends his love walking the streets of New York City
He's almost dead from breathing on air pollution
He tried to vote but to him there's no solution
Living just enough, just enough for
the city...yeah, yeah, yeah!
Stevie Wonder's Innervisions album is his most political from a lyrics standpoint. Of course there is something about Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles as well that is political no matter what they are singing. I guess you could say the way they live their life, demanding perfection and professionalism from themselves, demanding respect from others, is political by it's nature.
Of course, Stevie Wonder just performed at the Democratic National convention.
I love the acapella plus percussion arrangement on the first song, "Fear Can't Put Dreams To Sleep", a call for racial harmony with a deeper underlying message. And "Signed Sealed And Delivered" has been a theme song for the Obama campaign.
Please add your favorite socially conscious Stevie Wonder songs in the comments. Please also add your favorite Ray Charles songs. I will be covering Ray Charles again in the future so I appreciate your input.
Yonder Mountain String Band, from Nederland, Colorado, was one of the bands that got to play at Barak Obama's acceptance speech stadium party. For video of the event check out this Diary.
I was checking out "New Deal Train" from this concert. In the chorus they sing.
Take it to the promised land
Promised to us but not to them.
They make a nice nod to Neil Young. (See video above. The crowd loves it.)
Now I'm sitting in a burned out basement
Listening to Neil Young. Mother Nature's on the run.
And then they end the song with.
Got on the new deal train
Supposed to take us to a world where there wasn't any pain
They said everybody could come along
Well it turns out they were wrong.
After they play the song the songwriter says, "I wrote that song after seeing Utah Phillips perform. Do you guys know who Utah Phillips is?".
So I thought I'd better find out.
Bruce "Utah" Duncan Phillips (May 15, 1935 – May 23, 2008) was a labor organizer, folk singer, storyteller, poet and the "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest". He described the struggles of labor unions and the power of direct action, self-identifying as an anarchist. He often promoted the Industrial Workers of the World in his music, actions, and words.
At YouTube there is a series of Utah Phillips performing at the Spring 2007 Strawberry Music Festival. Here he is telling the funniest story ever!? And singing an old wobbly song.
He's got an audio player with five songs loaded including "Mr. Love And Justice", title song of his new CD, so click Billy Bragg above to hear what he does.
Here's a link to a video he's featuring on his website.
Bragg has been involved with grassroots political movements, and this is often reflected in his lyrics. Bragg backed the 1984 miners' strike, and the following year he formed the left-wing group Red Wedge, which promoted the Labour Party and discouraged young people from voting for the Conservative Party in the 1987 general election. Following the defeat of the Labour Party and the repeated victory of Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative government, Bragg joined Charter88 to push for a total reform of the British political system.
Video from The Kate Smith Evening Hour, March 26, 1952.
Hank Williams wrote and recorded "I Saw The Light", released in 1948. The song reflects a duality in Williams life that is common in rural America, the rowdy, hard drinking, working man partying on Saturday night and singing in church on Sunday morning. Perhaps because of it's short verses and repetitive chorus it has become a very popular Gospel singalong.
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Here's another country music legend, Johnny Cash, singing Hank's song.
Hank Williams time as a country music star spanned only six years due to his untimely death at 29. He is most noted for love songs like "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and slice of life stories like "Jumbalaya" and "Hey Good Lookin'".
"Mind Your Own Business" is a kind of protest song about gossips and busybodies and is a statement about personal freedom. Here's his son, Hank Williams Jr, with his all star cast version.
Starting in 1950 Hank Williams recorded his religous music using the stage name Luke The Drifter. This one is a retelling of The Good Samaritan parable with a chorus from the scripture, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." It seems that even retold words of Jesus can't help but be topical.
He turned me on to this in the comments discussing "The Ghost Of Tom Joad". It's an mp3 file.
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Crashing Vor brings Joe Hill into the present by invoking his dream of Unionizing and lamenting the decline in Union membership and power today. He says, "That ain't rain boys, that's Joe Hill cryin'."
The strongest part of the lyric is the bridge where he sings.
You can blame the robots working on a factory floor.
Blame the folks in India taking all your jobs offshore.
You can blame the local boys who love their Walmart store.
Me, I blame the money men trying to squeeze a dollar more.
He performs the song in the folk tradition with two acoustic guitars and simple harmonies. You can almost see him with his harp on a rack, playing the breaks.
All thanks to Crashing Vor for this great song.
I hope to cover Joe Hill more thoroughly in the future. Crashing Vor recommended Stegner's Joe Hill. I'll add a few links too.
John Steinbeck published The Grapes Of Wrath in 1939. In 1940 it was a motion picture starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad. RCA Victor asked Woody Guthrie to write some songs about the Dust Bowl. His album "Dust Bowl Ballads" originally released on multiple 78 rpm records in 1941 was his most successful work and included his song, "Tom Joad" on two records. Following up on this came another album "Pastures Of Plenty". The title track, written from the point of view of a migrant worker, remains one of his most popular songs and was included in the Broadway adaptation of "The Grapes Of Wrath". This places Woody Guthrie along with John Steinbeck right in the center of American literature focusing on the dustbowl. This means that it is their work that brings the dustbowl and the farmers it affected to life for future generatons.
I worked in your orchards of peaches and prunes
I slept on the ground in the light of the moon
On the edge of the city you'll see us and then
We come with the dust and we go with the wind
I'm going to quote Raymond Crooke here with his concise description of the way the song "Tom Joad" came to be.
Woody wrote this seventeen-verse ballad, based on Steinbeck's great novel, "The Grapes of Wrath," specifically for his 1940 album, "Dust Bowl Ballads". He had never actually read the book but he considered John Ford's movie of it "the best cussed pitcher I ever seen." He wrote the song overnight at the home of Jerry Oberwager, where Pete Seeger was staying, as there was a typewriter (and a half gallon of wine) available. The tune used is the same melody as the Carter family's "John Hardy."
Both Woody Guthrie and Bruce Springsteen include Steinbeck's famous Tom Joad speech in their songs.
Whenever they's a fight so hungry people can eat, I'll be there. Whenever they's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there... I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an'-I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready. An' when our folks eat the stuff they raise an' live in the houses they build-why, I'll be there.
- John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 28
This text remains the same in the movie with only a very few words changed and the meaning intact. (Wherever instead of whenever and people instead of folks) Henry Fonda also adds the word "too" at the end of the speech.
The script in the Broadway play also closely matches Steinbeck's text except "I'll be in the way guys yell when they're mad an'-I'll be in the way kids laugh when they're hungry an' they know supper's ready." is dropped. And instead of the "too" at the end a one word sentence is added, "See?".
According to the story above Woody Guthrie wrote "Tom Joad" from memory after seeing the movie and not having read the book. His text
Wherever little children are hungry and cry,
Wherever people ain't free.
Wherever men are fightin' for their rights,
That's where I'm a-gonna be, Ma.
That's where I'm a-gonna be."
- Woody Guthrie - Tom Joad lyrics at woodyguthrie.org.
only mirrors Steinbeck's text in spirit and sometimes more in the spirit of the movie as seen by Woody Guthrie than to the spirit of the words Henry Fonda read. In the Steinbeck there is no mention of being free or fighting for rights. That's added.
Now the Springsteen text
Now Tom said "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me Mom I'll be there
Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand
Or decent job or a helpin' hand
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free
Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me."
Starts with a direct quote from the movie, Steinbeck's words except wherever instead of whenever, the second line is a paraphrase from Woody Guthrie's lyric substituting newborn baby for little children, and later in the verse he is "fightin' for a place to stand" and strugglin' to be free" capturing the spirit of Woody Guthrie's version of the story.
A bunch of the other stuff Springsteen just made up. After all he is telling a different story about a different era.
We have to assume that Springsteen read the book, saw the movie, and loved Guthrie's song. These were choices he made in his modernization of the story.
The truth of the matter is it's the same old story. All of the echoes caught by Guthrie and Springsteen in their versions are to be found somewhere in the novel, The Grapes Of Wrath. And, unfortunately, all these stories remain pertinent today.
I find it fascinating to watch this fictional character told and retold through time. Please fill me in on other works involving the legend of Tom Joad.
Tom Joad is the protagonist in John Steinbeck's, "The Grapes Of Wrath", a book that changed the world. This verse is a close quote from one of Tom Joad's most famous speeches in the book.
Now Tom said "Mom, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries
Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air
Look for me Mom I'll be there
Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand
Or decent job or a helpin' hand
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free
Look in their eyes Mom you'll see me."
This song describes the new hobo culture developing in the US comparing them to the migrant workers during the depression and dust bowl days portrayed by Tom Joad.
For those looking for a deep analysis I found this academic take on the Springsteen CD, "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" called "From Badlands to Better Days: Bruce Springsteen Observes Law and Politics" by William Haltom and Michael W. McCann.
Please commiserate with me in the comments. I was so hoping to see The Boss at the convention. Also let's have an open discussion about the meaning of Springsteen's lyric and how it applies to the politics of today.
Jon Bon Jovi has done shows for the Obama campaign. He also worked to elect Kerry in 2004.
"Bed Of Roses" isn't really a protest song but it does have a strong lyric. I talked to my daughter who is a Bon Jovi fan and she was no help. So I'm calling out to you. Are you aware of any Bon Jovi topical songs? Fill me in.
But whether he sings topical songs or not he is still changing the world with music by raising money and attendance at Democratic rallies. I hope we get to see him tomorrow night at the convention.
I remember standing in line at the supermarket and seeing the headlines in the newspaper. "Oh, God", I said, "They're shooting students."
Before long everybody was hearing about it on the radio. "Four dead in Ohio. Four dead in Ohio".
This is a cross between a Change The World With Music and a Music That Changed The World diary because Neil Young is still doing it. He's playing music today that changes the world tomorrow.
Here's a CNN interview about the song. Neil stays cool.
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Here's a musical blow by blow through some of Neil Young's political, protest, and topical music. For more detail and background I recommend wikipedia.
In 1985 he played at Live Aid where he reunited with Crosby, Stills, and Nash. They sang "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "Daylight Again/Find The Cost of Freedom".
Update - Neil Young was cofounder of Farm Aid. I had incorrectly stated that he was cofounder of Live Aid. Thanks to UntimelyRippd for the correction.
Neil Young gets the internet. He released "Let's Impeach The President" to the net first. He has an excellent website with controversial content. And you can be his friend on MySpace.
Neil Young also wrote many beautiful love songs, folk songs, and other music. In fact many of his biggest hits were not protest songs or political. If you love these songs like I do you can hear them here.
The commons refers to a common grazing area where anyone can take their sheep or goats to graze.
Copyright limits the right to make copies by restricting that right, the right to publish, to the copyright owner. The copyright owner might be the creator of the work or it might be someone who hired the work done or it might be someone who purchased the copyright after the work was completed.
The Creative Commons allows copyright holders to use their copyright to place their work into a commons, sharing the work with some restrictions. There are a variety of Creative Commons licenses ranging from NC-ND (non commercial and no derivatives) to BY (attribution required). *
Ok, so what has this got to do with changing the world with music?
You can't change the world if nobody hears your music. And copyright law is a big barrier in the way of sharing your songs.
Since the Sonny Bono aka Mickey Mouse copyright act was passed every creative work is automatically copyrighted. This means that the default setting is no sharing. By attaching a Creative Commons license to your work you, the copyright holder, are giving permission to share and specifying the conditions for sharing. Alternatively you can place your work in the public domain which lets anyone do anything they want with it.
So what was a black and white world with copyright=no sharing at all and public domain=no restrictions at all gains shades of gray. Creative Commons=some sharing permitted or some rights reserved.
So instead of having to contact each podcaster and each internet radio station to give them permission to use your song you can license the song with a Creative Commons license and give all podcasters, radio stations, etc. permission to play your music. With many Creative Commons licenses you also give permission to modify the work or use it in another project. There is even a GPLish share-alike clause you can invoke.
From a podcaster's or station operator's point of view songs licensed with a Creative Commons license constitute a vast library of material for their podcast or station. I use many Creative Commons licensed works on Delta Boogie Radio and KGPL and you can use them too in your projects whether it's a blog, a diary, a play, or a movie.
At the Creative Commons site there is a search feature to help you find works licensed for sharing or reuse. Here's a link plus links to some other aggregators of commons artwork many of them licensed with Creative Commons licenses.
For all of my songs and videos I use the attribution license which is the least restrictive license. So you can share my songs, modify them or use them in your own projects as long as I receive proper attribution for my songwriting and performance.
Here's a link to a playlist of guitar instrumentals all reusable under the Creative Commons BY 3.0 license. These songs are from my "For My Dad" CD.
Hairy Larry - For My Dad - Audio
Right click and Open in New Window to play in the background.
Because the NC-ND license is so popular KGPL is strictly non-commercial so there is no question that it is ok to post NC-ND songs to KGPL.
Lawrence Lessig was a founder of the Creative Commons and his book "Free Culture" is a great read and is available for free under a Creative Commons license. Read "Free Culture" for an in depth review of the ideas presented in this diary.
No other song has penetrated every Gospel niche like "Amazing Grace". It provides an abundance of riches with covers across all popular styles. "Amazing Grace" is like a lens that can be focused on all American musical styles. It is also heavily translated making it one of the most popular Gospel songs worldwide.
While on the "Trail of Tears," the Cherokee were not always able to give their dead a full burial. Instead, they sang a translation (or rather, paraphrase) [of "Amazing Grace"] previously made by Samuel Worcester. For this reason, many contemporary Native American musicians have recorded the song.
Click More info to the right of the youtube video for the lyrics in Cherokee.
Please add your favorite version of Amazing Grace, your story about how gospel music changed your world, or your favorite Gospel songs in the comments.
Oh please let it be true. For those of you unaware of the energy Springsteen brings to an event I can't explain it in words. But Lady Goodman does a pretty good job in her live music review, Springsteen Tears A Hole In The Heartland.
Also Springsteen just did a major project honoring Pete Seeger, troubadour of the American left, who has fought through union battles, civil rights, Vietnam, and struggles to improve the environment.
Imagine this, on the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech Barak Obama has electrified the crowd with his nomination acceptance speech. The Boss takes the stage and starts his show leading the crowd singing "We Shall Overcome". Pete Seeger and Joan Baez join him on the stage.
I got this myspace message from Timo and Saini in Finland.
Hi Hairy Larry,
We found your videos from the internet and have watched them with great enthusiasm and have really enjoyed them. We are a Finnish couple arranging a combined garlic and blues party in August and would like to ask you a great favour and surprise... Is it in any way possible that you could send us a video greeting to be shown during this party? We plan to show some of your videos as well.
Timo Heinänen and Saini Mustalampi
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So I wrote the song and recorded an audio take of it. Click the link if you want to hear the audio version. I don't know how to embed audio. (please help)
Garlic Blues on KGPL
Now, I live in Arkansas, but there was a period of time in my life when I liked nothing better than to get in an old junker and head across the river to Mississippi to enjoy some music. There is something in that North Mississippi hill country Blues that rings my chime.
So please, "Mississippi Goddam" is a song title. Not my sentiments. But what a song.
Nina Simone - Mississippi Goddam
Thanks to Deoliver47 for turning me on to this recording. It is upbeat and Jazzy and devastating. Extremely powerful especially taken in historical context.
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Nina Simone, the High Priestess of Jazz wrote this song. At the top of her lyric sheet she says.
The name of this tune is Mississippi Goddam
And I mean every word of it
Of course not all music that changed the world came from the civil rights movement. And not all was Folk or Blues or Jazz. All types of music have impact and all causes lend themselves to song.
This playlist features some contemporary songwriters playing topical or protest songs.
Here's a 30 minute set that includes topical songs that span a full range of protest from antiwar to antidrug including one that's antidrugwar.
(I added this link because the iframe seems to be intermittent. Has anyone got any help with this?)
My favorite would have to be Uncle Fred's "Two Sets Of Books". In fact I like all of his songs. There's one of mine on the list too, "Flashback", about PTSD.
I broke my gospel Music diary with an autoplay embed in a comment. This made it difficult to hear all the great music other commenters posted. So I have archived the songs here.
Here's a link to the original diary in case you want to read it. Play the music here and add new songs that changed the world to this diary.
And here's Mahalia Jackson and Louis Armstrong bringing New Orleans to the Newport Jazz Festival singing "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" and "When The Saints Go Marching In".
I was fifteen years old. I had my first guitar. I was learning some folk songs. And I was listening to Pete Seeger.
How many thousands of musicians were inspired by Pete Seeger? How many millions have sung his songs?
My favorite Pete Seeger song is "Where Have All The Flowers Gone". I still play it today. In a sense it's a perfect model for music that changed the world because it's a pretty little ditty with a strong antiwar twist at the end. You love it as a pretty song and then you learn from it. Because to change the world you have to change people.
Pete Seeger said it this way.
Some may find them [songs] merely diverting melodies. Others may find them incitements to Red revolution. And who will say if either or both is wrong? Not I.
I saw this show on AETN and I really liked it. If you think of kos' new book, "Taking On The System", as a toolkit for activists this film is a toolkit for how to change the world with music.
And a few more versions of "Where Have All The Flowers Gone".
Hi Larry, just got back from our amazing 'DESTINY' tour around the South West of England. Here is the link for our new LIVE video at YouTube. The track is 'BEE MY HONEY' from the Cutting The Mustard CD. Hope you and all my friends at Delta Boogie enjoy it.
We are on tour again in October 2008. In the meantime, keep on rocking those blues in Arkansas, your musical buddy from the UK, Pete Mitchell. http://www.stratmaster.co.uk
Few singers know as many paths to the heart as Van Morrison. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has spent most of the past five decades seeking and discovering new inroads to that spiritual core.
By the time he rose to the fore of Britain’s nascent blues-rock scene as leader of Them, Morrison had already pulled years in the trenches, singing skiffle, country and rhythm and blues tunes with some of Belfast’s cagiest combos. He’s journeyed far and wide since, but inevitably, the man Bob Geldof called “the one true genius in Irish music” has invariably come back to the philosophy summed up in the title of his new Lost Highway album -- Keep It Simple.
“It’s just a song about how everything’s gotten now so complex and how things have become so complicated and nothing’s easy to do anymore,” Morrison says of the title track, a statement of purpose that helps define the disc. “So the song’s a kind of prayer – or what have you – let’s hope we can get back to something simple, otherwise, we’re screwed.”
Keep It Simple is practically bursting with declarations that listeners don’t need to submit to that sort of treatment -- and, for those willing to delve beneath the surface, it’s also peppered with bits of counsel about breaking free from it. He serves notice of his intentions from the get-go, opening Keep It Simple with the low-slung, harmonica-laced “How Can a Poor Boy” -- on which Morrison preaches the blues to the great unwashed, fully aware that he’s taking on non-believers, but willing to believe that his message will hit home with at least a few of them.
That attitude pervades Keep It Simple, a disc rife with eureka moments and instantly relatable emotion. On “School of Hard Knocks,” Morrison offers a challenge to anyone who hasn’t been educated in that hardscrabble fashion, waxing slyly pugnacious but tempering the gruffness with a gently swinging melody nudged forward by his languid delivery. On “Don’t Go to Nightclubs Anymore,” an organ-drenched slow-burner that offers a no-regrets look back at days (and late nights) of yore, he adopts a bloodied-but-unbowed tone that anyone with closing-time battle scars will certainly understand.
That depth of feeling has characterized Morrison’s records from day one. Whether sojourning into improvised music’s outer limits on the classic 1968 song cycle Astral Weeks (which scored the number-two spot on Mojo magazine’s 100 Best Albums of All Time) or wrapping listeners in the reflected warmth of 1970’s Moondance, he’s never shied away from pouring blood, sweat and tears into every note.
Passion may well be the only given when it comes to Van Morrison’s work, though. He’s explored his Celtic roots extensively -- most notably on 1974’s Veedon Fleece -- and ventured deeply into the realm of spirituality. That spirituality permeated much of his work in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, albums like Poetic Champions Compose and Common One, the latter of which the legendary critic Lester Bangs classified as “holy music.”
That phrase could easily be attached to just about everything Morrison has created since. While he ventured away from the overtly spiritual on discs like Too Long In Exile (on which he teamed with kindred spirit John Lee Hooker) and the jazzy How Long Has This Been Going On (a collection that teamed him with longtime foil Georgie Fame), he’s remained dogged in expressing his spirit -- whatever the means of delivery.
“It’s not going to be the same every time – you have to go through the ups and downs,” is how Morrison details his own modus operandi. “It’s ups and downs, death and rebirth. It’s not going to be easy -- unless you want to be doing the same thing at the same level all the time. I’m not relying on what I did years ago. I’m not a greatest hits act. That’s the difference between me and most of what’s going on in pop music.”
That’s certainly evident throughout Keep It Simple, a self-produced collection that points up Morrison’s awareness that the details are every bit as important as the big picture. The elegiac underpinnings of “Song of Home” are underscored by both the gospel-tinged backing vocals and spare instrumentation redolent of a misty heath -- elements that, tweaked ever so slightly, imbue the hazy “No Thing” with a good-naturedly bone-weary vibe. On the other hand, he and his core band open things up to great effect on the spiraling “That’s Entrainment,” a song that Morrison illuminates with precision.
“’Entrainment’ is when you connect -- when you connect with the music,” says Morrison, whose connective aptitude has earned him such honors as enshrinement in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and the Irish Music Hall of Fame, in which he was the first inductee. “’Entrainment’ is really what I’m getting at in the music – where I’m able to do what I used to call my thing. Entrainment is based on accessing a sort of hypnotic kind of thing – not stage hypnosis, but more like tying in with the music. Its kind of when you’re in the present moment – you’re here – with no past or future.”
As anyone who’s paid attention over the years can attest, Van Morrison has plenty of both. A quiver stocked with classic songs covering everything from Celtic soul to jazz to country standards attests to the former. And the latter? Well, one spin of Keep It Simple proves that Van Morrison is sailing ever forward, but unlike The Flying Dutchman, he leaves no doom in his wake, only soul and healing. The man himself, of course, would put it more simply.
“People don’t remember what you did, or what happened, or how you got here,” he says. “I didn’t get here the easy way. It’s people who don’t know me. They don’t actually look at what this guy’s actually been through. They see the big versions of what’s supposed to be me – but they don’t know my biography really. That’s what this whole record’s about.”
Ways Not To Lose, the 2006 debut from the Wood Brothers had, in a sense, been a lifetime in the making—the first public collaboration between vocalist and guitarist Oliver Wood, who fronts Atlanta-based blues band King Johnson, and upright bassist Chris Wood, of the long-running, genre-blasting trio Medeski Martin and Wood. As players, they displayed an easy-going virtuosity; as siblings, they had an extraordinary rapport. Their folk and acoustic blues tunes, tinged with gospel hopefulness and country melancholy, were welcomed like old friends by both fans and pundits. National Public Radio named their debut disc one of their top ten discoveries that year. Rolling Stone declared, “The flip, easygoing party music on ‘Lose’ disguises sneakily deep inquiries into what it means to be alive, struggle with temptation, and every once in a while seek some truth.”
With Loaded, the Wood Brothers engage in a more expansive musical dialogue that commenced well before they hit the studio; they collaborated for the first time on writing material together. John Medeski, returning as producer, got into the mix as the songs were just taking shape, and he plays keyboards on several tracks. The crew, working at a studio near Woodstock, New York, opened up the sessions to other musicians and friends—singers Amos Lee, Pieta Brown and Frazey Ford, steel guitarist Darick Campbell, violinists David Mansfield and Jennifer Choi, cellist David Eggar, drummers Billy Martin and Kenny Wolleson, and percussionist Donnie McCormick—making this a more fleshed-out, multi-layered band effort compared to the spare, live-in-the-studio approach of Ways Not To Lose.
Oliver still does the lead singing, in a voice that is, by turns, weathered, wounded or yearning, but Chris takes his first lead-vocals turn at the mic on the gentle “Don’t Look Back,” bolstered by Frazey Ford of Canadian roots music trio The Be Good Tanyas. Jokes Chris, “After being in an instrumental band for eighteen years, it was pretty weird to be stuck in front a microphone. When MMW fans see us play, they say, that’s the first time I ever heard you speak, much less sing.”
“We initially just brought our songs and our musicianship to the table,” continues Chris, “We had a chemistry that was good and we captured that on the first record. It’s been almost two years now and, having played constantly for the last two years together and written things together, we’ve just evolved. We have different things to say, different things are happening in our lives, and we combined our efforts much more. That combined voice has taken us to a different place and this record illustrates that.”
Songwriting, as well as playing gigs, became an important connection for the brothers, as Oliver explains, “Chris and I live pretty far apart, so unless we’re on the road, we really don’t see each other. A lot of times one of us will start a song, introduce some music or some lyric. It took a little while, but we got used to the idea of getting the other person involved to where both of us have our hearts invested in a song. That’s a different feeling than, ‘Hey, here’s my song, let’s play it together.’ It’s different for both of us to have something at stake there.”
Most importantly, their songwriting and playing got them through some tough times for their family, Oliver says, “We lost our mom last spring to ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was deteriorating over the last year or two, so we couldn’t help but have that influence what we were feeling and what we were writing about. It’s a unique situation because we are working together, but we’re also family, so we were both hit in kind of the same way by the passing of our mom. That definitely shows up in the music quite a bit.”
Loaded is bookended with a pair of wistful tunes, ”Lovin’ Arms” and “Still Close,” that address loss but also hint at spiritual regeneration. That’s a theme that recurs throughout the album. For the Wood Brothers, the blues offer solace from downheartedness; there’s a soulful quality in their work that grows increasingly compelling—not to mention, comforting—the more familiar these songs become. “Postcards From Hell” takes the Robert Johnson legend and flips it, telling the story of a singer who manages to keep his sound pure by closely guarding his soul. “Pray Enough” brings humor to a gospel exhortation, with label-mate Amos Lee joining in on backup vocals. (Lee reappears later in the album to swap verses of Jimi Hendrix’s “Angel” with Oliver.) And there’s real tenderness to “Walkaway,” an understatedly arranged breakup number in shuffle time, with drums from Chris’s MMW band-mate Billy Martin.
Along with “Angel,” the Wood Brothers cover the traditional “Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor,” turning it into a loose back-porch jam highlighted by Donnie McCormick who adds vocals and percussion by rhythmically scratching the wires of a chicken coop (“with no chickens in it,” Oliver hastens to add). The lilting melody of Bob Dylan’s “Buckets Of Rain” unfolds in a beautiful slo-mo tempo, with Oliver playing stop-start guitar leads. He hesitates before singing each line, as if he’s pulling poetry right out of the air. Says Chris, “Oliver has a magical way of playing behind the beat, an amazing laid back thing, one of those indescribable things that you can’t teach. Either you’ve got it or you don’t.”
Though the pair had a good time in the studio with their extended lineup, they plan to hit the road again simply as a duo. Multi-tasking on their individual instruments, they can cook up a mighty groove or create a seriously laid-back mood. Oliver admits, “There is something special about performing as a duo, a uniqueness to it, whereas oftentimes a group with drums and keyboards doesn’t stand out as much. In some ways we really stand out as a duo, making a whole bunch of a racket with just the two of us.”
Chris concurs: “There is a certain flexibility we have as just the two of us that we are learning to take advantage of more and more. When you don’t have a drummer back there, you can really play with the rhythm, slow down a phrase or speed it up, and be more liquid that way.”
Expect to see—and hear—a lot more of the Wood Brothers this year, on tour and on Loaded. And count on being treated like family.
Over the years I've made no secret of my very narrow minded views when it comes to the blues. Yes, I do understand that interpretation deviates, but on the other hand, the more it does the less I usually like it. Therefore, you can just imagine what went through my mind when I saw the name ZEN BLUES QUARTET. Taking into consideration the definition of the word "Zen", and knowing that it's also a slang street name for lysergic acid diethylamide - more commonly referred to as LSD - I couldn't help but wonder what kind of far out interpretation I was about to hear. Then the first track, "WHAT A LIFE", began to play and all my fears were immediately dispersed. This was going to be a good trip after all.
The ZEN BLUES QUARTET consists of: MIKE FINNIGAN on the B3 Organ, Keyboards and Vocals; JOHN MARCH on Guitar; TIM SCOTT on Bass and Vocals; and STEVE FERRONE on Drums. Special guests on "AGAIN AND YET AGAIN" include: BILL CHURCHVILLE, Trumpet and Horn Arrangements; REV. DAVE BORUFF, Alto and Tenor Saxophones; ED WYNN, Tenor and baritone saxophones - collectively known as the L. A. HORNS; CARMEN GRILLO, Background Vocals; CURTIS SALGADO, Harmonica; and MARTY GREBB, Rhodes Piano.
"AGAIN AND YET AGAIN" consists of several band originals mixed in with an interesting blend of covers that you might not necessarily hear from a blues band. The result is an outstanding merge of blues, soul, funk and R&B. Let me tell you a bit about a few of my personal favorites.
The disc opens with one of the originals, "WHAT A LIFE", which had me saying "what a song!" Of course, several listens to this one were required. During the first few, focusing on what I needed to say and typing while snapping my fingers were quite difficult. This one features everyone. The L. A. Horns are hot, ditto for Tim and Steve on rhythm, the vocals and vocal harmony are prominent and MIKE'S just destroying the keyboards. Possibly the best cut on the disc.
Another band original is "I`VE HAD HARDER TIMES FROM BETTER WOMEN THAN YOU". Listening to these lyrics has me thinking that if this dude has had harder times than this, his choice of women needs to be questioned. The feeding off of each other that JOHN and CURTIS get into on guitar and harp, along with great horn work led by fierce trumpet playing from BILL, highlight this one.
"SAME OLD BLUES" is an absolutely splendid version of the song that was written by Don Nix, performed by many and made popular by Freddie King. This Ray Charles sounding number is all about the vocals and the keyboards - especially the piano.
The bands connections to Tower of Power and the Average White Band are very evident on "POWERFUL STUFF". This is rhythm and blues precisely the way it's supposed to be done. It's this type of stuff that every music student should be made to listen to. The only way to properly compliment this track is to say it is a perfectly written, perfectly sung and perfectly performed song.....THIS is powerful stuff!
"SECRETS BEST KEPT" is an instrumental that by rearranging the words in the title may very well describe the ZEN BLUES QUARTET - the blues' "best kept secret". "AGAIN AND YET AGAIN" should change that. This track, backed up by the rhythm section in a tight jam, features some of JOHN'S best guitar work.
It took getting all the way to the closing, and title track, to finally hear what I would call "Zen" music. No further explanation necessary.
It's only five weeks and three reviews into the new year, but if the type of stuff I've been listening to thus far is any indication of what's yet to come, then bring it on.
Please check out the ZEN BLUES REVIEW by clicking onto http://www.zenbluesmusic.com. While you're there, in addition to buying the disc, read the bands bios - you'll be quite impressed. And don't forget to let them know that Blewzzman's the reason you stopped by.
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at http://www.Mary4Music.com where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com
Well the forum is working anyway. I've opened up the Music Forum so you can register and post immediately. Read the Sticky if you want to be able to post always.
It took about two hours for the forum to get all spammed up again. If you want to post, register and then send me your username in an email. Send it to
hairylarry@deltaboogie.com
This way only real people post and not spambots.
Lot of good stuff in here. Browse around and enjoy.
Music News Nashville - Newsletter For January 7, 2008
Welcome. This is the first issue of the New Year and we hope to make it better each time to keep providing you with the information about the music industry in and of Nashville. We hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year with friends and family, enjoying the best the holidays had to offer.
Make sure to check out MNN later in the week when we'll be posting more photos, more interviews, more article and more CD reviews. And check out the LATEST NEWS section daily for what's happening in the music industry in Nashville.
Also, please visit our MySpace page at www.MySpace.com/musicnewsnashville. We'd love to have you as one of our friends.
Rock-A-Billy by Billy Weir
A Slice Of Rock 'n Roll History & More
Billy Weir contacted me through Delta Boogie when researching this book. Although it is entirely autobiographical he was trying to make sure all the facts were right. Although I wasn't very much help to him he still sent me a copy of the book when it came out.
Billy Weir played with Harold Jenkins before he bacame Conway Twitty. After his tour with Jenkins he continued playing in and around Memphis in a variety of bands including the Thomas Wayne band that promoted his hit "Tragedy". That band had Scotty Moore on guitar and Joe Lee on saxophone.
The book is a quick breezy read. Weir writes well occasionally flashing back to a pertinent reminisce while telling a story but always returning to the story after the reader has benefitted from his recollection.
My favorite part is when he was touring with Jenkins. These were young all American boys playing music and having fun. He said since they didn't smoke, drink, or gamble that left them plenty of time to meet girls.
Imagine my surprise when I turned the page and there was a picture of my friend, Joe Lee, signing autographs with Scotty Moore. There is also a picture of the whole Thomas Wayne band rocking out. You can't see Joe's face in this picture but you can tell he's rocking on a sax solo leaning way back with the bell of the saxophone high in the air.
Since then Weir has learned to play guitar and bass. (He learned guitar from Scotty Moore!) He has been in a number of country and vocal harmony bands. Now he runs Gumball Studio in Hickory Withe, Tennessee. This back cover text says it all.
"Billy grabbed a piece of history in the early days of Rock n Roll, and is not content to let go, even today. He still ripples the water, but now it's with new, and old artists that want to make their own history."
If you're interested in the early days of Rock n Roll, or if you're a fan of Conway Twitty or the Memphis Sound, then you will enjoy this book. Billy Weir was there when it happened playing his part and playing it well.
CHARLES "BIG DADDY" STALLINGS is one heck of an interesting musician. Although there's no questioning his musical talent, nor his ability to sing and play the blues, his eccentric style seems to create a genre of it's own. I discovered this charismatic character back in 2005, when he blew me away with his first release, "ONE NIGHT LOVER". Now he's back, doing the same non-concentric work on fifteen songs with equally as many different styles.
Once again, CHARLES is surrounded by quite an entourage of talent on "BLUES EVOLUTION". On guitar and vocals, and having written, produced and arranged all the tracks, CHARLES "BIG DADDY" STALLINGS is joined by: BILL PRATT on drums, keyboards, organ, strings and background vocals; TOMMY GUN & RON JENKINS on drums; GLENN WORKMAN on piano and organ; RONALD BLAND on bass and guitar solo; GAIL PARRISH on bass; JOE "E FLAT" THOMAS on sax; KELVIN ONEAL on trumpet and background vocals; MARK WENNER, RICH SAMPSON & STEVE LEVINE on harp; STERLING PETTERSON on guitar solo; JOE THOMAS, ALEYSHIA STALLINGS & QUESSE STALLINGS on background vocals; DEBORAH BROWN & MILVIA BRUNEL as the "female voices". Gee, that's about as many people as you'll see at Camden Yards for an Orioles home game.
"BLUES EVOLUTION", as eluded to earlier, contains fifteen original tracks that range from full blown horn blowin' boogie to good ol' harp blowin' down home blues, from the sounds of Soul Train to the sounds of futuristic funk, from disco dance songs to cowboy dance songs and from instrumental concertos to booty slappin' rap. You think I'm kiddin? Come along and listen..........
After a short intro, the blues party kicks off with "LET'S BOOGIE". This is a smokin', four and a half minute instrumental that eventually gets around to featuring each and every instrument in the band. And as you'd expect, everyone's peaking. An absolutely perfect way to start things off.
"GOING DOWN SOUTH" also goes down a few decibels......quite a few. It's a bluesy track which features some sharp harp work by MARK WENNER and great rhythm by GAIL & RON. The lyrics on this one, aside from being very well sung, are totally bizarre....I'm not even going to attempt to explain them.
"HARD TIMES / GOOD TIMES" is pretty much the best down home blues track on the disc. Once again, along with some smooth piano by GLENN, MARK'S harp is the highlight on this one.
All of us who have been working hard at keeping the blues alive will be happy to know that it's survived to the year "2999". The very clever lyrics on this one are about some very disappointed Martians who greet a bunch of earthlings arriving on their planet - but they didn't bring any blues music with them. It seems these Martians are blues fans and were hoping to hear Jimmy Reed, B B King and others. Great song!
"CHA CHA 3000" is an outstanding instrumental. The contrast, or dare I say the clashing of instruments on this track is amazing. At times, the piano and organ playing of GLENN and BILL make you think you're listening to the soundtrack of a 1940's Oscar winning movie, then the harp of STEVE LEVINE blatantly takes over and completely changes the sound, but yet things remain constant. This all happens while the rhythm section of GAIL and RON make you feel like you're watching Ricky Ricardo at the Copa Cabana. If none of that made sense to you, you need to hear this track.
Some of CHARLES' best vocals and guitar work can be heard on "STRANGE THINGS". This one is good ol' straight up, in your face, it don't get any better than this, Chicago Blues.
Other tracks, which you'll no doubt enjoy but I just don't have the space to cover are: "BLUES TRAIN EXPRESS", "BLUES LINE DANCE", "BLUES COWBOY", "HOBBSVILLE # 2", "BOOTY SLAPPIN", "HAND DANCIN", "HOLA SENIORITA" and "THANK-YOU BOOGIE".
If you've yet to discover CHARLES "BIG DADDY" STALLINGS, it's time you have. This cat is a little bizarre, a little humorous, a little delirious, a little facetious, a little farcical, but when you get right down to it, CHARLES "BIG DADDY" STALLINGS is a lot entertaining.
Check him out at www.bigdaddystallings.com. While you're there, tell him you heard the Blewzzman talkin' 'bout him and grab yourself a few CD's as well.
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at www.Mary4Music.com where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com
Lead Guitar, Bass and Drums - it just doesn't get any more basic than that -there you have your fundamental three piece blues band. However, when that three piece blues band is the BLUEHOUSE BAND, the words basic and fundamental seem to take on whole new meanings.
The BLUEHOUSE BAND consists of ROBBIE ALTAR on Lead Guitar and Vocals, RICHIE GOLDMAN on Bass Guitar, Bass Fiddle and Vocals and BOBBY "BBG" GOLDMAN on Drums and Spoons. Special guests on individual tracks of "WHO'S IN THE HOUSE?" are: HOLLY DOHERTY on Vocals, BRYAN BASSETT on Slide Guitar, MICHAEL MARCIANO on Harp and the MOUNT BETHEL MUSIC MINISTRY CHOIR.
Local three piece bands, especially those who's members all have successful day jobs - as ALTAR, RICHIE and BBG do - are usually content with playing covers from the slew of artists available. Not these guys. On "WHO'S IN THE HOUSE?", their debut release, all thirteen tracks, except for the 40 seconds of "Over the Rainbow" used as the intro on "BLUESMAN TIM", are band originals.
"WHO'S IN THE HOUSE" opens with a dynamite track appropriately titled "DYNOMITE". It's a total all out, no holds barred jam, in which the guys waste no time letting you know they can kick some musical ass. It's pretty much what you should expect to hear lots more of on the next dozen tracks - and that's a good thing.
BLUEHOUSE gets into more of a traditional mode on "MAYBE SOMEDAY". With RICHIE and BBG locked into a smooth groove on bass and drums, ALTAR (as he likes to be called) cuts it loose with lots of sharp blues guitar highlights and excellent vocal work.
To say that "BANG, BANG, BANG" totally rips is extremely understating it. This one's like "Helter Skelter" taking a ride in a "Hot Rod Lincoln". It features some of the best, and certainly the most furious rhythm on the track, it's got MICHAEL blowing some ferocious wind into the harp and ALTAR at his discs best on vocals. WARNING: Listening to this track while driving may result in speeding citations - do so at your own risk!
The title says it all on "JUMPIN", and unless you're in a coma, that's exactly what this track will have you doin'. No further explanation necessary for this one.
If you've ever traveled Highway I-95, there's absolutely no doubt in my mind that you've been in some type of horrific situation that made you think "There's got to be a blues song in here somewhere". Well, BLUEHOUSE wrote it - "I-95" - and the lyrics could not have been more perfect.
Some of the discs best harmony can be heard on "GIMME THE NEWS", which features HOLLY DOHERTY on vocals and backup vocals. Unfortunately, the song is short and it's HOLLY'S only appearance. However, if she impresses you as much as she did me, you'll hit replay at least 4-5 times. HOLLY'S, sharp, strong and sure vocals highlight this one.
Having known the person that the next song is dedicated to - "BLUESMAN TIM" - makes it a bit special. Before moving on to that Big Blues Club in the sky, TIM pretty much never missed a live BLUEHOUSE show . And, if ALTAR, RICHIE and BBG have anything to say about it, he never will. The guys wrote this song in his memory and play it at every gig making sure, that even if it's in spirit only, TIM will always be at their shows. This hot Gospel Blues track is highlighted by ALTAR'S vocals and guitar, the back up vocals of the MOUNT BETHEL MUSIC MINISTRY CHOIR and smokin' rhythm that I'm sure will have you throwin' your hands in the air for TIM.
Over the last few years I have had the pleasure of being at many of this bands live performances. From experience, let me tell you that the BLUEHOUSE BAND is a powerhouse trio that will rock your house.
Stop by www.bluehouseband.com and tell the guys that their friend the Blewzzman sent you. Of course, while your there, I'd recommend you add a copy of "WHO'S IN THE HOUSE?" to your CD collection.
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at www.Mary4Music.com where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com
Music News Nashville (http://www.musicnewsnashville.com)
October 15, 2007
Volume 2, Issue 18
Welcome...
The new issue of the Music News Nashville newsletter is waiting for
you at http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/newsletter/current.htm.
How does an Asian tour make you Delirious? LeAnn and Family...
Hitting the streets. Are The Wreckers wrecked? To answer these
questions and more, visit the newsletter link above or check out the
main magazine pages at http://www.musicnewsnashville.com.
We have a number of new contests and giveaways, including a Bahamas
Cruise and Stay, an iPod from Faith Hill and an iPhone from Dolly
Parton.
There are new articles, CD reviews, interviews, photos and more on
the magazine website. Make sure to bookmark
http://www.musicnewsnashville.com and visit it daily for the latest in
country music news.
What to know what's going on in Nashville and Atlanta? Visit the
SHOWCASES AND EVENTS page, along with the THIS WEEK IN NASHVILLE and
THIS WEEK IN ATLANTA under the EVENTS button on the magazine website
to find out where to go for hot music in Nashville and Atlanta.
Also, check out our MySpace page at
http://www.myspace.com/musicnewsnashville. We'd love to have you as
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We are having fun and im writing songs/ blues for the Don Meehans Doucadrama 99 years about his nephew that is serving time in a Texas Prison, 99 years (Hes been in 10 years already)
We drive up to Strawberry Az. today till mon afternoon then back here to Mesa. The weather here in not bad but it will be a lot cooler up north in Strawberry.
Don has retired after getting 22 gold records in his 45 years at Columbia/ Sony stuidos in NYC recording acts like Bob Dylan, Striesand, Tony Bennett, Bruce Springsteen and and the other big acts..
Thinking of you ,
Love,
Matt & Barb
Matt Lucas
http://www.rockabillyeurope.com?reviews/mattlucassaddle.htm
http://tenonine.com./
http://deltaboogie.com/bandpages/bandpage.php?band=mattlucas
http://www.deltaboogie.com/mattsnotes/index.htm
http://www.artisthosting.net/Matt%20Lucas/
http://members.aol.com/Zeeuw1/lucas.htm
http://www.deltaboogie.com/mattlucas
http://www.rockabilly.nl/artists/mattlucas.htm
http://www.bluepower.com
http://members.aol.com/Zeeuw4/LucasDisc.htm
http://www.jerryosborne.com/9-16-02.htm
http://widmarcs.com/slhf/Certificates/Matt%20Lucas.htm
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/MattLucas.html
Music News Nashville (http://www.musicnewsnashville.com)
September 17, 2007
Volume 2, Issue 16
Welcome...
The new issue of the Music News Nashville newsletter is waiting for
you at http://www.musicnewsnashville.com/newsletter/current.htm.
Who is Keith Stegall and what does he love? Should music have
boundaries? Where does Lee Gibson want to be? To answer these
questions, visit Music News Nashville's latest issue.
Make sure to check out the new link for GAC's Top Twenty Countdown on
the front page (left). Watch GAC's top twenty videos for the week. We
are also working to bring you additional videos, so stay tuned...
There are new articles, CD reviews, interviews, photos and more on
the magazine website. Make sure to bookmark
http://www.musicnewsnashville.com and visit it daily for the latest in
country music news.
Make sure to visit the SHOWCASES AND EVENTS page, along with the THIS
WEEK IN NASHVILLE and THIS WEEK IN ATLANTA under the EVENTS button on
the magazine website to find out where to go for hot music in
Nashville and Atlanta.
Also, check out our MySpace page at
http://www.myspace.com/musicnewsnashville. We'd love to have you as
one of our friends.
Naming his newest release "SIDE STREET BOOGIE", is TOMMY KEYS' way of paying tribute to all of the so called "off the beaten path" nightclubs, juke joints, barrelhouses and theaters. The ones you find down the side streets and alleyways of the inner city. There, is where TOMMY feels art and music are at their raw best.
Interestingly enough, I was able to relate to TOMMY'S thoughts on that matter as I listened to the boogie woogie music on the opening track. I was immediately reminded of a day, many years ago, when I was exploring the side streets in New Orleans. It was down one of those alleyways where I discovered an obscure "hole in the wall" where the Legendary "Al Broussard" was working his magic on no more than a hand full of very happy listeners. That afternoon turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip, and recalling it makes me understand exactly how TOMMY feels.
On "SIDE STREET BOOGIE", TOMMY KEYS plays the piano, harmonica, bass, drums and percussion, and he sings all the songs, of which half of them are TOMMY KEYS originals. Damn Tommy, make a guy envious - why dontcha? On three tracks he's joined by KEN "THE ROCKET" KORB on harmonica, AL HENNEBORN on drums, MIRANDA GATEWOOD on bass, and MIKE DE LUCA on pedal steel.
On "RUM BOOGIE WOOGIE", you can forget about all those other things TOMMY'S playin' - this one's all about him and his piano. If large doses of robust barrelhouse blues get you moving, then clear the dance floor 'cause here you come. On this track, TOMMY'S puttin' out some of his best stuff.....vocally and instrumentally.
TOMMY'S expertise on the harp has "SINGING THE BLUES" sounding like some good ole Chicago Blues. One of TOMMY'S inspirations - Pinetop Perkins - is clearly in his thoughts on this one. This is the one and only track that features AL HENNEBORN and MIRANDA GATEWOOD, and they provide an excellent groove on rhythm.
"LAZY DAY BLUES", and "BLUE MOON RIVER" are two tracks that are pure listening pleasure. The first one being an instrumental which just kinda pushes you back in your chair, makes you close your eyes and before you know it, you're seeing TOMMY'S hands softly and precisely pressing every key. The second one has a very similar effect with the extra added pleasure of hearing TOMMY'S exceptional voice perfectly sing this song.
A disc of this nature just couldn't have been produced without including "WHEN THE SAINT'S COME MARCHING IN". You can actually hear the fun you know TOMMY's having playing this one.
Another very well done ballad is "A SONG FOR YOU" which once again features TOMMY'S amazing voice. Adding to this one's highlights are the wonderful sound that MIKE DE LUCA produces on the pedal steel. Hearing more of MIKE could make me a fan of an instrument I've never quite been all that fond of. This is good stuff.
Other tracks on "SIDE STREET BOOGIE" include "HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE", "OH MARIE", "BOOGIE MAN", "ALL MY LIFE", "FOUR UNTIL LATE" and "EARLY IN THE MORNING".
New Yorkers and Long Islanders - or as those of us from there may say, "Nu Yawkers and Lawng Eyelanders" - are more likely to see TOMMY than the rest of the world, but you can all check him out at www.tommykeys.com. While you're there, make yourself happy and pick up a copy of "SIDE STREET BOOGIE". Make me happy as well by telling TOMMY that Pete the Blewzzman - from Hicksville L. I. sent ya.
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at http://www.Mary4Music.com where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com
Although this is the first review of a CHARLES BURTON release, regular and attentive readers of Mary4Music.com reviews may recall having heard his name mentioned here before. CHARLES appeared as a guest guitarist on Michele Lundeen's 2005 release, "Song Inside Me", reviewed here back in 2005. Back then, I only got to hear him on 2-3 tracks, now I get to appreciate him even more.
On "I WOULDN'T LIE TO YOU", an all originals disc, CHARLES BURTON, on vocals and guitar, is joined by EDUARDO SABOGAL on drums and RICK NASH and STEVE WELLS on bass.
The disc opens with the title track, "I WOULDN'T LIE TO YOU". Now I don't know about you, but whenever I hear that line, I can't help but think it's a lie in itself. As a matter of fact, that line should be right up there with the two other biggest lies in the world....."the check is in the mail" and .......oh never mind, you get my drift. On this track CHARLES appears to be telling some hot babe the many different ways that her boyfriend is mistreating her - in hopes that she'll go home with him instead. Wait a minute.....who's the real snake here? Great rhythm from STEVE and EDUARDO behind some great guitar highlights by CHARLES already have me thinking this may be one of the best tracks on the disc.
Jazz, and blues fans alike, will appreciate the instrumental track titled "CUBA". This one's all about CHARLES and his guitar. It's four and a half minutes of absolute skillful mastery over an instrument.
Very sharp drum work by EDUARDO leads the band in several tight grooves on "YOU CAN'T TREAT ME THAT WAY", "BIG EYES", "THIS LITTLE NUMBER" and "I HAD TO PULL HER OVER". These tracks pretty much emulate what this band is all about. You've got three very talented musicians doing what they do best- laying down tight rhythm, putting on virtuoso guitar performances and singing perfect sounding vocals. No trickery necessary!
If you think that a title like "MY BABY DON'T LOVE ME" might be some low down dirty blues song, then we think alike. Happily, that's exactly what it is - the kind of stuff that lights my blues flame. CHARLES nails the mood with the vocal tempo and the blues licks on guitar are the best on the disc. This is good stuff.
Another instrumental, this one titled "SWING", has me very impressed. As proficient as this band is musically, I find myself uncharacteristically thinking I could easily enjoy many more of these instrumentals. Not since Ronnie Earl has a guitar player impressed me as much as CHARLES BURTON is now doing.
Other tracks on "I WOULDN'T LIE TO YOU" include "HOW WE DO IT DOWNTOWN", "BLOCK PARTY", "SEE MY BABY and "I'D LIKE TO KNOW".
I've said this before and I'll say it again. if you're going to make it as a three piece band, you better be damn good, and THE CHARLES BURTON BLUES BAND is damn good. Check them out at http://www.charlesburton.com and tell them the Blewzzman is talkin' 'bout 'em.
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at http://www.Mary4Music.com where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com
Recordings like this are not only a pleasure to listen to, but they're a pleasure to write about as well. It's so easy for the thoughts to flow and the words to come when your listening to sheer perfection. The need for creativity doesn't exist - that's all been taken care of by the artist.
My love affair with the ladies of song started out at a very young age, as I grew up listening to my father playing his Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald records, and it's continued through the decades right up to my current attraction for gals - who are all better than the guys - on American Idol. Now that blues is my passion, it seems the passion is still there for the ladies - enter JULIE BLACK.
On her debut CD, "CALL ME ANGEL FOR BLUES", JULIE BLACK is absolutely flawless. The confidence she has in her own vocal ability, the emotions with which those vocals are delivered and the talent she has for songwriting, are incomparable. Add to that the versatility to sing soulful, country, rock, jazz, Gospel and down home styles of blues with equally masterful results, and you've got the total package.
On "CALL ME ANGEL FOR BLUES", JULIE BLACK on vocals, is joined by: MICHAEL JOHNN on keyboards; DAVE EICHENBERGER on electric guitar; BILL SPICUGLIA on bass; MIKE THOMAS on drums and tambourine; MARK MURRAY on acoustic, electric slide and bass guitars; D. W. GILL on harmonica and saxophone; DENNIS MCCARTHY on drums and acoustic guitar; THOMAS J. HAMILTON on bass and bongos; HERMAN ANDERSON on electric guitar; DONNY KURYLIW on back up vocals.
"BIGGER FOOL FOR ME" opens the disc and JULIE'S voice immediately impresses you. Her range, on this somewhat of a country blues track, is very impressive. The electric guitar and funky bass playing by MARK and the blowing of the harp by D. W. also highlight the track.
JULIE'S smooth and sassy delivery of "FEELIN' STRANGE" gives the impression that, rather than listening to a young, up and coming starlet, you might just be listening to a seasoned jazz lounge singer. The soft and very tight sound the bands putting out behind her helps paint the picture.
When "MY DOGGIE DON'T" starts playing, if after 3 seconds you aren't snapping your fingers or tapping your toes - call a doctor. Man this one's hot. I'm sure the replay buttons gonna get some hits before this paragraph's done. On this jazzed up tune, JULIE is exquisite. The combination of D. W. and MICHAEL on sax and piano, the hot rhythm of BILL and MIKE and the great guitar work by HERMAN and DAVE help make this one of the discs very best tracks.
"BLUES LIKE ME" stopped me in my tracks. Since you can't type while tapping both feet and snapping fingers on both hands, I just gave up, sat back and thoroughly enjoyed another magnificent track.
MICHAEL and DAVE are at their peak on guitar and piano on a track that called have easily been called "The Gospel according to Jules". On this track JULIE'S gonna "set you free' and 'liberate your soul" as she goes about her business of "SPREADING THE BLUES". Great range by JULIE and great back up vocals by DONNY on this, another smoking track.
It's all about the vocals and the piano, one equally as sultry as the other on the very sexy "LOVE THIS MAMA". As a matter of fact, if I were to love this mama - this is what I'd want to be listening to as I did so.
"LEAN IN ON ME" is another slow, steamy ballad. She writes them as good as she sings them. This is more of the above with some hot saxophone added.
Other tracks not covered on "CALL ME ANGEL FOR BLUES", but outstanding nevertheless, are "CALL THE CARDS", "HURT MY BABY", "DEVILS CHILD", "BROKEN HEARTED BABY" and "GO AND GET HER".
While visiting JULIE BLACK'S website, I discovered something that excited me as much as "CALL ME ANGEL FOR BLUES" did. That's the fact that in just four weeks, she'll be playing at a nearby club. Needless to say, my reservations are already made. I recommend you take a peek at www.angelforblues.com and do the same. While you're there, tell JULIE she's got the Blewzzman sayin' "WOW!"
BLUE VOODOO joins the fast growing list of bands that are on their second go around here at www.Mary4Music.com reviews. Here it is just thirteen months after enjoying their release called "THE STORM", and this tightly tuned band is once again getting my wires hot with their new release....."HOT WIRE (MY HEART)".
Musician wise, the 2007 version of the band bears only one change. Joining BJ ALLEN who is absolutely outstanding on the vocals are: JERRY FULLER on guitar, piano and organ; JP HURD on bass and harp; and newcomer DAVID DANIELS on drums. Additional guests include JOYCE CARNES and HEATHER SMITH on background vocals and DEREK DANIELS on percussion.
As with their previous release, the band once again succeeds by capitalizing on their strengths.....very well written originals (all twelve tracks), BJ'S very powerful, yet never overpowering voice and the band habitually locking into tight grooves.
"DOIN' SOMEBODY" serves as a great opening track by pretty much featuring all of the band. It's a great taste of what's ahead. JP and DEREK are great together with the rhythm, JERRY'S guitar solos are sharp, the gals on background are meticulously melodic and BJ, as she does on every song, belts her heart out on the vocals.
Some of the best guitar work on "HOT WIRE (MY HEART)" can be heard right here on the title track. This one's all about JP and BJ. He's doin' his damndest to bust some strings while she's wailing out some gut bustin' blues.
"SOUNDS LIKE "L" is a smooth instrumental featuring a nice blend of funk and jazz. It's a completely relaxing number with lots of great rhythm and percussion. It doesn't get any tighter than this.
As the title might indicate, "BLUE AS BLUES CAN GET", is a burning ballad, featuring BJ at her best. JERRY'S soft piano intro, along with JOYCE and HEATHER'S backup vocals, add to this one's highlights. This is the kind of stuff that packs the dance floors.
"NOOSE AROUND YOUR NECK" is fast and funky. As you'd expect, JP and DAVID are on fire and DEREK'S fanning those flames with some furious beating of the congas. On this one BJ's telling her hound dog of a boyfriend that he'd better put a ring on her finger or he's gonna find a noose around his neck. Hmmm, hearing it said that way certainly gives new meaning to choosing the lesser of the two evils.
Other tracks include: "YOUR BLUES ARE MY BLUES NOW", "GYPSY WOMAN", "TOO MUCH TO DO", "PUDDLE OF MUD", "WRITTEN ON MY HEART", "DEEP VALLEY" and "NO RIGHT OR WRONG WAY".
Once again, BLUE VOODOO comes through with another very impressive release. This is the kind of consistency that's absolutely necessary for a band to take it to the next level, and I believe BLUE VOODOO'S got it within reach. Check out BJ and the guys at www.BlueVoodooBlues.com and let her know that she's got the Blewzzman "HOT WIRED"..
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at www.Mary4Music.com where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at Blewzzman@aol.com
Hi Larry, my best wishes from the UK, to you and Vivian, and all the folk and musicians at Delta Boogie. Im back on the road with my 'DRIVE' Band, and I thought you might like to see the new video. Here are a couple of links to it.
The track 'Outside Looking In' is off the CD (Cutting The Mustard) Sincerely hope you enjoy, 'What would we do without our music'??? Kindest Regards, Pete. www.stratmaster.co.uk/drive.htm
A G WEINBERGER
"NASHVILLE CALLING"
BIGFOOT RECORDS
BY PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO, COPYRIGHT 2007
Anyone out there remember a singer - and I use the term loosely - by the name of Bobby Pickett? Here's a hint - the bands name was Bobby "Boris" Pickett & the Crypt Kicker Five. Well back in 1962, and every Halloween since then, he had a hit with a song called "THE MONSTER MASH" - the dance that irked Dracula for replacing his "Transylvania Twist".
Well, they're still dancing in Transylvania, but A G WEINBERGER - "The Transylvanian Bluesman" now has them doing the boogie-woogie to the blues. Apparently, over the last few years, the blues have taken Romania by storm. After listening to "NASHVILLE CALLING", my bets on A G having a lot to do with that.
During his twenty plus years as a musician, singer, song writer, radio host and producer, A G has certainly been involved in his share of musical projects. On his latest effort, "NASHVILLE CALLING" , A G WEINBERGER, on vocals and lead and rhythm guitars is joined by: PAT BUCHANAN on guitars; TONY HARRELL on Hamond B3 and piano; TOMMY MCDONALD on bass; GLEN WORF on upright bass; TOM HAMBRIDGE on drums; DARREN MOTAMEDY on alto and tenor sax; RAY BALDWIN on trumpet and flugelhorn; JACQUIE WARD and MARGO WILLIAMS on background vocals. All twelve very well written tracks are a mix of A G WEINGERGER and TOM ( two time Grammy Nominee) HAMBRIDGE originals. Now lets listen to some of them................
The opening track is an all out jam that quickly gives you an earful of all the talented musicians on the disc. It's a fast paced number called "YOUR GOOD MAN'S GONE" that features everyone. The rhythm is awesome, the horns are hot and in addition to outstanding vocals. A G smokes on guitar. At under three minutes, the track left me wanting a lot more. But, that's Ok, because there certainly is lots more.
"BREAK THE MAN" is a completely opposite track. It's a slow soulful ballad which establishes A G's versatility. Not only can he sing 'em rough and from the gut while wailing on guitar, but he can be soft and soulful while finessing his way around his instrument as well.
Whenever he wants to fill the dance floor, "DON'T KILL THE MELODY IN ME" has got to be A G's go to song. This is one of those oh so slow and sexy kinda songs. TONY'S Hammond playing and A G's soft jazzy guitar are a hit together.
"NOT NO MORE" features A G a la Elvis. It's good ol' rockin' gospel blues that don't get any better than this. The background vocals are masterful and TOM is kickin' it on the drums.
"THE PAIN OF LOSING YOU" is perhaps the most down and dirty blues track on "NASHVILLE CALLING. Saying that is also saying it's unquestionably one of this listener's favorite tracks as well. The guitar work, the vocals and the emotion with which they're delivered astounded me. I'm sure this one will give many replay buttons a workout.
If everything I listen to is as good as "NASHVILLE CALLING" - my first review of 2007 - I'm going to be one happy writer. Check out A G WEINBERGER at www.agweinberger.com and tell Attila that you heard his music's been Blewzz Approved.
This was sent to me as a MySpace comment from Brent Easley.
HEY LARRY THANKS FOR GETTING BACK SO QUICK.
THE MY SPACE MUSIC STORE IS THRU SNOWCAP.COM YOU CAN LOAD UP TO 100 SONGS & SELL THEM TO THE PUBLIC YOU JUST LOAD MP3S THEN SET WHAT PRICE YOU WANT.THEY TAKE CARE OF IT AND TAKE A SMALL AMOUNT OF EACH SELL THEN SEND YOU THE REST IN A CHECK ONCE A MONTH.THEY ASSURE ME YOU ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED AS WELL.
AS FAR AS LOADING MP3S ON MY SPACE IF YOUR ON DIAL UP ITS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE. BUT MAKE SURE THERE NOT TO LONG GO TO EDIT MUSIC & LOAD IS ALL I DO
ROCK ON MAN
BRENT EASLEY
I have loaded videos onto MySpace over dialup with no problems. I imagine the mp3s are about the same. It just takes a long time and sometimes you have to start again.
Here's the MySpace link for Brent Easley and Riff Raff
Although I can sometimes tell after just one listen that I like a CD enough to be able to give it a nice review, most of the times I prefer to listen to it several times before making a qualified decision. On the other hand, with "WHO CALLED THE COPS", after just a few tracks I was ready to start writing - but first, I needed to stop writhing. In just three little words I can tell you what my first impression of this disc was......fun, fun, fun. It's very apparent the band had fun recording it and I can assure you, you'll have fun listening to it.
Inasmuch as I take pride in my originality when writing these reviews, I'll occasionally see a quote in a bands press kit, or at their website, that compels me to use that quote. This description of their style of music was one of those compellers........"A blend of Bourbon Street brass, rolling piano blues and a classic New Orleans beat; this high octane barrelhouse band pumps out psycho boogie, funk and zydeco-blues as if there is no tommorrow". Touche` - the Blewzzman tips his hat to the writer of those words.
This fiesty bunch of players are: PORTERHOUSE BOB, writer of the discs nine original tracks, on vocals and keyboards; MITCH MONTOSE, drums and rubboard; MIKE BARRY, bass; GEORGE PANDIS, trumpet; SCOTTY STRATHMANN, trumpet, trombone and tuba; DAN HEFFERNAN, clarinet, tenor and alto sax; DON ROBERTS, baritone sax; LONNIE JOHNSON, trumpet.
If within 30 seconds of the opening track, "DID YOU CATCH THAT JACK?", you're not shaking or tapping one or more of your body parts - at a feverish pace - you may need to call your doctor. Man, this track rocks. It's a fast and furious Nawlin's swing thing with lots of funky horns that has MITCH and MIKE tearing up the pace on drums and bass.
If you're a mover and a shaker, head to the dance flo' for "TIPPIN' ON FO FO'S". This short but scorching Zydeco instrumental is guaranteed to break a sweat.
"DOWN BY THE WATER" opens with an awesome 90 second trumpet solo before getting downright funky. BOB is outstanding on piano and some Dr. John type vocals and the horn section, led by more great trumpet work and SCOTTY on the tuba, create a great ragtime sound.
There's no other way to describe the next track other than to just tell you it's name - "BIG BOB'S BOOGIE". Backed up with some great bass work, this instrumental is all about BOB and his piano..........
that is until DAN jumps in with some downright kick ass tenor sax.
"WHODOO VOODOO" is all of 63 seconds but what a furious 63 seconds it is. It's a ritual sounding instrumental with a fierce drum beat and wailing trumpets. This one brought to mind about a half a dozen jungle movies.
The title track, "WHO CALLED THE COPS", is all out musical mayhem. BOB is as wild on the vocals as he is on the piano, Mitch and Mike are trying to kick each others butt on rhythm - and they're both succeeding - and the horn section, in an effort to not be outdone, are blowing their brains out. At two and a half minutes, this track is about five minutes too short. I wanted more - lots more - of this. Easily the hottest track on the disc.
Just like the steak, PORTER HOUSE BOB and the band are excellent, right DOWN TO THE BONE. Check the guys out at
http://www.porterhousebob.com
and tell them you heard from the Blewzzman that they throw one hell of a party.
This review has been complimentary written for your newsletter by Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro, a contributing writer for BLUESWAX and the Blues Editor at
http://www.Mary4Music.com
where you can read many more CD and live show reviews, view lots of blues photographs and find an abundance of blues material. I can be reached at
Hi Larry, hope you are all well at Delta Boogie, and enjoying your music. I got word this morning, that they are playing trax from the 'Cutting The Mustard' CD on Les Lewellyn's 'Roadrash Blues Show' and on Mark Kerrs 'Blues Nation' I wanted to say Thanx to you and all my friends and blues lovers in Arkansas and across the USA. Whatever you do, 'Keep On Rocking those Blues' Pete Mitchell. www.stratmaster.co.uk
JCD McKenna ( the world’s most polite jazz journalist) proudly presents--
International Jazz Review
------a Strolling Rhone Corporation REAL Jazz Mag
31/3/2007 first day of the Jazz Taoist new year.
Thrill seekers, music lovers! Listen up listen down listen sideways
Today I heard the freshest newest thing on the global music scene.
Keith ‘Ezy-Rollin’ Nolan’s newest tome is jazz inside out! Do doubt!
This CD called “VVAST Free from Greed” (TWO Vee’s) reminds me of Miles’s “in a silent way” meeting the Beasty Boys having a quiet laid back and well funky jam in mum’s good room.
Keith as you know, used to play HAMMOND ORGAN with Yothu Yindi and now he is with the worlds equal first funkiest bass monstar Jimmy “Tinka” Bell, laidback Benny funky drummer number 1 2 3 and sensible Danny Nolan guitar star.
This album is like nothing else u ever herd!!
Its sideways acid jazz, it’s inside out, it’s out now on the www and it’s in the cd shops.
Get it and press REPEAT ENTIRE ALBUM and
have good time all of the time!
I love you all. Especially me.
Catch these brothers live at Noriega’s Jazz Cafe Lounge SILOM RD SOI 4, Bangkok Thailand. Fly now! Saturday Night…… jcd mckenna international jazz creature www.desmck168.bebo.com, www.youtube.com
Mike Dollins turned me on to this at his Blues News website.
http://mikedollins.biz/News.html
"A lot of folks have a peace
statement on their music
site, which is way cool.
Now John Mayers site
Blues For Peace, is all
about peace through the
music we love. Click the
photos to see what we are
talking about in this
treasure chest of blues
information, and
networking. "
Click the top link to see the pictures Mike's talking about or click this link to go directly to the Blues For Peace site.
http://www.bluesforpeace.com/bfp-classes.htm
And since good things come in threes here's a link to my song, "Blues For Peace" inspired by a Mike Dollins Press Release.
http://archive.org/details/blues_for_peace
It's licensed Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 so copy freely, pass it around, and sing it a few times. It's a twelve bar boogie. Lyrics included at the link.
We are fortunate to be able to present the best Sunday In The Park programs we have ever had. We have many acts traveling in from out of town. Our Little Rock musicians show is really taking off this year. We are presenting four performing songwriters and many talented local musicians.
DJ Mike Lytle is playing some Stratmaster trax from the 'Cutting The Mustard' CD on his show 'Real Deal' on Kansa City Radio at KKFI 90.7 FM. (Friday April 13th from 7-9pm) Trax are also being played right across the States, from California to New York. CD available www.cdbaby.com/stratmaster
This story was originally posted on Mike Dollins site here.
http://www.mikedollins.biz/News.html
He wrote the article and gave me permission to repost it. Jump on over to his site where he is featuring me! But first.
The Hook
by Mike Dollins
I met Hook Herrera back in
1985. I had a guitar shop in El Cajon, CA,
then. Hook heard from blues harp legend
Ken Schoppmeyer, that I had a very ancient,
Tweed, Fender Bassman for sell. The amp
was very ragged out with road mange, and
someone painted it green with army paint.
However, having a collection of old Fender
amps back then, I didn't want it, and was up
for sale. Hook Herrera, came in with a buddy
and said he heard about the amp. He played
it, and went nuts over the real deal,
antiquated blues harp notes just humming out
of them old blue Jensen's. He bought the
amp, and we became friends. Later Hook,
and I would sit in together with Ken and his
King Biscuit band at the former San Diego,
CA blues landmark, The Mandolin Wind.
"The Wind" Hook can sing, blow some
tough harp and play guitar too. I always
loved jamming with him, as their is always
mutual respect. Years and miles later we
found each other again on MySpace Music,
and I just have to tell everyone about another
great American blues musician, like many,
standing in the shadows jamming them blues
in obscurity for decades. Check his sites
out, and tell him Mike, Blues Guitar sent you.
Pete Mitchell's new band DRIVE have reformed, and are back on the road in the UK. The band will be available for suitable US gigs. Check out latest news on www.stratmaster.co.uk/drive.htm
This is a hot Jazz CD played by a tight quartet. Nickos Kapilidis, the bandleader and primary composer for the group plays drums. Takis Paterelis plays soprano sax, Vasso Dimitrou, guitar and tzouros, and Nikos Hadjopoulos, bass. It is well recorded with tight bass and crisp percussion. The band cooks through the grooves.
All compositions are original, Kapilidis wrote six of the eight songs. The guitar work reminds me of early John McLaughlin, the soprano sax, Wayne Shorter. In fact the sound reminds me a lot of Weather Report.
Real powerful Jazz drawing from Fusion, New Age, Bebop and Pop but all original and delightful.
Ronnie Presley - Nashville & Gonzo Home Recordings
Ronnie Presley is an outstanding musician and an excellent songwriter. This CD has eleven of his compositions ranging from pop country to acoustic blues. The title gives it away. Some of these songs have the full studio workup while others concentrate on Ronnie's skills as a singer/songwriter featuring his vocals and acoustic guitar.
The studio recordings are very clean with a full band sound but I prefer the acoustic numbers. That's just me and where I'm at right now, many people will like the contemporary country sound Ronnie captured in Nashville.
When he sings and accompanies himself on his original material that's when he shines. People say the blues is about life. In that sense every one of these songs is a blues whether the change is in the blues, folk, or country genre. His songs are stories about life, lessons he has learned, things that apply to everyone, even you and me.
I selected these cuts for Delta Boogie Radio
Heaven On Earth
My Second Home
Little Too Much
Come Home
James Brown died on the Friday before Christmas. "The Godfather Of Soul" was a great musical innovator and "The Hardest Working Man In Show Business".
He was also an influence on me. We used to do "I Feel Good" as part of the wild set. At the end of the song I would kneel down and Mike Misak would throw a towel across my shoulders.
For more discussion of the man and his music go here.
Hi Larry and everyone at Delta Boogie. Just wanted to say thanks, from me and friends in the UK, for your support, and wish you all a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy your music, and remember 'Blues Has No Boundaries' Keep On Rocking, Pete Mitchell. www.stratmaster.co.uk :D 8)
Hairy Larry and Rhode Island Red Live at Bunky's Breakfast
We recorded three days at the Helena festival aka Arkansas Blues and Heritage aka The Biscuit.
Besides Rhode Island Red, guitar and kazoo, and myself, guitar and harmonica, we also featured The Bunky's Breakfast Emporium Orkestra with Spaceman Loren on bass, Brenham Jen on the oval wastub and Boll Weevil Brad on slide and harmonica.
On Friday Ken Tucker joined us for the last two songs. Then he had to hurry off to get to the Emerging Artists stage where he opened the show. Here's a link to his bio.
http://www.kentuckermusic.com/?page=bio
I am already working on the tapes. Original tunes will be available for download and a photo gallery will be posted. I will comment here when that stuff is up.
Project: Fight the Sky revitalizing the jonesboro music scene with a ferocity unheard of, and we need your help. any and all drummers interested in any kind of hardcore music, contact us at www.myspace.com/projectfightthesky or by email at projectfightthesky@hotmail.com.
"The my fourteen songs" Claudio Scolari with Donnie Romano
Claudio Scolari Percussion,Drum,Syinth and Voice - Donnie Romano Guitars and Voice.
Artist's Website: http://www.claudioscolari.com
http://cdbaby.com/group/claudioscolari
Apple iTunes
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=167946483
http://www.jazzreview.com/cd/review-17981.html
Featured Artist: Claudio Scolari
CD Title: The My Fourteen Songs
Year: 2005
Record Label: Principal Records
Style: Fusion
Review:
Every once in a while, we as music listeners are blessed to have someone come along who
is not like anyone else. A musician who finds the bar and proceeds to go beyond that. A
student of life and of music. A master craftsman, someone who is willing to dedicate
their last breath for their passion. I believe that Claudio Scolari is this type of
person.
The My Fourteen Songs, released on Principal Records in 2005, is a highly personal
recording. There is more than plenty of emotions passed through from Scolari on this
classic avant-soul-fusion record.
Upon the first couple listens, I admit that I did not "get it," but something must have
got to me because I quickly found myself returning to it over and over, like someone
hearing a foreign language for the first time. It sounded strange and beautiful and as I
listened more and more, I explored the multi-textural music stylings that are
incorporated. Everything from 70s big rock guitar to hip-hop beats, but there is more to
it. There are elements that remind me of Miles Davis' On the Corner. That same sort of
funkiness, that feeling of the music actually being inside of you. Also containing the
spiritual side of, dare I say Coltranes' A Love Supreme." A sonic enlightenment. A
spiritual journey. The My Fourteen Songs may typically be more of a Sunday morning listen
rather than Friday night, but that's not set in stone.
Claudio is one half of the musicians on the record, taking responsibilities of drums,
percussion, voice and synths. And let's not forget about composing the music, in which
you will find the true strength of the music. Donnie Romano makes up the other half by
contributing guitars and voice. You do not hear jazz guitar players like Romano. He is
extremely talented in both theory and pure expressionism. Donnie plays with a fierce
intensity on the one side, then on the other is cool and collective. This perfect mixture
makes a challenging and welcomed addition to the "colours" of Claudio Scolari. In short,
let me just say blessed are those who listen.
Tracks: The My Reflections (Part 1), The Sun to New Orleans, The Mirror, After the light,
Donnie, A Single Memory, Too Much Soon, Many Colours, Returning from the Places, Rhythm
Colour Harmony, Long Night Blues, He Without Name, The Travel of Life, The My Reflections
(Part 2)
Lemuel Sheppard has toured nationally for over twenty years, including a performance at The Kennedy Center in 2000. He has also performed in Brazil and South Africa.
His first performances were under the mentorship of Dr. Eva Jessye, most noted as the original choral director for the folk opera "Porgy and Bess" by George Gershwin.
Lem has performed with and opened shows for Taj Mahal, Sparky Rucker, Cephas and Wiggins, Drink Small, Alvin Youngblood Hart and many others.
Lem's concerts are an eclectic blend of fast paced original acoustic contemporary folk and blues as well as audience favorites. His scholarship in folklore and history gives audiences of all ages an enlightening and entertaining experience that they are sure to appreciate.
The US Embassy in Brazil referred to Lemuel as "The perfect touring artist, talented, flexible, knowledgeable of his own culture and interested in others." The Eisteddfod International Music Festival in South Africa referred to Lemuel as "An example in international and inter-cultural relations"
Recently Lemuel was inducted in the Oklahoma Blues Hall of Fame, he composed and performed the sound track to the PBS documentary "Black, White & Brown" on the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. The Topeka Board of Education which was nominated for a regional emmy.
Lemuel's New CD, "Urbanfolk" was featured on NPR's online contemporary music show, Open Mic.
Discography
Lem's New CD "Urbanfolk" Can be sampled at cdbaby.com/lemuels
Lem is working on new album due out this fall. Bruce Igluaer at Alligator Records has already favorably reviewed a couple of his originals that will be included on that electric blues CD.
Here are three good Radio Shack mics you can find on ebay.
33-1070 - Omni dynamic - I prefer the 1070b to the 1070a. The 1070c says Shure on the label. I've heard of a 1070d but never seen it. The others appear on ebay frequently and sell for $20 - $30 or less.
33-1080 - Cardiod condenser - Made in Japan - Uses 1.5 AA or two N batteries for more voltage which gives better signal and better signal/noise. Similar to Audio Technica MB4000C another good cheap condenser. I got mine for $20 on ebay.The two N batteries trick also works good with EV PL series mics like the PL76 and the 1776.
33-1090 - This is the famous Crown PZM. Some say they were made by Crown. I have also read that Radio Shack licensed the technology. Originally marketed as a tape recorder mic to record business meetings to cassette. This is a boundary mic that comes mounted on a flat metal plate. It's like an omni condenser. It uses AA batteries in a case that lives on the cord and goes to a 1/4" phone jack. Good sounding, flat, with noise as you would expect from that technology.
There are many modifications to this mic. Some easier. Some harder. It is possible to convert it to a phantom power XLR. Mine is stock. They go for about $50 on ebay. Sometimes you can buy one already modified to XLR.
I have heard some of the later Radio Shack vocal mics like the 33-3001 are good but I have never heard one. Anyone else got one of these?
If anyone has a 1070c or 1070d let me know. I would like to run comparisons on all the 1070 series.
(formerly King Biscuit Blues Festival)
233 Cherry Street * P.O. Box 118
Helena, AR 72342
870-338-8798
870-338-8758 (fax)
http://www.bluesandheritage.com (website)
A Sonny Boy Blues Society Production
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
21st Annual Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival’s Line-Up Announced
Helena-West Helena, AR., August 21, 2006. Arkansas Blues and Heritage
Festival officials announced today the line-up for the twenty first annual festival set for
Thursday, October 5th through Saturday, October 7th in historic downtown
Helena-West Helena, Arkansas.
Four stages will give the estimated 85,000-100,000 crowd, over the three day
weekend, a variety of emerging blues artists, blues legends, and electrifying headliners.
The festivities will kick off on Thursday afternoon with today’s brightest emerging artists
taking the Sonny Boy Williamson Main Stage beginning at 12 noon. Among emerging
artists, the Sonny Boy Blues Society Battle of the Bands winner West Bank Mike Band
will perform as well as Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone and Tab Benoit to name a few for
Thursday performances. On Friday, Richard Johnston will start the day by taking stage
at 12 noon, followed later by festival favorite and blues legend Sam Carr & The Delta
Jukes performing with Dave Riley, Paul deLay Band, another beloved festival favorite
and blues icon Pinetop Perkins with Bob Margolin will perform beginning at 5:30 p.m.
Jimmy Thackery & the Cate Brothers with special guest Reba Russell will headline
Friday evening’s jam taking the stage at 10:30.
more -
Besides the Main Stage, the festival boasts the ever-popular Houston Stackhouse
Acoustic Stage and the Robert Lockwood, Jr. Heritage Stage on Friday and Saturday.
Friday’s schedule for the Acoustic Stage includes: Bill Abel, Waymon Meeks, Chris
Cotton, and Sid Selvidge. For Saturday on the Acoustic Stage, Joe Price, Grayson
Capps, David Jacob-Strain, and Robert “Wolfman” Balfour will provide the festival
attendees with a tremendous example of delta blues in it’s true form. The Robert
Lockwood, Jr. Heritage Stage will enlist the help of Billy Gibson Band, Dave Riley, Willie
“Big Eyes” Smith, The Fieldstones, Mississippi Heat, Texas Johnny Brown, Daddy Mack
Blues Band, and Super Chikan, hailing from Helena’s blues sister city of Clarksdale,
Mississippi to help tell the story of the Delta blues through it’s music throughout Friday
and Saturday. Back on the Main Stage, Saturday’s line-up includes Kenny Brown Band,
Watermelon Slim & The Workers. The festival line-up would not be complete without
another festival favorite, blues legend, and an original King Biscuit Time performer
Robert Lockwood, Jr. The Fabulous Thunderbirds will cap off the 21st annual festival
activities beginning at 10:30 Saturday evening.
“We feel the line-up we have compiled goes to show our continued commitment
to presenting the best of the delta blues and we’re looking forward to getting things
kicked off on October 5th”, says Rayne Gordon, Sonny Boy Blues Society President.
Over fifty performances among four stages over three days… only at the third
largest blues festival in the nation, the legendary Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival.
For a complete line-up of artists, including the schedule of performances, visit the
festival’s website at www.bluesandheritage.com or call the festival’s office at
870-338-8798.
more -
About the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival:
Formerly known as the King Biscuit Blues Festival and under the director of the Sonny Boy Blues Society, the festival is now in it’s twenty first year of existence. The festival has become the third largest blues festival in the country and one of only a few to remain free solely made possible by community minded sponsors and hundreds of volunteers. The festival, with an estimated attendance of 85,000-100,000, is held on Columbus Day weekend every year setting the 21st annual event for October 5-7, 2006. The musical celebration takes place in historic downtown Helena-West Helena, Arkansas situated between the buildings of the Cherry Street Historic District and along side the levee of the majestic Mississippi River. Isle of Capri Casino and Entertainment Resort in Lula, Mississippi is the event’s primary and presenting sponsor with sustaining sponsors being the Delta Cultural Center, Coco Distributing, and the The Daily World. Major sponsors making the event possible are Helena Regional Medical Center, Sonicbids,
First Bank of the Delta, NA, and Champion Awards.
Contact Information:
Billy Ray Wayne Andrews
Media Relations Chairman Festival Director
870-338-0431 (cell) 870-338-8798 (festival office)
870-338-8327 (work)
b_ray@cox-internet.com
Chet Cannon and The Committee - Don't Get Me Started!
Reviewed by Hairy Larry
This live CD captures the great sounds of a Jump Blues band playing at Etta's Place in San Diego in 2005. Jump Blues is dance music and it's hard to imagine seeing these guys without getting up and moving.
In addition to the danceable tunes the band features great soloists. Here's a shout out to each.
Chet Cannon - Harp - like Butter and Little Walter not afraid to play a chord
Tony Agosta - Guitar - sweet and clean
Jerry Yetman - Bass - great solo on Pass The Biscuits
Jonny Viau - Tenor Sax - I love the solos on Country Girl and Headed South
Michael Minor - Drums - drum solo on Pass The Biscuits
Rafael Salmon - Keys - piano for rocking, organ for bluesing
There are also several guests featured. I love a live band that welcomes guests. It always adds an air of excitement to the room.
Chet Cannon and Jerry Yetman both sing. Chet is a strong lead singer doing mostly his own material which he presents with good humor. This is not one of those "I'm so down in the dumps" blues bands. These guys are obviously having a good time.
If you like a good beat that you can dance to get this CD. If you can go see them live, get off your ass and jam. They've got to be a great band to party with.
I chose these songs for Delta Boogie Radio.
Pass The Gravy
No Jumpin' Yet
Country Girl
Headed South
Thanks to Chet and The Committee for having such a good time,
I just received The Salty Dogs and Friends CD today, so I decided to listen to it right away instead of procrastinating like I usually do. I am glad that I did. The Salty Dogs give a new meaning to eclectic. The songs on the CD span the spectrum of music from bluegrass gospel to modern country, and include some great honky tonk, zydeco, traditional swing, and a Johnny Cash type song. I enjoyed their creativeness in themes but the harmony on some of the songs is their strongest asset.
My favorite cut is number 4, "Let's Try Again". It is a traditional country sound with a good beat, good harmony and instrumentation. The song has a good hook. Cuts 2, "Thanks For The Memories", and 10, "A Way To Survive", present the Honky Tonk side of the band, and they play the sound in a real traditional way. I certainly enjoyed those songs.
I was surprised to hear such a pure bluegrass gospel sound from The Salty Dogs, based upon the sounds that I heard on the other songs, but they are also able to switch to Zydeco and do a great job with it. Their simple, clean sound on cut 5, "How Can I Get Over You?", would make Johnny Cash proud.
Cuts 1, "Lifetime Of Love", and 7, "Oversize Load", even take a good shot at the modern country sound but fortunately The Salty Dogs didn't over-process, over-play, and over-compress the music like so many of the Nashville artists do.
All in all, this is a great CD that covers most all country fans' preferences in music. I would like very much to have had more information included on the CD. It would be great to know who wrote the songs, who published them, who did the vocals, and who the musicians are. Keep up the good work. You have a good thing going, Salty Dogs.
Kenneth Butch Rose
Oklahoma Night Productions
http://www.oklahomanight.com
Some of the answers to Butch's questions can be found here.
Catman And The Confounders played music at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in 2002 10/12/2002
http://www.deltaboogie.com/pr/kbbf2002.htm
I was wanting to know if anybody has any pictures of Catman And The Confounders I would even pay money to have some pictures of him and his band if you can help me please e-mail me back at rabaker@one.net or post here at the forum thanks.I have seen information about Catman And The Confounders playing music In Arkansas so any information about Catman And The Confounders that you could give me would help thanks
Slick Ballinger presents Mississippi Soul - Oh Boy Records OBR-035
It's great to hear younger artists playing the real Delta Blues. Slick fronts a three piece band, guitar, harmonica, and drums. If you see him live you will be looking around for the bass player. Slick is handling bass, rhythm, and lead all on one guitar.
Blind Mississippi Morris lays down the bad harp parts. Unlike most modern harmonica players he knows how to play rhythm chops backing Slick when he's playing leads or singing. Then when he's featured he blows low with real soul.
Slick's vocal work is over the top. He's not afraid to dig deep and tell it like it is always delivering a living message. He wrote half the songs on the CD and cowrote another. He covers the best from Sonny Boy, Muddy Waters, Son Thomas, and Willie Cobbs.
Some CDs I review I have to carefully select the tracks that will fit into the Delta Boogie Radio playlist. On this CD I could have picked every track. Here's the ones I picked. I will probably swap them out to feature other great Slick Mississipi Soul songs in the future.
Sugar Mama Blues
Let's Get Down
Rosalie
Juke House Blues
Bull Cow Blues
I got to hear him live last year at The Biscuit in Helena Arkansas. My friend Ronnie Williams came by my campsite and said I had to hear him. When you see him live you really get it. Check him out when you get a chance.
CD Review
Cutting The Mustard
Pete Mitchell alias Stratmaster
Mitchell plays Rock and Roll so straight ahead that it sounds like blues. Great
riffing always complementing the songs and great songwriting telling compelling
stories make for an extraordinary CD.
The Stratmaster wrote all ten songs and he delivers them with rocking vocals and
squeaky clean guitar. Although he is overdubbing the lead and rhythm parts the
songs sound like a live band. On "I'm Gonna Get You" he plays harmony leads but
on most of the album the arrangements are for a four piece band, two guitars,
bass and drums.
Well written, well played, and well recorded. And it sounds good too. Get it at
CD Baby.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/stratmaster
His website is here.
http://www.stratmaster.co.uk
And he's featured on Delta Boogie here.
http://www.deltaboogie.com/stratmaster/
I selected these tracks for Delta Boogie Radio
I'm Gonna Get You
One Track Mind
Outside Looking In
Roadhog
