This is a New Orleans tradition of "something more" - be it an extra roll ("baker's dozen") or an extra handful of shrimp on the order. It's always something you didn't ask for that you aren't paying for. It's the New Orleans way, and we are no strangers to it here.
This section will be a short or long, and it will change frequently and at our whim. It's pieces and slices of life that really don't fit anywhere else, but are important enough to be included.
OK, kiddies - if you have REAL AUDIO you can follow along, if not, get it here:
TIP: If you are using Internet
Explorer
and your screen blanks when the music starts, simply click the
"back"
icon, and you'll be back in action!!!
| November 7, 2007 |
| Good God! (And we mean that in the nicest possible way)
She's been called "The Dutch Amy Winehouse", and she's no overnight success. Anouk has been around for a while, and her new album "Who's Your Momma" will be out November 23. Good God
(audio only - but better quality than the video clip below) is the only
song we could steal, but we'll post more when the new one comes out (if
we can afford it in the USA). Perez said,
"Good God is a feel-good jam with that retro Wall of Sound vibe that Amy has ridden to massive global success." True "Wall of Sound", and we thought Phil Spector was in jail!!! If you want to see her strut her stuff in a concert montage of this song, there's a great cut on YouTube .  Want more?
Of course you do!!!
|
| December 1, 2006 |
|
This is a two-parter. First, a tribute to one of the best friends one could have...  Of course there's no secret that we love
Lisa from Norway. Throughout the years she has sent us exceptional music,
photos and other inspirations. In fact, she is
our muse. Once - on a lark - she sent a photo of herself in an
Emma Peel t-shirt, then upon coaxing, she reproduced the look
very admirably.
We
thought she deserved her own mention, not because she is such a great friend, but also because we could squeeze in all
the pics we promised
not to show on this page (you can pay us later for "forgetting" about the bikini shots) :-) Next up is a sampling of Lisa's latest gift - an up-and-comer named Amy Winehouse. She has a Motown funk and a set of lungs to die for (literally and figuratively, Elwood). These cuts are from her CD "Back to Black" (slightly pricey for us State-siders), but they are definitely worth a listen. Thanks again, Lisa - and keep 'em coming!!! |
| November 10, 2006 |
| Of course the faithful
three readers of this page know how much we love Tom Waits. But thanks
to YouTube, we can share a bit of his madness - bad news is, along with
the madness that we loved in the late 70's comes the cleanliness and
respectful Tom of the current day. We suppose everyone needs to clean
up and fly right, and perhaps some day we will - but don't hold your
collective breaths... First up, "Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michalson)" - this is from his live album, and it brings out the best of Tom at the time. Reminds Jake of countless after midnight hours at the Krystal on Broadway scribbling poems on napkins - thank God they are lost forever... Next is one of Jake's favorites, "Jitterbug Boy" One that has always been dedicated to Elwood - "Invitation to the Blues" What have they done to my song, ma? This is today's Tom on Letterman. |
| October 24, 2006 |
 In
case you have been hiding under a rock with Osama, the WMD's or the
three brain cells W ("I *am* the Prezident") has left for the last
little
while, the hottest music news is a new album by Ray Charles and the
Count Basie band. The tapes - labelled "Ray Charles and Count Basie"
were discovered in a vault by John Burk. Turns out they were recorded
on
separate performances, and Ray never played with the Count. Burk was pissed and thought, "Sure wish they had played together" - then he had the idea to use technology to make it so. He hired the current Count Basie band and got the Raelettes back together - did a lot of scrubbing on Ray's voice - and painstakingly re-created "the concert that never was". There is a great audio of the process at the NPR site, as well as a couple of nice write-ups here and here. You know you want it, but until you buy it - here's something to whet your appetite.
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| October 14, 2006 |
 Things
happen when they are supposed to, we guess. Jake was strolling through
the hallowed halls of E-Bay one evening and serendipitously entered a
random memory. Up popped an album he had loaned to a friend almost
forty years ago (never returned, of course). There was a haunting tune
on that album - one Jake had never forgot but had given up all hope of
finding. Never mind that 95 per-cent of the album was total crap - then
and now. PayPal was awakened and the album was brought from hiding.Was the tune as hauntingly beautiful as Jake had remembered? He seems to think so..."Illya" And composer/conductor Milton DeLugg added one more just for good measure- "Night People" |
| March 22, 2006 |
| A New Era!!! We have now entered the world of streaming video!!
God help you, because now we can share our favorite bits and pieces
without your having to download them first - NEAT, HUH?? Just trying to
make your Booze Brothers experience a worthy one...
Just to test this out, we have procured an old number by Maynard Ferguson and Al Hirt - it shows us several things. First, although their styles are totally different, they have the utmost respect for each other - you can watch as Maynard admires Al's playing and vice versa. Second, although this tune was a big hit for Al, Maynard chose to do it in his concert - pretty cool. Third, this is probably the only recording of these two greats together. And lastly, Maynard - don't quit your day job :-) I Can't Get Started (With You)  |
| October 18, 2005 | |
 |
July, 2004, we posted
a
blip
about our favorite torch singer Paige Wroble leaving our
favorite swing band (The Streamliners) to get a hitch in Glenn Miller's
old organization, "The Airmen of Note". We just discovered some new songs they recorded and wanted to share them with you. The entire compilation can be found here
(mp3's). Sounds like she is even more awesome now than when we knew her. And to think, the last
memory Jake has is having a martini with her and telling her he wished
she'd trill her voice a little more on "Bluesette". Guess she learned,
or she knew anyway and was just being kind to an old drunk. |
| August 24, 2005 | |
 |
This will be a quick one - you probably didn't know Harry Chapin. You probably don't care. But he was an awesome influence on Jake and millions of people throughout the world. Jake was lucky enough to have known him, seen him a few times, and to even have taken the photo at left (it's not Jake's favorite, but things tend to disappear over time). Harry started a worldwide hunger relief program which is still active today, and he told a damned good tale or two. You can buy his stuff, so we'll not inundate you. His life ended in a car crash in 1981, and some of us thought the music died along with him - perhaps it did. Jake knows that he hasn't really been the same since. Harry was the warmest, most genuine human being it's been Jake's pleasure to meet. And he could tell a damned good tale or two...and Jake's thirty-year favorite: |
| July 30, 2005 | ||
| This will be a strange
one. A dear friend brought up "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" today (don't
go there), and we suddenly remembered we have never shared the dynamic
Maynard Ferguson version - we heard this in the 70's and were blown
away (or was it the dope?). Then - as one thing leads to another
- we remembered that we had a Maynard section here on Lagniappe a
few years ago, but our web host didn't have enough space, so we pulled
it. Now that we have a *real* provider, we're bringing it back. So...
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| July 1, 2005 | |
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You're in luck - we almost posted Coldplay :--) There's a great guy in Knoxville. Todd Steed has hung around and entertained us, made us laugh, pissed us off and generally behaved like a Drive-By-Trucker on mescaline, but we love him just the same. His new release "heartbreak and duct tape" is a killer. We'd like to put it all on here, but then there'd be no reason for you to buy it, now would there? There's some interesting background info on the Disgraceland Records web site and his own. Listen up, wannabes...
|
| March 23, 2005 |
Things get weird when
you can associate a thought, memory or dream to reality. Jake has
always idolized Frankie Assunto of the Dukes of Dixieland and modeled
his trumpet playing after him. He met him once in the 70's (souvenir), but never really saw him and the original band play in their heyday. Turns out Mike Marois (related to the Assuntos) has a few kinescopes of some Ed Sullivan appearances that are awesome. We don't know how this will go for dial-up folks,
Anyway, Jake was blown out, because on the albums Freddie (trombone) always seemed quiet, and Frankie (trumpet) was of course all Jake listened to. But in concert, Freddie took command and was a Helluva showman - worked HIS ASS OFF. Check these guys out - they actually like they're having fun!! Your usual suspects (Lowell Miller - Tuba, Jack Meheu - Clarinet, Stan Mendelson - Piano, Papa Jac - Trombone, Red Hawley - Drums) Sorry if this is a pain in the ass to download/watch - but it's worth it... It allows you to sneak inside a New Orleans that is gone forever - if you were lucky enough to experience it, you are blessed. These were jazz musicians, not businessmen. They had heart, not profits. And they played from their souls, not their wallets. They're all gone now. Jake was glad he got the chance - and is sorry that you didn't... |
| January 26, 2005 | |
  |
Well, well, well...
We have always tried to expose our three readers to all types of music. And we know that this next group isn't for everyone - but Hell, neither is most of the stuff we publish here anyway. We give you "Bones Apart" - a quartet of exceptionally talented trombonists from England who have taken the circuit and several countries by storm. Their talent is leagues above what we see and hear in the States, and one of Jake's friends (a trombonist himself) said, "They have just reset the bar, lads - good luck in matching them. I myself am retiring..." Jake has run out of adjectives. so here are a few cuts with comments.
Buy this CD from Jake's good friend Steve Ferguson, because he's a great guy, and he'll do you no harm... |
| January 17, 2004 |
|
Oh God - him again???
Get over it. This guy WAS American Jazz. Anyway - we wanted to discuss two things that happened at once. In 1964 Louis Armstrong released a lame cover of a Broadway tune, but it was significant for two reasons:
Two reviews (from real people):
From Jake:
|
| December 7, 2004 | |
 |
Ho, Ho, Ho - ya devoted musical freaks!!
We're gonna offer up a little change of pace for our first hit of Christmas music this year. Those of you who immediately say "ewwwwww" need to grow up and stick around - it'll do you no harm, and you might even like it. The gentleman who was, according to the Real Player database, "The musical father of our country, Louis Armstrong should be on the American one-dollar bill" brings you a few tunes.
|
| October 29, 2004 |
|
Lightning Strikes Twice
Some days you get lucky. Some days you get REAL lucky. But Jake and Elwood hit the jackpot last Saturday night when Kayley Burton and Sarah Clapp were back at 4620. We told you of the last mind-blowing event, which was billed as Kayley's "farewell" appearance. Well, it was - but a glitch in her graduate school package forced her to postpone a little while. Bad luck for her - good luck for us. We were a little apprehensive - just think of all the times you wanted to have something the next time as good as the first time (yeah, that too), and it never was. But we only have two words to say... Holy shyte! I'll not repeat any of the stuff in the previous post, but let's just say old Elwood was beside himself and was still shaking his head the next day. Jake was simply stunned, as his mouth hung open most of the evening. Some things to ponder:
Kayley cruised through the likes of the Eurythmics, Fiona Apple and the Pointer Sisters like a hot knife through buttah. Sarah belted out Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" like there was no tomorrow. Jake and Elwood had many martinis - that's why we waited this long to write about it - we didn't want you to think we were still high on the music (?). We're gonna send a copy of this little review to the Metropulse - they need to know when there's an ass-kicking musical act in their town. And Jake used to be a professional photographer - give us a call when it's time to shoot that CD cover.  |
| October 16, 2004 |
 This is one we never wanted to write. Ray Charles' last
work. It's tough enough to lose him, and even tougher to listen to
these cuts, knowing that, even though his body was being ravaged by
cancer, and his voice was sometimes frail - his soul was as strong as
ever. We didn't pick the most popular tunes on this CD to showcase; we
picked the ones that showcased Ray - his amazing phrasing and ability
to sing the Hell out of a song. Many words have been written about his
genius, and how music and people in general owe him big-time, but Jake
owes Ray's long-time drummer Peter Turre and his lovely wife Phyllis
(one of Jake's long-time best friends) big-time for sending him one of the best
birthday presents
ever a while back. Love you, guys!
No, the hardest words are "Goodbye, Ray" |
| October 7, 2004 | |
|
Our friend Laura from Kansas City sent us a CD of a local blues band - the Nortons. Knowing what a sucker we are for little girls with big voices, we fell for it immediately. Bad news is, the girl we fell for - Danielle Schnebelen - is no longer with them, but they're warming up another one (Megan Birdsall) who can probably peel paint just as well as Danielle. All we can tell you is they've been around for a while, and they are a damned good blues band. So as you listen to Danielle kick your everloving ass - make a note to see these guys, if you're ever in the same town together. Listen to EVERY ONE OF THESE CUTS, dammit!!!! This is from their Wild, Wild Woman CD. 
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| August 19, 2004 | |
 |
Ahhh, now it's time for something completely different - Born
in Shizuoka, Japan, in 1979, Hiromi took her first piano lessons at age
six, and she has succeeded in blowing Jake and Elwood away with her
mastery. She wrote commercial jingles and studied at some prestigious
schools, but when it's all said and done - she can kick ass. These are from her "Another Mind" CD.
|
| August 8, 2004 | ||
| We're
sorry it took us this long to realize we hadn't posted this. As you might know, we had another little unpopular war a few decades ago, and we had a relatively historic social gathering near Woodstock, New York where a few hundred thousand folks got together and expressed the fact that they just didn't like America's involvement in a politically-induced and seemingly unwinnable conflict. Rather than go on, we'll let Country Joe McDonald sum it up in his famous little ditty: |
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| July 19, 2004 | |
| You just have to love
Lisa from Norway.
She tries so hard to keep the Brothers Booze as up-to-date as possible,
and that's a difficult task, even for her. Her last effort was a
super-spectacular collection of goodies, and from time to time, we'll
be showing a few of them off here. Our first sample is from bif naked, another Canadian who is rumored to be Gwen Stefani's evil twin. But you three faithful followers already know that we are suckers for big voices, so have a listen to: And don't say we didn't warn you! |
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| June 19, 2004 |
 From the number of times we've plugged Jag Star on this website, you'd think they'd give us a kickback, or a free t-shirt, or a kiss from Sarah - or SOMETHING!!! The new CD is out (you want it), and it is a damned good one, if we do say so. There's enough hype and reviews out there, so we'll just let you taste a few cuts - you will go away hungry.
|
| June 5, 2004 | |
Both Jake and Elwood were crushed when we found out that our favorite jazzygirl Diana Krall had married weirdo Elvis Costello. We could be found in all the pubs in town crying "Why not me?" in our beers. Of course, that got us thrown out of those same pubs. Either way, we have to admit we were wrong, because their union has changed her approach to music. We like it, but the jury's still out. Her new album "Girl in the Other Room" is vastly different from her usual rendering of jazz standards. True, her impeccable talent and wonderful fingers are still there - it's just that the songs - many of which were written be Elvis and her - are darker and more introspective. You tell us...
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| June 1, 2004 | |
 |
Napanee's favorite girl
is back. We don't deal in record reviews, but we know what we like. We
have found out that, whenever Avril begins a song with weak lyrics, she
ends with a bang, so we will present three such tunes and let you be
the judge. We love her, cause we think we discovered her in y'all's mundane little worlds... |
| May 23, 2004 |
|
Jake's Saturday Night
It was billed as a farewell concert. Kayley Burton is apparently leaving for New Jersey to enter a Master's Program in music. For me, it was really a reunion of sorts, and a kick-ass new beginning that had lots of us wondering "Oh my God - why must this end???" My buddy Brian at 4620 tipped me off to the fact that this was happening; otherwise, I would have missed the whole thing. I'll not bore you with details - just thoughts, even if they are random... I first heard Kayley sing in a church (don't faint), and she and her singing partner Sarah Clapp were the most perfectly paired singers I'd ever heard. They seemed to sense each other's feelings and respond to them without hesitation. They were awesome soloists and unbelievably wonderful as a pair. Due to "creative differences", Jake no longer attends the church. It's a shame to base my church-going on a pair of singers and a keyboard player, right? Oh well... Here we were, martinis in hand - not knowing what to expect... The band members straggle in according to the silent Knoxville code of start-time plus thirty minutes - full band, including tenor sax. I had to grin, because Kayley and Sarah assumed the same left-right posture they always did in church, but the music was ass-kicking pop. Imagine Eliza Dushku from "Tru Calling" and a very young Heather Locklear singing for you. |
  |
| I was also so impressed
with the respect these two have for each other - Sarah is also an awesome solo
singer in town, and she couldn't stop singing, but she kept her mouth
away from the microphone, because it wasn't her show, but always popped
in with that harmony. But when they harmonized - Oh my God! It was like Siamese twins. They were spot-on - every nuance, bend and lilt of every frigging note. I guess time will teach one to do that, but it was awesome to watch. I was blown away with every number, but oddly - they tore the house down early with "Billie Jean" - imagine that. And Brian told me they closed the show with a Journey number that REALLY created bedlam. Kayley was always the soulful one. She could get down and pull feelings from depths you nor I could ever appreciate, less understand. She made many people cry on more than one occasion with her gut-wrenching renditions, and that is tough to do these days. She took the stage with a relaxation and control that was way beyond her years, and her powerhouse vocals made me wish I'd heard her every time she'd sung. The band was tight and absolutely dead-on, although the sax player could have used a little more volume. Farewell concert? I pray to God not. Thankfully, we can still hear Sarah! So get off your ass and do it! Hey, don't I get some credit for the times I heard you two in the Big House? |
| May 17, 2004 |
 Back to tie-dye land we go with some awesome cuts off Joni Mitchell's 1976 album "Hejira". The weirdness of this work was made (in part) by weird Joni herself, but moreover by the bass playing of tortured genius Jaco Pastorius (another site). This guy owned that instrument, and of course died young and tragically (are we having a theme here?). Because Joni's work is best appreciated when it's actually comprehended, we are including the lyrics for you read-alongers.
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| May 14, 2004 | |
 |
We should know better than to put an old
chestnut like this on the Lagniappe page, but where else can we stick it
? (Go on - you know you want to say it...) This is a great duet from a cheesy 1950's movie called "The Five Pennies", which chronicled the life of a great trumpeter, Red Nichols. Starring Danny Kaye and co-starring our best buddy Louis Armstrong, the movie is as filled with corn as Iowa, but there was one good tune (worthy of historical note, mind you) from the film. Danny and Louis had an obvious blast re-doing "Saints", and naming as co-conspirators every great composer and artist that they could work into the song. Lots of mugging and shit-slinging, but it's a great ride (just for fun). |
| May 12, 2004 |
Well, our friend Amy and her buddy Holly scooped us on this one. Jake and Elwood were out smelling the yeast when Joss Stone blew America away. Apparently, she hasn't yet become the hit in her native Britain, but trust us - she'll make it. Seems as though we're having a soul reunion, what with the Cate Brothers, Al Green, Billy Stewart and Otis Redding being posted here in the last short time, but what the Hell - it's a type of music - or rather a "feeling" - that will never die. Two of our favorites described almost the same thing when asked about their genres - Louis Armstrong, when asked to explain jazz, said - "If you have to ask, you ain't got it, pops..." and our late,great rotund buddy JJ Jackson said "Soul? Let's see - soul...hmm (rubs chin and grins) Soul is what you *ain't* got, if you're asking me what it is..." Now.............. 16 years old??? Give us a break??? Simon Cowell says continually, "You're too young to be singing professionally at sixteen"...guess he hasn't listened to this girl. Her pipes have been rightfully likened to Aretha's - and trust us, that's no easy comparison. Okay - we'll shut up and let you be blown away too... |
| May 6, 2004 |
| From Jake: This is something you need to hear, even if you hate it. I woke in one of those "what can I fuck with today" moods, and pulled an album I secretly wanted to clean and put on CD. It is the scratchiest album in my collection - been thrown around and generally mishandled for ages. It is a big band jazz album and was given to me ages ago by Lynn Burnette, and of course I kept it. The only reason I liked it was because of this screaming trumpet player, but other than that - I didn't know anything about the group. Doing a little research, I realized how completely stupid I really was. This is the only thing I could find: Earle Spencer was only 20 when the earliest titles on this definitive LP were recorded. His orchestra, which was closely modeled on Stan Kenton's, recorded 16 selections (including three extended two-part performances) during its relatively brief life; all but "Gangbusters" and the alternate take of "Piano Interlude" are on this album. Since the latter two titles are part of a scarce First Heard LP, acquiring those two albums will provide one with the complete Earle Spencer. A trombonist who had to largely give up his horn playing early on due to a heart murmur, the young Spencer put together a mighty outfit in Los Angeles that at times included such notable players as high-note trumpeter Al Killian, trombonist Tommy Pederson, tenorman Lucky Thompson, trumpeter Buddy Childers and altoist Art Pepper, among others. On "Five Guitars In Flight," rhythm guitarist Walt Ellefson is joined by guitarists Arv Garrison, Barney Kessel, Irving Ashby, Tony Rizzi and Gene Sargent. On this set, all of the music is from a three-month period in 1946, with the exception of four selections from 1949. Stan Kenton fans and lovers of progressive big bands will find this collectors' album to be of great interest. As for Earle Spencer, he apparently dropped out of music altogether by the end of 1949 (when he was still just 23), and nothing much has been heard from him since. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide Who the Hell was Al Killian? I've played trumpet since before y'all were born, and I've never heard of him. And this is probably why... (Jazz is such a sad-assed business) But he can surely blow up a storm. Sorry if you don't like Big Band (not)...
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| April 19, 2004 | |
 |
We'll not *even* explain how this one started,
but trust us - it began much darker than it wound up. We are presenting
a truly exceptional LA session musician - Tom Scott. He is
"affectionately" known in musician circles as "Triple-Scale Scott",
because whatever the union is paying at their scale (or base rate), he
always can get at least three times that. You know him as the geeky sax player
on the back of the first Blues Brothers Album, but more recently, if
you tune in to any live award show or Hollywood broadcast with an
orchestra - and if you ever hear a baritone sax honking the deep notes (ala
Motown) - it'll be our buddy Tom. Nobody will play every type of sax on the
planet on the same gig but him, and we love him for it.
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| April 11, 2004 |
WHO ARE THE CATE BROS? (Jake heard that one a lot this week) In an attempt to keep  you
gentle people abreast of things other than perfect lips and
"grooviness", we're gonna give you a few cuts of a great soul duo
"discovered" by Steve Cropper in the middle 70's. They had it all -
soulful vocals, good compositions, great studio musicians (Steve, Duck
- the rest of the Blues Brothers' Band) - the only thing
that wasn't in their favor at the time, was they were *white* brothers.
Yeah, discrimination sometimes works in reverse, you know. Ernie and
Earl were responsible for a great "one-hit-wonder", which is at the end
of the songlist. But spend a little time with the other tunes before
you get to the end, because they're worth your time. Also, the Bros are
still wailing and perhaps near you. Check out their website. |
| April 6, 2004 | |
 |
What kind of "Saviours of Soul" would we be if we didn't include Al "Hot Grits" Green? His stuff oozed out of Memphis like the sensuous vapors from a 60's waterpipe. There's a better bio than we could write here, but we wanted to include three classics for your enjoyment. We don't care about his past or his present - he's a damned fine soulster! |
| April 2, 2004 |
OK guys - this one is a big stretch, so with the exception of Tom Waits' song at the end, if you have no desire to hear poetry being read aloud, you may leave the room now. There have been so many "eras" and  "generations"
in America that it's sometimes difficult to keep up with them. Neither
Jake nor Elwood were present during the Beat Generation, which started
in the late 40's and continued into the 1950's, but it was an awesome
cultural upheaval, and "the suits" of the day were very worried and
pissed off about it (not unlike the way they were during the "hippie"
era). The generation was born with Jack Kerouac's epic tome "On The
Road", and the images of beatniks in berets sipping espresso, smoking
countless cigarettes and listening to poetry being read in the coffee
houses of San Francisco and New York started flooding the media. It was
a time of spontaneous thinking, be-bop jazz and the spoken word. Jake
has read just about everything that Kerouac has written, but it was a
real treat to unearth some recordings of him actually reading his work.
The "holy men" of the time were Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg, and William
Burroughs. The "clown prince" was Neal Cassady, who tagged along with
Kerouac on some of his maniacal road trips (hence Tom Waits' salute to
the pair and the generation).Enough talk from us - The first two cuts is an unusual pairing of Kerouac reading his work to a piano accompaniment. Steve Allen plays, and we imagine it was done this way to soften the edge created by the beats. The next is an excerpt by William Burroughs' "The Naked Lunch" - a dark story of a junkie and the beats. Kerouac again telling a tale of jazz musicians with the keen observational sense that made him stand out as a writer. And finally - if you skipped down to here, it's OK - Tom Waits' hilarious song about Jack and Neal on one of their cross-country trips (lyrics and some damned good footnotes). To quote our friend Racheal, "It's all good"... |
| March 24, 2004 | |
  Back in the late
50's, there was a cool movement called "West Coast Jazz" - headed by
Gerry Mulligan and Chet
Baker. Chet was a stud, and his smooth trumpet playing and poignant
vocals had the Bobby-soxers dripping in their chairs. Life happens, and
the guy discovered drugs (really?), and went from the guy on the left
to the guy on the right. He did pretty much anything for drug money
after a while, and everyone thought his career was over when he got the
shit kicked out of him by some street thugs in San Francisco in 1968 -
a little altercation which knocked out ALL his frigging teeth - not a
good thing for a trumpet player. By the 70's he began a slow comeback
(with new teeth), but his appearance was staggeringly different
(right); the music, however, was still there.These tunes were recorded on April 28, 1988 in Funkhaus Hannover, West Germany. You can tell the tiredness in the man, but you can also hear the spirit and hope which has always dominated his music. Mike Conant, who wrote the liner notes, thought that things were looking up for Chet. I'll quote him:
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| March 5, 2004 |
 Jake was flying home last night, looking quite goofy grooving to some old MP3's, when he realized his catastrophic mistake - he hadn't let you guys hear Billy Stewart!! This guy was a monumental (in more ways than one) influence on the young Jake. There's a great bio here - otherwise put your groove on for Secret Love and Summertime. |
| February 26, 2004 |
 We're always glad to see one of our friends do well. Stephanie Pakrul (aka "Steph the Geek") released her debut CD, "Not A Victim" in November. A nine-year labor of love, pain and stress-endurance, she composed, produced and pretty much did it all to birth the CD. Even Elwood has a copy. She's a very energetic and enterprising young woman, and we're very proud of the reviews the CD has garnered. You can hear other cuts on her website, but we're gonna give you "Return to Myself." Way to go Steph!! |
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 Now you *know* Jake and Elwood would never say "told you so", but... |
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You know how
much we like
Pink, so we thought we'd better bring you a few cuts from her new
release
"Try This", before she kicks OUR asses. |
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This is a
tough one -
from several directions. First, when you say to people "Otis Redding",
the only thing that comes out of their mouths is "Sitting On The Dock
of
the Bay". It's probably his best song - but it was also his LAST.
Here's
what you missed - Otis was a one-man soul machine fanning the fires
already
burning hot from the Stax/Volt camp in Memphis, Tennessee. Sadly,
you'll
never be able to know how he could command the stage - when he was
there,
he was so charged that he couldn't stop - hardly for even a
breath!
Second, the Stax/Volt house band was as tight an innovative a group as there was at the time. In listening to some of these cuts, it's hard to imagine that there are only seven people up there. These guys recorded under two names - Booker T & the MG's and the Mar-Keys, the rhythm and horn sections, respectively. Since Stax folded, the only two bandmembers who gained further notariety were guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Duck Dunn - who were in the Blues Brothers' band. |
These
songs
were recorded during the European tour of 1967 - a few months before
Otis'
death. The quality of the sound isn't as good as in the studio, but
then
again, the energy of a live performance would be missing.
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| Well, we got
interrupted
in preparing the latest mental enema for you fine people. All the plans
were underway, the songs had been laid down, all that was left was some
copy. Then this week hit. We had originally placed a byline in Elwood's
News, and we honestly thought we could get away with that. But then
Johnny Cash bites it and John Ritter pops out at 54 - what's with that?
So we went out and bought "The Wind". Feeling a little shaky about our
own mortality, it seethed into our consciousness like cigar smoke gets
into your clothes.
Unless you've been hiding under a rock for the past year, Warren Zevon was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and given just three months to live. He gave a royal "fuck you" to the medical profession and began assembling some friends to assist him in preparing his last album. You can read the reviews here. It is a masterpiece intended to laugh straight into the face of his death, while at the same time both celebrating and making fun of his life. We thought
we'd share
three cuts with you:
We love you,
man - "Enjoy
every sandwich" |
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OK - We liked
some songs,
alright? We didn't know we were stepping on hallowed ground. How did we
know that Leonard Cohen was an inspiration to Bob Dylan, or that he has
more sites on the web than every porn star in the book? Huh? We DIDN'T
KNOW!!!
What started as a great birthday present (thanks again, Angi) has moved into something we must share. Like him or hate him, every song is a masterwork of lyrics and music. We might not always understand him, but he's damned well worth listening to. First
We Take Manhattan (lyrics) |
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Benny
Carter |
Well, we lost
another
silent giant the other day when Benny
Carter slipped away at 95. He was a self-taught musician, and he
played
with the best of them. While researching for a couple of tunes to put
here
to honor him, we ran across a little-known collection of songs that
Benny
had written, and he played on the sets along with an excellent bunch of
musicians. His songs were vocals, and were sung by some top-dollar
vocalists.
So instead of re-hashing the same old stuff, we thought this would be a
better insight into his abilities.
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OK, the secret's out, and we'll confess. We've had a crush on Janice Siegel since we first heard her sing with the Manhattan Transfer almost (cough) years ago. She has one of the greatest sets of pipes we've ever heard. Her phrasing and selection of melodic patterns has become over the years a thing of true beauty. As her other Transferites have done, she has released several solo albums, but unlike the other chanteuses of this day, she is content to hang out in her Manhattan apartment, being a full-time Mom and a gourmet cook. You can sling hash for us any day, Jan... These are from her new CD, Friday Night Special (you want it)
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Jake "Good Night, Mrs. Calabash - wherever you are..." -- Jimmy Durante |
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 Well, here we go sticking our
necks
out again. You know we're saps for little girls with BIG voices. Such
it
is with twenty-year-old Amy Lee with the Little Rock, Arkansas group Evanescence.
She has more power in her pipes than many we've heard since Shirley
Manson.
Give these guys a listen, and remember - Jake and Elwood are pretty
good
in the "told you so" category when the Grammys are being handed out.
Thanks
for turning us on, Little Sister (aka Carolyn).
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Well, it was only a matter of time. But with a couple of exceptions, we'll try to not recycle what you have heard already. The Hardest Working Man in Show Business needs a spot here. The headline on the photo didn't copy well, but it read: "RECORD MIRROR, Week ending December 19, 1964..." and the headline, "The Stones can't stop talking about King James". Just a few from the "Star Time" set, and one that isn't.
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 Here
we are, eating our words again. Somewhere along the line, we aligned
ourselves
with New Orleans' Dixieland jazz - then other elements of insurrection
began popping up - Fiona Apple, Avril Lavigne, Pink, Boz Scaggs (?) -
and
so much 70's shit that you thought ypu were listening to an oldies
station.
Get ready for bluegrass. WAIT!!! Not THAT kind of bluegrass - the ARTISTIC kind - young guys who (unfortunately) are no longer together, but who stamped a mark on the music scene that will be forever unerasable. The New Grass Revival appeared in the early 1980's and blew everyone away. Two members of that organization are pursuing successful solo careers, although on totally different tracks. Sam Bush is still holding mandolin court in traditional music, but Bela Fleck has launched himself into a jazz fusion element unparalleled in today's world. Starting as an extraordinary banjo player in this group, he blew his mind and style into "notches unknown to man". So - it is our pleasure to
present this
seminal group - recorded in Toulouse, France, at the Toulouse Bluegrass
Festival (yeah - we didn't know they had that either) on June 3, 1983.
Listen to Sam's strong voice on "A Good Woman's Love", Bela's wizardry
on the banjo, and the overall goodness which is modern bluegrass. These
guys seem to be having so much fun, it's a shame somebody decided they
oughta break up...
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| April 26, 2003 | |
As we mentioned in our "told-you-so" section below, while doing research a couple of years ago for a piece of the legendary Motown bassist James Jamerson, Jake befriended Allan "Dr. Licks" Slutsky, who wrote an exemplary book on Jamerson and the other musicians who played as virtual unknowns for all the Motown recordings at the time. They were known amongst themselves as "The Funk Brothers", but they were unknown to the rest of the world - until "Dr. Licks" wrote the book that blew the lid off their obscurity. In one of the e-mails Jake and he exchanged during the time, "Dr. Licks" said he was heading to Detroit to film a piece on "The Funk Brothers" - but that was all that was said. Turns out, this film won Grammys and other awards left-and right, and is now out on DVD. Couldn't happen to a greater bunch of guys. The remaining "Funk Brothers" are on tour, but the others died one-by-one in total obscurity, and often died alone. USA Today wrote a very nice
review of
the DVD, and because their work recycles so often, I'm including it
rather
than linking it.
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 Now
it's time to talk about the mad scientist of the late 60's and early
70's
- James William Guercio.
Who? Yeah - you aren't supposed to know. This guy was a driven maniac from Chicago who was searching for his own sound - almost in parallel to the search that Glenn Miller made in the 1930's. Glenn found his by accident - James found his by trial and error. But we listeners did benefit from at least one of his great experiments. His first experiment was the
Buckinghams
- a nice Beatle-looking popular group from Chicago who slammed at least
three tunes that carved their mark on the love muscles of that
generation.
Listen to the horns, and try to figure out where they're going. We must
bow in reverence to the tunes to which we'd been laid:
When Jake got the 45 for "Hey Baby", he paid more attention to the flip side, which was a dark tune called "And Our Love". He liked it better than anything else he'd heard before, and he realized there was obviously something afoot, but his young, dope-addled mind couldn't comprehend the significance. Guercio soon abandoned the Buckinghams for guys who could step up to his dream. Don't get us wrong - his dream was a GREAT dream. It caused a musical revolution at the time. We horn players had been screwed for a few years, because the Beatles and the British revolution (quite a juxtaposition in terms, n'est pas?) had made our lives relatively obsolete. James envisioned a fusion - an amalgamation of rock rhythm and horns. He had his start with the Buckinghams. He finished his dream with the groups "Blood Sweat and Tears" and "Chicago". We'll continue James' story
later...enjoy
for now. |
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| I guess we're doomed for a little while to wander aimlessly in the 70's (again). The next icon is a good Irishman who proved (before U2) that there was more than potatoes being raised there. Van Morrison is still around and kicking (albeit probably not as high - wait, check that) and bringing his distinctive sound to yet another generation of hopefully appreciative listeners. I didn't include "Brown Eyed Girl", because if you haven't got laid to it already, you're hopeless. |
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Oh, man... There was probably never a better tour than was had by Joe Cocker and his crew in 1970 when they embarked on the "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" tour. Sorry new folk, but drugs WERE involved, and this must have been one of the best debaucheries held to my knowledge at that time. So... We present some great cuts
from that
tour, from the introduction to the end. And trust us, they rock - then,
and now...
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| Sometimes things just happen for no reason. Usually they suck. This one sucks big. I'll let you read about it, then come back here to hear what you missed from Gran Torino... Sorry I didn't get the news to you sooner, but as you know, the site's been down since December due to ICX selling out. |
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| Well, well, well...
Now Jake's not one to say "I told you so", but just look at this year's Grammy awards... ...not to mention the work we did on James Jamerson, which earned our buddies a Grammy for "The Funk Brothers"We just got a few more to be discovered...
OK then - time to get back in gear. You may or may not know the 70's group Chicago - started out as the Chicago Transit Authority - and you might hear more of them as we go along, but they released a renewal of jazz standards that was outstanding - no, you haven't heard it, and no - you won't buy it. But you have to listen to at least these two cuts. They have taken some old cronies and dressed them up like twenty-pound slappers (sorry, Amadan - couldn't resist your phrase), Then I listened some more and found another re-work that blew my mind. It's Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade", and the interesting part is that on the final verse, the boys paid homage to Glenn by recreating it in the "Miller sound", which was recognized by a clarinet playing the lead one octave higher than the rest of the band. This time, the second vocalist takes it up an octave. The guys did well... Damn, I did it again - I added another one. The CD is entitled "Night and Day", and you NEED it.... |
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Hell, we couldn't have said
it better
- wait, I think we did...
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OK, I'm repeating myself here a little - so sue me! I can't turn loose of Pink -
she absolutely
kicks my ass. Here are two more that will make you wanna squirm a
little
- and hopefully smile a lot. Respect
(Nothing
like Aretha - trust us) |
I am NOT crazy !! I am not
snorting
Clearasil !!! But I saw Mandy Moore in "A Walk to Remember" and thought
she was such a prodigous talent - THEN I discover she's been on the
scene
for YEARS, and my head has been resting comfortably up my ass. She even
won the MTV Breakout Artist award this year for Chrissakes. But as I was selecting music to post, most of it was - well - sensitive (read that "syrupy"), until I realized she had done the main title for "Center Stage". Even though it's a little "teenie", it manages to make you smile. We're Dancin. |
And, just to prove Dr. Licks
is a nice
guy and doesn't forget his friends, Jake got a nice autograph in the
mail
the other day. As soon as he can get a 