Let's face it - the recession's not over until everybody gets a job, Christmas seems a bit lamer and more tightly stretched this year (Most shoppers report they'll spend 4% more...wait...make that 2% more than last year?), charitable donations are down, food banks are running out and sometimes it seems like the Fools epic anthem "Life Sucks and Then You Die" is coming true. This year, however, you the consumer have an option - you can support musicians who are willing to tell the true - the true talking bluesmen whose latest CDS would look great under the tree.
My two favorite tell it like it is cuts for 2010 are "Please Mr. President" by Guitar Shorty (Bare Knuckle, Alligator) and "Edge of the Ledge" by the Holmes Brothers (Feed My Soul, Alligator). Guitar Shorty is renowned for his sizzling, take no prisoners licks and this CD is loaded with penetrating riffs, but when he combines his spine straightening notes with lyrics like "I need a GOOD job - I need to support my wife and family- please Mr. President - lay some stimulus on ME!" you have no doubts about where he's coming from (Plus Shorty delivers on tunes like "True Lies", "Temporary Man" , "Neverland" and all the rest). The Holmes Brothers' have a gospel feel in their soothing, friendly harmonies (Title cut being the best example) and a definite sense of humor in songs like "Rounding Third", "You're The Kind of Trouble", and "Edge of the Ledge". The refrain reads like the Wall Street Journal headlines: " Standing on my head on the edge of the ledge...I lost my job, they even repossessed my bed - Standing on my head on the edge of the ledge." "Dark Cloud", the first cut is another topical look at where it's supposedly at today.
"Keep A Dollar in Your Pocket" was actually written and done originally by Roy Milton in Memphis, as the legendary BB King explains when he sits in on Elvin Bishop's version. The chorus explains that a dollar can be "your very best friend"
(The Blues Roll On, Delta Groove). Elvin assembled an impressive roster of musicians including Tommy Castro and George Thorogood, John Nemeth and James Cotton and it shows with the variety of styles and blues musicianship in each cut- definitely worth a listen even if I did recommend it last year as well. Cotton has his own CD out, "Giant", (Alligator) which is dedicated to the late great Koko Taylor and has some standout versions of blues classics - "How Blue Can You Get?"- "Sad Day" -"That's Alright"- among others, proving conclusively that James is a "giant" at the age of 75.
"Payday in America" is Smokin Joe Kubek and Bnois King's salute to the almighty dollar (Have Blues Will Travel, Alligator) but, instead of dwelling on the lack of jobs,money and incentive, the lyrics dwell on getting a motel room and partying until the grind starts all over again on Monday (Check out "Sleeping With One Eye Open", "My Guitar", "Have Blues Will Travel" and the usual collection of muscular Texas roadhouse blues). The Blood Brothers never fail to deliver.
Albert Collins probably delivers the best tunes about money or the lack thereof. His live version of "If Trouble Was Money (Then I'd Be a Millionaire)" on Albert Collins Deluxe (Alligator) is his signature combination of stinging finger picking and wry lyrics. My favorite is "Mastercard", Collins' tribute to the mall, the chorus consisting of the two words "Mastercard, BankAmericard" repeated over and over while Albert laments his wife's choice of earrings "made from real African wood" among other things, along with "When the Welfare Turns It's Back On You". Maybe one of the reasons Collins' songs have that authentic touch is that he worked construction most of his life until he could finally earn a living from doing gigs.
One thing's for sure: no matter what the economy does, you can always count on the blues if you want to know about hard times.
Don't forget to check out "Blues With A Feeling" Sundays 3-5PM on WQRI FM.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Happy B-Day Dr. John, Bonnie,Berry,Tina,Duane,Ike and Bonnie
November seems to have been a prolific month for the birth of musicians, as I discovered in doing my blues birthdays research for next Sunday's widely anticipated (Well, not really WIDELY anticipated - maybe SOMEWHAT anticipated?) resurrection of "Blues With A Feeling" on 88.3 FM, WQRI, 3:00-5:00 PM ( Also on the web). At first glance, the November birthday honors could be more or less equally divided between Bonnie Raitt, Tina Turner, and Bonnie Bramlett.
Bonnie Raitt has long standing blues credentials, as evidenced by "Give It Up (Or Let Me Go)", her knock down, drag out rendition of "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)", her homage to Mississippi Fred MacDowell in "Mean Old Kokomo" (Raitt's generosity towards her R&B idols like LaVern Baker is well known) and her own take on lesser known but just as powerful ballads like "Stayed Too Long At The Fair" or "Love Has No Pride" - all of this long before Bonnie finally got big time recognition! There's nothing small time about Tina Turner. From the moment she abandoned the obviously hick country girl Annie Mae Bullock persona, out in front of Ike Turner's band, Tina jumped from " Nutbush City Limits" to "Proud Mary" to "Acid Queen" to "What's Love Got To Do With It?", eclipsing Ike, managing to force America to confront the nasty spectre of wife beating. Her relationship with the opposite sex is aptly explained in "You Better Be Good To Me." Turner has outlived her husband, and her R&B roots, from belting out the funk in St Louis 1950s era roadhouses to chatting it up with Oprah. Bonnie Bramlett's name isn't immediately recognizable unless you remember "Delaney and Bonnie", and the lineup of musicians including Eric Clapton who joined the pair on the road for the memorable album with the two boots hanging out of the Rolls Royce driver's side window on the cover. Their frantic renditions of Little Richard classics are best known for propelling late 1960s'-early 70s audiences to their feet, but Bonnie's contribution goes far beyond that, to holding up the vocal foundation behind some of rock's best known performers.
Joni Mitchell and June Pointer were also born in November, along with Puff Daddy - I mean P. Diddy -, Roy Rogers, whose real child-molester-sounding name was Leonard Sly, Lawrence Welk's ace accordion player Myrin Florin, Aaron Copeland, Scott Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, but the man whose impact was equal to if not greater than theirs was Berry Gordy, the man who founded Motown. His vision and commitment brought us Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Jackson Five, just to name a very few.
Duane Allman was a November baby as well. His prowess on the guitar was the driving force behind the Allman Brothers, and his appreciation of the blues is evident in songs like "Done Somebody Wrong". I always wondered where he would be today if his life hadn't been cut short by his tragic motorcycle accident. Not as well known but equally potent in the music world is Mack Rebenneck, better known as Dr. John, whose contributions range from his numerous solo efforts to producing to preserving to playing some of the best boogie woogie piano riffs I've ever heard.
Last but definitely not least is Ike Turner. Most of us think of him as an abusive husband and coke fiend based on his portrayal in the media, but his contribution to the blues was substantial. Ike's early career included scouting talent for Sun Records, discovering Howling Wolf among many others, and laying the foundation for rock and roll by promoting and developing artists.
Happy birthday to November's musicmakers, and Happy Thanksgiving to you !
Bonnie Raitt has long standing blues credentials, as evidenced by "Give It Up (Or Let Me Go)", her knock down, drag out rendition of "I Know (You Don't Love Me No More)", her homage to Mississippi Fred MacDowell in "Mean Old Kokomo" (Raitt's generosity towards her R&B idols like LaVern Baker is well known) and her own take on lesser known but just as powerful ballads like "Stayed Too Long At The Fair" or "Love Has No Pride" - all of this long before Bonnie finally got big time recognition! There's nothing small time about Tina Turner. From the moment she abandoned the obviously hick country girl Annie Mae Bullock persona, out in front of Ike Turner's band, Tina jumped from " Nutbush City Limits" to "Proud Mary" to "Acid Queen" to "What's Love Got To Do With It?", eclipsing Ike, managing to force America to confront the nasty spectre of wife beating. Her relationship with the opposite sex is aptly explained in "You Better Be Good To Me." Turner has outlived her husband, and her R&B roots, from belting out the funk in St Louis 1950s era roadhouses to chatting it up with Oprah. Bonnie Bramlett's name isn't immediately recognizable unless you remember "Delaney and Bonnie", and the lineup of musicians including Eric Clapton who joined the pair on the road for the memorable album with the two boots hanging out of the Rolls Royce driver's side window on the cover. Their frantic renditions of Little Richard classics are best known for propelling late 1960s'-early 70s audiences to their feet, but Bonnie's contribution goes far beyond that, to holding up the vocal foundation behind some of rock's best known performers.
Joni Mitchell and June Pointer were also born in November, along with Puff Daddy - I mean P. Diddy -, Roy Rogers, whose real child-molester-sounding name was Leonard Sly, Lawrence Welk's ace accordion player Myrin Florin, Aaron Copeland, Scott Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, but the man whose impact was equal to if not greater than theirs was Berry Gordy, the man who founded Motown. His vision and commitment brought us Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Jackson Five, just to name a very few.
Duane Allman was a November baby as well. His prowess on the guitar was the driving force behind the Allman Brothers, and his appreciation of the blues is evident in songs like "Done Somebody Wrong". I always wondered where he would be today if his life hadn't been cut short by his tragic motorcycle accident. Not as well known but equally potent in the music world is Mack Rebenneck, better known as Dr. John, whose contributions range from his numerous solo efforts to producing to preserving to playing some of the best boogie woogie piano riffs I've ever heard.
Last but definitely not least is Ike Turner. Most of us think of him as an abusive husband and coke fiend based on his portrayal in the media, but his contribution to the blues was substantial. Ike's early career included scouting talent for Sun Records, discovering Howling Wolf among many others, and laying the foundation for rock and roll by promoting and developing artists.
Happy birthday to November's musicmakers, and Happy Thanksgiving to you !
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Selling Christmas By The Pound
I got the impression this year that retailers could barely wait for Halowe'en to be over so they could flip to Christmas merchandise. I understand that - with the recession being over and all - we are gearing up to go spend money for the holidays but starting holiday promotions in October? True, the situation is a bit desperate this year, since, even though the recession is absolutely, positively over, America's megastores are hungry for shoppers with deep pockets, as well as being worried that they won't get their share of the alleged loot, so who can blame them for ruining yet another holiday by starting the frenzy early?
Along with the tacky, overblown decorations comes my most despised sign of the season- Christmas music. True- with the recession being definitively, without-a-doubt, take my word for it, over - we have a lot to celebrate, so I shouldn't be surprised if some radio stations cranked up the carols right after playing "Monster Mash" for the 300th time. But, after you relive those comforting memories evoked by Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, Gene Autry. etc., what's left? Programming the "hottest" carols in rapid Top 40 rotation, backed by "recurrent" carols (The term is supposed to mean songs that are so monumental the audience always likes to hear them again) or "solid gold" carols? I can just envision the Billboard Christmas music charts - "O Little Town of Bethlehem" Number 7 with a bullet. I don't mind listening to carols on Christmas morning from, say, 10:00 to 11:00 AM, but not around the clock , 24/7, commercial free.
Probably, my aversion to Christmas music just means I'm cranky and nasty and out of step with the fact that - now that the recession has been officially declared over by leading economic experts - we have a lot to be happy about. Music aside, I really think the only who'll be jovial this season is Santa, assuming his mortgage compsany doesn't foreclose on the North Pole and he's not forced into early retirement. In all honesty - even though the recession is sort of, kind of, almost, maybe over?- despite the happy tunes and mindless markdowns, Santa's sleigh will probably be a little less full this year. Just remember, the recession IS over, right?
Along with the tacky, overblown decorations comes my most despised sign of the season- Christmas music. True- with the recession being definitively, without-a-doubt, take my word for it, over - we have a lot to celebrate, so I shouldn't be surprised if some radio stations cranked up the carols right after playing "Monster Mash" for the 300th time. But, after you relive those comforting memories evoked by Bing Crosby, Johnny Mathis, Nat King Cole, Gene Autry. etc., what's left? Programming the "hottest" carols in rapid Top 40 rotation, backed by "recurrent" carols (The term is supposed to mean songs that are so monumental the audience always likes to hear them again) or "solid gold" carols? I can just envision the Billboard Christmas music charts - "O Little Town of Bethlehem" Number 7 with a bullet. I don't mind listening to carols on Christmas morning from, say, 10:00 to 11:00 AM, but not around the clock , 24/7, commercial free.
Probably, my aversion to Christmas music just means I'm cranky and nasty and out of step with the fact that - now that the recession has been officially declared over by leading economic experts - we have a lot to be happy about. Music aside, I really think the only who'll be jovial this season is Santa, assuming his mortgage compsany doesn't foreclose on the North Pole and he's not forced into early retirement. In all honesty - even though the recession is sort of, kind of, almost, maybe over?- despite the happy tunes and mindless markdowns, Santa's sleigh will probably be a little less full this year. Just remember, the recession IS over, right?
Saturday, October 23, 2010
As Seen On TV
I remember the late night television music commercials, the ones you would catch in the wee hours of Sunday morning, the double album-slash-CD collections of Boxcar Willie or Roger Whittaker for example, all of their greatest hits now together in one awesome disc. Except for one thing - who is Boxcar Willie? I never recognized him from the picture in the ad, have never seen any Boxcar Willie hits on the charts or as a jukebox selection or on the radio. Roger Whittaker's name is a bit more familiar perhaps because of the cheesy Christmas songs that play in the background as the announcer promises you'll get all his hits in two great CDs for just $9.99.
Your first reaction is to chuckle sarcastically and mutter to yourself something like - who would be stupid enough to buy this?
The answer is that both of these alleged artists are truly laughng all the way to the bank. Whether it's Boxcar, Roger, Monster Metal Hits, or the latest assemblage of Number One blasts from the 70s,80s or 90s, the late night pitches represent the flip side of Billboard, the music which turns a huge profit without ever making it to the "Top Ten."
No matter how cheesy infomercials may seem, they have a function that sets them apart from regular commercials - instant results! Major advertisers spend millions each year pushing fast food, soda, cars and other consumer products with no indication whether the commercials have any measurable results, except the assumption that, if they don't advertise, their share of the marketplace will quickly dissipate. Infomercials generate immediate income via the oft repeated phrase - "operators are standing by." Consumers call as soon as the pitch ends, put the purchase on a selected credit card and the advertiser - hopefully- laughs all the way to the bank.
Your first reaction is to chuckle sarcastically and mutter to yourself something like - who would be stupid enough to buy this?
The answer is that both of these alleged artists are truly laughng all the way to the bank. Whether it's Boxcar, Roger, Monster Metal Hits, or the latest assemblage of Number One blasts from the 70s,80s or 90s, the late night pitches represent the flip side of Billboard, the music which turns a huge profit without ever making it to the "Top Ten."
No matter how cheesy infomercials may seem, they have a function that sets them apart from regular commercials - instant results! Major advertisers spend millions each year pushing fast food, soda, cars and other consumer products with no indication whether the commercials have any measurable results, except the assumption that, if they don't advertise, their share of the marketplace will quickly dissipate. Infomercials generate immediate income via the oft repeated phrase - "operators are standing by." Consumers call as soon as the pitch ends, put the purchase on a selected credit card and the advertiser - hopefully- laughs all the way to the bank.
Monday, September 27, 2010
All Talk
The insertion of popular music riffs into radio talk shows seems to be increasing beyond the few examples I mentioned a year ago in relation to Michael Savage, Sean Hannity and the rest. After all, those music bites were relatively predictable heavy metal chords, destined to straighten the listener's spine just in time for the host's next diatribe, but the repertoire has widened considerably. For example:
Rush Limbaugh seems to be hung up on one Pretenders' riff - the opening to "My City Was Gone" - since it plays ad nauseum throughout his show, making me wonder what Chrissie Hynde would think. He also likes to throw in the baby boomer anthem - Mick Jagger pointing out that "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" - which in Rush's case, probably applies to his view of the Obama administration.
Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly" has cropped up repeatedly apparently in relation to ongoing political campaigns, while "Rock the Boat (Vote)" by the Hues Corporation is the prevalent theme on one prominent Boston station relative to those pesky mid terms.
A Providence based talkfest routinely resurrects Ronnie James Dio and Triumph while occasionally kicking back and surrendering to Foghat's "Slow Ride", a ditty guaranteed to make yours truly scream at the top of his lungs: "TAKE IT EEEEE -ZZZEEE!" even in a traffic jam.
During a sports talk show last week, I heard the opening to Led Zep's "Travelling Riverside Blues", several cleverly inserted James Brown grunts, and more Tom Petty riffs. A promo for another station has a brief snatch of a Chuck Berry ditty.
Not to be outdone - I've noticed - is the inclusion of rock and blues on TV programming. The History Channel is promoting IRT: Deadliest Roads with Aerosmith's "Living On The Edge", while another one of it's programs - Pawn Stars - has a soundtrack that is a steady stream of blues and rock instrumentals. I was surprised the other night to hear Howlin Wolf's "Smokestack Lightnihg" all over a car commercial - innovative, but it didn't give me the same chill down my spine as the use of Jimi Hendrix' "Voodoo Child" a couple of years back in a Nissan Xterra spot.
I predict the next musical invasion of the media will crop up during newscasts. For example, lead ins to homicide stories might use Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", arson stories with the Talking Heads' "Burning Down The House" or "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, business news could be dramatized with "Money" by the O'Jays, and there would be numerous choices for the weather - "Rain" and "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles, "Blowing in the Wind" from Bob Dylan, "Starry Starry Night" by Don Mclean,not to mention dozens of lesser known blues/soul/rock n roll tunes - Muddy Waters' "40 Days and 40 Nights" and "Flood Down in Texas" by Fenton Robinson just to name two of them.
Luckily, I've concluded that, as far as "music with a message" is concerned, that there's only one viable lead in to the nightly news - "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations because their lyrics are succinct: "Ball of confusion -that's what the world is today!".
Rush Limbaugh seems to be hung up on one Pretenders' riff - the opening to "My City Was Gone" - since it plays ad nauseum throughout his show, making me wonder what Chrissie Hynde would think. He also likes to throw in the baby boomer anthem - Mick Jagger pointing out that "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" - which in Rush's case, probably applies to his view of the Obama administration.
Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly" has cropped up repeatedly apparently in relation to ongoing political campaigns, while "Rock the Boat (Vote)" by the Hues Corporation is the prevalent theme on one prominent Boston station relative to those pesky mid terms.
A Providence based talkfest routinely resurrects Ronnie James Dio and Triumph while occasionally kicking back and surrendering to Foghat's "Slow Ride", a ditty guaranteed to make yours truly scream at the top of his lungs: "TAKE IT EEEEE -ZZZEEE!" even in a traffic jam.
During a sports talk show last week, I heard the opening to Led Zep's "Travelling Riverside Blues", several cleverly inserted James Brown grunts, and more Tom Petty riffs. A promo for another station has a brief snatch of a Chuck Berry ditty.
Not to be outdone - I've noticed - is the inclusion of rock and blues on TV programming. The History Channel is promoting IRT: Deadliest Roads with Aerosmith's "Living On The Edge", while another one of it's programs - Pawn Stars - has a soundtrack that is a steady stream of blues and rock instrumentals. I was surprised the other night to hear Howlin Wolf's "Smokestack Lightnihg" all over a car commercial - innovative, but it didn't give me the same chill down my spine as the use of Jimi Hendrix' "Voodoo Child" a couple of years back in a Nissan Xterra spot.
I predict the next musical invasion of the media will crop up during newscasts. For example, lead ins to homicide stories might use Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot", arson stories with the Talking Heads' "Burning Down The House" or "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash, business news could be dramatized with "Money" by the O'Jays, and there would be numerous choices for the weather - "Rain" and "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles, "Blowing in the Wind" from Bob Dylan, "Starry Starry Night" by Don Mclean,not to mention dozens of lesser known blues/soul/rock n roll tunes - Muddy Waters' "40 Days and 40 Nights" and "Flood Down in Texas" by Fenton Robinson just to name two of them.
Luckily, I've concluded that, as far as "music with a message" is concerned, that there's only one viable lead in to the nightly news - "Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations because their lyrics are succinct: "Ball of confusion -that's what the world is today!".
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Sleeping With One Eye Open - The Blood Brothers' "Have Blues Will Travel"
Chances are that, somewhere in America, Smokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King are getting ready for a show, living up to the title of their latest from Alligator: "Have Blues Will Travel". Bnois King's melodic voice combined with Smokin' Joe's stinging solos identifies the duo's dependable blend of straight ahead Texas style blues combined with solid rock and delivered with a sly twist.
The title tune tells the story - the best way to escape the blues is to get back on the road again, the ironic lyrics underscored by hard driving guitar licks. "RU4 Real?" is a sardonic look at the effects of Botox, collagen and silicone,the story of a pick up in a dim bar that goes sour when the singer finds out he's got a woman with a rebuilt body. "My Guitar" is underscored with Smokin' Joe's virtuoso turns on slide guitar combined with fluid picking, ample evidence that the guitar is always your best friend.
My favorite is "Sleeping With One Eye Open", a cautionary tale about cheating and being unlucky in love, the title implying that the singer is afraid to take his eyes off his woman, punctuated by more cutting edge riffs. The Blood Brothers' wry sense of humor shines along with Smokin' Joe's slide on "Payday in America", their tribute to Johnny Paycheck's "Take This Job and Shove It".
"Have Blues Will Travel" is another example of why Snmokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King are two of the hardest-working bluesmen on the circuit today. They combine muscular guitar, traditional blues riffs and a little bit of sarcasm to come up with their own blues brand. Go see them the next chance you get.
The title tune tells the story - the best way to escape the blues is to get back on the road again, the ironic lyrics underscored by hard driving guitar licks. "RU4 Real?" is a sardonic look at the effects of Botox, collagen and silicone,the story of a pick up in a dim bar that goes sour when the singer finds out he's got a woman with a rebuilt body. "My Guitar" is underscored with Smokin' Joe's virtuoso turns on slide guitar combined with fluid picking, ample evidence that the guitar is always your best friend.
My favorite is "Sleeping With One Eye Open", a cautionary tale about cheating and being unlucky in love, the title implying that the singer is afraid to take his eyes off his woman, punctuated by more cutting edge riffs. The Blood Brothers' wry sense of humor shines along with Smokin' Joe's slide on "Payday in America", their tribute to Johnny Paycheck's "Take This Job and Shove It".
"Have Blues Will Travel" is another example of why Snmokin' Joe Kubek and Bnois King are two of the hardest-working bluesmen on the circuit today. They combine muscular guitar, traditional blues riffs and a little bit of sarcasm to come up with their own blues brand. Go see them the next chance you get.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Turning 100
The anniversary snuck up on me - I've just passed the 100th (?) blog post mark and I didn't even know it. So before I blow out the candles on the cake, I just wanted to share a few thoughts on passing the century mark.
I started doing BSRR because James Brown died. It's too bad that JB will be remembered by some as a prime contender for Worst Mugshot Contest, as well as an alleged wife beater, as opposed to "The Godfather of Soul " or "Soul Brother Number One" or "The Man With The Crown" or any one of the other hip titles the Famous Flames would run through just before JB took the stage. I am not condoning his behavior toward women, but time has taught me to judge a musician by their output-their art - a rationale that was applied to Michael Jackson repeatedly. Artists are not necessarily pleasant people; Picasso in particular was supposedly a real sob in relationships, and Hemingway - whom I admired as a teen - a nasty macho drunk. I forgive the Godfather for ignoring public relations. Hopefully, his musical career will be remembered as opposed to the domestic violence charges.
James Brown is indicative of the kind of artist I respect - performers who are true originals, faithful to their "roots". I rank George Jones right up there with Peter Tosh, Chuck Berry and Tony Bennett - they are all "originals" with a definitive style and an unmistakable sound. Music to me has to have integrity and - hopefully - originality. The only tunes I really detest are the orchestral versions you hear on the supermarket loudspeakers or in an elevator or wafting through an office, the bland, innocuous blend of strings and horns that reduces all musical forms to easily digestible pap.
The most original blogs so far have involved friends like Bruce Burnside, Joe Auger, "Shade" Melton, the Cutlass Three, Led Balloon Jug Band and L'Esperance. It's always a privilege to give friends a boost as well as educate the audience. The blogs causing the most response were about Robert Johnson and Craig Roche. I've learned that it is a big mistake to write about Robert Johnson because the only thing people agree on is that nobody really knows where he was born, or exactly how he died or exactly where he is buried. Craig Roche was a lifelong friend who died suddenly - way too soon. He was a versatile musician with an infectious sense of humor and a big heart to boot. I'm glad I could pay him homage.
I've gotten a lot of comments - most of which seem to be promoting something else online - but the most significant and surprising entry appeared after I wrote a review of the film "Crazy" , about the life of guitarist Hank Garland. The movie was perfect - the soundtrack is authentic, the character portrayals are flawless, the plot is straight out of Billboard and Garland's story takes so many twists and turns that it holds your attention. A few days after I wrote the blog, a comment appeared which turned out to be a thank you from the Garland family. I always think I'm writing in obscurity, a tiny speck in the big celebrity/business/government blogosphere, so to have this validation arrive out of nowhere was a bit of a shock. The bottom line is that Hank Garland is a true original, the movie is excellent and you should go see it.
I've questioned whether or not to continue this blog many times, but somehow I always come back to it. I guess that means it's time to start the second 100 posts because apparently I'm not finished just yet.
I started doing BSRR because James Brown died. It's too bad that JB will be remembered by some as a prime contender for Worst Mugshot Contest, as well as an alleged wife beater, as opposed to "The Godfather of Soul " or "Soul Brother Number One" or "The Man With The Crown" or any one of the other hip titles the Famous Flames would run through just before JB took the stage. I am not condoning his behavior toward women, but time has taught me to judge a musician by their output-their art - a rationale that was applied to Michael Jackson repeatedly. Artists are not necessarily pleasant people; Picasso in particular was supposedly a real sob in relationships, and Hemingway - whom I admired as a teen - a nasty macho drunk. I forgive the Godfather for ignoring public relations. Hopefully, his musical career will be remembered as opposed to the domestic violence charges.
James Brown is indicative of the kind of artist I respect - performers who are true originals, faithful to their "roots". I rank George Jones right up there with Peter Tosh, Chuck Berry and Tony Bennett - they are all "originals" with a definitive style and an unmistakable sound. Music to me has to have integrity and - hopefully - originality. The only tunes I really detest are the orchestral versions you hear on the supermarket loudspeakers or in an elevator or wafting through an office, the bland, innocuous blend of strings and horns that reduces all musical forms to easily digestible pap.
The most original blogs so far have involved friends like Bruce Burnside, Joe Auger, "Shade" Melton, the Cutlass Three, Led Balloon Jug Band and L'Esperance. It's always a privilege to give friends a boost as well as educate the audience. The blogs causing the most response were about Robert Johnson and Craig Roche. I've learned that it is a big mistake to write about Robert Johnson because the only thing people agree on is that nobody really knows where he was born, or exactly how he died or exactly where he is buried. Craig Roche was a lifelong friend who died suddenly - way too soon. He was a versatile musician with an infectious sense of humor and a big heart to boot. I'm glad I could pay him homage.
I've gotten a lot of comments - most of which seem to be promoting something else online - but the most significant and surprising entry appeared after I wrote a review of the film "Crazy" , about the life of guitarist Hank Garland. The movie was perfect - the soundtrack is authentic, the character portrayals are flawless, the plot is straight out of Billboard and Garland's story takes so many twists and turns that it holds your attention. A few days after I wrote the blog, a comment appeared which turned out to be a thank you from the Garland family. I always think I'm writing in obscurity, a tiny speck in the big celebrity/business/government blogosphere, so to have this validation arrive out of nowhere was a bit of a shock. The bottom line is that Hank Garland is a true original, the movie is excellent and you should go see it.
I've questioned whether or not to continue this blog many times, but somehow I always come back to it. I guess that means it's time to start the second 100 posts because apparently I'm not finished just yet.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Music With A Message: A Tale of Two Commercials
You know the credit card couple. Their smug, self-centered expressions dominate TV these days, strangely disconnected from the job creation figures, foreclosure rates, and steadily rising bankruptcies. Back in the nostalgic 90s, they would have been super yuppies, revered for an urban lifestyle encompassing exotic restaurants, excessive gadgetry, cutting edge fashion and serious if-you've-got-it-flaunt-it attitude. In 2010, it just seems frayed around the edges, irritating and unrealistic, but this portrait of excess - like a lot of the commercials forced down our collective throats - is also dependent on the choice of music.
Frank Sinatra's talent and persona were the first cultural contraband grafted on the opening chapter in the contrived lives of the credit card couple, Sinatra crooning "The Way You Look Tonight" as the Dragon Lady (The woman) tells Shallow Man (The man) that she's just screwed him out of his bonus points by picking up a new dress. Apparently, 21st century relationships in commercials are based on exploitation, one partner constantly trumping the other by seeing how much money they can spend on pointless luxury. Sinatra conveys the right "feel" - the lush music accenting his tribute to beautiful women, evoking that Rat Pack sensibility which - in contrast to rap content - celebrated the "ladies". There must be people just like the cc's - a lot of them, or the company wouldn't have made the commercial. I'm probably reading too much into it , but it does illustrate what Jean Paul Sartre meant when he said: "Hell is other people." The other portrait of excess celebrates the great American tradition of giving money to newlyweds, using John Sebastian's "Do You Believe In Magic?" as background while the new husband and wife spend their first night depositing checks and adding up the loot. Is this the best American culture has to offer - excess and greed?
At the other end of the spectrum , light years away from urban smugness, is the peaceful, comfortable, Baby Boomer - friendly portrait of sunshine, beautiful mountains by pristine lakes,kids and nature, underscored by Harry McClintock's wistful description of "The Big Rock Candy Mountain". The song sounds at first like a Depression era lament for those imaginary places where suffering and hunger don't exist, but it is closer to a friendly tribute - glorifying the hobo life, always wandering off on another adventure, whistling down the railroad tracks. The familiar imagery in the commercial evokes tradition, security and comfort enhanced by the bouncy, optimistic tune that encompasses the magic of childhood. Some days when the Dow is plunging, the jobless claims are rising and the creditors are calling, it seems we could all use a trip to the Big Rock Candy Mountain.
The most obvious rationale for the choices of music in both ads is the most familiar - age. The cc couple are the new faces of the 21st century - supposedly - while the content of the Baby Boomer friendly commercial is a reminder that childhood endures.
By the way, I was surprised to find out that this is my 101st post - a milestone I guess, especially when I always think my next one will be my last. Thanks for your support.
Frank Sinatra's talent and persona were the first cultural contraband grafted on the opening chapter in the contrived lives of the credit card couple, Sinatra crooning "The Way You Look Tonight" as the Dragon Lady (The woman) tells Shallow Man (The man) that she's just screwed him out of his bonus points by picking up a new dress. Apparently, 21st century relationships in commercials are based on exploitation, one partner constantly trumping the other by seeing how much money they can spend on pointless luxury. Sinatra conveys the right "feel" - the lush music accenting his tribute to beautiful women, evoking that Rat Pack sensibility which - in contrast to rap content - celebrated the "ladies". There must be people just like the cc's - a lot of them, or the company wouldn't have made the commercial. I'm probably reading too much into it , but it does illustrate what Jean Paul Sartre meant when he said: "Hell is other people." The other portrait of excess celebrates the great American tradition of giving money to newlyweds, using John Sebastian's "Do You Believe In Magic?" as background while the new husband and wife spend their first night depositing checks and adding up the loot. Is this the best American culture has to offer - excess and greed?
At the other end of the spectrum , light years away from urban smugness, is the peaceful, comfortable, Baby Boomer - friendly portrait of sunshine, beautiful mountains by pristine lakes,kids and nature, underscored by Harry McClintock's wistful description of "The Big Rock Candy Mountain". The song sounds at first like a Depression era lament for those imaginary places where suffering and hunger don't exist, but it is closer to a friendly tribute - glorifying the hobo life, always wandering off on another adventure, whistling down the railroad tracks. The familiar imagery in the commercial evokes tradition, security and comfort enhanced by the bouncy, optimistic tune that encompasses the magic of childhood. Some days when the Dow is plunging, the jobless claims are rising and the creditors are calling, it seems we could all use a trip to the Big Rock Candy Mountain.
The most obvious rationale for the choices of music in both ads is the most familiar - age. The cc couple are the new faces of the 21st century - supposedly - while the content of the Baby Boomer friendly commercial is a reminder that childhood endures.
By the way, I was surprised to find out that this is my 101st post - a milestone I guess, especially when I always think my next one will be my last. Thanks for your support.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The NEW Talking Blues - Guitar Shorty / Holmes Brothers
Listen to artists like Big Bill Broonzey or Bessie Smith or any one of the leading blues musicians from the 1930s and you'll hear political commentary as well as economic misery set to music - the so-called "talking" blues. Bessie Smith's lasting contribution to hard times -"Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out"- never sounds dated, including Bessie's wry observation -"no man'll want you when you're down and out" - a harbinger of women's lib. Big Bill Broonzy's "Mule Riding Blues" is a sardonic look at poverty and class distinctions that characterized the Depression.
Fast forward from the 1930s to the 2010s. The "talking' blues are alive and well. The best example is Guitar Shorty's "Please Mr President" from his CD Bare Knuckle (Alligator) released a year before Occupy Wall Street, with the poignant refrain "Please Mr. President- lay some stimulus on on me!." Shorty's guitar solos make your eardrums bleed - his playing is supposed to have influenced both Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy - but singing is not his forte. It's the lyrics that get the point across: "Now I sure don't mind workin' - I'm not scared to break a sweat - I'm not lookin' for a bailout - but I gotta pay my debts!" (Guitar Shorty on Amazon). Shorty, whose real name is David Kearney, was "on message" months before the occupiers started pitching their tents, upholding the talking blues tradition of telling it like it IS!
The Holmes' Brothers have a somewhat similar lament on their CD Feed My Soul (Alligator), which was recorded in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Instead of cutting right to the bone, they try to grin and bear it in "Edge of the Ledge" with the satirical refrain: "Standing on my head at the edge of the ledge/tryin' to figure out how to keep my family fed/I lost my job, they even repossessed my bed/standing on my head at the edge of the ledge" (Wendell Holmes, 2009). Wendell and Sherman Holmes' music ranges from blues to gospel,especially the title tune, but "Ledge" stands out as "black" humor, no pun intended.
The rebirth of the talking blues stems from the Sixties, when artists from Bob Dylan to Phil Ochs to Jim Kweskin began reviving the genre, but instead of mixing humor and irony in describing the human condition, they started a new tradition of getting right to the heart of the matter. I'm wondering if we should make "Please Mr. President" required listening for the House, the Senate and the White House the next time they decide to bail out the banks. Maybe they'll finally get the message!
Fast forward from the 1930s to the 2010s. The "talking' blues are alive and well. The best example is Guitar Shorty's "Please Mr President" from his CD Bare Knuckle (Alligator) released a year before Occupy Wall Street, with the poignant refrain "Please Mr. President- lay some stimulus on on me!." Shorty's guitar solos make your eardrums bleed - his playing is supposed to have influenced both Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy - but singing is not his forte. It's the lyrics that get the point across: "Now I sure don't mind workin' - I'm not scared to break a sweat - I'm not lookin' for a bailout - but I gotta pay my debts!" (Guitar Shorty on Amazon). Shorty, whose real name is David Kearney, was "on message" months before the occupiers started pitching their tents, upholding the talking blues tradition of telling it like it IS!
The Holmes' Brothers have a somewhat similar lament on their CD Feed My Soul (Alligator), which was recorded in North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Instead of cutting right to the bone, they try to grin and bear it in "Edge of the Ledge" with the satirical refrain: "Standing on my head at the edge of the ledge/tryin' to figure out how to keep my family fed/I lost my job, they even repossessed my bed/standing on my head at the edge of the ledge" (Wendell Holmes, 2009). Wendell and Sherman Holmes' music ranges from blues to gospel,especially the title tune, but "Ledge" stands out as "black" humor, no pun intended.
The rebirth of the talking blues stems from the Sixties, when artists from Bob Dylan to Phil Ochs to Jim Kweskin began reviving the genre, but instead of mixing humor and irony in describing the human condition, they started a new tradition of getting right to the heart of the matter. I'm wondering if we should make "Please Mr. President" required listening for the House, the Senate and the White House the next time they decide to bail out the banks. Maybe they'll finally get the message!
Friday, April 30, 2010
The Search For Soul
I've been seeing promos for "Soul Train" on my local cable channels, the vistas of huge Afros, vintage Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gay, Billy Paul, the Jacksons and the rest reviving funky musical memories, as well as the soul drenched ,basso profondo voice of Don Cornelius, the hippest MC of all time, which made me start thinking about "soul". It is one of those terms like "sustainability" that people use but never really define."Soul" to me has always been synonymous with Motown, the lush orchestral backgrounds and soaring vocal harmonies combining in plaintive ballads about lost loves.
In search of clarification, I turned to that pinnacle of internet knowledge - Wikipedia - to see what soul is. The article quotes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , defining soul music as: "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rt hymn and blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." Wikipedia says soul began in the US in the late 1950s and flourished from the 1960s to the 1980s. The most interesting aspect of the entry to yours truly was that (the) "Motown Sound" is defined as a "sub genre" while "Memphis soul, Philly soul" etc., are all called "regional scenes." The article goes on to document the soul sound "spectrum" but my eyes glazed over pretty quickly once I started drowning in terminology. For example, the Stax/Volt sound - Booker T, Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett - is closer to what I would call funk - but then James Brown is included as a subset of soul as well and if JB isn't funky, then what is? There's also something called "blue-eyed soul" which must be a catch-all term for people like Michael McDonald and all those other white guys with "soul".
After all this in-depth research, I still don't know exactly what soul is, but I feel the closest I may have ever come to hearing soul raw and unplugged was at a South Carolina church service. I volunteered one February to go with both my daughters to Hollywood, South Carolina as part of a mission trip to rehab houses for residents of the Sea Islands. We all stayed in a day care center attached to a church, and Sunday was the first full day on site, so we began with a marathon three hour church service. Besides piano and electric organ, the church had a bass player and a drummer and a chorus that all sounded exactly like Aretha -soul live and in person from the heart.
Bottom line, no matter what soul really is, you either have it or you don't, which applies to artists from Tom Jones to Usher to Patti Labelle to Beyonce. Say amen, someone.
In search of clarification, I turned to that pinnacle of internet knowledge - Wikipedia - to see what soul is. The article quotes the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , defining soul music as: "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rt hymn and blues into a form of funky, secular testifying." Wikipedia says soul began in the US in the late 1950s and flourished from the 1960s to the 1980s. The most interesting aspect of the entry to yours truly was that (the) "Motown Sound" is defined as a "sub genre" while "Memphis soul, Philly soul" etc., are all called "regional scenes." The article goes on to document the soul sound "spectrum" but my eyes glazed over pretty quickly once I started drowning in terminology. For example, the Stax/Volt sound - Booker T, Steve Cropper, Wilson Pickett - is closer to what I would call funk - but then James Brown is included as a subset of soul as well and if JB isn't funky, then what is? There's also something called "blue-eyed soul" which must be a catch-all term for people like Michael McDonald and all those other white guys with "soul".
After all this in-depth research, I still don't know exactly what soul is, but I feel the closest I may have ever come to hearing soul raw and unplugged was at a South Carolina church service. I volunteered one February to go with both my daughters to Hollywood, South Carolina as part of a mission trip to rehab houses for residents of the Sea Islands. We all stayed in a day care center attached to a church, and Sunday was the first full day on site, so we began with a marathon three hour church service. Besides piano and electric organ, the church had a bass player and a drummer and a chorus that all sounded exactly like Aretha -soul live and in person from the heart.
Bottom line, no matter what soul really is, you either have it or you don't, which applies to artists from Tom Jones to Usher to Patti Labelle to Beyonce. Say amen, someone.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Live From 1964: The TAMI Show
Jan & Dean ! The Beach Boys ! James Brown! Chuck Berry! Marvin Gaye! Lesly Gore ! Gerry and the Pacemakers! The Barbarians ! (?) As the hype read back in 1964, when the Teen Age Music International concert was staged in Santa Monica, "It's The Greatest,Grooviest,Wildest, Most Exciting Beat Blast Ever To Pound The Screen!!!!" Looking at the show the other night with my longtime musical amigo "Shade" Melton, I was amazed at how well the performances were captured relative to technology c. 1964. Apparently, various disputes over - you know - money held up release of the DVD until last month.
I've seen Chuck Berry three times and James Brown twice, so I'm familiar with the energy they exude in every show. Both of these musical legends were in rare form. I've already documented what made JB bigger than life - his spins, his shrieks, his grunts, growls, groans and his soul-drenched ballads of thwarted love balanced by the uptempo funk dedicated to sex - "Hot Pants", "Cold Sweat"- or the occasional political commentary - "Say It Loud- I'm Black and I'm Proud", "Funky President". All the moves are captured here for future generations, including my favorite "cape" routine - the Godfather of Soul is so overcome with misery, begging his woman to take him back, that he sinks to his knees, collapsing, exhausted, every last drop of angst squeezed out of his soul, only to suddenly stumble to his feet, throwing off the fur fringed cape that his handler has placed reverently on his shoulders, ready to beg for his love just one more time - a routine that would be repeated at least twice at the end of JB's extravaganza, the first farewell occurring when Soul Brother Number One finally allows himself to be guided offstage before the audience screams for more. Chuck Berry opened the show , already a legend in 1964, grinning slyly as he waltzes through "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybelline" and - ironically - "Sweet Little Sixteen." As if to illustrate the music industry practice of constantly stealing other performers' material, The Beach Boys open up their segment a few minutes later with "Surfin' USA" , set to the melody of - guess what? - "Sweet Little Sixteen." The movie "Cadillac Records" chronicles Berry's discovery that he has been ripped off, the implication being that black artists can never be popular without a white artist "covering" their tunes.
The Wilson Brothers, Mike Love and Al Jardine are pure California, striped shirts, white jeans and floppy hair advertising sun, fun and surfing. They run through"I Get Around" as well as one of the best slow dancing tunes from that era - "Surfer Girl" ("In My Room" is even better). Brian Wilson is front and center, grinning and strumming, and - according to Shade - about six weeks away from freaking out and retreating to his bedroom sandbox, his fifteen minutes effectively over.
The Barbarians were included in the line-up much to my surprise, although not performing their biggest hit "Are You A Boy or Are You A Girl?" , but featuring their star one-armed drummer Moulty, the best known member of the Cape Cod based band. Motown is ably represented by a young Marvin Gaye as well as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, both performers at the beginning of their long and successful careers, the most remarkable part of their appearances being the fact that black and white artists are together in the same show, breaking the racial barriers that were still firmly in place in the mid 1960s. Lesley Gore's New Jersey teenaged angst is amply represented with an appearance that seems to go on interminably until she finally sings "It's My Party". The TAMI show also included the Rolling Stones, a last minute addition, along with Gerry and the Pacemakers.
TAMI was hosted by those bleached blonde California endless summer surfing dudes Jan & Dean. It was worth watching TAMI just to hear "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" again, but I would have preferred "Deadman's Curve". The show predates music videos, sampling and the other trends in today's music, showcasing live, unedited talent, which to me is the best test of a performers' ability. You can do anything in the studio, but once you're live and onstage, there's no turning back. These performers demonstrated that they never lost sight of one of those important components in the music business that is frequently neglected these days - the audience.
I've seen Chuck Berry three times and James Brown twice, so I'm familiar with the energy they exude in every show. Both of these musical legends were in rare form. I've already documented what made JB bigger than life - his spins, his shrieks, his grunts, growls, groans and his soul-drenched ballads of thwarted love balanced by the uptempo funk dedicated to sex - "Hot Pants", "Cold Sweat"- or the occasional political commentary - "Say It Loud- I'm Black and I'm Proud", "Funky President". All the moves are captured here for future generations, including my favorite "cape" routine - the Godfather of Soul is so overcome with misery, begging his woman to take him back, that he sinks to his knees, collapsing, exhausted, every last drop of angst squeezed out of his soul, only to suddenly stumble to his feet, throwing off the fur fringed cape that his handler has placed reverently on his shoulders, ready to beg for his love just one more time - a routine that would be repeated at least twice at the end of JB's extravaganza, the first farewell occurring when Soul Brother Number One finally allows himself to be guided offstage before the audience screams for more. Chuck Berry opened the show , already a legend in 1964, grinning slyly as he waltzes through "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybelline" and - ironically - "Sweet Little Sixteen." As if to illustrate the music industry practice of constantly stealing other performers' material, The Beach Boys open up their segment a few minutes later with "Surfin' USA" , set to the melody of - guess what? - "Sweet Little Sixteen." The movie "Cadillac Records" chronicles Berry's discovery that he has been ripped off, the implication being that black artists can never be popular without a white artist "covering" their tunes.
The Wilson Brothers, Mike Love and Al Jardine are pure California, striped shirts, white jeans and floppy hair advertising sun, fun and surfing. They run through"I Get Around" as well as one of the best slow dancing tunes from that era - "Surfer Girl" ("In My Room" is even better). Brian Wilson is front and center, grinning and strumming, and - according to Shade - about six weeks away from freaking out and retreating to his bedroom sandbox, his fifteen minutes effectively over.
The Barbarians were included in the line-up much to my surprise, although not performing their biggest hit "Are You A Boy or Are You A Girl?" , but featuring their star one-armed drummer Moulty, the best known member of the Cape Cod based band. Motown is ably represented by a young Marvin Gaye as well as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, both performers at the beginning of their long and successful careers, the most remarkable part of their appearances being the fact that black and white artists are together in the same show, breaking the racial barriers that were still firmly in place in the mid 1960s. Lesley Gore's New Jersey teenaged angst is amply represented with an appearance that seems to go on interminably until she finally sings "It's My Party". The TAMI show also included the Rolling Stones, a last minute addition, along with Gerry and the Pacemakers.
TAMI was hosted by those bleached blonde California endless summer surfing dudes Jan & Dean. It was worth watching TAMI just to hear "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena" again, but I would have preferred "Deadman's Curve". The show predates music videos, sampling and the other trends in today's music, showcasing live, unedited talent, which to me is the best test of a performers' ability. You can do anything in the studio, but once you're live and onstage, there's no turning back. These performers demonstrated that they never lost sight of one of those important components in the music business that is frequently neglected these days - the audience.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Joe Auger Unplugged
Joe Auger doesn't have much time to spare from his duties as Media Services Manager at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. When he isn't handling and troubleshooting equipment, Joe devotes his spare hours to his second love: music. He is an unabashed Monkees and Beatles fan. BSRR managed to get Joe to slow down long enough recently to explain:
JOE AUGER:
My first musical memory is of Mickey Dolenz singing "I'm A Believer" and I would have been almost 2 years old when it first came out. As my sister was a big Monkees and Beatles fan, I was exposed to both groups both musically and visually.
BSRR:
What was it about the Beatles/Monkees sound that attracted you as a kid?
JOE AUGER:
The things that caught my ears for both bands were the vocals and harmonies especially and also the drums which were my first instrumental obsession! Vocally, between all of the members , there are very distinct sounds and styles of singing that when harmonizing together create this whole other unearthly sound that is like food from the Gods! I could subsist eternally on the harmonies of "Nowhere Man" or "Pleasant Valley Sunday"!
BSRR:
What instruments do you play beside the drums?
JOE AUGER:
Primarily guitars and other stringed instruments but also bass,drums, keyboards,saxes, flute,clarinet, and cello.
BSRR:
I guess when it comes to studio time, you are sort of a one man band.
JOE AUGER:
I know the rudiments of how to play most instruments so though I am not proficient on any one thing I can create a part and then learn to play it for the recordings.
BSRR:
How would you describe the local music scene in Rhode Island?
JOE AUGER:
The local scene is fairly scattered as there are not the venues to play that there used to be. There is a bit of an open mike culture.
BSRR:
How often do you practice?
JOE AUGER:
I don't practice a lot to be frank. I rehearse with the band Anne's Cordial that I play percussion for but my own stuff tends to get worked out at the open mike that I host on Wednesdays at the Everyman in Providence
Speaking of recordings, Joe has four available on his my space page - "Love (And Such)", "The Invisible Years", "Taken Monaurally" and "Taken Aurally". Before you categorize Joe's musical tastes as "totally pop", you might want to check his "desert island" list of top 20 albums ranging from The Moody Blues to Black Sabbath. He also pays homage to Tim Buckley's "Happy Sad" , Syd Barrett's "Madcap Laughs", and "We're Only In It For The Money" by the Mothers of Invention. All three artists have subcultural status, Buckley drowning in - of all places - the Mississippi River outside Memphis just as his career was starting to take off, Barrett teetering between insanity and genius as co-creator of Pink Floyd, and Zappa's relentless pursuit of stitching together musicians and modes to come up with something original.
Check out Joe Auger's extensive collection of music,musings ,videos and a lot more at www.myspace.com/joeauger. With the music industry fragmenting and the availability of social media, talented independent artists like Joe Auger are creating a very viable alternative to the Billboard "charts".
Just remember that, when it comes to Joe's "day" job, - as Bo Diddley puts it:" Don't judge a book by looking at the cover" !!!
JOE AUGER:
My first musical memory is of Mickey Dolenz singing "I'm A Believer" and I would have been almost 2 years old when it first came out. As my sister was a big Monkees and Beatles fan, I was exposed to both groups both musically and visually.
BSRR:
What was it about the Beatles/Monkees sound that attracted you as a kid?
JOE AUGER:
The things that caught my ears for both bands were the vocals and harmonies especially and also the drums which were my first instrumental obsession! Vocally, between all of the members , there are very distinct sounds and styles of singing that when harmonizing together create this whole other unearthly sound that is like food from the Gods! I could subsist eternally on the harmonies of "Nowhere Man" or "Pleasant Valley Sunday"!
BSRR:
What instruments do you play beside the drums?
JOE AUGER:
Primarily guitars and other stringed instruments but also bass,drums, keyboards,saxes, flute,clarinet, and cello.
BSRR:
I guess when it comes to studio time, you are sort of a one man band.
JOE AUGER:
I know the rudiments of how to play most instruments so though I am not proficient on any one thing I can create a part and then learn to play it for the recordings.
BSRR:
How would you describe the local music scene in Rhode Island?
JOE AUGER:
The local scene is fairly scattered as there are not the venues to play that there used to be. There is a bit of an open mike culture.
BSRR:
How often do you practice?
JOE AUGER:
I don't practice a lot to be frank. I rehearse with the band Anne's Cordial that I play percussion for but my own stuff tends to get worked out at the open mike that I host on Wednesdays at the Everyman in Providence
Speaking of recordings, Joe has four available on his my space page - "Love (And Such)", "The Invisible Years", "Taken Monaurally" and "Taken Aurally". Before you categorize Joe's musical tastes as "totally pop", you might want to check his "desert island" list of top 20 albums ranging from The Moody Blues to Black Sabbath. He also pays homage to Tim Buckley's "Happy Sad" , Syd Barrett's "Madcap Laughs", and "We're Only In It For The Money" by the Mothers of Invention. All three artists have subcultural status, Buckley drowning in - of all places - the Mississippi River outside Memphis just as his career was starting to take off, Barrett teetering between insanity and genius as co-creator of Pink Floyd, and Zappa's relentless pursuit of stitching together musicians and modes to come up with something original.
Check out Joe Auger's extensive collection of music,musings ,videos and a lot more at www.myspace.com/joeauger. With the music industry fragmenting and the availability of social media, talented independent artists like Joe Auger are creating a very viable alternative to the Billboard "charts".
Just remember that, when it comes to Joe's "day" job, - as Bo Diddley puts it:" Don't judge a book by looking at the cover" !!!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
February Blues
There are a lot of different topics that come to mind that I wanted to write about this month but I just couldn't settle on one subject. I started writing about love songs, but it was really just an excuse to repeat the lyrics to "Love Stinks". I actually just got two new CDS by Guitar Shorty and the Holmes Brothers - courtesy of Alligator - that I'm going to review. But it is hard to go through February without reconsidering the Station nightclub fire.
Seven years after the fact, I still can't believe it happened. It still seems surreal, unbelievable, unfathomable that so much carnage could happen so fast and so stupidly. A settlement has been reached for $176 million to be divided among the various parties - according to the Providence Journal - which is society's way of saying: "It's not important whose fault it is - take the money and run." Funny how nobody's responsible for anything any more - no one has to apologize or admit or acknowledge guilt. Every time there is a needless tragedy these days, the cause and effect become swallowed up by a tidal wave of empathy. We seem to spend more time absolving ourselves than being accountable.
To me, someone needs to be accountable for the 100 lives that were snuffed out, one of them being Mike Gonsalves, better known as "Gonzo" , renowned for his sense of humor, his zest for life , his willingness to help others, and - of course - his addiction to "metal" music. If you've read previous posts, you know that I hired Gonzo as an intern from Rhode Island College at WHJY. I guess the only way to rationalize his too short existence is to say that he died doing what he loved best. That doesn't excuse the laid-back mentality that allowed Great White's "crew" to think that they somehow had permission to fire off explosives directly into flammable material in a closed space, the slipshod chain of communication supposedly conveying permission from club management.
As with most Great American Tragedies, the media initially milks it for all it's worth, wringing out every graphic ounce of flesh, squeezing blood from every pore until the next horrific nightmare commands its attention, the newest calamity hopefully topping the last one. Seven years later, all that's left for the Station victims/survivors is a lot of sleepless nights, pain, suffering and eventually, once the lawyers skim off the fees, a little cash. The attention has been diverted from the fact that devastating fires, shootings and riots still occur routinely in cramped, windowless , crowded clubs around the world, making me wonder how many other Station - type disasters are simply waiting to happen.
Seven years after the fact, I still can't believe it happened. It still seems surreal, unbelievable, unfathomable that so much carnage could happen so fast and so stupidly. A settlement has been reached for $176 million to be divided among the various parties - according to the Providence Journal - which is society's way of saying: "It's not important whose fault it is - take the money and run." Funny how nobody's responsible for anything any more - no one has to apologize or admit or acknowledge guilt. Every time there is a needless tragedy these days, the cause and effect become swallowed up by a tidal wave of empathy. We seem to spend more time absolving ourselves than being accountable.
To me, someone needs to be accountable for the 100 lives that were snuffed out, one of them being Mike Gonsalves, better known as "Gonzo" , renowned for his sense of humor, his zest for life , his willingness to help others, and - of course - his addiction to "metal" music. If you've read previous posts, you know that I hired Gonzo as an intern from Rhode Island College at WHJY. I guess the only way to rationalize his too short existence is to say that he died doing what he loved best. That doesn't excuse the laid-back mentality that allowed Great White's "crew" to think that they somehow had permission to fire off explosives directly into flammable material in a closed space, the slipshod chain of communication supposedly conveying permission from club management.
As with most Great American Tragedies, the media initially milks it for all it's worth, wringing out every graphic ounce of flesh, squeezing blood from every pore until the next horrific nightmare commands its attention, the newest calamity hopefully topping the last one. Seven years later, all that's left for the Station victims/survivors is a lot of sleepless nights, pain, suffering and eventually, once the lawyers skim off the fees, a little cash. The attention has been diverted from the fact that devastating fires, shootings and riots still occur routinely in cramped, windowless , crowded clubs around the world, making me wonder how many other Station - type disasters are simply waiting to happen.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Elvis: The Low Point?
After unsuccessfully resisting the urge to begin this post with a really bad Elvis Presley joke ( "What was Elvis' last hit?" - "The floor" (I don't have to explain that, do I?) ) I decided I should be charitable and try to address Elvis' impact on culture. Ironically, the textbook I use for my mass media classes identifies Elvis' appearence on Ed Sullivan as the high point of "low" culture. You've probably heard the "high" and "low" labels before but the labels are pretty transparent - "high" means museums, dance recitals, symphonies , Shakespearean plays - culture with a capital "C" - while "low" means professional wrestling, pop music, reality TV - culture for the so-called masses. This model held up pretty well when there was a vast socio-economic gap between the "high" and "low" classes, but it doesn't carry as much weight with the advent of the dominant middle class. Most of us are trapped in the morass of "middle" America, the suburban stew of credit cards, college loans and adjustable rate mortgages.
I certainly would never label Elvis Presley as "low" culture, mainly because I've always felt that any successful artist needs recognition in the marketplace to be respected; from my point of view, that makes Elvis' transition from a Mississippi shack to a Memphis mansion more significant than Michelangelo fawning for the Pope so he could finish the Sistine Chapel. Presley's stage persona appealed to wholesome white kids in the 50s because he was the personification of "race" music - a white man with a black voice.
The mushrooming middle class ( its growth fueled by the plethora of consumer products and the American postwar economy) adapted Elvis. They watched him grow from the skinny kid who just happened to cut "That's Alright" on the flip side of a record he was making for his Mama at Sun Records to a relentless performer enthroned in that mecca of middle class dreams - Las Vegas. Presley's life mirrored their experiences - he got drafted, he got married, he settled down with children, he got divorced, he dabbled with alcohol and drugs - reinforcing their shared identity.
When the crowd gathered at Graceland earlier this month to celebrate Elvis Presley's 75th birthday, they weren't concerned with "high" or "low" culture. Instead, they were mourning the death of a true middle class icon, the first man to bring the sound of the ghetto to Levittown.
I certainly would never label Elvis Presley as "low" culture, mainly because I've always felt that any successful artist needs recognition in the marketplace to be respected; from my point of view, that makes Elvis' transition from a Mississippi shack to a Memphis mansion more significant than Michelangelo fawning for the Pope so he could finish the Sistine Chapel. Presley's stage persona appealed to wholesome white kids in the 50s because he was the personification of "race" music - a white man with a black voice.
The mushrooming middle class ( its growth fueled by the plethora of consumer products and the American postwar economy) adapted Elvis. They watched him grow from the skinny kid who just happened to cut "That's Alright" on the flip side of a record he was making for his Mama at Sun Records to a relentless performer enthroned in that mecca of middle class dreams - Las Vegas. Presley's life mirrored their experiences - he got drafted, he got married, he settled down with children, he got divorced, he dabbled with alcohol and drugs - reinforcing their shared identity.
When the crowd gathered at Graceland earlier this month to celebrate Elvis Presley's 75th birthday, they weren't concerned with "high" or "low" culture. Instead, they were mourning the death of a true middle class icon, the first man to bring the sound of the ghetto to Levittown.
Friday, January 1, 2010
L'Esperance Mandolin Ensemble 12/31/09
With all the confusion in the music industry as the record labels continue to grapple with the impact of i-Pods, ringtones, downloads and the demise of radio, it's refreshing to hear a local live performance like that of the L'Esperance Mandolin Ensemble, who played on New Year's Eve as part of Bright Night Providence at the Mathewson Street Church. This is pure entertainment, music without the incessant hype, people who play together on their own time strictly for enjoyment. The concert was an electic mix of genres and styles adapted for strings, presided over by Josh Bell , Concertmaster of the Providence Mandolin Orchestra and Director of the L'Esperance Mandolin Ensemble. BSRR spoke with Josh after the show.
BSRR:
Can you tell me how the orchestra started and when you got involved in it?
JOSH BELL:
Hibbard Perry was a mandolin and guitar teacher back in the late "Teens" and early 1920s. Starting in 1923, he began to conduct the first version of the Providence Mandolin Orchestra which he conducted until the popularity of the mandolin faded in 1939-1940. It was his dream from 1940 on to re-form this kind of music and we started playing together in 1971-72.
BSRR:
I've been told that Providence has a long standing association with the mandolin.
JOSH:
Giuseppe Pettini came to this country in the late 1880s as one of the first Italians to emigrate to America. He was already an accomplished mandolinist in Italy and when he arrived here (in Providence), he was probably in his late teens. He lied about his age and continued to lie about it until he was in his late 90s or early 100s. He died in 1966. In fact, his grandnephew is a member of our ensemble.
BSRR:
What are the different components of the mandolin orchestra?
JOSH:
Very much like a string orchestra. We have the second mandolins (which) play the same parts as first and second violins. We have a section of mandola players and a mandocello which is tuned the same as a cello in a string orchestra. A mandobass is tuned the same as a bass in string orchestra. We also have a guitar section.
BSRR:
How much classical material do you perform?
JOSH:
We do a lot of classical stuff. This program was designed more for a New Year's Eve celebration. The biggest market for classical music today is in TV and movie scores and commercials so it's not a stretch for us to be playing music that becomes popular in that way.
BSRR:
Just like John Williams.
JOSH:
I first played a John Williams number when I was in the seventh grade. He had written a piece for high school band that we played back in the 60s. He's just kept going.
BSRR:
One of the selections you did tonight was the "James Bond theme". What was the lawsuit you referred to during the introduction?
JOSH:
That piece was originally written for an Indian picture "A House For Mr. Biswa". The song from that movie featured that "dum de dum - dum" riff. When it was brought over to the James Bond theme, it was never actually given a name.
BSRR:
How about the theme from "The Magnificent 7"?
JOSH:
I think Duane - one of our mandolin players - found it first and said - 'Hey, why don't we play that one'?
(Other selections included "Ghostbusters", "Lady Madonna", and "Nutcracker Suite" - Editor's Note)
BSRR:
What message do you have for mandolin afcionadoes in relation to the future of the instrument and the popularity of the music?
JOSH:
The number one thing about the mandolin is it's an instrument that's accessible for people who want to play music. It's mostly about the joy of playing with other people. It's a very welcoming community of players. Within a year or two, almost anybody can find a group that they can play with and have a lot of fun making music.
Come to think of it, especially as we embark on a new decade, isn't that really what music is about?
BSRR:
Can you tell me how the orchestra started and when you got involved in it?
JOSH BELL:
Hibbard Perry was a mandolin and guitar teacher back in the late "Teens" and early 1920s. Starting in 1923, he began to conduct the first version of the Providence Mandolin Orchestra which he conducted until the popularity of the mandolin faded in 1939-1940. It was his dream from 1940 on to re-form this kind of music and we started playing together in 1971-72.
BSRR:
I've been told that Providence has a long standing association with the mandolin.
JOSH:
Giuseppe Pettini came to this country in the late 1880s as one of the first Italians to emigrate to America. He was already an accomplished mandolinist in Italy and when he arrived here (in Providence), he was probably in his late teens. He lied about his age and continued to lie about it until he was in his late 90s or early 100s. He died in 1966. In fact, his grandnephew is a member of our ensemble.
BSRR:
What are the different components of the mandolin orchestra?
JOSH:
Very much like a string orchestra. We have the second mandolins (which) play the same parts as first and second violins. We have a section of mandola players and a mandocello which is tuned the same as a cello in a string orchestra. A mandobass is tuned the same as a bass in string orchestra. We also have a guitar section.
BSRR:
How much classical material do you perform?
JOSH:
We do a lot of classical stuff. This program was designed more for a New Year's Eve celebration. The biggest market for classical music today is in TV and movie scores and commercials so it's not a stretch for us to be playing music that becomes popular in that way.
BSRR:
Just like John Williams.
JOSH:
I first played a John Williams number when I was in the seventh grade. He had written a piece for high school band that we played back in the 60s. He's just kept going.
BSRR:
One of the selections you did tonight was the "James Bond theme". What was the lawsuit you referred to during the introduction?
JOSH:
That piece was originally written for an Indian picture "A House For Mr. Biswa". The song from that movie featured that "dum de dum - dum" riff. When it was brought over to the James Bond theme, it was never actually given a name.
BSRR:
How about the theme from "The Magnificent 7"?
JOSH:
I think Duane - one of our mandolin players - found it first and said - 'Hey, why don't we play that one'?
(Other selections included "Ghostbusters", "Lady Madonna", and "Nutcracker Suite" - Editor's Note)
BSRR:
What message do you have for mandolin afcionadoes in relation to the future of the instrument and the popularity of the music?
JOSH:
The number one thing about the mandolin is it's an instrument that's accessible for people who want to play music. It's mostly about the joy of playing with other people. It's a very welcoming community of players. Within a year or two, almost anybody can find a group that they can play with and have a lot of fun making music.
Come to think of it, especially as we embark on a new decade, isn't that really what music is about?
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