I was only sixteen when I first saw the Paul Butterfield Blues Band live in Boston, which then compelled me to buy their album "East-West", one of the first records I actually bought with my own money, along with "The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion" by the Dead, and "Out of Our Heads" by the Stones. Paul Butterfield, who was born in December, 1947, was simply the best blues harp player I've ever heard.
Butterfield's technique combined the basic blues riffs from harmonica greats like Little Walter and Junior Wells with complex melodic runs suggesting jazz or fusion, especially evident in the harmonica solos on the band's monumental jam "East West" as well as "The Work Song." His transitions from note to note are seamless. Butterfield always seemed to coax the best out of the humble Hohner "Marine Band" harmonica, at times sounding like a saxophone or a keyboard. His playing style was unique, especially the fact that he played harp upside down.
Ironically, Paul Butterfield began his love of music by studying classical flute when he was a teenager, but soon developed a passion for the mouth harp. The nucleus of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band was formed when Paul met guitarist Elvin Bishop while both were students at the University of Chicago. They began hanging out with the likes of Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush and Little Walter before stealing drummer Sam Lay and bassist Jerome Arnold from Howlin' Wolf's Band and forming a band in 1963. Guitar virtuoso Mike Bloomfield was added just before Elecktra released their debut album in 1965, just a few months after Bloomfield, Arnold and Lay backed Bob Dylan's electric debut at the Newport Folk Festival. Unfortunately, after the release of East/West in 1967, Bloomfield, Arnold and replacement drummer Billy Davenport all left the band.
Bishop took over on lead guitar with the release of The Resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw in 1967, Butterfield adding horns to the mix. One of my favorite tunes from Resurrection is actually a Bishop tune - "Drunk Again" - not exactly politically correct but full of sizzling guitar solos, but Butterfield also excels with tunes like "Driftin and Driftin' "as well as the Muddy Waters classic "Just To Be With You". "In My Own Dream" was the last PBB album I paid close attention to, once again a mix of traditional Chicago blues with jazz/fusion.
Butterfield had the distinction of playing with a wide variety of artists, from Muddy Waters to The Band, but the music eventually consumed him. He died in Los Angeles on May 4, 1987, primarily from the effects of heavy drinking, joining a long list of talented artists who never got the monkeys off their backs, so to speak.
I'll always be a Paul Butterfield fan - I just wish he had lived a bit longer.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Words of Farewell
America will elect a new President in the next few weeks, who may or may not represent change. Although I can not predict winners or losers, the only thing I know for certain is that my life will have changed by then- is, in fact, changing forever.
The song that first came to mind was the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home," the wistful vocals and maudlin lyrics accurately matching the emotional void and loss of control I felt when the reality finally took over, that I really had run out of options, that it was now to a matter of days. Deep down in my normally resilent inner core, fear began to dictate my every thought - what if I can't do it? - what if I can't make it? - what if I drop off the face of the earth forever? The house gradually became a darkened shell of its former self, dirty and sometimes disgusting, someone's else's property that I was allowed to stay in, much like the Gordon Lightfoot line about " a ghost in a wishing well ", the absolute bottom happening over a year ago in the middle of the prolonged Hurricane Irene power failure when, surrounded by gutterring candles, I actually tried to play Little Walter's "Blues With A Feeling", trapped in what had once been my "dream" house.
You try - over time - to psych yourself out, just throw it off like Billy Joel in "Moving Out",when the going gets tough , the tough get going , the old college try, win one for the Gipper - but those phrases wear thin pretty quickly, and I don't think anyone really believes that crap anyway.
Some of the most plaintive ltrics about leaving that have always stayed with me through the twists and turns were written by Phil Ochs, whom I saw at the Mooncusser in Oak Bluffs at the clumsly age of 15. The words echo in my mind: "Are you going away with no words of farewell? / Will there be not a word left behind? / I could have loved you better , didn't mean to be unkind / You know it was the last thing on my mind." As I spend these final days and hours stripping away the memories, negotiating for dumpsters, jettisoning what I thought were attic treasures, sifting through the debris and chaos of seventeen years, I wonder what my words of farewell should be. As Delbert McClinton puts it on one of the cuts from "Acquired Taste" - "Can't nobody say I didn't try?" Or should it be Junior Wells wailing" Bab-ee / So all ALONE?" Or Mick Jagger wailing: "Time waits for NO-ONE / And it WON"T wait for me?"
The song that first came to mind was the Beatles' "She's Leaving Home," the wistful vocals and maudlin lyrics accurately matching the emotional void and loss of control I felt when the reality finally took over, that I really had run out of options, that it was now to a matter of days. Deep down in my normally resilent inner core, fear began to dictate my every thought - what if I can't do it? - what if I can't make it? - what if I drop off the face of the earth forever? The house gradually became a darkened shell of its former self, dirty and sometimes disgusting, someone's else's property that I was allowed to stay in, much like the Gordon Lightfoot line about " a ghost in a wishing well ", the absolute bottom happening over a year ago in the middle of the prolonged Hurricane Irene power failure when, surrounded by gutterring candles, I actually tried to play Little Walter's "Blues With A Feeling", trapped in what had once been my "dream" house.
You try - over time - to psych yourself out, just throw it off like Billy Joel in "Moving Out",when the going gets tough , the tough get going , the old college try, win one for the Gipper - but those phrases wear thin pretty quickly, and I don't think anyone really believes that crap anyway.
Some of the most plaintive ltrics about leaving that have always stayed with me through the twists and turns were written by Phil Ochs, whom I saw at the Mooncusser in Oak Bluffs at the clumsly age of 15. The words echo in my mind: "Are you going away with no words of farewell? / Will there be not a word left behind? / I could have loved you better , didn't mean to be unkind / You know it was the last thing on my mind." As I spend these final days and hours stripping away the memories, negotiating for dumpsters, jettisoning what I thought were attic treasures, sifting through the debris and chaos of seventeen years, I wonder what my words of farewell should be. As Delbert McClinton puts it on one of the cuts from "Acquired Taste" - "Can't nobody say I didn't try?" Or should it be Junior Wells wailing" Bab-ee / So all ALONE?" Or Mick Jagger wailing: "Time waits for NO-ONE / And it WON"T wait for me?"
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Stepping Razor
Winston Herbert McIntosh - better known as Peter Tosh - died 25 years ago this month, ironically on September 11,1987, but not before leaving an indelible mark on reggae and Rastafarianism. His authoritative voice and solid musicianship are reflected in reggae anthems like "Get Up, Stand Up", "Legalize It" , or "400 Years."
Tosh got his start singing on streetcorners in Kingston with Robert Nesta Marley - BobMarley - and Neville O'Reilly Livingston - Bunny Wauiler - finally forming the band "Wailing Wailers" in 1964 under the tutelage of vocal teacher Joe Higgs. Apparently, Tosh was essential to the band because he was the only one who could play a musical instrument! The group scored with their ska classic"Simmer Down" before splitting up in 1965. The Wailers lineup didn't fully materialize until 1970, when brothers drummer Carlton Barrett and bassist Aston Barrett joined Tosh, Marley and Bunny.
Tosh's signature is all over the Wailers' music, in songs like "Stop That Train", "Small Axe", "Duppy Conqueror" , "No Sympathy" and his theme song"Stepping Razor"("I'm like a stepping razor/Better watch my size/I'm dan-ger-ous/Dan-ger-uos!"). Unfortunately, his life took a turn for the worse when an accident in Jamaica killed his girlfriend in 1973, leaving Tosh with a fractured skull. This reportedly made him more difficult to deal with, possibly leading to Tosh's decision to pursue a solo career in 1974.
In 1976, Peter Tosh released his best known song "Legalize It" on CBS Records, which quickly became the anthem of pot smokers worldwide, followed by "Bush Doctor" in 1978 on Rolling Stones Records. Tosh and Mick Jagger had an instant hit with their duet on "Don't Look Back", elevating Tosh's status and briefly dominating FM airplay. Some of his best cuts - in my humble opinion - are on 1981's "Wanted Dread and Alive", like the title cut , "Coming in Hot",or "The Poor Man Feel It". I even made sure I went to a reggae shop in Montego Bay just to get a Tosh CD since my vinyl version was long gone.
Apparently, Tosh had just returned to Jamaica in 1987 when a gang of three men showed up at his house, demanding money. Although he protested that he was broke, the trio tortured Tosh for several hours before finally shooting him and two other men who, ironically, had shown up to welcome Tosh home to Jamaica. In August of this year, Peter Tosh was awarded the Order of Merit, Jamaica's fourth highest honour.
Peter Tosh was self made and pioneered a new musical form that grew to a global phenomenon - not bad for a poor kid from Grange Hall.
Tosh got his start singing on streetcorners in Kingston with Robert Nesta Marley - BobMarley - and Neville O'Reilly Livingston - Bunny Wauiler - finally forming the band "Wailing Wailers" in 1964 under the tutelage of vocal teacher Joe Higgs. Apparently, Tosh was essential to the band because he was the only one who could play a musical instrument! The group scored with their ska classic"Simmer Down" before splitting up in 1965. The Wailers lineup didn't fully materialize until 1970, when brothers drummer Carlton Barrett and bassist Aston Barrett joined Tosh, Marley and Bunny.
Tosh's signature is all over the Wailers' music, in songs like "Stop That Train", "Small Axe", "Duppy Conqueror" , "No Sympathy" and his theme song"Stepping Razor"("I'm like a stepping razor/Better watch my size/I'm dan-ger-ous/Dan-ger-uos!"). Unfortunately, his life took a turn for the worse when an accident in Jamaica killed his girlfriend in 1973, leaving Tosh with a fractured skull. This reportedly made him more difficult to deal with, possibly leading to Tosh's decision to pursue a solo career in 1974.
In 1976, Peter Tosh released his best known song "Legalize It" on CBS Records, which quickly became the anthem of pot smokers worldwide, followed by "Bush Doctor" in 1978 on Rolling Stones Records. Tosh and Mick Jagger had an instant hit with their duet on "Don't Look Back", elevating Tosh's status and briefly dominating FM airplay. Some of his best cuts - in my humble opinion - are on 1981's "Wanted Dread and Alive", like the title cut , "Coming in Hot",or "The Poor Man Feel It". I even made sure I went to a reggae shop in Montego Bay just to get a Tosh CD since my vinyl version was long gone.
Apparently, Tosh had just returned to Jamaica in 1987 when a gang of three men showed up at his house, demanding money. Although he protested that he was broke, the trio tortured Tosh for several hours before finally shooting him and two other men who, ironically, had shown up to welcome Tosh home to Jamaica. In August of this year, Peter Tosh was awarded the Order of Merit, Jamaica's fourth highest honour.
Peter Tosh was self made and pioneered a new musical form that grew to a global phenomenon - not bad for a poor kid from Grange Hall.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
May The Best Band Win
I'm beginning to think that the only artist who approved of his music being used at the Republican National Convention was Enzo Morricone, the Italian composer who came up with Clint Eastwood's signature theme song for his "spaghetti western" persona. Just imagine poor Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, trying to relate to the audience in Tampa by touting his Ipod content - from AC/DC to Led Zeppelin - as well as his long standing affection for Rage Against The Machine, only to have his favorite band immediately turn their "rage" on him. Other rockers who cried foul over the GOP using their output included Twisted Sister's Dee Snyder, Tom Petty and even the mother of Thin Lizzie's lead singer Phil Lynott. This would be like Leonardo DaVinci preventing anyone from seeing the Mona Lisa unless they agreed with his politics. Art for art's sake - right?
On the other side of the spectrum, it was definitely different to see the Foo Fighters perform at the Democratic National Convention just hours before President Barack Obama's keynote speech, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. The lineup in Charlotte include James Taylor, Earth Wind & Fire, Mary J. Blige, Marc Anthony, Branford Marsalis, and even tireless Tony Bennett. It was obvious from the plethora of camera shots showing the delegates bumping to EWF'S "September" and rocking out with the Fighters that the music helped enhance the message.
The Republicans have long complained about President Obama's "celebrity" support, as if to say that Hollywood is filled with drug addicts, Communists, perverts, morally deficient sideshow freaks who are so brain damaged they can't understand the GOP's platform. It was oddly appropriate to see Clint Eastwood introducing Mitt Romney, as if the party was trying to prove it could attract movie stars as well. Eastwood made several comments that made it sound as if he would be burned at the stake by the rest of the industry for revealing his political philosophy, but it wasn't much of a secret anyway.
However, watching Clint's "empty chair" routine, I began to realize that - demographically speaking - he was an angry old white man introducing another angry old white man. It was even more unsettling to consider that some of the RNC's Top Ten artists are angry young white men. I really didn't want to generalize about either party's taste in music, but I couldn't help being a bit analytical. We are polarized enough in this country without me adding to it. Just make sure that, when you got to the polls, don't bring your Ipod!
On the other side of the spectrum, it was definitely different to see the Foo Fighters perform at the Democratic National Convention just hours before President Barack Obama's keynote speech, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. The lineup in Charlotte include James Taylor, Earth Wind & Fire, Mary J. Blige, Marc Anthony, Branford Marsalis, and even tireless Tony Bennett. It was obvious from the plethora of camera shots showing the delegates bumping to EWF'S "September" and rocking out with the Fighters that the music helped enhance the message.
The Republicans have long complained about President Obama's "celebrity" support, as if to say that Hollywood is filled with drug addicts, Communists, perverts, morally deficient sideshow freaks who are so brain damaged they can't understand the GOP's platform. It was oddly appropriate to see Clint Eastwood introducing Mitt Romney, as if the party was trying to prove it could attract movie stars as well. Eastwood made several comments that made it sound as if he would be burned at the stake by the rest of the industry for revealing his political philosophy, but it wasn't much of a secret anyway.
However, watching Clint's "empty chair" routine, I began to realize that - demographically speaking - he was an angry old white man introducing another angry old white man. It was even more unsettling to consider that some of the RNC's Top Ten artists are angry young white men. I really didn't want to generalize about either party's taste in music, but I couldn't help being a bit analytical. We are polarized enough in this country without me adding to it. Just make sure that, when you got to the polls, don't bring your Ipod!
Saturday, August 11, 2012
The Thing About "That Thing"
Most of us think of Tom Hanks in terms of his unparalleled acting ability, the vast number of roles he's played , the inevitable description as the film industry's "Everyman" , but we don't often think of him as a writer and director, why is why you should check out Hanks' 1996 masterpiece, "That Thing You Do." The movie captures the rise and fall of the "One-ders", a very obvious play on the term "one hit wonders", the bands that strike gold once only to fade into obscurity, like "The Night Chicago Died" by Paper Lace or "Brandy" by Looking Glass as well as many others. The movie is just about perfect in its depiction of the band's rapid rise and fall.
It's 1964 in Pittsburgh when Tom Everett Scott, as drummer Guy Patterson, joins up with Jonathon Schaech, as singer/musician James Mattingly, to form the band. They are officially discovered by Tom Hanks, playing "Mr. White", a talent scout for Playtone Records, who proceeds to package them as the latest "teen sensations". The film depicts the process of manufacturing a hit, from the endless sucking up to the deejays who controlled the radio playlists to the touring shows of Playtone's hit artists, which Hanks captures perfectly, slyly poking fun at the names and personas of the mid Fifties - mid Sixties performers. The Onders' rise to the ultimate honor - their televized national debut on an ersatz version of Ed Sullivan, complete with screaming teens.
The first major crack in the Oneders' facade originates with James Mattingly, who begins to resist "cookie cutter" fame by demanding more input into the band's output, so to speak. The funniest aspect of Mattingly's quest for "creativity" occurs when Playtone's President Sol Siler (Played for max laughs by Alex Rocco) meets the Onders for a quick cameo, spending exactly 10 seconds with his "hottest" act before starting in on a massive deli sandwich, keeping up a continual dialogue with his entourage. Mattingly decides to take the initiative, planting himself squarely in front of Siler, innocently inquiring about maybe recording some original music for the label. The mogul's reaction is classic - he chokes on his corned beef,demanding that Mattingly be removed from his sight immediately, plus reminded never to speak unless spoken to, a moment that sarcastically summarizes the typical label-artist relationship of that era.
The fissure widens further when - once again - Mattingly freaks over a tongue-in-cheek photo caption supered over him during their TV debut implying that he's engaged. Liv Tyler does a superb job as Mattingly's girlfriend, faithful, broken-hearted after she follows him to California only to be spurned and humiliated , finally forced to speak up for herself, dissing Mattingly in front of the band and Hanks. The next day, Mattingly quits, walking out of the studio. Drummer Patterson watches helplessly as the band quickly unravels, Hanks' Mr. White providing wry commentary on the fact that most groups typically collapse and re-form, reassuring Scott's Guy Patterson that he has talent and a future. Patterson pays homage to jazz pianist Del Paxton (Bill Cobbs) who catches him playing solo in the studio after the break-up and ends up sitting in with him. All the loose ends are neatly tied up as Scott finds Tyler in the hotel coffee shop about to head back to Pittsburgh. They discover their love for each other, and head off for marriage and a great lifestyle on the West Coast. Hanks' goes to the trouble of letting the audience know the fate of the characters, with the ironic twist that the Mattingly character supposedly formed a new band and recorded three gold records for Playtone.
The movie exudes positive energy, tongue-in-cheek satire and captures the moment perfectly - when rock and roll was re-invigorated by the new wave of "teen sensation" bands - the Beatles the Stones, and who could forget - The One-ders !!!
It's 1964 in Pittsburgh when Tom Everett Scott, as drummer Guy Patterson, joins up with Jonathon Schaech, as singer/musician James Mattingly, to form the band. They are officially discovered by Tom Hanks, playing "Mr. White", a talent scout for Playtone Records, who proceeds to package them as the latest "teen sensations". The film depicts the process of manufacturing a hit, from the endless sucking up to the deejays who controlled the radio playlists to the touring shows of Playtone's hit artists, which Hanks captures perfectly, slyly poking fun at the names and personas of the mid Fifties - mid Sixties performers. The Onders' rise to the ultimate honor - their televized national debut on an ersatz version of Ed Sullivan, complete with screaming teens.
The first major crack in the Oneders' facade originates with James Mattingly, who begins to resist "cookie cutter" fame by demanding more input into the band's output, so to speak. The funniest aspect of Mattingly's quest for "creativity" occurs when Playtone's President Sol Siler (Played for max laughs by Alex Rocco) meets the Onders for a quick cameo, spending exactly 10 seconds with his "hottest" act before starting in on a massive deli sandwich, keeping up a continual dialogue with his entourage. Mattingly decides to take the initiative, planting himself squarely in front of Siler, innocently inquiring about maybe recording some original music for the label. The mogul's reaction is classic - he chokes on his corned beef,demanding that Mattingly be removed from his sight immediately, plus reminded never to speak unless spoken to, a moment that sarcastically summarizes the typical label-artist relationship of that era.
The fissure widens further when - once again - Mattingly freaks over a tongue-in-cheek photo caption supered over him during their TV debut implying that he's engaged. Liv Tyler does a superb job as Mattingly's girlfriend, faithful, broken-hearted after she follows him to California only to be spurned and humiliated , finally forced to speak up for herself, dissing Mattingly in front of the band and Hanks. The next day, Mattingly quits, walking out of the studio. Drummer Patterson watches helplessly as the band quickly unravels, Hanks' Mr. White providing wry commentary on the fact that most groups typically collapse and re-form, reassuring Scott's Guy Patterson that he has talent and a future. Patterson pays homage to jazz pianist Del Paxton (Bill Cobbs) who catches him playing solo in the studio after the break-up and ends up sitting in with him. All the loose ends are neatly tied up as Scott finds Tyler in the hotel coffee shop about to head back to Pittsburgh. They discover their love for each other, and head off for marriage and a great lifestyle on the West Coast. Hanks' goes to the trouble of letting the audience know the fate of the characters, with the ironic twist that the Mattingly character supposedly formed a new band and recorded three gold records for Playtone.
The movie exudes positive energy, tongue-in-cheek satire and captures the moment perfectly - when rock and roll was re-invigorated by the new wave of "teen sensation" bands - the Beatles the Stones, and who could forget - The One-ders !!!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Boogie Children – Happy Birthday John Lee Hooker and Robert Cray
Besides the fact that they were both born in August – John Lee Hooker, on either August 22, 1917 or maybe 1915, 1920 or 1923, depending on what kind of mood John Lee was in when he was asked the question – and Robert Cray, born August 1, 1953 – the two guitar virtuosos actually played together, Cray’s band in its entirety backing Hooker on 1992’s “Mr. Lucky.”, not to mention Cray sitting in on selected tracks from “Boom Boom..” Both musicians have made a mark on the blues.
“I’m the first person that really got the boogie goin’” John Lee claimed, as documented in Ted Gioia’s definite book “Delta Blues” (“Hooker’s Boogie”) , but he also said he couldn’t really explain what the sound was”…It’s just there…And it just comes out.” Most musicians complained that Hooker was very hard to follow, since he admitted he never played the same song the same way twice. His “boogie” music eschewed the typical drumbeat for a pulsating, throbbing sound defined totally by Hooker’s guitar. Although Hooker was born just outside of Clarksdale, Mississippi in the heart of the Delta, it was his migration northward to Detroit in the l940s that defined his music, gave it an edge. The raw power of Hooker’s first “hit” drove it to the top of the R & B charts in 1948, even though “Boogie Children” is really just one chord repeated over and over. Although he is best known for “Boom Boom” and a plethora of other one of a kind creations, one of my personal favorites is a relatively obscure but recognizably Hooker ditty called “Drugstore Woman”, in which he lampoons “drugstore girls” for wearing “lipstick and powder” as well as “nyyy-lon stockings”, a sort of gonzo social commentary pointing out that, when it comers to romance, don’t judge the book by looking at the cover. Hooker’s life reflected his music, especially “Whiskey and Women” in which John Lee points out” I had a lot of money at one time.” He survived and prospered over bad decisions and rocky relationships by simply jamming with everyone from Canned Heat to Carlos Santana to Keith Richard to Robert Cray until John Lee Hooker died peacefully in his sleep on June 21, 2001. Hooker’s powerful “boogie” sound combined with the raw and frequently raunchy lyrics on tunes like “In the Mood,” Boom Boom”, and “Crawling Kingsnake” stands out as a significant contribution to blues and rock alike.
Robert Cray’s prowess on the guitar is equal to Hooker’s, but his style is to pluck the notes out of the strings in precise, seemingly endless riffs instead of chord progressions. I was immediately drawn to “Smoking Gun” the first time I heard it, the fluid riffs matching the rising anxiety in Cray’s voice as he describes good loving gone bad, but infidelity and conflict figure prominently in some of his best tunes like “Guess I Showed Her” and :”Chicken in the Kitchen”. Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953 in Columbus, Georgia but his breakout didn’t come until the release of his third album “Strong Persuader” which earned Cray a Grammy and the “crossover” (Meaning a song that can appeal successfully to two different musical audiences as defined by Billboard’s charts, like Country and Western and Easy Listening, or R & B and Urban Contemporary) single “Smokin’ Gun” gave him recognition. Cray’s artistry can be heard on three of John Lee Hooker’s albums, most notably on “Mr. Lucky” in 1992, the entire Cray band backing Hooker on the title track. Robert Cray has also opened several times for his friend Eric Clapton, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.
In a manner of speaking, the “boogie children” of August represent a generational leap from the down home backwoods sound that traveled from Mississippi to Michigan with John Lee Hooker to the more sophisticated urban musings of Robert Cray. They helped to shape Twentieth Century American music.
“I’m the first person that really got the boogie goin’” John Lee claimed, as documented in Ted Gioia’s definite book “Delta Blues” (“Hooker’s Boogie”) , but he also said he couldn’t really explain what the sound was”…It’s just there…And it just comes out.” Most musicians complained that Hooker was very hard to follow, since he admitted he never played the same song the same way twice. His “boogie” music eschewed the typical drumbeat for a pulsating, throbbing sound defined totally by Hooker’s guitar. Although Hooker was born just outside of Clarksdale, Mississippi in the heart of the Delta, it was his migration northward to Detroit in the l940s that defined his music, gave it an edge. The raw power of Hooker’s first “hit” drove it to the top of the R & B charts in 1948, even though “Boogie Children” is really just one chord repeated over and over. Although he is best known for “Boom Boom” and a plethora of other one of a kind creations, one of my personal favorites is a relatively obscure but recognizably Hooker ditty called “Drugstore Woman”, in which he lampoons “drugstore girls” for wearing “lipstick and powder” as well as “nyyy-lon stockings”, a sort of gonzo social commentary pointing out that, when it comers to romance, don’t judge the book by looking at the cover. Hooker’s life reflected his music, especially “Whiskey and Women” in which John Lee points out” I had a lot of money at one time.” He survived and prospered over bad decisions and rocky relationships by simply jamming with everyone from Canned Heat to Carlos Santana to Keith Richard to Robert Cray until John Lee Hooker died peacefully in his sleep on June 21, 2001. Hooker’s powerful “boogie” sound combined with the raw and frequently raunchy lyrics on tunes like “In the Mood,” Boom Boom”, and “Crawling Kingsnake” stands out as a significant contribution to blues and rock alike.
Robert Cray’s prowess on the guitar is equal to Hooker’s, but his style is to pluck the notes out of the strings in precise, seemingly endless riffs instead of chord progressions. I was immediately drawn to “Smoking Gun” the first time I heard it, the fluid riffs matching the rising anxiety in Cray’s voice as he describes good loving gone bad, but infidelity and conflict figure prominently in some of his best tunes like “Guess I Showed Her” and :”Chicken in the Kitchen”. Robert Cray was born on August 1, 1953 in Columbus, Georgia but his breakout didn’t come until the release of his third album “Strong Persuader” which earned Cray a Grammy and the “crossover” (Meaning a song that can appeal successfully to two different musical audiences as defined by Billboard’s charts, like Country and Western and Easy Listening, or R & B and Urban Contemporary) single “Smokin’ Gun” gave him recognition. Cray’s artistry can be heard on three of John Lee Hooker’s albums, most notably on “Mr. Lucky” in 1992, the entire Cray band backing Hooker on the title track. Robert Cray has also opened several times for his friend Eric Clapton, and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011.
In a manner of speaking, the “boogie children” of August represent a generational leap from the down home backwoods sound that traveled from Mississippi to Michigan with John Lee Hooker to the more sophisticated urban musings of Robert Cray. They helped to shape Twentieth Century American music.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
2012 Providence Roots Sound Session Sensation- Rock/Jazz/Ska/Soul/Salsa/Etc.
I've always maintained that the true test of a musician is a live performance - no chance to hide behind a phalanx of studio musicians or layers of synthesizers and drum machines, multiple takes and overdubs and the rest of the recording industry technology designed to enhance as well as manufacture talent. At an event like the Eighth Annual Roots Sound Session, held July 12-15,2012 in Downtown Providence, musicians have to rely on their own ability in the raw with the crowd as combination critics and reviewers. Fortunately, the diverse lineup and all aspects of the event, put together by Len Cabral and Providence Inner City Arts Roots Cultural Center, did not disappoint.
The urban block party atmosphere featured separate stages outside on Westminster and Mathewson Streets as well as the Roots stage indoors, the entire area fenced off and a section set up as an impromptu food court. The event this year encompassed Kid City on Saturday , a Saturday night parade, a Sunday Gospel Buffet and continuous music. We got there around 8:00 Saturday night, in time to catch Los Planeros del Coco stirring up a frenetic Latin mix on one stage and We Own Land pumping out metal on the other, with an appreciative crowd partying in between. Sue and I found a great vantage point on the steps of a church between both bands, basking in the battle of the genres until we decided to check out the Roots stage indoors. Roots is designed for comfort, from the artfully arranged couches and chairs in the front suggesting a very laidback living room to the tables nestled in the corners, along the wall and in the mezzanine overhead fronting the stage.
Back when I was a deejay on the Martha's Vineyard radio station, I used to do a jazz show. I didn't know a lot about the music at the time but, thanks to the influence of legendary Cape Cod "Night Train" host Otis Sutton , I began to appreciate the styles and complexities and influences that make it a unique American art form which brings me to the best music we heard that night - Michael C. Lewis Soul Jazz Experience. Although his exceptional trumpet playing clearly evokes Miles Davis, I first thought of Ramsey Lewis and US 3 (If anyone remembers them!) and Pharoah Sanders, whom Michael has played with, as well as artists from Patti LaBelle to Jimmy Heath to Wilson Pickett. Michael Lewis pays homage to the greats, but makes the music his own on endless jams like "Cloud Parade" from his debut 2010 CD "Reflection" (Available from Lewis' Cybervision Entertainment), the perfect progression of notes floating above and mixing with the interplay of strings, keyboard and percussion, creating an image, a feeling of serenity, casting a spell on the appreciative audience. We basked in Lewis soulful sound until the end of his first set drove us back outside, just in time to catch Brass Attack running through the obligatory Chicago number, but then nicely seguing into the Jackson Five before their set ended.
As the Big Nazo puppets mingled with street musicians waiting for the ska band The Agents to play, we heard some of The Silks' music from the Mathewson Street Stage. I caught some incredibly good blues riffs but ended up drifting back to wait for ska. having been a fan of The Mighty Bosstones and The Specials among others. The Agents took the stage after a brief debate with the soundman, launching into their first frenetic trademark number, but after three songs Sue and I decided that the lure of Michael C. Lewis was impossible to resist and headed back inside to Roots. Our timing was excellent, because Lewis and the band launched into an incredible version of "We've Only Just Begun". showcasing an endless trumpet solo that took the melody apart and then rearranged it in endless variations - slash - riffs, inventing and improvising into a grand finale that had the laidback audience hooting and clapping.
Great music, great company, great event, lots of entertainment for a low price and remember - Sound Session 2013 is now less than a year away.
The urban block party atmosphere featured separate stages outside on Westminster and Mathewson Streets as well as the Roots stage indoors, the entire area fenced off and a section set up as an impromptu food court. The event this year encompassed Kid City on Saturday , a Saturday night parade, a Sunday Gospel Buffet and continuous music. We got there around 8:00 Saturday night, in time to catch Los Planeros del Coco stirring up a frenetic Latin mix on one stage and We Own Land pumping out metal on the other, with an appreciative crowd partying in between. Sue and I found a great vantage point on the steps of a church between both bands, basking in the battle of the genres until we decided to check out the Roots stage indoors. Roots is designed for comfort, from the artfully arranged couches and chairs in the front suggesting a very laidback living room to the tables nestled in the corners, along the wall and in the mezzanine overhead fronting the stage.
Back when I was a deejay on the Martha's Vineyard radio station, I used to do a jazz show. I didn't know a lot about the music at the time but, thanks to the influence of legendary Cape Cod "Night Train" host Otis Sutton , I began to appreciate the styles and complexities and influences that make it a unique American art form which brings me to the best music we heard that night - Michael C. Lewis Soul Jazz Experience. Although his exceptional trumpet playing clearly evokes Miles Davis, I first thought of Ramsey Lewis and US 3 (If anyone remembers them!) and Pharoah Sanders, whom Michael has played with, as well as artists from Patti LaBelle to Jimmy Heath to Wilson Pickett. Michael Lewis pays homage to the greats, but makes the music his own on endless jams like "Cloud Parade" from his debut 2010 CD "Reflection" (Available from Lewis' Cybervision Entertainment), the perfect progression of notes floating above and mixing with the interplay of strings, keyboard and percussion, creating an image, a feeling of serenity, casting a spell on the appreciative audience. We basked in Lewis soulful sound until the end of his first set drove us back outside, just in time to catch Brass Attack running through the obligatory Chicago number, but then nicely seguing into the Jackson Five before their set ended.
As the Big Nazo puppets mingled with street musicians waiting for the ska band The Agents to play, we heard some of The Silks' music from the Mathewson Street Stage. I caught some incredibly good blues riffs but ended up drifting back to wait for ska. having been a fan of The Mighty Bosstones and The Specials among others. The Agents took the stage after a brief debate with the soundman, launching into their first frenetic trademark number, but after three songs Sue and I decided that the lure of Michael C. Lewis was impossible to resist and headed back inside to Roots. Our timing was excellent, because Lewis and the band launched into an incredible version of "We've Only Just Begun". showcasing an endless trumpet solo that took the melody apart and then rearranged it in endless variations - slash - riffs, inventing and improvising into a grand finale that had the laidback audience hooting and clapping.
Great music, great company, great event, lots of entertainment for a low price and remember - Sound Session 2013 is now less than a year away.
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