Happy Halloween, but watch out for "The Ghoul"...

He's a pretty scary guy!

Meanwhile, from Jan/Chris in Nola...

Monday night R&B on Bourbon, dance-worthy, MJ and Madonna on the set list

Hurricane Sandy playlist...

Jon the Generator (Maria Muldaur)  love Maria
4th of July, Asbury Park (Bruce Springsteen)  Sandy, the fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight 
The Hurricane (Bob Dylan)  he could have been champion of the world
Bad Moon Rising (CCR) there's a bathroom on the right...
Rock You Like a Hurricane (Scorpions)
Surfin' In a Hurricane (Jimmy Buffett)
Blowing in the Wind (Joan Baez) how many deaths will it take til we know that too many people have died
Windy (The Association)
Killer (Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes)
Blown Away (Pixies)
November Rain (Guns N Roses)
They Call It Stormy Monday (Allman Brothers Band) but Tuesday's just as bad
When the Levee Breaks (Led Zeppelin)
Louisiana 1927 (Randy Newman)
New York's a Lonely Town (Trade Winds) when you're the only surfer boy around
Idiot Wind (Bob Dylan)


Trying to make it trending on Twitter 
The New Yorker tries offers a version here
 

From Jan/Chris in NOLA (no hurricane, go figure)...

Jazz at the Ritz-Carlton on Canal Street, Saturday night

Dixieland Sunday brunch at Mr. B's Bistro.  Beautiful sound, almost Klezmer-like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to THE REET!

How many shouts out to the song Stormy Monday are we about to hear (whose version is best)?

(Per Wikipedia)- "Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad)" (also known as "Call It Stormy Monday" or just "Stormy Monday") is a blues song written by T-Bone Walker and first recorded in 1947. Confusingly, it is also sometimes referred to as "Stormy Monday Blues", although that is the title of a 1942 song by Earl Hines and Billy Eckstine. Walker titled his song as he did to avoid the name collision.  The song's initial release (1947) is based on the standard 12-bar blues format. The lyrics portray a person who is separated from their love, and is suffering from guilt in some way because of what they have done.  The original recording appeared on Black & White Records, produced by Ralph Bass, and was one of Walker's breakthrough sides in pioneering the idiom of electric blues guitar. This recording also featured smoky trumpet work from sideman Teddy Buckner. It reached number five on the R&B charts in 1948. B.B. King has said that "Call It Stormy Monday" inspired him to begin playing electric guitar. Read More

Whose version is best?


Allman Brothers Band
Cream
John Mayall with Albert King
Vi Redd & Count Basie Orchestra   (kicks ass)
Buddy Guy
Isaac Hayes
Etta James

Suggestion for your pre-Sandy weekend entertainment...

Up to Lexington, one-two-five....

List: Velvet Underground's 10 best songs

Happy Birthday, Shelby Lynne!...

And Robinson Cano, Ichiro Suzucki and Adam Housman, too!

Mourning has broken...

New York Yankees playlist:
Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens
Lay Down (Candles in the Rain) by Melanie
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Running Scared by Roy Orbison
A Long, Sad Goodbye by Lenny Kravitz
Trainwreck in NYC by Johnny Gumbo Party Band
Well, That's Baseball, Susan by John Sterling/Susan Waldman
Itsy, Bitsy, Teenie, Weenie, Yellow Polka-dot Bikini By Brian Hyland (A-Rod request)
I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
The Spank by James Brown

Guess what starts off the Fox Sports broadcast of the NLCS!...

So, who knew from Honk Fest????....

This afternoon, post Agnes-in-hospital visit, sis-in-law Nancy inquired off-hand if I'd ever heard of Somerville's Honk Fest.  No, I had not.  Why?  Well, it is something you should check out, lots of music and festivities over a three-day period each fall in Davis Square.  Lots of noise and great music.

(Per Wikipedia)- HONK!s so far have been staged in: Somerville, Massachusetts; Seattle, Washington; Austin, Texas; Providence, Rhode Island and New York, NY. Although each festival is locally organized and there is no central HONK! authority, they share common features. Each HONK! invites twelve to over thirty bands, who play multiple sets in outdoor public spaces over the course of two or three days. These shows are free to attend. The festivals are volunteer-run and gets support from local sponsors.  The bands invited to play at HONK! share common characteristics. They use instruments that can be simultaneously carried and played, and utilize little or no electronic amplification. As a result, the bands can walk and play at the same time. Some HONK!s feature a parade. There is no generally agreed-upon label for this type of band; labels in use include: "radical marching band," and "community street band."

So, I asked the elite Somerville gang what was going on?  They replied:

• (Kay)- My dad is a huge fan!  I have never seen it...the retail weekend worker I am!
• (Ron)- Yep, it gets bigger and better every year.
• (Peter)- Absolutely! I go every year ....this year Saturday night to watch the bands outside Redbones....bands play in several different outdoor locations all day and night saturday...I like the combination of having a beer, watching some sports, and then go out for the music for  a half hour, then catch the next band...fun.  The best part is the sunday parade ...terrific fun...and Redbones set up a big outdoor food and beer stand.  The best band is AfroBrazil led by a Brazilian guy who is a music teacher at Somerville High.  Gotta run...I'm off to BSO tonight.

C C Rider, see what you've done now. Theeeeeeee Yankees WIN!..

Are you on the Connie bandwagon yet?...

If not, shame on you, these guys are fabulous!  Make plans to see them on Wednesday, November 7th at Cafe Nine in New Haven (an event I may have played a very small part to make happen).  Here is another in a long line of positive reviews for their new Call Me Sylvia album:

REPORTAGE | Music  Low Cut Connie: 2013′s Most Exciting Rock N’ Roll Band

The US-based band work as hard as they live, and are bringing non-believers back to the grand old church built by Jerry Lee, Johnny Cash, Little Richard and The Stones...

Low Cut Connie are rock and roll roughnecks with the devil in the fingertips and the world at their feet. Their songs concern the finer things in life- women, the pursuit of pleasure, women- and they are currently blazing a rum-soaked trail across the U.S in support of their second album, Call Me Sylvia. 

Entirely self-funded and financed, they’ve been garnering support from up on high with Dave Marsh-the legendary Rolling Stone critic- declaring them ‘one of the most important American bands to come along in years.’  Two days after I spoke to them they were also due to open for The Shins at Third Man Records, the Nashville label owned by Jack White, and a listen to their new record reveal Marsh and White to be men of impeccable taste: The album is 15 songs of sweaty bar-room boogie that draws influence from the snappiest-dressed names in the biz; Jerry Lee, Johnny Cash, The Stones and just about everyone else you can think of that’ll make you dance, cry and grab the girl in the red dress.

The band are made up of Adam Weiner and Dan Finnemore, two men who have put necks and balls on the line to run away with the circus.  Weiner has played every dive bar across the East Coast and most of the ones on the West (not to mention quite a few in Europe) under his previous guise Lady Fingers.  Finnemore hails from Birmingham (UK) and has been playing in a succession of the finest rock and roll scuzz bands you might have heard of but probably haven’t, including Swampmeat and Castilians. (Read More)

It's only Rock N Roll, but...

Here's a music quiz that was emailed to me and I thought I'd pass it along.  (Answers are in the first comment)
Your grade:
20 correct- Okay, you're a freaking rock god/nerd, depending on the perspective.
15-19 correct- You're revisiting your youth way too much.
10-14 correct- You used to be a rock nerd, but time has taken a toll on the old brain cells.
5-9 correct- You only remember some of these, but your ego remains undamaged.
0-4 correct- You act like you don't give a crap, but it pisses you off that you can't remember.

1. When did ''Little Suzie'' finally wake up?
(a) The movie's over, it's 2 o'clock
(b) The movie's over, it's 3 o'clock
(c) The movie's over, it's 4 o'clock

2. ''Rock Around The Clock'' was used in what movie?
(a) Rebel Without A Cause
(b) Blackboard Jungle
(c) The Wild Ones

3. What's missing from a Rock & Roll standpoint? Earth_____
(a) Angel
(b) Mother
(c) Worm

4. ''I found my thrill .. . .'' where?
(a) Kansas City
(b) Heartbreak Hotel
(c) Blueberry Hill

5. ''Please turn on your magic beam,__________ bring me a dream,'':
(a) Mr. Sandman
(b) Earth Angel
(c) Dream Lover

6. For which label did Elvis Presley first record?
(a) Atlantic
(b) RCA
(c) Sun

7. He asked, ''Why's everybody always pickin' on me?'' Who was he?
(a) Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
(b) Charlie Brown
(c) Buster Brown

8. In Bobby Darin's ''Mack The Knife,'' the one with the knife, was named:
(a) MacHeath
(b) MacCloud
(c) MacNamara

9. Name the song with ''A-wop bop a-loo bop a-lop bam boom.''
(a) Good Golly, Miss Molly
(b) Be-Bop-A-Lula
(c) Tutti Fruitti

10. Who is generally given credit for originating the term ''Rock And Roll''?
(a) Dick Clark
(b) Wolfman Jack
(c) Alan Freed

11. In 1957, he left the music business to become a preacher:
(a) Little Richard
(b) Frankie Lymon
(c) Tony Orlando

12. Paul Anka's ''Puppy Love'' is written to what star?
(a) Brenda Lee
(b) Connie Francis
(c) Annette Funicello

13. The Everly Brothers were . . ...
(a) Pete and Dick
(b) Don and Phil
(c) Bob and Bill

14. The Big Bopper's real name was:
(a) Jiles P. Richardson
(b) Roy Harold Scherer, Jr.
(c) Marion Michael Morrison

15. In 1959, Berry Gordy, J r.., started a small record company called...
(a) Decca
(b) Cameo
(c) Motown

16. Edd Brynes had a hit with ''Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb''. What TV show was he on?
(a) 77 Sunset Strip
(b) Hawaiian Eye
(c) Surfside Six

17. In 1960 Bobby Darin married:
(a) Carol Lynley
(b) Sandra Dee
(c) Natalie Wood

18.. They were a one hit wonder with ''Book Of Love'':
(a) The Penguins
(b) The Monotones
(c) The Moonglows

19.. The Everly Brothers sang a song called ''Till I______ You.''
(a) Loved
(b) Kissed
(c) Met

20. Chuck Berry sang ''Oh,___________, why can't you be true?''
(a) Suzie Q
(b) Peggy Sue
(c) Maybelline

21. ''Wooly _______''
(a) Mammouth
(b) Bully
(c) Pully

22. ''I'm like a one-eyed cat . . . .."
(a) can't go into town no more
(b) sleepi n' on a cold hard floor
(c) peepin' in a seafood store

23. ''Sometimes I wonder what I'm gonna do . . . . ..''
(a) cause there ain't no answer for a life without booze
(b) cause there ain't no cure for the summertime blues
(c) cause my car's gassed up and I'm ready to cruise

24.. ''They often call me Speedo, but my real name is ... . . . .. ..''
(a) Mr. Earl
(b) Jackie Pearl
(c) Milton Berle

25. ''You're my Fanny and nobody else's ......''
(a) girl
(b) butt
(c) love

26. ''I want you to play with my . . . ''
(a) heart
(b) dreams
(c) ding a ling

27. ''Be Bop A Lula ....''
(a) she's got the rabies
(b) she's my baby.
(c) she loves me, maybe

28. ''Fine Love, Fine Kissing ...''
(a) right here
(b) fifty cents
(c) just for you

29. ''He wore black denim trousers and . . ..''
(a) a pink carnation
(b) pink leotards
(c) motorcycle boots

30. ''I got a gal named . ... ..''
(a) Jenny Zamboni
(b) Gerri Mahoney
(c) Boney Maroney

Back to the future...

Concord Monster clubhouse in salad days

Took a nostalgic day trip with close golf buds to the Catskills yesterday to play The Monster at the Concord Resort in Kiamesha Lake, NY.  It is a very strange place these days, not much Dirty Dancing going on.  All the buildings have been razed, including the golf course clubhouse (replaced by a small tin shack).  The adjacent nine-hole course is now overgrown, but The Monster, once a Top-100 rated track, is in surprisingly good shape.  Very wet though.

Steve, a dirty dancer from way back, shared with us that he had once played pool volleyball with Henny Youngman.  Yes, we cringed at the image too!  Jim H, now known as the Polish Rifle, carried partners Ray and Bob in the golf competition, but could not overcome the brilliant birdie barrage (nor the alliteration) of my partners, Steve the Bod and Vinny V.  We topped off the day with dinner at the trendy Blue Horizon Diner, where the mac n cheese with crab cakes is to die for (literally, if you attempt to eat the whole thing; luckily, I did not).  Only one brief, uncomfortable moment occurred while we were being seated.  Our no-nonsense waitress led us to our table and sternly directed Bobby R to sit at the far end of the table.  But I immediately leaped to his defense, shouting- "Listen, lady, NOBODY puts Bobby in the corner!"  She reluctantly relented.

Anyway, I had the time of my life!  Yes, I swear, it's the truth - and I owe it all you!

Weekend images...

Saturday at the Southington Apple Harvest Festival...Some serious miles on these boys, but great to see the classic rock band Marshall Law outside Bonterra Italian Bistro on Saturday afternoon at the Southington Apple Harvest Festival playing to an enthusiastic crowd lining the fence above the court yard (while one of the band's female fans below drank, danced and swatted the wait staff on the ass).  Stayed around to hear ZZ Top's Lookin' For Some Touch, Billy Idol's Rebel Yell and Kiss's I Wanna Rock N Roll All Night.  Also a band playing across the street at the Elks' beer garden.  Cool.  Not so cool was the Southington Icon competition on the Town green which could easily been mistaken for an SNL skit.

The amazing Sawtelles in concert at Independisc Bash

Low Cut Connie opening for The Shins at Third Man Records in Nashville

Red Sox Nation- My Funny Valentine...

Rumor from a certain in-the-know employee of the Worldwide Leader texts that Bobby V has been fired after one season on the job. Just kicked to the curb by Bosox management - he invented the wrap sandwich, for Christ sakes!  He is rumored to be the next Ryder Cup captain.

Nice effort on all sides of this debacle!    But what do you expect from a franchise that thought they knew how to win after a hundred years.  Hey, boys, you have to keep playing (at your previous weight)!  Oh, you didn't know that?  And, another thing, lose that bogus sold out streak, will you.  Twenty thousand people don't come to every game disguised as empty seats.

But don't you change one hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little valentine stay
Each day is valentines day

No NPR convention on Sunday night; JW fans got the memo!...

I want love to:

Make me stand up all night Sunday

And shake my bones with music

Then send me on my merry way, deaf n satisfied

Johnnyknotes:  Drove down to NYC mid-afternoon Sunday to meet G-Man...  Found an Irish pub in Times Square (boy, that's real difficult! LOL) to grab some food and watch the end of the Ryder Cup matches...  Young Italian or Spanish gent watching next to us actually offered me a handshake after Martin Kaymer's clinching putt.  And what's with no good/good on those Tiger/Molinari putts?  Bush league, Cpt. Jose Maria....  Lots of scalpers outside Radio City Music Hall... We're in the 3rd mezzanine at 8 o'clock for Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three. Pokey, who fancies himself as sort of a modern day Hank Williams, says it's going to be a good night after spending time at McSorley's following last night's show. Decent 45 minute set... Intermission... Last night's fiasco is the elephant in the room... Jack blasts onto the stage with guitar screeching and his all-chick backing band, The Peacocks (drums, keyboards, standup/electric bass, fiddle, pedal steel, keyboards and backing vocals/percussion), looking hot and sounding hotter!... No sitting tonight (referencing his NPR convention rant, meaning, I think, those with quintessential good taste in music, but NO passion and energy)!... Drops his guitar after final song of the set, leaving the last note playing indefinitely (cool move)... Crowd roars; no anxiety whatsoever about a repeat of Saturday...  ENCORE entrance to deafening cheers:  Freedom At 21, Sixteen Saltines,Seven Nation Army, and a wonderful version of Goodnight, Irene...  It was a good night. Thanks, G-Man, for inviting me...$37 parking!

View from the 3rd mezzanine at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday night (G-Man video):

6 things Jack White was trying to tell us at Radio City Music Hall 
Rolling Stone review of Sunday show
Some great pics here

JACK WHITE SETLIST 9/30/12 (via)
Missing Pieces
Weep Themselves to Sleep
Love Interruption
Hotel Yorba (The White Stripes song)
Top Yourself/Maggie's Farm (The Raconteurs song)
Cannon/John the Revelator (The White Stripes song)
Screwdriver (The White Stripes song)
Rock Island Line
Blue Blood Blues (The Dead Weather song)
Trash Tongue Talker
Papa Was a Rascal (James Booker cover)
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground (The White Stripes song)
I'm Slowly Turning Into You (The White Stripes song)
We're Going to Be Friends (The White Stripes song)
Hip (Eponymous) Poor Boy
Hypocritical Kiss
Ball and Biscuit (The White Stripes song)
-----
Freedom At 21
Sixteen Saltines
Seven Nation Army (The White Stripes song)
Goodnight, Irene (Lead Belly cover)