Turn It Up for Christmas...

Uncovered (Tony Joe White)
Small Change (Tom Waits)
Transformer (Lou Reed)
Magic Potion (Black Keys)
Exit O (Steve Earle & the Dukes)
Classics Vol 8 (Joan Baez)
White Lightning (George Jones)
All-Time Greatest Hits (Everly Brothers)
Annie Up (Pistol Annies)
Frenchman Street (Various New Orleans Artists)
Naughty, Bawdy & Blue (Maria Muldaur)

Who gets what???

A Christmas classic!...

Tom Waits' Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis was the last song on Johnny K's Got the Blues This Christmas (2001), the first of the Johnny K Christmas CD trilogy.  People either hated it (many just ignored it) or loved it.  I think it is one of the most poignant Christmas songs ever.  Here is a live version:

To the boys and girls of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn (from NY Times)...

So So Glos (Saturday) These do-it-yourself kingpins from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, founded the grungy, stalwart show space Shea Stadium, which is the base of their identically titled independent record label. They also use that happily trashy space to play their own mesmerizing, expertly assembled garage-rock. Their second album, “Blowout,” has no shortage of quality. With California X, Palehound and others. At 7 p.m., Brooklyn Night Bazaar, 165 Banker Street, near Wythe Avenue, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, bkbazaar.com; free. (Anderson)

Louisiana Music Factory To Move To Frenchmen Street...

06 December 2013 — by Jan V. Ramsey (Offbeat Magazine)

I’ve kept it to myself for long enough: the Louisiana Music Factory, the city’s most comprehensive source for New Orleans and Louisiana music, will move from its current and original location at 210 Decatur Street to the first floor of 421 Frenchmen Street at the corner of Decatur in early 2014. The location was most recently the Junque Shop, an antique store that vacated the space on November 30.

The store will now complement the location of OffBeat; we’ve been located at 421 Frenchmen Street on the second floor since 1997.

Barry Smith, owner of the 22-year-old Music Factory, told me that he hopes to capitalize on Frenchmen Street’s burgeoning music scene and its attraction for the music-loving and music-buying public. “There’s so much activity now on Frenchmen,” Smith said. “I think the Factory will be a great addition to the neighborhood and will also be a generator for daytime traffic, an anchor, so to speak. The move will also give us the opportunity to work a lot more closely with some of the bands and musicians that play on Frenchmen now, and maybe work with some of the clubs.”

One of Louisiana Music Factory’s issues over the past 10 years seems to have been the reluctance of many locals to venture into the French Quarter to buy music at the Factory, mainly because of parking issues. “It’s a lot easier to get to the location on Frenchmen, and park around here, especially during the day. And at night there’s a big market of people here anyway,” said Smith. The Music Factory will likely extend its operating hours until later in the evening once it moves to the Frenchmen Street. According to Smith, the Louisiana Music Factory’s popular in-store Saturday afternoon concerts will also continue in the new location.

The move will occur in early February 2014, as the first-floor Frenchmen Street space is being gutted, renovated and built out especially for the Louisiana Music Factory’s retail location.

Sarah Borges is back...

Hi there-

I wanted to send you all a quick note before the holiday crazies take hold to let you know about some shows I'll be playing this month and in the New Year, lest you need a break from the carols and credit cards:)

This Sunday, December 8th I'll be joining Amy Black, Jesse Dee, and Susan Cattaneo among others for a Muscle Shoals music night at Atwood's Tavern in Cambridge, MA. I've got some Etta James, Solomon Burke and Paul Simon planned in tribute to the music made in that historic place. Click here for more info.

Also, the new record, Radio Sweetheart, will be released in February. It will be available soon online, and release shows are happening. Here's what's up (complete ticket info available at sarahborges.com):

12/8/13 - Atwood's Tavern, Cambridge, MA - Sock It To Me - A celebration of the music of Muscle Shoals
12/28/13 - Bridge St Live, Collinsville CT (with Girls, Guns and Glory)
12/31/13 - Lizard Lounge, Cambridge, MA Girls, Guns and Glory's New Year's Bash featuring Sarah Borges
1/4/14 - Turning Point, Piermont, NY
1/10/14 - Cafe Nine, New Haven, CT, with Girls, Guns and Glory
1/24/14 - Rodeo Bar, NYC, with Girls, Guns and Glory
1/25/14 - Godfrey Daniels, Bethlehem, PA, with Girls, Guns and Glory
1/26/14 - Club Passim, Cambridge, MA Sarah sings Sarah, a night of the songs of Sarah Vaughan
2/7/14 - The Sinclair, Cambridge, MA (record release!) with Girls, Guns and Glory (also their record release)
2/8/14 - The Hungry Tiger, Manchester, CT with Girls, Guns and Glory
4/3/14 - World Cafe Live at the Queen, Wilmington, DE with Girls, Guns and Glory
4/4/14 - Iota, Arlington, VA, with Girls, Guns and Glory
4/5/14 - Ashland Coffee and Tea, Ashland, VA, with Girls, Guns and Glory

much more to come...

Happy Holidays and Peace on Earth from our family to yours,

Sarah

Eilen Jewell's other band...

Jake Bugg, Shangri La...

by Garrett D. Kennedy (concertblogger.com)

Last night I had listened to most of Jake Bugg’s second album Shangri La.  More than pleased with what I heard, I went from one song to the next without much pause, except for a glass of water and a couple stretches.  But then, I got caught in the moment of track ten, Pine Trees.  Up to this point, Bugg presented similarities to his self-titled first album, and, in a good way, this song wasn’t much different (more on this song later).  I began to think, “What can’t this nineteen year-old do?”

There’s element of folk, rocknroll, country, and punk.  All the songs included his creative lyrical phrasing, with a little more confidence, or maybe cockiness – a troubadour who knows what he wants out of his music.  When hearing Bugg interviewed, there’s a maturity there, too – a nineteen year-old who knows what he wants out of life.  There was an addition of Bugg giving us a taste of his electric guitar ability (Slumville Sunrise, What Doesn’t Kill You, Kingpin), which I was lucky to see live earlier this year at The Iridium in New York City (thanks to concertblogger.com).  As I sensed then, and continued to after having listened to most of Bugg’s second album, there is more to be seen – his talent very evident, yet still revealing itself.  Up to this point, there was no question Bugg had already shattered any doubt of the second album flop and the idea that he was posturing as a wanna-be Dylan.  (read more)

Playlist suggestions for Garrett & Yvette's wedding reception...

Cocktail Hour:


Cowboy Junkies – “Sweet Jane”
John Coltrane/Johnny Hartman – “My One & Only Love”
Lucinda Williams – “Passionate Kisses”

Little Feat – “Willin’”

Bonnie Raitt or John Prine – “Angel From Montgomery”
Allman Brothers – “Sweet Melissa”

Drive By Truckers – “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”

Bruce Springsteen – “4^th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)”

Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes – Yellowbird”

Amy Winehouse – “To Know Him Is To Love Him”

Amy Winehouse/Tony Bennett – “Body and Soul”

Al Green – “Let’s Stay Together”

Cat Power – “Lived in Bars”

Corrine Bailey Rae – “Like a Star”

Corrine Bailey Rae – “Put Your Records On”

Dr. John – “Solitude”

Dinah Washington – “What a Difference a Day Makes”

Marvin Gaye – “What’s Goin’ On”

Hurray For the Riff Raff – “Ode to John & Yoko”

Jonathan Richman – “When She Kisses Me”

Johnny Ray – “Whiskey & Gin”

Joni Mitchell – “In France They Kiss on Main Street”

Justin Townes Earle – “One More Night in Brooklyn”

Rodriguez – “Sugar Man”

Wild Tchoupitoulas – “Meet De Boys on the Battlefront”

Velvet Underground & Nico – I’ll Be Your Mirror”

Lou Reed – “Perfect Day”

Van Morrison – “Crazy Love”

Steely Dan – “Brooklyn Owes the Charmer Under Me”

Steely Dan – Ricky Don’t Lose That Number”

Solomon Burke – “Fast Train”

Solomon Burke – “Soul Searchin’”

Dancing:

The La’s – “There She Goes”
Van Morrison – “Tupelo Honey”
Dexi’s Midnight Runners – “Come On, Eileen”

Dovells – “Bristol Stomp”

The Clash – “Should I Stay Or Should I Go”

Bobby Fuller Four – “I Fought the Law”
The Rivieras – “California Sun”

Sam the Sham & the Pharohs – “Wooly Bully”

Jack White – “I’m Shakin’”

Dr. John – “Right Place, Wrong Time”

Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes – “Love Letter”

The Clash – Brand New Cadillac”

Dex Romweber – “Is That You in the Blue”

Young Rascals – “Mustang Sally”

Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers – “Roadrunner”

Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer”

Saturday afternoon at Integrity 'N Music...

Picked up:
Choices (Terrence Blanchard)
Thunderbird (Cassandra Wilson)
Hipsters' Holiday Vocal Jazz and R&B Classics (Various Artists)
Seven Classic Albums (Horace Silver)

While listening to the Elizabeth Grace Quartet featuring Elizabeth Grace (vocals), Zach Heyde (piano), Leo Catricala (bass), Steve Cussano (drums)

INTEGRITY 'N MUSIC

Elizabeth Grace Quartet

Sarah Borges says hey...

It's happening...Radio Sweetheart is being printed RIGHT NOW, and will be shipped to all of the amazing donors who made it possible in the next month or so. Thank you so much for your patience, I know it's been a long wait, but I think it's worth it. The album will be available in the online store as soon as it's here.  With the release of the new record I'm preparing to hit the road, shows in MA, CT, VA and PA, lots of them with the fabulous Girls, Guns and Glory. I'm also headed to the annual South by Southwest music conference in Austin, TX this March. I'll be working to showcase the record at an event that's always been a success for me. Both of the labels I've signed to have seen me first at SXSW, and I've made so many great band friends that I'll keep for life.

This year is a little different; now that I'm a mama and I've been away from the scene for a couple of years I'm taking a different approach to touring. In other words, the family is hitting the road to Texas together. And that's where you come in. I'm headed to Texas with my son, Elliott, my husband and musical partner, Lyle Brewer, and my mum. We'll be flying there and back, staying for a week, and doing our darndest to get this thing off the ground.

I've started a Pledge Music campaign to defray our costs. The link is below, and you can read more about what we're doing there as well. Givers can expect two new songs, an online concert, and some other goodies. Our goal is $2000, which is the minimum we'd need for the four of us to stay, play and eat for the week.

In closing, with both the release of Radio Sweetheart and the trip to SXSW, I'm hoping to strike that balance between being someone's parent and being a musician. I guess I'm trying to make us both proud:)

Sarah Borges 11/6/13  TO PLEDGE

The Most Interesting Man in the World riffs on Lou Reed...

Rest peacefully, my friend.

He dug the Velvets long before any of us had a clue. Sang backup.

He went up Lexington, but only one two four.  Respect.

"Back in the day, I didn't always do heroin, but when I did, I preferred it with Lou Reed."

He's always the very first invited to all tomorrow's parties.

He IS the Wild Side, so be careful where you walk.



Email reply from Gussy P, former Westie Punk and music trivia god:

The best riffs for Lou Reed were performed by Steve Hunter (Mitch Ryder & Detroit Wheels, Alice Cooper) and Dick Wagner (also Alice Cooper) for the Intro to Sweet Jane. The story goes that the crowd in Germany (I think, Europe at least) went wild for the duo performance. So wild that after the concert Lou said, "I'm the star of the show, the people are here for me. You guys can go back to the states, I'll get someone else." At least that was a rumor from the late '70's. If I knew how, I would try to have that for my ring tone. Although it would be a very long ring tone. Jenny take a ride now, hey hey.

YouTube audio of performance to which Gussy P was referring - here

Rest in peace, Mr. Lou Reed, you were one of a kind...

Pioneer, Dead at 71

By Jon Dolan

Lou Reed, Velvet Underground Leader and Rock Pioneer, Dead at 71

Lou Reed, a massively influential songwriter and guitarist who helped shape nearly fifty years of rock music, died today. The cause of his death has not yet been released, but Reed underwent a liver transplant in May.
Look back at Lou Reed's remarkable career in photos

With the Velvet Underground in the late Sixties, Reed fused street-level urgency with elements of European avant-garde music, marrying beauty and noise, while bringing a whole new lyrical honesty to rock & roll poetry. As a restlessly inventive solo artist, from the Seventies into the 2010s, he was chameleonic, thorny and unpredictable, challenging his fans at every turn. Glam, punk and alternative rock are all unthinkable without his revelatory example. "One chord is fine," he once said, alluding to his bare-bones guitar style. "Two chords are pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz."  (read more)


Patti Smith mourns Lou Reed (New Yorker) - here
New Yorker article written by Reed in 1996 - here
Lou Reed lyrics - here
Rock N Roll Animal - full album
Lou Reed - Wikipedia
Velvet Underground - Loaded - full album
Velvet Underground & Nico - full album 
20 Great Lou Reed Moments (Stereogum) - here
Velvet Underground, The South Bank Show - here
Lou Reed Transformer - fabulous album here

Currently taking a short break to replenish creative juices...

I've received a few concerned messages about my well-being.  Thanks.  It has been over nine years doing this and I need to figure some things out.  My motto for this blog has always been "to amuse myself and annoy my friends."  I have been doing neither lately.

See you soon.   JK


Cleveland Browns fan song of the day as we sit 0-1 going into Sunday's matchup with the Ravens (old Cleveland Browns):

Hurray For the Riff Raff is FABULOUS at Cafe Nine...

Seinfeld Saturday night at Foxwoods with The Reet, Gene and Bonnie, so better not have a late Friday night, right? Not so fast. I'm committed to get down to Cafe Nine to hear my new favorite band, the currently buzz-worthy Hurray For the Riff Raff, who reportedly killed them at the Newport Folk Festival last week.

(Wikipedia)- Hurray for the Riff Raff is an American country/folk band from New Orleans, Louisiana. Alynda Lee Segarra is Hurray for the Riff Raff's creative force, as she writes and sings all of the band's songs. Alynda ran away from her home in the Bronx, aged 17 and then spent time crossing North America, hopping freight trains. During this time, she became a part of The Dead Man Street Orchestra, who were documented in a photo essay by Time Magazine in 2007. In February 2011, the band were featured in an article in The Times, based around the HBO TV series, Treme, with their track "Daniella" being listed in their selection of New Orleans' essential songs.

Parking, what parking?  I find a lot a couple blocks away for seven bucks, not bad, but I'm wondering how I safely return after midnight (when they let it all hang out).  The ninth square is abuzz with activity as I approach Cafe Nine.  Lots of people milling around outside, music blasting from the parking lot in the rear of the club.  It's already after nine, no band yet; it's going to be a long evening.  I grab a beer at the bar and go up near the stage.  Phone out.  Looking busy.  Finally, the opening act arrives.  Hey, I saw these guys with Chris at some record store in New London on Record Store Day!  Goodnight Blue Moon.  Liked them.

 Goodnight Blue Moon is an  indie-folk band from New Haven, Connecticut that has been playing  together since 2009. Instrumentation includes cello, violin, mandolin, guitar, banjo, upright bass, trumpet, and drums, which support rich  vocal harmonies. With songs that range from americana and bluegrass-based  traditional folk to through-composed and orchestrated pop, Goodnight Blue Moon's style is eclectic, thoughtful, and danceable at the same time.

Goodnight Blue Moon includes guitarist and singer, Erik Elligers (Pencilgrass, Mountain Movers), singer and mandolin player, Mathew Crowley (Dudley Farm String Band), Nancy Matlack Elligers on cello and banjo, Sean Elligers on trumpet and vocals, and Carl Testa (Uncertainty Music Series) on upright bass. The group recently added Vicki Wepler on violin and Nick D'Errico on drums. This latest rendition of the group may get a bit crowded on stage, but the new line-up is the most energetic and full sounding yet.

They are just four tonight, no trumpet, no drums.  Their opening acapela number is stunning, all four parties (two male, two female) harmonizing wonderfully.  The problem is, the females were never to be heard again, to our deteriment, I feel.  Well done, though.

A guy next to me wants to know if I've heard the next guy up before.  Not a dude, I inform him.  Hurray For the Riff Raff is a band, but really a chick from New Orleans.  My new BFF saws no, and points to a tall thin dark-haired gent - Frank Fairfield.  Lots of old time fiddling music, you'll love it, he says.  God damn it, I'm thinking, more waiting!  Frank is okay, in a talented, smirky, understated way, but I'm dying.  He does about a half hour.

The Musicians' Living Room is now sold out.  Nice, and I've got a good spot.  A couple Riff Raff-ters meander onto the stage, start doing stuff, so at least we're close.  I switch to apple cider, served by a woman who can pick up at dropped fiver from the floor without spilling a full tray of drinks.  Not that I'm bored or anything at this point.  Okay, WE are all on stage, tuned, in assigned positions, let's do this!  The slight, 25 year-old Alynda Segarra is surrounded by a lefty bass player, guitarist, and two others, both drummers, one female who also plays fiddle, the other male who plays guitar/harmonica.  And.....they are fantastic!

Segarra mentions seeing all the names in the dressing room of those who have played here....giving a nod to Wanda Jackson.  She works her way through some songs familiar to me (I recently bought Look Out Mama, an album of original material, and My Dearest Darkest Neighbor, a project of songs that significantly affected her music).   Look Out Mama, Ode to John and Yoko (John Lennon is her hero) are terrific. Her bandmates are solid, but never intrude - she's the show, and a really good one.  My Little Black Star is sung will a gospel feel to end the show (if I remember correctly).  No encore.  I want more!              

Setting up, finally

Bass player is a lefty

Blurry (camera, not me) view from just to the right of stage

Wrote "Ode to John and Yoko" as tribute to her hero, John Lennon

Pre-concert, gear stacked in the corner.  Says "Riff Raff" on the case.

Clip is not from last night, but so what!If you are smart, you can catch them in New London tonight!

Goodnight Blue Moon

After midnight, he's gonna let it all hang out...

R.I.P. J J Cale, dead at 74 (story)

JJ Cale: Why Neil Young Called Him ‘The Best Electric Guitar Player I Ever Heard’ (article)

(Per Wikipedia) - Cale was born on December 5, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1956. Along with a number of other young Tulsa musicians, Cale moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he first worked as a studio engineer. Finding little success as a recording artist, he later returned to Tulsa and was considering giving up the music business until Clapton recorded Cale's "After Midnight" in 1970. His first album, Naturally, established his style, described by Los Angeles Times writer Richard Cromelin as a "unique hybrid of blues, folk and jazz, marked by relaxed grooves and Cale's fluid guitar and laconic vocals. His early use of drum machines and his unconventional mixes lend a distinctive and timeless quality to his work and set him apart from the pack of Americana roots-music purists." In 2013 Neil Young remarked that of all the musicians he had ever heard, J.J. Cale and Jimi Hendrix were the two best electric guitar players. (more)

A quick five for The Hump...

1. Robert Plant presents Sensational Space Shifters at Mohegan Sun Arena
2. Walk a comfortable eighteen holes at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, NY or settle for a quick nine at Southington CC with post-round drinks at the Back Nine Tavern.
   
3. Sext with NY mayoral candidate, Anthony Weiner.  Mr. Weiner and you can exchange sexy messages/naughty images under his sexy moniker, Carlos Danger.
4. The Sam Vinci Orchestra at Southington Music on the Green
5. Watch the Yankees drill new Texas Ranger acquisition, Matt Garza while writing a thank you note to Ryan Braun for his heartfelt apology for being such a dirtbag.

Just a stranger on the bus trying to make His way home...

Joan Osborne singing Van Morrison's Tupelo Honey at Mohegan Sun Wolf Den on Friday Night

(per Wikipedia) -Joan Elizabeth Osborne (born July 8, 1962) is an American singer-songwriter and interpreter of music, having recorded and performed in various popular American musical genres including pop, soul, R&B, blues and country. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.

Osborne is currently a member of Trigger Hippy, along with Steve Gorman, Tom Bukovac, Jackie Greene, and Nick Govrik. Her album Bring It On Home was released on March 27, 2012. It is a collection of vintage blues and soul covers, and it received a 2013 Grammy Awards nomination for Best Blues Album. In September 2012, Osborne was featured in a campaign called ″30 Songs / 30 Days″ to support Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a multi-platform media project inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book.

(this is a June 23rd version of her singing Tupelo Honey)

July Sawtelles...

been awhile. today if it stops raining you can find us at the west river water fest, new haven. 1:30p

later on today we'll be up at luthier's co-op easthampton ma w/lys guillorn and the grimm generation. free show, 7pm

sunday, tomorrow, we'll be at klekolo, court st m'town 4p for the "take back the park" event put on by mike arafeh. music all day today and tomorrow!

next sat 20th is our annual sawtelles b'day show at neverending books, state st new haven 7p. J will be drumming for zoo front and big al howard will be making an appearance at the show as well. we're super excited for this lineup. free all ages and there'll be some sort of junk to eat. feel free to bring what it is you drink as well as any tasty tidbits you'd like to share.

fri 26th we'll be at the west end farmers' market, cor of farmington ave and so. whitney, htfd. 4p.

sat 27th we'll be at MCC on Main, manchester CC. 6 people/5 bands and we're in 3 of them. Julie Beman's Dress-Ups and Tonebanks also playing! so you get them and then small doses of poptelles, schoolsafetypatrol and sawtelles. there might be some group action happening if we can do some rehearsal time.

tues 30th we're back at the newtown farmers' market, at the fairfield hills campus. the town hall is right across the street from the market.

go to www.thesawtelles.com for more specific info.

happy summer y'all! P+J

Hoping for the best for the troubled, very sick Randy Travis...

On July 7, 2013, Randy Travis was admitted to a Dallas area hospital for viral cardiomyopathy. His condition is classified as critical.

Top 10 Randy Travis songs.

Hard livin' country boy stuff (Wikipedia)
On August 7, 2012, police in Grayson County, Texas responded to a call that an unclothed man was lying in the road. Police reported that they arrived to find Travis unclothed and smelling of alcohol. Police say that Travis crashed his car in a construction zone, and that when they attempted to apprehend him, Travis threatened the lives of the officers. Travis was subsequently arrested for driving while intoxicated and retaliation against law enforcement officials. He posted bail in the amount of $21,500. Earlier in the same evening, just prior to the DUI arrest, Travis allegedly walked into a Tiger Mart convenience store naked, demanding cigarettes from the cashier, who in turn called the authorities. According to the store clerk, Travis left the store upon realizing he did not have any money to pay for the cigarettes.

Travis's troubles continued, as on August 24, 2012, police in Plano, Texas, cited him for simple assault after responding to an early morning call stating that two men were fighting outside an unnamed church. Both men were reportedly taken to the hospital following the incident, with one witness stating that Travis appeared to be "extremely intoxicated".

On August 25, 2012, a pickup truck registered to Travis was found wrecked and abandoned in a field in Frisco, Texas.  On January 31, 2013, Travis pleaded guilty to his August accident and received two years probation, a $2,000 fine and a 180-day suspended jail sentence

John Mayer tour opening set list...

"Queen of California"
"Something Like Olivia"
"Waiting on the World to Change"
"Paper Doll"
"I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You)"
"Waiting on the Day"
"Going Down the Road Feelin' Bad"
"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"
"Free Fallin'"
"Wildfire"
"Half of My Heart"
"Born and Raised"
"Dear Marie"
"If I Ever Get Around to Living"
"The Age of Worry"
"Speak For Me"
"Gravity"

"Who Says"
"A Face to Call Home"

Happy Birthday, America!...

"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping

I'm empty and aching and I don't know why

Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike

They've all gone to look for America"

The "I've got mine" mentality.  Amazing how some things have changed so little since 1960!


Cashman & West's ode to the decaying American city


And, of course, there is...

Muggy Tuesday morning trail mix...

Fake Fur (Calexico) The Black Light
Budo (Miles Davis) Birth of the Cool
Letter From Home (Eddie Jefferson) Letter From Home
Johnny Cool Man (Low Cut Connie) Get Out the Lotion
Autumn Serenade (John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman) John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
I'm Down to My Last Cigarette (k.d. lang) Shadowland
Lonesome When You Go (Mary Lou Lord) Live City Sounds
I Believe (Stevie Wonder) Talking Book
Love Needs a Heart (Jackson Browne) Running on Empty
It's So Easy (Paul Mccartney) Rave On Buddy Holly
Just Like a Woman (Richie Havens) Mixed Bag
Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (Dinah Washington) The Swingin' Miss D
Someday We'll Meet Again (The Royals) A Million Dollars Worth of Doo Wop

"This is a freakin' AARP convention!" quips an insensitive younger woman...

Hey, lady, I resemble that remark!  We're at the Boston Opera House, enemy territory during baseball season, for the fourth and final night of Once Upon a Dream, the reunion tour of the Young Rascals/Rascals.  As you are probably aware, the reunion was the brainchild of longtime Rascals fanatic Steven Van Zant a/k/a Little Steven of the E Street Band and Silvio Dante of The Sopranos:

“To do jus­tice to the Ras­cals impor­tance, I’ve writ­ten a show for them that is just as unique as they are. It’s called “Once Upon a Dream”. It’s a com­bi­na­tion of a Rock Con­cert and a Broad­way show that will include their own live per­for­mance by the orig­i­nal four Ras­cals — Felix, Eddie, Dino, Gene, and be com­pli­mented by filmed seg­ments and news footage and will be a show that they can take all over the coun­try. The show will be an uplift­ing inspi­ra­tion for the fans that have been wait­ing all these years, pray­ing for a Ras­cals come­back, and those who are younger will get a real taste of the ’60’s they missed the first time around. More than just a come­back or reunion, the show will remind audi­ences how uniquely inspi­ra­tional, enter­tain­ing, and his­tor­i­cally impor­tant the Ras­cals’ music is. Their music was unique not only in its great­ness, but through their hit sin­gles they told the entire story of the six­ties.” - Steven Van Zandt

I'm not completely buying the weighty importance angle, but I loved the Young Rascals and I am really looking forward to hearing them perform.  Their three-week April Broadway run was hugely successful, critically and financially, apparently giving the contentious quartet reason to stand each other's guts for a bit longer to take this thing on the road.

A few weeks ago, I was mentioning to brother Joe that the Rascals were coming to Mohegan Sun at the end of August, but he was a no-can-do with golf league commitments (really?).  A quick schedule query finds the Boston gig, so we make plans and add Sister Mary Agnes (no, not the nun, the sista) and hubby Craig to the mix.  We convene, pre-concert, in Somerville on Saturday mid-afternoon.  Niece Elizabeth serves up tasty marguaritas (thanks on that, E) on Joe/Nancy's back deck; we order up Italian, delivered; Rascals on the iPod.  We've been lonely too long, so let's do this!

Nancy calls for a cab and we pack the geriatric six-pack into a SUV for the trip into town.  The driver inexplicably follows Joe's directions, but we make the needed corrections and land safely and join the mature-looking crowd in the lobby of the Opera House, which has been very nicely restored.  We can find no bars in the heavily-under-construction area, so we wait.  Doors finally open; we order up a round of wine/beer and search for our seating - orchestra, right side boxes. 

I guess the deal is that this is a 'bio/concert',  using video clip interviews to provide historical context to the live music.  Cool announcement that photos, videos, etc are allowed, even encouraged (please note, Mr. Zimmerman)!  The stage explodes with light; there they are - Eddie Brigati (vocals), Felix Cavaliere (keyboard, vocals), Gene Cornish (guitar) and Dino Danelli (drums).  A young bass player and some backup singers are to the right side of the stage.  The almost-sold out audience is pumped.  The show starts slowly.  I'm worried this is to be a disappointing evening.  However, when Felix launches into Lonely Too Long showing his vocals in fine shape, I'm, at first, relieved, then, I'm all in.  They start a run through the Young Rascals' songbook.  The interview clips tell us of the connection with Joey Dee & the Starliters (Brigati's brother David was an original Starlighter and Brigati, Cavaliere and Cornish had previously been members).  It's effective, on a limited scale.  Brigati plays no instruments, so he is reduced to Mr. Tambourine Man (hey!) on Felix's solos, looking a bit weird.  Cornish has a few guitar solos, Danelli, well, is the drummer (yeah, they are all influenced by Buddy Rich, Max Roach, etal) - sorry.  To me, it's all about Felix - and he's good!

Smokey's Mickey's Monkey?  The Marvelettes' Too Many Fish in the Sea?  WTF?  If you want to do covers, do Mustang Sally and/or Midnight Hour.  Whatever. ONE, TWO, THREE - Good Lovin'!  That's what I'm talking about!  Crowd up, cheering, dancing.  The hits keep coming.  Groovin', It's a Beautiful Morning, A Girl Like You.  Brigati is a bit shaky, but ultimately touching on How Can I Be Sure.  The video tells us (with no details) of a post-60's heart-wrenching breakup due to jealousy, drugs, sex, bad financial advice.  OH MY GOD, that has NEVER happened before to rock 'n roll bands- EVER!  Okay, this isn't a history class, it's rock 'n roll, so no biggie.  Really good show.  Back to Somerville for nightcaps and reviews.  I was about to compliment our driver on his Sam Cooke music selection, but nixed that thought when it switched to Kenny Rogers.

Only beef:  NO Mustang Sally.

Comment emailed in from West Haven (the Jersey Shore of CT) by the legendary Westie Punk Gussy P:

"Danelli had a big drum solo called "Boom," I think I mentioned that to you once before. It's on side 3 of a double album (Freedom Suite, I think). I don't suppose they played that. I realize Max Roach may have influenced him, but don't discount the Hal Roach influence. Can't ignore the Little Rascals, can we? I believe the fact that they demanded that a black group be allowed to perform wherever they played affects how they are perceived by historians. At least that's how I remember it"

View from orchestra section looking up to balcony

Final bows

Entertainment Weekly‘s 100 Greatest Albums Ever

And if ANYONE should know, it is Entertainment Weekly!

(JK's know-it-all trash talkin' the list) Okay, these lists come out periodically and they almost never change at the top (the top is at the bottom in this case, but you smart-asses know what I mean).  Lots of Beatles and Stones.  However, Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (MBDTF to you hipster-defuses) sneaked into the Top 10!  What up with that, Jerry? Adele 21 at 17?  Really?  Cool album, but pretty safe stuff, don't you think?  Give me Dusty in Memphis (97) or Back to Black (74).  Best album of all time with dorkiest album cover goes to Pet Sounds (9).  Back to bed on that one, Brian Genius Wilson!  And why are anthologies in the list?  Why is Revolver (1) 45 slots higher than Rubber Soul (46)?  Funny, Dylan's 'comeback' album (6) is considered his best!  What, no Exile in Guyville?  The Banana Album is under appreciated at 38.

100. Ramones, Ramones
99. Erykah Badu, Mama’s Gun
98. Queens of the Stone Age, Songs for the Deaf
97. Dusty Springfield, Dusty in Memphis (JK owns)
96. Dixie Chicks, Home
95. Various Artists, Saturday Night Fever
94. Beyonce, B’Day
93. N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton
92. Elliott Smith, Either/Or
91. Sly and the Family Stone, There’s a Riot Goin’ On
90. The White Stripes, White Blood Cells (JK owns)
89. Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out
88. New Order, Power, Corruption and Lies
87. Dolly Parton, Coat of Many Colors
86. PJ Harvey, Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea
85. Tom Waits, Rain Dogs
84. Patti Smith, Horses (JK owns)
83. James Brown, In the Jungle Groove [anthology]
82. Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted
81. Pixies, Doolittle
80. Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (JK owns)
79. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV
78. Bjork, Post
77. My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
76. Talking Heads, Remain in Light
75. Elvis Costello, My Aim is True (JK owns)
74. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black (JK owns)
73. Various Artists,The Harder They Come
72. Beastie Boys, Paul’s Boutique
71. The Kinks, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
70. Iggy and the Stooges, Raw Power
69. Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
68. Public Enemy, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
67. Neil Young, After the Gold Rush (JK owns)
66. Hole, Live Through This
65. Love, Forever Changes
64. Nine Inch Nails, The Downward Spiral
63. Television, Marquee Moon
62. The Replacements, Let It Be
61. De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising
60. Beck, Odelay
59. Metallica, Master of Puppets
58. Dr. Dre, The Chronic
57. Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor
56. Arcade Fire, Funeral
55. Nas, Illmatic
54. R.E.M., Lifes Rich Pageant
53. The Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin
52. A Tribe Called Quest, The Low End Theory
51. Chuck Berry, The Great Twenty-Eight [anthology]
50. The Smiths, The Queen is Dead
49. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
48. Outkast, Stankonia
47. The Cure, Disintegration
46. The Beatles, Rubber Soul (JK owns)
45. Radiohead, OK Computer
44. Michael Jackson, Off the Wall
43. Madonna, Madonna
42. AC/DC, Back in Black (JK owns)
41. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP
40. John Lennon, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (JK owns)
39. The Who, Who’s Next (JK owns)
38. The Velvet Underground, The Velvet Underground & Nico (JK owns)
37. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon (JK owns)
36. Jay-Z, The Blueprint
35. The Rolling Stones, Some Girls
34. David Bowie, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
33. Wu-Tang Clan, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
32. Guns N’ Roses, Appetite for Destruction
31. The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die
30. Otis Redding, Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
29. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours
28. Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
27. Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited (JK owns)
26. Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced
25. Bob Marley and the Wailers, Catch a Fire (JK owns)
24. Daft Punk, Discovery
23. U2, Achtung Baby
22. The Beatles, Abbey Road (JK owns)
21. Stevie Wonder, Innervisions (JK owns)
20. The Rolling Stones, Beggars Banquet (JK owns)
19. Al Green, Call Me
18. Paul Simon, Graceland (JK owns)
17. Adele, 21 (JK owns)
16. Elvis Presley, Sunrise [anthology]
15. Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run (JK owns)
14. Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison
13. Marvin Gaye, What’s Going On (JK owns)
12. The Beatles, The White Album (JK owns)
11. Joni Mitchell, Blue (JK owns)
10. Nirvana, Nevermind
9. The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds (JK owns)
8. Kanye West, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
7. Aretha Franklin, Lady Soul (JK owns)
6. Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks (JK owns)
5. The Clash, London Calling (JK owns)
4. Michael Jackson, Thriller
3. The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street (JK owns)
2. Prince, Purple Rain
1. The Beatles, Revolver (JK owns)

“Exile in Guyville” at Twenty (New Yorker)...

Interesting take on Liz Phair's iconic album (her "answer record" to the Stones' Exile on Main Street), prompting JK to revisit.

by Bill Wyman

Twenty years after its release, two things are apparent about Liz Phair’s début album, “Exile in Guyville.” The first is that the record is still worth listening to. If you haven’t heard it recently, “Guyville” is many things. It’s an eighteen-song record of what used to be called indie rock, arguably the quintessential example of the form. It was conceived and written by Phair when she was a twenty-five-year-old Oberlin graduate, and then reconceived as an impressionistic, atmospheric song cycle in a Chicago recording studio by a young producer named Brad Wood.

The second point that seems obvious about “Exile” is that Phair, in some fundamental way, did not live up to the album’s promise. More than a few great songs followed—I’m thinking of the unforgettable “Bloodkeeper,” from the EP “Juvenilia”; the high melodicism of “May Queen”; the chirruping production of the title song on “Whip-Smart”; the lulling, troubling acoustic triumph “Perfect World,” on “Whitechocolatespaceegg”; and a few more.  So it’s not precisely that Phair’s artistry collapsed. My theory, in the end, is that she was not to be possessed of whatever that stuff is that one needs to be actual star.(Read more)

Track Listing (full album on YouTube):

1. 6'1''

2. Help Me Mary

3. Glory

4. Dance of the Seven Veils

5. Never Said

6. Soap Star Joe

7. Explain It to Me

8. Canary

9. Mesmerizing

10. Fuck and Run

11. Girls! Girls! Girls

12. Divorce Song

13. Shatter

14. Flower

15. Johnny Sunshine

16. Gunshy

17. Stratford-On-Guy

18. Strange Loop

Wilco’s All-Request-Show, Solid Sound Festival in North Adams, MA...

Setlist:

“The Boys Are Back in Town” (Thin Lizzy)
“Cut Your Hair” (Pavement)
“In the Street” (Big Star)
“New Madrid” (Uncle Tupelo/Tweedy)
“Dead Flowers” (The Rolling Stones)
“Simple Twist of Fate” (Bob Dylan)
“Ripple” (Grateful Dead, Garcia/Hunter)
“Who Loves the Sun” (The Velvet Underground)
“And Your Bird Can Sing” (The Beatles)
“Psychotic Reaction” (Count Five)
“Tom Courtenay” (w/Yo La Tengo and by Yo La Tengo)
“James Alley Blues” (Richard Brown)
“Waterloo Sunset” (The Kinks)
“Waterloo” (ABBA)
“(What’s So Funny ’bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding?” (Nick Lowe)
“Marquee Moon” (Television)
“Don’t Fear the Reaper” (Blue Öyster Cult)
“Cinnamon Girl” (Neil Young)
“Get Lucky” (Daft Punk w/ Pharrell Williams, and Nile Rodgers)
“Surrender” (Cheap Trick)
“Color Me Impressed” (w/Tommy Stinson) (The Replacements)
“Kingpin” (Wilco)
“Thank You Friends” (Big Star)
“The Weight” (The Band)
“Roadrunner” (The Modern Lovers)

Friday morning post-Finals trail mix...

All That Matters Now (Ben Harper/Charlie Musselwhite) Get Up!
Warren Helman's Banjo (Steve Earle) Low Highway
California Saga (The Beach Boys) Carl & the Passions
Swing Guitars (Django Reinhardt) Nuages
Passin' It Around (Coleman Hawkins) Body And Soul
Dear Old Stockholm (Miles Davis) 'Round Midnight
Your One And Only Man (Otis Redding) The Very Best...
Suspicion (Terry Stafford) Jim Kane's Oldies
Ain't Waitin' (Justin Townes Earle) Harlem River Blues

12 Messages From Kenya (Horace Silver Trio) Horace Silver Trio
Fair Weather Friend (The Subdudes) Unplugged at Pleasant
Sweet Old World (Lucinda Williams) Sweet Old World
Ballad of Mr. Jones (Jake Bugg) Jake Bugg
Nothing But Flowers (Talking Heads) Best of...
Shaky (The Duke & the King) The Duke & the King
Doledrum (The La's) The La's
You Don't Owe Me Nothing (Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes) Baby Caught the Bus
Everything's Gonna Be Alright (Dave Alvin & the Guilty Ones) Out In California
Loan a Helping Hand (Doug Sahm) The Last of the Real Texas Blues Bands
I Guess We Shouldn't Talk About That Now (Bettye LaVette)  The Scene of the Crime

HERE COMES SUMMER!...

Lyrics for a lazy Tuesday...

1. Tuesday afternoon, I'm just beginning to see, now I'm on my way.
2. While the sun is bright; or in the darkest night; no one knows, she comes and goes.
3. Didn't anybody see? Sunday's on the phone to Monday, Tuesday's on the phone to me.
4. Whoa, where do you go? When you don't want no one to know? Who told tomorrow Tuesday's dead?
5. Lunchtime, I start to dial your number; then I remember so I reach for something to smoke, and anyways I'd rather listen to Coltrane, than go through all that shit again.
6. Introduce me to that big blonde; she's got a touch of Tuesday Weld; she's wearing Ambush and a French twist. She's got us wild and she can tell.
7. It wasn't on a Tuesday afternoon (all I could do was cry).
8. And here it is Tuesday, ain't had no news; I got them gone but not forgotten blues.
9. Tuesday heartbreak seem to be unfair, cause you say that you found another man.
10. Too many sad days, too many Tuesday mornings. I thought of you today, I wished it was yesterday morning.

HAVE A HAPPY TUESDAY!

Cannot trust that day...

Sorry, Phil, it's your destiny.  Or as George McFly would have said, "It's your density."

Played golf with the trivia god (and former lead singer/lyricist/bassist of the legendary Westie Punks) Gussy P, and the topic arose as to what was the very first album you ever bought:

I'm writing to apologize for my incorrectly identifying 'Jimi Hendrix' as my first album purchase. While showering this am, I remembered buying 'Flowers' by the Rolling Stones in the spring of my sophomore year. I believe 'Flowers' is now considered a compilation album, since it contained many previously released songs. The Hendrix purchase was my next album, but it may not be third as I bought Bill Cosby's 'I Started Out as a Child' in my freshman year. So that was actually my first albim purchase. Gus (I can't putt or make fouls shots)

Personally, I'm not sure exactly, but something like the Beach Boys' All Summer Long (1964)?  Brother Joe (BroJo?) says "I believe it was Neil Diamond's second album entitled "Just For You" which I still possess. Before that I believe we bought singles aka 45s."  I'm not so sure. Are you speaking of the family 'we'? Because I know we had plenty of pre-Beatles albums. Neil's wasn't that early, was it?  Wikipedia says 1967.

Who was your first (we promise not to tell)?

Happy Father's Day!...

Thank you.

Never made it to Sonny & the Sunsets in Hamden on Thursday night or Aaron Neville on the New Haven Green last night.  

Macca does three-hour set at Bonnaroo. (article/videos)  Funny, in one vid, when McCartney launches into For the Benefit of Mr. Kite, some guy yells out, "Mystery Tour, yeah!"  Sorry, buddy, Sgt. Pepper.  Finished up with Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End from Abbey Road.  Perfect.

The situation at Merion GC for U.S. Open...

Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather....keeps raining all the time:

Billie Holiday
Etta James
Django Reinhardt
Ethel Waters
Frank Sinatra
Lena Horne
Joni Mitchell


(Per Wikipedia, so it MUST be true)- "Stormy Weather" is a 1933 song written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. Ethel Waters first sang it at The Cotton Club night club in Harlem in 1933 and recorded it that year, and in the same year it was sung in London by Elisabeth Welch and recorded by Frances Langford. It has since been performed by artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Clodagh Rodgers, and Reigning Sound and most famously by Lena Horne and Billie Holiday. Leo Reisman's orchestra version had the biggest hit on records (with Arlen himself as vocalist), although Ethel Waters's recorded version also sold well. "Stormy Weather" was featured in the 1943 movie of the same name.

The song tells of disappointment, as the lyrics, "Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky", show someone pining for her man to return. The weather is a metaphor for the feelings of the singer: "stormy weather since my man and I ain't together, keeps raining all the time."  The original handwritten lyrics, along with a painting by Ted Koehler, were featured on the (US) Antiques Roadshow on 24 January 2011, where they were appraised for between $50,000 and $100,000. The lyrics show a number of crossings out and corrections.  Ethel Waters's recording of the song in 1933 was inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003, and the Library of Congress honored the song by adding it to the National Recording Registry in 2004.

New video from Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes...

Iconic bluesman issues latest...

Sexy @ Sixty song list:
Back Side Blues
That's What She Said
Unabashed Journey Love
Shanks 'n Skanks (duo with rapper RantOn)
I Feel Pretty (Tired)
Sharie, NOT Sherry, Baby
Gentle On My Mind (Glen Campbell tribute)
Limping Around, Grouchy As Hell
Sorry About Bashing That Pepsi Can in Your Face
I Just Want To Be Your Friend (Never)
(Sixty) Candles In the Wind
F**k You, You Moron! (Chance Meeting w/ Keith)
Vinnie, Johnny & The Bod

It has been awhile since we heard from Keith A (not that we really noticed), but he's back with a vengeance as he deals with aging and other issues on his just-released Sexy @ Sixty, backed by his long-time band, The Throwers. Is it worth the wait?  Probably not, but there are a few gems sprinkled in with A's mediocre accordion solos and guitar riffs.  A highlight is his raunchy duet with the recently imprisoned rapper RantOn (assault with hurtful lyrics and bad tee shots).  KA and the band are currently on tour; check out their website iwillbashyourheadin.com for a listing.  (one and a half stars out of five)

Wet, not wild, but totally cool Black-eyed & Blues Festival...

UPDATE! 
Because of the impending bad weather, the Festival has been moved to the Great Hall at Union Station (behind Hot Tomato's)

Rich Badowski Blues Band  (YouTube)

Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez  (YouTube)

Barrence Whitfield & the Savages (YouTube)

Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood  (YouTube)

Food & Beer provided by Black-eyed Sally's   5-11 pm  Free Admission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read more         Click here for all Events

Rain forced the annual Bushnell Park event inside

The Rich Badowski Blues Band opening set at Union Station

Barrence Whitfield & the Savages - 2nd set of the evening

You must stand on the radiators or sit on the bench.  Got it?  And WAKE UP!

These people were just admonished for standing on the bench

Random handsome couple