Very cool...

Velvet Underground Revisited featuring Leslie Feist doing Femme Fatale:

Til Tuesday...

Elvis Presley celebrated the 34th anniversary of his death with a big 'ol stack at Denny's....


The Duke & The King self-titled album out today; streaming below:
The Duke & The King by CBSIMG

Monday morning Lucinda...

Ten obscure covers found here  (the gem is Mama, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys):
Postively 4th Street (Bob Dylan cover)1993 - You Don't Have Very Far To Go (Merle Haggard cover)1993 - Main Roads (Victoria Williams cover)1993 - Here in California (Kate Wolf cover)1998 - Cold Cold Heart (Hank Williams cover)2001 - Nothin' (Townes Van Zandt cover)2001 - Lately (Greg Brown cover)2002 - Hang Down Your Head (Tom Waits cover)2003 - Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys (Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings cover)2008 - Marching the Hate Machines (The Flaming Lips & Thievery Corporation cover)2008

Go listen to the Sawtelles here (and there)!...

Aug 19- Javapalooza, Main Street, Middletown, CT
Aug 27- New Caanan Farmers Market, New Caanan, CT
Sep 3- Milford Downtown Farmers Market, Milford, CT
Sep 6- Spring Glen Farmers Market, Hamden, CT
Sep 16-Javapalooza, Main Street, Middletown, CT
Sep 30- Buttonwood Tree, Main Street, Middletown, CT
Oct 4- Spring Glen Farmers Market, Hamden, CT
Nov 4- Crown & Hammer Restaurant, Collinsville, CT

Sawtelles.com

Hip, Hip JORGE!!!!!!...

Sunday golf rained out after a soaking nine.

New Feist - How Come You Never Go There

k.d. lang in Seattle (Seattle Times)
Concert review:  It's one thing to hear the great Canadian singer k.d. lang. It's somethin' else to watch her sing.  In her jubilant sold-out concert at the Woodland Park Zoo on Wednesday, the pride of Consort, Alberta, was a treat to hear — and a hoot to behold.  Fronting her new five-man backup group, the Siss Boom Bang, lang dashed onstage in an all-white, celestial-cowboy sort of outfit. And she stayed in motion throughout her ample set of new material, older hits and choice covers.  Barefoot (as usual), the strapping diva danced with quirky abandon; skipped and marched and shimmied; flirted with, wooed and gently sassed the crowd.  Strapping on a banjo to sing the countrified "Sorrow Evermore" (from her strong 2010 album, "Sing It Loud"), one of pop music's first lesbian icons signaled to her female fans to gather around the stage.  "It turns out that the banjo," she announced with deadpan panache, "is a real chick magnet."  The woman knows how to put on a show, sure enough. What's remarkable is how she maintains the focus and breath control to sing so sublimely while working the stage like a whirligig. (more)

Happy Birthday, G...

Saturday nights are made for fighting...

Willie Nelson's Farm Aid starting at noon today in Kansas City, KS:  The lineup this year includes the annual board members who always play - Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews - plus Jason Mraz, Jamey Johnson, Jakob Dylan, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Will Dailey & the Rivals, Billy Joe Shaver, Robert Francis, Ray Price, Rebecca Pidgeon, Hearts of Darkness, John Trudell and The Blackwood Quartet. (website)

Gregg Allman cancels tour, including appearance in Windsor, for health reasons (story) - Melissa (at 2011 JazzFest)


Marshall Tucker Band to headline this year's Milford Oyster Fest on August 20 - Take the Highway

I was dancing in the lesbian bar...

Well I was dancing at a night club one Friday night
And that night club bar was a little uptight
Yeah, I was dancing all alone a little self conscious
When some kids came up and said, "for dancing come with us."
And soon...I was dancing in a lesbian bar, oh, oh.
I was dancing in a lesbian bar, oh, oh, oh.

 

Jonathan Richman at FTC Stage One in Fairfield on Wednesday, October 19

Graced with an unprecedented childlike glow, Jonathan Richman is a brilliant songwriter and a one-of-a-kind performer of insanely creative proportions. You literally walk away from a Jonathan Richman show believing that everything is life is beautiful and wonderful and you’ll have a hard time shaking that sentiment for days and days.

His beginnings are with the band Modern Lovers, a highly influential pre-punk rock band popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Owing much of their success to the popularity of the Velvet Underground, Richman sings with a trademark loungey, smirky pop flare not unlike early Lou Reed. His solo career broke him into genres like country, pop, Spanish songs and folky story-based love songs. His cult following is unmatched today and he does not have an official website. You may have seen/heard him in There’s Something About Mary, in which he played half of an on-screen narrating band, as well as Fever Pitch and Kingpin, all by the Farrelly Brothers. Conan O’Brien is also a huge fan of Richman’s careful and mysteriously comedic nature and has featured him on his shows frequently. He often performs alone or with a single drummer and always gets the whole audience into the show, with his sincere and loving approach to showmanship. Nobody even comes close to Jonathan Richman when it comes to making a crowd happy about music.

It is appropriately rare to catch a Jonathan Richman show, never mind in such a setting as StageOne. Come out and do yourself a favor. See this show.

“Richman renewed your faith in humanity and relief that there are people out there like him—geeky, honest, vulnerable underdogs with a sophisticated wit who can tell us things about themselves and ourselves at the very same time.”  “His wide-eyed goofiness endears because it is tempered by good-humored irony and an understanding of people that allow him to discuss moments and emotions that are universal but usually kept private (even from ourselves sometimes). At one point he sings “I didn’t need to be loved; I needed to love,” and the audience is for a moment hushed in empathy.” – PopMatters.com

Website:
www.myspace.com/pablopicassowasnevercalledanasshole

DETAILS
venue: Stage One
date: Wed 10/19
doors: 7:00 PM, show: 7:30 PM

TICKET INFO
price: $22, member discount: $5, 

BUY TICKETS

New CD release from Sharin', but no new lease on life for Keith...

V*VOW!
The ever-growing cult following that just can't get enough of Sharie & the Little Guy will be intrigued by V*Vow!, the pop husband/wife duo's latest on Nashville's Butternut label. The clever word play on wow and vow stems from the couple's recent ultra-secret retreat to Hawaii, where they cut their long awaited followup to the iconic, Dinner With Elvis, while at the same time (allegedly) renewing their wedding vows on the beach at sunset.  The formula is familiar, Sharie's perky vocals backed with a funky bass line, mixing in tasty keyboards and (Little Guy) Keith's acoustic guitar ramblings - but it again works very well.  Maybe Tomorrow is a desperate cry to stave off the inevitable, set to a heavy reggae beat (with help from rapper Rant On), while the incendiary ballad Teed Off expresses frustration over one's true love- the links.  Zip Gliding Away  was inspired by Little Guy's zipline adventure over the Umauma River gorge.  The disc closes on a curious (and somewhat frightening) note with a (foreshadowing?) cover of the Righteous Brothers' You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling.  Trouble in paradise?  Perhaps, but it inspired Sharie & the Little Guy to their best effort yet.  With a scheduled September release and Fall tour dates to follow (sharieandthelittleguy.com).

Mid morning walk at the Cape mix...

Little By Little (D Smith Blues Band) Monkey Time
El Camino (Amos Lee) Mission Bell
Forecast (The Sawtelles) Dime Museum
Love Me (Johnny Ray) A Proper Introduction to...
Giant Steps (Kirk Lightsey) Jazziz Jan05
Hello Josephine (Taj Mahal) Maestro
If the Moon Turns Green (Gary Burton) It's Another Day
I Am a Town (Mary Chapin Carpenter) Come On Come On
Monday Monday (Mamas & Papas) California Dreamin'
Last Train (Allen Toussaint) The Allen Toussaint Collection
Silver Rider (Robert Plant) Band of Joy
Broadway Jungle (Toots & the Maytals) Best Of...
My Man (Ella Fitzgerald) The Early Years
Handsome Johnny (Richie Havens) Mixed Bag
David Watts (Ray Davies) See My Friends
Star Dust (Errol Garner) The Complete Savoy Masters

Record wall in Red Lion men's bathroom on Saturday in NYC...

Order restored, 3-2  (oops)

CC didn't get it done, but Simi did...

The Reet says she is up for it, a Saturday in NYC with the Boys of Brooklyn, catching Johnnyk's new fav band, The Duke and The King featuring ex-Felice Brother (well, he's STILL a Felice brother, but you know what I mean) Simone Felice at the City Winery on Varick (between Spring and Vandam). This cd release (Long Live The Duke & The King) gig will be the last East Coast appearance of the group for awhile.  G-Man gets the tickets, selecting a table for four midway back and to the right of the stage from the seating chart on the website.  Looks promising. (City Winery performer list 2009-10)

Being the caring environmentalists that we are, we decide to drive into the city, park near the Winery and meet the boys mid-afternoon for some Yankees-Sox before the show.  The two-hour trip (Merritt/Hutch/West Side Hwy) is a breeze on a Saturday (light traffic and, geographically, all downhill).  We arrive about 4, get our very special $35 parking rate (and assurances that we can retrieve our car after midnight), meet the boys on Varick in front of the venue.  Perfect timing.  Over to Bleeker to the Red Lion on an overcast, soon-to-be-rainy afternoon.

Celebrating its 25th historic year on Bleecker Street, the world famous Red Lion is still the destination location for New York City music royalty and tomorrows next big thing. Born in the Summer of Love, built on 80s rock, nested comfortably along side a multitude of other legendary night clubs such as the Village Gate, the Bottom Line, CBGBs and Wetlands, the Red Lion has navigated its way into 21st Century as one of the last true music venues. 

Quickly subtracting 25 years from 2011, I confirm that the Summer of Love was 1986.  Or MAYBE  Red wasn't on Bleecker in 1967.  I'll leave that discussion to the historians.  We grab a table over in the corner of the barroom (not close enough to the Yanks/Sox for The Reet).  Just small pockets of people here and there entertained by a gravelly-voiced, acoustic guitar playing gent with a pretty, pretty good song catalog (nod to the Tom Waits selection).  The food is faux-English Pub fare, so I order the Cod & Chips along with a Smithwicks from our over-the-top friendly, but underattentive server.  Between our Wild Rover's sets, Amy Winehouse blasts out of the speakers, sparking a debate amongst us as to her true musical stature, I giving her elevated billing, while JK and G-Man are skeptical of her originality.  Unresolved.  Cool item in men's room:  a wall full of old 45 rpm records behind a glass casing.  If G-Man would send me his camera photo of it, I would post.  It's approaching 7:30.  Walk back to the corner of Spring & Varick for the eight o'clock show.

Cool place. Our table is sandwiched between two other tables for four, making The Reet a bit cranky, but it's all good.  She orders a little pizza, but baffles our server with a no cheese request.  Looking forward to the show.  Besides Felice, TDATK consists of Bonnie 'Bird' Burke, Nowell  'The Deacon' Haskins and Simi Stone and added a soul element to the Felice Brothers' raucous country punk.  They hit the stage- Simone in a tight wife-beater, showing off his ample arm tattoos, Simi in a short dress, big Afro (looking great), Bird in a trucker hat and a #87 Aeropostale shirt (not cool).  Where's the Deacon????  Not sure.  A lead guitar player, a drummer and a banjo player round out tonight's lineup.  I think the people at the table in front of the stage won the free tickets contest because they are way too happy.  Why didn't we win?  What's up with that, Larry? Simone Felice is the (self-appointed?) star, taking lead vocals and strumming on acoustic guitar, flanked by Simi (violin) and the Birdman (bass).  I'm waiting to be blown away, but I'm not quite.  Entertaining.  Best song of the night is Simi Stone's No Easy Way Out. Fabulous. Other highlights are Shaky, the Iraq war vet song that is my pick for the catchiest song of the Summer ("cause we were just babies, when the Jackson Five grew up so fast, baby, just come shake that country ass") and the soul/gospel Union Street. Some guy-guy kissing that got a bit distracting. Where's The Deacon (never answered)? For the encore, they tapped Neil Young's Helpless and Dylan's Knocking On Heaven's Door. Very good, but curious. Gotta close with your own stuff, no? Very good, not quite great, show.

Farewell to the Boys of Brooklyn and home by midnight.

G-Man forwards this clip of Simi's performance:

Encore: Helpless

The Duke and The King at the City Winery in NYC Saturday night . Goin' with the Sons of Brooklyn ( I think)...

 C'mon down!!!! 

(seating chart)

When old friends Simone Felice and Bobbie ‘Bird’ Burke retreated to their studio/cabin deep in the Bearsville woods just across the creek from the grave of Bob Dylan’s notorious manager Albert Grossman, they had but one aim; to heal some wounds by recording a collection of emotional new songs on two-inch tape. Little did they know where this next bend in the river of life would take them. And so commenced an unlikely journey that saw these intimate tales transported from their minds and souls and into the hearts of people all over the world. (more)

Those intolerant bastards, Zero Tolerance, will be at Bleachers on Saturday night...

Bleachers, 300 Middle Street, Bristol, CT

Wednesday morning trail mix...

One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found (disk#3)

(All Music Guide)  The importance of the girl group sound of the early '60s is often overlooked in the traditional telling of the history of rock & roll. In most accounts, after the first wave of rockers either died (Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran), quit (Little Richard), went into the army (Elvis), or married a cousin (Jerry Lee Lewis), hordes of one-named teen idols (Fabian, Frankie, Dion) and smoothies (Bobby Rydell, Paul Anka) took over and rock music withered away until the Beatles rescued it. This narrow-minded opinion leaves …  » Read more

1. The Trouble With Boys (Little Eva)
2. Lookin' For Boys (Pin-Ups)
3. Dream Baby (Cher)
4. Condition Red (Goodees)
5. Should I Cry (DeShannon)
6. I'm Blue (Ikettes)
7. I've Been Wrong Before (Black)
8. Love's Gone Bad (Clark)
9. Nightmare (Whyte Boots)
10. She Don't Deserve You (Honeybees)
11. Will You Be My Love (Four J's)
12. Take Me For a Little While (Sands)
13. Funnel of Love (Jackson)
14. I'm Gonna Destroy That Boy (What Four)
15. Terry (Twinkle)
16. Untrue Unfaithful (Rossi)
17. Sophisticated Boom Boom (Goodies)
18. Saturday Night Didn't Happen (Reparata & the Deltrons)
19. Don't Ever Leave Me (Francis)
20. Don't Forget About Me (Lewis)
21. Wanna Make Him Mine (Emeralds)
22. Only To Other People (Cookies)
23. Big-Town Boy (Matthews)
24. Daddy, You Gotta Let Him In (Satisfactions)
25. After Last Night (Rev-Lons)
26. How Can I Tell My Mom & Dad (Lovelites)
27. Too Hurt To Cry (Darnells)
28. Up Down Sue (Luv'd Ones)
29. When I Think of You (Twiggy)
30. Good Good Lovin' (Blossoms)

One cannot but hope to make sense of the melismatic stylings of the Pool Hall Studs...

Word up from Johnny Gumbo...always the wordsmith as well as the partysmith, Gumbo offers his word for the day:

melismatic \mi-liz-MA-tik\, adjective:
Characterized by the singing of several notes to one syllable of text, for emotional impact, as in blues and other musical styles.

His blues are pure Texas and in an older style with thumping bass notes in the guitar playing and breathy melismatic singing.
-- American Folklore Society, Journal of American Folklore

It almost sounds as if he's making it up as he goes, ending each verse with a melismatic flourish.
-- Camille DeAngelis, Petty Magic: Being the Memoirs and Confessions of Miss Evelyn Harbinger

Melismatic finds its source in the Greek melisma, "music."

Gene McDaniels (wrote: try to make it real, compared to what?) dead at 76...

Eugene McDaniels in 1994.

(NY Times article)   Eugene McDaniels, whose mellifluous voice brought him high onto the Billboard charts several times in the early 1960s, and who wrote “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” which Roberta Flack took to the top of the charts in 1974, died on Friday at his home in Kittery Point, Me. He was 76. He died after a brief illness, his wife, Karen, said. With his four-octave range, Gene McDaniels, as he was first professionally known, hit No. 3 in the spring of 1961 with “A Hundred Pounds of Clay” and No. 5 later that year with “Tower of Strength.” He last hit the Top 40 with “Spanish Lace” in late 1962.  Mr. McDaniels’s songs, including those he wrote for other artists later in his career, jumped from jazz to blues to ballads to gospel and could be peppered with cultural criticism and political protest.

The lyrics of his bluesy up-tempo song “Compared to What,” recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1969 by the pianist and singer Les McCann and the saxophonist Eddie Harris, include:

“The president, he’s got his war

Folks don’t know just what it’s for

Nobody gives us rhyme or reason

Have one doubt, they call it treason” 

A classic!

Gussy ball...

It's always a pleasure to tour the fairways with legendary Westie Punk Gussy P and Sunday was no exception, trading golf-induced music name checks, such as:

Sneaking Sally through the alley (Robert Palmer)
Close To the edge, down by a river (Yes)
We know a cat who can really do the Cool Jerk (Capitols)
Are you with me, Dr. Wu? (Steely Dan, who were just at Foxwoods on Friday night!)

Email from Ronnie Spector...

I'll be at Damrosch Park Bandshell in Lincoln Center for the big Girl Group show and a tribute to my dear friend Ellie Greenwich Saturday 7/30/11.   Playing keyboards and singing back-up will be the women who wrote my very last recording in the 1960's, Toni Wine.

My tribute to Amy Winehouse will be available on-line this Tuesday.  Proceeds go to Daytop Village, a substance abuse treatment center for adults and teens throughout New York and the surrounding areas.

Ronnie
--------------
www.ronniespector.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/ronniespector

Some free Saturday history/entertainment in NYC...

NYC ARTS Venues David Rubenstein Atrium Listings Out of Doors Festival: Ponderosa Stamp: Girl Talk

David Rubenstein Atrium
Broadway
(between 62nd and 63rd Streets)
New York, NY  10023
Tel: (212) 875-5350
Visit Web Site
Map

Free admission (all visitors, all hours).

Dates & Hours: Sat, July 30, 2011, 12 pm – Sat, July 30, 2011, 4 pm

• 

Click image(s) to enlarge slideshow

This Girl Group symposium reflects the music era of the 1960s and is moderated by Sheryl Farber, Alison Fensterstock and Lauren Onkey, including interviews with Lesley Gore, The Angels, and The Exciters, and a segment celebrating Ellie Greenwich’s life and legacy. Film archivist Joe Lauro will screen vintage footage of the girl group era in action.

12 pm-The Angels and the Exciters with Alison Fensterstock
1 pm- Interview with Lesley Gore with Sheryl Farber
2:15 pm -The Life and Legacy of Ellie Greenwich with Lauren Onkey

The Ponderosa Stomp: She's Got the Power! concert takes place from 5-10 pm at Damrosch Park.  The Lincoln Center Out of Doors festival takes place on the plazas of Lincoln Center from July 27 to August 14. Click here to view the full schedule of events. 

Thursday afternoon live Beehive at Muscle Shoals, Bama...

"Love Make You Do Stupid Things" goes swamp! With Christine Ohlman are most of the Decoys..Kelvin Holly on guitar, NC Thurman on keys, plus Mike Dilllon on drums and gospel harmonies....Muscle Shoals, AL on July 24, 2011 during the 2011 WC Handy Festival

 

Famous beehives:
Ronnie Spector & the Ronettes
Amy Winehouse
Christine Ohlman
Kate Pierson/Cindy Wilson of the B-52's
Dusty Springfield

Raise a pint (or two)...

Greater Hartford Irish Music Fest in Glastonbury this weekend (Friday through Sunday) at the Irish American Home (go figure), billed as the "Largest Irish Music Festival in New England."

Friday

Sorry, Johnny Gumbo will NOT make an appearance

Boston's Irish Rebel Band
Highland Rovers
Seven Nations
Saturday
Colm O'Brien
Celtic Cross
The Rising
Shilelagh Law
Seven Nations
Sunday
Andy Cooney
New York Show Band

IRISHMUSICFEST.COM

The Grateful Dead...

Dan Peek (60), co-founder of America (and you thought it was Columbus), it's good to be out of the rain
Amy Winehouse (27), it has been said that death is an artist's greatest career move
Saxophonist Frank Foster (82)
Rob Grill (67), The Grass Roots, Let's Live For Today (must be tomorrow)
Manuel Garban  (80), Cuban guitarist for the Buena Vista Social Club

Some live Amy...

Take the Box on Later With Jools Holland (2003)

Me and Mr. Jones

Amy Winehouse performing "Monkey Man" on Jools Holland's Annual Hootenanny (2007) backed by the Rhythm & Blues Orchestra with Dave Swift on Bass.

How smooth is this?...

Shelby Lynne and Tony Joe White- Rainy Night in Georgia:



1.Will put velvet out of business?
2.Not enough o's in smooooth?
3.Smooth as a prom queen's thigh? (heard this one years ago on Trinity College radio- great line!)

Wake up, godammit, it's Tuesday!...

From Jack White and Stephen Colbert:  The Black Belles

(From Yahoo) Swarming the music headlines this week, political funnyman Stephen Colbert debuted a musical collaboration produced by the hardestworking man in music, Jack White. With the fanfare surrounding his new song "Charlene II (I'm Over You)," the sequel to "Charlene (I'm Right Behind You)," lurking as his black-suited backing band stood the Black Belles. Not to be confused as just being Colbert's band, the Black Belles are their own band--and a darn good one.

 But who are these ladies of darkness? Not much is known thus far--no names, no origins, very few photos (which only adds to the mystique). From what I could dig up from the Belle graves, the quartet is a brand-new band, discovered in the last year or so by Jack White, and they're currently signed to his Third Man Records label. Besides "Charlene," the Black Belles have only have one original recorded song, a fantastic cover of the Knickerbockers' 1960s classic "Lies," and have yet to record a debut album. (more)

New release: What Is Too Hip by Marcia V & Vinnie...

What Is Too Hip (Vista Records)
Can one be too hip?  Or two hipped?  Tell me, tell me if you think you know.  One thing is for sure, Marcia V will hip check you into the boards with her latest album, What Is Too Hip, a gumbo of tasty 'Haven-style blues, 60/70s Westie punk and sassy pop.  The title track attacks you with V's signature screeching vocals and doesn't let up for five numbing minutes.  I think it's a test: are you indeed hip enough.  I almost wasn't, but what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.  I was on life support.  But, miraculously, I was 'saved' by the total unexpected sweetness of former Westie Punk Gussy P's slide sitar guest solo on '99', a heart-felt gospel tribute to compatriot Steve the Bod.  Vinnie V (no relation), Marcia's long-time collaborator, lyricist and oboist, gets a rare turn at lead vocals on the countrified ditty New Sheriff In Town (an ode to Johnny E).  Next, MV stuns the senses once more with the strangest version of I Am the Walrus that I've ever heard, but I guess I'm too terrified not to like it.  Too unhip, perhaps?  It's out August 10.  I dare you!

Amy Winehouse with 'goddaughter' Dionne Bromfield...

Amy Winehouse's last gift to fans: Dionne Bromfield - article

Johnny K's ever-changing top ten favorite albums (what are yours?)....

(In no particular order)

Top Ten
Back To Black (Amy Winehouse)
John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman (John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman)
The La's (The La's)
Bat Out of Hell (Meatloaf)
Moondance (Van Morrison)
Blonde On Blonde (Bob Dylan)
The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (Bruce Springsteen)
Dusty In Memphis (Dusty Springfield)
Sneaking Sally Through the Alley (Robert Palmer)
People Gonna Talk (James Hunter)

Honorable Mention:
Jaco Pastorius (Jaco Pastorius)
Dixie Chicken (Little Feat)
Gonna Take a Miracle (Laura Nyro & LaBelle)
All Summer Long (Beach Boys)
'Banana Album'  (Velvet Underground & Nico)
Live At the Fillmore East (Allman Brothers Band)
Sweet Old World (Lucinda Williams)
Midnight At the Oasis (Maria Muldaur)
Silver City (Sarah Borges)
The Heart of Saturday Night (Tom Waits)

I know you think your list is far superior, so gimme yours in the comments section or email me at johnnykmusic@yahoo.com .

Sadly, Amy, we kinda knew this was coming...

One of my favorites from the first time I heard her.  Back to Black is one of my top ten favorite albums of all time, putting a modern spin on 60s soul/girl group style, backed by Sharon Jones' fabulous Dap Kings.  Prompted me to sample Frank, her more jazz oriented first (and only other) album; liked it a lot (Andy, you still have it, my gift of a Christmas past?).  Her successful style begot the likes of Duffy, Adele, Lily Allen, etc., some of whom I really like, but none the match of Winehouse.  Unfortunately, she quickly became a public trainwreck (that dickhead 'My Blake, Incarcerated' helped push her over the edge, it seems), and my fear that we'd never get another taste has been fulfilled.  So, now she becomes immortal.  Sad how that works.

Amy Winehouse dead at 27  
LONDON (AP) - Amy Winehouse, the beehived soul-jazz diva whose self-destructive habits overshadowed a distinctive musical talent, was found dead Saturday in her London home, police said. She was 27.  Winehouse shot to fame in 2006 with the album "Back to Black," whose blend of jazz, soul, rock and classic pop was a global hit. It won five Grammys and made Winehouse - with her black beehive hairdoand old-fashioned sailor tattoos - one of music's most recognizable stars. But her personal life, with its drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders and destructive relationships, soon took over her career.  Police confirmed that a 27-year-old female was pronounced dead at the home in Camden Square northern London; the cause of death was not immediately known. London Ambulance Services said Winehouse had died before the two ambulance crews it sent arrived at the scene. -(more)

Performance at the 2008 Grammys:

Back to Black:

Cover of Leslie Gore's It's My Party for Quincy Jone's album:




Cover of the Shirelles' Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow for the movie, Bridget Jones:

The Duke & The King: Not "The Duke" Snider, but a home run nonetheless. Touch 'em all, boys...

I frequently receive email from publicity agents hawking the latest soon-to-be James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, The Band.  They must have found me on some late night drunken cyber witch hunt.  Anyway, I do regularly pay attention to a couple- The Muse Box and Ariel Publicity - with semi-regularity.   Today's pitch from The Muse Box featured a self-titled (okay, I'll say eponymous) U.S. debut album of The Duke & The King.  What caught my eye in the piece was the name Simone Felice, a founding member of the fabulous Felice Brothers:

"Formed in New York by acclaimed musician-writer Simone Felice, previously a key songwriter and founding member of celebrated country rock outfit The Felice Brothers, The Duke & The King are a potent vocal group created by Felice and Robert Bird Burke featuring Simi Stone and Nowell “The Deacon” Haskins.

Named after the traveling Shakespearean troupe in Mark Twain’s classic “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” The Duke & The King create a rollicking undeniably soulful sound in the vein of classic songwriters from James Taylor to Rolling Thunder Review, Fleetwood Mac and Sly & The Family Stone, while adding a distinctly personal touch with Felice’s affecting narratives.  It is a quality which inspired the BBC to compare his songwriting to Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.

The band’s upcoming release is a collection of songs culled from the group’s two previous English albums, not available in the U.S.  Both records have received unanimously enthusiastic reviews from the British press."

I'm listening.  It is understated, with ear-catching lyrics ("cause we were just babies when the Jackson Five grew up so fast, baby, just come shake that country ass"), tasty backing harmonies (touches of early CS&N on You And I), sax flourishes.  Worth some attention.  They will be at the City Winery in NYC on Saturday, August 6.  Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Shaky is one of the catchiest songs you will hear all Summer:

Anyone up for Eilen Jewell at Cafe Nine tonight (early show)?...

She's really good and it gives you lazy bastards an excuse to check out the spiffy renovations they did over the Winter at the Musicians Living Room. Doors open at 7 (no, not THEM!), show starts at 8.  Ms. Jewell will also be in CT on August 20 at the Bridge Street Cafe in Collinsville. 

Eilen Jewell- Queen of the Minor Key: 

It is the battered cassette jammed in the tape deck of the getaway car, the music Ida Lupino cues up on the roadhouse jukebox as she counts the till after close. This is Queen of the Minor Key by Eilen Jewell, a smart cookie with a heart of burnished gold and enough stories to keep even the rowdiest crowd hanging on her every word. Though its long shadows and dark corners make her kingdom feel intimate, her sovereign domain stretches as far as the imagination. Its denizens seek refuge in padded rooms, abandoned automobiles… and strong spirits. They defend their territory by any means necessary: weird voodoo, sawed-off shotguns, broken bottles.

But beware, savvy observer. There is more to Eilen Jewell than meets the ear. Do not confuse the singer and her songs. The drama and darkness that give Queen of the Minor Key its gritty texture are in short supply in the Boston-based songwriter's personal life. And in a curious twist, these fourteen originals actually took shape in a sunny, idyllic location that contrasts strikingly with the album's moody, film noir atmosphere. - (more)

Gathering of the Vibes this weekend in Bridgeport...

Happy Birthday to brother Joe a/k/a Bones Jones...

But you say he's just a friend...

History of Rap, Part II- Jimmy Fallon & Justin Timberlake:

Early morning neighborhood shuffle...

Love and Happiness (Al Green) Greatest Hits

Four Or Five Times (Jimmie Lunceford) Swingsation
She's Funny That Way (Coleman Hawkins) Body and Soul
Tinker Tailer Soldier Sailor (The Yardbirds) Over Under Sideways Down
Upside Out (Viktoria Tolstoy) Jazziz
The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else (Ella Fitzgerald) The Early Years
Psycho Daises (The Yardbirds) Over Under Sideways Down
I Just Keep Loving Her (Rob Stone & the C-Notes) No Worries
It's Raining (Lou Ann Barton) Old Enough
Jambalaya (Lucinda Williams) Ramblin'
Shelter From the Storm (Bob Dylan) Blood On the Tracks
Cajun Love Song (Leon Russell) Carney
My Career As a Homewrecker (Jonathan Richman) Having a Party With...

JohnnyK shuffle pick of the day: Lou Ann Barton It's Raining (also live version):

Lou Ann & Stevie Ray Vaughn in 1970s (with some really cool pics):

Do yourself a favor: Booker T Jones, Live at Daryl's House...

The legendary Booker T. Jones of Booker T. & the MG's.  Here's the link to the whole show.  Very cool.  I've been preaching about this show for a couple years now; it is time you listened to me!


The Memphis-born Booker T. Jones was honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and a Grammy lifetime achievement award for his genre-defining Hammond B-3 organ work with the renowned Stax Records group Booker T and the MGs alongside guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald “Duck” Dun and Al Jackson Jr. His new solo album, The Road from Memphis, which was released in May on Anti- Records, features cameos by Lou Reed, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and Sharon Jones. The L.A. Times said, “Jones makes a quietly convincing case that when it comes to soul music, all roads do seem to lead to Memphis.” Booker T., who has collaborated with a who’s-who of popular music greats, including Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Bill Withers, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Willie Nelson, among many others, had a blast playing with Daryl on the show.

“One of the nicest things about performing on Live from Daryl's House is that Daryl has surrounded himself with musicians who can 'hear,’” enthused Booker T. “That is, each one has talent to the extent of being capable of performing as a soloist on his own, not needing to be told the proper notes to sing or play.”

Some breezy Friday morning Esparanza Spalding...

Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz this weekend...

Friday July 15th, 2011
6:30 pm	Opening Ceremony
7:00 pm	David Gonzalez & The Latin Jazz Experience
8:30 pm	Zaccai Curtis Latin Jazz Quintet feat. Ray Vega, Dafnis Prieto, Andy Gonzalez & Reinaldo de Jesus

Saturday July 16th, 2011
4:30 pm	Latanya Farrell
6:00 pm	Curtis Haywood
7:30 pm	Cindy Bradley
9:00 pm	Groove Project is: Carl Carter, Bass Matt Marshak, Guitar Steve William, Drums Jay Rowe, Keys Paul ‘Shilts’ Weimar, Sax Steve Cole, Sax
10:30 pm	Jus Us - The Dance Party

Sunday July 17th, 2011
10:00 am	Dixieland Jazz Mass at Christ Church Cathedral featuring Ross Tucker's Hot Cat Jazz Band - 45 Church Street, Hartford, CT 06103
4:30 pm	Paul Brown Quintet
6:00 pm	Josh Evans Sextet is: Josh Evans, Trumpet Abraham Burton, Tenor Ralph Peterson, Drums Dezron Douglas, Bass Frank Lacey, Trombone David Bryant, Piano
7:30 pm	Al Foster Quartet with Special Guest Wallace Roney

Tuesday afternoon, I'm just beginning to see, now I'm on my way...

Get it while you can:  Porn will be banned in Connecticut state prisons as of June 30, 2012. - story  (A heads up, just in case you think the risk of knocking off that Bank of America branch might be worth it.)


She didn't listen:  Police say Meriden man tried to run over ex-girlfriend. - story

But 'Lil Wayne (no relation to John Wayne or John Wayne Gacy), the bitch wouldn't split the damn check:   Lil Wayne dancers charged with beating up waitress. - story

Honey, shouldn't you recycle?  Wife cuts off husband's penis and tosses it into the garbage disposal - story

Saturday nights are made for fighting (so start bitchin')...

• The QUEST for 3,000 is finally over (thank god!).  Michael Kay was insufferable, but I'm guessing John Sterling was worse.
• But Betty (The Clinic) Ford dead at 93.
• The Pool Hall Studs are in Newport for some golf and some Bela Fleck.
• Johnny Gumbo pens belated birthday greetings from the Great Northleft.
• Watched CPTV's Jonathan Edwards on Infinity Music Hall Live (see Friday posting).  Good show, check it out (he dedicated Shanty to Michael Phelps).   Looking forward to Shelby Lynne coming up on July 22.
• Sharie asked about our interest in seeing Brandi Carlile at Town Hall in NYC, saying she discovered her from Grey's Anatomy and really likes her.  But I'm completely unfamiliar with Carlile.  Off to YouTube:

You say you can't stay up so late (perhaps you should have thought about that before you put that good buzz on), so DVR it!...

Tonight!  CPTV's Infinity Hall Live:  Episode 104- Jonathan Edwards at 11:00PM

Newport Folk Fest cubes...

Hartford Jazz Society Monday Night Concert Series in Bushnell Park

July 11 

at 6:00 pm  - Haneef Nelson Quintet
at 7:30 pm - Giacomo Gates Quartet

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July 18
at 6:00 pm - Sinan Bakir Quartet
at 7:30 pm - Larry Willis Quartet

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July 25
at 6:00 pm - The Umoja Ensemble
at 7:30 pm - Tribute to the great Abbey Lincoln - James Weidman, piano; Jay Hoggard, vibraphone; Leena Conquest, vocals; Brad Jones, bass; Bruce Cox, drums

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August 1
at 6:00 pm - Damian Curtis Quartet
at 7:30 pm - HJS New Directions Ensemble directed by Earl MacDonald

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August 8
at 6:00 pm - TBA
at 7:30 pm - Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber

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Happy Birthday to you!....

Tuesday morning linear trail mix...

In Your Dreams (The Strollers) A Million Dollars Worth of Doo Wop
Reynadine (Carolina Chocolate Drops) Genuine Negro Jig
Disgusted (Lucinda Williams) Ramblin'
Train In Vain (The Clash) London Calling
The Man I Love (Sarah Vaughn) The Roulette Years
Lifetimes (Van Morrison) Wavelength
Spirit In the Dark (Aretha Franklin) Live At the Fillmore
If I Could Be With You (Ingrid Lucia) Don't Stop
Cupid (Sam Cooke) Best of...
F-E-E-L (The Animals) The Complete Animals
Song For Rosemary (Fats Domino) Fats Domino
4th Time Around (Bob Dylan) Blonde On Blonde
My Feet Can't Fail Me Now (Dirty Dozen Brass Band) Our New Orleans
Betrayed (Lou Reed) Live In Italy
15 Minutes (The Strokes) First Impressions of Earth

Yvette meets yet another Strange Boy...

Yvette & friends with Strange Boys' lead singer Ryan Sambol at 92Y Tribeca in NYC 6/24/11

(All Music Guide) - Brainwashed by years of exposure to an American Bandstand cassette (a circa 1966 show, apparently) in their mother's car, brothers Ryan and Philip Sambol started bashing out their own take on British and psychedelic rock while still attending high school in Dallas, TX. With Ryan on guitar and vocals, and Philip on bass, the brothers honed their retro sound on their own before enlisting Matt Hammer on drums and Greg Enlow on guitar and keys, forming the group now known as the Strange Boys in 2004. The fellas quickly asserted themselves in the fertile Dallas/Austin indie scene and released their debut EP, States Newest Noise Makers, in 2004. Relocating closer to the action in Austin in late 2006, the Strange Boys sought out the Gris Gris' Greg Ashley to man the board for their first full-length release. In 2007, amid work on the aforementioned full-length, the group issued the 7" EP Nothing on Milwaukee's Dusty Medical Records. The Strange Boys moved to In the Red Records for their debut album, 2009's Strange Boys and Girls Club. For the following year's more expansive Be Brave, the band enlisted Mika Miko's Jenna Thornhill and Darker My Love's Tim Presley as collaborators.

Happy 4th of July weekend, folks.....

On the radar:

• Blackie & the Rodeo Kings- three guys; tasty twang, nice harmonies; new CD out, Kings & Queens, duets with Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Roseanne Cash, etc. (get it, kings and....) - poster - website - video
• Bandana Splits- three girls; harmonies, humor reminiscent of the Roches - video - feature
• Sonny & the Sunsets-  Jonathan Richman meets Jan & Dean; very clever, catchy tunes - website - video -100 records project

Happy Canada Day, Diana!...

WINDSOR, Ont. -- The tinny strains of Stompin' Tom Connors singing Canada Day Up Canada Way could be heard over the public address as the house lights went down for Diana Krall's Canada Day show Friday at Caesars Windsor's Colosseum. The tongue-in-cheek reference to the national holiday of Krall's homeland set the tone early for the pride of Vancouver. It's Canada's weekend to stand up and be proud, and there are few better to do that with than Krall and fellow countrymen The Tragically Hip, who were scheduled in a shrewd stroke of nationalistic genius to play back-to-back shows at Caesars. - (more)