6 days to go 'til

JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY

at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Shell to sponsor Jazz Fest through 2010 - story
nojazzfest.com

Jazz Fest music at Louisiana Music Factory....

Each year during Jazz Fest, the Louisiana Music Factory hosts in-store performances from noon to 8pm on non-Fest days. Each set is an hour and you squeeze in as best you can in the isles for a close up look. Pretty cool. Since we will be arriving on Thursday, May 3rd and leaving on Tuesday, May 8th, we can catch some of the following:

Thursday, May 3rd Noon - Kermit Ruffins plus Rick Coleman Book Signing For "Blue Monday: Fats Domino & The Lost Dawn Of Rock 'N' Roll" 1:00 p.m. - Theresa Andersson 2:00 p.m. - Billy Iuso & The Restless Natives 3:00 p.m. - Gal Holiday 4:00 p.m. - Grayson Capps 5:00 p.m. - Amanda Walker 6:00 p.m. - Marc Adams 7:00 p.m. - Papa Grows Funk

Monday, May 7th Noon - Joe Krown Trio 1:00 p.m. - Preservation Hall Jazz Band 2:00 p.m. - Jon Cleary 3:00 p.m. - Bob French Original Tuxedo Jazz Band 4:00 p.m. - Ingrid Lucia & The Flying Neutrinos 5:00 p.m. - Tom McDermott & Evan Christopher 6:00 p.m. - Paul Sanchez 7:00 p.m. - Rebirth Brass Band

Jazz Fest schedule Jazz Fest nights

Yes, folks, just ONE week 'til JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival!!!!!!!!.....

So, what the hell is JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY? Funny you should ask. Legend has it that Johnny Gumbo (christened as such during a morning round of Bloody Marys at Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar on Tchoupitoulas St.) was looking for a really unique shirt to buy at Jazz Fest a few years ago and came back to CT with his prized "Piano Shirt." Oh my, was Gumbo ever proud of that shirt - one of a kind. He wore it everywhere, soaking up compliments like a big egotistical sponge ("Oh, thanks, it's something I found in an out-of-the-way shop in New Orleans, not a tourist shirt like others get.").

Well, Johnny wore his PIANO SHIRT down to Jazz Fest last year and, amazingly, we saw HUNDREDS of PIANO SHIRTS in all sorts of variations, even PIANO SHIRT SKIRTS! So, the idea was hatched - designate the second Friday of Jazz Fest to be JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY and photo Johnny Gumbo with every person we see wearing THAT SHIRT. We will post the results here and YOU can pick your favorites!

Jazz Fest 2007 kicks off today at 11am. Our friends from the Little Freddie King Blues Band are the first act at the Southern Comfort Blues Tent, which is back after a year's absence. Here are the performance schedule CUBES for today featuring Lucinda Williams, Van Morrison and Dr. John.

New Orleans Jazz Fest honors Ed Bradley - story here

It's kind of a drag (so, guys, wear your sexiest)....

The 2007 Meriden Daffodil Festival featuring The Buckinghams (get it?) and Gary U.S. Bonds

Welcome Stage Saturday April 28, 2007 10:30-11:30 The Paul Brockett Road Show 12:00-1:00 The Furors 1:30-2:30 The Mountain Movers 3:00-4:00 Mark Mulcahy 4:30-5:30 The Reducers 6:00-7:00 The Manchurians 7:30-8:30 Kitty Bang Bang Sunday April 29, 2007 10:00-10:45 Rope 11:15-12:00 Dharma Brown 12:30-1:15 Big Fat Combo 2:00-3:30 GARY BURR 4:00-5:00 Frank Critelli

Bandshell Stage Saturday April 28, 2007 11:00-12:00 Shelley Valauskas Experience 12:30-1:00 Ryan Hart & The Blue Hearts 2:30-3:45 GARY US BONDS 4:15-5:45 THE BUCKINGHAMS 6:15-7:00 F.B.I. 7:30-8:15 Plan B Sunday April 29, 2007 11:30-12:15 Melissa Mulligan Band 12:45 - 2:45 The RiverStreet Band 2:00-2:45 The Michael Cleary Band 3:15-4:00 TUB

Food Court Stage Saturday April 28, 2007 10:30-11:30 Carlos & Roy 12:00-1:30 The Gonkus Brothers 2:00-3:00 Can Kickers 3:30-4:30 River City Slim & The Zydeco Hogs 5:00-6:00 Divisi 6:30-7:30 Paul Pender Sunday April 29, 2007 10:00-11:00 The Maloney High Jazz Ensemble 11:30-12:30 Bop Tweedie and the Days 1:00-2:00 I.N.I.T.Y. 2:30-3:30 Groppo Sensacionale 4:00-5:00 Sean, Kelli & Wayne

iPod tunes on shuffle while walkin' the trail after work...

Black Coffee (k.d. lang)
Mystery Dance (Elvis Costello)
Luther Played the Boogie (Red Volkaert)
I Idolize You (Marcia Ball, Angela Strehli, Lou Ann Barton)
Tears of Rage (The Band)
Keep Walkin' (Eddie Jefferson)
More Than You Know (Jane Monheit)
If I Lose (The Band)
It Ain't Right (Lou Ann Barton)
Randomness (TV on the Radio)
My Career As a Homewrecker (Jonathan Richman)
Blue Moon (Marcels)
Drop Down Daddy (Lucinda Williams)
Bye-Ya (Thelonious Monk Quartet)
Red Deer Stalk (The La's)
All of Me (Johnny Ray)
Ricochet In Time (Mary Lou Lord)
Por Mi Camino (The Iguanas)
From a Buick 6 (Bob Dylan)
Just a Little Lovin' (Dusty Springfield)
I Hear Jingle Bells (Freddie King)
Detour Ahead (Billie Holiday)
Hella Good (No Doubt)
Hey! La Bas (Fats Domino)
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Diana Krall)
Party Pit (The Hold Steady)

It was a graveyard smash....

`Monster Mash' singer Pickett dies at 69 bBy Larry McShane (AP)

NEW YORK - He does the "Monster Mash" no more. Bobby "Boris" Pickett, whose dead-on Boris Karloff impression propelled the Halloween anthem to the top of the charts in 1962, making him one of pop music's most enduring one-hit wonders, has died of leukemia. He was 69. "Monster Mash" hit the Billboard chart three times: when it debuted in 1962, reaching No. 1 the week before Halloween; again in August 1970, and for a third time in May 1973. The resurrections were appropriate for a song where Pickett gravely intoned the forever-stuck-in-your-head chorus: "He did the monster mash. ... It was a graveyard smash."

Pickett used the impersonation in a nightclub act and when performing with his band the Cordials. A bandmate convinced Pickett they needed to do a song to showcase the Karloff voice, and "Monster Mash" was born — "written in about a half-hour," said Dr. Demento. The recording, done in a couple of hours, featured a then-unknown piano player named Leon Russell and a backing band christened The Crypt-Kickers. It was rejected by four major labels before Gary Paxton, lead singer on the Hollywood Argyles' novelty hit "Alley Oop," released "Monster Mash" on his own label. The instant smash became a sort-of Christmas carol for the pumpkin and ghoul set. In a 1996 interview with People magazine, Pickett said he never grew tired of it: "When I hear it, I hear a cash register ringing." - complete article

This summer I hear the drumming, four dead in Ohio....

For its 40th anniversary issue, Rolling Stone magazine has published its 40 Songs That Changed the World. The list (in a special foldout) is chronological, starting with Elvis' That's Alright and ending with the White Stripes' Fell in Love With a Girl, and gives why the world needed it, why it matters, and without this song, no......

For example, #5 Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen (May, 1963)-

Why the world needed it: The crucial distinction between being great musicians and being able to make a great record had not yet been made.

Why it matters: This Portland, Oregon garage band is terribly recorded, can barely keep the beat and gets lost midway through the song, and singer Jack Ely sounds like he's got a mouth full of whiskey-flavored marbles - and it doesn't matter, because any band with that riff on its side would win anyway.

Without this song, no: White Stripes, AC/DC, Hives, frat parties

Well, RS editors CHALLENGE you, the readers, to send comments about what songs YOU think have "shaken and shifted our planet" and will publish the readers choices in the June 29 edition. Some quick johnnykmusic suggestions:

Neil Young's Four Dead in Ohio- written in the aftermath of the Kent State killings

The Beach Boys' Surfin' USA- Harmonies of the Four Freshman meet twangy guitars...where would all the suburban, mid-America surfers be without the Beach Boys .....begot skateboards, urban skaters and the x-treme games....if everybody had an ocean, across the USA...

Buffalo Springfield's For What It's Worth- THE premier protest song of the post-folk period...

Lou Reed's Walk on the Wild Side- Hey babe, hip NYC drag hits mainstream pop and most listeners have no clue what the theme is...."in the bathroom she was everybody's darlin'"....made it cool (if only while groovin') to know gay people (one of my BEST friends knows someone who's gay)...and the colored girls sing....

Rick James' Superfreak- Superfunk'd, but catchy enough for everyone...and how many more times will this riff be stolen by other artists?....It's Rick James, bitch!

Gimme some more...

Concert listing site has possibilities....

Tourfilter site keeps concertgoers in the know (Reuters)

Despite the best efforts of promoters and venues, music fans often miss the chance to see concerts simply because they didn't know about them. Chris Marstall, a Cambridge, Mass., software engineer, hates it when that happens. And through the Tourfilter.com Web site he launched about a year ago, he wants to keep it from happening to any music fan. "I just wanted to create a site that worked for me -- something that would solve the problem I had, which was I was missing a lot of shows," Marstall said. "I did it because this is what I want. This is a site that I would want to use."

Tourfilter is basically a search engine for venue Web sites that tracks who's coming to town. Fans sign up, put in the 100 or so bands they love the most, and Tourfilter gives them an e-mail heads-up when that band is in the area. "The whole thing is engineered to make it really easy to find out about your favorite bands," Marstall said. Fans of live music are digging the concept, having entered 17,000 band names into the database. Tourfilter is growing at a pace of about 30 percent per month, anticipating 120,000 unique visitors in April.

For fans, Tourfilter is "totally free. Just come to the site and start typing in your favorite bands," Marstall said. "Once you put in your name and password, you can go away and basically set it and forget it. You can come back and check the calendar listings or just never come back, and we're still going to send you an e-mail if Sparklehorse comes to town or whatever your favorite band is." Tourfilter's world map includes 24 metropolitan areas -- among them Dublin, Melbourne, London, Toronto and Vancouver -- and Marstall will add another 10 U.S. cities this spring. - complete article

Jazz Fest festival map....

(click on image for larger view)

U2 donates instruments to help Katrina musicians

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The beloved Gibson Les Paul guitar of U2's The Edge fetched $240,000 and Bono's sunglasses pulled in $20,000 at an auction on Saturday to benefit musicians who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. The auction at New York's Hard Rock Cafe by Julien's Auctions raised $2,436,900, including a 20 percent buyer's fee, for Music Rising, a charity set up by The Edge and other musicians after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricane. It marked the first time such a wide selection of U2 memorabilia was available to collectors, organizers said.

Among the more than 200 items sold were Jimi Hendrix's 1966 Red Fender Mustang guitar, which fetched $400,000, former President Bill Clinton's saxophone ($54,000) and a pair of John Lennon's round, blue-tinted sunglasses ($30,000). "I have to say that it is a strange feeling to see some of your stuff up here," said The Edge. In addition to the Les Paul, which was acquired by an anonymous buyer, The Edge donated his 1958 Gibson archtop guitar, which sold for $105,000 and an assortment of accessories worn on stage, including a pair of sneakers ($7,000) and one of his signature cotton knit caps ($11,000). The autographed Irish Falcon Gretsch Guitar of U2 frontman Bono sold for $180,000, while U2 bassist Adam Clayton's Fender Active Jazz Deluxe went for $22,000 and the tom tom used in the U2's Vertigo tour by drummer Larry Mullen Jr. sold for $19,000.

The most emotional sale of the seven-hour auction involved The Edge's Les Paul guitar, which he had used on every U2 tour since 1985. Dallas Schoo, the Irish rock band's longtime guitar technician, told Reuters he regretted the sale of the guitar. In concert, "whenever Bono yells that he wants to go into free form," Schoo said, "that has always been my go-to guitar" to hand off to The Edge. "It looks like it's been through a war," said Ralph Trenke, an avid U2 fan who took home The Edge's 1958 Gibson archtop but came up short in bidding on the Les Paul.

Wearin' (out) of the green....Happy Earth Day....

Greenpeace.org You can send your friends their special Earth Day e-card - here

Green Day

Al Green

green eggs 'n ham

another three-putt green

Notre Dame football

Boston Celtics (fire Danny Ainge/Doc Rivers)

Behind the Green Door starring Marilyn Chambers

Bolden - NY Times jazz film review....

In Search of the Man Who May Have Created Jazz by MICHAEL CIEPLY

New Orleans- NO one is really sure what this city’s first “cornet king,” Charles (Buddy) Bolden, sounded like 100 years ago, much less what made him tick. The lore says a single wax recording of Bolden’s namesake ensemble was demolished with the old shed in which it was stored in the early 1960s. What is probably the most reliable rendering of his trademark tune, “Buddy Bolden’s Blues,” came from Jelly Roll Morton, who had heard it performed and put it on a record years after the master’s death. But even the song’s own lyrics warn against trusting too much. “I thought I heard Buddy Bolden say,” runs the remarkably tentative opening line.

Yet this elusive character, who some aficionados say invented jazz before lapsing into ultimately fatal insanity before the age of 30, has been coming into focus in recent weeks as a troupe of seasoned filmmakers and impassioned amateurs struggle to capture Bolden and his world in not one but two, related, movies.

Eccentric in concept, ambitious in scope and not cheap — backers put the cost at more than $10 million — the twin pictures will probably stretch the limit of what independent film can do by the time they are seen on festival or commercial screens next year. - complete article

Come Saturday morning....

Listened to The Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America as I tortured my soft hands raking the lawn yesterday (I've got blisters on my fingers!). Love the lines "she was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a christian" and "she was a damn good dancer but she wasn't all that great of a girlfriend." Alternates sounding like early Springsteen (when he was hungry, clever, wiseass) and Counting Crows.

Are you getting really excited about JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY? I thought so.

Have you sampled Daily Nuggets yet?

Thursday's episode of Grey's Anatomy opened with Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good - GA music guide

Email update from the Sawtelles...

21st SAT- 8pm show at neverending books, state street right near the “YOUR SPEED IS” flashing sign, just past Modern Apizza. 8pm NOT TEN PM AS REPORTED IN THE PAPER. There will be wine/munchies. The Rock Yer Socks folks ( Manchester contingent of hall/all-ages shows a la Manic Productions) are joining us with their Panda and Child project, as is a form of the TylerTrudeauAttempt. Could be solo, could be duo, it is anyone’s guess. Come to this show if you’d like to get involved in the Manchester scene. They’ve got a good thing going up there. Bring a couple of bucks for donation to the bookstore. Eight pm eight pm eight pm

29 SUN- Smokin Sandy’s in Naugatuck , 2pm showtime, we are on at 3:30p. this is a benefit for Chris Philbrook, a local musician who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. There will be raffle tickets/food/no cover charge. Come at 3p to see Grimfacts Ed. Other bands to follow all day long.

MAY 4 Sat- the NEST in Bridgeport . This is a new art opening at this funky DIY space right off of rt 95. doors at 6 and we got on first at 7:30p. there will be cool bands all nite long. You can find the nest online along with all of their info. Free and all-ages and byob as well..

6 SUN- second installment of the craft fair that Ed Leonard has a local music table at. This takes place at the “museum” on Whitney Avenue just past Books and Co, same side of street. There is a body of water right there for a reference point. This year a stage will be set up with music starting at 11am. We’re on at 12 noon and you know the whole day will have some awesome local talent.

Now for news: P almost had has ass kicked at toad’s place last nite! An ex-bandmate was playing there and she had him come up and play drums on her last song. So he did and the owner of the drums freaked out. Everyone thought that the drums belonged to one of the other bands who were friends with the headliner. Yes, they belonged to one of the other bands but apparently the headliner did not know them. And one of the guys in the headlining band went up and grabbed a guitar and played it but it wasn’t one of his own band’s ones… it could have been a messy situation but the ex-bandmate profusely apologized to the lunkheads and all was well.

While at toad’s we explored downstairs and found the HOTTUB in the dressing room. Did you know there was one in there? Did you ever have any encounters in said tub? We’re guessing that many moons ago that exact spot was teeming with huge bands and many groupies utilizing that very tub. I wonder whose DNA I could have found there- like could I clone a little mick jagger or blackie lawless??? Euwwwwww. Actually we found out that they keep the toad in there and he’s almost outgrown the space.

check this week's Play Magazine, with Rob DeRosa on the cover. they review our disc and we review six random discs ourselves. - First Listen with the Sawtelles - Sawtelles Myspace

Just 2 weeks to go 'til JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY at the 2007 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival!....

So, what the hell is JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY? Funny you should ask. Legend has it that Johnny Gumbo (christened as such during a morning round of Bloody Marys at Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar on Tchoupitoulas St.) was looking for a really unique shirt to buy at Jazz Fest a few years ago and came back to CT with his prized "Piano Shirt." Oh my, was Gumbo ever proud of that shirt - one of a kind. He wore it everywhere, soaking up compliments like a big egotistical sponge ("Oh, thanks, it's something I found in an out-of-the-way shop in New Orleans, not a tourist shirt like others get.").

Well, Johnny wore his PIANO SHIRT down to Jazz Fest last year and, amazingly, we saw HUNDREDS of PIANO SHIRTS in all sorts of variations, even PIANO SHIRT SKIRTS! So, the idea was hatched - designate the second Friday of Jazz Fest to be JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY and photo Johnny Gumbo with every person we see wearing THAT SHIRT. We will post the results here and YOU can pick your favorites!

Let's welcome back to our town, Sonny & Cher !!!!!!....

Florida Senate takes on rip-off bands (AP)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Senate embraced the "truth in music" movement Friday with passage of legislation barring oldies acts using famous names to which they're not entitled. The bill now awaiting House approval would prohibit a person from advertising or holding a live performance using such a name under false pretenses.

Bands with famous names performing with at least one original member who has the legal right would be allowed. The measure also would still allow people who own a federal service mark or trademark to use the name of a band. For years, music legends from the Coasters to the Shirelles to the Drifters have complained about unauthorized impostors. Nine states have either passed or will soon pass laws to try to make sure that if you go to see The Pretenders, you're not getting mere pretenders. Salute-to or tribute bands would be OK, too, so Elvis impersonators need not worry. Violating the law would be a misdemeanor.

I can hear Cleary now (at Jazz Fest), the rain is gone....

Jon Cleary promo email: In between touring with Bonnie Raitt, The Monster Gents, and working on his castle in swampurbia Jon made some recordings in hotel rooms along the way and fashioned them into a tasty morsel called Do Not Disturb, a 4 song EP featuring a couple choice covers and a couple new numbers. The CD will be available in New Orleans during Jazz Fest and for download online through Jon's web store on April 24th.

Jon Cleary will perform a variety of night shows around the Crescent City during Jazz Fest 2007 starting with a 2-night residency at Preservation Hall as part of the Midnight Preserves Concert Series on April 27 with an all-star band and April 28 with The Monster Gents.

On Saturday, May 5, at Tipitina's, Jon Cleary will open for new British soul singer, Corinne Bailey Rae headlining her only US show on break from a tour with John Legend. Joining JC will be Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Cornell C. Williams and Derwin "Big D." Perkins. Get tickets while they last.

Jazz Fest Shows:

April 27- Preservation Hall (showtime: 12AM) The Good, The Bad, and The Funky featuring Jon Cleary, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, George Porter, Jr, Shannon Powell, and Amadee Castenell

April 28- Jazz Fest, Acura Stage (showtime: 12:35PM) Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

April 28- Preservation Hall (showtime: 12:00AM) Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

April 29- Jazz Fest (showtime: 5:40PM) Bonnie Raitt Band w/ Jon on keys

April 30- WWOZ Piano Night (showtime: 8:15PM) Jon solo

April 30- Tipitina's/Instruments A' Comin Annual Benefit (showtime: 10:45PM) Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen with Very Special Guest

May 2- Hotel Monteleone Carousel Bar (showtime: 10:30PM) Jon solo

May 4- House of Blues Parish (showtime: 10:30PM) Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

May 5- Tipitina's (showtime: 9:00PM) Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gents Trio opening for Corinne Bailey Rae

May 5- Maple Leaf (showtime: 12:00AM) Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

May 7-Louisiana Music Factory In-store Performance Series (showtime: 2:00PM) Jon solo

Amy Winehouse is coming....

Just received an email promoting one Patrick Wolf, but I was more interested in the fact that he "has teamed" with Amy Winehouse for her North American tour. Did I mention that I REALLY like her new CD? Dates in the area are May 7 at the Avalon Ballroom in Boston and May 9 at the – Highline Ballroom (SOLD OUT!) in NYC.

Some PHOTOS of our girl at the Bowery Ballroom on March 13.

If you are interested in Mr. Wolf, here is the remainder of the aforementioned email promo:

Patrick Wolf has teamed up with UK soulstress Amy Winehouse for a U.S. tour in support of his upcoming album The Magic Position (out May 1 on Low Altitude). The tour dates mark Wolf’s first proper U.S. tour since his debut album Lycanthropy in 2004, and if a trio of NYC dates earlier this month are any indication the shows won’t disappoint. A limited amount of tickets are available, reply with requests to cover!

New York City residents can also catch Patrick Wolf on Monday, April 30th for an in-store performance and CD signing at Virgin Records in Union Square before he officially hits the road. See you there? I thought so. And stay tuned for more solo dates to be announced.

The Magic Position is Wolf’s third release, and finds him shedding his former fascination with the minor key in favor of major key piano-pop chock-full of electronic flourishes, hand clap-like drums, and orchestral strings. Check out the title track below.

Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position

04-30 New York, NY – Virgin Records Union Square location - Performance & CD signing

Cat Power coming to Pearl Street....

The Greatest will appear at the smallest of the Northampton music venues on July 9 fronting the Dirty Delta Blues, her new all-star bank featuring Jim White of the Dirty 3, Gregg Foreman of Delta 72 and Judah Bauer of Blues Explosion. This is a great opportunity to see Ms. Power (a/k/a Chan Marshall) in an intimate setting. - Pearl Street Nightclub

Just realized!....

Go, Kat, go....
A dead ho....
Three weeks to go....

Isn't that something? Oh.

Go, Kat, go....

For those who like rockabilly, Go Kat Go Radio is a great resource for listening to that genre and finding its live shows. Kat (a/k/a Michelle Tarranova) hosts "the only radio show in CT specializing in rockabilly and psychobilly" from 8-10pm Tuesday evenings on WNHU 88.7FM. I saw her with entourage a couple years back at the Rosie Flores/Wanda Jackson show at Cafe Nine in New Haven. Although she apparently no longer produces live shows, she provides an extensive LIVE SHOW LISTING covering NJ, NYC, CT, RI on her site. Check her out. Below is the playlist for Tuesday, April 10th -

Artist / Song / Album / Label / * Request

The Truckstop Playboys / Its Martini Time / “LIVE” / Self Released
Full Blown Cherry / She Gets Down / Full Blown Cherry / Git On It Records
Bill Kirchen / Womb To The Tomb / King Of Dieselbilly / Hightone Records
The Droptops / She’s My Baby / The Droptops / Wild Hare Records
Brian Setzer And The Tomcats / BJ’s Boogie / Live At TK’s Place / Collectibles
Stray Cats / 18 Miles From Memphis / Runaway Boys / EMI Records
Brian Setzer / Rockhouse / Rockabilly Riot! A Tribute To Sun Records / Surfdog Records
Stray Cats / Blast Off / Live In Bonn / Surfdog Records
Johnny Carlevale / That Ain’t No Way To Spend A Friday Night / That Ain’t No Way To Spend A Friday Night / Self Released
Go Cat Go / Please Mama Please / Billy Volume One / Hepcat Records
Hi-Fi And The Roadburners / I’m Ready / Flat Iron Years 86-89 / Victory Records
The Planets / I Wonder What Changed Him / Come Into This Space / Far Out Records
Nate Gibson And The Gas House Gang / Trolley Tour Boogie / Sing All The Way Home / Cow Island Music
Hetten Des / Ace Of Spades / Ace Of Spades / Drunkabilly Records
Mike Ness / Rest Of Our Lives / Cheating At Solitaire / Time Bomb Records
Carl Perkins / Blue Suede Shoes / 50th Anniversary Edition / Sun Records
Carl Perkins / All Mama’s Children / Glad All Over / CeDe International
Carl Perkins / Gone, Gone, Gone / 50th Anniversary Edition / Sun Records
Pat Fergusun / Fool I Am / Rockabilly Shakeout / Ace Records
Rusty York / Sugaree / Rockabilly Essentials / Hip-O Records
The Chop Tops / Teddy Boy Stomp / Triple Deuces / Split 7 Records / *
Dash Dip Rock / Fall Down Go Boom / Hee Haw Hell / Alternative Tentacles Records
Teddy Trigger And The Gatling Guns / Tied To Hell / Teddy Trigger And The Gatling Guns / Raucous Records
The Goners / Arcane / Drink, Dance, Die / Self Released
The Ed Random Band / The Steps Of Descent / Welcome To Circus Punk-A-Billy / Wolverine Records
Bamboula / Bamboula Bop / Guilty Pleasures / Kaiser Records / *
Kings Of Nuthin’ / Justine / Split 7” With The Briggs / Disaster Records
Speed Crazy / Speak My Mind / Unsafe At Any Speed / The Orchard
The Amazing Crowns / Halos & Horns / Royal / Time Bomb Records
Rezurex / Everyday Is Halloween / Beyond The Grave / Fiend Force Records
Shark Soup / Johnny & Hellgate / Fatlip Showbox / BYO Records
Mad Sin / Plastic Monsters / Dead Moon’s Calling / Sailor’s Grave Records
Sasquatch And The Sick-A-Billys / Mean Mean Man / Burning Miles Of Sin / Wet Floor Records

Music Bed For Mic Breaks: Band / Album / Label
SPF-4 / We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Vocals / Self Released

A dead ho......

HONOLULU (AP)- Legendary crooner Don Ho, known for his raspberry-tinted sunglasses and catchy signature tune "Tiny Bubbles," has died, his publicist said Saturday. He was 76. Publicist Donna Jung confirmed the singer's death, but had no details. He had suffered with heart problems for the past several years. Ho had a pacemaker installed last fall and also underwent an experimental stem cell procedure on his ailing heart in Thailand in 2005. -

Johnny Gumbo emails some of his fonder ho remembrances: "Saw the Ho a couple of times when I was in Honolulu back in the late 60's...and then again a couple of years later on R & R from VN. Really put on a great dinner show...."Tiny bubbles in the wine, makes me feel happy, makes me feel fine" Ahhh...those were the days."

Three weeks to go until JOHNNY GUMBO PIANO SHIRT FRIDAY at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival!!

New Rusty Records release features Bristol talent.....

ALERT FROM BIRSTOL OLDIES GURU JIM KANE: - I just received a copy of Bristol Talent 2 CD from Rusty Records owner - Dr. Francis "Rusty" Camp. Although still getting his feet wet in the recording business, his enthusiasm for Old Time Rock N Roll knows no bounds. I especially admire the way he included his vocal group - The Blue Devils, at the end of the CD. Old Bristol standouts, such as Bristol's 6 Olde Fartz, The DEE-Lites, The QTs, The Page Park 5, Flash Carlson & The Cadillacs, Woody & The Woodtones, and others have really outdone themselves this time. Newcomers - Candy Barr & The Playmates, Little Richard & The Corvettes, The Boulevard High Notes, have added some new spice to the lineup of Bristol stars.

This CD will be given out at this year's Bristol Friends Party - Dinner/Dance. I have just spoken to our contact in Memphis Tenn., and we are assured of radio airplay for this CD. An independent station in Orlando Florida will be highliting this CD on Friday night. Once again, Bristol Talent has risen to the occasion. I know you will enjoy your copy of this CD. See you June 30. Jim

Tough Jazzfest matchups - who you got?....

THE CUBES

Friday, April 27

Van Morrison v. Lucinda Williams v. Soulive v. Percy Sledge & the Blue-eyed Soul Revue

Dr. John v. T-Bone Burnett
Saturday, April 28

Rod Stewart v. Norah Jones v. Pharoah Saunders Quartet v. Sonny Landreth v. Linda Hopkins

Johnny Rivers v. Calexico v. Richie Havens v. Steve Riley & Mamou Playboys

Rockin' Dopsie v. Mose Allison v. Tab Benoit
Sunday, April 29

Brad Paisley v. Bonnie Raitt (no contest)

Jerry Lee Lewis v. Irma Thomas v. George Thorogood & Destroyers v. Pete Fountain

Clarence Frogman Henry v. Theresa Andersson

Friday, May 4 (Johnny Gumbo Piano Shirt Friday)

ZZ Top v. Counting Crows v. George Benson v. Walter Wolfman Washington
Saturday, May 5

John Mayer v. Allman Brothers v. Iguanas v. Joe Krown
Sunday, May 6

Harry Connick v. Radiators v. Taj Mahal

Steely Dan v. Joss Stone v. Marva Wright

Allen Toussaint v. Anders Osborne v. Eric Lindell

How come he don't come and p.l.p. with me down at the meter no more?...

Chuck E's still in love _ with life by JOHN ROGERS, AP

He's a singer-songwriter, bebop hipster, poet of spoken-word jazz and — for better or worse — the living, breathing embodiment of Rickie Lee Jones' most famous song, "Chuck E's in Love." If there has been any downside to that latter distinction (and one could make a strong case that it has taken more attention than it should have from his own music), Chuck E. Weiss doesn't dwell on it. "When I first heard it, she played it for me," Weiss recalls of the 1979 song that memorialized him in the greasy spoons and hipster hangouts of Hollywood that have been his haunts for more than 30 years. "Yeah, I was flabbergasted."

Then he adds with a knowing chuckle, "Little did we know that all in all we would both be known for that, for the rest of our lives." Both Weiss and Jones have been vague about the song's origin, with Weiss claiming he never asked her what inspired it. At the time, she was a frequent companion of Weiss' and Tom Waits', who were both living at West Hollywood's fabled Tropicana Hotel, home during those years to numerous writers and musicians. Although the song ends with the words, "Chuck E's in love with me," both Weiss and Jones have said they were never romantically involved. Weiss says one legend about the song's origin may be true: That Waits told Jones off-handedly one day, "Did you hear? Chuck E's in love." - complete story - song lyrics

Sasha Frere-Jones on Prince in Vegas...

DORIAN PURPLE, Prince’s new temple by Sasha Frere-Jones (New Yorker)

Permit me to plan your dream weekend. You’re going to see a musician, a great one, play at a small club in Las Vegas. For a hundred and seventy-five dollars, you could stand on the dance floor in front of the stage. But, if you want to sit down, house policy requires that you buy at least two tickets and pay an additional three hundred and seventy-five dollars, which entitles you to a bottle of alcohol and seats at a V.I.P. table at the edge of the dance floor. At midnight, the performer will begin a hundred-minute set. Afterward, as you wait half an hour in a queue for a taxi to drive you to a hotel that is roughly three blocks away but inaccessible by foot, you will see adults throwing up into garbage cans and waving plastic necklaces above their heads. You will get to bed at approximately 3 A.M.

Why would you do this? Because the musician you are seeing is Prince, who made an agreement with the Rio hotel—its purple décor reportedly pleased him—to turn Club Rio into a club called 3121, after Prince’s agreeably funky but modest 2006 album of the same name. Prince has been performing midnight shows there on Fridays and Saturdays since November (though he’s missed a few weekends). It doesn’t matter that the artist, who is forty-eight, has released only a handful of decent recordings in the past fifteen years. He is perhaps the greatest living performer in the pop tradition. The fact that, as he says during his live shows, “my friends all look different—I look just the same” simply enhances the impression that he is our Dorian Gray, if Gray had been raised by Cher and James Brown. Prince’s songwriting heyday, which stretched from 1979 to 1988, is rivalled only by the Beatles’ in generosity, formal variety, and intensity. - complete article

Johnnyk health alert!!!!.....

Although the focus of this site is, of course, the music, there are times when opportunities to help mankind present themselves. This is one such opportunity. We urge you to read this most important research study: Study: Fellatio may significantly decrease the risk of breast cancer in women. Thanks to Nancy K for the....heads up.

So, from all of us here at johnnykmusic, have a
Happy (and healthy) Easter!!!!!!

New music in the house....

G-Man malls it and comes back with new Amy Winehouse (Back to Black) and Lily Allen (Alright, Still). Thanks to Marsha, Marsha, Marsha V for forwarding a copy of Keb Mo's latest, Suitcase

CBGB's R.I.P..........

photo courtesy of Daily Nuggets

Chances to catch Jon Cleary at Jazz Fest....

May 2, 2007 - Hotel Monteleone Carousel Bar (venue link) - New Orleans, LA | showtime: 10:30PM - Jon solo

May 4, 2007 - House of Blues Parish - New Orleans, LA
Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

May 5, 2007 - Tipitina's - New Orleans, LA
Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gents Trio opening for Corinne Bailey Rae

May 5, 2007 - Maple Leaf - New Orleans, LA
Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen

May 7, 2007 - Louisiana Music Factory In-store Performance Series - New Orleans, LA | showtime: 2:00PM - Jon solo

Sharie 'n Keithie 'n Johnny with James Hunter at the Iron Horse...

Whew, that was close, getting through the Hartford rush hour traffic.....yeah, Keith, big traffic jam alert in the metropolis, so we had to leave early! Got to Northampton in about an hour - UPHILL!!!! We zoomed into Northampton center where we finally settled into a parking space across from the tony Hotel Northampton. Keith parked close enough that we could walk to the curb from there - nice job. No change for the meter, so I raced around the corner to an antique store to disappoint an eager salesperson by requesting four quarters for a dollar - we settled on 2 and five dimes. A quick pit stop in the hotel (Sharie's 2nd in an hour), a jaunt over to Turn It Up and then over to the Iron Horse Music Hall to wait in line. And what a line it was; characters welcome. Sharie, who had worried about US being the oldest, need not have fretted, for it looked like a hippie reunion (of course, I might have to be counted with THEM). Friendly folk.

At 5:30 the line begins to move and in no time we've called will for our tickets. Hmmmm, so you are three. Yes, square pegs in a hall of 2 or 4 seat holes (anyone remember Sarah Jessica Parker as one of the two nerdy leads in Square Pegs? Theme song by the Waitresses. No?). ANYWAY, we land a table near the stairs, not bad for a thressome. I point out my table-for-uno that I occupied the last time I saw Jimmy here. Okay, beers, burritos, cheeseburgers. Where the hell is the opening act!!!!

Serena Ryder (no relation, that I can find, to either Winona or EZ), comes out and, after blaming damn airports for being late, opens the show with an a cappella blues number that Keith hates, but I love. Great voice, interesting song choices, no backup band, just her accoustic guitar. Has a new album If Your Memory Serves You Well. Toward the end of Serena's performance, James Hunter slinks along the aisle toward the back, exchanges smiles with Sharie and continues downstairs to the artists' dressing room.

Showtime. He's got a new band this time around. Same youngish, dye-blond, trim beard, cigarette-behind-the-ear keyboard player, but new standup bassist, drummer, alto and baritone sax players - all dressed in dark suits without ties. The band from the album we are told, not the hired Yankee guns from the previous tour. James must be getting some respect. A quick hello-glad-to-be-back quips and Hunter launches into rather short, but very tight versions of his People Gonna Talk album. Immediately noticable is the rasp in Hunter's voice, forcing him to compensate with more uptempo arrangements, holding the notes for much shorter lengths than his recordings. A bit disappointing. He has lots of charisma, energy, style, but the ballads suffer. And Keith is aching for Mollena. Poor lad. Loved the band and James was ever the showman!

Keith's view - Thought he was a great entertainer, enjoyed himself on stage and it translated to the crowd. Voice a bit off (maybe more than a bit - listened to Mollena after we dropped you off!!). Can't handle back-to-back appearances. Would love to see him again on the first night of a tour, or after a layoff!! (Made it from THE PARKING SPOT to your driveway in 59 minutes. As Sharie so deftly commented, Psycho Driver!!)

Brothers K stalk the Raveonettes at Southpaw....

A concert review gleaned from Daily Nuggets

About a month ago, JK and I (G-Man) went to a concert of his choice, The Raveonettes…they were visiting NYC and that night played in Brooklyn, our home borough, at “Southpaw”…a solid venue for a concert, small enough to get a good spot for viewing, but large enough to leave room in between the smelly stranger you got stuck standing next to…going into the concert, I remained open-minded because that’s just the way that I am…this was JK’s band, and previously I’d listened to the Raveonettes…I liked the music, but was turned off by the apparent voice distortion of vocalists, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo…JK advised, “When in doubt, just stare at Ms. Foo…she never fails to entertain”…and I quickly observed she was sporting the cleavage for tonight…how thoughtful…

…We got there an hour early for entrance into “Southpaw”…this was to get good spots, and to throw down drinks…another method to create entertainment for self in case the music didn’t supply enough…we maintained by the bar, and I was leaning against it, showing off my backside, for I was wearing my new pair of tighter jeans…JK hit me on the shoulder, which I didn’t appreciate, but he did so to point out that Sharin Foo just walked by…I forgave him…he had informed me that she was white and Asian, a deadly combo, but I didn’t believe it until now…me and Tokyo Rose will make beautiful kid’s…that is for sure... - complete story

Smokin' with Reet 'n (don't Bogart that joint) Sharie 'n Keith ....

Last minute Friday night thought to try Smokin' with Chris for the first time when all other available options failed (25 Center booked, AJ's last week, D'Amelios only in the bar, etc). That's not the best reason to go, but I was happy. SWC had been on my to-do list for over a year because it also features live music (began with Chris' jazz-singing daughter as the main performer and expanded from there). The ribs 'n other hurtin' grub is a tough sell to The Reet.

Featured entertainers Friday night were Susan Mazer and Megan Keith, an acoustic duo playing a tasty variety of pop/blues favorites, including ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man. No Lucinda, though.

Off to make the donuts and to get a report from MB of the D. Smith Blues Band at Legend's Sports Bar last night.

Freebird!!!!!!......

Longest concert record set in Japan
by HIROKO TABUCHI, AP writer

Japanese musicians overcame fatigue and a major earthquake to set the record for the world's longest concert on Saturday, playing 184 hours non-stop in a program that ranged from The Beatles' classics to Japanese traditional harp music. Over 900 musicians aged 6 to 89 took turns performing in the 9-day marathon — with breaks of no more than 5 minutes between acts — at a small railway station in Hikone city, western Japan, according to organizer Kuniko Teramura, 51. An official from the Guinness Book of World Records was on hand to certify the record at 10 a.m. Saturday, she said. "The longest concert by multiple artists was achieved by Kuniko Teramura and friends at Toriimoto Station ... from 23-31 March 2007," read a copy of the certificate obtained by The Associated Press. The previous record for longest concert was set in Canada five years ago and lasted 182 hours, according to the Guinness Web site. On Sunday, a magnitude 6.9 quake in northwestern Japan jolted the stage — but didn't stop a determined pianist from ploughing on with her tune, said Hiroshi Mizutani, 51, another organizer. A break in the performance would have ruined the challenge, because musicians were not allowed to stop playing less than two minutes into a song, said Mizutani, whose Oldies band played three times during the concert. "This pianist was amazing. The whole place was shaking quite badly but she went right on playing," Mizutani said. "Even an earthquake couldn't stop us."

Get some head.....

The SAWTELLES
Friday, March 30 @ NEW ENGLAND BREWERY
Selden Street, Woodbridge, CT

Five dollars lets you taste ALL of the beers they make there with musical accompaniment from US. What a bargain.
Music 6-9pm.
http://www.newenglandbrewing.com/

Daffodil Festival announces entertainment.....

The Meriden Daffodil Festival committee does a wonderful job lining up music entertainment for its annual festival with the exception of the headliners, going for the familiar name oldies acts for fear that no one will attend. The problem with that approach is a common one - the oldies acts, for the most part, are not the original cast. Last year I sat through a dreadful Vegas-type rendering of old Turtles material by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (a/k/a Flo and Eddie), but at least they were major players in the Turtles. In many cases, the current band members bear little, if any, resemblance to the original cast, a complete ripoff. That's the case with the Buckinghams, one of this year's headliners, which claims only the bass player and drummer from the original group. On the other hand, Gary U.S. Bonds is one and the same AND has continued to record original material over the years (with assistance from the Boss)to decent reviews by the music press. One only hopes that the Southington Apple Harvest Festival (under the direction of Johnny Gumbo) takes heed. The Fest is held on Saturday/Sunday April 28/29 at Hubbard Park.

2007 MUSICAL HEADLINERS

Gary US Bonds

The Buckinghams

Gary Burr

2007 LOCAL/REGIONAL

The Gonkus Brothers River City Slim & The Zydeco Hogs Mark Mulcahy The Reducers The Manchurians Frank Critelli Sean, Kelli & Wayne T.U.B. Groppo Sencationale F. B. I. Divisi Kitty Kitty Bang Bang I.N.I.T.Y. Plan B With Boulder Shawn Dharma Brown

Ryan Hartt & The Blue Hearts Rope Melissa Mulligan Band Shellye Valauskas Experience The Furors The Can Kickers The Paul Brockett Roadshow Band The Mountain Movers The RiverStreet Band Big Fat Combo Carlos & Roy Maloney High School Jazz Ensemble Paul Pender Bop Tweedie and the Days Michael Cleary Band

Say what?......

D. Smith Blues Band at Legends Sports Bar in Bristol (CT) on Friday night.

GDK & JFK off to find the punk mecca CBGB's this afternoon.

Trish emails that she was the envy of her peers (funny, she always claims she's peerless) for attending Lucinda Williams concert Sunday night in Northampton.

Peter going to see Ruthie Foster tonight at Johnny D's in Somerville and Sarah Borges Saturday night at the same venue. I am envious.

per DotMusic - Jack White is to appear in a new film as Elvis Presley, according to reports. The White Stripes/Raconteurs star will feature in a forthcoming parody of the 2005 Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line. The movie is called Walk Hard, and is expected to focus on a fictional rockabilly musician in the vein of Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash, played by John C. Reilly. A spokesman for Jack, who has previously appeared in both Cold Mountain and Coffee And Cigarettes, yesterday confirmed he would play Elvis in the film. The new White Stripes album, Icky Thump, is due for release in June.

The PM report on Lucinda at the Orpheum on Saturday night...

D and I started in Chinatown, looking for a likely restaurant. Decided on Chow Chao...or maybe it's Chao Chow? (Whatever....I think it's Carolyn's favorite.) Highlight was the pea pod stems in garlic sauce...bright green as an Irish hillside and tasty. A little shopping for weird food in a Chinatown convenience store, then find a parking spot, only a five minute walk across the public garden to the Orpheum. Umbrella? Naah, we won't need it...and I don't feel like carrying it. Outside the Orpheum a couple of damsels are in distress...sitting on the curb looking a little frantic. Seems they have left the tickets at home. The tickets may very well be in this woman's purse, but panic is setting in and she will never, ever find them in there...until tomorrow morning. I offer them my two extras for $20...TOTAL...what a good guy. Digging in the purse finally produces a ten and a fistful of ones. Good deed done (or so I think), we head for our seats. The usher shows us the seats and says, do you have your other person? You have three tickets. Oh god....I only gave the ladies one! Head back to find them and immediately run into lady #2, who has figured out she knows where to find us. Good deed preserved.

Suffered through Suffering Bastards...too loud, too boring, etc

Lucinda comes on after a not too long wait. Right away you remember why she is the headliner. Sound level perfect, room to crank it up later on, and we can understand every word. (Of course the seats are worse than Fenway seats, but I think I will live without having to amputate.) Oh, and there's Jonathan about 15 feet away.

The show is great....but. I have never thought of Lucinda as a particularly good singer....I love her poetry and style and passion. But she sounded great...a rich and warm voice I've never heard before. And, by the way, don't think I hear on the CD, even on the same songs. She mixes up old and new....you heard some things in N'hampton I would have liked to hear...and builds a solid show. She seems genuinely relaxed and happy out there. And I did not find the cheat sheets distracting...just a little strange. She does have an enormous repertoire. But I think the West songs are too simple and repetitive. Earlier songs are much richer poetry, with complex, unusual perspectives and depth.....there's a whole story behind every loss, every yearned for lover. Anyway...

Out the door and of course it is snowing big wet cats and dogs....told ya we don't need no stinking umbrella. But what the hell, it's late, we're wet already, so why go home? The Cantab is the usual scene. We stay past one, dancing and meeting characters. The sexy young blonde doing major public affection with her boyfriend... and giving me the big eyes over his shoulder. We end up sharing a table and drinks with them before they stumble off into the night. D says they are history, based on what blondie whispered to her. Then the guy in the orange leisure suit with the big lapels and more bling than any white man can handle assures us that D is the most beautiful woman in the place. A perceptive dude. Good thing tomorrow is Sunday.

Not to be outdone, Joan Anderman of the Boston Globe opines here

JK note - I do agree that Lucinda's voice was the best I've heard, a very pleasant surprise after sensing a slow but steady deterioration in recent years.

Words fell...

But apparently Lucinda Williams' roadies picked them all up and put them in Cliff notes for her to look at during her concert Sunday night at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton. I love her to death, but, in addition to being VERY distracting to the audience, the cheating detracted from her cadence, her inflections seemingly not quite in synch with the lyrics. And I know just the reason for it all - she was so damn happy, if not downright perky! No angst in her ballads; no fury in her f-bomb laden Those Three Days. What's up with that, Lu, we need to feel your pain!

But despite the above, Lucinda was still great to hear, playing nearly two hours ("We had some curfew issues the last couple concerts, but we've got none tonight."), backed by the sensational Doug Pettibone and her new rhythm section. Mixing the new West material (Learning How to Live, Unsuffer Me, Rescue, Come On, Wrap My Head Around That) in with the old (Righteously, Joy, Those Three Days, Out of Touch), Williams sometimes seemed at a loss to choose the next offering, once pleading, "What should I play, that's the trouble when you've got all these songs." The guy in back of us wouldn't stop with his "Crescent City" yells. Jesus, buddy, enough! She doesn't want you. One other note: while I applaud her ventures into rap/speak, I don't like the new Wrap My Head Around That, which Lu said was influenced by Howlin' Wolf and other old blues guys, at all. The lyrics seem pedestrian and her performance didn't sell it. But I still love you, Lucinda!

The trio Heartless Bastards opened the show with some decent blues-based material, but when it's Sunday night you just kind of want the main course right away. Speaking of main courses, we had an enjoyable pre-concert meal (I opted for the chicken/shrimp jambalaya) at the Northampton Brewery, topped off with a wonderful dessert of Tarheel Humble Overtime Pie.


The Hartford Courant's Eric Danton had a slightly different spin on the show - here. The set list courtesy of Danton's piece:
1. Rescue
2. Ventura
3. Fruits of My Labor
4. Learning How to Live
5. Right in Time
6. Those Three Days
7. Out of Touch
8. Righteously
9. Essence
10. Real Live Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings
11. Come On
12. Unsuffer Me
13. Sweet Side
14. Hard Time Killing Floor Blues
15. Joy
Encore
16. Everything Has Changed
17. Still I Long for Your Kiss
18. Wrap My Head Around That

Gonna go to Northampton and look for my joy....

Are you alright, all of a sudden you went away...

G, in from Brooklyn for the weekend, brings:

Super Hits (Janis Joplin)

Costello Music (The Fratellis)

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Modest Mouse)

Eye to the Telescope (KT Tunstall)

JFK in Beantown to see Lucinda, trumping us by a day.....we (Sharie, Keith, Trish, George, The Reet and I) will be venturing north to Northampton to the Calvin Theatre... we will be dining at the Northampton Brewery for some pre-concert libation and witty reparte (here's hoping Lu doesn't overdue her pre-concert libation)

Those who can't make the Lucinda Williams' gig on Sunday night should get themselves down to Cafe Nine for Ruthie Foster.

The more I listen, the more I like Ray Davies' latest album, Other People's Lives. Not a rocker by any means and hampered by Davies' deteriorating voice (not as bad as Bob's), it is nonetheless quite engaging with its intelligent lyrics and catchy melodies.

Start spreading the news...(from Daily Nuggets)

the Kennedy Brothas are starting a band...

...Johnny K is playing guitar and is getting mad at the instrument like it's doing something wrong...he calls it a sloppy note...I call it a punk rocker that needs to practice...not more, but period...he's gonna practice then go back to Fed Ex and they'll think he was at the crossroads...I feel an energy in this Brooklyn apartment...the Kennedy brothers are on their way toward recording their first album...before the first album comes through, we have to learn how to play the guitar though...so we purchased "The Complete Idiot's Guide - Playing the Guitar"...I recall being in the bookstore and also seeing "The Idiot's Guide To Forming Your Own Band"...talk about your American Idol influenced society -- first we're told who our idols are (Kelly Clarkson truly is mine) and now we have a guide on how to form your own band...Now - everyone that doesn't know how to play guitar, and needs a book to help out, isn't an idiot - complete article from Daily Nuggets

Girl put your records on......

In an indication of what the Wall Street Journal calls a "seismic shift" in the way people now acquire music, CD sales for Q1 2007 are 20% below what they were last year. Digital song sales, which were expected to salvage the industry, have risen 54% in 2007 from last year to 173.4 million, but that is not nearly enough to compensate for the 20% drop in CD sales to 81.5 million units. Overall music sales, both digital and physical, are down 10% this year. Adding insult to injury, one billion songs a month are traded on pirate networks. Eight hundred specialty music stores closed down last year, including Tower Records' 89 locations. The rampant success of Apple's iPod indicates that consumers are as interested as ever in acquiring music, but it also suggests they prefer to buy without either entering a store or handling a CD. If they must go to a store, they head for Wal-Mart or Best Buy, which offer CDs at deep discounts. Best Buy has been reducing the floor space allotted to CDs, and if Wal-Mart follows suit, the picture will grow even gloomier for music companies. Sources: Wall Street Journal

Concerts aplenty....

Lucinda Williams to perform Are You Alright? tonight on the David Letterman Show. We shall catch Ms. Bustedheart Sunday at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, while jfk and friends (Peter also, I think) catch her the previous evening in Boston.

Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Ray Price released their new CD Last of the Breed today. “If country music were baseball, listening to the album Last of the Breed would be the equivalent of watching Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider play in the same outfield.”-New York Post. They (no, not Willie, Mick & the Duke) appear at Mohegan Sun Arena Wednesday night.

And finally, Keith, Sharie and Johnnyk look forward to James Hunter's return to the Iron Horse Music Hall on Monday, April 2.

Who is Jaymes Stevens?....oh, it's the other way 'round.....

Got an email from Daniela of Rex Morgan Records touting one Steven Jaymes, a transplanted New Zealander now in the Nutmeg state or New York, I couldn't tell which. So I listened to his four selections on his MySpace page....and liked them. Reminded me a little of Marc Cohn; what do you think?

Per his MySpace....."He has been compared to Jackson Browne, Don Henley, Leon Russell, Van Morrison and Joe Jackson. Some call it the best jazzy roots you will ever hear, others call him a folk rocker, and even a country rocker. But I think the more apt and "new" term is singer songwriter. While living in New York, Stevens 3rd album "Hemingway's Cats" was completed & Steven's feeling for that city comes through with such tracks as Manhattan, and the title track Hemingway’s cats written on a road trip between New York and Key West. The new Album is "Black 17" and is another side of the singer songwriter with the bluesy southern roots coming through. Steven seems to have a knack of collecting and combining amazing musicians from far flung places to create moments of magic."

Documenting The Demise Of Phil Spector's Musical Legacy (Alan Bisbort, Htfd Advocate)...

He’s a Rebel: Phil Spector, Rock & Roll’s Legendary Producer by Mark Ribowsky (Da Capo), $18.

To know him is to loathe him. Judging from this exhaustively researched biography, the mantra from everyone who has known him appears to have been, “Phil was very weird that night.” Inch per inch, pound per pound, Phil Spector has to rank as one of the world’s true blue bastards. Every one of Spector’s myriad devils is revealed in this gripping book: His parents were cousins; he’s manic depressive; he’s short of stature; he primps and preens more than Michael Jackson; he’s a mean drunk, vicious druggie, terrible father, and a shitty husband. His hero is Henry VIII. What’s not to loathe? complete article

I'm looking over a four-leaf clover.....

jfk ventured up to Boston this weekend to catch The Raveonettes on Thursday (just caught them at Southpaw in Brooklyn last Saturday) and Dropkick Murphys annual St. Patty's bash on Sunday with Chris and Dan.

Johnny Gumbo is planning to catch the St. Patrick's Day Parade with Timmy Gumbo (and possibly G-Man) in NYC.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame went down the shitter.

Johnny Gumbo says....

50 days to go....Can ya' feel it!!!!!!!!!!! - 2007 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

"Where's Gutowski, it wasn't my turn to watch him."

I'm the friendly stranger in the black sedan, won't you hop inside my car....

Per AMG - Chicago's Ides of March burst onto the national scene in 1970 with the million-selling single "Vehicle," a tune that bore more than a passing resemblance to the then mega-selling Blood, Sweat & Tears. But the band's pedigree went back further than BS&T's, and with a much different origin. Formed in the mid-1960s in the Windy City, founding member Jim Peterik put the original Ides together as a teen band, strong on original material and British pop harmonies. Soon the band was recording for London's Parrot Records subsidiary, releasing five singles between 1966 and 1967, including the local hit "You Wouldn't Listen." By the late 1960s, however, Peterik had reconfigured the band to include a full horn section, and a new sound and style for the band was born. Ever the crafty commercial songwriter, Peterik fashioned a new single, "Vehicle," to showcase this sound, which mirrored the success of horn rock bands like Chase and Blood, Sweat & Tears. The record was a huge hit, spawning the soundalike follow-up "Superman." The other chart hit for the group (and a complete about-face from the horn-dominated sound of "Vehicle") was the wistful "L.A. Goodbye." Personnel problems and a label shift to RCA-Victor spelled the end of the band as Peterik eased into the 1980s in the role of producer/songwriter, penning several hits for the likes of .38 Special and others. The group re-formed in 1993 to record an album of new material and recuts of their hits going all the way back to "You Wouldn't Listen," and Peterik remains quite active both as a tunesmith and producer. - Ides of March - Vehicle lyrics