Who would you like to see at the 2015 New Orleans Jazz Fest?...

By Keith Spera, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune


The roster of the 2015 New Orleans Jazz Fest likely won't be unveiled until January. But fall is the season when the lineup takes shape, as major acts sketch out their touring plans for the coming year.

Longtime Jazz Fest producer/director Quint Davis and his team at Festival Productions Inc.-New Orleans, along with their partners at AEG Live, the international live entertainment powerhouse, are already filling in the blanks for 2015. The closing acts on the major stages - Acura, Samsung Galaxy (formerly Gentilly) and Congo Square - will be locked down in the coming weeks. (more)

Johnnykmusic suggestions:
Benjamin Booker, Drive-By Truckers, Jake Bugg, Zoe Muth & the High Rollers, Dex Romweber Duo, Lucinda Williams, James Hunter, Tony Joe White, Shelby Lynne, Justin Townes Earle, Low Cut Connie

New Lucinda coming...

(americansongwriter.com) Lucinda Williams will release a double album, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone, on September 30. It’s the 61-year-old Grammy winner’s first collection of new songs since 2011′s Blessed.  It will be released on her new label Highway 20 Records, via Thirty Tigers. 

Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone‘s twenty songs include “Compassion,” based on a poem written by Williams’ father, acclaimed poet Miller Williams, and a cover of JJ Cale’s “Magnolia.”
Guest musicians include guitarists Bill Frisell, Tony Joe White, Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, and Elvis Costello rhythm section members Pete Thomas (drums) and Davey Faragaher (bass) and Wallflowers guitarist Stuart Mathis. The Wallflowers’ Jakob Dylan sings harmony on “It’s Gonna Rain.”


Written by Tyler Rissier July 14th, 2014

Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone Track Listing:
Disc One:

Compassion
Protection
Burning Bridges
East Side Of Town
West Memphis
Cold Day In Hell
Foolishness
Wrong Number
Stand Right By Each Other
It’s Gonna Rain
Disc Two:
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Big Mess
When I Look At The World
Walk On
Temporary Nature (Of Any Precious Thing)
Everything But The Truth
This Old Heartache
Stowaway In Your Heart
One More Day
Magnolia

Benjamin Booker May Be the Next Big Thing...

(concertblogger.com)  All music journalists like to claim to find “the next big thing”, but 25 year-old Benjamin Booker might be IT.  Although, he is already opening for Jack White even before his debut album hits stores on Tuesday, August 19^th – so I hardly discovered him.  His self-titled debut was produced by Andrija Tokic, producer of Hurray for the Riff Raff, and another former White opener, The Alabama Shakes.  The album opener and single Violent Shiver grabs you with an immediate riff, making you think of Chuck Berry.  Booker describes his music as “punk blues.”  Throughout the album you certainly hear that attitude and vibe of punk and blues (maybe some Strokes, Black Keys type instrumentation & old school rocknroll)…but it is THAT voice that hooks you in and makes you press play again and again.  It’s hard to believe Booker’s 25, the voice so raspy you think he’s spent a lifetime yelling, making his voice hoarse.  (more)

'Happy anniversary, baby, got you on my mind' trail mix...

Cigarettes and Coffee (Otis Redding) Very Best of Otis Redding
Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Dr. John) Duke Elegant
You're the Man (Shelby Lynne) Suit Yourself
Explosion (Ely Paperboy Reed) Come And Get It
For Everyman (Jackson Browne) For Everyman
What's the Matter, Baby (Timi Yuro) Classic 60's Hits
Blee Bop Blues (Manhattan Transfer) Anthology
Candy Lips (Johnnie Ray) A Proper Introduction
Moon Dreams (Gerry Mulligan) Re-birth of the Blues
Ohio (Black Keys) Brothers
Me Needing You (The Pretty Things) Get a Buzz
Ain't Goin' Nowhere (James Hunter) The Hard Way
The Circle Married the Line (Feist) Metals
Last Train (Allen Toussaint) The Allen Toussaint Collection
One Monkey (Gillian Welch) Soul Journey

Dexter Romweber and Jack White...

Pool Hall Studs and I saw the Dex Romweber Duo (Dex on guitar/vocals and sister Sara on drums) along with about 50 people (if you count the members of the opening acts) late on a weekday night at Cafe Nine in New Haven.  Sorry you couldn't make it.

(Rolling Stone) Long before the Stripes, there were the Flat Duo Jets, Dexter Romweber's ferocious guitar-drums duo from North Carolina who blazed through the Eighties and Nineties playing some of the most face-melting roots-rock ever heard. Jack White has paid tribute to the influences of the Jets and the wild-eyed Romweber in a variety of places. In 2009's It Might Get Loud, a guitar summit pairing White with Jimmy Page and the Edge, White declared that seeing the Jets for the first time "opened up a whole new inspiration for me about the guitar." And he was downright effusive in the 2006 cult-classic Romweber documentary Two Headed Cow, calling Romweber "a huge influence on my music… one of the best-kept secrets of the rock & roll underground." In 2009 White recorded a seven-inch with Romweber, and in 2011 he reissued the Jets' long-out-of-print 1991 album Go Go Harlem Baby on his Third Man Records imprint.

Rockabilly Hero Dexter Romweber Honored by Jack White, Exene Cervenka in New Doc

Puss 'N Boots, Norah Jones' new project, coming to Hamden (2nd show added)...

(Blue Note Records)- After playing live together since 2008, Sasha Dobson, Norah Jones and Catherine Popper have at last taken their collaboration into the studio. No Fools, No Fun – their debut album – will be released on July 15 by Blue Note Records. The trio, known as Puss n Boots after flirtations with such monikers as Fangbanger, Dixie Fried and Shitstorm, will support the album with an East Coast run that kicks off on June 22 with an appearance at the Clearwater Festival in Croton-On-Hudson, NY. They will return to The Bell House in Brooklyn, one of their favorite hometown haunts, on July 15, play the 9:30 Club in Washington DC on July 17 and perform at the Newport Folk Festival (July 26-27).  (more)

Tour
6/22 – Croton-On-Hudson, NY @ Clearwater Festival
7/12 – Greenfield, MA @ Green River Festival
7/15 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House
7/17 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
7/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
7/22 – Hamden, CT @ The Ballroom at The Outer Space...
7/23 - Hamden, CT @ The Ballroom at The Outer Space...

Norah Jones live in New Orleans House of Blues

Don't know what you've got 'til it's gone...

Singer Dianne Mower Closes Out A Hartford Jazz Mainstay

Performs June 28 As Final Performer At Japanalia Eiko

(CTnow.com) On Saturday, June 28, singer Dianne Mower and a cast of top-notch musicians will head to Hartford's Japanalia Eiko to perform a diverse program of songs by Burt Bacharach, Dave Brubeck and everything in between.  This is nothing new; for the past half-decade, Mower has been a steady performer at Dan Blow's West End clothing boutique, which started hosting live jazz five years ago. What's different this time is that Japanalia is closing, and Mower's will be the final show in the space.

The end of Japanalia, Mower said, "means leaving a hole in the Hartford jazz scene, a big hole. It's one of the few venues where you can actually give a concert and people aren't ordering food… It's like you brought the band to your home and you invited your friends over. They set it up so beautifully that you are always a star, even though you are always among friends." (more)

Japanalia.com

It's "Kick Your Ass" Thursday!...

Jack White vists Conan O'Brien on opening night 2010, where they teamed up for some fabulous rockabilly on Eddie Cochran's Twenty Flight Rock.

Jack White's new album, Lazaretto, was released on Tuesday. Album review here

"Just One Drink"

It was the 3rd of June...

...another sleepy, dusty Delta day, I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was bailin' hay

50 years ago...

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote As Tears Go By in 1964, but did not initially record it for themselves, instead, they gave it to Mick's girlfriend, Marianne Faithfull, who had a big hit with it. The Stones then recorded it and had a bigger hit.  Faithfull would spiral into a long period of alcohol and drug abuse before getting clean in the late 70's.  She's still around and has recorded some cool stuff, though her ravaged voice is an acquired taste.  Truly one of the hottest babes of the 60's (IMHO).

Marianne Faithfull website


Marianne in 1964 lip-synching on some tv show

Stones version, then Faithfull's with pics

Marianne in 2010 with Doug Pettibone (Lucinda Williams' guitarist)

And the strangest of them all, Marianne Faithfull and David Bowie in 1973 doing Sonny & Cher!!!!

Marky G to drop new music...

The Twitterverse is abuzz with whispers of an imminent release of a new studio album, The Big Me, from Marky G & His Creole Crusaders.  Always thought to be the weaker of the rap/R&B duo, Pool Hall Studs (who for years underwhelmed the New Orleans music scene with late-night throwdowns at dba and Lucy's, often in collaboration with the late, almost-great, Johnny Gumbo), G ventures into reflective, silky smooth, lounge-lizard style vocals (picture a six four SNL Bill Murray with a crew cut) with cuts like JK Is THE Man (with a gentle bossa nova beat), the Billy Joel-ish I'm Madly in Love With Me and the twangy Who's the Better Cowboy, Barry?, a not-so-subtle nudge at his ex-Studmate, Barry D.

For The Big Me, G calls upon an all-star cast of musicians: his Jazz Fest buddy Pete Murano (Trombone Shorty) for lead guitar, Johnny (Hot Licks) K on upright bass, Scarlett O'Hara on fiddle and homemade watermelon gadgets, Barry D on drums/percussion/backing vocals/dinner reservations, and The Sultry Senecals on harmonies/footwear/dinner reservations.  Available for pre-order now on PHS Records.

Song listing:

1. Like Ferrell, But Way Funnier (a self-assessment)
2. Out of the Office Today (so go pound sand)
3. Face Plant on Tchoupitoulas (ode to Johnny Gumbo)
4. Madly in Love With Me
5. The Angels Want to Wear My Red Sox (with apologies to Elvis Costello)
6. JK Is THE Man!
7. Me 'n Ike Turner, Smackin'
8. Lucky Dog, You Hurt Me So Bad
9. Who's the Better Cowboy, Barry?
10. It's Cryin' Time Again (Ray Charles cover)
11. Burgers With Toasted Buns (who's Yo Mama?)
12. Mother's Lament
13. Slidin' the Tab Your Way, One More Time

The Black Keys Hangout Fest 2014 Full Set...

(Stereogum.com)The Black Keys played their first show since the release of their new album Turn Blue at Alabama’s Hangout Festival. The set was comprised of a good chunk of new material, including the first live performance of “Gotta Get Away.” Watch the full show minus the first song (“Howlin’ For You”) and check out the setlist below. (more)

SETLIST
“Howlin’ For You”
“Next Girl”
“Run Right Back”
“Same Old Thing”
“Dead And Gone”
“Gold On The Ceiling”
“It’s Up To You Now”
“Bullet In The Brain”
“Strange Times”
“Money Maker”
“Ten Cent Pistol”
“Gotta Get Away”
“She’s Long Gone”
“Tighten Up”
“Fever”
“Lonely Boy”
“Turn Blue”
“Nova Baby”
“Little Black Submarines”
“I Got Mine”

Saturday, end of week or beginning of weekend?...

Playlist:
Saturday in the Park (Chicago)
Another Saturday Night (Sam Cooke)
Another Lost Saturday (Pool Hall Studs)
Saturday Night Fish Fry (Frankie Ford)
The Heart of Saturday Night (Tom Waits)
If the Shoe Fits (The Scandalous Shoe Ladies)
I've Got Five Dollars (Faron Young)
Saturday Morning Song (Tom T. Hall)
Saturday's Child (The Monkees)
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting (Elton John)
Saturday Love Machine (Johnny Gumbo Party Band)
Come Saturday Morning (Sandpipers)
Almost Saturday Night (John Fogerty)

Windy Sunday morning trail mix...

White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane) Live at
Every Night About This Time (Dirty Dozen Brass Band) Goin' Home: Tribute to Fats Domino
Summer (War) Best of...
Silver Rider (Robert Plant) Band of Joy
Help Me, Rhonda (Beach Boys) Summer days, Summer Nights
Trust (The Sawtelles) Tryptych
Don't Drive Me Away (Rob Stone & the C-Notes) No Worries
Ugly Truth (Lucinda Williams) Blessed
I'll Hold Your Head (Shelby Lynne) Revelation Road
Big Boss Man (Jimmy Reed) Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues
You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby (Dr. John) Mercernary
Turn Out My Lights (Justin Townes Earle) The Good Life
Lovin' In Vain (Rosie Flores) A Honky Tonk Reprise
On Your Way (Alabama Shakes) Boys & Girls
My One And Only Love (Chick Corea) Akoustic Band
How Deep Is the Ocean (Miles Davis) Ballads & Blues

Mystic Blues Festival...

This is a gorgeous song...

Hurray For the Riff Raff from a post-Jazz Fest concert with The Deslondes and Como Mamas at First Presbyterian Church in New Orleans.  St. Roch Blues:

HFTRR Tour Dates

Happy Piano Shirt Friday!

Yes, we know it's an accordion shirt - get over it.

New Orleans Jazz Fest 2014...

Not able to make it this year for the first time in ten, but do not worry, you will have a great time anyway!  I will miss the Pool Hall Studs (kinda), the Shoe Ladies' entourage, the Mark/Lisa Jersey Shore contingent, Marshall's Krewe, the late, almost-great Johnny Gumbo, etc.  Hope to be back in 2015.

Have a Bloody Mary at Lucy's on me (Mark/Barry will cover)!  Enjoy!

All of the parties cited above really know their music and need no help from me, but I'm going to throw out my favorites for 2014 Jazz Fest Weekend#2:

• Hurray For the Riff Raff- Okay, at the risk of overselling, you must see them for at least one of the three opportunities you will be afforded: 1) Thursday night at One-Eyed Jack's, 2) Friday at the Fest (2PM at Samsung Galaxy) and Friday night at First Presbyterian Church (can you byob?)
• Alabama Shakes- I wanted to see them the most! Closing Samsung Galaxy on Friday (so keep your spot from HFTRR).  Tough choices because The Iguanas (new album, Juarez, very good), Chaka Khan and the Lost Bayou Ramblers also close.
• Mia Borders- Also on Friday, but you'd have to get out to the Fairgrounds early (leaves out the PHS) because she and her band go on at noon! Worth it.
• Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys- Also on Friday, catch them after HFTRR and before Alabama Shakes at the Fais Do Do Stage
• Johnny Winter- Saturday.  Yeah, go see Bruce, always cool, but he's on for about 5 hours so you owe it to yourself to check out Johnny at Blues Tent at 5:30
• Chick Corea- Very sorry to miss one of my all-time jazz favorites!  Sunday at 4PM at the Jazz Tent. 
• The Deslondes- Who? Yeah, I just stumbled across them myself, but these local guys are pretty damn good.  A couple are from HRFTRR and they've opened for Alabama Shakes. Catch them on Sunday at 1PM at Lagniappe Stage.
• Shorty is now The Man to close Jazz Fest (and I love him), but other very fine options are John Fogerty at Samsung, Aaron Neville at Blues Tent, and Terrance Blanchard at Jazz Tent.

 

Oh, nevermind, just disregard the above and do whatever the hell you want, 'cause you cannot lose (except maybe Christina Aguilera).

Finally, a handy little money-saving tip that Johnny Gumbo passed along to us a few years ago: "Always eat your dinner at the bar; that way, you do not have to tip."  Gumbo was chock full of those little nuggets of wisdom (and thrift)!  So, have fun, play hard and gulp down a cold Abita Amber on me; The Studs have it.  Wink.

Send me pics, video, comments, etc on Twitter, Facebook.  I'll post.

All the way from Brooklyn for some Saturday Night Fever...

With Garrett, Yvette, Lenora & Jonathan at Cafe9 for Holly Golightly after visiting The Reet

The Iguanas open LMF's new digs on Frenchman Street...

Setlist from SXSW tribute to Lou Reed...

The setlist from the show was as follows:

"Sweet Jane" – Alejandro Escovedo & Richard Barone
"Cool It Down" – The Bizarros
"Romeo Had Juliet" – Cheetah Chrome
"Femme Fatale" – Cindy Lee Berryhill
"Vicious" – BP Fallon & The Strypes
"Oh Sweet Nothing" – Bobby Bare Jr.
"I'm Waiting for My Man" – Garland Jeffreys
"Perfect Day" – Louise Goffin
"Waves of Fear" – The Fauntleroys
"I Love You Suzanne" – Rosie Flores
"Coney Island Baby" – Steve Wynn & The Miracle 3
"Candy Says" – Sharon Needles
"Smalltown" Joe Dallesandro"
"White Light/White Heat" – Alejandro Escovedo & Richard Barone
"All Tomorrow's Parties" – Richard Barone & Cindy Lee Berryhill
"Rock and Roll Heart" – Chuck Prophet
"Sally Can't Dance" – Jesse Malin
"Real Good Time Together" – The Fleshtones
"Walk on the Wild Side" – Suzanne Vega
"Kill Your Sons" – Wayne Kramer
"Pale Blue Eyes" – Lucinda Williams
"Run, Run, Run" – The Black Lips
"Sister Ray" – The Baseball Project
"What Goes On" – Sean Lennon
"Street Hassle" – Alejandro Escovedo
"Satellite of Love" – Spandau Ballet
"I'll Be Your Mirror" – Richard Barone
"Rock and Roll" – All-Stars

STORY

BP Fallon backed by the Strypes doing Reed's Vicious:

Sarah @ Hungry Tiger next Saturday night. Goin'?....

I'm so excited to announce the record release shows for my new album, Radio Sweetheart. I'll be playing almost all of the shows with my compadres, Girls, Guns and Glory, who also have a new record, Good Luck.  We're offering an exclusive download to anyone who buys advance tickets to any of the record release shows listed below. Me and Ward Hayden from GGG performing a low fi version of Sonny and Cher's 'Baby Don't Go'. Doesn't get better than that!  Simply send a screenshot of your ticket purchase receipt to sinclair@sarahborges.com, and we'll respond with the download. Easy as pie.

If you don't see your city on the list below, keep checking back, we're adding new dates daily.

XO
SB

February 7, 2014 - The Sinclair, Cambridge MA

February 8 2014 - The Hungry Tiger, Manchester, CT

March 28, 2014 - Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA

April 3, 2014 - World Cafe Live at the Queen, Wilmington, DE

April 4, 2014 - Iota, Arlington, VA

April 5, 2014 - Ashland Coffee and Tea, Ashland, VA

May 17, 2014 - The Center for the Arts in Natick, Natick, MA

May 30, 2014 - Stoltz Listening Room at the Avalon Theater, Easton, MD

May 31, 2014 - Southland Ballroom, Raleigh, NC

June 1, 2014 - Tin Angel, Philadelphia, PA

Heard at Wood n Tap tonight, reminding me of sound blasting from Jonathan's room...

Black coat
White shoes
Black hat
Cadillac, yeah

The 2014 Jazz Fest lineup is out!...

Well, the suspense is over. At around one o'clock on Tuesday afternoon,  the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival released the 2014 festival lineup - and it is pretty damn good!  The headliners, scoffed at by Fest purists like the late cynic Johnny Gumbo, are outstanding (even given that Christina Aguilera is one of them).  But it is the depth that is impressive.  Forget the first weekend and Thursday of 2nd, 'cause we are not arriving until Thursday night.

On Friday, psyched about Alabama Shakes, but hoping everyone gets a chance to see locals-by-way-of-Bronx Hurray For the Riff Raff (great show at Cafe Nine last year), the legendary Alejandro Escovedo, Mia Borders, the Iguanas (hoping on a smaller stage), Lost Bayou Ramblers.  And that's not mentioning Chaka Khan, Amanda Shaw and Pharoah Sanders!

Saturday will be insane with Bruce and the boys - could break records (not necessarily a good thing, viewing-wise).  But beforehand we get Allen Toussaint, Johnny Winter, The Head & the Heart.

Sunday, we have Shorty closing (with our best bud Sneaky Pete on guitar). Really looking to see Delbert McClinton, Chick Corea and John Fogerty (there's a bathroom on the right).  The Radiators are back!  Aaron Neville, Terrence Blanchard.

Flights are booked.  Bring it!

NOJAZZFEST.COM

1st Weekend
Friday, April 25  -
Saturday, April 26 -
Sunday, April 27 -

2nd Weekend

Thursday, May 1 - (a bit light)

Friday, May 2 -  (loaded)
Alabama Shakes
Alejandro Escovedo & The Sensitive Boys 
Hurray for the Riff Raff
Theresa Andersson
Lost Bayou Ramblers
The Iguanas
Mia Borders
Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys

Saturday, May 3 -
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Johnny Winter
Allen Toussaint

Sunday, May 4 - (loaded)
Arcade Fire
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Chick Corea & the Vigil 
John Fogerty
Aaron Neville
the Radiators
The Terence Blanchard Group

It's January, it's The Sawtelles!...

hello folks.  happy 2014!  we've finally got some gigs this month.

tomorrow, tues 14th we'll be at Klekolo World Coffee, court st Middletown 8p. free.

thurs 16th at Three Sheets/ ex-elm bar ex-rudys for Kriss Santala's singer songwriter nite.  music STARTS 9p w/Bill Beckett, we're on second at 9:30 followed by Matt Thomas (MT Bearington) and ending with Sam Perduta.  open mic follows.

thurs 23rd the SSP !! will be opening the DressUps/Bronson Rock show at the Outer Space.  music starts with us at 8pm.  $5.

check www.thesawtelles.com for other stuff that might be happening.

ciao.

P+J

Waiting for the 2014 Jazz Fest lineup (out next Tuesday)...

Speculation continues about who will show up at this year's Fest.  No, we are not talking about that persistent 'Return of Johnny Gumbo' rumor, we're talking about who will be included in the official lineup release on January 14.  Looks like one of my long time favorites, Chick Corea, is certain (since he posted it on his website). Hurray For the Riff Raff?

While we wait, does anyone look familiar in this Jimmy Fallon skit (Mark, you tight-pants guy)?

Bye, Bye (with) Love, Phil Everly...

(CNN) -- Singer Phil Everly -- one half of the groundbreaking, smooth-sounding, record-setting duo, the Everly Brothers -- has died, a hospital spokeswoman said.  He was 74.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Phil Everly and his brother, Don, ranked among the elite in the music world by virtue of their pitch-perfect harmonies and emotive lyrics.  Rolling Stone labeled the Everly Brothers "the most important vocal duo in rock," having influenced the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel and many other acts.  Along the way, they notched 35 Top 100 songs -- more than any other vocal pair.

The Everly Brothers' sound -- with Don's lower register generally ringing in perfect thirds with Phil's higher voice -- was the backbone of dozens of hits.  The two began as songwriters before signing a deal in 1957 with Cadence Records. They became international sensations over the next five years with tunes such as "Bye Bye Love," "Wake Up Little Susie," "When Will I Be Loved" and "All I Have to Do Is Dream." In terms of record sales, their chief rivals during this stretch were Elvis Presley and Pat Boone.

Their style -- a product of their blend of rock 'n' roll with Appalachian folk, bluegrass and other genres more closely aligned to their Kentucky roots -- helped them earn inductions in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame.  (more)

Anomalous Harmony, Present and Past - Norah Jones and Billie Joe Armstrong Sing Everly Brothers (NY TIMES article)

Foreverly - Roving Gambler

Happy New Year from Johnnykmusic!

Maybe I will get motivated again in 2014!

Turn It Up for Christmas...

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

Who gets what???

A Christmas classic!...

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

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

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

Louisiana Music Factory To Move To Frenchmen Street...

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sarah Borges is back...

Hi there-

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

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

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

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

much more to come...

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

Sarah

Eilen Jewell's other band...

Jake Bugg, Shangri La...

by Garrett D. Kennedy (concertblogger.com)

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

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

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

Cocktail Hour:


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

Little Feat – “Willin’”

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

Drive By Truckers – “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac”

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

Clairy Browne & the Bangin’ Rackettes – Yellowbird”

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

Amy Winehouse/Tony Bennett – “Body and Soul”

Al Green – “Let’s Stay Together”

Cat Power – “Lived in Bars”

Corrine Bailey Rae – “Like a Star”

Corrine Bailey Rae – “Put Your Records On”

Dr. John – “Solitude”

Dinah Washington – “What a Difference a Day Makes”

Marvin Gaye – “What’s Goin’ On”

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

Jonathan Richman – “When She Kisses Me”

Johnny Ray – “Whiskey & Gin”

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

Justin Townes Earle – “One More Night in Brooklyn”

Rodriguez – “Sugar Man”

Wild Tchoupitoulas – “Meet De Boys on the Battlefront”

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

Lou Reed – “Perfect Day”

Van Morrison – “Crazy Love”

Steely Dan – “Brooklyn Owes the Charmer Under Me”

Steely Dan – Ricky Don’t Lose That Number”

Solomon Burke – “Fast Train”

Solomon Burke – “Soul Searchin’”

Dancing:

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

Dovells – “Bristol Stomp”

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

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

Sam the Sham & the Pharohs – “Wooly Bully”

Jack White – “I’m Shakin’”

Dr. John – “Right Place, Wrong Time”

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

The Clash – Brand New Cadillac”

Dex Romweber – “Is That You in the Blue”

Young Rascals – “Mustang Sally”

Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers – “Roadrunner”

Talking Heads – “Psycho Killer”

Saturday afternoon at Integrity 'N Music...

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

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

INTEGRITY 'N MUSIC

Elizabeth Grace Quartet

Sarah Borges says hey...

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

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

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

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

Sarah Borges 11/6/13  TO PLEDGE

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

Rest peacefully, my friend.

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

Pioneer, Dead at 71

By Jon Dolan

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

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

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


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

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

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

See you soon.   JK


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Setting up, finally

Bass player is a lefty

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

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

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

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

Goodnight Blue Moon

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

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

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

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

A quick five for The Hump...

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

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

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

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

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

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

July Sawtelles...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

happy summer y'all! P+J

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

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

Top 10 Randy Travis songs.

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

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

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