Sunday, October 28, 2007

Some Favorite Songs (Not in the mainstream)

Great underrated songs. A song for you is a great lovesong. Bell Bottom Blues is a supergreat love song. To quote lyrics:

Bell bottom blues, you made me cry.
I don’t want to lose this feeling.
And if I could choose a place to die
It would be in your arms.

Do you want to see me crawl across the floor to you?
Do you want to hear me beg you to take me back?


Donny Hathaway - A Song for You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThNGX4gk0bc
This guy puts all the soul wannabes to shame.

Derek and the Dominoes - Bell Bottom Blues
No video, but this is the best version of the song I could find on youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiOTGUvqE8E

Little Feat - Dixie Chicken ( or anything else by this band)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO3ZMdcL8Pc
Jerry was not a slide master until I was watching Lowell George play and I noticed his thumb was under the fretboard not in back. Therefore it is easier to slide without the thumb grabbing. Jerry is now a slide master thanks to Lowell George.

Across the Great Divide
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i2AFRX-z0I
I was looking for Kate Wolf footage, but Nancy Griffith is the closest I could find
Kate Wolf lived right in the San Geronimo Valley until her death from Leukemia/Cancer
Before she left she wrote some amazing songs. My friend Laurie McClain made a tribute album which has some really nice versions of Kate Wolf's songs. There is also a Kate Wolf music festival every year in Northern California

Saturday, October 27, 2007

The History of Everything

One of my favorite quotes comes from Howard Zinn, in a documentary titled: "You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train".

I paraphrase:
If you don't know history, it is as if you were born yesterday. If you were born yesterday anybody can tell you anything and you are forced to believe them.

I have noticed a shocking lack of historical knowledge since my move to the state of Utah. Let's start with the history of music. Jerry has now encountered three people who have a vague knowledge that the Beatles were some band from the sixties. I am talking about people in their thirties, not teens. It doesn't matter if you like the Beatles, but they are historically significant, in that popular music changed because of them. There are a few basics that everyone ought to know. From Symphony to Opera to Rock there are a few groundbreakers to whom everyone else conformed. To me it makes the music deeper and richer to know a little of the foundation. The Beatles in turn were influenced by their predecessors and their contemporaries.

Did you know that before the pop version of Fleetwood Mac there was Peter Greene's Fleetwood Mac? This blues band had one of the greatest guitar players of all time, Peter Greene. During a tour of Germany he was slipped a hallucinogenic drug and he was never the same again.

You can see from the videos that Peter was a jovial and friendly guy. In one interview, some American guy in a low-rent TV studio is asking Peter Greene some unbelievably stupid questions. Peter is very sweet to this guy and just answers the stupid questions as best he can.

Check out Peter Greene's Fleetwood Mac on youtube.

Albatross (John Lennon wrote Sun King after hearing this song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSZHT2XvoLM

Sun King (Beatles)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oy0koqi2g9o

World Keeps on turning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivS5wjwGbn8

The feel, groove, timing, and tempo on this solo piece never waiver

Oh Well (This is one of my all-time favorite songs)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuHPrAA3tMA

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

B.R. Cohn Charity Event

Every year Jerry and I have a few events that mark the year. For the last five years Jerry has played at the B. R. Cohn Winery fall charity event. This year and last year he backed up Lara Johnston, an up and coming singer. Lara's dad Tom is the lead singer in the Doobie Brothers. Lara has a great voice for R&B/soul. She packs quite a punch for a girl of 17. The day was beautiful and the band kicked butt. They burst out of the gate full force and took the audience by surprise. You can see last year's B. R. Cohn gig on youtube if you search for Lara Johnston. I am sure that the video of this year's show will be edited and posted fairly soon.

The backing vocals were phenomenal. Tony Lindsey, Amber Morris and Annie Stocking came up with some unique arrangements on classic songs. Bryant Mills on drums drove the band like a freight train. He never disappoints with his funky grooves and impeccable time. Terry Miller is always the time machine on bass. Mike Mani did a fantastic job of channeling Aretha Franklin on piano. Many people forget that Aretha was a dynamic pianist and Mike did a great job of keeping to the same style on the Aretha cover tunes. Marc Russo and Mic Gillette made up the horn section. What can I say about these two perfect musicians? They both have storied careers and yet found it in their hearts to donate their time to a little girl they have known since she was a baby. Finally Jerry. Jerry is the one who pulled all these musicians together. Last year he played musical director for the band and made Lara's first gig a smashing success. This year topped everything. Lara's rendition of "Drowning in my own Tears" brought the crowd to a fever pitch.

It was a glorious day full of love and laughter.