I was reading some Lawrence Ferlinghetti poems when I wrote this ... it shows (but I don't think he has ever written in hay(na)ku form).
A Tower Books
bookmark? Boy!
That
goes back quite
a way --
along
with all the
other landmarks
no
longer with us
including Tower
Records,
Tower of Shoes
and the
Twin
Towers. Nothing lasts
it seems
not
even the Sphinx
whose face
is
slowly being erased.
Even this
room
will be gone
someday certainly
but
I won't be
around to
see
that or at
least I
hope
not. Too much
has disappeared
already
and it kind of
makes you
wonder
but not really
for very
long.
© Bob Loomis
09-26-2012
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
October Post: Donald Hall's Thank You
Rather than post another of my own writings, I'll take you to this piece in the New Yorker by Donald Hall, one of America's poetic treasures:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/10/thank-you-thank-you-donald-hall-on-a-lifetime-of-poetry-readings.html#ixzz2AXY6drLs
And a Happy Halloween to all!
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2012/10/thank-you-thank-you-donald-hall-on-a-lifetime-of-poetry-readings.html#ixzz2AXY6drLs
And a Happy Halloween to all!
Sunday, September 30, 2012
September Post: A Toast to Beauty
A Toast to Beauty
We were all
young then
and
looking fine, looking
so fine
and
aware of that,
almost mad
with
the knowledge of
so much
beauty
all around us
but not
quite
certain either if
it would
last
or how long.
Even then
getting
our first sense
of how
temporary
all that fine,
young, sexy
beauty
was and how
quickly gone
(but
only in retrospect
would we
realize
just how evanescent
it all
was
except for this
remaining inner
beauty
that still lights
our eyes
when
we talk or
share some
old
photograph or memory.
Here's to
past
beauty and to
present beauty
and
to all beauty
yet to come --
here's
to beauty
going on forever!
© Bob Loomis
09-24-2012
Monday, September 03, 2012
August Post: Summer Day Sequence
I
A baking day today
too hot to sit outside.
Even the shade's
too close to Hades. Just try
sitting for a while, letting
the heat envelope you.
Feels good at first
but soon you desire
ice water or tea.
Think I'll go hug the big red oak
and listen for secrets from
its deep roots while the desert breeze
brushes its cool green foliage.
Time to make sure
the couch still works,
take a little test ride,
read a bit
until I slip into a nap
and dream of things
that hover later just
beyond remembering.
II
Whatever happened
to [insert any one
of too many names here]?
I used to see them
quite often.
They've gone now
to wherever it is
we go at last,
George P. the most recently
departed. No more
coffee and conversation
at La Scala.
Ah, poets,
always dwelling on that
one last mystery,
worrying it
as a dog works at
a chew-toy
until finally
it's too tattered
to be of any use
except a wry smile.
"Hope to
See you when I get there."
III
I'm pretty much
out of words lately
though Bev says
"Hah! That'll be the day!"
Anyway, it's all been said
and better
by others too numerous
to mention
so I sit in the dusk
and sip chilled chardonnay,
play my flute,
and give thanks for another day.
Doves answer
from a distant
telephone line.
Now that's sweet music!
Bob Loomis
08-18-2012/08-19-2012
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
July's Post: A Few Maui Shorties
My meditations
On Gary Snyder's essays
broken by this buzzing fly.
The cat
does meatloaf zazen
alert for geckos.
Distant boats
sharply white in morning sunlight,
Lanai and Molokai
still veiled in rain clouds.
Morning coolness,
doves cooing on the roof.
The empty beach ...
(c) Bob Loomis
07-31-2012
On Gary Snyder's essays
broken by this buzzing fly.
The cat
does meatloaf zazen
alert for geckos.
Distant boats
sharply white in morning sunlight,
Lanai and Molokai
still veiled in rain clouds.
Morning coolness,
doves cooing on the roof.
The empty beach ...
(c) Bob Loomis
07-31-2012
Sunday, July 01, 2012
June Post: Starsongs
Night hums along
tapping tambourines
of stars in time to tunes that
won't be heard
for millions of years,
singing songs
no one really understands
except maybe
the All-Mind
if he, she or it exists.
Bob Loomis, 06-28-2012
tapping tambourines
of stars in time to tunes that
won't be heard
for millions of years,
singing songs
no one really understands
except maybe
the All-Mind
if he, she or it exists.
Bob Loomis, 06-28-2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
May Pome: Bound for Glory
We're all bound for glory. (Or are we just tied up on the phone?) Even now glory is approaching at top speed, ETA just when we least expect it. A large, revolving headlight suddenly rushing right at us, larger and larger and then WHAM! pushing us down the tracks till we drop off the cowcatcher into the dirt and rocks along life's roadbed. Journey's end for another solar-powered water tank. HONK! HONK! The geese of the season herald the crossing, the shunting of the car to the sidetrack, the end of the line, that's all she rote. Meet me at the station and we'll rail against fate, sing the railroad blues, throw another log on the fire, get all steamed up over nothing, flash through town so fast it'll be as though it never happened, though the coupling and uncoupling were grand fun despite the DO NOT HUMP signs.
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Restless night
Restless night past at last ...
sunny blue spring sky,
a hummingbird ...
(c) Bob Loomis
04-05-2012
sunny blue spring sky,
a hummingbird ...
(c) Bob Loomis
04-05-2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
My March Madness
I want to write poetry
POETRY I TELL U!!
Rich with simile and metaphor
(Whatever … whichever …)
Rich as … as …
As creampuffs!
Yes,
Word creampuffs!!
Take a bite
Tastes just right!
(Hmmm, maybe I should just
Go into advertising …)
Whatever ...
Bob Loomis
(c) 03-31-2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Tuneweek, 03-17-2012: A Sabbatical/Wintergrass 2012 Favorites
Note: It's time for a sabbatical for yours truly vis-a-vis Tuneweek, so I'm taking a sabbatical after hitting the send button on this one ... a month? a year? We'll see. I'll probably still send out special editions when I think they're merited, and I'll still post favorite music videos and sound clips to my Facebook page and my music words music blog, so check there if interested. Thanks for being loyal readers/listeners, it's much appreciated! - Bob Loomis, 03-17-2012
----
Notable Birthday: George Avakian, who produced the first jazz album, turned 93 on March 15. Riverwalk Jazz saluted him:
----
OK, here are my personal favorite acts from this year's Wintergrass Festival in Bellevue WA, Feb. 23-26. We've attended about a dozen of these annual festivals now. My picks from among the performers I saw (which leaves out about 20 others I did not see due to schedule conflicts):
Old-Time Kozmik Trio: Bruce Molsky, Darol Anger, Rashad Eggleston: I saw them as a trio, here they are joined by members of the great Swedish group Vasen, whom I was unable to see this year, though I saw them at a previous WIntergrass:
The Kruger Brothers: Jens and Uwe Kruger, two brothers from Switzerland, and their bassist Joel Landsberg comprise one of the most potent bluegrass trios of all time. I can find no vids of their appearance at Wintergrass 2012, but this will give an idea of their prowess:
Joe Craven Trio: Joe on various, John Burr on keys, Kendrick Freeman on drums. I only saw these guys at a workshop titled Puttin' A New Dress on the Pig (typical Craven humor!) ... it basically turned into a performance. Joe is maybe the most creative musician (and person) I know. And he's self-taught! Burr and Freeman are top-notch musos in their own rights. This vid gives a good sample of what the trio can do:
Tim O'Brien: He's another of my all-time favorites, He actually rivals Joe Craven for creativity ... No Wintergrass 2012 vid that I can find. He performed with Brian Sutton on guitar and Mike Bub on bass. This vid gives a small idea of his talents:
More samples of his music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Della Mae: Celia Woodsmith, vocals & guitar; Kimber Ludiker, fiddle; Amanda Kowaski, bass; Courtney Hartman, guitar; Jenni Lyn Gardner, mandolin. For me, this was the new group of the year. Celia and Courtney conducted an excellent songwriting workshop, too.
Hot Buttered Rum: Aaron Redner, fiddle & mandolin; Nat Keefe, guitar; Bryan Home, bass; Eric Yate, banjo & flute; Lucas Carlton, drums. This SF Bay Area group remains one of my favorites to dance to at Wintergrass, where one venue is always reserved for bands that are great to dance to. IMHO they were the best of these this year (doesn't hurt their case with me that their banjo player also plays flute):
The Wilders: Betse Ellis, fiddle; Ike Sheldon, guitar; Phil Wade, Dobro, mandolin, banjo; Nate Gawron, bass: The rockin'est hony-tonk band ever!:
Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys: Jim Gaudet, guitar; Bob Ristau, bass; Sten Isachsen, mandolin & guitar; Mat Kane, fiddle. Jim Gaudet is a thrice reincarnated musician, now a singer/songwriter in a band that fuses old-time roots music and the rocknroll he grew up hearing into a fine Americana sound:
Greensky Bluegrass: Dave Bruzza, guitar; Anders Beck, Dobro; Mike Devol, bass; Mike Bont, banjo; Paul Hoffman, mandolin. Though we saw them in the dance ballroom, IOHO they are better as a sit-and-listen band. Here they do doing Against The Days in 2009:
Tickets for next year's Wintergrass Festival are already on sale here:
----
Gone But Not Forgot:
Donald F. Smith, champion of cabaret, 79:
Peter Bergman, Firesign Theater satirist, 72:
Jean Giraud, comic book artist Moebius, 73:
----
That's all for a while, keep on musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Tuneweek, 03-10-2012: The Byrds and More
Good to be home after almost three weeks on the road. Next week I'll feature my favorite artists from this year's Wintergrass Festival in Bellevue WA. This week's featured artist is the Byrds, maybe the first alt-country band. Wikipedia has this history:
Check out the other Byrds links with the Sweetheart cover plus any other Byrds vids you are drawn to. Each incarnation had its qualities, but the period with Gram Parsons aboard was especially fecund though it did end badly.
You Don't Miss Your Water off Sweetheart of the Rodeo, one of my desert island discs:
----
Reading Material:
Alan Lomax Collection goes digital:
----
Nice articles in the SF Chronicle on Chubby Checker (Bev and I saw him at Peppermint Lounge in SF sometime around 1961-64, but neither of us can remember the details):
The Twist was the song that made him famous:
----
Shreddin' vids take playful pokes at popular artists:
What Phish sounds like to people who hate Phish:
http://www.livemusicblog.com/
ople-that-dont-like-phish/
Santana:
http://www.livemusicblog.com/
ople-that-dont-like-phish/
Santana:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
John Williams:http://www.youtube.com/watch?
----
John Williams:http://www.youtube.com/watch?
----
P.S. to our last ukulele edition:
Herman Vandecauter's lovely arrangement of an old French song "Une Jeune Fillette" or La Monica:
Gone But Not Forgot:
Ronnie Montrose, hard rock guitarist, 64:
Frisner Augustin, Haitian drummer, 63:
Two-part documentary on the music, Part 1:
Part 2:
Jimmy Ellis, lead singer in dance band Trammps, 74:
Andrij Dobrinsky, Met opera singer, 81:
Robert B. Sherman, Disney songwriter, 86:
Lucio Dalla, Italian troubador, 68:
----
That's all for this week, keep on musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Tuneweek, 03-03-2012: RIP Joe Thompson, Davy Jones, Others
Missed a beat last week but back at it again from Cannon Beach OR. Lotsa musical water under the bridge since last edition, and I'm saving my WIntergrass report for when I have time to do it right. A number of notable recent deaths deserve coverage:
Fiddler Joe Thompson, who helped preserve the black string band, 93:
Playing Black Annie:
A YouTube search for his music there:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=joe+thompson+fiddle&oq=joe+thompson&aq=1&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=1&gs_upl=386156l388587l0l392555l12l12l0l3l3l0l189l860l3.5l8l0
The Carolina Chocolate Drops, who learned from Thompson, performing Hit 'Em Up Style:
More Carolina Chocolate Drops:
----
Ben Fong-Torres of the SF Chronicle has a nice remembrance of Davy Jones of the Monkees, who died Wednesday at age 66 of a heart attack:
Daydream Believer by Jones from one of his last live shows:
Last Train to Clarksville, which seemed to play endlessly on my drive home from New York City in 1966 and is my favorite Monkees tune:
The NYT obituary:
-----
Also Gone But Not Forgot:
Erwin Frankel, world music purveyor, 76:
Maurice Andre, classical trumpeter, 78:
----
That's all for now, keep on musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Tuneweek, 02-18-2012 P.S.: Warren Hellman Tribute
Almost missed it: Free tribute concert for Warren Hellman, founder and backer of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Ocean Beach parking lot on Great Highway in San Francisco. Details here:
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Tuneweek, 02-18-2012: Wintergrass Ho! & Other Stuff
FYI: Tomorrow Bev and I head northward to visit friends and attend the Wintergrass Festival in Bellevue WA. We'll be away for almost 3 weeks, but I hope to be able to keep sending Tuneweek each Saturday that we're on the road.
----
One Other Personal Item: Happy 15th Birthday on Sunday to our youngest grandson Norris! Happy Birthday, Norris! Here he is with his band T-Shirt Tuxedo covering Weezer's We Are All On Drugs. And no, they are not! It's just a song, deal with it:
----
This week we feature one of those personalities about whom I've idly wondered, where is she now? Well, it seems that Cyndi Lauper (one of my favorite singers) is now a blues star. Here's Part One of the Blues Revue's E-Zine interview. It includes video links:
Cyndi's holding an autoharp or zither in the first vid, but it doesn't appear she's actually playing it, since her left hand seems to be muting the strings.
---
The SF Chronicle has a feature on Butt-Ugly Rock Stars:
Remember, beauty is in the eyes of the beholders!
----
Here's a track from Charlie McCoy's Tribute to Little Walter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?----
Some astoundingly good non-rack blues playing here by Konstantin Reinfeld at Harmonica Masters 2011 in Trossingen, Germany. He's only been playing for two years!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
----
Martin Zak and mrstnej Janek with rhythm puppet and harp in rack for Starej (Old) Joe Clark:
----
The "Playing Harmonica on a Rack" seminar at the 2011 SPAH Convention
was great fun.
The seven presenters were:
Vern Smith - The inventor of the "Hands Free Chromatic and Ergonomic Neck Rack"
Cynthia Dusel-Bacon - A user of the "Hands Free Chromatic and
Ergonomic Neck Rack"
Enrico Granafei - Another user of the "Hands Free Chromatic and
Ergonomic Neck Rack" and a fabulous finger-style jazz guitarist
Marv Monroe - Who made his own harmonica rack which holds two Hohner
XB-40 harmonicas
Michael Kovick - The inventor of the "HarpHugger" (two different styles)
Jimi Lee - Who is a monster blues guitarist and uses a standard wire
harp rack which he bent to suit his needs
and
Peter Madcat Ruth - Who built his own microphone-stand-mounted harp rack
To see these racks in action, or learn more about them, check out the
following websites and YouTube videos:
Marv Monroe
was great fun.
The seven presenters were:
Vern Smith - The inventor of the "Hands Free Chromatic and Ergonomic Neck Rack"
Cynthia Dusel-Bacon - A user of the "Hands Free Chromatic and
Ergonomic Neck Rack"
Enrico Granafei - Another user of the "Hands Free Chromatic and
Ergonomic Neck Rack" and a fabulous finger-style jazz guitarist
Marv Monroe - Who made his own harmonica rack which holds two Hohner
XB-40 harmonicas
Michael Kovick - The inventor of the "HarpHugger" (two different styles)
Jimi Lee - Who is a monster blues guitarist and uses a standard wire
harp rack which he bent to suit his needs
and
Peter Madcat Ruth - Who built his own microphone-stand-mounted harp rack
To see these racks in action, or learn more about them, check out the
following websites and YouTube videos:
Marv Monroe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Vern SmithHands free Chromatic now built by C.A Reynolds
http://www.builderofstuff.com/
Enrico Granafeihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
Jimi Leehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
Michael Kovickhttp://harphugger.com/
Peter Madcat Ruthhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
Just a note: Madcat has upgraded his microphone and harp holder since
this video was made but he still uses the same mic stand...
Vern SmithHands free Chromatic now built by C.A Reynolds
http://www.builderofstuff.com/
Enrico Granafeihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
Jimi Leehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
Michael Kovickhttp://harphugger.com/
Peter Madcat Ruthhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?
Just a note: Madcat has upgraded his microphone and harp holder since
this video was made but he still uses the same mic stand...
Jon Gindick's harp/guitar version of Little Wing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
----
And there's a new approach to playing harp hands free, Harplock (this is not an
endorsement, just newsworthy for those who use racks):
----
Danny White takes a nice (non-rack) solo on this tune by Brian Walker and the Hopeful Romantics, one of my favorite bands:
----
No rack here, but an extremely rare and prized Hohner CBH2016 chromatic harmonica played by Ken Leiboff:
----
GONE BUT NOT FORGOT:
Whitney Houston, singer, 48:
Dory Previn, singer/songwriter, 86:
Charles Anthony, Met opera singer, 82:
----
That's it for now, keep on musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2011
Saturday, February 11, 2012
02-10-2012: Potpourri of Piquant Piffle
Blatant Commercialism Dept. : Joe Dynan, son of artist Phil Dynan (an old running mate of Dave Monthie and myself) has his first downloadable song available on the Web for $1. I know he'd be thrilled if some of us Tuneweekers bought a copy. Joe first displayed his music talent to us at one of our former annual Geezerpaloozas at least 10 years ago when he was about 11 years old IIRC. He's got a great voice and songwriting talent, and it's a great song. Enjoy!
A rare combo of modern rock band and cartoon character is occurring with Popeye (one of my favorite comic strips) and Wilco (one of my favorite bands):
More on this at Wilco's site:
----
Some fine playing in an unusual combo here: resonator guitar and didgeridoo!:
----
Denis Franklin wrote to the San Francisco Folk Music Club e-mail list:Heard this guy (Dr. Paul Mealor) on NPR. He was asked to arrange Ubi Caritas for Kate and William's wedding:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
At the same time he was asked to write a song for a chorus composed of British military wives. For the lyrics he used "letters and poems sent between the men on the front line and their wives / partners." This one hit the top of the pop charts. Listen to it without shedding a tear if you can. ( I certainly couldn't.):
At the same time he was asked to write a song for a chorus composed of British military wives. For the lyrics he used "letters and poems sent between the men on the front line and their wives / partners." This one hit the top of the pop charts. Listen to it without shedding a tear if you can. ( I certainly couldn't.):
----
Here's a one-hour video of the great jazz drummer Max Roach with his quartet in Berlin in 1990 (for those who didn't already watch it when I posted it to Facebook):
----
Worthy Flute Thing: This Kickstarter project, a documentary on the beloved Irish flute-maker Patrick Olwell, is worth backing, IMHO. I have no financial interest, just love Irish flute!:
----
OK, autoharp. Lots of new developments in the world of autoharp of late. Here's a small batch of recent stuff:
Hal Weeks with the old Grateful Dead tune Althea:
Cathy Britell and William Limbach, Down In The Valley:
Same duo, Harper's Blessing:
And audio of Cathy on Somewhere Over The Rainbow:
Audio, Don McLean's Vincent:
Darryl Minsky does Hide Your Love Away:
----
Good news this week for traveling musos, Congress OKs uniform FAA standard for instruments as carry-ons when flying:
----
Gone But Not Forgot:
Snuffy Smith, noted banjoist and banjo repairman, 66:
Boatin' Up Sandy played by Jimmy Triplett on a banjo fitted with one of Smith's very popular bridges:
----
Keep on Musicking!
Keep on Musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Tuneweek, 02-04-2012: Jim Ocean, Space Age Bard/4-String Banjo/RIP Don Cornelius
Shameless Self-Promo: I'll be playing and singing at Pinole Farmers Market this morning (Saturday, Feb. 4) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Drop by and say hi if you're in the neighborhood!
----
Science songs? Yes, Jim Ocean is not only a music promoter par excellence in the East Bay, but a singer/songwriter who's been called a Space Age Bard:
----
Let's once again give obscure four-string banjo players their due. Five-string Scruggs-style banjo as heard in bluegrass is now the dominant style, but four-string banjos played (and play) big roles in traditional jazz ... and some are stretching their roles way beyond that.
First, go here and scroll down the page to Four-string Banjos for definitions and a history:
As for music, let's start with this, and you can check the links to the right for more vids:
Here's Mario De Pietro, a popular mandolinist of note who also solos on tenor banjo in this 1930 clip with Jean Melville on piano:
http://www.britishpathe.com/
Prof. Douglas Frazer and the Genuine Jug Band:
More here:
A feature on percussionist Tony McBride's washboard setup:
Heavy metal (resophonic) mandolin blues:
----
Stolen Stuff Alert from Chris Hirsch: My good friends in the band Trout Fishing In America had their van stolen with all of their instruments and CDs, videos, etc., inside. This happened in Houston, TX on 1-29-12. I put together this simple web page showing the instruments so we can all send it out to our friends. Please do this. The more that know about this, the better chance of nabbing these damn thieves and maybe getting their stuff back:
http://www.chrishirsch.com/
Some samples of their quite funny and quite good music:
http://www.troutmusic.com/
----
Gone But Not Forgot:
Don Cornelius, Soul Train creator, 75:
Camilla Williams, barrier-breaking opera soprano, 92:
Clare Fischer, arranger and keyboardist, 83:
Paavo Berglund, Finnish conductor, 82:
Patricia Neway, opera soprano and Tony winner, 92:
----
Keep on Musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Tuneweek, 01-28-2012: Ukes Galore
Shameless Self Promotion: My band Awed Ducks will play a featured 30-minute set at around 5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29, at Panama Red Coffeehouse at the Vallejo Ferry Terminal, 289 Mare Island Way, Vallejo, CA (poster above with full bill).
----
Let's close the first month of the New Year with a quick survey of the world of ukulele. UkeToob has a selection of recent vids.
No ukulele mention would be complete without including Jake Shimabukuro, who's probably done more than anyone recently to lift the jumping flea to new heights of musical respectability. He's best known for his version of George Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps, but here he does his own tune, Let's Dance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZxrlDU1RyE
----
Ledward Kaapana is primarily known as a slack-key guitarist, but also sparkles on uke:
----
I especially like James Hill and Gerald Ross:
----
Here's Ross's version of Poinciana, in case you missed it:
----
And Hill's Ode to A Frozen Boot:
-----
And let's also take The A Train with a U-Bass:
----
Aaron Keim, False Hearted Lover, from his two-chord songbook, vol 2:
----
Outstanding music by the David Wax Museum:
-----
And always remember: Happiness Is A Warm Gun:
----
Marcy Marxer and Cathy Fink's new Ukulele playlist:
----
Gianni and Sarah, I'll Drink to That:
----
Don't know who Roxypuzzlepatch is, but I like her cover of the Grateful Dead's Tennessee Jed:
----
Postscripts on Etta James and Johnny Otis:
A rerun of a 1990s Terry Gross interview with Etta was featured on Friday's Fresh Air:
And Joel Selvin wrote a nice piece in the San Francisco Chronicle on Johnny:
----
Gone But Not Forgot:
Dick Kniss, bassist for Peter, Paul & Mary and John Denver co-writer, 74:
Larry Butler, Kenny Rogers's producer, 69:
John Levy, bassist and talent manager, 99:
Gerre Hancock, church organist, 77:
Winston Riley, Jamaican music producer, 68:
----
Keep on Musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Tuneweek, 01-21-2012: RIP Etta James, Johnny Otis
A week of two major losses for the music world: Etta James and Johnny Otis. They were major figures in my teen-age years. I began listening to Otis's band and radio show in Los Angeles around 1954 or '55, right when the two were connecting professionally and recorded together, and when Etta had the R&B hit Roll With Me Henry. Those were formative years musically. Otis's and KFOX disc jockey colleague Hunter Hancock's shows provided a door into the then still separate world of rhythm and blues, where most artists were African American, and into Chuck Berry's rock and roll before such artists began to commonly be played on mainstream stations. Radio (AM radio, not FM!) was king in those days, and a hit single could jump start a major career, or simply a regional hit, since there was no Internet then.
No one knew it in 1954 but the arrival of rock and roll in mainstream radio meant the rapid fade of bland white pop singers like Georgia Gibbs who covered Roll With Me Henry (removing the word "roll," which was considered too suggestive in those distant, dark ages). By 1957 and '58 artists like Berry began crossing over into mainstream radio.
Etta James died Friday at age 73. Here are two obituaries, one from the New York Times, one from Associated Press via the San Francisco Chronicle:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/arts/music/etta-james-singer-dies-at-73.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/01/20/national/a083558S31.DTL&ao=2
Her son Donto describes her passing:http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20120121/etta-james-death-son-20120121/
Etta James died Friday at age 73. Here are two obituaries, one from the New York Times, one from Associated Press via the San Francisco Chronicle:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/21/arts/music/etta-james-singer-dies-at-73.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2012/01/20/national/a083558S31.DTL&ao=2
Her son Donto describes her passing:http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20120121/etta-james-death-son-20120121/
Music:
Roll With Me Henry (1955):
At Last (an early version):
I'd Rather Go Blind:
Something's Got A Hold On Me:
I Just Want To Make Love to You:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUgvVAFFzN8
Otis, a fine bandleader and hitmaker in his own right (e.g., Willie and The Hand Jive), died Tuesday at age 90. He had a Saturday morning show on KPFA-FM for some time and was also an artist and club owner in Sebastopol, CA.
The Los Angeles Tines obituary:http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-johnny-otis-20120119,0,2183487.story
The New York Times obituary:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/arts/music/johnny-otis-musician-dies-at-90.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries
An appreciation by Dave Alvin (of the Blasters):http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/01/johnny-otis-obituary-dave-alvin-appreciation.html
Music:
Otis, a fine bandleader and hitmaker in his own right (e.g., Willie and The Hand Jive), died Tuesday at age 90. He had a Saturday morning show on KPFA-FM for some time and was also an artist and club owner in Sebastopol, CA.
The Los Angeles Tines obituary:http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-johnny-otis-20120119,0,2183487.story
The New York Times obituary:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/arts/music/johnny-otis-musician-dies-at-90.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries
An appreciation by Dave Alvin (of the Blasters):http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/01/johnny-otis-obituary-dave-alvin-appreciation.html
Music:
Harlem Noctune in 1945 was Johnny's first big hit. It was the theme song for another KFOX show, Sleepy Stein's jazz slot that started at 10 p.m. after Hunter Hancock's show:
Here's Hand Jive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEeeGMpM_Nk
With Marci Lee, Telephone Baby:
With Marci Lee, Telephone Baby:
With son Shuggie Otis and Roy Buchanan on guitar for Sweet Home Chicago:
Also Gone But Not Forgot:
Harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt, 83:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/arts/music/gustav-leonhardt-harpsichordist-dies-at-83.html?ref=obituaries
Jimmy Castor, master of many genres, 71:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/arts/music/jimmy-castor-musician-who-mastered-many-genres-dies-at-71.html?ref=obituaries
----
Jimmy Castor, master of many genres, 71:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/18/arts/music/jimmy-castor-musician-who-mastered-many-genres-dies-at-71.html?ref=obituaries
----
Shameless Self Promotion: I'll be one of around 15 performers at an open mic Upstairs at First Street Cafe, 440 First Street, Benicia, CA, tonight. The show starts at 7, and each performer gets 15 minutes. I'm on second, if all goes as planned. Thanks to Debbie Kuhl Wendt for organizing and emceeing these! Excellent talent and no cover charge. Hope to see you there.
----
That's all for this week, keep on musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Tuneweek, 01-14-2012: Pickin' 'n' Grinnin'
A few live shows worth seeing in our area:
Bill Evans, banjo virtuoso, will perform at 7:30 tonight in a benefit for the Contra Costa Food Bank at the 2nd Saturday Concert Series, 260 Walnut Avenue, Walnut Creek, CA. Tickets are $12 at the door. On Feb. 11 Jim Nunally and Dix Bruce will perform in the series. Samples of his music:
Martinez's own Hopeful Romantics play at 8 p.m. tonight Upstairs at the First Street Cafe, 440 First Street, Benicia, CA, at 8 p.m. No cover charge and a great Americana band! Samples of their music:
T-Shirt Tuxedo, with our younger grandson, Norris Turnnidge, plays at a 6 to 10 p.m. rock show at Devil's Lounge, next door to Toot's Tavern, 627 2nd Avenue, Crockett, CA. Tickets are $5. Also playing will be Back Door Bang and Only for Tomorrow.
Sample of T-Shirt Tuxedo:
----
The Blues Foundation's nominees for the 33rd Blues Music Awards:
----
And this very instructive vid on white spirituals and black spirituals:
Today's featured artist, one of the most astounding flatpickers on the planet, David Grier, here talking about playing and playing Beaumont Rag:
Be sure to check out the links down the right side of the page, including the other artists!
Hot band, with David ... Old Dangerfield:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
More David Grier, with Luke Munday:
Roy Curry, David Grier, Clay Hess and Justin Carbone at the IBMA guitar workshop 2008 in Nashville:
----
Not too shabby pickin' here by Ricky Skaggs and Albert Lee:
----
Another fine flatpicker, Robert Bowlin:
----
And from Betsy Rome on the flatpicking guitar e-mail list:
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bob Harris, besides being a great
recording engineer, he was Vassar Clements' playing partner for the last
years of Vassar's life. Bob gets great tone, clarity & speed out of a
guitar. Here he is at Grey Fox masters guitar workshop in 2010, "New
Camptown Races" with Josh Williams and Tony Watt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Here he is with Vassar, in Bob's studio. Guitar enters around 1:50:http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Also, in the holiday spirit, here's a video he wrote with his wife, singerLucy Clark, "Jersey Bada Bing Christmas", a hilarious send-up, New Jersey-style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
----
recording engineer, he was Vassar Clements' playing partner for the last
years of Vassar's life. Bob gets great tone, clarity & speed out of a
guitar. Here he is at Grey Fox masters guitar workshop in 2010, "New
Camptown Races" with Josh Williams and Tony Watt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Here he is with Vassar, in Bob's studio. Guitar enters around 1:50:http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Also, in the holiday spirit, here's a video he wrote with his wife, singerLucy Clark, "Jersey Bada Bing Christmas", a hilarious send-up, New Jersey-style:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
----
Here's Bryan Kimsey's vid of a Martin guitar "before" he modifies it ... I'll try to remember to post the follow-up "after" vid when he posts it after completing the work:
-----
Last but not least, this article by David Thom in Bluegrass Today on fiddler/mandolinist Ed Neff, with a video link:
----
Two new live music venues will be opening in Marin County. First, Sweetwater Music Hall:
And, Terrapin Crossroads:
----
GONE BUT NOT FORGOT:
Tom Ardolino, NRBQ drummer, 56:
Alex Weissenberg, fire-and-ice pianist, 82:
Ruth Fernandez, Puerto Rico singer and senator, 92:
----
That's all for this week, keep on Musicking (and GO NINERS!),
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Saturday, January 07, 2012
Tuneweek, 01-07-2012: Temporary Adios to Crooked Still
Learned this week that one of our favorite bands, Crooked Still, is taking the rest of 2012 off to allow members a chance to pursue other interests (and, I imagine, recover from playing together constantly for the past 10 years). Here's hoping they regroup in 2013, and here's one of our favorite songs by them (with links to more down the right side of this page):
Their Web page:
----
Happy Birthday (Friday) to Earl Scruggs, generally considered the deviser of Scruggs three-finger banjo playing that helped make bluegrass bluegrass, had his 80th birthday Friday. Herewith a fantastic version of Scruggs on Foggy Mountain Breakdown, a tune he wrote, played here with Steve Martin, Marty Stuart, Jerry Douglas, Vince Gill, and other luminaries:
More Scruggs:
----
Shameless Self-Promo: I'll be playing and singing from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at Pinole (CA) Farmers Market, Pear and Fernandez streets in Pinole. Drop by and say hi if you're in the neighborhood!
----
Gone But Not Forgot:
Fred Milano, original member of Dion and The Belmonts, 72:
Barbara Lea, cabaret singer, 82:
----
That's all for this week, keep on musicking!
Bob Loomis
In Loving Memory of Shannon Christine Loomis, 1967-2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
