General Comments for all Naweedna CDs

Will Moyle‘s Jazz Alive, a locally produced master collection of classic jazz. The Will Moyle stuff is the best

collection of jazz I‘ve ever heard. I taped it in the 80s from WXXI broadcasts.

FFUSA: Folk Festival USA, a nationally distributed collection of excerpts recorded live at various folk

festivals around the country – varying from traditional country to purely ethnic, to socio-political (one lesbian

festival, in fact). FFUSA is eclectic, and the live recordings often catch a lot of crowd noise as well as bad

microphone placement. Originally taped from WXXI in the 80s.

GTWG: The Glory That Was Grease, another locally produced broadcast that featured the formative years of

Rock and Roll from the 50s and 60s – my youth. The ―Grease‖ may have been ―Greece‖, the Rochester suburb

where the program originated. The GTWG is marginal but good for reminding my generation of their teenage

years – if that can be considered a good thing. Originally taped from WXXI in the 80s.

BBGR: Big Band Go Round, yet another local program featuring … Big Band, but also including most anything

recorded from 20s to the 50s. The BBGR is so broad that it is unlikely to be duplicated anywhere. However,

you have to have a fondness for the crackle of scratchy old 78‘s and an appetite for schmaltz to fully

appreciate it. Originally taped in the 80s.

PHC & PHC-D: Prairie Home Companion – the middle years. I didn‘t get started with PHC until the 80s, so I

missed the early period, and I stopped taping when Garrison retired – for the first time. Remember the

unfortunate guy who took over the time slot from Garrison? Me, neither. AS IF anyone could do that – a

classic no-win situation. When Garrison un-retired (like Michael Jordan), the second version of the show was

based in NYC, and I didn‘t care for it that much, so I didn‘t tape it. A few years later I discovered that he

had gone back to the old format and was broadcasting from St Paul MN again. I‘ve been digitizing those

programs in real time ever since, and they are designated as PHC-D. The PHC stuff contains the essence of

American music – in my not-so-humble opinion. The only nationally broadcast show that ever came close to

matching PHC for quality and variety was the TV show, Northern Exposure – go figure. I have two Northern

CDs; if there are more, I would like to know about them ASAP.

The dates represent the release date of the album or CD source. These dates are as accurate as I can obtain.

The dates for some tracks from compilations reflect the release date of the compilation.

As usual, my comments are in blue. The other information comes from www.allmusic.com. Additions and corrections

are welcome … encouraged, in fact.

In Memoriam … 2006:

Wilson Pickett

Freddy Fender (Texas Tornados)

Lou Rawls

Desmond Dekker

Ali Farka Toure

Etta Baker

Link Wray

The Playlist and Notes for Naweedna 2006

01 Somebody Loves You(Intro) - Singing Sam

BGR (1930s)

This seemed like an appropriate lead track. After selecting the tracks, I noticed there was a ―love‖

theme … and a ―guitar‖ theme. So be it. These are the tracks I like, and I hope you like ‗em too ;-)

Be sure to read the last line of the bio …

Harry Frankel (AKA Singin‘ Sam)

Years Active 1910 20 30 40 50

Performers who want to make records but never get the opportunity always envy those that do — seen

from this light, the performer known as Singin' Sam would be the supreme recipient of bad vibes

emanating from what Rahsaan Roland Kirk called "the jealous bone." Not only did Singin' Sam make

records in the traditional sense of singing on them, he also spent a great deal of time making records in

the literal sense. Real name Harry Frankel, this man headed up the Gennett pressing and manufacturing

plant located in Richmond, IN, in the '40s. Presumably, this gave him quite an edge over the usual round

of performers loaded down with demo tapes and letters of solicitation. Singin' Sam could put out his

music on records whether anybody else wanted him to or not — all he had to do was enter his own factory

and turn on the machines.

In actuality this was hardly the case. Singin' Sam products sold very well, especially a trademark version

of "Sleepy-Time in Caroline" as well as the popular "Dreamy Housatonic." Singin' Sam recorded the

former tune not once but twice, beginning with a transcription disc made for the Coca-Cola company in

the spring of 1942 and continuing with a session for producer Joe Davis in 1946. Davis, already a veteran

publisher, A&R man, and label manager with several decades of experience under his belt, was the right

man to recreate a '20s ambience on the later version of the song, bringing in session veterans from the

roaring years such as keyboardist Frank Banta and the multi-instrumentalist Andy Sanella. Meanwhile

promotional efforts for "Sleepy-Time in Caroline" included pitching it to the governors of the Carolinas,

North and South. While the song was indeed popular, no official support ever materialized — it has been

speculated that South Carolina governor Strom Thurmond regretted that at least politically, things

weren't actually sleepy enough in the Carolinas to justify making it the official state song.

Thurmond would have approved of Frankel's professional beginnings, on the other hand. Inspired by

minstrel performers, Frankel had become one of them by 1908, including his own shoeshine kit for

"blacking up." He toured with the Al G. Field Minstrels and in a vaudeville duo, the Two Blackbirds. By the

'30s broadcasting seemed a better performing opportunity, Frankel going to work for a lawn mower

company and reinventing himself as Singin' Sam, the "lawnmower man." The personality stuck, although

there would be a shift in products being promoted. In 1931 he went to work for Barbasol, still Singin'

Sam but now the "Barbasol man." In 1934 he settled in Richmond with his wife, the performer Helene

"Smiles" Davis. Staying put in Indiana became high priority, with the Barbasol contract reorganized to

allow recording to be done in nearby Cincinnati and any and all offers that were further away turned

down. The recording industry having left this area of the Midwest long ago, many music lovers might

assume there is absolutely nothing to do in Richmond, IN. Not true: Frankel's grave can be visited in the Earlham Cemetary, complete with the epitaph: "Howdy folks. This is your old friend Singin' Sam."

02 634-5789 - Wilson Pickett

Classic R&B Collection (1966)

Oh my, how do you pick a Wilson Pickett track? You could pick "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000

Dances," "Mustang Sally," "Funky Broadway" … or "634-5789" which is exactly what I did. Goodbye Mr.

Pickett, we will miss you.

Of the major '60s soul stars, Wilson Pickett was one of the roughest and sweatiest, working up some of

the decade's hottest dance floor grooves on hits like "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1000 Dances,"

"Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway." Although he tends to be held in somewhat lower esteem than

more versatile talents like Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, he is often a preferred alternative of fans

who like their soul on the rawer side. He also did a good deal to establish the sound of Southern soul with

his early hits, which were often written and recorded with the cream of the session musicians in Memphis

and Muscle Shoals.

Before establishing himself as a solo artist, Pickett sang with the Falcons, who had a Top Ten R&B hit in

1962 with "I Found a Love." "If You Need Me" (covered by the Rolling Stones) and "It's Too Late" were

R&B hits for the singer before he hooked up with Atlantic Records, who sent him to record at Stax in

Memphis in 1965. One early result was "In the Midnight Hour," whose chugging horn line, loping funky

beats, and impassioned vocals combined into a key transitional performance that brought R&B into the

soul age. It was an R&B chart-topper and a substantial pop hit (number 21), though its influence was

stronger than that respectable position might indicate: thousands of bands, black and white, covered "In

the Midnight Hour" on-stage and record in the 1960s.

Pickett had a flurry of other galvanizing soul hits over the next few years, including "634-5789,"

"Mustang Sally," and "Funky Broadway," all of which, like "In the Midnight Hour," were frequently

adapted by other bands as dance-ready numbers. The king of that hill, though, had to be "Land of 1000

Dances," Pickett's biggest pop hit (number six), a soul anthem of sorts with its roll call of popular dances,

and covered by almost as many acts as "Midnight Hour" was.

Pickett didn't confine himself to the environs of Stax for long; soon he was also cutting tracks at Muscle

Shoals. He recorded several early songs by Bobby Womack. He used Duane Allman as a session guitarist

on a hit cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude." He cut some hits in Philadelphia with Gamble & Huff

productions in the early '70s. He even did a hit version of the Archies' "Sugar, Sugar." The hits kept

rolling through the early '70s, including "Don't Knock My Love" and "Get Me Back on Time, Engine Number

9."

One of the corollaries of '60s soul is that if a performer rose to fame with Motown or Atlantic, he or she

would produce little of note after leaving the label. Pickett, unfortunately, did not prove an exception to

the rule. His last big hit was "Fire and Water," in 1972. He continued to be active on the tour circuit; his

most essential music, all from the 1960s and early '70s, was assembled for the superb Rhino double-CD

anthology A Man and a Half. It's Harder Now, his first new material in over a decade, followed in 1999.

Pickett spent the early part of the 2000s performing, before retiring in late 2004 due to ill health. He

passed away on January 19, 2006, following a heart attack.

03 Baby Please Don't Go - Mary Flower

Ladyfingers (2001)

I knew this one was going on a Naweedna CD the very first time I heard it. I got it from BrianT, Brian

Sheldon‘s friend and band mate. She‘s in my generation and plays the way I like my blues played … simple

and direct with some understated guts for effect. Have a look at the people she admired and played with.

Mary Flower

Blues

Chances are that you'll find Mary Flower in the folk section of your local record shop. She did found a

folk-cum-jazz-based ensemble called Mother Folkers in Denver, which was the mile-high city's leading

women's folk collective; and she could look the part of a folkie "Earth mother" type. Flower moved

seriously into blues over the last decade, however, and hasn't looked back since.

Born in Delphi, IN, Flower made her way to Denver at the beginning of the '70s, when she was in her

twenties, and set up shop in the city's folk community; her gigs made her a name locally, and she

established Mother Folkers. She always appreciated the blues, but it was a two-week period of study

with Jim Schwall and Steve James at a blues workshop in West Virginia that transformed her.

Flower described herself as "consumed" by the experience, and made the decision to devote herself to

the blues. She restarted her career, but initially encountered resistance, partly because she was a white

blueswoman who didn't conform to expectations — ever since Janis Joplin, white female blues performers

have been expected to sound like Big Mama Thornton, which Flower didn't, Scrapper Blackwell being more

of a role model. Since the early 1990s, however, she has gradually achieved acceptance, and has played

places like Buddy Guy's club in Chicago as well as various festivals, where she has been well received, and

tours regionally and nationally.

As a folk artist, Flower played alongside Geoff Muldaur, David Bromberg, and Ramblin' Jack Elliot. Her

work in blues, however, has been strongly influenced by Scrapper Blackwell, Henry Glover, and Robert

Johnson, but especially Blind Lemon Jefferson. She plays with passion, none of it forced or posed, and

she has a husky voice to go with the kind of stuff she covers — she could sing prettier than she does, but

what she does seems honest. She also writes originals with a cutting, clever edge. Flower has been around

about as long as Bonnie Raitt, only without the major-label record contracts, the arena and movie

appearances, or the Grammy, and deserves to be known by at least as many people.

Mary Flower

Ladyfingers

Rating 4 *

Release Date Sep 11, 2001

Recording Date 2001

Blues

Unassuming blues heroine Mary Flowers proves once again that she's one of the nation's premier

fingerstyle blues guitarists on Lady Fingers. More importantly, she's made a beautifully eclectic and

listenable record, which can't be said of many traditionalist outings. Though primarily a purveyor of the

Piedmont blues (the Delta tradition's brighter, syncopated cousin), Flower takes flight on this record, not

limiting herself to scholarly ragtime reproductions. One moment, she's getting low-down and dirty on an

imaginative medley of Big Joe William's "Baby, Please Don't Go" and Booker T. Jones' "Green Onions."

The next, she's delivering a torchy rendition of Toots Thielemans' jazz classic "Bluesette," followed by a

country spiritual and two thoughtful original instrumentals, showing off her heavyweight chops. Memphis

Minnie, Jimmie Oden, and Ivory Joe Hunter also get their due. Flower's version of Hunter's "I Almost

Lost My Mind" is priceless, featuring harmony from Mollie O'Brien. Thoughtful accompaniment by Pat

Donohue (guitar), John Magnie (accordion), and Mark Diamond (string bass) really adds to the session.

Flower's technique is exceptional throughout and, in the end, serves the highest purpose — the music.

04 Little Bit Is Better Than Nada - Texas Tornados

4 Aces(96)

This track commemorates Freddy Fender, a member of the Texas Tornados. You can sample Freddy‘s

work on two other Fender tracks on previous Naweedna CDs: Naweedna 01, ―Across The Borderline‖ and

Naweedna 2002B, ―Who Were You Thinking Of When We Were Making Love Last Night‖. I first heard of

the Tornados from Mahoney – along with a lot of other stuff. We‘re all gonna miss Freddy. Ah, but we

still got Flaco … maybe he‘ll be on next year‘s compilation ;-)

Texas Tornados

The ultimate Tex-Mex supergroup, Texas Tornados were composed of some of the genre's most

legendary figures: Doug Sahm, Augie Meyers (Sahm's bandmate in the groundbreaking Sir Douglas

Quintet), Hispanic country star Freddy Fender, and accordion virtuoso Flaco Jimenez. The group's

infectious, party-ready sound blended country, early rock & roll, Mexican folk music, R&B, blues, and

whatever other roots musics crossed their paths. The Tornados first assembled in 1989 at a concert in

San Francisco, billing themselves as the Tex-Mex Revue. They enjoyed the collaboration so much they

decided to stick with it and generated far more publicity together than they would have solo; Jimenez

had released several acclaimed albums by that point, but Sahm had recorded only sporadically during the

'80s, and Fender hardly at all. Their self-titled debut album was released on Reprise in 1990 — in both

English and Spanish versions — to rapturous reviews and also sold pretty well, reaching number 25 on the

country charts. The group toured extensively behind it and issued the Grammy-nominated follow-up album

Zone of Our Own in 1991, again to hugely positive reviews. By the time of 1992's Hangin' on by a Thread,

the group's primary audience was Latino, and Jimenez accordingly took more and more of the spotlight.

After more touring, the group went their separate ways to concentrate on other projects and work on

new material; most notably, Sahm and Meyers formed a new version of the Sir Douglas Quintet. In the

meantime, Reprise issued a compilation, The Best of Texas Tornados. The Tornados reconvened in 1996

for the album 4 Aces, which didn't attract quite as much attention or acclaim as their previous work. The

group's late-1998 concert at Antone's in Austin was recorded and released the following summer as Live

From the Limo, Vol. 1; unfortunately, it would prove to be the only volume, as Sahm died of a heart attack

in late 1999.

Texas Tornados

4 Aces

Rating 3 *

Release Date Jul 9, 1996

Time 42:43

Rock

Tex-Mex

Despite a few good moments — like the rollicking "Clinging to You" — 4 Aces is a bit too predictable of a

good time from the Texas Tornados. Certainly, all of the ingredients that made their previous recordings

delightful are present, but the problem is the album doesn't ever quite catch fire with the goofy fun that

distinguished their best music.

1 Little Bit Is Better Than Nada Sahm 3:33

2 Amor de Mi Vida Baca, Ortega 3:12

3 In My Mind Fender 2:59

4 4 Aces Sahm 5:36

5 My Cruel Pain Ayala, Fender, Reyna 3:29

6 Tell Me Carrasco 3:33

7 Ta Bueno Compadre (It's Ok Friend) Sahm 2:54

8 The Gardens Gaffney 3:16

9 Rosalita Wallisch 4:22

10 Clinging to You Sahm 2:58

11 Mi Morenita Baca, Jimenez, Ortega 2:58

12 The One I Love the Most Dobbins, Huffman, Morrison 3:53

05 Fine Brown Frame - Lou Rawls & Dianne Reeves

At Last (1989)

Lou is one of our favorite artists, and we have a bunch of his stuff. This selection isn‘t what I‘d call

typical Lou, but Janie lobbied for it, so it is in. What are Lou‘s signature tracks? Here are the ones I was

considering using:

Stormy Monday

Tobacco Road

Dead End Street

Goin‘ To Chicago Blues

I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water

You might see a couple of them in the future ;-)

When Chicago-born Lou Rawls croons a soulful love song, his deep-hued pipes rumble with simmering

passion. Rawls did the usual gospel apprenticeship before breaking out on a landmark jazz album with

pianist Les McCann's trio for Capitol that launched his secular career. But it took Rawls a while to

establish himself as a soul artist - perhaps he was perceived as a little too sophisticated and jazzy

(although his uncredited responses on Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me" certainly proved he could

wail). "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing" instantly changed that notion when it topped the R&B charts in 1966, and

the unyielding "Dead End Street" and "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)" perpetuated his success.

After memorably delivering Bobby Hebb's powerful "A Natural Man" in 1971, Rawls joined forces with

Philadelphia producers Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in 1976, emerging with the silky "You'll Never Find

Another Love Like Mine," another gigantic R&B and pop smash tailor-made for nattily sweeping across the

classiest disco dance floors. The disco era's long gone now, but Rawls maintains elegantly. He's still as

cool as cool can be. - Bill Dahl

At Last

Rating 1.5 *

Release Date Jun 1989

Time 37:06

Vocal Jazz

He's never deserted either blues or jazz, but Lou Rawls hasn't always found a receptive audience for

these styles at notoriously conservative major labels. That wasn't the case on this 1989 album, on which

Rawls performed straight ahead jazz and pre-rock pop or blues, and was backed by an all-star lineup

including Ray Charles, Cornell Dupree, Steve Khan, Richard Tee and Dianne Reeves. His voice had an

exuberance and fervor that spoke volumes about how happy he was in the setting.

1 At Last Gordon, Warren 3:37

2 Two Years of Torture Mayfield 2:47

3 Fine Brown Frame Cartiero, Williams 3:02

4 Good Intentions Lovett 3:08

5 That's Where It's At Alexander, Cooke 3:12

6 If I Were a Magician Brown, Vera 3:01

7 You Can't Go Home No More Vera 5:32

8 Room With a View Fulson, Vera 3:56

9 After the Lights Go Down Low Lovett, White 2:33

10 She's No Lady Lovett 2:58

11 Oh What a Nite Vera 3:32

Stormy Monday

Artist Lou Rawls

Album Title Stormy Monday

Date of Release Feb 5, 1962+Feb 12, 1962 (release)

AMG Rating 4.5 *

Soul, R&B, Vocal Jazz

Time 45:34

Lou Rawls has had a long and commercially sucessful career mostly singing soul, r&b and pop muisc.

Originally a gospel singer, Rawls' first album as a leader (reissued on CD) features him performing soulful

standards backed by the Les McCann Trio. Few of the songs have exactly been underrecorded through

the years but they sound fresh and lively when sung by Rawls; highlights include "Stormy Monday," "In

the Evening" and "I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water." Pianist McCann gets a generous amount of solo space

and the reissue has three "bonus cuts" that were being released for the first time. This is still Lou

Rawls' definitive recording in the jazz idiom, cut before he went on to more lucrative areas.

1. (They Call It) Stormy Monday performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 3:45

2. God Bless the Child performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 4:30

3. See See Rider performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 3:11

4. Willow Weep for Me performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 5:57

5. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 4:00

6. In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down) performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 3:28

7. 'Tain't Nobody's Bizness If I Do performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 2:45

8. Lost and Lookin' performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 3:12

9. I'd Rather Drink Muddy Water performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 3:55

10. Sweet Lover performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 3:08

11. Blues Is a Woman [*] performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 2:58

12. A Little Les of Lou's Blues [*] performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 2:23

13. (They Call It) Stormy Monday [alternate take/*] performed by Rawls / Les McCann - 2:58

06 Israelites - Desmond Dekker

Rockin' Steady (1992)

Yeah, I know, this is a well-known, popular track … but it is still good and represents Dekker‘s work. My

other choice was ―007 (Shanty Town),‖ but, after comparing the two, I opted for Israelites even if it is

so well known. I got this CD from Irene. Thanks, ‗Reney ;-)

Desmond Dekker

Probably no other Jamaican artist has brought more international acclaim to his island home than

Desmond Dekker, barring, of course, Bob Marley, but Dekker came first. Most people's introduction to

the island's unique musical sound came via the singer's many hits, most notably "Israelites" and "0.0.7.

(Shanty Town)." Needless to say, he was even more influential in his homeland.

Born Desmond Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica, on July 16, 1942, the star-to-be was orphaned in his teens.

Left to earn a living on his own, he apprenticed as a welder. It was his workmates who first noted his

vocal talents, as the youngster sang around the workshop. With their encouragement, in 1961 the young

man decided to have a go at recording and auditioned for both Coxsone Dodd at Studio One and Duke

Reid at Treasure Isle. Neither man found anything remarkable about this young hopeful and sent him on

his way. Not discouraged, Dacres next tried his luck with Leslie Kong, owner of the Beverley's label. He

auditioned before the stable's biggest hitmaker, Derrick Morgan, who immediately spotted the young

man's potential. However, it was to be two long years before Kong finally took him into the studio, waiting

patiently for him to compose a song worthy of recording.

In 1963, Dacres presented Kong with "Honour Your Father and Mother," and the producer knew the wait

had been worth it. Upon its release, the song's heartfelt message soared to the top of the Jamaican

charts. Having been renamed Desmond Dekker, the new star followed up with "Sinners Come Home" and

"Labour for Learning," which were also successful. However, it was with his next release, "King of Ska,"

that Dekker's star was truly established. Backed by the Cherrypies, aka the Maytals, the boastful song, a

raucous celebration of ska in all its glory, swiftly attained classic status and remains one of the genre's

masterpieces. Before the year was out, Dekker had found his own backing group, the Aces, a quartet of

singing siblings — Carl, Clive, Barry, and Patrick Howard — initially known as the Four Aces. Together the

five men cut a slew of excellent ska-fired singles, such as the jubilant "Get Up Edina," the advice to

"Parents," the bouncy love letter "This Woman," and the sublime "Mount Zion." All were big hits.

However, as can be seen by the titles, Dekker's initial appeal was as a respectful young man (admittedly

with a penchant for admonishing misbehaving young ladies). That would all change in 1967. Derrick Morgan

helped set the stage with his trio of rudeboys-go-to-court songs beginning off with "Tougher Than

Tough," which featured Dekker and his brother George on backing vocals. Wisely, Dekker himself steered

clear of what swiftly turned into a judicial soap opera, instead he rocketed "0.0.7. (Shanty Town)" into

the Jamaican charts. Set to a sturdy rocksteady beat, the song quickly became a rudeboy anthem and

established Dekker as a virtual rudeboy icon. Across the water in Britain in the wake of its own mod

revolution, the Jamaican singer was seen as one of the mod's own. The single looted and shot its way into

the U.K. Top 15, and Dekker immediately set off on his first visit to England. The response there

astonished him, and he was trailed everywhere by mods almost acting as informal bodyguards. More

rudeboy hits followed, including the indeed soulful "Rudy Got Soul and "Rude Boy Train." Others were

often in keeping with the more temperate subjects of Dekker's past: the religious-themed "Wise Man,"

"Hey Grandma," the warning for "Mother's Young Girl," the lovelorn "Sabotage," the bouncy "It's a

Shame" (wherein another girl gets a telling off), and the inspirational "Unity" (which took second place at

Jamaica's Festival Song Competition that year). One of the most evocative was "Pretty Africa"; one of

the earliest repatriation songs composed, it's haunting beauty and yearning quality has kept it a strong

favorite. "It Pays," another hit from 1967, features some of the most exquisite falsetto harmonies ever

to be recorded and showcases the Aces as their best. Although none repeated the success of "0.0.7.,"

Dekker remained a powerful force in the U.K. and a superstar at home. Many of the hits from this era

were included on the singer's debut album, which was naturally titled after "0.0.7. (Shanty Town)."

In 1968, the singer unleashed the mighty sufferers' lament "Israelites" on an unsuspecting world. For

half a year, the song simmered on the U.K. charts, finally coming to a boil in March, when it topped the

chart. Meanwhile in the U.S., the song had also begun to rise, peaking thee months later just inside the

Top Ten. Dekker had achieved the dream of every Jamaican artist, to break into the U.S. market. He was

the first to do so, at least with a pure Jamaican song. Although Dekker would never put another single so

high into the U.S. charts, his career continued unabated both at home and in the U.K. The heartbreak of

"Beautiful and Dangerous" was the perfect theme for another smash, as was the exuberant "Shing a Ling"

and the equally infectious "Music Like Dirt." For the more religiously minded there was "Writing on the

Wall," but what did buyers of that popular single make of the highly suggestive and equally successful

"Bongo Girl"? Before the year was out, the Beverley's label gathered up a group of hits from the year for

the Action! collection.

In 1969, the upbeat "Problems" spoke directly to the Jamaican public, who bought the single in droves.

But the year was defined by "It Mek," wherein another girl gets her comeuppance. Dekker composed the

song about his rambunctious younger sister. Initially released to muted response, the original was a

charmer but lacked punch; the re-recorded version was much stronger and smashed into the Jamaican

chart, then soared into the Top Ten across the water. "Pickney Gal," however, although very successful in

Jamaica, did less well in the U.K. As to be expected, Beverley's rounded up this year's hits for a new

album, Israelites. In the U.K., fans were treated to This Is Desmond Dekker, which the Trojan label also

released in 1969, a virtual nonstop chart-busting party, drawn from the three Beverley's sets.

By the time the '70s dawned, Dekker had relocated to Britain and was spending most of his time touring.

However, he continued releasing excellent singles, as always backed by the superb Beverley's All Stars

house band and accompanied by the exquisite Aces. Neither the band nor singers have ever received the

credit they were due. The former's flawless and sympathetic performances powered every one of

Dekker's songs, while the latter's sublime soaring vocals and perfect harmonies helped define his sound.

Unusually, Dekker's next hit would not come from his own pen, but another's. Leslie Kong had to argue

vociferously to convince the singer to cover Jimmy Cliff's "You Can Get It If You Really Want," but in

the end, Dekker put his faith in the producer. He was rewarded with a timeless masterpiece that was a

smash on both sides of the Atlantic. The song titled yet another hit-laden collection, released by Trojan

in 1970 as well. In retrospect, it was fitting that Kong's two greatest stars should have combined talents

in this way. In August 1971, the great producer, still only in his thirties, died unexpectedly of a heart

attack. Unlike virtually every other artist on the island, Dekker had spent his entire career under Kong's

wing and was devastated by his death. (Barring a few very early recordings, Cliff had as well and was

equally distraught and directionless in the aftermath.) The definitive collection of Dekker's work with

Kong is found on the Trojan label's Original Reggae Hitsound of Desmond Dekker and the Aces

compilation.

Initially at a total loss of how to now proceed, eventually Dekker found his way, and over the next few

years, he released a steady stream of fine singles. However, he seemed to have lost his grip on Britain

and none of his releases charted there. In hopes of remedying this situation, in 1974 Dekker joined

forces with the pop production team Bruce Anthony (aka Tony Cousins) and Bruce White. Their session

together resulted in the singles "Everybody Join Hands" and "Busted Lad," released in the U.K. by the

Rhino label. They had little impact however, but in 1975, another song from the session, "Sing a Little

Song," charmed its way into the British Top 20. A sugary offering with lush production, it was far

removed from the work Dekker had done with Kong. A new album, titled Israelites, and not to be

confused with the Beverley's album of the same name, was also released this year. Although it featured a

ferocious version of the title track, it then sank quickly into syrupy waters, much like "Sing..." After that

and for the next five years, Dekker disappeared off the U.K. radar almost entirely. He continued to

release records in Jamaica, although they were sporadic in comparison to his prolific output in the '60s.

However, as the '70s came to a close, the 2-Tone movement gave fresh impetus to the singer's career,

and Dekker inked a deal with the independent punk label Stiff. His debut for them was the wittily titled

Black & Dekker album, which featured re-recordings of past hits, backed by the British rock band the

Rumour. The Rumour, of course, were famous as the group behind Graham Parker. A series of singles also

announced his return, with the first, a re-recorded "Israelites," almost breaking into the Top Ten in

Belgium. That was followed by "Please Don't Bend" and a cover of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross." A

fourth single, "Book of Rules," was especially strong and produced by Will Birch, best known for his work

with power pop bands. Dekker's follow-up, 1981's Compass Point, in contrast, featured mostly new

compositions and was produced by Robert Palmer. Both it and the single "Hot City," however, did poorly.

Regardless, Dekker was in big demand on-stage, where he continued to be accompanied by the Rumour. As

the 2-Tone movement disintegrated, so too did Dekker's revival. In 1984, the singer was forced to

declare bankruptcy, although this was less a reflection on him than on his past management.

Dekker veritably disappeared from view for the rest of the decade, with only Trojan's 1987 Officially

Live and Rare album breaking the drought, which was recorded during an enthusiastic live club appearance

in London. A new version of "Israelites," utilized in a Maxell tape ad, brought the singer back into public

view in 1990. The following year, Dekker released King of Ska, again featuring re-recordings of past

glories. Two years later, he entered the studio with an equally revitalized Specials for the King of Kings

album. And although this set too featured old hits, this time around the vast majority weren't Dekker's

own, but his personal heroes, including, of course, Derrick Morgan, the man who had discovered him.

In 1996, Moving On appeared, not one of Dekker's best. However, the Trojan label has continued to keep

the singer's back catalog to the fore. Beginning back in 1974, when they released the humorously titled

Double Dekker, across Sweet 16 Hits (1978), The Original Reggae Hitsound in 1985, and 1992's Music

Like Dirt, there's never been a dearth of excellent Dekker material for fans to revel in. Other labels

have jumped in on the action, and the shelves have quickly filled with compilations of the singer from

varying stages of his career. Dekker's vast catalog of music, songs that defined the ska, rocksteady, and

reggae eras have provided the singer with a rich legacy that has rarely been equaled. On May 25, 2006,

Dekker passed away at age 64 in his London home.

Desmond Dekker

Rockin' Steady: The Best of Desmond Dekker

Rating 5 * checked

Release Date 1992

Compilation

Reggae

To pick a truly essential Desmond Dekker collection from the myriad best-ofs, box sets, and period

anthologies that dot the musical landscape would be almost impossible; many of the Dekker compilations

currently on the market are practically interchangeable in terms of both content and sound quality. But if

you're looking for a starting point, you can't do much better than this 20-track retrospective, which

includes just about every hit single Dekker made during the peak of his popularity in the late '60s. There

are the songs of Biblical warning ("Honour Your Mother and Your Father," "This Woman"), the rude boy

anthems ("007 (Shanty Town)," "Rude Boy Train"), the topical admonishments ("Keep a Cool Head,"

"Unity"), and, of course, the immortal "Israelites," which introduced most of North America to the ska

sound when it was a worldwide radio hit in 1969. Not to mention charming period pieces like "Intensified

Festival 68" and the irresistible romantic come-on "Pickney Gal." Highly recommended.

1 Honour Your Mother and Father Dekker 2:26

2 This Woman Dekker 2:34

3 007 (Shanty Town) Dekker 2:48

4 Keep a Cool Head Dekker 2:09

5 Unity Dekker 2:15

6 Wise Man Dekker 2:07

7 Mother Long Tongue Dekker 2:19

8 Fu Man Chu Dekker 3:12

9 Israelites Dekker 2:39

10 It Is Not Easy Dekker, Kong 2:13

11 Intensified Festival 68 Dekker 2:44

12 A It Mek Dekker 2:28

13 My Precious World (The Man) Dekker, Kong 2:58

14 Rude Boy Train [*] Dekker, Kong 2:20

15 Mother Pepper [*] Dekker 2:18

16 Pickney Gal Dekker 2:56

17 You Can Get It If You Really Want Cliff 2:30

18 Licking Stick [*] Dekker 2:15

19 Reggae Recipe [*] Dekker, Kong 3:05

20 Warlock Dekker, Kong 3:54

07 Do You Want My Job - John Hiatt & Ry Cooder

Little Village (1993)

I bought this CD because of Cooder, and it turned out to be my introduction to John Hiatt. I now have

eleven other Hiatt CDs, and I still think this one is the best overall. This is my favorite track from this

CD, and there are several more tracks from it just waiting for future Naweedna compilations. Stay tuned

;-)

John Hiatt's sales have never quite matched his reputation. Hiatt's songs were covered successfully by

everyone from Bonnie Raitt, Ronnie Milsap and Dr. Feelgood to Iggy Pop, Three Dog Night and the Neville

Brothers, yet it took him 13 years to reach the charts himself. Of course, it nearly took him that long to

find his own style. Hiatt began his solo career in 1974, and over the next decade, he ran through a

number of different styles from rock & roll to new wave pop before he finally settled on a rootsy fusion

of rock & roll, country, blues and folk with his 1987 album Bring the Family. Though the album didn't set

the charts on fire, it became his first album to reach the charts, and several of the songs on the record

became hits for other artists, including Raitt and Milsap. Following its success, Hiatt became a reliable

hit songwriter for other artists, and he developed a strong cult following that continued to gain strength

into the mid-'90s.

While he was growing up in his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana, John Hiatt played in a number of

garage bands. Initially, he was inspired by the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and the music of those two

artists would echo strongly throughout his work. Out of all the bar bands he played with in the late '60s,

a group called the White Ducks was the one that received the most attention. Following his high-school

graduation, he moved to Nashville at the age of 18, where he landed a job as a songwriter for Tree

Publishing. For the next several years, he wrote and performed at local clubs and hotels. Within a few

years, his songs were being recorded by several different artists, including Conway Twitty, Tracy Nelson

and Three Dog Night, who took Hiatt's "Sure as I'm Sittin' Here" to number 16 in the summer of 1974.

Eventually, his manager secured him an audition at Epic Records, and the label signed him in 1974,

releasing his debut album Hangin' Around the Observatory later that year. Despite their critical acclaim,

neither Hangin' Around the Observatory nor its 1975 follow-up Overcoats sold many copies, and he was

dropped by the label. By the end of the year, Tree Publishing had let him go as well.

Following his failure in Nashville, Hiatt moved out to California. By the summer of 1978 he had settled in

Los Angeles, where began playing in clubs, opening for folk musicians including Leo Kottke. With Kottke's

assistence, Hiatt hired a new manager, Denny Bruce, who helped him secure a record contract with MCA

Records. Slug Line, his first record for MCA, was released in the summer of 1979. Where his first two

records were straightahead rock & roll and folk-rock, Slug Line was in the new wave vein of angry English

singer/songwriters like Elvis Costello, Graham Parker and Joe Jackson, as if Hiatt was vying for the role

of the American angry young man. The new approach earned some strong reviews, yet it failed to

generate any sales. Two Bit Monsters, his second MCA album, faced the same situation. Although it was

well-received critically upon its 1980 release, it made no impression on the charts, and the label dropped

him.

Apart from working on Two Bit Monsters, Hiatt spent most of 1980 as a member of Ry Cooder's backing

band, playing rhythm guitar on the Borderline album and touring with the guitarist. Hiatt stayed with

Cooder throughout 1981, signing a new contract with Geffen Records by the end of the year. Produced by

Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), his Geffen debut All of A Sudden was released in 1982, followed by

the Nick Lowe/Scott Matthews & Ron Nagel-produced Riding with the King in 1983. As with his previous

records for Epic and MCA, neither of his first two Geffen releases sold well. By this time, Hiatt's

personal life was beginning to spin out of control as he was sinking deep into alcoholism. Around the time

he completed 1985's Warming Up to the Ice Age, his second wife committed suicide. Following the

release of Warming Up to the Ice Age, Hiatt was dropped by Geffen. By the end of 1985, he had entered

a rehabilitation program. During 1986, he remarried and signed a new deal with A&M Records.

For his A&M debut, Hiatt assembled a small band comprised of his former associates Ry Cooder (guitar),

Nick Lowe (bass), and Jim Keltner (drums). Recorded over the course of a handful of days, the resulting

album Bring the Family had a direct, stripped-down rootsy sound that differed greatly from his earlier

albums. Upon its summer 1987 release, Bring the Family received the best reviews of his career and, for

once, the reviews began to pay off, as the album turned into a cult hit, peaking at 107 on the US charts;

it was his first charting album. Hiatt attempted to record a follow-up with Cooder, Lowe and Keltner, but

the musicians failed to agree on the financial terms for the sessions. Undaunted, he recorded an album

with John Doe, David Lindley and Dave Mattacks, but he scrapped the completed project, deciding that

the result was too forced. Hiatt's final attempt at recording the follow-up to Bring the Family was

orchestrated by veteran producer Glyn Johns, who had him record with his touring band, the Goners.

Despite all of the behind-the-scenes troubles behind its recording, the follow-up album, Slow Turning,

actually appeared rather quickly, appearing in the summer of 1988.

Slow Turning, like Bring the Family before it, received nearly unanimous positive reviews and it was fairly

well-received commercially, spending 31 weeks on the US charts and peaking at 98. Within the next year,

Hiatt successfully toured throughout America and Europe, strengthening his fan base along the way.

Inspired by the success of Hiatt's two A&M albums, Geffen released the compilation Y'All Caught? The

Ones That Got Away 1979-85 in 1989. That same year, other artists began digging through Hiatt's

catalog of songs, most notably Bonnie Raitt, who covered "Thing Called Love" for her multi-platinum

comeback album, Nick of Time.

In 1990, Hiatt returned with Stolen Moments, which was nearly as successful as Slow Turning, both

critically and commercially. "Bring Back Your Love to Me," an album track from Stolen Moments that was

also recorded by Earl Thomas Conley, won BMI's 1991 Country Music Award. By the time "Bring Back Your

Love to Me" won that award, it had become a standard practice for artists to cover Hiatt's songs, as

artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Ronnie Milsap, Suzy Bogguss and Iggy Pop all covered his songs in the

early '90s. In 1993, Rhino Records released Love Gets Strange: The Songs of John Hiatt, which collected

many of the cover versions that were recorded during the '80s and '90s.

During 1991, the group that recorded Bring the Family - Hiatt, Cooder, Lowe, and Keltner - re-formed as

a band called Little Village, releasing their eponymous debut in early 1992. Based on the success of Bring

the Family and Hiatt's A&M albums, expectations for Little Village were quite high, yet the record and

its supporting tour were considered a major disappointment. Later, the individual members would agree

that the band was a failure, mainly due to conflicting egos.

Hiatt decided to back away from the superstar nature of Little Village for his next album, 1993's

Perfectly Good Guitar. Recorded in just two weeks with a backing band comprised of members of

alternative rock bands School of Fish and Wire Train, the album was looser than any record since Bring

the Family, but it didn't quite have the staying power of its two predecessors, spending only 11 weeks on

the charts and peaking at number 47. The following year, he released his first live album, Hiatt Comes

Alive at Budokan?. Hiatt left A&M Records after the release of the record, signing with Capitol Records

the following year.

Walk On, Hiatt's first Capitol album, was recorded during his supporting tour for Perfectly Good Guitar

and featured guest appearances by the Jayhawks and Bonnie Raitt. Walk On entered the charts at 48,

but slipped off the charts in nine weeks, indicating that his audience had settled into a dedicated cult

following. His A&M tenure was recalled on 1998's Greatest Hits. Crossing Muddy Waters was released on

Vanguard two years later.

Little Village

Rating 3 *

1992

Recording Date 1991

Sometimes you just can't get lightning to strike in the same place twice, no matter how hard you try, and

the sole album from Little Village serves as proof. In 1987, guitarist Ry Cooder, bassist Nick Lowe, and

drummer Jim Keltner backed up singer and songwriter John Hiatt on his album Bring the Family; the

album was hailed as an instant classic, but negotiations to reassemble the group for Hiatt's next album

failed. Five years later, the four musicians were persuaded to give working together another try, but this

time instead of backing Hiatt, they'd form a band called Little Village, with all the members writing

collectively and Hiatt, Cooder, and Lowe trading off on vocals. The idea certainly sounded promising, and

there's no denying that these guys play together brilliantly; Little Village rocks harder than Bring the

Family, with Keltner and Lowe generating a bucketful of groove, and Cooder chiming in with a man-sized

portion of his trademark funky guitar. But while the songs on Bring the Family were powerful, personal,

and often deeply moving, here the band sounds like they're just looking to make a good-time party album,

and while it is indeed a good time, the results just aren't as satisfying; bald spots and bad driving may be

funny, but love and family are the kind of stuff that sticks with you. Also, while Little Village was

supposed to be a democracy, it's significant that John Hiatt ended up with the lion's share of the vocals,

and most of the songs sound like ... well, like John Hiatt songs, which is by no means a bad thing, but with

writers and vocalists of the caliber of Nick Lowe and Ry Cooder on board, it's a shame we don't hear

more from them. After one album and one tour, Little Village called it a day, and while the album shows

they knew how to work together, the finished product is just good fun, rather than the second instant

classic they were shooting for.

1 Solar Sex Panel Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 3:47

2 The Action Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 3:25

3 Inside Job Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 4:17

4 Big Love Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 6:26

5 Take Another Look Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 3:40

6 Do You Want My Job Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 5:36

7 Don't Go Away Mad Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 3:39

8 Fool Who Knows Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 3:46

9 She Runs Hot Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 3:19

10 Don't Think About Her When You're Trying to Drive Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 4:33

11 Don't Bug Me While I'm Working Cooder, Hiatt, Keltner, Lowe 3:56

08 Comes Love - Stacey Kent

Love Is The Tender Trap (1999)

Jason introduced me to Stacey Kent and I‘m sure glad he did. I really like her voice and styling and have

been anxious to put one of her tracks on a Naweedna compilation. Here it is … there will be more … I‘m a

chump for sexy female voices … among other things ;-)

New York native Stacey Kent never anticipated a career in jazz music, for she was a Sarah Lawrence

graduate with a degree in comparative literature. But her childhood days spent listening to the traditional

beauty of Frank Sinatra and Nat "King" Cole undoubtedly influenced her. While on holiday in Europe after

graduating from college, she took up singing without much formal training and never looked back.

Kent became acquainted with several musicians at Oxford in 1991 and through them she found herself

participating in a jazz course at the famed Guildhall School of Music and Drama. There she also met her

future husband, tenor saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, and also landed a spot in the class. Her next spot was

singing with the Vile Bodies Swing Orchestra at the Ritz Hotel in London, quickly landing a role in Ian

McKellen's Richard III film, playing the big-band singer. The mid-'90s were more focused on recording

and in 1996, Kent inked a deal with Candid Records. A year later, the critically acclaimed Close Your Eyes

was issued; Tender Trap followed in 1999. Her third LP Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire, which

showcased popular standards, appeared in spring 2000. The ballad-oriented Dreamsville appeared the

next spring.

09 Glory of Love - Big Bill Broonzy

Sings Folk Songs (1956)

I almost didn‘t put this track on because Broonzy‘s ―Baby Please Don't Go‖ was on Naweedna 05. However,

the two tracks are very different, so I went ahead and put it on. We discovered ―Glory of Love‖ while

watching movies. As fate would have it, we watched ―The Terminal‖ and ―Intolerable Cruelty‖ on

consecutive nights and they both had this track. I took that as an omen and ordered the CD the next day.

In terms of his musical skill, the sheer size of his repertoire, the length and variety of his career and his

influence on contemporaries and musicians who would follow, Big Bill Broonzy is among a select few of the

most important figures in recorded blues history. Among his hundreds of titles are standards like "All by

Myself" and "Key to the Highway." In this country he was instrumental in the growth of the Chicago Blues

sound, and his travels abroad rank him as one of the leading blues ambassadors.

Literally born on the banks of the Mississippi, he was one of a family of 17 who learned to fiddle on a

homemade instrument. Taught by his uncle, he was performing by age ten at social functions and in

church. After brief stints on the pulpit and in the Army, he moved to Chicago where he switched his

attention from violin to guitar, playing with elders like Papa Charlie Jackson. Broonzy began his recording

career with Paramount in 1927. In the early '30s he waxed some brilliant blues and hokum and worked

Chicago and the road with great players like pianist Black Bob, guitarist Will Weldon and Memphis Minnie.

During the Depression years Big Bill Broonzy continued full steam ahead, doing some acrobatic label-

hopping (Paramount to Bluebird to Columbia to Okeh!). In addition to solo efforts, he contributed his

muscular guitar licks to recordings by Bumble Bee Slim, John Lee (Sonny Boy) Williamson and others who

were forging a powerful new Chicago sound.

In 1938, Broonzy was at Carnegie Hall (ostensibly filling in for the fallen Robert Johnson) for John

Hammond's revolutionary Sprirtuals to Swing Series. The following year he appeared with Benny Goodman

and Louis Armstrong in George Seldes's film production Swingin' the Dream. After his initial brush with

the East Coast cognoscenti, however, Broonzy spent a good part of the early '40s barnstorming the

South with Lil Green's road show or kicking back in Chicago with Memphis Slim.

He continued alternating stints in Chicago and New York with coast-to-coast road work until 1951 when

live performances and recording dates overseas earned him considerable notoriety in Europe and led to

worldwide touring. Back in the States he recorded for Chess, Columbia and Folkways, working with a

spectrum of artists from Blind John Davis to Pete Seeger. In 1955, Big Bill Blues, his life as told to

Danish writer Yannick Bruynoghe, was published.

In 1957, after one more British tour, the pace began to catch up with Broonzy. He spent the last year of

his life in and out of hospitals and succumbed to cancer in 1958. He survives though; not only in his music,

but in the remembrances of people who knew him...from Muddy Waters to Studs Terkel. A gentle giant

they say...tough enough to survive the blues world...but not so tough he wouldn't give a struggling young

musician the shirt off his back. His music, of course, is absolutely basic to the blues experience, and was

celebrated in 1999 with the release of the three-disc retrospective The Bill Broonzy Story.

10 I'm Shakin' - Little Willie John

Shure Thing (1961)

What‘s not to like about Little Willie John? I was a senior in HS when this came out, and I never heard it

again until Mahoney gave me some of his stuff last year. His version of ―A Cottage For Sale‖ is way

different but equally good. A future selection for sure.

Little Willie John

Sure Things

Rating 4 *

Release Date 1961

R&B

Big-voiced R&B singer Little Willie John's 1961 record Sure Things contained his biggest pop hit yet, the

charming "Sleep," which introduced strings to his sound. The rest of the album follows in the

orchestrated footsteps at least part of the time. The strings back John as he essays a swooning cover of

"A Cottage for Sale," the very poppy "I'm Sorry," a swinging "The Very Thought of You," and a corny

"Loving Care." It is interesting to hear John's wondrously powerful voice in these restrained settings, but

the real thrill comes from the rest of the record, which includes some of the best performances of his

career. "My Love Is" is a "Fever" retread with just bass, drums, and finger snaps, and one of John's best

vocals; "I Like to See My Baby" is a jaunty R&B jumper; "There's a Difference" is a happy doo wop-styled

ballad. Best of all are the last two tracks on the record. The incendiary, moody blues "You Hurt Me" is

very tough, John sounds ready to break things up, and the guitarist is right there with him; "I'm Shakin'"

is an R&B rocker with a raw as uncooked-meat vocal and a knockout blow of a hook. The consistent high

quality of the material and the strong performances make this disc highly desirable to Little Willie John

fans and fans of first rate R&B, as well.

1 Sleep Little Willie John 2:58

2 A Cottage for Sale Conley, Robison 2:57

3 There's a Difference 2:28

4 I'm Sorry 1:47

5 My Love Is Myles 2:14

6 I Like to See My Baby 1:52

7 Walk Slow Little Willie John 1:56

8 The Very Thought of You Little Willie John 2:25

9 Heartbreak (It's Hurtin' Me) Little Willie John 2:56

10 Loving Care 2:17

11 You Hurt Me Darlynn, Kertis 3:02

12 I'm Shakin' 2:26

11 One Dime Blues - Etta Baker

One Dime Blues (1988)

I first heard Etta Baker on a CD playing in the background at the Folk Art Center in Ashville NC. I

refused to pay the $20 for it, but it haunted me for several months thereafter. Eventually, I managed to

download both of her CDs: ―One Dime Blues‖ & ―Railroad Bill‖.

You gotta read the bio information to fully appreciate her work. She was born in 1913 and was SEVENTY-

FIVE when she cut this album! Equally wondrous, the last track on the CD, ―Carolina Breakdown‖, actually

has a Carolina Wren singing in the background – like it was recorded while sitting on her porch or

something.

Etta Baker

Title One-Dime Blues

Date of Release Oct 1988 - Jul 1990 (release) inprint

AMG Rating 4.5 *

Piedmont Blues, Country Blues, Acoustic Blues

Time 53:17

Guitarist Etta Baker quietly enjoyed one of the blues' most enduring careers, working in almost total

obscurity and recording only on the rarest of occasions while honing her craft throughout the greater

part of the 20th century. Born in Caldwell County, North Carolina on March 31, 1913, she was the product

of a musical family, taking up the guitar as a child and learning from her father and other relatives

traditional blues and folk songs. Over time, Baker emerged among the foremost practitioners of acoustic

Piedmont guitar finger-picking, an open-tuned style not far removed from bluegrass banjo picking;

however, for decades only relatives and friends ever heard her play, as she confined her performances

solely to family gatherings and parties. She finally made her initial recordings in 1956, joining her father

and other family members on a field recording titled Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians;

she again faded into willful obscurity, however, raising her nine children and toiling in a textile mill.

Finally, while in her sixties - at an age at which most performers consider retirement - Baker finally

began pursuing music professionally, hitting the folk and blues festival circuit. In 1991 - 35 years after

her debut recording - she issued the album One-Dime Blues, and continued performing live throughout

the decade to follow, returning in 1999 with Railroad Bill.

AMG EXPERT REVIEW: Guitarist/vocalist Etta Baker hadn't made any recordings or even been in a

studio since 1956 before making the 20 numbers comprising this CD. But judging from the arresting

vocals, prickly accompaniment and commanding presence she displayed on each song, it seemed as if she

had been cutting tracks daily. Baker moved from sassy and combative blues tunes like "Never Let Your

Deal Go Down" and "But On The Other Hand Baby" to chilling numbers like "Police Dog Blues," novelty

tunes, double-entendre cuts, folk pieces, and even country-flavored material. Singing and playing in

vintage Piedmont style with a two- and three-finger technique, Etta Baker offered timeless, memorable

performances.

1. Never Let Your Deal Go Down (Public Domain) - 3:05

2. One-Dimes Blues (Public Domain) - 2:35

3. Knoxville Rag (Baker) - 2:00

4. Broken Hearted Blues (Baker) - 4:55

5. Lost John (Public Domain) - 2:51

6. Dew Drop (Public Domain) - 2:21

7. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (Public Domain/Traditional) - 2:23

8. Near the Cross I Watch and Pray (Public Domain) - 2:06

9. Spanish Fandango (Public Domain) - 2:18

- 2:55

11. But on the Other Hand Baby (Charles/Mayfield) - 3:03

12. Crow Jane (Public Domain) - 2:01

13. John Henry (Public Domain/Traditional) - 5:15

14. Alabama Wagonwheel (Public Domain) - 1:52

15. Bully of the Town (Public Domain/Traditional) - 2:59

16. Going to the Racetrack (Public Domain) - 1:45

17. Police Dog Blues (Baker/Public Domain) - 2:32

18. Marching Jaybird (Public Domain) - 2:29

19. Railroad Bill (Public Domain/Traditional) - 2:29

20. Carolina Breakdown (Public Domain/Traditional) - 2:48

Etta Baker - Banjo, Guitar, Vocals

12 Someone Loves You - Simon Bonney

More Nothern Exposure (1994)

Another track from the two Northern Exposure CDs. If you can only have two CDs, these are the two – in

my humble opinion. You will find ―Hip Hug Her‖ by Booker T & The MGs on Naweedna 05 … and you will find

more on future compilations … I have eleven more tracks in the queue … eventually, you will have ‗em all ;-)

I originally had this as the second track. You know, ―Somebody Loves You‖ followed by ―Someone Loves

You‖ is pretty obvious. However, the raw energy of Singin‘ Sam seemed to conflict with the subtleness of

Simon Bonney, so I rearranged a bit. Yeah, I do give some thought to positioning, but not a lot ;-)

Simon Bonney

Years Active 1990

Rock

Vocals

As the lead singer of Crime & the City Solution (which featured several ex-members of the Birthday

Party), Bonney was an important figure on the Australia's post-punk scene. On his own, he's moved to a

much rootsier, less gothic angst-infused sound. Much of that transformation is due to his relocation to

the United States, where he hung out with L.A. country-influenced rockers who had played with Dwight

Yoakam and True Believers. His two solo albums were lyrically inspired by American landscapes, sounding

at times like post-modern takes on the sound of Johnny Cash or Marty Robbins. Bonney, however, with

the help of his multi-instrumentalist wife Bronwyn Adams, uses a much wider range of sounds than Cash,

including mandolin, violin, dobro, steel guitar, keyboards, cello, and horns.

Simon Bonney

Forever

Release Date 1992

Time 44:17

Rock

Roots Rock

Drawing on a fine range of performers (including Congo Norvell singer Sally Norvell and Ethyl

Meatplow/Geraldine Fibbers frontwoman Carla Bozulich on background vocals), Bonney creates a mystic,

almost mythic atmosphere on Forever. Much like the final efforts of Crime and the City Solution, but

with an even more haunting, nearly religious atmosphere, Bonney's music conjures up the feeling of a

West that never was, where hoe-downs and wild dances are replaced by contemplation, lyrically and

musically. While it's facile to simply say Bonney does for country what fellow expatriate Nick Cave does

for the blues, there's a similar sense of reverence and transformation at play. Bonney's deep but not

cavernous voice suits his images and songs perfectly, eschewing over-the-top drama for a more

considered approach. Main collaborators J.D. Foster, on guitars and mandolin, and Jon-Dee Graham, on lap

steel, dobro, and bottleneck guitar, contributed excellent performances while avoiding musical clichés,

just as Bonney looks to avoid simply aping Nashville or neo-traditional country both. "Ravenswood,"

Forever's stunning opening number, sets the overall mood faultlessly; Bonney's call for the rain to come

down on him backed by a slow, deceptively powerful arrangement where the guitars sound like flashes of

lightning in dark clouds. Low drums boom in the distance, as what almost sounds like an invocation unfolds.

Many songs move at a faster clip; Forever isn't trudging in its pace, instead combining various influences

and touches from the vocal/electric guitar/violin combination of "Now That's She's Gone" to fairly lush

rock/country fusions. This said, even more energetic numbers as "Like Caesar Needs a Brutus," as the

title alone indicates, grapple with questions of love and belief with strength, and nothing completely lets

loose just for the heck of it. Then again, that's not the intent of Forever in the first place.

1 Ravenswood Bonney

2 Forever Bonney

3 A Part of You Bonney

4 Like Caesar Needs a Brutus Bonney, Foster

5 Saw You Falling Bonney

6 Someone Loves You Bonney

7 There Can Only Be One Bonney

8 Now That She's Gone Bonney

9 The Sun Don't Shine Bonney

10 Ravenswood (Reprise) Bonney

13 Who Do You Love - Bo Diddley

TL Blues Legends (1956)

Who do I love? Bo Diddley, of course. This goes back to my youth; back in the days of the ―race records‖

Ed & I played when we were DJs at the YMCA on Fridays. Oh those were heady days for sure. I just love

the ―Arlene‖ reference and ―47 miles of barbwire‖ – it doesn‘t get much better than this.

He only had a few hits in the 1950s and early '60s, but as Bo Diddley sang, "You Can't Judge a Book by

Its Cover." You can't judge an artist by his chart success, either, and Diddley produced greater and more

influential music than all but a handful of the best early rockers. The Bo Diddley beat - bomp, ba-bomp-

bomp, bomp-bomp - is one of rock & roll's bedrock rhythms, showing up in the work of Buddy Holly, the

Rolling Stones, and even pop-garage knock-offs like the Strangeloves' 1965 hit "I Want Candy." Diddley's

hypnotic rhythmic attack and declamatory, boasting vocals stretched back as far as Africa for their

roots, and looked as far into the future as rap. His trademark otherworldly vibrating, fuzzy guitar style

did much to expand the instrument's power and range. But even more important, Bo's bounce was fun and

irresistibly rocking, with a wisecracking, jiving tone that epitomized rock & roll at its most humorously

outlandish and freewheeling.

Before taking up blues and R&B, Diddley had actually studied classical violin, but shifted gears after

hearing John Lee Hooker. In the early '50s, he began playing with his longtime partner, maraca player

Jerome Green, to get what Bo's called "that freight train sound." Billy Boy Arnold, a fine blues harmonica

player and singer in his own right, was also playing with Diddley when the guitarist got a deal with Chess in

the mid-'50s (after being turned down by rival Chicago label Vee-Jay). His very first single, "Bo

Diddley"/"I'm a Man" (1955), was a double-sided monster. The A-side was soaked with futuristic waves of

tremolo guitar, set to an ageless nursery rhyme; the flip was a bump-and-grind, harmonica-driven shuffle,

based around a devastating blues riff. But the result was not exactly blues, or even straight R&B, but a

new kind of guitar-based rock & roll, soaked in the blues and R&B, but owing allegiance to neither.

Diddley was never a top seller on the order of his Chess rival Chuck Berry, but over the next half-dozen

or so years, he'd produce a catalog of classics that rival Berry's in quality. "You Don't Love Me," "Diddley

Daddy," "Pretty Thing," "Diddy Wah Diddy," "Who Do You Love?," "Mona," "Road Runner," "You Can't

Judge a Book by Its Cover" - all are stone-cold standards of early, riff-driven rock & roll at its funkiest.

Oddly enough, his only Top 20 pop hit was an atypical, absurd back-and-forth rap between him and

Jerome Green, "Say Man," that came about almost by accident as the pair were fooling around in the

studio.

As a live performer, Diddley was galvanizing, using his trademark square guitars and distorted

amplification to produce new sounds that anticipated the innovations of '60s guitarists like Jimi Hendrix.

In Great Britain, he was revered as a giant on the order of Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters. The Rolling

Stones in particular borrowed a lot from Bo's rhythms and attitude in their early days, although they only

officially covered a couple of his tunes, "Mona" and "I'm Alright." Other British R&B groups like the

Yardbirds, Animals, and Pretty Things also covered Diddley standards in their early days. Buddy Holly

covered "Bo Diddley" and used a modified Bo Diddley beat on "Not Fade Away"; when the Stones gave the

song the full-on Bo treatment (complete with shaking maracas), the result was their first big British hit.

The British Invasion helped increase the public's awareness of Diddley's importance, and ever since then

he's been a popular live act. Sadly, though, his career as a recording artist - in commercial and artistic

terms - was over by the time the Beatles and Stones hit America. He'd record with ongoing and declining

frequency, but after 1963, he'd never write or record any original material on par with his early classics.

Whether he'd spent his muse, or just felt he could coast on his laurels, is hard to say. But he remains a

vital part of the collective rock & roll consciousness, occasionally reaching wider visibility via a 1979 tour

with the Clash, a cameo role in the film Trading Places, a late-'80s tour with Ronnie Wood, and a 1989

television commercial for sports shoes with star athlete Bo Jackson.

14 Gomni - Ali Farka Toure & Ry Cooder

Talking Timbuktu (1993)

Oh my, another Cooder collaboration. I don‘t care much for Toure‘s voice, but I find no fault with his

music otherwise. This is my first choice track from a very good CD. Check it out ;-)

Ali Farka Toure

1970 80 90 2000

One of the most internationally successful West African musicians of the '90s, Ali Farka Toure was

described as "the African John Lee Hooker" so many times that it probably began to grate on both

Toure's and Hooker's nerves. There is a lot of truth to the comparison, however, and it isn't exactly an

insult. The guitarist, who also played other instruments such as calabash and bongos, shared with Hooker

(and similar American bluesmen like Lightnin' Hopkins) a predilection for low-pitched vocals and

midtempo, foot-stomping rhythms, often playing with minimal accompaniment.

Toure's delivery was less abrasive than Hooker's, and the general tone of his material somewhat sweeter.

Widespread success on the order of Hooker was somewhat elusive, though, as Toure sang in several

languages, and only occasionally in English. As he once told Option, his are songs "about education, work,

love, and society." If he and Hooker sounded quite similar, it's probably not by conscious design, but due

to the fact that both drew inspiration from African rhythmic and musical traditions that extend back

many generations.

Toure was approaching the age of 50 when he came to the attention of the burgeoning world music

community in the West via a self-titled album in the late '80s. In the following years he toured often in

North America and Europe, and recorded frequently, sometimes with contributions from Taj Mahal and

members of the Chieftains. In 1990, Toure retreated from music entirely to devote himself to his rice

farm, but was convinced by his producer to again pick up the guitar to record 1994's Talking Timbuktu, on

which he was joined by Ry Cooder. It was his most well-received effort to date, earning him a Grammy

for Best World Music Album, but it was also proof that not all Third World-First World collaborations

have to dilute their non-Western elements to achieve wide acceptance. However, Toure found the success

to be draining and again retreated to tend his farm.

He didn't release a record on American shores for five years afterward; he finally broke the silence in

1999 with Niafunké, which discarded the collaborative approach in favor of a return to his musical roots.

Then, once again, Toure stepped away from the limelight. In 2005, perhaps partly to keep his name

familiar to music lovers, Nonesuch issued (for the first time on compact disc) Red & Green, two albums

Toure recorded in the early '80s, packaged together as a two-disc set. In the Heart of the Moon was also

released in 2005. Toure died on March 7, 2006, from the bone cancer that he had been battling for

years; however, he was able to complete one last album before passing. His final album, Savane was

released posthumously in July 2006.

Ali Farka Toure

Talking Timbuktu

Rating 3 *

Release Date 1994

Recording Date Sep 1993

World

Guitarist Ali Farka Toure has repeatedly bridged the gap between traditional African and contemporary

American vernacular music, and this release continues that tradition. The CD features him singing in 11

languages and playing acoustic and electric guitar, six-string banjo, njarka, and percussion, while teaming

smartly with an all-star cast that includes superstar fusion bassist John Patitucci, session drummer Jim

Keltner, longtime roots music great Ry Cooder (who doubled as producer), venerable guitarist Gatemouth

Brown, and such African percussionists and musicians as Hamma Sankare on calabash and Oumar Toure on

congas.

Composed by: Toure

Performed by: Toure, Ali Farka, Ry Cooder

1 Bonde Toure 5:28

2 Soukora Toure 6:05

3 Gomni Toure 7:00

4 Sega Toure 3:10

5 Amandrai Toure 9:22

6 Lasidan Toure 6:06

7 Kelto Toure 5:42

8 Banga Toure 2:32

9 Ai Du Toure 7:09

10 Diaraby Traditional 7:25

15 Long Hard Climb - Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur (1973)

This is one of the albums we used to play while boning chicken for our fondue dinner-parties in Klumz. I

have a lot of Maria and Geoff albums and CDs – all I can find, in fact. Yeah, once I find something I like, I

ride it to the end … if possible. This is Maria‘s first solo event and along with her second, ―Waitress In A

Donut Shop (74)‖ represent some of her best work.

Singer Maria Muldaur was born Maria D'Amato in New York City. In the '60s, she was a member of the

New York-based Even Dozen Jug Band and later of the Boston-based Jim Kweskin Jug Band, who also

included her husband, Geoff Muldaur, from whom she was divorced in 1972. She found solo success with

the sultry single "Midnight at the Oasis," which was featured on her debut solo album, Maria Muldaur, in

1973, and she followed with several similar albums, though her commercial success declined. In the '80s,

Muldaur began performing as a Christian artist. She continued to work the club circuit successfully while

issuing records like 1994's Meet Me at Midnite, 1996's Fanning the Flames, and 1999's Meet Me Where

They Play the Blues. Music for Lovers followed in fall 2000.

16 I Don't Want No Other Baby But You - Pat Donohue

PHC (2003)

Okay, if you can‘t get the Northern Exposure CDs, tune into Prairie Home Companion (Saturday at 6, 5

Central). Pat Donohue is a regular on the show. This particular track really hit a chord with me (hee, hee).

I‘d wanted to put it on the last couple Naweedna CDs but it kept getting bumped. Well, its time is now, so

here it is. Hope you like it as much as I do ;-)

According to Chet Atkins, Pat Donohue is "one of the greatest fingerpickers in the world." Any praise

that could be given to a guitar player seems insignificant next to such a statement, but Donohue's work

warrants even more acclaim. He was named the 1983 National Fingerpicking Guitar Champion, and

continues to garner recognition as an exceptional musician and entertainer. Fans of National Public

Radio's A Prairie Home Companion have been treated to the fingerpicked guitar work of Pat Donohue for

years, whether they know it or not. Donohue started appearing as a guest performer in the '80s and has

been a regular member of the show's house band since 1993.

The full range of Donohue's talents, however, are evident on his recorded works, which blend folk, jazz,

blues, ragtime, and boogie woogie. After recording Manhattan to Memphis and Pat Donohue for Red

House Records, Donohue founded his own label: BlueSky Records. In 1991, he released Life Stories and an

album of jazz and instrumental standards, Two Hand Band followed two years later. Donohue shifted

gears with Big Blind Bluesy, a collection of classic country blues from the likes of Blind Blake and Big Bill

Broonzy, as well as Donohue originals. Atkins appears on 1996's Backroads, which features solo and full-

band performances of Donohue-penned songs. American Guitar showcases Donohue's ability as a solo

performer and includes more of his own songs, as well as his arrangements of traditional American pieces

such as "Maple Leaf Rag" and "the Star Spangled Banner."

Donohue travels extensively for A Prairie Home Companion and, in addition to his solo concert

performances, he conducts numerous group workshops for guitar players across the U.S.

17 Kiko And The Lavender Moon - Los Lobos

Just Another Band From East LA (1993)

Mahoney put this on his ―Mahoney‘s Moons‖ compilation, and I fell in love with it instantly. I‘ve waited a

couple years to include it on a Naweedna CD, but I just couldn‘t wait any longer.

Los Lobos was one of America‘s most distinctive and original bands of the ‗80s. They may have had a hit

with ―La Bamba‖ in 1987, yet that cover barely scratches the surface of their talents. Los Lobos is

eclectic in the best sense of the word. While they draw equally from rock, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B,

blues, and traditional Spanish and Mexican music, their music never sounds forced or self-conscious.

Instead, all of their influences become one graceful, gritty sound. From their very first recordings their

rich musicality was apparent; on nearly every subsequent record they have found ways to redefine and

expand their sound, without ever straying from the musical traditions that form the heart and soul of the

band.

After releasing an independent EP in the late ‗70s and an EP in 1983, Los Lobos delivered their first

major-label album, How Will the Wolf Survive?, in 1984; it received an enormous amount of critical

acclaim, as well as a dedicated following of fans. In the next four years, they released a marginally

successful attempt to make their wildly eclectic sound palatable for a pop audience (By the Light of the

Moon), a soundtrack of old Ritchie Valens songs that was a hit (La Bamba), and an album of traditional

Mexican music (La Pistola y el Corazón). The band took two years off and returned with The

Neighborhood in 1990; the album was a varied and powerful rock & roll record that was better than

anything they had released in six years. Kiko, released in 1992, brought the band into more experimental

territory, without ever abandoning their graceful songwriting.

The band celebrated their 20-year anniversary with Just Another Band From East L.A., a modestly titled

two-CD set that featured most of their biggest singles and recognized songs. It also had rare tracks

from their first album, outtakes, and live tracks that fans had been waiting for. They didn‘t appear

together on record again until 1995, when they released the children‘s record Papa‘s Dream on Music for

Little People Records. They also scored the film Desperado and contributed tracks to several other

soundtracks and tribute albums.

Their last release for Warner Bros. came in the form of 1996‘s Colossal Head, another critically

acclaimed album that still failed to excite the label enough to keep them on the roster. Feeling dejected,

they left one another to concentrate on side projects, like Soul Disguise, Houndog, and the Latin

Playboys. The latter was the most dedicated project of the bunch, eventually becoming another regular

group for David Hidalgo and Louie Pérez, on top of their duties for Los Lobos, after previously releasing

an album in the early 90s.

Los Lobos came back together in 1999, when they recorded and released their debut for Hollywood

Records, This Time. Another Los Angeles-themed gem from the group, it didn‘t perform up to the label‘s

liking and they only managed to deliver one more record for the company, the re-release of 1977‘s Del

Este de Los Angeles. Rhino/Warner Archives released the Cancionero: Mas y Mas box set the following

year, but despite the career retrospective, they were still together and came back on Mammoth Records

for the Good Morning Aztlan release in 2002.

Just Another Band from East L.A.: A Collection

Los Lobos

Date of Release Aug 31, 1993

AMG Rating 4.5 *

Rock

Time 145:48

By the time Los Lobos made their debut on record, they already had a half-decade of live gigs under

their belt. That initial independent release, Del Este de Los Angeles, went largely unrecognized, however,

and it wasn‘t until a half-decade later that the music business took notice. With the arrival of ...And a

Time to Dance, however, they began to realize what many Southern California music fans had discovered

years earlier. Here was a band that combined stunning instrumental chops with a flare for everything

rootsy, from ‗50s rock & roll and R&B to country twang and traditional norteño. They were a formidable

live unit as well, and the restaurants, weddings, and parties that served as the group‘s initial circuit were

soon replaced by gigs at the Olympic Auditorium (a defunct boxing arena where the group opened for

P.I.L.) and the Whiskey a Go Go. Just Another Band from East L.A., this two-disc, 41-song compilation of

album cuts, soundtrack contributions, live tracks, and unreleased material, celebrates the group‘s first 14

years on record. It follows the band from their first recordings in the late ‗70s to 1992‘s visionary Kiko.

Along the way, Los Lobos honed their blend of rock & roll and Tex-Mex on a pair of T-Bone Burnett-

produced albums, returned to their roots for the traditional flavors of La Pistola y el Corazon, and scored

a number-one hit with the title track to director Luis Valdez‘s film La Bamba. With each new full-length,

the penmanship of David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, and Cesar Rosas only seemed to improve, and Just Another

Band includes all of the songwriting highs. An excellent place to begin a journey into the music of Los

Lobos. — Nathan Bush

1. Volver, Volver [live] (Maldonado) – 3:45

2. El Cuchipe (Canción Boliviana) (Bueno/Orozco) – 2:18

3. La Feria de la Flores (Monge) – 2:40

4. Sabor a Mi (Carrillo) – 3:49

5. Let‘s Say Goodnight [live] (Hidalgo/Perez) – 3:29

6. Anselma (Suedan/Trigo) – 3:08

7. Will the Wolf Survive? (Hidalgo/Perez) – 3:43

8. A Matter of Time (Hidalgo/Perez) – 3:48

9. I Got to Let You Know [live] (Rosas) – 2:35

10. Don‘t Worry Baby (Burnett/Perez/Rosas) – 2:46

11. One Time One Night (Hidalgo/Pérez) – 4:48

12. Shakin‘ Shakin‘ Shakes (Rosas/T-Bone Burnett) – 4:10

13. River of Fools [live] (Hidalgo/Pérez) – 2:42

14. Carabina 30-30 [live] (Nunez) – 3:36

15. Tears of God (Hidalgo/Perez) – 3:45

16. Set Me Free (Rosa Lee) (Rosas) – 3:35

17. Come on, Let‘s Go (Valens) – 2:00

18. La Bamba – 2:52

19. El Gusto (Ramirez) – 2:56

20. Estoy Sentado Aquí (Rosas) – 2:27

21. La Pistola y el Corazón (Hidalgo/Pérez) – 3:28

22. I Wanna Be Like You (The Monkey Song) [From Jungle Book] (Sherman/Sherman) – 3:17

23. Someday [#] (Hidalgo/Perez) – 3:42

24. Down on the Riverbed (Hidalgo/Perez) – 4:05

25. Be Still (Hidalgo/Perez) – 3:34

26. The Neighborhood (Hidalgo/Perez) – 4:07

27. I Can‘t Understand (Dixon/Rosas) – 3:57

28. Angel Dance (Hidalgo/Perez) – 3:12

29. Bertha [live] (Garcia/Hunter) – 4:59

30. Saint Behind the Glass (Hidalgo/Pérez) – 3:15

31. Angels With Dirty Faces (Hidalgo/Perez) – 4:02

32. Wicked Rain [live] (Rosas) – 3:36

33. Kiko and the Lavender Moon (Hidalgo/Pérez) – 3:35

34. When the Circus Comes (Hidalgo/Pérez) – 3:15

35. Peace [live] (Hidalgo/Pérez) – 6:21

36. Bella Maria de Mi Alma (Glimcher/Kraft) – 4:26

37. What‘s Going On [live] (Benson/Cleveland/Gaye) – 4:51

38. Wrong Man Theme [#] (Los Lobos) – 1:45

39. Blue Moonlight [#] (Perez/Rosas) – 3:46

40. Politician [live] (Brown/Bruce) – 4:35

41. New Zandu [#] (Hidalgo/Pérez) – 3:08

18 La Ti Da - Marcia Ball

Gatorhytms (1989)

Bob & Char were kind enough to send me this CD. You may recognize Marcia from Naweedna 02A (Red

Hot). There will be more in the future ;-)

Pianist, singer and songwriter Marcia Ball is a living example of how east Texas blues meets southwest

Louisiana swamp rock. Ball was born March 20, 1949, in Orange, TX, but grew up across the border in

Vinton, LA. That town is squarely in the heart of "the Texas triangle," an area that includes portions of

both states and that has produced some of our country's greatest blues talents: Janis Joplin, Johnny and

Edgar Winter, Queen Ida Guillory, Lonnie Brooks, Zachary Richard, Clifton Chenier and Kenny Neal, to

name a few. Ball's earliest awareness of blues came over the radio, where she heard people like Irma

Thomas, Professor Longhair and Etta James, all of whom she now credits as influences. She began playing

piano at age five, learning from her grandmother and aunt and also taking formal lessons from a teacher.

Ball entered Louisiana State University in the late '60s as an English major. In college, she played in a

psychedelic rock & roll band, Gum. In 1970, Ball and her first husband were headed west in their car to

San Francisco, but the car needed repairs in Austin, where they had stopped off to visit one of their

former bandmates. After hearing, seeing and tasting some of the music, sights and food in Austin, the

two decided to stay there. Ball has been based in Austin since then.

Her piano style, which mixes equal parts boogie woogie with zydeco and Louisiana swamp rock, is best

exemplified on her series of excellent recordings for the Rounder label. They include Soulful Dress

(1983), Hot Tamale Baby (1985), Gatorhythms (1989) and Blue House (1994). Also worthy of checking out

is her collaboration with Angela Strehli and Lou Ann Barton on the Antone's label, Dreams Come True

(1990). Ball, like her peer Angela Strehli, is an educated business woman, fully aware of all the realities of

the record business. Ball never records until she feels she's got a batch of top-notch, quality songs. Most

of the songs on her albums are her own creations, so songwriting is a big part of her job description.

Although Ball is a splendid piano player and a more than adequate vocalist, "the songwriting process is the

most fulfilling part of the whole deal for me," she said in a 1994 interview, "so I always keep my ears and

eyes open for things I might hear or see....I like my songs to go back to blues in some fashion." As much a

student of the music as she is a player, some of Ball's albums include covers of material by O.V. Wright,

Dr. John, Joe Ely, Clifton Chenier and Shirley and Lee.

Ball, who's established herself as an important player in the club scenes in both New Orleans and Austin,

continues to work at festivals and clubs throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Gatorhythms

Marcia Ball

Date of Release 1989 (release) inprint

AMG Rating 4.5 * Selected

Genre Blues

Time 34:11

Marcia Ball explored R&B and honky-tonk country on this album, keeping her blues chops in order while

expanding her repertoire. She included a pair of tunes by country vocalist Lee Roy Parnell, "What's A Girl

To Do" and "Red Hot," doing both in a feisty, attacking fashion. She also was challenging and upbeat on

Dr. John's "How You Carry On" and "Find Another Fool." Her third Rounder album was her most

entertaining and dynamic, as Ball became less of an interpreter and more of an individualist.

1. How You Carry On (David/Rebennack) - 2:42

2. La Ti Da (Ball) - 3:42

3. The Power of Love (Ball) - 4:16

4. Mobile (Ball) - 3:10

* 5. Find Another Fool (Ball) - 4:20

6. Mama's Cooking (Ball/Bruton) - 3:03

7. What's a Girl to Do? (Moore/Parnell) - 3:28

8. Daddy Said (Ball) - 2:43

9. You'll Come Around (Ball) - 3:54

* 10. Red Hot (Moore/Parnell) - 3:11

Marcia Ball - Organ, Piano, Accordion, Vocals, Producer

Lou Ann Barton - Vocals (bckgr)

Don Bennett - Bass

Jon Blondell - Trombone

Stephen Bruton - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Slide Guitar

Turner Stephen Bruton - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Slide Guitar

Rodney Craig - Drums, Triangle, Bells, Cowbell

James Hinkle - Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm)

Mark Kazanoff - Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)

Derek O'Brien - Guitar

Angela Strehli - Vocals (bckgr)

Jesse Taylor - Guitar

Keith Winking - Trumpet

19 He Had A Long Chain On - Jimmy Driftwood

Americana V2 (1960)

I first heard Jimmy Driftwood on FFUSA. About twenty years later, BrianT gave me the Americana CD, a

compilation of his work. You gotta read the bio to fully appreciate Driftwood‘s work – especially if you are

in the teaching profession. You all know at least two of his songs: Tennessee Stud and Battle of New

Orleans. Well, now you know one more. I‘ve always liked this – I find it moving in its simple story and

unpretentious presentation.

Jimmie Driftwood was almost an anachronism in the years he was at his commercial peak, from 1957

through 1961. A schoolteacher by training, he originally started writing songs as a way of helping his

students learn about history, and subquently composed (or collected and re-composed) over 5000 songs,

many of them dealing with some element of America's past and its history, telling old folk tales, or

preserving some aspect of the daily lives of the people who sang them. Only one modern figure in folk

music remotely approaches his contribution to American song and the popular undertanding of its roots,

and that is Lee Hayes of the Weavers — Driftwood was never the activist that Hayes was, however, being

more concerned with teaching than political causes, and, thus, never engendered either the blacklisting or

the subsequent canonization by the Left that Hayes received. And Hayes, for all of his leftist

sympathies, was never invited to sing before Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev on the occasion of the

first visit of any Soviet leader to the United Nations, as Driftwood was.

In September of 1959, in the midst of the rock & roll era and the burgeoning boom in folk music,

Driftwood had half a dozen of his songs somewhere on the American charts, pop or country. The best

known of these was "The Battle of New Orleans," which managed to top both the country and pop charts

in a version recorded by Johnny Horton, but also charting in September of 1959 were "Tennessee Stud,"

as recorded by country giant Eddy Arnold, Hawkshaw Hawkins' version of "Soldier's Joy," Johnny and

Jack's "Sailor Man," Horton's recording of "Sal's Got a Sugar Lip," and Homer and Jethro's parody, "The

Battle of Kookamonga." Moreso than Lee Hayes, Pete Seeger, or Woody Guthrie, Jimmie Driftwood

helped pull together elements of folk, pop, and country music, and gave the mass public some sense of the

history of all of it in the bargain.

James Corbett Morris' father was a singer who was well known locally, and who had been recorded by

several folk song collectors in the early decades of the 20th century. He learned traditional folk songs

from his mother and grandmother, while his father and grandfather taught him old-style fiddle tunes.

And he grew up seemingly knowing every folk tale that there was to learn from the Ozarks, from whites

and Native Americans (of whom there were many, including his future wife, who was one-quarter

Cherokee) alike. It was his grandfather on his father's side, a fiddle maker, who built him the unique

guitar that he used throughout his career, the neck made from a fence rail, the sides from an ox yoke,

and the head and bottom from the headboard of a bed.

He began writing poetry at an early age, encouraged by a teacher. After graduating high school, he

attended John Brown College and later qualified as a teacher, eventually earning a proper education

degree from Arkansas Teachers College. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, when he was still trying

to earn some college credits, he headed west to Arizona, driving in an old Model A Ford that made it as

far as Texas and hitchhiking the rest of the way. There wasn't much work to be found there in the midst

of the Great Depression, but then an opportunity arose through a singing contest sponsored by a local

radio station — he had his guitar with him, and had written a song called "Arizona."

He won the contest, which got him a spot on the station in the early morning hours, if he could find a

sponsor. He eventually found one, in the guise of the grocery store chain that was willing to hire him as a

worker and back his show. He was later taken in by an older couple who had heard him through the

contest and not only gave him a place to live, but brought his mother — who, as it turned out, was dying

from secondhand smoke from his father's cigarette habit — out to Arizona. Mrs. Morris died in Arizona,

and eventually his father died of cancer as well, by which time Driftwood was back in Arkansas teaching.

It was while teaching history in elementary school that he discovered the positive influence of music in

presenting the panorama of American history. He wrote "The Battle of New Orleans," drawing his melody

from the traditional fiddle tune "The Eighth of January," in order to help his students distinguish

between the events of the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the War of 1812. All of the songs and

stories that he'd heard during his childhood now stood him in good stead, as he was able to draw on a

multitude of tales and traditional melodies, as well as devise his own traditional-sounding melodies, to

deliver up songs as needed for his students or anyone else who would listen.

Driftwood married a former student of his, Cleda Azalea Johnson, in 1936, and the couple moved into a

home that they built together, where they later raised their family. For the next 20 years, his life was

concerned almost exclusively with teaching and his family, and during that time he wrote thousands of

songs, almost all having to do with some aspects of American history.

By the 1940s, he had his college degree and proper teaching credentials, and was becoming a well-known

local figure. That might have been as far as the music took James Corbett Morris, as he was still known,

but for several cultural changes that were taking place far from his home.

The late 1940s had seen the beginnings of a revival of interest in folk music, with the success of the

Almanac Singers and their successors, the Weavers, who transformed an activist songwriting process into

popular success. Although their careers were interrupted by a political backlash against their activist

roots, the 1950s saw a spread of interest in folk music and the roots and stories behind it to the college

campuses, newly swelling with the ranks of middle-class students.

By the mid-1950s, Jimmie Driftwood suddenly found himself being sought after by scholars and folk song

collectors, and he also began receiving invitations to speak at colleges and universities throughout the

south and beyond. In 1957, a friend of Driftwood's, Hugh Ashley, told a friend of his, Don Warden, a

steel guitar player in Porter Wagoner's band who had just started up a new publishing company and was

looking for material, about a schoolteacher who'd written a huge number of songs that seemed to be

pretty catchy, at least among the local school children.

At that time, he was still legally James Morris. The name Jimmie Driftwood was the outcome of a joke

played on his grandmother when he was born — his grandfather had handed his wife a bundle that was

supposed to be James Corbett Morris, but proved to be a piece of wood, to which his grandmother

exclaimed, "It's just a piece of driftwood." Morris liked the "Driftwood" name and picked it up and used

it, both publicly and legally, from the late 1950s onward.

Warden signed Driftwood up as a songwriter after hearing him run through 100 songs, of which "The

Battle of New Orleans" was the last. The folk boom was in full swing, and soon after he was signed to

RCA-Victor, which was looking for folk singers. Driftwood's first recording session was held on October

27, 1957, the same month he signed with the label, and the first song he cut — to his own guitar

accompaniment with backing from Chet Atkins on guitar and Bob L. Moore on bass — was "The Battle of

New Orleans." There were 11 songs cut that day, all of which ended up on his first album, the rather

awkwardly titled Newly Discovered Early American Folk Songs, issued in the summer of 1958. That album

sold in small but respectable numbers, and received good reviews, but there was no hit single from it,

principally because "The Battle of New Orleans" didn't get much airplay, a result of the use of the words

"hell" and "damn" in the lyrics.

A second set of sessions was scheduled for November of 1958, but in the meantime, Don Warden's work

as Driftwood's publisher was about to pay off in a totally unexpected way. Porter Wagoner had toured

with Johnny Horton late in 1958, and in the course of their work together, Warden had pitched "The

Battle of New Orleans" to Horton by way of his manager, Tillman Franks. Horton immediately wanted to

record the song, and after a few cuts that reduced its length — and an appearance on the Louisiana

Hayride, where Driftwood sang "The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny Horton cut the song on January

27, 1959 in Nashville.

Released early the following spring, Horton's single eventually rose to the number one spot on the country

charts, which it held for ten weeks out of a 21-week run. Better yet, it crossed over onto the pop charts

for a 21-week stay in that much bigger arena, holding the top spot there for six weeks out of that time.

Horton helped the song's cause and its exposure by performing it live on The Ed Sullivan Show in June of

that year.

Suddenly, everybody wanted to record Jimmie Driftwood's songs, even as Driftwood's own second album,

The Wilderness Road, was being released. That record, in the wake of the exposure from Horton's single,

sold considerably better than his first. By mid-1959, Driftwood's success was confirmed with dozens of

recordings of his songs either out or in the works, and then there came the moment in September of that

year when six of those records were on the Billboard chart simultaneously. "The Battle of New Orleans"

earned him a Grammy Award, and The Wilderness Road not only sold well but yielded an additional

Grammy, followed three years later by another award for Billy Yank and Johnny Reb.

The unusual nature of his success at first confused Driftwood, who originally thought of the publishing

contract as a vehicle by which to get his songs heard, that he might succeed as a recording artist. His

records did sell, but never in numbers resembling Horton's recording of "The Battle of New Orleans,"

which easily became a gold record and sold in huge numbers around the world — it can safely be

considered the model upon which not only direct successors such as Horton's "Sink the Bismarck" were

built, but also the impetus behind the willingness of labels like Columbia Records to record such more

topical-historical songs as Pete Le Farge's "Ballad of Ira Hayes," in both its original form and the version

by Johnny Cash, and even extending to England, where American-born skiffle/country star Johnny

Duncan recorded "The Legend of Gunga Din."

He expected lots of money from RCA, and there was some, to be sure. But the checks he got from

Warden's publishing company were enormous, in the five-figure range, which, by the standards of Timbo,

Arkansas in 1959, was about as much money as anyone had ever seen. It set Driftwood and his wife and

family up comfortably for years to come, and allowed them to buy all of the land they wanted for

themselves.

"The Battle of New Orleans" was recut by Driftwood in a slightly more commercial arrangement, and in

stereo, and it had a short run of its own on the country charts in mid-1959, its sales only a pale shadow of

Horton's record, which was still riding the charts. Driftwood was still a star, however, and in April of

that year performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, made the folk festivals in Berkeley and Newport,

received an honorary doctorate in American folklore from Peabody College in Nashville, Tennessee, sang

before the United Nations for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's visit, appeared on network television

game shows (To Tell The Truth etc.), and got regular spots on the Grand Ol' Opry, the Louisiana Hayride,

and the Ozark Jubilee.

Amid all of this activity, Driftwood was forced to end his teaching career, which didn't sit well with him.

He continued to educate audiences, most notably those consisting of other teachers, about the power of

songs as a teaching tool, and was an invited lecturer before many national teachers meetings and

organizations throughout the early 1960s.

Finally, in the early 1960s, Driftwood found a cause closer to home that he could devote himself to, the

Arkansas Folk Festival, which eventually attracted 100,000 people every year to hear the musicians that

performed there. That led to the formation of the Rackansack Folklore Society, which led to the building

of the Ozark Folk Center in the early 1970s. His next endeavor was the Jimmie Driftwood Barn, which

became a major performing showcase for players from the Rackansack Folklore Society. Driftwood's

other concerns included environmental issues, among them the preservation of the Blanchard Caverns in

Arkansas, and the Buffalo River. He served as head of the Arkansas Parks and Tourism Commission, and

was named to the Advisory Committee of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington,

D.C., and worked as a musicologist for the National Geographic Society. During the 1960s and 1970s, in

the course of this work, he appeared before audiences at hundreds of colleges and universities.

Driftwood's recording career ended in 1961, but his six albums for RCA remain a compelling country-folk

legacy. Artists from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen can trace some elements of their repertory and

success to his unique brand of songwriting, and even '80s roots-rock outfits like the Del Lords have

performed his songs with the kind of fervor that most acts usually reserve for songs by Bob Dylan and

Woody Guthrie. Driftwood died on July 12, 1998 in Fayetteville Arkansas; he was 91.

Americana

Jimmie Driftwood

Date of Release 1991 (release)

AMG Rating 4.5 * checked

Genre Folk

Comprising Jimmie Driftwood's complete recordings for RCA, cut between 1957 and 1961, this three-CD

set opens with Driftwood's most famous song, "The Battle of New Orleans," and the ten other songs that

comprised the classic country-folk collection Newly Discovered Early American Folk Songs. The material

here, when compared to the music of the Weavers or the Kingston Trio, seems like a field recording from

100 years earlier, with Driftwood's rural Arkansas pronunciation, twangy intonation, and spare backing.

The Wilderness Road is every bit as good and even more entertaining, since Driftwood seems even more

comfortable with the recording process. Disc Two opens with Driftwood's September 1959 sessions for

The Westward Movement, a series of songs about the beginnings of the great American migration west,

which features a somewhat more sophisticated sound. The second half of the disc is made up of Tall

Tales in Song, Driftwood's series of songs about myths and tall tales from history and local legend. The

last five songs come from a Time-Life LP, How the West Was Won, and deal with such figures as General

Custer, Jesse James, and Billy the Kid. Disc Three opens with the Grammy-winning album Billy Yank and

Johnny Reb, which returns Driftwood to his more familiar backing band (including John D. Loudermilk),

accompanied in surprisingly restrained manner by the Anita Kerr singers. The last half of the disc

includes Sea Shanties, Driftwood's final album from 1961. The sound throughout is excellent, and the

music is all priceless, whether one's taste runs toward country or folk. The booklet transcends Bear

Family's usual standard, with extremely detailed notes and essays (some by the man himself), as well as

the usual full sessionography.

1. The Battle of New Orleans (Driftwood)

2. Unforntunate Man

3. Fair Rosamond's Bower

4. Soldier's Joy

5. Country Boy

6. I'm Too Young to Marry

7. Pretty Mary

8. Sailor Man

9. Zelma Lee

10. Rattlesnake Song

11. Old Joe Clark

12. Tennessee Stud (Driftwood)

13. Razorback Steak (Driftwood)

14. First Covered Wagon (Driftwood)

15. The Maid of Argenta (Driftwood)

16. Bunker Hill (Driftwood)

17. Song of the Cowboys (Driftwood)

18. Peter Francisco (Driftwood)

19. Four Little Girls in Boston (Driftwood)

20. Slack Your Rope

21. Run Johnny Run

22. Arkansas Traveler (Traditional)

23. Damyankee Lad (Driftwood)

24. Chalamette (Driftwood)

25. The Battle of New Orleans (Driftwood)

26. The Land Where the Blue Grass Grows (Driftwood)

27. The Widders of Bowling Green (Driftwood)

28. Get Along Boys (Driftwood)

29. Sweet Betsy from Pike

30. Shoot the Buffalo (Driftwood)

31. Song of the Pioneer (Driftwood)

32. I'm Leavin' on the Wagon Train (Driftwood)

33. Jordan Am a Hard Road to Travel (Driftwood)

34. The Marshall of Silver City (Driftwood)

35. The Wilderness Road (Driftwood)

36. The Pony Express (Driftwood)

37. Mooshatanio (Driftwood)

38. The Shanty in the Holler (Driftwood)

39. Big River Man (Driftwood)

40. Big John Davy (Driftwood)

41. On Top of Pikes Peak (Driftwood)

42. Fidi Diddle Um A-Dazey (Driftwood)

43. The Song of Creation (Driftwood)

44. The Battle of San Juan Hill (Driftwood)

45. Banjer Pickin' Man (Driftwood)

46. Tucumcari (Driftwood)

47. St. Brendon's Isle (Driftwood)

48. He Had a Long Chain On (Driftwood)

49. Big Hoss (Driftwood)

50. Sal's Got a Sugarlip (Driftwood)

51. Mooshatanio (Driftwood)

52. Ox Driving Song (Traditional)

53. General Custer

54. What Was Your Name in the States?

55. Billy the Kid

56. Jesse James

57. Billy Yank and Johnny Reb (Driftwood)

58. Won't You Come Along and Go (Driftwood)

59. Rock of Chickamauga (Driftwood)

60. How Do You Like the Army? (Driftwood)

61. Git Along Little Yearlings (Driftwood)

62. Oh Florie (Driftwood)

63. I'm a Pore Rebel Soldier (Driftwood)

64. My Blackbird Has Gone (Driftwood)

65. Goodbye Reb, You'all Come (Driftwood)

66. On Top of Shiloh's Hill (Driftwood)

67. When I Swim the Golden River (Driftwood)

68. The Giant of the Thunderhead (Driftwood)

69. Shanghied (Driftwood)

70. Santy Anno

71. Row Bullies Row

72. The Land of the Amazon (Driftwood)

73. What Could I Do? (Driftwood)

74. Driftwood at Sea (Driftwood)

75. In a Cotton Shirt and a Pair of Dungarees (Driftwood)

76. Davy Jones (Driftwood)

77. Sailor, Sailor, Marry Me (Driftwood)

78. The Diver Boy

79. The Ship That Never Returned (Traditional)

80. Sailing Away on the Ocean (Driftwood)

81. John Paul Jones

82. The Bear That Flew over the Ocean

20 Ain't No Free – NRBQ

At Yankee Stadium (1977)

Yet another gift from Mahoney. You may remember NRBQ from Naweedna 05‘s ―A Little Bit Of Bad.‖

This is a dynamite group with a highly varied repertoire – and all of it is go-go-go-good. I really like the

sniggering on this track. I guess it‘s about prostitution, but, hey, whatever works, right?

NRBQ

NRBQ at Yankee Stadium

Rating 4.5 *

Release Date 1978

Recording Date Nov 1977

Time 34:31

Rock

More than just NRBQ's best record, but one of the great records of the '70s (maybe ever!). This album

contains the strongest batch of new Q songs on one record, many of them the best and most memorable

songs in the band's long and storied career. Starting with Terry Adams' herky-jerky "Green Lights" to

the rollicking "I Want You Bad," the band has rarely sounded better. The record's gem, however, is an Al

Anderson song left over from their previous record (All Hopped Up on Red Rooster), "Ridin' in My Car." A

song about lost love and blown chances, it has Anderson's characteristic wry sensibility and (non-fatal)

heartache, all wrapped up in a ebullient pop package driven by Terry Adams' melodic keyboard riffing and

Tom Ardolino's amazingly assertive drumming. Yankee Stadium should have been a huge album, but

Mercury booted it and never capitalized on the band's fanatical support base. Caveat emptor: When this

record was issued by Mercury on CD just a couple of years back, they inexplicably left off "Ridin' in My

Car."

1 Green Lights Adams, Joseph, Spampinato 2:54

2 Just Ain't Fair Spampinato 3:01

3 I Love Her, She Loves Me Spampinato 2:28

4 Get Rhythm Cash 2:58

5 That's Neat, That's Nice Adams 3:09

6 Ain't No Free Adams 3:24

7 I Want You Bad Adams, Crandon 2:32

8 The Same Old Thing Matthews 2:21

9 Yes, Yes, Yes Adams 2:53

10 It Comes to Me Naturally Anderson 3:00

11 Talk to Me Adams 2:41

12 Shake, Rattle & Roll Calhoun 3:10

21 Mean Woman Blues - Roy Orbison & Friends

A Black & White Night (1987)

If you were at last year‘s Holiday Gathering at Naweedna, you probably saw part of the Roy Orbison video

from which this track came. It is a most remarkable video with a real who‘s who list of accompanying

artists (see list below). We spent a lot of time trying to identify each of the artists. It took Mahoney to

pick out JD Souther. That‘s why we call him ―The Music Man.‖

Roy died 12/88, so this had to be one his last performances … maybe THE last. Watching him perform on

the video and comparing his understated mannerisms to the younger performers is instructive. It is

equally instructive to see the glint of admiration in each of the young eyes as they interact with Roy

during the performance. At the end, as Roy is thanking them individually, Bonnie Raitt looks like she‘s

ready to have his baby or something. Yeah, the girl chorus of KD Lang, Jennifer Warnes, and Bonnie Raitt

is something to behold.

I was really struck by cross-generational aspect of this performance. Here was Roy, a product of my

generation, rockin‘ out with all those future stars of the next generation. It was like the young‘ns were

paying homage to their roots. Kinda reminds me of our Alumni Gatherings. We old farts passing the torch

to you young people, who, in turn will pass it to the next generation. ‗Round and ‗round it goes.

You can get the DVD at Amazon for less than $20. It is worth it for sure … especially if you are an

Orbison and/or Springsteen fan. Now there is a generational gap ;-)

Roy Orbison & Friends – A Black & White Night

Vocalists:

Jackson Browne

T Bone Burnett

Elvis Costello

KD Lang

Bonnie Raitt

Steven Souls

JD Souther

Bruce Springsteen

Tom Waits

Jennifer Warnes

Band:

Alex Acura – percussion

James Burton – guitar

Glen D Hardin – piano

Jerry Scheff – bass

Ron Tutt – drums

Mike Utley – keyboards

Although he shared the same rockabilly roots as Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison

went on to pioneer an entirely different brand of country/pop-based rock & roll in the early ‗60s. What

he lacked in charisma and photogenic looks, Orbison made up for in spades with his quavering operatic

voice and melodramatic narratives of unrequited love and yearning. In the process, he established rock &

roll archetypes of the underdog and the hopelessly romantic loser. These were not only amplified by

peers such as Del Shannon and Gene Pitney, but also influenced future generations of roots rockers such

as Bruce Springsteen and Chris Isaak, as well as modern country stars the Mavericks.

Orbison made his first widely distributed recordings for Sun Records in 1956. Roy was a capable

rockabilly singer, and had a small national hit with his first Sun single, ―Ooby Dooby.‖ But even then, he

was far more comfortable as a ballad singer than as a hepped-up rockabilly jive cat. Other Sun singles

met with no success, and by the late ‗50s he was concentrating primarily on building a career as a

songwriter, his biggest early success being ―Claudette‖ (recorded by the Everly Brothers).

After a brief, unsuccessful stint with RCA, Orbison finally found his voice with Monument Records,

scoring a number-two hit in 1960 with ―Only the Lonely.‖ This established the Roy Orbison persona for

good: a brooding rockaballad of failed love with a sweet, haunting melody, enhanced by his Caruso-like

vocal trills at the song‘s emotional climax. These and his subsequent Monument hits also boasted

innovative, quasi-symphonic production, with Roy‘s voice and guitar backed by surging strings, ominous

drum rolls, and heavenly choirs of backup vocalists.

Between 1960 and 1965, Orbison would have 15 Top 40 hits for Monument, including such nail-biting mini-

dramas as ―Running Scared,‖ ―Crying,‖ ―In Dreams,‖ and ―It‘s Over.‖ Not just a singer of tear-jerking

ballads, he was also capable of effecting a tough, bluesy swagger on ―Dream Baby,‖ ―Candy Man,‖ and

―Mean Woman Blues.‖ In fact, his biggest and best hit was also his hardest-rocking: ―Oh, Pretty Woman‖

soared to number one in late 1964, at the peak of the British Invasion.

It seemed at that time that Roy was well-equipped to survive the British onslaught of the mid-‗60s. He

had even toured with the Beatles in Britain in 1963, and John Lennon has admitted to trying to emulate

Orbison when writing the Beatles‘ first British chart-topper, ―Please Please Me.‖ But Orbison‘s fortunes

declined rapidly after he left Monument for MGM in 1965. It would be easy to say that the major label

couldn‘t replicate the unique production values of the classic Monument singles, but that‘s only part of the

story. Roy, after all, was still writing most of his material, and his early MGM records were produced in a

style that closely approximated the Monument era. The harder truth to face was that his songs were

starting to sound like lesser variations of themselves, and that contemporary trends in rock and soul were

making him sound outdated.

Orbison, like many early rock greats, could always depend on large overseas audiences to pay the bills.

The two decades between the mid-‗60s and mid-‗80s were undeniably tough ones for him, though, both

personally and professionally. A late-‗60s stab at acting failed miserably. In 1966, his wife died in a

motorcycle accident; a couple of years later, his house burned down, two of his sons perishing in the

flames. Periodic comeback attempts with desultory albums in the 1970s came to naught.

Orbison‘s return to the public eye came about through unexpected circumstances. In the mid-‗80s, David

Lynch‘s Blue Velvet film prominently featured ―In Dreams‖ on its soundtrack. That led to the singer

making an entire album of re-recordings of hits, with T-Bone Burnett acting as producer. The record was

no substitute for the originals, but it did help restore him to prominence within the industry. Shortly

afterward, he joined George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne in the Traveling Wilburys.

Their successful album set the stage for Orbison‘s best album in over 20 years, Mystery Girl, which

emulated the sound of his classic ‗60s work without sounding hackneyed. By the time it reached the

charts in early 1989, however, Orbison was dead, claimed by a heart attack in December 1988.

22 My Baby Just Cares For Me - Nina Simone

Stealing Beauty Soundtrack (1996)

By now you probably realize that Nina is one of my favorite artists. And why not? She gave us a version of

―At Last‖ that only Ray Charles could challenge. Although we have lots of Nina, this particular track came

from Mare of Mikey‘n‘Mare. Apparently, Mare is a Nina fan, too.

This track is very similar to Lou Rawl‘s ―Fine Brown Frame‖, but I opted to put them both on the came CD

anyway. I did separate them as much as possible, so they won‘t be competing with each other – unless you

put ‗em on shuffle, like I do ;-)

Of all the major singers of the late 20th century, Nina Simone is one of the hardest to classify. She's

recorded extensively in the soul, jazz, and pop idioms, often over the course of the same album; she's

also comfortable with blues, gospel, and Broadway. It's perhaps most accurate to label her as a "soul"

singer in terms of emotion, rather than form. Like, say, Aretha Franklin, or Dusty Springfield, Simone is

an eclectic, who brings soulful qualities to whatever material she interprets. These qualities are among

her strongest virtues; paradoxically, they also may have kept her from attaining a truly mass audience.

The same could be said of her stage persona; admired for her forthright honesty and individualism, she's

also known for feisty feuding with audiences and promoters alike.

If Simone has a chip on her shoulder, it probably arose from the formidable obstacles she had to

overcome to establish herself as a popular singer. Raised in a family of eight children, she originally

harbored hopes of becoming a classical pianist, studying at New York's prestigious Juilliard School of

Music - a rare position for an African-American woman in the 1950s. Needing to support herself while she

studied, she generated income by working as an accompanist and giving piano lessons. Auditioning for a job

as a pianist in an Atlantic City nightclub, she was told she had the spot if she would sing as well as play.

Almost by accident, she began to carve a reputation as a singer of secular material, though her skills at

the piano would serve her well throughout her career.

In the late '50s, Simone began recording for the small Bethlehem label (a subsidiary of the vastly

important early R&B/rock & roll King label). In 1959, her version of George Gershwin's "I Loves You

Porgy" gave her a Top 20 hit - which would, amazingly, prove to be the only Top 40 entry of her career.

Nina wouldn't need hit singles for survival, however, establishing herself not with the rock & roll/R&B

crowd, but with the adult/nightclub/album market. In the early '60s, she recorded no less than nine

albums for the Candix label, about half of them live. These unveiled her as a performer of nearly

unsurpassed eclecticism, encompassing everything from Ellingtonian jazz and Israeli folk songs to

spirituals and movie themes.

Simone's best recorded work was issued on Philips during the mid-'60s. Here, as on Candix, she was

arguably over-exposed, issuing seven albums within a three-year period. These records can be

breathtakingly erratic, moving from warm ballad interpretations of Jacques Brel and Billie Holiday and

instrumental piano workouts to brassy pop and angry political statements in a heartbeat. There's a great

deal of fine music to be found on these, however. Simone's moody-yet-elegant vocals are like no one

else's, presenting a fiercely independent soul who harbors enormous (if somewhat hard-bitten)

tenderness.

Like many African-American entertainers of the mid-'60s, Simone was deeply affected by the Civil

Rights Movement and burgeoning Black Pride. Some (though by no means most) of her best material from

this time addressed these concerns in a fashion more forthright than almost any other singer. "Old Jim

Crow" and, more particularly, the classic "Mississippi Goddam" were especially notable self-penned

efforts in this vein, making one wish that Nina had written more of her own material instead of turning to

outside sources for most of her repertoire.

Not that this repertoire wasn't well-chosen. Several of her covers from the mid-'60s, indeed, were

classics: her revision of Weill-Brecht's "Pirate Jenny" to reflect the bitter elements of African-

American experience, for instance, or her mournful interpretation of Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas." Other

highlights were her versions of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," covered by the Animals for a rock hit;

"I Put a Spell on You," which influenced the vocal line on the Beatles' "Michelle"; and the buzzing, jazzy

"See Line Woman."

Simone was not as well-served by her tenure with RCA in the late '60s and early '70s, another prolific

period which saw the release of nine albums. These explored a less eclectic range, with a considerably

heavier pop-soul base to both the material and arrangements. One bona fide classic did come out of this

period: "Young, Gifted & Black," written by Simone and Weldon Irvine Jr., would be successfully covered

by both Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway. She did have a couple of Top Five British hits in the late

'60s with "Ain't Got No" (from the musical Hair) and a cover of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody,"

neither of which rank among her career highlights.

Simone fell on turbulent times in the 1970s, divorcing her husband/manager Andy Stroud, encountering

serious financial problems, and becoming something of a nomad, settling at various points in Switzerland,

Liberia, Barbados, France, and Britain. After leaving RCA, she recorded rarely, although she did make the

critically well-received Baltimore in 1978 for the small CTI label. She had an unpredictable resurgence in

1987, when an early track, "My Baby Just Cares for Me," became a big British hit after being used in a

Chanel perfume television commercial. 1993's A Single Woman marked her return to an American major

label, and her profile was also boosted when several of her songs were featured in the film Point of No

Return. She published her biography, I Put a Spell on You, in 1991.

Stealing Beauty

Rating 3 *

Release Date 1996

Soundtrack

In such films as Last Tango In Paris and The Last Emperor, director Bernardo Bertolucci has taken

special care with the soundtrack music, resulting in albums that stood on their own. Stealing Beauty, on

the other hand, is a "music from the motion picture" disc of 12 songs that range from Billie Holiday's "I'll

Be Seeing You" to Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." The element that seems to bring the disparate tracks

together is an overall low-key moodiness, whether John Lee Hooker or Portishead is performing. The

draw for rock fans is liable to be Liz Phair's "Rocket Boy," though there are also some intriguing

selections by Lori Carson and the Cocteau Twins, and it's nice to hear Sam Phillips' Beatlesque "I Need

Love" again. Still, apart from the film, this remains a miscellaneous collection.

1 2 Wicky Hoover 3:33

2 Glory Box Portishead 5:01

3 If 6 Was 9 Axiom Funk, Bootsy Collins ... 5:58

4 Annie Mae Hooker, John Lee 5:17

5 Rocket Boy Liz Phair 3:20

6 Superstition Stevie Wonder 4:27

7 My Baby Just Cares for Me Nina Simone 3:36

8 I'll Be Seeing You Billie Holiday 3:30

9 Rhymes of an Hour Mazzy Star 4:10

10 Alice Cocteau Twins 4:27

11 You Won't Fall Lori Carson 4:36

12 I Need Love Sam Phillips 3:39

23 That's All Right - Elvis Presley

Sun Sessions (1954-55)

There are a lot of Elvis tracks out there, but this one stands out for me. It is from his early years and

has a simple rock-a-billy style that I find endearing. I especially like the high notes when he pulls the

sounds out like so much taffy. Apparently lots of other people like it also because you tend to hear it in

commercials and such. Gawd, they can ruin a good thing, can‘t they?

Elvis Presley

The Sun Sessions

Rating 5 *

Release Date Mar 1976

Recording Date Jul 1954-Jul 1955

Time 39:47

Compilation

Rock & Roll

There aren't many rock albums that feature music one can honestly say changed the world as we know it,

but that is, if anything, a modest appraisal of the contents of Elvis Presley's The Sun Sessions. Elvis

certainly didn't invent rock & roll, and he wasn't even the first white guy to play it, but much as Louis

Armstong did for jazz, Elvis created a distinctive new way to play the music that combined a number of

influences with his own one-of-a-kind outlook and personality; also like Armstrong, Presley was one of the

most naturally gifted performers his genre ever knew, and was the performer who truly brought the

music to the people as no one had before or since, and the 16 tracks on this album capture the thrilling

sound of Elvis first learning to put his ideas together in the recording studio. Collecting the ten sides

Elvis released on Sun Records in 1954 and 1955 with six outtakes (several more would surface over the

years), this album captures Elvis in his first flush of greatness — at once confident and curious, swaying

between R&B, country, and pop, and somehow bringing them together and finding a common ground

between them that was his and his alone. Of course, it helps that Elvis also had Sam Phillips producing

these sides, a fellow eccentric visionary with different but eminently compatible ideas about bringing

together black and white music (not to mention a killer tape echo unit), and Scotty Moore playing guitar,

whose slightly fractured guitar runs gave birth to the dominant rockabilly guitar sound. And beyond its

historical importance, this music is fun; one can hear the thrill of discovery and experimentation on every

cut, and if Elvis would sound stronger and more savvy with time, he never sounded freer or more excited

with the possibilities of his own voice as he does on this material. Elvis was (with little room for

argument) the single most important artist in the history of rock & roll, and The Sun Sessions collects his

first, and arguably most important, recordings into one convenient package. Who doesn't need this in

their record collection?

1 That's All Right Crudup 1:57

2 Blue Moon of Kentucky Monroe 2:04

3 I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine David 2:28

4 Good Rockin' Tonight Brown 2:14

5 Milk Cow Blues Arnold 2:39

6 You're a Heartbreaker Sallee 2:12

7 I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone Kesler, Taylor 2:37

8 Baby Let's Play House Gunter 2:17

9 Mystery Train Parker, Phillips 2:26

10 I Forgot to Remember to Forget Feathers, Kesler 2:30

11 I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') Wakely 2:26

12 Trying to Get to You McCoy, Singleton 2:33

13 I Love You Because Payne 2:44

14 Blue Moon Hart, Rodgers 2:41

15 Just Because Robin, Shelton, Shelton 2:34

16 I Love You Because [2nd Version] Payne 3:25

24 Rumble - Link Wray

TL Rock'n'Roll Era Still Rockin (1958)

Okay, this is not my favorite piece on the CD. However, Link Wray died this year, and he pretty much

invented the power chord that is so ubiquitous in subsequent R‘n‘R (see article below). If you are at all

familiar with Richard Thompson, then you are probably also familiar with his ―Shoot Out The Lights.‖ If

so, then you are also familiar with Link Wray‘s power chord because ―Shoot Out The Lights‖ is essentially

identical to the 1958 track. Soooo, this track was included for three reasons:

To honor Link Wray

To show how things get ―rediscovered‖ over the years

To fill 1:15 on the CD

The track is actually a little over two minutes long, but I edited it a bit to get it to fit on the CD. Can you

tell?

Guitar master Link Wray, the father of the power chord in rock ‗n‘ roll who inspired legends such as Bruce

Springsteen, David Bowie and Pete Townshend, has died.

Wray, 76, died at his home in Copenhagen on Nov. 5, 2005, according to a statement from his wife and

son on his Web site. No cause of death was given, but his family said his heart was ―getting tired.‖ He was

buried at Copenhagen‘s Christian Church on Nov. 18.

In the past three years, Wray made several appearances at Montage Grille and Milestones. With his long,

silver hair and black-leather jacket, he looked like a biker-wizard. But his frail appearance disappeared

once he got onstage, seemingly energized at yet another opportunity to show the young rockers in the

audience how to get it done with rousing versions of ‗5Os instrumental hits such as ―Rumble,‖ ‗Rawhide‖

and ―Jack the Ripper.‖

Wray developed a style considered the blueprint for heavy metal and punk music. His music has been

featured in movies including Pulp Fiction,‖ ‗Independence Day‖ and ―Desperado.‘

Wray, who was three-quarters Shawnee Indian, is said to have inspired many other rock musicians,

including Townshend of the Who, but also Bowie, Bob Dylan, Steve Van Zandt and Springsteen.

All have been quoted as saying that Wray and ―Rumble‖ inspired them to become musicians.

―He is the king; if it hadn‘t been for Link Wray and Rumble,‘ I would have never picked up a guitar,‖

Townshend wrote on one of Wray‘s albums. Neil Young once said: ―If I could go back in time and see any

band, it would be Link Wray and the Raymen.‖

The power chord — a thundering sound created by playing fifths (two notes five notes apart, often with

the lower note doubled an octave above) — became a favorite among rock players.

Wray claimed because he was too slow to be a whiz on the guitar, he had to invent sounds.

When recording ―Rumble,‖ he created the fuzz tone by punching holes in his amplifiers to produce a

grumbling Sound.

―I was looking for something that Chet Atkins wasn‘t doing, that all the jazz kings weren‘t doing, that all

the country pickers wasn‘t doing. I was looking for my own sound, Wray told The Associated Press in

2002.

25 Mellow Bruno (Sign Off) - Cannonball Adderley

Jazz Workshop Revisited (1962)

A fitting ending to what I hope you found an entertaining collection of music.

Don‘t forget to tell me what you actually thought ;-)

One of the great alto saxophonists, Cannonball Adderley had an exuberant and happy sound (as opposed to

many of the more serious stylists of his generation) that communicated immediately to listeners. His

intelligent presentation of his music (often explaining what he and his musicians were going to play) helped

make him one of the most popular of all jazzmen.

Adderley already had an established career as a high school band director in Florida when, during a 1955 visit

to New York, he was persuaded to sit in with Oscar Pettiford's group at the Cafe Bohemia. His playing created

such a sensation that he was soon signed to Savoy and persuaded to play jazz full-time in New York. With his

younger brother, cornetist Nat, Cannonball formed a quintet that struggled until its breakup in 1957. Adderley

then joined Miles Davis, forming part of his super sextet with John Coltrane and participating on such classic

recordings as Milestones and Kind of Blue. Adderley's second attempt to form a quintet with his brother was

much more successful for, in 1959, with pianist Bobby Timmons, he had a hit recording of "This Here." From

then on, Cannonball always was able to work steadily with his band.

During its Riverside years (1959-1963), the Adderley Quintet primarily played soulful renditions of hard bop

and Cannonball really excelled in the straight-ahead settings. During 1962-1963, Yusef Lateef made the group

a sextet and pianist Joe Zawinul was an important new member. The collapse of Riverside resulted in Adderley

signing with Capitol and his recordings became gradually more commercial. Charles Lloyd was in Lateef's place

for a year (with less success) and then with his departure the group went back to being a quintet. Zawinul's

1966 composition "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" was a huge hit for the group, Adderley started doubling on soprano,

and the quintet's later recordings emphasized long melody statements, funky rhythms, and electronics.

However, during his last year, Cannonball Adderley was revisiting the past a bit and on Phenix he recorded new

versions of many of his earlier numbers. But before he could evolve his music any further, Cannonball Adderley

died suddenly from a stroke.