Oh where the time does go…  Here’s a brief photo survey of what I’ve been doing while not blogging!

Quality time spent in CA in early October at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass - probably the greatest festival in the world, and the “Rooster Stage” that I managed was totally rockin; Billy Bragg, Mike Farris, Mavis Staples, The Knitters, Old Crow Medicine Show (Whom I also just saw in Des Moines this weekend!), Guy Clark, Boz Scaggs, Tom Morello, Dar Williams, Steve Earle, Richie Havens, and Robert Earl Keen were a few highlights…..

This was the ‘Banjo Stage’ opening Friday night of the Fest with who else but Lyle Lovett & the really really big band – holy soul shake down…

Marx Meadow in Golden Gate Park where the “Rooster Stage” was tucked into – also the home of many infamous 1960-70s Golden Gate Park shows with the Grateful Dead, etc. Good fun – and LOTS of people…

Billy Bragg knockin’em dead on the Rooster… I think this was just before ‘tea bagging’ the crowd, as he likes to say….

And what would a Robert Earl Keen set be without Todd Snyder stopping by to hang out – which was cool, because we got to talk about our buddy Dave Zollo while we were hanging out.

…and then there was my boss & Billy Bragg watching Mavis Staples… I’ll call it a pretty good afternoon at work.

You have to be slightly crazy to do this kind of work, but large scale Festivals are truly my favorite type of events to work on.

You take big piles of stuff off trucks and some heavy machinery…

…add some crazy fun people to work with and some aluminum trussing…

…bolt it all together into something(s) useful… (6 stages for Bluegrass 2009)

…and proceed to make it look kind of pretty…

…bring in killer sound & lights and a couple hundred thousand people… and, oh yeah, Mavis Staples….

….have a great time…. and then make it all go away….

…sort of zen in a sick and twisted kind of way…

And A LOT of fun!!!

]]> http://damprock.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/little-joe-mclerran-releases-new-2009-cd-believe-ill-make-a-change/ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:44:58 +0000 damprock http://damprock.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/little-joe-mclerran-releases-new-2009-cd-believe-ill-make-a-change/

Little Joe McLerrans new 2009 CD

To date, it has been a very busy and rewarding year for Little Joe McLerran, Piedmont style, roots blues guitarist from the Tulsa, Oklahoma area.  On February 7, 2009, he received First Place honors at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis during its 25th annual blues competition, sponsored by the Blues Foundation.  Little Joe won center stage at the historic Orpheum Theatre on Beale Street, where the finals took place in the Solo/Duo category. 

Little Joe and Eden Brent on stage at the Chautauqua Hills Blues Fest, May 2009

“Eden Brent said to me after the finals, ‘Winning the IBC will launch your career.’  She was right!” said Little Joe in a recent phone interview.   Eden Brent won the IBC event in 2006 and has since collected numerous awards and traveled the world.  A Mississippi Delta native, Eden Brent is a masterful blues pianist and vocal stylist she has won awards for both Acoustic Artist of the Year and Acoustic Album of the Year at the recent 2009 Blues Music Awards. 

In June, a trans-Atlantic jaunt to the Roots n’ Blues Festival in Italy was his first European performance.  Staged in the scenic Parma countryside along the Po River, Little Joe made new fans with his brand of roots blues in the land of Parmesan cheese and ham! 

The month of October was jam-packed.  From October 17-24, Little Joe joined cruise line Holland America’s Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise (San Diego, CA to Cabo San Lucas, La Paz and Loreto).  An Impressive array of performers on the cruise included Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mavis Staples, Susan Tedeschi, Elvin Bishop, Buckwheat Zydeco, Tommy Castro, Phantom Blues Band, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Coco Montoya, Shane Dwight, and Lionel Young Band, to name a few… 

The day after the conclusion of the cruise, Little Joe performed one set in New York City at Jazz At Lincoln Center on

Little Joe on stage at Roots N' Blues Festival in Italy

 October 25^th.   He will be returning to The Big Apple on Dec. 2^nd for a performance at an intimate jazz club, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.

October 2009 also brought the release of Little Joe McLerran’s newest CD titled Believe I’ll Make a Change, a Tulsa studio recording comprised of thirteen selections, several self-written compositions, along with several fresh arrangements from roots blues that date back to the 20’s and 30’s.  The CD is now available for online purchase at CDBaby, http://www.cdbaby.com/cdljm3

One can only imagine what the  future holds for this talented twenty-five year old in the coming years…

Reviews
“Little Joe plays Piedmont Blues, and since the death of John Cephas [3/4/09], may be the heir to the crown of “the best” around. For a guy that is only 24 years old, this guy oozes with talent. Surely another artist you want to make a point to see.” -Bob Keiser, Blues Blast Writer/Publisher 

…”Kicking off the main stage on Saturday was the 2009 International Blues Challenge solo/duet winner, Little Joe Mclerran. Joe and his bass player were so tight they were squeaking. He gave the crowd a clear picture of why he won!” – Simply the Blues Fest in Fort Madison , Iowa 

“Perhaps the finest Piedmont Blues player on the face of God’s green earth,” writes Billy Austin, editor of Blues News.

For more information visit Little Joe McLerran’s website – www.LittleJoeBlues.com

(C) 2009 Richard J Whetstone

} Show de Joss Stone, dia  22 de Novembro @ HSBC Brasil.

Joss Stone foi descoberta aos 16 anos e desde lá já vendeu mais de 8 milhões de álbuns no mundo todo, foi indicada para quatro Grammy Awards, já dividiu o palco com James Brown, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Patti Labelle, Mavis Staples, Donna Summer, e Smokey Robinson. Foi entrevistada por Oprah Winfrey, protagonizou nas duas maiores campanhas da Gap e já se apresentou para mais de 200.000 pessoas, em 2005, no Live 8 Concert, em Londres – tudo isso antes de completar 19 anos.

Ficou cansado? Ela não, e está na estrada mais uma vez, agora para deixar de queixo caído com o álbum Colour Me Free.

A discografia de Joss Stone The Soul Sessions (2003), Mind, Body & Soul (2004), Introducing Joss Stone (2007) e o ultimo trabalho, que sera apresentado na turne no Brasil, Colour Me Free (2009).

Quer conhecer um pouco mais do vozeirão da inglesa? Joss Stone Myspace

New York, NY — Noncommercial New York City radio station WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org) and NPR Music will broadcast and webcast George Wein’s Folk Festival 50 at Newport throughout Saturday, August 1st and Sunday, August 2nd.  WFUV Music Director Rita Houston and Bob Boilen, host of NPR Music’s “All Songs Considered,” will be at Newport, RI’s Fort Adams State Park to bring listeners two days of music from the storied annual festival, now in its 50th year.

“The Folk Festival and FUV share similar missions to bring audiences the most exciting new artists and, at the same time, remind people how much is owed to musical trailblazers like Seeger and Baez.  I’ve seen so many important moments in music history take place at the Festival and I’m sure more history will be made this year,” says WFUV Music Director Rita Houston.

WFUV will broadcast live performances from Tift Merritt, Billy Bragg, the Avett Brothers, Gillian Welch, Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists and Pete Seeger on Saturday, August 1 from 12:00-5:00 PM EST.  In addition, WFUV and NPR Music will webcast all the weekend’s stellar performances at www.wfuv.org and www.npr.org/folkfestival50 live and for free.  George Wein’s Folk Festival 50 at Newport will include performances by Iron & Wine, Mavis Staples, Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman, Ben Kweller, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Brett Dennen, The Low Anthem, Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, Neko Case, Josh Ritter, Del McCoury Band, Guy Clark, Deer Tick, Elvis Perkins in Dearland and more.

NPR Music, a free, multimedia music site with content from NPR and 12 station partners, offers original programs such as All Songs Considered, JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater and World Café, live concerts, studio and video sessions, interviews, reviews, music lists and blogs — curated and aggregated for audiences to explore, experience and enjoy. The site expands constantly, with sections dedicated to rock/pop/folk, classical, jazz/blues, world and urban music. More than 250 new features are added each month; the site’s popular “Concert” section offers hundreds of streaming concerts in every genre. This March, NPR Music webcast and broadcast some of the most anticipated performances from SXSW in Austin, TX, including The Decemberists, Heartless Bastards, K’NAAN, Dirty Projectors, Blitzen Trapper and BLK JKS. Those concerts are archived at: npr.org/sxsw.

WFUV is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University for 60 years. Serving nearly 300,000 listeners each week in the New York area and thousands more worldwide on the web, and a leader in contemporary music radio, WFUV offers an eclectic mix of rock, singer-songwriters, blues, world and other music, plus headlines from National Public Radio and local news.

Submitted by Buzzword PR

By Don Heckman

Los Angeles

- July 28. (Tues.) Regina Spektor. The Soviet-born singer/songwriter manages to combine influences from Ani DiFranco, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith, Edith Piaf — as well as her own unique personal history — into one of the more offbeat contemporary pop styles. The El Rey. (323) 936-6499

Jessica Polaskey and John Pizzarelli

- July 29 – Aug. 2. (Wed. – Sun.) John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey. Musically, they’re constantly engaging — a blend of instrumental swing and delightful vocalizing. Add in the humor and byplay between this attractive couple and expect an evening of irresistible entertainment. Catalina Bar & Grill. (323) 466-2210.

- July 30. (Thurs.) Gadji-Gadjo. Accordionist Melanie Bergeron leads the Quebec-based band in their L.A. premiere, performing a colorful array of Roma and klezmer-based music Skirball Cultural Center. (310) 440-4500.

- July 30. (Thurs.) The Anthony Wilson Trio and Nonet and the L.A. Jazz Collective. The Hammer Museum’s JAZZPOP series outdoes itself with this far-reaching display of the Southlands fine, young jazz talent. Not to be missed. Hammer Museum. (310).443-7000.

- July 31. (Fri.) Bruce Forman. He’s been highly praised by no less an expert on jazz guitar than Barney Kessel. And Forman, a versatile guitarist/educator — who is also a published novelist (“Trust Me”) — deserves that praise and more. Steamers. (714) 871-8800

William Galison

- July 31. (Fri.) William Galison has been called “the most original and individual of the new generation of harmonica players” by Toots Thielemanns. Like Toots, he also plays the guitar (along with soprano sax and various other instruments). Galison’s resume includes gigs with, among others, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Chaka Khan, Ruth Brown and a creative partnership with Madeleine Peyroux. He’s backed by pianist Otmaro Ruiz, clarinetist John Tegmeyer, bassist Greg Swiller and drummer Nate Wood with special guest pianist Adrianne Duncan. Pasadena Jazz Institute. http://www.pasjazz.org. (626) 398-3344.

- July 31 – Aug. 2. Guys and Dolls. The Frank Loesser musical, one of the certified classics of the Broadway musical stage, receives an inimitable Hollywood Bowl treatment. The star-studded cast includes Jessica Biel, Ellen Greene, Scott Bakula, Beau Bridges and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Kevin Stiles conducts the Hollywood Bowl Orchesatra, and director Richard Jay Alexander and choreographer Donna McKechnie lead the same creative team that produced last summer’s highly praised production of Les Miserables. Hollywood Bowl. (323) 850-2000.

- Aug. 1. (Sat.) Stacy Rowles. Combine her Jimmy Rowles genes with her own impressive talents, and trumpeter/vocalist Stacy is always a pleasure to hear. This time out, shes backed by the Pat Senatore trio. Vibrato. (310) 474-9400.eo

Leo Kottke

San Francisco

- July 29 – 31. (Wed. – Fri.) Leo Kottke. A guitarist’s guitarist since the release of his first major label album, “Mudlark,” in 1971, Kottke is making his first appearance at Yoshi’s. Yoshi’s San Francisco. (415) 655-5600.

Seattle

- July 30 – Aug. 2. (Thurs. – Sun.) Monty Alexander Trio. Straight ahead jazz piano trio playing at its best, further enlivened by the rich Caribbean undercurrent that flows through everything Monty touches. Jazz Alley. ( 206) 441-9729.

New York

- July 28. (Tues.) Alfredo Rodriguez. The young Cuban pianist, a protege of Quincy Jones, performed recently at the Playboy Jazz Festival, displaying imagination, technique and adventurousness of a major new arrival on the jazz scene. The Jazz Standard (212) 576-2252.

- July 28 – Aug. 2. (Tues. – Sun.) Bob James and Earl Klugh. The veteran duo celebrate the 30th anniversary of their Grammy-winning album, One on One. The Blue Note. (212) 475-8592.

Lou Donaldson

- July 29 – Aug. 1. (Wed. – Sat.) Lou Donaldson Quartet. He may have started out as a disciple of Charlie Parker, but Donaldson’s been laying down his own groove-driven, bop-tinged alto saxophone style for decades. Birdland. (212) 581-3080.

- August 1 & 2. (Sat. & Sun.) The Caramoor Jazz Festival. This’ll be a weekend to remember for fans of jazz piano. It doesn’t get much more divers than this lineup:, Jean-Michel Pilc, Cedar Walton, Randy Weston, Gerald Clayton, Chuchito Valdes, Junior Mance and Cyrus Chestnut. Singers Luciana Souza and Dianne Reeves add some vocal variety. Caramoor Jazz Festival (914) 232-5035.

Boston

- July 31. (Fri.) Tim Reis. The Rolling Stones Project. After touring the world with the Rolling Stones, Reis knows the music of Jagger and Richard well. He performs music from his album, The Rolling Stones Project, illuminating such classic numbers as “Honky Tonk Women,” “Gimme Shelter” and “Ruby Tuesday” from a jazz perspective. The Regatta Bar. Cambridge. (617) 395-7757

Newport

Joan Baez

Highlight- August 1 & 2. (Sat. & Sun.) George Wein’s Folk Festival 50. Wein virtually invented the concept of summer jazz and folk festivals. And still does it better than almost anyone. His celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first Newport Folk Festival is a great example. Characteristically, Wein has created an event to be remembered, assembling a brilliant line-up that includes, among others, Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Judy Collins, Ramlin’ Jack Elliott, Mavis Staples. George Wein’s Folk Festival 50. Fort Adams State Park, Newport, Rhode Island. (800) 514-3849. .

Pennsylvania

- July 31. (Fri.) Dave Liebman. He’s close to home for this gig, but saxophonist Liebman’s creative imagination knows no boundaries. He’s backed by pianist Phil Markowitz, bassist Tony Marino, and drummer Mike Stephans. The Dearhead Inn. Delaware Water Gap, PA. (570) 424-2000.

]]> http://rustbeltradical.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/happy-70-mavis/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:49:51 +0000 Rustbelt Radical http://rustbeltradical.wordpress.com/2009/07/10/happy-70-mavis/ http://joelfrancis.com/2009/07/10/soulsville-sings-hitsville/ Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:43:50 +0000 thedailyrecord http://joelfrancis.com/2009/07/10/soulsville-sings-hitsville/

By Joel Francis

Rare was the time Berry Gordy would let Motown artists record songs outside of the Hitsville catalog (and its lucrative publishing).  Fortunately, Jim Stewart at Stax did not have the same stipulation. Thanks to the 2007 compilation “Soulsville Sings Hitsville: Stax Sings the Songs of Motown Records” soul fans have at least one direct barometer to use in the never-ending debate of Stax vs. Motown.

Rivalries and arguments aside, “Soulsville Sings Hitsville” is a great 15-song collection that casts many soul nuggets worn out by oldies radio in a new light. Soul fans from either side of the Mason-Dixon line will find a lot to enjoy here. And now for the 15-round battle in the head-to-head match of Stax vs. Motown.

Round 1:  – “Stop! In the Name of Love”

Margie Joseph vs. the Supremes

The Supremes took this song to No. 1 in 1965 and made it one of their defining songs. Margie Joseph adds a lengthy monologue and a completely new arrangement that transforms the song. They lyrics are about the only element these versions share. Although it’s hard to top Holland-Dozier-Holland production, Joseph accomplishes the feat by making the song her own and having an infinitely better singing voice than Diana Ross.

Winner: Stax

Round 2:  – “I Don’t Know Why I Love You”

David Porter vs. Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5

David Porter made his name as half of the Porter-Isaac Hayes hitmaking machine in the ‘60s before striking out on his own in the ‘70s. His version of “I Don’t Know Why” easily tops the Jackson 5’s reading. Michael Jackson just isn’t old enough to put the necessary grit in his vocals and ends up practically shouting the song. The gold medal here, though, goes to the co-author and original performer Stevie Wonder. Released as a single from his 1968 album “For Once In My Life,” the song peaked at No. 16 on the R&B charts. Wonder’s vocals simmer, building in intensity until they boil over at the 1:40 mark. Wonder sings so hard he’s almost out of breath as the great arrangement continues to build until the only options are to explode out of the speakers or fade out. Faced with potential lawsuits from music lovers, the track ends just under the three-minute mark.

Winner: Motown

Round 3 – “You’ve Got to Earn It”

Staples Singers vs. the Temptations

One of the Staples Singers’ biggest hits, this song is so closely identified with the group that I didn’t even know the Temptations recorded the original. This Smokey Robinson-penned number was released in 1965 on the b-side of “Since I Lost My Baby.” The Tempts version is serviceable, but aside from Eddie Kendricks’ lead vocals isn’t that memorable. The Staples version trumps on every level: Mavis Staples great singing, the spectacular arrangement featuring a signature descending horn line and harmonica, and the soulful playing and support of Pops and Yvonne Staples.

Winner: Stax

Round 4 – “Can I Get a Witness”

Calvin Scott vs. Marvin Gaye

In the NFL, when a play is challenged and the officials go under the hood for review, there must be incontrovertible evidence to overturn the call. So goes it with covers. It is not sufficient to merely equal the original recording, the burden of the cover is to surpass the original. Calvin Scott does a good job putting his twist on one of Marvin Gaye’s earliest hits, but he doesn’t add anything to it either. Take pity on Scott, however – topping Gaye is no small feat.

Winner: Motown

Round 5 – “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)”

Mar-Keys vs. Four Tops

Although some session credits are available, the Mar-Keys kind of became the catch name for whoever was playing with the Memphis Horns. Some of their cuts ended up on Booker T. and the MGs or Isaac Hayes albums, some were added to Bar-Kays releases and others credited to the Mar-Keys themselves. The Mar-Keys’ 1971 version of “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)” is one of the numbers that has fallen through the cataloging cracks – Stax historians aren’t really sure who played on it. However, one fact is indisputable: this track rocks. Andrew Horn blows a mad sax solo with enough grit and soul to match Levi Stubbs’ incomparable voice, while the rest of the musicians strip the sheen laid by the Funk Brothers on the original Motown recording. That said, the Four Tops version became one of their defining performances for good reason. The decision here comes down to preference: the dirtier R&B of Stax or the polished soul of Motown. I like ‘em both.

Winner: Push

Round 6 – “Never Can Say Goodbye”

Isaac Hayes vs. Jackson 5

Isaac Hayes and the Jackson 5 both released their interpretations of Clifton Davis’ “Never Can Say Goodbye” in 1971. The results couldn’t be more different. The pain in Hayes’ deep voice pits him as a grown man with life experience against a bunch of talented kids acting their hearts out. In the weeks following the death of Michael Jackson, the J5 performance has become an unofficial tribute to their singer. It’s a fine sentiment, but, as Mos Def would say, this is grown man business. Hayes wins, no contest.

Winner: Stax

Round 7 – “My Cherie Amour”

Billy Eckstein vs. Stevie Wonder

In the 1940s, Billy Eckstein’s orchestra was one of the first large bop combos in jazz, providing an early home for Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. In the ‘50s, Eckstein’s smooth voice influenced up-and-coming soul singers like Sam Cooke and Solomon Burke. Eckstein dabbled in both soul and jazz in the 1960s, even popping up on  a couple Motown LPs. Although his career was pretty much over by the ‘70s, Al Bell was able to coax the legend to cut a few albums for Stax. Unfortunately, Eckstein’s 1970 delivery of “My Cherie Amour” borders on parody and sadly resembles Jim “Gomer Pyle” Nabors’ version of “You Are the Sunshine Of My Life” that may be found on the Golden Throats series.

Winner: Motown

Round 8 – “Oh, Be My Love”

Barbara Lewis vs. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

Barbara Lewis actually got her start as a teen soul singer in early ‘60s Detroit before finding greater success on Stax. Based on this number, it’s odd that Berry Gordy passed on Lewis at a time when he was seemingly signing every promising young singer in the city. Lewis’ voice is a perfect fit for the Motown sound. Then again, maybe it’s for the best Lewis didn’t join the Motown family. Chances are she would have ended up another in the long line of promising female talents discarded in the wake of Diana Ross. Lewis does a fine job with this interpretation of a 1967 Miracles b-side penned by Smokey Robinson. Unfortunately, the original version could not be located for comparison.

Winner: No decision

Round 9 – “I Hear a Symphony”

Booker T. and the MGs vs. Diana Ross and the Supremes

On paper, this looks like a slam dunk: Remove Ross’ weak vocals and replace it with one of the tightest, funkiest groups of the day. But somehow, the MGs’ performance just doesn’t add up. The melody just doesn’t sound complete coming only from Steve Cropper’s guitar and Booker T. Jones’ organ can’t replicate the fullness of the Funk Brothers playing. The Supremes’ version is definitely more than the sum of its parts, and a testament to the acumen of the Holland-Dozier-Holland team.

Winner: Motown

Round 10 – “Chained”

Mavis Staples vs. Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye took a break from cutting duets with Kim Weston and Tammi Terrell to lay down this funky number in 1968. The backing vocals and atmosphere give the track a live feel and the sax break is as close to the Stax sound as Motown gets. Mavis Staples cut her version a year later. She more than holds her own against Gaye’s vocals, and the arrangement is just as energetic. Both versions can pack the dance floor, yet are just different enough to stand on their own. Why choose one performance when you can have both?

Winner: Push

Round 11 – “Ask the Lonely”

John Gary Williams vs. Four Tops

John Gary Williams cut several sides for Stax/Volt as a member of the Mad Lads until he was drafted in 1966. When Williams got out of the military, he wasn’t exactly greeted with open arms. His former group had carried on in his absence, and found Williams’ replacement to be much easier to work with. Stax owner Jim Stewart pressured the group to take Williams back and he recorded with the Lads until 1972. That year, Williams was finally able to go solo. He released only one album, which included covers of George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord,” the Spinners and this reading of “Ask the Lonely.” The smooth sax solo that opens this song and Williams’ vocals foreshadow the Quiet Storm movement. Williams arrangement and delivery may have been ahead of it’s time, but it’s not nearly enough to wrestle the title away from Levi Stubbs’ gut-busting performance on the original.

Winner: Motown

Round 12 – “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”

Soul Children vs. Stevie Wonder

The success of “Signed, Sealed and Delivered” – it spent six weeks at No. 1 on the R&B charts in 1970 – gave Stevie Wonder a great deal of leverage when he renegotiated his contract with Motown and gained the artistic control that birthed his spectacular output later in the decade. “Signed” was the first single 20-year-old Wonder produced; his arrangement is so good you can get lost in the various instruments. There isn’t much that can be improved on Wonder’s version and the Soul Children’s slowed-down gospel interpretation falls flat in the face of his triumph.

Winner: Motown

Round 13 – “Someday We’ll Be Together”

Frederick Knight vs. Diana Ross and the Supremes

Diana Ross’ name is coupled with the Supremes on the label of “Someday We’ll Be Together,” technically making it the ensemble’s final No. 1 hit before Ross started her solo career. Peeling back the label and examining the musicians’ chart, however, one can see that the song was actually a dry run for Ross’ solo career. Supremes Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong, who replaced founding ‘preme Florence Ballard, are nowhere to be found, but even if they did they probably wouldn’t have been able to help. The song, co-written and produced by Harvey Fuqua, is a mess. The strings are way too syrupy, and the backing vocals are over-performed. Everything on the track is over-produced. Perhaps this was an effort to make Ross’ thin vocals sound more emotionally relevant, but even that is a failure. It does sport a great guitar line, though. Frederick Knight vaults over this ridiculously low bar, but he doesn’t exactly salvage the song. His strings are more restrained, the arrangement slightly more funky and the vocals greatly improved, but the song itself – which predates Fuqua’s time at Motown – is far from memorable.

Winner: Stax

Round 14 – “I Wish It Would Rain”

O.B. Clinton vs. the Temptations

“I Wish It Would Rain” is one of the most devastatingly heartbreaking songs in the Motown catalog. Mourning his lost love, David Ruffin lays his soul bare for all to see. Topping this soul masterpiece would be quite a challenge – so O.B. McClinton didn’t even try. Dubbed the “Chocolate Cowboy,” McClinton was an oddity on the Stax label. His singles only charted on the country charts, with his slower tempo, pedal steel-backed version of “I Wish It Would Rain” peaking at No. 67 in 1973. His is a noble attempt, but the song works better in R&B than it does country.

Winner: Motown

Round 15 – “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”

The Bar-Kays vs. Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and the Pips

The wah wah guitar solo that punctures the Bar-Kays’ version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” just past the four-minute mark eclipses anything Gordy had imagined at Motown (save Rare Earth) and points Stax down the very odd path of Iron Butterfly and the acid rock of the early ‘70s. This version draws on the spirit of Isaac Hayes’ Oscar-winning “Shaft” and steers close to CCR’s lengthy, jammed-out rendition. I’m not sure if this actually tops the performances Marvin Gaye and Gladys Knight took to No. 1 a little more than a year apart. The versions are so different; it’s comparing apples and oranges. Enjoy them all.

Winner: Push

Final score: Stax 4, Motown 7.

The winner in this (the only) bout is overwhelmingly Motown, but Hitsville has an incumbent’s advantage of making Stax tackle its material. Listening to the Supremes tackle the Emotions, Levi Stubbs sparring with the Otis Redding songbook , the Temptations doing Sam and Dave and Norman Whitfield and Holland-Dozier-Holland applying their touches to Hayes/Porter and MGs arrangements would not only be a fantastic delight, but likely tip in favor of Soulsville. Sadly, we’ll never know. As a consolation prize, we have this compilation to bridge two very different and influential approaches to soul music.

California singer-songerwriter Kate Wolf died of leukemia at the age of 44 in 1986, but her songs continue to live on today.

Dirty Linen, the folk music website, had a recent post reporting that Wolf’s catalog of folk albums will be reissued this July.  Here’s how Dirty Linen describes Wolf’s work and influence:

Her blend of folk, country and pop helped pave the way for artists like Nanci Griffith and Mary-Chapin Carpenter. Wolf never had a hit single, and in fact the All Music Guide points out that “her style is one that tends to grow on listeners over time, as Wolf is not about flash. Her songs, characterized by a strong narrative thread, are about the ebbs and flows of adult life, in terms that are neither overly sentimental not mundane.” As late singer-songwriter Utah Phillips once introduced her, “I’d like you to meet Kate Wolf. She owns herself.”

For those of you in California, check out the 2009 Kate Wolf Memorial Festival on June 26-28.  There’s a strong line-up headlined by Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, and Mavis Staples.

I wrote a post about a wonderful Kate Wolf song, Sweet Love, in March of this year.  If  you don’t know her, she’s worth discovering.

More to come…

DJB

This week it is time for some live soul music from the great Mavis Staples this track is taken from the album “Live Hope at the Hideout”

The chosen track is “Wade In The Water” which is an old gospel song first published back in 1901 which contained eight instructions for fugitive slaves on how to avoid capture.

“Wade In The Water” (Live) – Mavis Staples

Wade in the water
Wade in the water children
Wade in the water
Don’t you know that
God’s gonna trouble the water
Don’t you know that
God’s gonna trouble the water

I stepped in water and the water is cold
Don’t you know that
God’s gonna trouble the water
Said it chilled my body but not my soul
Don’t you know that
God’s gonna trouble the water

[CHORUS]

Well I went to the water one day to pray
Don’t you know that
God’s gonna trouble the water
And my soul got happy and I stayed all day
Don’t you know that
God’s gonna trouble the water

[CHORUS]

There is love
(In the water)
In the water
(In the water)
There is joy yeah
(In the water)
In your water yeah
(In the water)
Your peace
(In the water)
Is in the water
(In the water)
Your deliverance
(In the water)
Is in the water yeah
(In the water)
Oh step in, step in
(In the water)
Joy is in the water
In the water yeah
(In the water)
Oh step in, step in
(In the water)
Love is in the water
(In the water)
Oh step in yeah
(In the water)
For deliverance
(In the water)
Everything
(In the water)
In the water yeah

Everything you need
(In the water)
Everything you need
(In the water)
Everything you need
(In the water)
Everything you need
(In the water)
Everything you need
(In the water)
Everything you need
(In the water)
Everything you need
(In the water)
Everything you need
(In the water)

God’s gonna trouble the water
God’s gonna trouble the water
(Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)
God’s gonna trouble the water
(Ooh)
God’s gonna trouble the water
Oh wade in the water

I wouldn’t exactly call the Great Famine an act of God, Shanoah. The reasons are a little hard to explain, so just stay with me here.

First off, most of the land in Ireland was owned by about 8,000 landlords who – surprise, surprise – were English descendants. They rented out their lands to tenant farmers who, in turn, rented out their land to subistence farmers called cottiers.

And cottiers had it good, let me tell you. In return for tilling the tenants farmers’ land, the cottiers got the priceless privelege of tilling their own teeny tiny plots of land. They weren’t paid, mind, but they could grow their own food and – crazy, I know – keep it.

Well, turns out that the potato is perfect for growing in teeny tiny plots of land. I read somewhere that you could feed six people for a year on just an acre of potatoes. Whether this is true or not, I don’t know. What I do know is that, by 1845, when the famine broke out, most of the rural population was living on potatoes and buttermilk… and nothing else.

So let’s break it down. You have an entire population relying on one crop for its subsistence and, once the famine breaks out, a distant government that devolves all responsibility for dealing with the disaster to local government and the free market. (Sound familiar?)

As with most disasters, the gun was cocked long before the Great Famine. All the potato blight did was pull the trigger.

Again, sound familiar?

You’re right in one thing, though, Shanoah. The oppressed rarely manage to blow up the Death Star or kill the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham. A certain exchange from the film adaptation of V for Vendetta comes to mind:

“What do you think will happen?”
“What usually happens when people without guns stand up to people with guns.”

So, yeah, treasure the few times when the oppressed have managed to pull it off.

This song, Hard Times Come Again No More, was written in 1854 by Steven Foster. It was a popular song back during the American Civil War, when about half the United States had a collective temper tantrum because the mean old Fedril Gubmint wouldn’t let them own human beings as property. This version is sung by Mavis Staples, who pretty much sang the soundtrack for another struggle in the South, the civil rights movement.

The civil rights movements is one of those few times when the rebels did manage to blow up the Death Star. And they did it without firing a shot, too. Not bad.

Courtesy of Ellis Creative (site here).

By the way, Shanoah, I just thought of this: Guess what the English band was playing when Lord Cornwallis surrendered to the nosepicking Continental Army at Yorktown. Why, it was The World Turned Upside Down.

Of course, this may not be true; I doubt an English military band would play a protest song against the English. That would sort of be like the boys in the NYPD choir singing Cop Killer. And like most things of this sort, I don’t care. A line from The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance comes to mind: “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

(The iPod has come a long way since its introduction in Oct., 2001. What has commercial radio done over that period?)

By Joel Francis

The Daily Record’s two-week experiment ended yesterday. For the past two weeks, I’ve been listening to myiPod on all-song shuffle, dedicated to penetrating 10 percent of my 12,226-tune pocket library. The journey was not only a blast, but it’s also been very revelatory. Songs sound different when they arrive unannounced and stripped of all context.

At first blush, the Futureheads sound a lot like the Jam, and “Mystery Title” from Robert Plant’s “Pictures At Eleven” doesn’t sound that different from what Zeppelin were going for on “In Through the Out Door.” To these ears, Mavis Staples’ 2008 album “Hope: Live at the Hideout” paled in comparison with its studio counterpart “Down In Mississippi,” and Staples’ energetic stop at the Folly Theater on that tour. But “The Hideout”’s “Freedom Highway” blew me away when it popped up.

The Nine Inch Nails track “Zero-Sum” sounded like something Peter Gabriel would have placed on “Security.” The shuffle rescuedthe magnificient “I’m A Lady” from its burial deep in the second half of Santogold’s album. Heck, even a Ghostface Killah’s comedy sketch managed to evoke a chuckle when it popped up between Dinosaur Jr and Billie Holiday.

Not to sound too much like a fuddy-duddy, but there are a lot of aspects of the old music paradigm that I miss. Record Store Day is a great new tradition, but it can’t compete with the rush and anticipation of New Release Tuesdays. I also miss the days when radio would actually turn me on to good music and artists. None my or my friends’ automobiles in high school and college had CD players, so we relied on the radio for entertainment. It wasn’t perfect – Kansas City still had way too much classic rock clogging the airways – but when you haven’t yet heard “Frankenstein” a million times, it didn’t seem so bad. We tried to sing the “woo-woos” all the way through “Sympathy for the Devil” (impossible) and memorize the lyrics to “American Pie” and “Like A Rolling Stone.” (Check and check. Also, sadly, “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”)

I didn’t need to know anything about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 to notice that radio started to suck that year. Eventually, though, we graduated and got better cars. I made sure mine had a CD player and turned my back completely on commercial radio. I have yet to find a compelling reason to go back. And while my iPod only reveals what I put into it, it’s nice to know there are still hundreds of treasures waiting to be revealed. Now if only I could figure out how to be the ninth caller and win that T-shirt.

Anti Records / SPV

Mavis Staples war seit den 50er Jahren Sängerin der legendären Staple Singers, einer der erfolgreichsten Stax Bands. Später begann sie dann, Soloplatten aufzunehmen. Auf ihrem aktuellen Album arbeitet sie mit Ry Cooder zusammen; das Songmaterial besteht aus alten Blues-, Spiritual- und Gospeltiteln. Durch die gelungene Produktion klingen die Songs sowohl modern, die Ursprünglichkeit der Musik geht dabei aber nicht verloren. Wirklich toll ist z.B. der Song „Down In Mississippi“, wo Staples vom afrikanischen Männerchor Ladysmith Black Mambazo begleitet wird. Auch „We Shall Not Be Moved“ oder das Duett „In the Mississippi River“ sind großartige Songs, die sehr berühren. Wer auf echten Blues steht, ist hier genau richtig.

Versió d’una cançó de J.B. Lenoir gravada per Mavis Staples a We’ll never turn back (2007), disc produït per Ry Cooder i dedicat al Moviment pels Drets Civils d’Amèrica (àrdua tasca). Mena de blues minimalista en Sol molt del delta, molt mississippià.

Recursos:

• MP3 per baixar (via emulística)

Vídeo:

En directe [Enllaç YouTube]

Lletra:

As far back as I can remember
I either had to plow or hoe
[With] One of those long, old nine foot [cotton] sacks
Staring down the old dirt road
Down in Mississippi

Down in Mississippi
Down in Mississippi where I was born
Down in Mississippi where I come from

Nothing I got against Mississippi
It also was the home of my wife
But I feel just like I’m a lucky man
To get away with my life
Down in Mississippi

Down in Mississippi
Down in Mississippi where I was born
Down in Mississippi where I come from

They had a huntin’ season on the rabbits
shoot one, you went to jail
The seaon was always open on me
Didn’t nobody need no bail
Down in Mississippi

Down in Mississippi
Down in Mississippi where I was born
Down in Mississippi where I come from

Style: Traditional Gospel/R&B with a lil’ rock ‘n’ roll; compare to Mavis Staples, Georgia Mass Choir, Aretha Franklin

Top tracks: “I Believe” (Jonny Lang w/ Fisk Jubilee Singers), “Higher Ground” (Robert Randolph and The Clark Sisters), “Keep the Faith” (Jon Bon Jovi w/ Washington Youth Choir)

In a nutshell: Gospel is arguably the backbone of American music. Incorporating jazz, rhythm & blues, lots of down-home sangin’, and a little rock ‘n’ roll, the genre has thrived since pre-Civil war days when music was less categorically structured. Capturing this diverse legacy, Oh Happy Day partners Gospel’s best rehearsed choirs with genre chiefs like The Clark Sisters and The Reverend Al Green, as well as unconventional guests like Patty Griffin, Jon Bon Jovi, and Queen Latifah—all who keep the record in holy-rolling gear from start to finish. It’s hard to believe a ‘various artist’ could be this blue-ribbon, but Oh Happy Day is as creative and cohesive as any big budget release.

Christianity Today, April 2009
YouTube.com

terrygydesen.com

Dopo aver guardato i primi video condivisi su Lotusflow3r.com, mi sembra giusto raccontare qualcosa che è avvenuto nel 1993.

7 settembre 1993

Nel pomeriggio Prince si esibisce in uno spettacolo privato organizzato dalla BBC Radio per “One Show” di fronte a 250 invitati. L’occasione è buona per salutare, ma soprattutto ringraziare, il pubblico inglese, che nella serata avrà l’opportunità di assistere a quello che sarà il concerto conclusivo della tournee europea “ActII”.
Durante quell’ultimo concerto, 12.000 i presenti al Wembley Arena, viene suonata, per la prima ed unica volta “The Sacrifice Of Victor”, canzone che chiude l’album “Symbol” del 1992.
La scelta di interpretare questo brano, potrebbe essere legata all’aftershow che Prince organizza quella notte al Bagley’s Warehouse di Londra. Questo spettacolo è ripreso dalla telecamera dal regista Parris Patton, il quale realizzerà un film-concerto conosciuto come “The Sacrifice Of Victor”.
Tema della festa l’Egitto. Tra gli ospiti famosi Linford Christie, George Michael, Des’ree e Seal. L’evento doveva essere un’esclusiva per quello che era il Controversy Fans Club, ma l’enorme richiesta di biglietti, circa 3000, e i numerosi spettatori in fila davanti all’ingresso del locale, costringe l’organizzazione ad aprire un’altra sala, dove il concerto è trasmesso su schermi giganti. Prince sale sul palco alle 3.00 del 8 settembre ed inizia con “The Ride”.
Questa la track list riproposta nel video:

The Ride
The Undertaker (Mavis Staples)
Jailhouse Rock
House In Oder (Mavis Staples & The Steeles)
Call The Law (The Game Boyz)
Heart in My Hand (The Steeles)
Power Of Love (The Steeles)
In The Mood (Glenn Miller classic)
Peach

In realtà durante l’esibizione Prince canta altre canzoni, come “Honky Tonk Woman”, “Bambi”, “Come”, “Endorphinemachine” e “I’ll Take You There”, ma non saranno inserite nella versione finale del film. Sul palco a fargli compagnia, ci sono Mavis Staples & The Steeles, The NPG al completo, S. Thompson, Michael Blant, The Game Boyz e Mayte Garcia
Il filmato, oltre al concerto, testimonia l’intera nottata, con immagini dei fans in attesa, il backstage, l’arrivo dei musicisti e di Prince. Tra una canzone e l’altra, vengono proposte interviste fatte tra il pubblico. Il filmato della durata di circa 43 minuti, è uno dei video attualmente disponibili su Lotusflow3r.com.

Lo stesso titolo sarà utilizzato anche per il libro “Prince presents The Sacrifice Of Victor” realizzato con le immagini scattate da Terry Gydesen, fotografo di Minneapolis e chiamato dal cantante per documentare il tour “ActII”. Alcune di queste foto saranno utilizzate anche per la copertina di “Come” (1994) e per alcuni dei singoli estratti da quell’album come “Letitgo”.

Per i curiosi:

http://www.amazon.com/Prince-presents-Sacrifice-Victor/dp/1141977761
http://www.terrygydesen.com/newsite/prince/prince_1.html
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Prince-Sacrifice-Victor-Live-VHS/dp/B00004R6P4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1238449657&sr=1-1

Per quanto riguarda l’esibizione alla BBC Radio, trovare la registrazione audio su “Rock Over Germany” della Sabotage [010-011-040]