Check out country guitar and chicken pickin' maestro, Brent Mason, with his instrumental, "Hotwired". This particular version of the tune, comes from a performance at 3rd & Lindley in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a promotion for Wampler guitar effects pedals, actually. Mason's playing is extraordinary, and exemplifies how good old fashioned country twang, should sound. The whole band is full of great musicians.
Check out an amalgamation of electric jazz and Spanish flamenco guitar. This is Sabicas and Joe Beck, with their record "Rock Encounter". The album was recorded in 1966, and then, shelved for a while, before ultimately being released four years later, in 1970.
Another chestnut from Duane and Gregg Allman's pre-Allman Brothers Band group, The Hourglass. Duane plays some fabulous rhythm guitar on a Fender Stratocaster here. The song is "Been Gone Too Long". This one was recorded, 50 years ago, in 1967. We remember always, Duane and Gregg Allman. Today, marks 46 years since Duane's passing in a motorcycle accident. The music, lives forever.
Well, it looks like it's favorite song time again. Here's one by an artist yours truly has dug for years and who many generations know. This is Van Morrison with "And It Stoned Me". Dig it.
We remember, the late, great, boogie woogie pianist, from New Orleans, Fats Domino, another of the originators of rock and roll, who passed away on Tuesday at age 89.
To honor him, here is one of his biggest, and best songs, "Blueberry Hill", from an episode of Austin City Limits. Fats dedicated this version on ACL, to Elvis Presley.
Check out a piano duet between Chick Corea and Gonzalo Rubalcaba, playing an improvisation piece that melds into "Spain". The performance is from the 1991 Mount Fuji Jazz Festival in Japan.
Check out jazz trumpet legend Chet Baker, playing "Time After Time" (a song title used for many, many compositions), live in Belgium in 1964. The band lineup is:
Chet Baker: flugelhorn & vocals
Jacques Pelzer: alto saxophone & flute
Rene Urtreger: piano
Luigi Trussardi: bass
Franco Manzecchi: drums
The title of this post, says it all. Check it out, and enjoy. The tape runs for almost four hours of Jimi Hendrix and his band at the time (Band of Gypsies?), doing a rehearsal in Boiceville, New York.
Elmore James' version of "One Way Out", which he co-wrote with Marshall Sehorn and Sonny Boy Williamson II. The Allman Brothers Band, made this one famous. But, dig Elmore's version. Pretty cool groove, and lead guitar, sans slide, which isn't common because Elmore James, is without a doubt one of the kings, if not the king, of the slide guitar.
From his 1987 "Troubadour" album, here is the late, great, J.J. Cale with the tune "Ride Me High". Featured this one way back when yours truly had more time to chronicle Spotify music, and last year, featured a cover version of this song by Widespread Panic and Jason Isbell. This, is the genuine article.
Took an excerpt of this show (the opening tune, "Humpty Dumpty"), which Chick Corea also recently played as the opener to his show with Steve Gadd at The Dakota, that was seen and reviewed by yours truly. But, here is the Blue Note 1992 gig in full. The set list is:
Check out tenor saxophonist Eddie Harris, and jazz piano great Les McCann playing "Cold Duck Time" at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival. In the middle of the performance you will notice Ella Fitzgerald pulling up a seat in the front row, to dig what these dudes are putting down. Now, how hip is that?!
"Let's Get Sinister" by Greg Koch-Rhymes With Chalk Music ASCAP
From the album Koch-Marshall Trio "Toby Arrives" released Sept 9, 2017.
Greg Koch- Guitar
Dylan Koch- Drums
Toby Lee Marshall- Hammond Organ
Recorded by Steve Hamilton at Makin' Sausage Music in Milwaukee, WI
April, 2017
Video footage and editing by Elijah Butts courtesy of Wildwood Guitars
in Louisville, CO wildwoodguitars.com
Greg Koch using a Fender Custom Shop Wildwood 10 1955 Telecaster relic
with Fishman Fluence Greg Koch Gristletone Pickups for Telecaster. Tim
Jauernig Triple Gristle Pedal used with clean boost and Fuzz engaged
through a Fender Custom Vibrolux, Pro Junior and Friedman Small Box 50
combo.
The first of a couple of tracks recorded by the Koch Marshall Trio from their latest album "Toby Arrives" that was recorded in April, and released, just last month. This is Heed The Booglaoo". The band features Greg Koch on guitar, Toby Lee Marshall on Hammond organ, and Dylan Koch on drums.
Recorded by Steve Hamilton at Makin' Sausage Music in Milwaukee, WI
April, 2017
Video footage and editing by Elijah Butts courtesy of Wildwood Guitars
in Louisville, CO wildwoodguitars.com
Greg Koch using a Fender Custom Shop Wildwood 10 1955 Telecaster relic
with Fishman Fluence Greg Koch Gristletone Pickups for Telecaster. Tim
Jauernig Triple Gristle Pedal used with clean boost and Fuzz engaged
through a Fender Custom Vibrolux, Pro Junior, and Friedman Small Box 50
combo.
Check out jazz tenor saxophone master Dexter Gordon and his quartet, playing the medley of "Lady Bird" and "Body & Soul". The band lineup is Gordon on tenor sax, George Gruntz on piano, Guy Pedersen on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums. As for the composition credits, "Lady Bird" was written by Tadd Dameron in 1947, and "Body & Soul" was composed in 1930 by four writers, including John W. Green, Edward Heymon, Frank Eaton, and Robert Sour.
The title track from jazz flugelhorn player Art Farmer's 1977 funk jazz release on CTI Records. This is "Crawl Space". Keyboardist Dave Grusin composed the piece. Of note, is the masterful playing by all the musicians, but especially, flutist Jeremy Steig. Dave Grusin arranged songs on the record, and producers for the recording include Bob James and Creed Taylor. The band lineup is:
Art Farmer: flugelhorn
Jeremy Steig: flute
Dave Grusin: keyboards
Eric Gale: guitar
Will Lee: electric bass
Steve Gadd: drums
Another bonus post for your Friday. Gov't Mule pays tribute to the late, great, Walter Becker from Steely Dan, with the songs "Dirty Work" and "Don't Take Me Alive" from a late September gig at the Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles, California.
Released today, the video for Gregg Allman's cover of Little Feat's "Willin' ", from "Southern Blood". Great tune. This is a 360 degree video, where you can manipulate arrows with your mouse in the top left hand corner, to see around the studio as the band is in session, recording. A bonus post, for your Friday, of one of the best takes (in my book) of the "Southern Blood" album.
When two musicians have a connection that goes back a long way, even if they didn't play together on a regular basis in the past, if they reconnect, that's something very special. Tuesday night at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, was such an occasion, as Chick Corea and Steve Gadd, played the first night of a two night run of shows there, before their tour is slated to draw to a close, at the end of this week. The whole band was full of players who have a wealth of creativity and musical empathy among them. In addition to Chick Corea on keyboards and Steve Gadd on drums, the sextet included Carlitos del Puerto on electric and upright bass, Lionel Loueke on guitar, Steve Wilson on alto and soprano saxophones and flute, and Luisito Quintero on percussion.
The ensemble played an inspiring set, opening with Corea's composition "Humpty Dumpty". This is a tune, that was featured in a post on the blog, about a month ago. It's original release was on Corea's 1978 solo record "The Mad Hatter". The only newer tune in the set, was "Spanish Song", which maintained a theme that Corea has perfected through his great career, but was proof once again, that every time he comes up with a new musical project, he is constantly reinventing himself. The most moving composition of the evening, came as the third song in the set. The ethereal, surreal, space-like anthem, "Return To Forever". Yes, that is not only the name of Corea's longtime band that garnered him such recognition in the jazz and music world at large, it is also, a composition, released in 1972.
"Return To Forever" is a sonic adventure, that brought much joy and awe to the fans in attendance at The Dakota. This piece was the magnum opus of the entire evening. After the fans were taken on a musical journey of galactic proportions, what to do, for an encore? Find a song in your catalog, that fans in attendance will instantly recognize. ...And so it was, that Corea, Gadd and company, encored with "Spain", and the marvelous intro to that upbeat composition, which is a section of Gabriel Rodrigo's "Concerto de Aranjuez". "Spain" brought the crowd to it's feet, and had them singing along with the melody. A fitting encore to a masterful performance.
Chick Corea & Steve Gadd: The Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN 10-10-17
1. Humpty Dumpty
2. Spanish Song
3. Return To Forever
Encore:
4. Spain
...And some bonuses for this post. Here is the original studio recording of "Return To Forever", the composition, the title track to Return To Forever's first LP from 1972, and the third song from the performance... featuring Chick Corea on Rhodes piano, Stanley Clarke on acoustic and electric bass, Airto Moreira on drums and percussion, Joe Farrell on soprano saxophone and flute, and Flora Purim on vocals.
Here too, is the band's rendition of "Spain", as they played it at The Dakota. But, this version, is taken from their September 21st gig at the Blue Note in New York City.
Yours truly, also had a chance after the show, to shake hands with Mr. Gadd, the maestro. That was the best part of the evening at The Dakota. A great concert to be sure.
The late, great Buddy Miles' interpretation of "Dreams", the great Allman Brothers Band song they released on their first album in 1969. Miles released it a year later on the "Them Changes" album in 1970.
Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker lead an all star band on Willie Dixon's "I Just Want To Make Love To You", featuring Johnny Winter, Otis Blackwell, Eddie "Bluesman" Kirkland, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, and the boys from Foghat, in a concert in New York City, circa 1978.
Revisiting something yours truly may have posted about a long while ago. This is a concert from a unique tour that I actually saw live at the Minnesota State Fair, as there was a tour stop there, on the same itinerary for Dukes of September which featured Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, and a great band, made up mostly of the touring band from Steely Dan. A lot of the tunes, are covers, but they are very good and very well chosen songs. Check this out.
Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald & Boz Scaggs
The Dukes Of September - "L.A. Night in September"
September 29, 2010
The Greek Theatre; Los Angeles, CA
Stereo Soundboard Recording
Quality: A++.
Set 1:
1. Sooky Sooky (Grant Green)
2. Heighty Hi (Sam Moore)
3. Don't Mess Up A Good Thing (Gregg Allman)
4. Shakedown Street (Grateful Dead)
5. You Never Can Tell (Chuck Berry)
6. I've Got News For You (Ray Charles)
7. Green Flower Street (Donald Fagen)
8. Miss Sun (Boz Scaggs)
9. I Keep Forgettin' (Michael McDonald)
10. Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin)
11. Rag Mama Rag (The Band)
12. The Shape I'm In (The Band)
13. Love TKO (Teddy Pendergrass)
Set 2:
14. I Live The Life I Love (Muddy Waters/Willie Dixon)
15. Cadillac Walk (Mink Deville)
16. What A Fool Believes (The Doobie Brothers)
17. I.G.Y. International Geophysical Year (Donald Fagen)
18. Lowdown (Boz Scaggs)
19. Band Intros
20. Reelin' In The Years (Steely Dan)
21. Love Train (O'Jays)
22. Help Me Rhonda (The Beach Boys)
23. Peg (Steely Dan)
24. Something In The Air (Thunderclap Newman)/Them Changes (Buddy Miles)
Encore:
25. Sookie Sookie (Grant Green) - Reprise
The Band Lineup:
Donald Fagen: Keyboards and Vocals
Boz Scaggs: Guitar and Vocals
Michael McDonald: Keyboards and Vocals
Jon Herington: Guitar
Freddie Washington: Bass
Michael White: Drums
Michael Leonhart: Trumpet
Walt Weiskopf: Saxophone
Jay Collins: Horns
Jim Beard: Organ
Carolyn Leonhart-Escoffery: Vocals
Catherine Russell: Vocals
More music, and another full show, from Maceo Parker and his band. This is the full Roots Revisited concert, recorded in Germany, in 1991. The band lineup is:
Maceo Parker: alto saxophone
Fred Wesley: trombone
Pee Wee Ellis: tenor saxophone
Ronald Muldrow: guitar
Larry Goldings: Hammond B3 organ
Jimmy Madison: drums
The track listing is:
1. Up 'N' Down Easy Street
2. Southwick (Shake Everything You've Got)
3. In Articulate Speech of The Heart
4. Peace Fugue
5. Cold Sweat
6. Children's World
7. Everywhere Is Out of Town
8. Doin' It To Death
What is probably my all-time favorite, and perhaps the most successful Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers record, 1979's "Damn The Torpedoes", produced by Tom Petty and Jimmy Iovine. This is a good one. Check it out. The track listing is:
1. Refugee
2. Here Comes My Girl
3. Even The Losers
4. Shadow of A Doubt (A Complex Kid)
5. Century City
6. Don't Do Me Like That
7. You Tell Me
8. What Are You Doin' In My Life?
9. Louisiana Rain
We have lost another dearly beloved musician, folks. Rest In Peace, Tom Petty, of his eponymous band, The Heartbreakers. The band had so many legendary hit songs and was celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. Petty on rhythm guitar, Mike Campbell on lead guitar, and Benmont Tench on keyboards, were the core members of the group, and created a sound all their own that loyal and endearing fans, including yours truly, latched onto very quickly. So many hit songs and hit records played quite frequently on "classic rock" radio as it were, but more than that, an endearing and enduring legacy as a great musician as well, even though Tom Petty himself, served mostly as the rhythm guitarist, giving his bandmate Campbell, the spotlight on leads and solos.
I had a chance to see Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers play live, only once, but that one experience was unforgettable. On July 23rd, their tour, with support from another great legend, Steve Winwood, rolled into Minneapolis and the Target Center. Yours truly was at that show, and thrilled to witness what was a fantastic concert on that evening. I still recall a lot of the music from that show, and Tom Petty's music will live forever in my heart as it will for countless millions of other devoted fans. Here is the set list from that gig, which was searched for via setlist.fm.
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers set list: Target Center Minneapolis, MN 7-23-08
1. You Wreck Me
2. Listen to Her Heart
3. I Won't Back Down
4. Even The Losers
5. Free Fallin'
6. Mary Jane's Last Dance
7. End of The Line (Traveling Wilbury's cover) *Traveling Wilbury's were a supergroup Tom Petty was a part of, that also included George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, and Jeff Lynne.
8. Breakdown
9. Saving Grace
10. A Face In The Crowd
11. Honey Bee (Sonny Boy Williamson I. cover)
12. Learning To Fly
13. Don't Come Around Here No More
14. Refugee
Encore:
15. Runnin' Down A Dream
16. Gloria (Them cover)
17. American Girl
The above video, is Tom Petty, Mike Campbell, and Benmont Tench, sitting in with the Allman Brothers Band on Bob Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited", at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California (which was part of a tour that would be the last visit by the Allman Brothers Band to the west coast), on May 19th, 2009.
A live performance by jazz pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba of the standard "Autumn Leaves" in a trio, with John Pattitucci on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums. This is a live version taken from the 1991 Fuji Jazz Festival in Fuji, Japan.
Rhythm section (bass & drums) + horns. What else do you need? Not much in this case. Check out the Chuck Mangione Quartet with "High Heeled Sneakers", from 1972, recorded live at the Nazareth College Arts Center in Rochester, New York. The band lineup is:
Chuck Mangione - flugelhorn, electric piano
Gerry Niewood - tenor & soprano saxophones, alto flute
Tony Levin - electric bass
Steve Gadd - drums
