Albert Murray, author, critic and friend to Ralph Ellison and Duke Ellington, dead at 97 . . . foe of Marxists, Freudians, academics, black nationalists and white segregationists; Like Ellison, he believed conflict was a given, that life was not a formula to be solved but a dance to be danced. Albert Murraybluesduke ellingtonmusicphilosophy and…
The only superstar of the 60s and 70s who never rested on his laurels and continues to explore his musical roots with authenticity and integrity, from blues to rock n’ roll, to country to gospel. He understands where the source is – NOLA, the delta from which all styles emanated and flowed back again. The…
Clarence “Gatemouth” really does swing on this terrific recording. “Pops” and the “Count” would have been proud. Great to see that trumpeter Jamil Sharif is on the album. If ever you are in NOLA head to the Maison Bourbon where Jamil is resident – a great time guaranteed. I’ve just noticed that Jamil has a new…
This in the Guardian (h/t to Bart van Klink) Until now, there were only two verified photographs of Johnson (1911-1938), who remains the most inspirational musician produced by the Mississippi Delta and the man Eric Clapton once anointed as “the most important blues musician who ever lived”. This weekend a third, newly cleaned-up and authenticated image…
Decent theatrical documents of rock concerts are few and far between. Only two come to mind: The Last Waltz and Stop Making Sense. Previous efforts such as The Song Remains the Same and Shine a Light while they have their moments, are in the case of the former, a bit tiresome, and in the case…
B.B. Kingbb kingbluesmusic
Following on from Floyd here is the much more reserved Rick Stein who goes on a sojourn through the Mississippi Delta. It was Floyd who gave Rick his television break and I notice that Dave Prichard who Floyd “directed” (Prichard was ostensibly the director), directs Stein here. Ever since the early 1960s, Rick Stein has been in…
Check out this rarely seen and not easily available series: the DVDs are available from some libraries featuring performances from Big Mama Thornton, Joe Liggins and the Honeydrippers, Lowell Fulson, Lloyd Glenn, Charles Brown, Big Jay McNeely, and Margie Evans with Dick “Huggy Boy” Hugg and Johnny Otis. Breaking away from the well-traveled blues trail connecting…
I was interested to read Jan Ramsey’s OffBeat discussion of the relative failure of NOLA to honour it’s most famous (and of course America’s most famous art form, Jazz) not to mention the rather patchy public space recognition accorded to its most famous musical sons and daughters. Plaques such as located at the site of Cosimo…
manwithoutqualities 