Saturday Matinee – Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Toronzo Cannon & The Chicago Way, and The Scotty Bratcher Band

Rick Estrin and The Nightcats: “Rick Estrin sings and writes songs like the brightest wiseguy in all bluesland and blows harmonica as if he learned at the knee of Little Walter.” – DownBeat magazine

Chicago bluesman Toronzo Cannon didn’t pick up a guitar until he was 22, but he picked it up fast:
“Gary Clark, Jr. declared, ‘Toronzo is a beast. He lights the room up,’ and Joe Bonamassa rightly pronounced, ‘Toronzo’s a great guitar player, excellent vocalist and an amazing personality.’ ”

Scotty Bratcher covers Albert King’s Feel Like Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home. Bratcher was introduced to the guitar while still in the single digits of age, and was already making a name for himself before he had a driver’s license. He’s going to be around for a while.

The tragedy of the California fires has been the news of the week, but don’t forget the people who are still recovering from the ravages of hurricane Helene while coping with winter weather. For many, it’s going to be years before things get back to normal.

I’ll be on the porch if you need me.

The .Gif Friday Post No. 888 – Governor Gavin Edition

https://x.com/i/status/1877483632245485957
The Southern California fires are still raging as of the time of this post.
This horrific tragedy was predicted years ago; the warnings were ignored by those in charge, and little, if anything, was done to prevent it.
Now it’s too late.

May God bless the victims of this catastrophe.

So Cal Fires – January 2025

The Palisades Fire burns a Christmas tree inside a residence in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 7. Ethan Swope—AP

[More photos here.]

Space Bimbo Traffic Cop

[March 1959 issue of Fantastic Universe Science Fiction magazine. FUSF was published from 1953 through 1960. More space bimbos here.]

Redundant

I believe that’s a 1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan with a 31 year old stunt baby. [Found here.]

Doggo & Friend in the Booth

In the winter of 1943, a well-dressed man posed for several photos with his German Shepherd in a photo booth at New York City’s Grand Central Station.

[Found here.]

Scrobiculated Hot Links

Theme to The Prisoner, Ron Grainer, composer (1967)
The Prisoner was a 1960s spy vs. spy television show starring Patrick McGoohan as No. 6. McGoohan chose Ron Grainer’s theme over others, with the requirement that it be re-scored with a faster tempo and emphasis on the tympani.

Cool rays.

Kind of blue.

Pot farming.

The Hootlet.

The Haalarit.

A Ginger Song.

Village dances.

Illegal axolotls?

The Swiss Portal.

Lotta work to do.

A proper breakfast.

Dancing in the duct.

20¢ spaghetti or ravioli.

Rockstars who died in 2024.

Sweep tight [via Bunkerville].

Froggy Went A-Campin’ (and more).

Blockbuster, Netflix & the Cult of Ben.

The Kittyman Shanty [via Memo Of The Air].

The Prince Hall Nobles [via Everlasting Blört].

[Top image: Still from the hypnosis segment of The Pee Wee Herman Show – Live at the Roxy Theater 1981.]


From the Archives: 1 year ago. 5 years ago. 10 years ago. 15 years ago.

Saturday Matinee – Justin Johnson, Too Slim & The Taildraggers, and Otis Clay

Master of the 3-string electric shovel, Justin Johnson slides on anything.

Too Slim & The Taildraggers go slidin’ all over the two lane. The award-winning trio has had six albums peak in the top 10 of the Billboard Top Blues Albums. Members currently consist of Tim “Too Slim” Langford (lead vocals, guitar), Robert Kearnes (bass, vocals) and Jeffrey “Shakey” Fowlkes (drums).

Gospel, soul and blues singer Otis Clay (1942-2016):
Gospel would remain Otis’ primary focus. After arriving in Chicago during the mid-1950s, he joined the Golden Jubilaires, then hooked up with Charles Bridges’ Famous Blue Jay Singers in 1960. “Here we are singing acappella, and we’re singing in elementary schools, high schools, hotels and colleges and things like that. We were known as variety singers, or we were billed as (performing) ‘Old Negro Spirituals and Plantation Melodies.’ ”

Nice to have 2024 behind us, but 2025 better settle its ass right down pronto or I’m getting out The Belt. Have a great weekend, we’ll weigh down the porch tomorrow, noonish o’clock.

The .Gif Friday Post No. 887 – Hotwired, Taking Down Santa & Driving While Cat

[Found here, here and here. Santa smackdown h/t Gord S.]

No words…