Tag: jazz

Saturday Matinee – Ramsey Lewis Trio, Weather Report, Rickie Lee Jones, Southside Johnny, Procol Harem

Ramsey Lewis [h/t Coldwarrior].

Weather Report was THE jazz-fusion band of the 1970s, and the late Jaco Pastorius was one of the greatest fretless bassmen, with all his awesome burping, farting and growling.

About the same time, I was in love with Rickie Lee Jones. She always reminded me of Diane W., but don’t tell the missus that.

Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes was another favorite of mine back then.

The unwritten rule for posting videos is that one must post one, three or five for the karma to balance. So in order to keep things hunky and dory, here’s the fifth:

That’s Procol Harem from 1967, featuring the legendary Hammond B3 Organism.

Have a great weekend folks, and be back here tomorrow for more fun and games.

Saturday Matinee – Sparky, Linus & Lucy, Magic, Douchebags, & the Downchild Blues Band

Loni Anderson (Good God, look at that hair!) introduced a tribute to Charles Schulz, creator of Wee Folk, aka Peanuts. Today is the 60th anniversary of its debut. RIP, Sparky.

David Benoit’s version of Vince Guaraldi’s classic  “Linus and Lucy.”

Amazing magic trick [found here].

Remember when SNL was funny? Buck Henry was one of the top writers in the early days.

According to one source, “Downchild” was the band that inspired Dan Akroyd to create The Blues Brothers.

BTW, The Competition will be closed at Midnight, Pacific Standard Time, tonight, so get yer last minute entries in.

Have a great weekend, folks.

Saturday Matinee – Kooza, Fishbone, Vai, Maceo & Satchmo

Cirque du Soleil is always awesome. Gotta wait for the cool stuff in this vid. [Found at a blog whose name has a lot of t’s and w’s in it.]

Fishbone is/was just nuts. I love ’em.

Steve Vai’s “Love of God” is another awesome rock classic.


Maceo Parker’s “Cold Sweat” is a great groovejam with a great funk lineup.

Louis Armstrong is one of a handful of people that I would have liked to have met. ¡Adiós mis muchachos!

Saturday Matinee – Botswana Guitar, Panama Red, Panama Davis, Blues for Greasy & Stevie W.

[Found here.]

New Riders of the Purple Sage’s “Panama Red.”

Panama Eddy Davis, live in New Orleans.

“Blues for Greasy,” performed by an amazing lineup of talent from 1950: Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison: trumpet; Lester Young: Tenor Sax; Flip Phillips: Tenor Sax; Bill Harris: Trombone; Hank Jones: Piano; Ray Brown: Bass; Buddy Rich: Drums; Ella Fitzgerald: Vocals.

Sorry to switch gears so quick. Here’s Stevie Wonder’s classic “Higher Ground” live in 1973. Always take it.

Saturday Matinee – Kid Ory’s Muskrat Ramble

Kid Ory was one of the greatest trombonists and band leaders of the 20th Century.  One of the early jazz pioneers, his career spanned decades and influenced uncountable others. From Wikipedia:

Kid Ory had one of the best-known bands in New Orleans in the 1910s, hiring many of the great jazz musicians of the city, including, cornetists Joe “King” Oliver, Mutt Carey, and Louis Armstrong; and clarinetists Johnny Dodds and Jimmie Noone.

For many years I thought King Oliver formed the band. Here’s Kid Ory’s band in 1959, playing “Muskrat Ramble,” a song he wrote in the 1920’s.  [Bonus: Interview with Kid Ory.]

Satchmo got his start playing 2nd trumpet in King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, later married the piano player Lil Hardin. Here’s Louis Armstrong’s version of “Muskrat Ramble.”

Country Joe MacDonald blatantly and unashamedly ripped off Kid Ory’s tune (probably without paying royalties) and warped it into a sarcastic war protest song.  Here he is in his blissfully ignorant glory (apparently without the Fish) at Woodstock 1969.

Here’s a kinda related video:  Small Faces’ “Tin Soldier.” There’s a reason they had few TV appearances and I don’t think Spinal Tap could’ve topped that spastic performance. [Found via Mogadonia.]

Just sealed it. I’m going to hell for connecting Kid Ory with Spinal Tap Lego animation.  I am very sorry and I promise that it won’t happen again as far as you know.

Saturday Matinee – Slim Gaillard & Slam Stewart

As I arrived at TR HQ today, I found a CD sitting all alone.  Turns out the lovely Mrs. Strutts scored a copy of Slim Gaillard’s “Slim’s Jam.”   Better yet, the missus got it for nothing.   WOW.  “Flat Foot Floogie” for free.  Good God, I’ve heard this guy’s stuff.  He played lead guitar when guitar was looked down upon as a mere rhythm instrument.  Gaillard was WAY ahead of his time. (Listen for his pre-Chuck Berry licks on the second video.)

You ever wonder where Little Richard came up with “Tutti Frutti?”  It was from Gaillard’s  advanced musical tublications.  FACT.

“R-A-G-G-M-O-P-P RAG MOP”

[Just a few years later, it looked like this, from Uncertain Times.]

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