This Funk Bass Slapfest is awesome, and the girl’s smacking a six-string. I’m guessing that this how Julliard students settle their differences and go busking at the same time.
I knew a guy who could play two saxes at the same time (with rubber bands holding down a couple of keys) and I can believe that someone might be able play two trumpets simultaneously, but three? Had there not been a video I’d have never believed it.
The song is “El Manisero“ (aka “The Peanut Vendor) and it dates to 1930s Cuba. Stan Kenton’s version is my favorite because of all the discordant stuff that he worked into it.
I was looking for a live performance of “Brazil” (perhaps by Xavier Cugat) to commemorate the Competitions of the Grecian Gods, but instead we must settle for The Theme Song to Terry Gilliam’s Brazil as performed by Geoffrey Muldaur. He was famous for marrying Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D’Amato who recorded some popular songs in 1973 about putting camels to bed, and another one about feeling her leg.
There’s no live performance for that one, so I looked for some more Olympics-themed stuff.
Chet Atkins‘ version of the jazz classic “Muskrat Ramble.” This is perfect early morning sunrise roadtrip music. From Wiki:
“Muskrat Ramble” is a jazz composition written by Kid Ory in 1926. It was first recorded on February 26, 1926, by Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five, and became the group’s most frequently recorded piece.
There’s some dispute over the authorship of the song, as Lil Hardin (pianist, composer, arranger, singer, bandleader, and the 2nd Mrs. Armstrong) may have come up with it and missed out on the credit. According to Sidney Bechet, Hardin merely renamed a song stolen by Kid Ory from Buddy Bolden (“The Old Cow Died and the Old Man Cried”). Eh… I’m not a jazz historian so we’ll leave it at that.
Satchmo in Munich 1962. I love this stuff.
Just a few years later, Joe McDonald stole the same music, renamed it, put words to it and performed it at Woodstock as an anti-Vietnam War protest song. (I didn’t realize until I scanned his bio – McDonald’s parents were communists and he was named after Joseph Stalin. Now it all makes sense.)
Yeah, we all know about the bloodshed that happened after South Vietnam got chumped, Joe, and I bet you never paid any royalties to Ory, Hardin or Armstrong either.
Okay, let’s lighten it up a tad.
Live from Tokyo, it’s The New Orleans Jazz Hounds. Recorded 14 May 2016, it features Kikuchi Haruka, Tamura Makiko, Sato Shingo. I don’t know who plays what, but it’s still a nice tribute.
Have a great weekend, folks. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
One of my favorite Zappa songs, “Black Napkins,” performed on the Mike Douglas Show in 1976. Kinda reflects my mood these days, but I’ll snap out of it. Meanwhile, have a great weekend, and for those of you in the midwest, have fun with the cicadas.
This exclusive video depicts Armstrong and his All Stars recording the master take of “I Ain’t Got Nobody,” as well as silent footage of them listening to the playback. Also featured in the clip are Trummy Young, trombone, Peanuts Hucko, clarinet, Billy Kyle, piano, Mort Herbert, bass and Danny Barcelona, drums.
I always thought Kid Ory came out of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band (along with Johnny Dodds, Baby Dodds and Louis Armstrong) but according to Wiki:
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, who joined the band in 1919; and clarinetists Johnny Dodds and Jimmie Noone.
So how ’bout some more in the same vein? Trombone Shorty’s tribute to Louis Armstrong ain’t bad, and he’s got one hell of a breathing trick.
[Confidential to Calo – That one’s for you. Condolences.]
Have a great weekend, folks, and be back here tomorrow for more, you know, stuff.
The Cramps were a product of the legendary 1970s CBGB NY punk scene, as were these folks:
Okay I lied. The Two Man Gentlemen Band never played at CBGBs (which stood for Country, Blue Grass & Blues in case you didn’t know). Let’s go for one more.
The guy that brings our mail and kills the rats in our building showed up today wearing a baseball jersey with Los Caifanes logo on it, so I asked him about it, and he told me. They remind me a bit of these guys:
Although it’s real bad advice, “Oye, Isabel” is one of The Iguanas‘ catchiest tunes. Okay, let’s go for one more, and since we’re on a latino music kick tonight, here’s some addictive Mambo rhythms from Tito Puente.
Have a great weekend, folks, and we’ll see you back here on Sunday.
Tacky Raccoons 