The end of a long year deserves a playlist to bring in the new one, and just as we did a mere twelve months ago, here’s a compilation of songs that buzzed my earballs in 2024.
Nice laid back groove. BIG DEZ was formed in 1996 by Phil “Big Dez” Fernandez (guitar) and Bala Pradal (keyboards). They spent most of their time rehearsing in a cabin in the suburbs of Paris, and after adding Lamine Guerfi (bass) Archibald Ligonnière (drums), graduated to the bar scene, then moved on to the big time. [More here.]
Joe Louis Walker, a Blues Hall of Fame inductee and six-time Blues Music Award winner, NPR described him as “a legendary boundary-pushing icon of modern blues.”
Jackie Venson: “Singer-songwriter Jackie Venson’s version of the blues – with its R&B, psychedelic rock – has invigorated Austin’s music scene with its refreshingly electric sound.” — Rolling Stone
Dang. It’s almost December already. Porch time has been scheduled for whenenever you get here. See you tomorrow.
Born in Brooklyn in 1951, Mitch Woods began playing classical piano at eleven, but his real initiation into blues and boogie piano had already been assured at age eight. “My mom would hire this superintendent of the building, a black man, Mr. Brown, to take me to school, and we stopped off at his cousin’s house, where somebody was playing boogie-woogie piano. It really hit me.”
Mitch Woods (without his Rocket 88s) makes it look easy on the streets of New York.
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Tas Cru is an eclectic, performing original songs that mix roots rock, blues and gospel. Good stuff.
Some interesting historical events transpired this week, and now we’re in the danger zone – a lot can happen between now and January 20.
Good news on the home front. I attended a laser show that lasted two minutes, cost me a few clams, and now my left eye can spot a red tail hawk before it spots me. The porch will be open for business tomorrow as usual, see you there.
Stardust, The Benny Goodman Sextet (1939) One of the most popular versions of Hoagy Carmichael’s 1927 classic, with Benny Goodman / clarinet, Fletcher Henderson / piano, Lionel Hampton / vibraphone, Charlie Christian / guitar, Artie Bernstein / bass, and Nick Fatool / drums.
Known as o Bruxo (the Sorcerer), Pascoal often makes music with unconventional objects such as teapots, children’s toys, and animals, as well as keyboards, button accordions, melodica, saxophones, guitars, flutes, voices, various brass and folkloric instruments. [Wiki]
Brazilian improvisational avant-garde musician Hermeto Pascoal e Grupo play with water in Música da Lagoa, a scene from the 1985 movie Sinfonia do Alto Ribeira by Ricardo Lua.
Texas born Caron “Sugaray” Rayford grew up in starvation-level poverty. His mother struggled to raise three boys alone while battling cancer; when she died, the siblings were relieved. “She suffered and we suffered. Then, we moved in with my grandmother and our lives were a lot better. We ate every day and we were in church every day, which I loved. I grew up in gospel and soul.”
As red hair is flailing and double bass pounding, Marlene Perez of the Rhythm Shakers closes out another show in Los Angeles. Ripping wails and howling vocals are rocketed from her torso more reminiscent of Tina Turner and Amy Winehouse than the echo dripped hiccups of the 1950’s rock and roll genre the band exists within.
Happy weekend to all, and tomorrow porch time shall commence promptly at whenever. See you then.
1987 claymation video by Aardman Animations features the voice and piano of Eunice Kathleen Waymon, aka gospel / jazz / R&B / soul singer Nina Simone, with a song from 1958. She changed her name to elude family members and play “the devil’s music” in an Atlantic City nightclub. The management told her that she would have to sing to her own accompaniment, and that launched her career as a jazz vocalist.
“What’s your band’s name?”
“The High Numbers.”
“The who?”
“Yes.”
Too far south to see this weekend’s aurorae, and I hope everyone who can survives the EMT barrage. I’ll take the event as a good omen, and yet another damn good reason to do some porch sitting tomorrow.
See you then.
In Memory of Country Music: Every fake accent 2-part harmony bro country song crammed into 1-1/2 minutes of ear torture from There, I Ruined It. The comments on the Utoobage vid are fun, and if that’s not enough for you, there’s this mashup.
Django Reinhardt and Les Paul meet Weather Report: Italian guitar prodigy Matteo Mancuso plays cool jazz fusion blues and more.
8 Ball Aiken is an Australian singer and songwriter from Brisbane, plays blues, swamp-rock, alternative country, and Americana music. At one of his early gigs in a rough pub, a fight broke out over a pool table. The 8 ball landed on stage and his bandmates gave him the nickname.
Underrated guitar thrasher Gary Hoey shreds the blues. He’s been compared to Robin Trower, early Clapton, SRV and others.
So there you go, and no, I’m not going to apologize for the first one. It’s like an aural vaccine so you never have to listen to country pop again. Have a great weekend, see you tomorrow, porch time is noonish.
New Chataqua, Pat Metheny (1979)
Recorded in Oslo Norway. I used to play this song at sunrise on solo road trips after listening to farm reports and Paul Harvey.
Tacky Raccoons 