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: Watchmen, Evil Rainbow Pollution, Weather Report

[Folks, I still got some computer glitches left over from earlier this week.  I had to go into safe mode just to uninstall Microdork’s Service Pack 3.  Unfortunately  the uninstall takes some stuff with it that affects FireFox as well as some other applications.  The computer was limping, now it’s walking. Tomorrow I hope to get it running again.  Guess I gotta buy more RAM.]

A friend “let” me read his cellophane-clad mint copies of the Watchmen twenty years ago. I was amazed at the level of artwork as well as the entire concept, but the final episode sucked donkeys big time.
[Karen found and posted this here.]

This video reassures me that people like her are allowed to vote.  And really now, what is oozing out of our ground?
[Video rediscovered at Wombat247.]

Weather Report was way ahead of their time jazzbo wise, or maybe they hit it at just the right time in order to get my attention.  Jaco Pastorius was amazing.

Saturday Matinee: Jerrie Thill, Ray McKinley, Gene Vincent & Clifford Stoll.

We have a very eclectic combination this weekend.  You’re gonna like ’em.

Oddness alert: Jerrie Thill, and  Allee Willis. [Found here.]

Ray McKinley‘s band with “Big Boy” (featuring Imogene Lynn) and “Jive Bomber.” These appeared in a 1942 short that included “St. Louis Blues.”

Gene Vincent & the Blue Caps’ “Baby Blue” from the 1958 movie “Hot Rod Gang.”  Oh yeah.

18 Minutes with Clifford Stoll, an amazing guy with a lot of things he’s not going to talk about.  (This is the same guy who more recently was mocked for a Newsweek article he wrote in 1995 regarding the future of the Internest… and was wrong.)  I wouldn’t be surprised if he was the inspiration for Dr. Emmet Brown,  played by Christopher Lloyd, in the movie “Back To The Future.”  This one is mandatory viewing here, so grab a snack and a beverage and watch the whole thing.

[Found at Neatorama.]

Saturday Matinee: Planet Drum, Sirens, Spelling Bee Champ, Wright

Here’s Micky Hart’s Planet Drum from a few years back.  (I have one of the Planet Drum CDs that I play at full blast from my porch on Halloween.  I love the way it echoes around the neighborhood, even if Mrs. Strutts hates it.  When she’d complain, I’d switch to Tom Wait’s “Bone Machine.”  She doesn’t complain about Planet Drum anymore.)

The Sirens from “O Brother Where Art Thou” sang a song both pretty and dangerous.  Great movie.

Spelling Bee pro.  Great recovery.

Ferret nail trimming tips (via AAF.)

Steven Wright… well, you know what they say.  C’mon. You know.

Saturday Matinee: Hollies, Checkmates, Guitar Strings, Waits & Satchmo

The Hollies’  “Just One Look”  was a 1964 cover of Doris Troy’s 1963 hit. [More tomorrow.]

[Via Ms. C.]

[Via EK.]

Since Phil posted a TW vid, here’s a reposte.  Tom Waits never sings the same song the same way twice.

One of the prettiest songs ever sung.  Oh Yeah.

Saturday Matinee: Christmas Present & Psst

1906-st-nick

According to the source, this clip was found in New Brunswickeshire England, in the basement of a home once owned by one of the founders of the Salvation Army.  It’s bean carbon dated to about 1925.

Brian Setzer’s rockin’ version of Elvis’ rockin’ version of “Santa Claus Is Back In Town.”

Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” choreographed with lights.

It’s not Christmas to Bunk unless he hears this version by the Ronettes.  (Note that in the video the horse is bustin’ butt and that he also has windshield wipers.)

Q:  What’s Christmas without the Ramones?
A:  Christmas.

[Update 22 December 2008–

Plane Tross has noticed and verified a significant congruence between this post and a previous one: “It’s amazing that when you play “The Ramones” song it’s in perfect sync with “Honka Chickm” below it.”

That’s gotta be one of the best comments ever on this blog. Thanks gobs, Plane. Comments like that are what make me wanna get out of bed almost every morning.]

Saturday Matinee: Hambone, Jeff, Doc, Sonny & Terry

Hambone is the traditional folk music consisting of rhythms produced by slapping oneself and making noises without singing.  It traces its history to the pre-civil war South, and was probably introduced by west african slaves.  Regardless of your musical tastes, Hambone is harder than it looks.  Try it yousef and you’ll see.

The Hambone Brothers showed up occasionally on the long running TV show, “HeeHaw.” The guy on the left was cool, but the guy on the right always creeped me out.

[Presurfer reminded me about ’em.  Honest.]

Jeff Holt does Hambone with the always amazing Doc Watson.

Holt and Watson doing “Soldier’s Joy” and “Ragtime Annie.”

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, with Pete Seeger on banjo.  Terry’s breath control and “whoopin'” on harmonica was directly related to Hambone, if you didn’t notice.  (Unless I’m mistaken, Sonny and Brownie also had a small cameo on the first Blues Brothers movie.)

And finally, a public service announcement from Plaxico Burress.

[Found here.]

Saturday Matinee: Bus Boys, Paladins, Mustangs, Forbidden Pigs

Whatever happened to these guys?  They were a blast when they came out in the late ’70s. Here’s the Bus Boys‘ promo video.

Better yet, whatever happened to The Paladins?  Great 3-man flat head six rockabilly, and here they are live in Holland of all places.  I saw them decades ago opening for The Fabulous Thunderbirds at the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach, California. Track down any of their records and you won’t be disappointed.

When I was dating the future Mrs. Strutts, we went to see the Paladins in L.A.  Opening for them was Jimmy & the Mustangs.

Opening for the Paladins and the Mustangs: The Forbidden Pigs.  Stand up bassman Billy Bacon was amazing, standing on it, rolling around with it, jamming it. At one point the drummer took a flip over his drumset to beat on the bass while Bacon fingered the chords.  Great show.

Saturday Matinee on Sunday: Jaco, John, Willie, T-Bone, Helen, Sonny, Brownie, John, Memphis & others (featuring Tom Waits)

Jaco Pastorius with John Scofield.  Not sure who is on drums.  Pastorius is my all time favorite bass player, (with Bootsy Collins a close second).

Willie Dixon was a classic bassman.  Not sure who is on the ivories, but it’s not Eubie Blake, Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons or Pete Johnson.  Memphis Slim?

This has gotta be one of the greatest blues lineups in history:  Willie Dixon, Memphis Slim, T-Bone Walker, Helen Hume, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee and John Jackson.

Emotional Weather Report delivered by Tom Waits.

Saturday Matinee: When Day Breaks

Cool animation.

Talking Heads:  Wild Wild Life

The Ramones:  Sheena Is a Punk Rocker

Tom Waits:  Downtown Train

And now for our Feature Presentation:
ATTACK OF THE KILLER PARASITES!

[Tip o’ the tarboosh to the entirely bitchin’ Miss Cellanea.]

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