Saturday Matinee – Pokey LaFarge, the Nikki Hill Band, Shawn Pittman w/ The Özdemirs & La Perra Blanco

Pokey LaFarge (aka Andrew Heissler) got his nickname from his mom because he moved too slowly as a child. His chose his professional moniker because he thought it matched the music styles he was drawn to early  country swing and bluegrass (ala Bill Monroe).

“If Tina Turner and Little Richard had a daughter and raised her with the help of uncles James Brown and Chuck Berry, she’d be like Nikki Hill.”
–Minneapolis Star Tribune
This line up of the Nikki Hill Band includes husband Matt Hill and Laura Chavez trading guitar solos. I’m unsure of the identities of the bassman and drummer.

Texas bluesman Shawn Pittman backed by The Özdemirs: Erkan Özdemir / bass, Kenan Özdemir / guitar and Levent Özdemir / drums. Pittman is a regular on the European blues scene, touring since 1998.

La Perra Blanco (The White Bitch), aka Alba Blanco, is a high energy blues/rockabilly guitarist from Cádiz, Spain, and has been performing since the age of 14. [More about her here.]

News of the Week:  Iran still won’t stop dicking around. Tropical storm Rachel is getting things wet on the California coast and hurricane Isaias is slamming the Florida panhandle. France is burning, and the Russian plague may or may not exist. ICE is doing what ICE is supposed to do, the MSM misquoted DJT again, and some are upset that the Fort Hood mass murderer’s execution by firing squad is planned to be televised.
That’s about all I can stomach for now. Rain is expected tomorrow, but we have a Porch and the Time to sit and watch it. See you at the arbitrary hour.

Saturday Matinee – Alfred Image Works, Pokey LaFarge & The Heavy

It’s 2150. There are all sorts of Aliens living throughout space.
Johnny Express (2014) by South Korean CGI studio Alfred Image Works.

Pokey LaFarge knows.

The Heavy from 2013. Great retro soul sound.

Had some good karma come visit in the past week: doc called and said there’s nothing important to discuss, Gord sent me some cool prints, and my workload has expanded. Then it balanced itself somewhat: a computer crash did some minor damage, and snakes ate my catalytic converter at 3am yesterday. Life happens.

Have a great weekend, and we’ll be back twitchin’ & bitchin’ tomorrow.

Saturday Matinee – Oorutachi, Pokey LaFarge, The Crows & Elwood Blues

Bizarre, and with a great soundtrack. Oorutaichi [via].

Pokey LaFarge performing “La La Blues” at Music City Roots live from the Loveless Cafe on 20 April 2011 [via]. So what should follow that? Maybe something in C Am F & G…

The Crows‘ “Gee” from 1953 may have been the first R&B crossover hit, and it was a B side experiment.  Ike Turner earned the prize for the first rock and roll  hit “Rocket 88” in 1951, recording as Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats . Y’all have heard that classic, or should have by now, and James Cotton did a kickass version.

More recently Dan Akroyd took a shot at it and pulled it off.

Have a great weekend, folks.