After the atrocities in Boston this week, I was undecided on whether or not to post a eulogy for the dead, a lament for the maimed, or a patriotic kick ’em right in the nuts fight song. I figure the best move is to post videos of what radical islamic supremists hate the most: music, dancing and people having fun.
The Boston Brass. “Blues For Ben” has a funk tuba crank.
Jazz In My Pants -A fun interpretation of “St. James Infirmary Blues.”
Doyle Lawson/mandolin, Jason Barie/fiddle, Jessie Baker/banjo, Corey Hensley/bass, Mike Rogers/guitar, Josh Swift/dobro, and Carl White/drums at Bluegrass Underground, Cumberland Caverns, Tennessee on July 22, 2011.
Jane Nebel Henson passed away at the age of 78 on 2 April 2013. Although her late husband is more well known, Jane Henson was an important contributor. Married in 1959, she and Jim Henson reinvented the ancient art of puppetry and created a huge entertainment industry: The Muppets.
[Jane] Nebel and [Jim] Henson met in a puppetry course at the University of Maryland, College Park, where they were both undergraduates. At the time, Nebel was a senior majoring in art education and Henson was a freshman studying to become a commercial artist. Nebel later became Henson’s puppeteering partner on the television show Sam and Friends, and the two eventually married. [via]
Prior to the creation of Sesame Street, the Hensons produced awesome entertainment for advertisers and television shows. Here are some arbitrary pre-Sesame Street selections.
Talented people are often under-appreciated until they’re gone, especially those who leave such a great legacy. RIP Jane.
We Have No Heads!! Jeff Donohoe (Tin Whistle/Slapped-Bass/Vocals) and Mike Grimes (Guitar/Vocals). Playing unplugged (except for the Bass). Drinkin and pukin at Jeff’s place in Albuquerque NM on Feb. 25 2009.
The Fenians were a great bar band at The Harp, and I’m glad they’ve made it to bigger venues.
The Steve Gibbons Band was cool. Anyone who could take a relatively obscure Chuck Berry song about a *ahem* novelty shop bust and get a minor hit in the 1970s was okay by me. I’d have never heard of Gibbons had I not been the 17th caller and won some albums.
Henry Lizardlover, born March 27, 1954 as Henry Schifberg, is a herpetoculturist, writer, and photographer who has lived with as many as 60 lizards in his home.
Don Shaffer was the inspiration behind Radar O’Reilly, a character in the popular novel, movie and TV series “M*A*S*H.” It disturbs me how Hollywood co-opts and distorts the true contributions of people of merit and presents them as caricatures, as they did with Shaffer, Joe Rochefort, Adrian Cronauer, and many others.
Elizabeth Cotten had an interesting self-taught finger picking style that’s difficult to play – unless it’s played left handed on a right-handed guitar (and yes, her last name is spelled “Cotten”).
90 years old, she was still pickin’.
Playing guitar was tough enough for a lefty like me. I was never proficient on guitar or bass, and could never hold a pick; however, I knew some fakes enough to fool some folks. Learning on a re-strung guitar is probably a worse handicap for a southpaw than just flipping it over and keeping the standard tuning. That way, if there’s a guitar handy, you just pick it up and blow the right-handers away (like Jimi Hendrix did).
Wish I’d figured it out way back when. Coulda, shoulda, woulda, all on the Saturday Matinee. Have a great weekend, folks.
This song was a hit on pop radio in the early 1960s, and it’s enough to make you wanna puke. [Wiki: The song was composed by Ghanaian musician Guy Warren in 1956 under the original title “An African’s Prayer (Eyi Wala Dong)”.]
Tacky Raccoons 