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.
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.
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.
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.
Interesting documentary… Interviews of some of the patrons of the “Spin Cycle” laundromat somewhere in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Oh, yeah. “Ya ya ya aya…” Gotta post some music. Do not mock those who try. [Also found at Arbroath.]
Howlin’ Wolf’s classic “Smokestack Lightning.”
[UPDATE: The bass player in this clip is Willie Dixon. THE Willie Dixon. Sorry I missed giving him credit. Dixon wrote a number of songs that later became rock standards. He recorded some albums himself, and didn’t stutter when he sang. More after the break below.]
“Theme to Peter Gunn.” Here’s Henry Mancini’s live version, introduced by Steve Allen. (The horn section rocks, whether you like it or not.)
Last Post on THIS Spin Cycle: The Late Great Roy Buchanan‘s explosive take on Mancini’s “Theme to Peter Gunn.” (This one’s for all you Aussies – Thanks for the hula-hoops, mates!)