All posts by Hallgeir

Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan other, Cover versions

5 great cover versions of Blind Willie McTell by Bob Dylan

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Blind-Willie-McTell cover versions

Seen the arrow on the doorpost
Saying, “This land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
To Jerusalem”
I traveled through East Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell

Let’s start this party by reminding ourselves what a fantastic song this is. Here are the official released Bob Dylan version from The Bootleg Series Volume 1-3:

“One of Bob Dylan’s absolute masterpieces, “Blind Willie McTell” is the jewel of The Bootleg Series and arguably one of the finest songs ever written. Recorded in 1983 for the album Infidels, it was deemed superfluous to requirements, and all that remains is one take of the song with a full band (yet to be officially released) and this haunting demo, with Dylan playing piano with accompaniment from Mark Knopfler.”
– Thomas Ward (allmusic)

And the outtake, the electric version from the Infidels sessions (audio), my favorite:

Ok, so here are those wonderful cover versions.

The magnificent Mick Taylor did this great version in Germany in 2009 (Rockpalast):

This cover version by Dream Syndicate from a free single given away with Bucketfull of Brains. No dates of the recording are listed. Apologies as it cuts just before the end of the song (audio):

“I started playing it live because I heard the Band doing it. Most likely it was a demo, probably showing the musicians how it should go. It was never developed fully, I never got around to completing it. There wouldn’t have been any other reason for leaving it off the record. It’s like taking a painting by Monet or Picasso – goin’ to his house and lookin’ at a half-finished painting and grabbing it and selling it to people who are ‘Picasso fans.'”
– Bob Dylan

Levon Helm Band “Blind Willie” Live at Pompano Beach Amphitheater, Pompano Beach, FL 11-4-2010:

I want to include a very fine interpretation in Swedish by Mikael Wiehe (Spotify):

Finally a jazz/blues instrumental, wonderfully done by Jef Lee Johnson (Audio):

– Hallgeir

Other cover versions of Bob Dylan’s songs

Country, folk, Rock, Singer Songwriter

Look out for: Rod Picott – new album and tour

rod picott

The great Rod Picott is currently touring in Norway, go see him!

Mr. Picott is not new on the scene, but he has not gotten the attention he deserves. He is a very good singer and songwriter.

Bio (from rodpicott.com):
The son of a welder from rural New England, Rod Picott is a masterful songwriter and soulful singer who carries with him as fine a suitcase of songs as you’ll find anywhere. Slaid Cleaves, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Fred Eagelsmith have recorded Rod Picott songs. A former construction worker who hung up his tools when he released his debut CD in 2000, Picott has carved a career for himself with a run of 6 beautifully crafted self released CDs over the last 13 years and a well earned reputation as a engaging, emotion fueled performer.

He is touring in Europe right now, promoting his new album (his 7th), Hang Your Hopes On A Crooked Nail. The album is produced by RS Field, who has also worked with Billy Joe Shaver, Justin Townes Earle and Hayes Carll.

I Might Be Broken Now (official video):

Hang Your Hopes On A Crooked Nails is a very fine album, and a natural successor to his last album (the great Weldig Burns). Rod Picott is a songwriter that tells us about life as he sees it, and he is a good storyteller. He tells everyday stories, he has a keen eye for the “small stuff”. I think he is a great observer of what is important in our everyday life. He sometimes remind me of Springsteen or Steve Earle.

Where No One Knows Your Name (live):

Picott is an experienced performer after about 12 years playing, he has a tremendous stage presence, and I urge everyone to catch one of his shows on this tour.

I am sitting here listening to his new album as I write this. I have talked about his skill as a lyricist, but what strikes me now is very fine melodies, this is a good record. I was a backer of his new album at Kickstarter.com, the album was then called Rod Picott’s Circus of Misery and Heartbreak. I like that he changed the title, it reflects the positivity and hope that is in his lyrics.

Here is his presentation from Kickstarter, very interesting and thankfully it got funded:

Highlights on the album for me (so far):
Dreams, I Might Be Broken Now, 65 Falcon, Where No One Knows My Name

The new album is not on Spotify yet, but here is a playlist from his earlier recordings:

– Hallgeir

Buy the album here

 

 

Here are his next dates in Norway:

Music Calendar, Paul Simon

Today: Paul Simon is 72 Happy Birthday

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Paul Simon

“Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die. ”
― Paul Simon

“It’s actually very difficult to make something both simple and good.”
― Paul Simon

Marc Anthony inducts Paul Simon Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductions 2001:

From Wikipedia:

Birth name Paul Frederic Simon
Born October 13, 1941 (age 71)
Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres Folk rock, folk pop, soft rock,worldbeat
Occupations Musician, Songwriter, producer,bandleader
Instruments Vocals, guitar, bass, piano,percussion, lute, alto saxophone, piccolo
Years active 1957–present
Labels Columbia, Warner Bros., Hear Music
Associated acts Simon & Garfunkel, Art Garfunkel, Ladysmith Black Mombazo
Website www.paulsimon.com

Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an award-winning musician whose talents in composing, performing, and vocal harmony placed him at the forefront of the singer-songwriters on an international scale. Simon’s fame, influence and commercial success began as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, launched in 1964 with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair’s songs, including three that reached No. 1 on the U.S. singles charts: “The Sound of Silence”, “Mrs. Robinson”, and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.

simon and garfunkle

Simon & Garfunkel – The Boxer – Live in Central Park, 1981:

The duo split up in 1970 at the height of their popularity, and Simon began a successful solo career, recording three highly acclaimed albums over the next five years. In 1986, he released Graceland, an album inspired by South African township music. Simon also wrote and starred in the film One-Trick Pony (1980) and co-wrote the Broadway musical The Capeman (1998) with the poet Derek Walcott.

  • Simon has earned 12 Grammys for his solo and collaborative work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. 
  • In 2001, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • in 2006 was selected as one of the “100 People Who Shaped the World” by Time magazine. 
  • Among many other honors, Simon was the first recipient of the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song in 2007.
  • In 1986 Simon was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music where he currently serves on the Board of Trustees.

Paul Simon 2

 From allmusic.com – Mark Deming:

Paul Simon is one of the most successful and respected songwriters of the second half of the 20th century. Rising to fame in the mid-’60s, Simon’s songs were mature and literate, but also melodically engaging, and spoke to the concerns and uncertainties of a generation. As the 1960s gave way to the ’70s and ’80s, Simon’s work tended to focus on the personal rather than the larger world, but he also expanded his musical palette, and helped introduce many rock and pop fans to world music.
..read more over @ allmusic.com 

From The  Washington Times (John Hayden):

The List: Top 10 Paul Simon songs

  1. Mother And Child Reunion (1972)
  2. Hearts and Bones (1983)
  3. Peace Like A River (1972)
  4. Father and Daughter  (2006)
  5. Late In the Evening (1980)
  6. The Boy in the Bubble (1986)
  7. Kodachrome (1973)
  8. Senorita With a Necklace of Tears (2000)
  9. That’s Where I Belong (2000)
  10. American Tune (1973)

Check out the article over here: Top 10 Paul Simon Songs
–

Paul Simon 1991 Tokyo 11/14 America:

“Mother And Child Reunion” (Live) – Paul Simon – Berkeley, Greek Theatre – October 20, 2011:

 

 

Album of the day – Paul Simon (1972):

From allmusic.com – William Ruhlmann:

If any musical justification were needed for the breakup of Simon & Garfunkel, it could be found on this striking collection, Paul Simon’s post-split debut. From the opening cut, “Mother and Child Reunion” (a Top Ten hit), Simon, who had snuck several subtle musical explorations into the generally conservative S&G sound, broke free, heralding the rise of reggae with an exuberant track recorded in Jamaica for a song about death. From there, it was off to Paris for a track in South American style and a rambling story of a fisherman’s son, “Duncan” (which made the singles chart). But most of the album had a low-key feel, with Simon on acoustic guitar backed by only a few trusted associates (among them Joe Osborn, Larry Knechtel, David Spinozza, Mike Manieri, Ron Carter, and Hal Blaine, along with such guests as Stefan Grossman, Airto Moreira, and Stephane Grappelli), singing a group of informal, intimate, funny, and closely observed songs (among them the lively Top 40 hit “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard”). … read more over @ allmusic.com

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Music Calendar, Soul

Today: Sam Moore is 78 Happy Birthday

sam_moore

Samuel David Moore aka Sam Moore (born October 12, 1935) is an American Southern soul and rhythm & blues (R&B) singer, who was the tenor vocalist for the soul vocal duo Sam & Dave from 1961 to 1981.

Sam Moore is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (for “Soul Man”), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and a Grammy Award and a multi-Gold Record award-winning recording artist. Sam & Dave were the most successful and critically acclaimed duo in soul music history. Moore has also achieved a distinguished 25-year career as a solo performing and recording artist.

In 2008, based on a poll of other musicians, Rolling Stone named Sam Moore one of the 100 greatest singers of the rock era (1950s-2008).

Sam & Dave:

Sam Moore and Dave Prater were both experienced gospel music singers, having performed individually with groups the Sensational Hummingbirds and The Melionaires. They met in The King of Hearts Club in Miami in 1961, where they were discovered by regional producer Henry Stone, who signed them to Roulette Records. After modest success at Roulette,they were signed by Jerry Wexler to Atlantic Records in 1964, then being ‘loaned’ out to Stax Records to produce, record and release their records.

The duo’s November 1965 single, “You Don’t Know Like I Know,” started a series of ten straight top twenty Billboard R&B hits that included “Hold On! I’m Comin'” (1966), “You Got Me Hummin’ (1966), “When Something Is Wrong with My Baby” (1967), “Soul Man” (1967), and “I Thank You” (1968). Most of their hits were penned by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. In most recordings, they were also backed by Hayes on piano with Booker T and the MGs and The Memphis Horns. The ending of their association with the Stax record label and their frequently volatile relationship contributed to their first break-up in 1970. Their last performance together was on December 31, 1981, at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco. On 9 April 1988, Prater died in a car crash in Sycamore, Georgia.
(Wikipedia)

Soul medley with Bruce Springsteen:

Moore and Prater (posthumously) were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on January 15, 1992. Shortly after the induction, Moore announced plans to record a solo LP, featuring duets with Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins and others.
On August 29, 2006, Moore released his first solo album, Overnight Sensational.

Sam and Dave – When something is wrong with my baby:

What a fantastic singer! Happy birthday Sam!

Solo discography:

Plenty Good Lovin’ : The Lost Solo Album 2002
Sam Moore recorded this album in 1970 with R&B great King Curtis, who produced eight of the ten tracks. The album was originally intended to be Moore’s solo debut, but it was shelved for a variety of reasons (including the murder of King Curtis shortly after the album was recorded).

Overnight Sensational 2006 (album of today on Spotify):

 

Other 12 October:
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Jazz, Music Calendar

Today:Art Blakey was born in 1919 94 years ago

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art-blakey1

Music washes away the dust of every day life.
~Art Blakey

You can’t seperate modern jazz from rock or from rhythm and blues – you can’t seperate it. Because that’s where it all started, and that’s where it all come from – that’s where I learned to keep rhythm – in church.
~Art Blakey

From Wikipedia:

Birth name Arthur Blakey
Also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina
Born October 11, 1919
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States
Died October 16, 1990 (aged 71)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Genres Hard bop, bebop
Occupations Drummer, bandleader
Instruments Drums, percussion
Years active 1942–1990
Labels Blue Note
Associated acts Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, Art Blakey Quartet, Art Blakey Quintet, Art Blakey & the Afrocuban Boys
Website www.artblakey.com

Arthur “Art” Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990), known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader.

Along with Kenny Clarke and Max Roach, he was one of the inventors of the modern bebop style of drumming. He is known as a powerful musician and a vital groover; his brand of bluesy, funky hard bop was and continues to be profoundly influential on mainstream jazz. For more than 30 years his band, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, included many young musicians who went on to become prominent names in jazz. The band’s legacy is thus not only known for the music it produced, but as a proving ground for several generations of jazz musicians;  Blakey’s groups are matched only by those of Miles Davis in this regard.

Blakey was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame (in 1982), the Grammy Hall of Fame (in 2001), and was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.

art blakey 1958

From allmusic.com – Chris Kelsey:

In the ’60s, when John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman were defining the concept of a jazz avant-garde, few knowledgeable observers would have guessed that in another 30 years the music’s mainstream would virtually bypass their innovations, in favor of the hard bop style that free jazz had apparently supplanted. As it turned out, many listeners who had come to love jazz as a sophisticated manifestation of popular music were unable to accept the extreme esotericism of the avant-garde; their tastes were rooted in the core elements of “swing” and “blues,” characteristics found in abundance in the music of the Jazz Messengers, the quintessential hard bop ensemble led by drummer Art Blakey. In the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, when artists on the cutting edge were attempting to transform the music, Blakey continued to play in more or less the same bag he had since the ’40s, when his cohorts included the likes of Charlie Parker,Miles Davis, and Fats Navarro. By the ’80s, the evolving mainstream consensus had reached a point of overwhelming approval in regard to hard bop: this is what jazz is, and Art Blakey — as its longest-lived and most eloquent exponent — was its master. … read more over @ allmusic.com

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Moanin’ – Live In Belgium 1958:

Art blakey’s Jazz Messengers – Dat Dere (1961):

Album of the day – Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers – Moanin’ (1958):

From allmusic.com – Michael G. Nastos: 

Moanin’ includes some of the greatest music Blakey produced in the studio with arguably his very best band. There are three tracks that are immortal and will always stand the test of time. The title selection is a pure tuneful melody stewed in a bluesy shuffle penned by pianist Bobby Timmons, while tenor saxophonist Benny Golson’s classy, slowed “Along Came Betty” and the static, militaristic “Blues March” will always have a home in the repertoire of every student or professional jazz band. “Are You Real?” has the most subtle of melody lines, and “Drum Thunder Suite” has Blakey’s quick blasting tom-tom-based rudiments reigning on high as the horns sigh, leading to hard bop. “Come Rain or Come Shine” is the piece that commands the most attention, a highly modified, lilting arrangement where the accompanying staggered, staccato rhythms contrast the light-hearted refrains. Certainly a complete and wholly satisfying album, Moanin’ ranks with the very best of Blakey and what modern jazz offered in the late ’50s and beyond.

Other October 11:

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