Jazz, Music Calendar

Today: The late Sidney Bechet was born in 1897 – 116 years ago

sidney bechet

But drinking and reefers and all that stuff, most times they just mess up all the feeling you got inside yourself and all the feeling the music’s got inside itself. When a man goes at the music that way, it’s just a sign that there’s a lot inside himself he don’t know how to answer. He’s not knowing which way he needs to go. He’s not going anywhere at all.
~Sidney Bechet (Treat It Gentle: The Autobiography of Sidney Bechet)

Petite Fleur ( the Olympia Concert Paris, December 8, 1954):

A brilliant soprano saxophonist and clarinetist with a wide vibrato that listeners either loved or hated, Bechet’s style did not evolve much through the years but he never lost his enthusiasm or creativity. A master at both individual and collective improvisation within the genre of New Orleans jazz, Bechet was such a dominant player that trumpeters found it very difficult to play with him. Bechet wanted to play lead and it was up to the other horns to stay out of his way.
~Scott Yanow (allmusic.com)

Wikipedia:

Born May 14, 1897
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died May 14, 1959 (aged 62)
Garches, France
Genres Jazz
Dixieland
Occupations Clarinetist
Saxophonist
Composer
Instruments Clarinet
Soprano saxophone
Years active 1908–1957
Associated acts Louis Armstrong
Tommy Ladnier

Sidney Bechet (May 14, 1897 – May 14, 1959) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.

He was one of the first important soloists in jazz (beating cornetist and trumpeter Louis Armstrong to the recording studio by several months and later playing duets with Armstrong), and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist. Forceful delivery, well-constructed improvisations, and a distinctive, wide vibrato characterized Bechet’s playing.

Bechet’s erratic temperament hampered his career, however, and not until the late 1940s did he earn wide acclaim.

Sidney+Bechet

Blue Horizon:

.. by combining the ‘cry’ of the blues players and the finesse of the Creoles into his ‘own way,’ Sidney Bechet created a style which moved the emotions even as it dazzled the mind.
~Robert Palmer

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Memphis, Music Calendar, Soul, Stax

Today: Donald Dunn passed away in 2012 – 1 year ago

As the bassist for Booker T. & the MG’s, Donald “Duck” Dunn became, like James Jamerson at Motown, the man who provided a groove for an entire generation to dance to. In Dunn’s case it was the legendary Memphis record label Stax/Volt, where he laid down basslines for soul stars such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Albert King, helping to create one of the largest bodies of soul and R&B music that exists.
~Steve Kurutz (allmusic.com)

Short intro:

Booker T & the MG’s – green onions:

From Wikipedia:

Birth name Donald Dunn
Also known as Duck
Born November 24, 1941
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Died May 13, 2012 (aged 70)
Tokyo, Japan
Genres Rock, soul, rhythm and blues
Occupations Songwriter, producer, actor
Instruments Bass guitar
Years active 1960–2012
Associated acts Otis Redding, Booker T & the MG’s, Albert King, Mar-Keys,The Blues Brothers, Sam and Dave
Website duckdunn.com

Donald “Duck” Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.’s and as a session bassist for Stax Records, which specialized in blues and gospel-infused southern soul which became known as Memphis Soul. At Stax, Dunn played on thousands of records including hits by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, and many others. Dunn also performed on recordings with The Blues Brothers, Muddy Waters, Freddie King, Isaac Hayes, Levon Helm, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Wilson Pickett, Guy Sebastian, Rod Stewart, Bob Dylan, Roy Buchanan, Steely Dan, Tinsley Ellis and Arthur Conley.

Booker T. & The MG’s – Time Is Tight (Live, 1970):

Dunn played himself in the 1980 feature The Blues Brothers, where he famously uttered the line, “We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline!”

Awards:

  • In 1992, Dunn was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T & the MG’s.
  • In 2007 Dunn and several Booker T & the MG’s members (Lewie Steinberg, Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, and Barbara Jackson, the widow of Al Jackson) were given a “Lifetime Achievement” Grammy award for their contributions to popular music.

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Great albums, Music Calendar, Rolling Stones

Today: The Rolling Stones – Exile On Main St. was released in 1972 – 41 years ago

1 Comment

ExileMainSt

More than anything else this fagged-out masterpiece is difficult–how else describe music that takes weeks to understand? Weary and complicated, barely afloat in its own drudgery, it rocks with extra power and concentration as a result.
~Robert Christgau (http://www.robertchristgau.com)

..It’s the kind of record that’s gripping on the very first listen, but each subsequent listen reveals something new. Few other albums, let alone double albums, have been so rich and masterful as Exile on Main St., and it stands not only as one of the Stones’ best records, but sets a remarkably high standard for all of hard rock.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)

Let It Loose:

Wikipedia:

Released 12 May 1972
Recorded June 1969 – March 1972
Genre Rock and roll, blues, soul, R&B,country
Length 67:07
Language English
Label Rolling Stones
Producer Jimmy Miller

Exile on Main St. is the tenth British and 13th American studio album by English rock band The Rolling Stones. Released as a double LP in May 1972, it draws on many genres including rock and roll, blues, soul, R&B, gospel and country. The release of Exile on Main St. met with mixed reviews, but it is now generally regarded as the band’s best album. In 1987, as part of their 20th anniversary, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it third on the 100 Best Albums of the Last Twenty Years. In 2003, the album was ranked 7th on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, the highest a Rolling Stones album ranked on the list.

The 2010 remastered version of the album was released in Europe on 17 May 2010 and in the United States on 18 May 2010, featuring a bonus disc with 10 new tracks.

mick jagger keith richards exile on main st

Loving Cup:

Recording:

Exile on Main St. was written and recorded between 1968 and 1972. Mick Jagger said “After we got out of our contract with Allen Klein, we didn’t want to give him [those earlier tracks],” as they were forced to do with “Brown Sugar” and “Wild Horses” from Sticky Fingers. Many tracks were recorded between 1969 and 1971 at Olympic Studios and Jagger’s Stargroves country house in England during sessions for Sticky Fingers.

By the spring of 1971 the Rolling Stones owed more in taxes than they could pay and left Britain before the government could seize their assets. Mick Jagger settled in Paris with his new bride Bianca, and guitarist Keith Richards rented a villa, Nellcôte, in Villefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice. The other members settled in the south of France. As a suitable recording studio could not be found where they could continue work on the album, Richards’ basement at Nellcôte became a makeshift studio using the band’s mobile recording truck.

keith richards gram parsons nellcote

Torn And Frayed:

…..it’s their most physically jolting album and, ultimately, their most emotionally inspiring. Mick’s vocals are just another instrument in a glorious rush of high-velocity electric noise, his lyrics barely perceptible in all the guitar, sax, and harmonica; whatever he’s saying, he just wants to plug in and flush out and fight and fuck and feed. Keith channels all his nasty habits and internal chaos into the guitars, from the convulsive opener, “Rocks Off,” to the weary acoustic stomp of “Sweet Virginia.” Charlie Watts’ understated performance in “Shake Your Hips” demands some sort of Nobel Prize.

Exile was the Stones’ biggest musical triumph, but all the decadence was catching up with them. The band lost focus, with Keith’s attention diverted by the pressing concern of stuffing as many toxic chemicals into his veins as possible.

From: The New Rolling Stone Album Guide

Tracks:

  1. “Rocks Off” 4:31
  2. “Rip This Joint” 2:22
  3. “Shake Your Hips” (Slim Harpo) 2:59
  4. “Casino Boogie” 3:33
  5. “Tumbling Dice” 3:45
    –
  6. “Sweet Virginia” 4:27
  7. “Torn and Frayed” 4:17
  8. “Sweet Black Angel” 2:54
  9. “Loving Cup” 4:25
    –
  10. “Happy” 3:04
  11. “Turd on the Run” 2:36
  12. “Ventilator Blues” (Jagger/Richards/Mick Taylor) 3:24
  13. “I Just Want to See His Face” 2:52
  14. “Let It Loose” 5:16
    –
  15. “All Down the Line” 3:49
  16. “Stop Breaking Down” (Robert Johnson) 4:34
  17. “Shine a Light” 4:14
  18. “Soul Survivor” 3:49

rolling-stones_exile-grn_f

Personnel:

  • Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica, guitar on “Tumbling Dice” and “Stop Breaking Down”, percussion
  • Keith Richards – guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals on “Happy”, electric piano on “I Just Want to See His Face”, bass guitar on “Casino Boogie”, “Happy” and “Soul Survivor”
  • Mick Taylor – guitars, slide guitar, bass guitar on “Tumbling Dice”, “Torn and Frayed”, “I Just Want to See His Face” and “Shine a Light”
  • Charlie Watts – drums
  • Bill Wyman – bass guitar
Additional personnel
  • Nicky Hopkins – piano
  • Bobby Keys – saxophone, percussion on “Happy”
  • Jim Price – trumpet, trombone, organ on “Torn and Frayed”
  • Ian Stewart – piano on “Shake Your Hips”, “Sweet Virginia” and “Stop Breaking Down”
  • Jimmy Miller – drums on “Happy” and “Shine a Light”, percussion on “Sweet Black Angel”, “Loving Cup”, “I Just Want to See His Face” and “All Down the Line”
  • Bill Plummer – upright bass on “Rip This Joint”, “Turd on the Run”, “I Just Want to See His Face” and “All Down the Line”
  • Billy Preston – piano and organ on “Shine a Light”
  • Al Perkins – pedal steel guitar on “Torn and Frayed”
  • Richard Washington – marimba on “Sweet Black Angel”
  • Clydie King, Venetta Fields – backing vocals on “Tumbling Dice”, “I Just Want to See His Face”, “Let It Loose” and “Shine a Light”
  • Joe Green – backing vocals on “Let It Loose” and “Shine a Light”
  • Jerry Kirkland – backing vocals on “I Just Want to See His Face” and “Shine a Light”
  • Mac Rebennack, Shirley Goodman, Tami Lynn – backing vocals on “Let It Loose”
  • Kathi McDonald – backing vocals on “All Down the Line”
  • Engineers – Glyn and Andy Johns, Joe Zaganno, Jeremy Gee
  • Cover photography/concept – Robert Frank
  • Layout design – John Van Hamersveld, Norman Seeff

rolling stones exile on main st back

Shine A Light:

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Music Calendar

Today: Greg Dulli is 48

greg-dulli

“Rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t always pay the bills, and I’ve been interested in bars – obviously – for a long time,”
~Greg Dulli

Debonair (live @ Conan O’Brien):

Born May 11, 1965 (age 48)
Origin Hamilton, Ohio, U.S.
Genres Alternative rock, Indie rock
Years active 1987–present
Associated acts The Twilight Singers, The Afghan Whigs, The Gutter Twins

greg dulli - afghan-whigs

Love Crimes (live):

Gregory Dulli (born May 11, 1965) is an American rock singer and instrumentalist. Dulli was born and brought up in a working-class suburb of Hamilton, Ohio. Dulli’s father’s side of the family comes from Kalamata-Peloponnese, Greece and his mother comes from West Cork, Ireland. He first came to public attention in Cincinnati in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs, when Dulli joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky, guitarist Rick McCollum. The band was comic punk rock. One indie rock critic wrote that The Afghan Whigs were “the most cartoony band in all of hairdom”. Dulli’s half-hour-long on-stage cigarette breaks, complete with running commentary on sexual politics and attempts at matchmaking at first enraged, but later fascinated the clientele. Dulli’s budding career in the rock and roll production business was halted as The Afghan Whigs began playing more and better gigs, drawing bigger and bigger crowds. The band was soon brought to the attention of Sub Pop Records in Seattle. Sub Pop’s signing of The Afghan Whigs created quite a stir; they were the first non-Northwestern U.S. band to record for the label. The Whigs split in 2001.
~in.com

Afghan Whigs:

afghan whigs

Evolving from a garage punk band in the vein of the Replacements, Dinosaur Jr., and Mudhoney to a literate, pretentious, soul-inflected post-punk quartet, the Afghan Whigs were one of the most critically acclaimed alternative bands of the early ’90s. Although the band never broke into the mainstream, they developed a dedicated cult following, primarily because of lead singer/songwriter Greg Dulli’s tortured, angst-ridden tales of broken relationships and self-loathing. The Afghan Whigs were one of the few alternative bands around in the late ’90s to acknowledge R&B, attempting to create a fusion of soul and post-punk.
~Stephen Thomas Erlewine (allmusic.com)

You My Flower (live 1992-03-18, Khyber, Phila., PA):

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Music Calendar

Today: Bono is 53

bono

Music can change the world because it can change people.
~Bono

My heroes are the ones who survived doing it wrong, who made mistakes, but recovered from them.
~Bono

Singer, poet, activist, believer: few icons in the history of rock & roll have created art with the consciousness and passion of Bono, and only a handful have done it as successfully. Whether preaching about “three chords and the truth” or donning ironic personas, the first and only frontman for seminal Irish rock band U2 has always stood unequivocally for hope, faith, and love — and in so doing has touched millions of fans, as well as sold millions of records.
~Jonathan Miller (allmusic.com)

New Years Day:

Wikipedia:

Birth name Paul David Hewson
Also known as Bono, Bono Vox
Born 10 May 1960 (age 53)
Dublin, Ireland
Origin Finglas, County Dublin, Ireland
Genres Rock, post-punk, alternative rock
Occupations Musician, singer-songwriter, activist, philanthropist
Instruments Vocals, guitar, harmonica
Years active 1976–present
Associated acts U2, Passengers
Website u2.com

Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer, musician, venture capitalist and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Alison Stewart, and the future members of U2. Bono writes almost all U2 lyrics, frequently using religious and social, and occasional political themes. During their early years, Bono’s lyrics contributed to U2’s rebellious and spiritual tone. As the band matured, his lyrics became inspired more by personal experiences shared with members of U2.

bono

One – Live Vertigo Tour (2005/6):

Outside the band, he has collaborated and recorded with numerous artists, is managing director and a managing partner of Elevation Partners, and has refurbished and owns The Clarence Hotel in Dublin with The Edge. Bono is also widely known for his activism concerning Africa, for which he co-founded DATA, EDUN, the ONE Campaign and Product Red. He has organised and played in several benefit concerts and has met with influential politicians. Bono has been praised and criticised for his activism and involvement with U2. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and, with Bill and Melinda Gates, was named Time Person of the Year in 2005, among other awards and nominations.

–

I like U2 a lot, but, well, U2 are actually pretty original. But they’re Irish; they’re Celtic – they’ve got that thing goin’. You’ve gotta get away from America in order to make anything stick. America will just bombard you with too much shit. You have to make a conscious attempt to stay away from all the garbage.
~Bob Dylan (to Kurt Loder – October 1987)

bob & Bono

Love rescue me (feat. Ziggy Marley & Keith Richards):

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