Fusion 45

There’s been lots of music going on around the house the past few days:

• We’ve been family air-guitaring around the living room to Foxboro Hot Tubs.
• The kids are preparing for their Christmas concerts.
• My wife is sitting in bed next to me telling me about Esperanza Spaulding (who is a Portland native and apparently dropped out of high school but ended up teaching at Berklee at age 20).
• The band is practicing (and getting marginally above complete suckiness). If we could only get all three players in the room at the same time…
• I’ve been digitizing a bunch of albums, some to get songs for the band (like Fleetwood Mac’s Kiln House and Bob Seger’s Smokin’ O.P.’s, which is much better than I remember) and some for Sal’s Boutique (like Poco’s second album and Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds‘ Falling In Love, which was actually Hamilton, Joe Frank and Dennison).
• And, I’ve been finding a bunch of good stuff from the library, a smattering of which is contained herein:

Garland Jeffries - 96 Tears - Whatever happened to Garland Jeffries? He had his 15 minutes of fame about 30 years ago when this was a semi-popular song around campus. It’s still kind of a fun song.

Kris Kristofferson - Chase The Feeling - As the expression goes, he could sing the Tuscaloosa phonebook and give it soul.

The Deltones - I’ll Take You There - The original version of the Staples Singers‘ hit, from the great Trojan Singles box set.

Hacienda Brothers - Rebound - Just getting to know these guys. This one’s from an album produced by the brilliant Dan Penn.

Nicole Willis And The Soul Investigators - Soul Investigators Theme - Learn more here.

Levin Helm and The RCO All-Stars - Summertime Blues - I’m trying to convince the band to cover ANY version of this song except the Who (’cuz I just can’t play like Keith Moon). And, I can dance to this version.

Artwork: Dune Flower by Dean Uhlinger

Remember that one from Music Man (one of my favorite Broadway shows)? My wife is the theater director at the local high school; she’s considering doing Music Man next fall so she can cast our 8-year old, Skyler, as Winthrip. (Eat his dust, Ronnie Howard.) They’re doing Pippin in a few weeks in which Sky is playing Theo. He’s gonna rock and I will be a proud papa.

Did I mention that we had band practice out in the Buddha Barn again this past Monday? Have I mentioned that we still suck?

OK: we still suck.

I’m trying to convince these guys that there’s nothing that will make a sucky band sound better than three chords and a straight four-on-the-floor beat. They, on the other hand, don’t seem to understand our true lack of talent: they’re thinking we can play Stevie Ray Vaughn songs and do justice to Summertime Blues (like I’m Keith Moon, or something). Even dead, Keith is a better drummer than I am.

I may have to pursue a solo project.

Skyler wants to start a record label, record his piano improvisations and sell the albums online. He’s already decided on the label and website name (Skaddio) and the division of profits. Since he’s 8 and I’m 46, he divided 8 into 54 and decided he should get 14% of the profits and I should get the other 86%. Spoken like a true artist! (Confidentially, I may give as much as 20%. Spoken like a true mogul!).

Recently I’ve been posting artwork with my articles but, today, I just can’t resist this one:

I love the fact that EVERY guy in this picture has the same HAIRCUT. And these guys, with their gauzy shirts rolled up to their biceps, are the perfect 70’s teenagers, pimple-faced versions of Peter Frampton. Best of all, you have to dig the posture of the guys on the immediate left and right of the kids with the sign, the classic pissed-off-at-your-parents slacker/stoner attitude. Those guys are probably Senators now.

So, the whole Marian, Librarian thing comes about because this post features some of the tunes I found at the library this week. I had about five minutes to grab my allotted 15 discs, so I scooped up someone else’s returns almost verbatim.

Ben Webster - Late Date - I’ve actually been a bit of a jazzbeaux at times in my life…in high school when all the marching band stoners were listening to Herbie Hancock and later in life when I spun Sunday night jazz at a station in Ithaca, NY. This one, which features Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown, is from Webster’s classic Soulville album.

Son House - Grinnin’ In Your Face - I’ve gotten to know Son House through a couple of contemporary women singers: Ruthie Foster and Rory Block. I saw Ruthie sing this at the blues festival in Portland and got to review Rory’s version for the current issue of Blues Revue. His version makes for a triumvirate of great interpretations.

Big Joe And His Washboard Band - From the second Northern Exposure soundtrack, a TV show my dearly departed Dad and I used to love watching together. My wife is convinced that living in a trailer, working as a poetry reading morning DJ in Alaska is actually my lost destiny.

Richmond Fontaine - $87 And A Guilty Conscience That Gets Worse The Longer I Go - I knew nothing about Richmond Fontaine when I grabbed this CD. I just liked the sophisticated sound of the name. Turns out they’re from nearby Portland and, with songs with titles like this, they have to be good.

Blood, Sweat And Tears - Lisa, Listen To Me - I’m a huge Sweat fan. Saw them in the park a couple of summers ago. (Coincidentally, the guy playing bass was a one-time member of a band led by a friend of mine in Long Island). I have most of the songs on this disc but, as it says in the opening graf of the liner notes: “…the two CDs you got as a bonus for buying this little booklet…”. Truly the liner notes are great reading in and of themselves.

David Bowie - Cracked Actor - No guitar banging band of any era compares with Aladdin Sane era Bowie. Period.

Frank Zappa - Can’t Afford No Shoes - Sometimes I wish I was Zappa. Not because I want to be a seriously ugly chain-smoking rock star or even that I like his music. It’s because he was weird, he was independent and he was fierce.

Feist - Brandy Alexander - Another artist I know little about but everyone seems to be pretty excited about her. This is a pretty good song to listen to after Zappa.

Daniela Cotton - Make U Move - In the “Wake Of Winehouse,” as I like to call it, I’m cynical about new soul singers. But Daniela Cotton sounds like she has some musical cajones. I’m excited to listen to this record. This is the only cut I’ve heard…and I like it!

Ahmad Jamal - My Heart Stood Still - Jamal’s version of Misty is one of my favorites. This cat is one of the most underrated out there.

King Crimson - Discipline - I should be as brilliant as any of them, even at their worst.

Yo-Yo Ma plays Dvorak - I haven’t even ventured into the classical section of the library yet; this was just sitting in the stack. Love the cello. Love Dvorak. And I think Ma is cool.

Coleman Hawkins - The Bean Stalks Again - Late era Coleman, second only to Richmond Fontaine in the cool title sweepstakes.

Kiss - Rock And Roll All Nite - The one, the only, the original Kiss Alive!

One For All, All For One

Time to give some propers back to an early Fusion 45 supporter, Jeff over at AM Then FM. One of the best music writers on the web rolls some R.B. Greaves, John Hartford and Dionne Warwick of late. A must have on your bookmark list.

James Jackson Toth

I like artists who sound a little like a lot of people but always like themselves.

James Jackson Toth fits that category: he sounds at once like himself but at times like Tanya Tucker, Jim Ford, Tommy Bolin, Keef Hartley Band, Peter Ivers Band, Throbbing Gristle, Rusty & Doug Kershaw, Vietnam Veterans, Conway Twitty, George Brigman, Buff Medways, Violent Femmes, Alex Chilton, Ron Wood, John Carpenter, Bobby Womack, Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan, Roxy Music, Souled American, Junior Kimbrough, Godz, Fushitsusha, Dead Moon and Black Oak Arkansas (all of whom he lists on his MySpace Music page.)

What? No Carpenters? No Ozzy? No Charles Ives?

I learned about him from an ad I saw in Mojo last Friday while I was playing hooky from work, sneaking off behind the bosses back. (I should mention that I’m self-employed. Sneaking off behind the bosses back involves a degree of denial largely unachievable to the common man.)

I downloaded his record and I liked it so here’s a little taste of his stuff (plus a few others from my eMusic file).

James Jackson Toth - Nothing Hides
Giant Sand - Stranded Pearl
The Sacred Shakers - John the Revelator
Matthew Sweet - Time Machine

All For One, One For All

As Chevy said on the always fun Oh Heavenly Dog, “if you have three hours and 15 minutes to kill, why not kill them with some disco?” Everything from Sergio Mendes to the Pointer Sisters to Herbie Hancock. Big fun!

Artwork: House (wax and oil over watercolor on paper, 14 x 20, 1998) by Marilyn Kirsch

So, we had another band practice last night and, boy, do we suck.

The bass player actually showed up (albeit stoned on painkillers, methinks), the guitarist claimed he was having trouble singing because of a cold (that ain’t it, baby) and I couldn’t stay in tempo on anything over 120 BPM (and even that was a challenge).

Afterward, the guitarist asked what our goals were for the band (play clubs, parties, for friends)? I suggested my personal goal was to a) play in tempo and, b) not completely suck while doing so. They laughed.

Here’s some real music to balance my karma:

Seasick Steve - My Youth

All For One, One For All

Big props again to Eclectic Grooves for doing it the right way. Most recently, they’ve dropped some scribbles on Neutral Milk Hotel (one of the all-time great band names). More to my style (believe it or not, fellow babies), you’ll find a killer track rolling from Max Roach called Another Valley, which I’ve not heard in years. You’ll find it at the bottom of a post called Things on the Horizon. Play on, EG!

Artwork: This Notion (Mixed Media Collage, 12×14, 2002) by Kyle Johnston

(At Least For Today, Anyway)

We’re not just about the classic tracks here in F45 Land. We like them crazy young’uns and their rock and roll, too.

Michael Franti And Spearhead with Cherine Anderson - Say Hey (I Love You)

I’ve loved his message since I first heard Stay Human while walking through Virgin Records at Union Square. Are we praying with him for change in this country come November 4th? Hell, yes.

Molly Hatchet - Flirtin’ With Disaster

I believe everybody deserves to have his voice heard (though I’m very certain which voice I want to be running the country). Can rebels and rednecks unite? Here they can.

Mudcrutch - Queen of the Go-Go Girls

I’d heard of this quick and dirty, live in the studio thing from Tom Petty but it my friend Tim B. of the Big D that shamed me into going and getting it. A fun record for all that participate.

Chatham County Line - Chip Of A Star

This is #1 in the carpool hit parade. Whoever produced this song knew what he was doing. Listen close: pure brilliance.

I See Hawks In L.A. - Good And Foolish Times

There’s so much to hear in this band…I’m just scratching the surface. Number 2 in the carpool hit parade, a particular fave of my 8-year old.

Dr. Dog - My Friend

Yeah, they sound like early 70’s McCartney in a lot of places. But, they maintain their character. I’m enjoying this record.

Dirty Pretty Things - Hippy’s Son

Speaking of Beatle-esque: could I drop “four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire” into the chorus? Don’t think these guys are long for popularity but, in rock and roll, popularity is a temporal thing anyway (like in high school). Closes the loop nicely on this post, though, a song about being a hippy’s son.

Artwork: Lillias white Diva by Kyle Boyd