Blake n Blue

Buccaneer Lounge pt 2

2012-01-20T14:11:00.000-08:00

Here's the second half of the Buccaneer Lounge show from December 21 2011. Thanks for listening!

Live at the Buccaneer Lounge

2012-01-12T08:29:00.000-08:00

Here is part one of the Buccaneer Lounge show from December 21, 2011. The Wisefools were playing that night and my pal Elizabeth Wise invited me out to play. I ended up doing about a 35 minute set, the songs off the CD that I usually do and some of my favorite cover tunes. I will post part two here soon, but you can see that on my Youtube channel now if you like.

'Things I Can't Say' live from Memphis TN's Buccaneer Lounge

2012-01-06T17:44:00.000-08:00

Here's another clip from the Buccaneer Lounge show from December 21, 2011.

The origins of 'Bringing It Home'

2011-12-28T17:28:00.000-08:00

I've gotten a few questions, well not questions actually but comments to the effect that Bringing It Home is a cover. Most definitely not. It is, however a homage to one of my favorite bands, Led Zeppelin, and tells a different (and mostly true) story. Let's set the record straight, though. Here are the lyrics to Willie Dixon's 'Bring It on Home' that Led Zeppelin later legally acknowledged bore very close similarities to their song of the same name. After that you'll see the Led Zeppelin song 'Bringing It Home, then my own lyrics to Bringing It Home. The name and the lyrical similarity is intentional, but by paraphrasing the other lyrics I believe Bringing It Home sets a different tone and has a different meaning. The story behind the song is different as well. Hope you enjoy all three of these songs! Zep and Willie are classics. These lyrics are posted for research purposes only...

Willie Dixon's 'Bringing It Home'

Baby, baby,
I'm gonna bring it on home to you

I done bought my ticket, I got my load
Conductor done hollered, "All, aboard"
Take my seat and ride way back,
and watch this train move down the track

Baby, baby,
I'm gonna bring it on home to you

I think about the good times I once have had
Soul got happy now, my heart got glad
I think about the way you love me too
You can bet your life, I'm comin home to you

I'm goin home,
I'm gonna bring it on home, now
I'm gonna bring it on home, now
I'm gonna bring it on home, now
Gonna bring it on home,
bring it on home to you

Now here is Led Zeppelin's Bring It On Home:

Baby, baby... I'm gonna bring it on home to you.
I've got my ticket, I've got that load. Conducter gone hollered, all aboard.
Take my seat, right way back. ooh yeah. Watch this train roll down the track.
I'm gonna bring it on home, Bring it on home to you.
Watch out, watch out...

Try to tell you baby, what you tryin' to do?
Tryin' to love me baby, love some other man too.
Bring it on home...

Went a little walk downtown, messed and got back late.
Found a note there waiting, it said, "Daddy, I just can't wait."
Bring it on home... Bring it back home to me baby...

Tell you, pretty baby, you love to mess me `round.
I'm gonna give you lovin', baby, gonna move you out o' town.
Bring it on home...

Sweetest little baby, daddy ever saw.
I'm gonna give you lovin' baby, I'm gonna give you more.
Bring it on home...

Bring it on home, Bring it on home to you...

Here is Bringing It Home:

Bringing It Home

Sweetest little baby, that I ever saw
I'm gonna give you lovin'
then I'm gonna give you more
Bringing it Home
Bringing it home
I'm gonna give you lovin'
Then I'm gonna give you more
Bringing it home

Try to love you baby
But you love another man too
Wanna get to know you
but I just wanna get through.
Bringing it home
Bringing it home
Wanna get to know ya
But I just wanna get through
Bringing it home

Interlude
Why ya wanna tell your mama
What I'm tryin' to do?
Why you wanna tell your daddy
when I wanna bring it all home to you?
Bringin it home
bringin it home
I'm gonna give you all of my love
then Im gonna give you more
bringing it home

Sweetest little baby
That I ever saw,
I'm gonna give you lovin' baby
Then I'm gonna give you more
Bringing It Home
Bringing It Home
I'm gonna give you lovin'
Then I'm gonna give you more
Bringing It Home
I'm gonna give you all of my love
Then I'm gonna give you more
Bringing It Home

Live Video from Memphis! 'Bringing It Home'

2011-12-28T16:44:00.001-08:00

Here's the opener from the Buccaneer last week. Hope you like it!

Songwriters Showcase at Partners

2011-12-25T22:26:00.001-08:00

My buddy Marge Loveday hosts a songwriters showcase every Tuesday night. Here is my set from this past Tuesday, 12-20-11. Very noisy I know. Hopefully you'll feel like you were there!

http://www.mediafire.com/?zg9zxzka4vxk3hu

Walking (and playing) in Memphis. Pt 1

2011-12-22T16:27:00.000-08:00

Having a great time in Memphis. Played a 35 minute set last night in support of the Wisefools at the Buccaneer Lounge. Old friend Jim Clemenson and fellow artist and photographer Gary Hudson were out to shoot some photos and video and hang and enjoy the music. The photo shoot continued into today. The Wisefools were fun to work with and a big thanks to them for having me. Singer/guitarist Elizabeth Wise is a good friend of mine and was a treat to hear again. Lunch and old times at Central BBQ followed by a photo and video shoot right across the street. Very Memphian! Got some footage shot that may turn into a video for a song from the album ('Mr Adams' Blues', if you are new to this blog). Won't say which song yet, going to surprise you. :-) It was work that felt like play. Always great to work with artists who are so enthusiastic about what they do. Jim and Gary headed back earlier today but I am looking forward to tonight's gig at the Daily Planet. Currently enjoying the vibe at Otherlands Coffee Bar , right around the corner from Central BBQ. Maybe getting some family out tonight to the Daily Planet, that should be fun. Schedule is in flux a bit, but looks like an 11:00 start for the Damfools. I'll probably crank up earlier.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/buccaneer-memphis

http://jimjamescreative.com/

http://cbqmemphis.com/

http://otherlandscoffeebar.com/

http://www.thedailyplanetmemphis.com/

New dates on the calender. Memphis...

2011-12-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

Heading to Memphis next week to play some dates. Opening for the Damfool string band on Wednesday and the Wisefools on Thursday. Both of these bands feature a good friend of mine and talented musician Elizabeth Wise on vocals and guitar. Haven't seen Liz in a few years (but I do keep up with her live work via her Facebook music page) so it should be fun. I usually enjoy Memphis as well. If you're in the area and out late Wednesday and Thursday night drop by the Buccaneer Lounge (Wednesday) or the Daily Planet (Thursday). Addresses are on the calender on my website. Hope to see you there!

Louis CK "Everything's amazing and nobody is happy"

2011-10-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

I love Louis CK's material. I think he is a very funny guy. His "why" sketch makes me laugh until I hurt and I don't even have kids. This interview with Conan O'Brian may be one of my favorite things I've heard from him though. Give this a view, I hope you like it as much as I did.

Some funny

2011-10-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

I love Mitch Hedberg. He and Steven Wright are a couple of my faves. Here's a Mitch clip I just found on youtube. I can barely type from laughing. This guy just kills me and I almost drove a very patient ex-girlfriend nuts by relentlessly quoting the guy. He delievery even found it's way into my stage banter for a little while, and the bartender that turned me on to him is a treasured friend! RIP Mitch. If you like this, go check him out. http://mitchhedberg.net/home/

The great Albert King, and subsequent Facebook discussion with a couple of pals

2011-10-03T21:52:00.000-07:00

Tom Guerra Bluesy Stax!
2 hours ago · Like
Tom Guerra Sure was, title track of his first Stax lp...I'm pretty sure produced by Al Jackson
2 hours ago · Like
Blake Nix Seminal Stax! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_Under_a_Bad_Sign
Born Under a Bad Sign - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org
Born Under a Bad Sign is a blues album by Albert King released in 1967. The albu...See More
2 hours ago · Like ·
Blake Nix Just posted. Thanks Tom, this was important!
2 hours ago · Like
Blake Nix Let's quote: Born Under a Bad Sign is a blues album by Albert King released in 1967. The album became "one of the most popular and influential blues albums of the late '60s"[2] and has been acknowledged by the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame, and Rolling Stone magazine.
2 hours ago · Like
Blake Nix Not that Rolling Stone matters...
2 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Tom Guerra Most importantly to me, Cream covered it...love Jack Bruce's singing on it, and Eric's playing too.
2 hours ago · Like
Blake Nix Oh yeah, just shared this one with a student. The gospel according to Albert, as told by Eric and Jack.
2 hours ago · Like · 1 person
Tom Guerra Loved Albert's bending...when I first heard SRV (happy birthday Stevie), I couldn't believe how EXACT his riffs were to Albert, but nobody said that, and thought what he was playing was original.
2 hours ago · Like
Tom Guerra No disrespect to Stevie either, he was the first to admit that he got alot from Albert.
about an hour ago · Like
Tom Guerra We used to do some of his funky 70's stuff, like "I'll Play the Blues for You," a minor key thing with a 5 minute love rap ala Barry White. (not that kind of rap!)
about an hour ago · Like
Blake Nix Oh yeah, Stevie never failed to credit Albert that I heard. A lot of Stevie fans don't understand just where his brilliance really lay. Who else pulled that off? He played great, and reverent Hendrix licks too. Wasn't Clapton a disciple of Albert as well?
about an hour ago · Like
Derek Hilliard Wednesday and Thursday night in San Francisco are my two of my all-time favorite blues albums ever.
56 minutes ago · Like
Blake Nix Thanks for the comments! Guys, I'm gonna post this exchange on both my music blog and my student blog if that's alright with you. Also please feel free to plug both of your projects on my page, I'm gonna share em anyway... :-)
2 seconds ago · Like

From the Coffeeshop. Live at Luxe in Spokane

2011-09-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite songs to cover, Rowland Salley's Killing the Blues. Rowland plays bass for Chris Isaak (who is also fantastic) and you should definitely check him out. Several great covers of this one going around, John Prine, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Chris Smither and others.

The Redheaded Stepchild show...

2011-09-20T16:12:00.001-07:00

Here's a clip from the Redheaded Stepchild show at Bandito Southside Saturday night. I was happy to be a part of the extended family for a night, filling in for my buddy Bobby Blount. This is a cover of Black Star, a Radiohead song that Gillian Welch also covered, and one my favorite moments from the night. Tasha Jones and Neeve Shoemaker Weinberger on vocals with Philip Hughes on bass and Tim Hopper on djimbe.

Some coffee shopping

2011-09-03T19:33:00.001-07:00

Things I Can't Say August 6 2011 at Luxe in Spokane. "Welcome to Luxe"

From the Coffeeshop. Luxe in Spokane

2011-08-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

Dead Flowers. One of my favorite Stones songs but it may be my favorite Townes Van Zandt performances. This is another one from the Luxe show.

Long Gone

2011-08-20T20:32:00.001-07:00

Here's the studio version of Long Gone, audio only.

Trip to the Northwest. Luxe coffeehouse in Spokane

2011-08-10T19:20:00.000-07:00

I played a nice little place in Spokane this past Friday called Luxe. Very elegant decor and terrific acoustics. The crowd there was very appreciative and we all enjoyed the night. Here's a sample of the evening somewhere in the middle of the first set. I used to do this little Zep medley quite a bit.

To the Northwest!

2011-08-03T20:05:00.000-07:00

Gig in Spokane, Washington this weekend where I have some good friends. Playing at a coffee house called Luxe from 7-9, which just opened up there. Also hoping to see some of that area of the country. If you are in the area Luxe is at 1017 West First. The number is 509-624-5514. Getting some pics and video. Can't wait to see Washington, I have never been there.

Got a copy of Mr Adams' Blues?

2011-08-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

Many of you know and have supported me already, and you rule for that! If you haven't yet, you can get the physical CD from me in person and at gigs, or from CDbaby.com/blakenix (there's a link on this web site) or digitally on itunes and CDbaby. In Huntsville the CD is for sale at the Fret Shop on Jordan, CD Exchange on South Parkway, or Vertical House Records at Lowe Mill. It's on a lot of digital outlets as well. If you don't see it on your favorite, request it or let me know. Thanks every one, see you out on the road!

From the vaults... Long Gone at the coffee shop featuring Katy Dunn

2011-07-26T23:25:00.001-07:00

Here's one from a while back with my good pal Katy Dunn helping out on vocals.

Bringing It Home, live from the coffeeshop

2011-07-17T22:50:00.000-07:00

Here's one off the CD, Bringing It Home. This was taken at that coffee shop in Huntsville, Sam and Greg's. Had a little help on this song too, if you can hear him.

Willie Nelson

2011-07-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

My grandfather Nix was a huge Willie Nelson fan. I got to listen to him talk about Willie when I went to college at Mississippi State and saw my grandparents more. I can't hear a Willie Nelson song and not think of my grandfather, who passed away shortly after that. Willie can probably cough a better song than I can write, and no one sings or plays like Willie. Quite a character, and a living legend in my book.

From the vaults..

2011-07-13T13:30:00.001-07:00

Things I Can't Say, live at Sam and Greg's, downtown in Huntsville, AL. 2009

April 27th. Storm day for Alabama

2011-05-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

April 27th. Storm day for Alabama

2011-05-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

2011-05-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Doing lots of good stuff for the people here. Check them out. Donate if you can, folks still need help.

http://www.alabamaredcross.org/Alabama_Red_Cross.html

What a week. Let's start with thanks.

2011-05-05T22:35:00.001-07:00

After five days without power (more for some) and some very uncertain hours as we plunged into the darkness Wednesday with the realization of the damage to our Alabama communities just beginning to unfold, I want to thank the following groups and individuals for making our world less uncertain: WHNT for their coverage, WDRM and WZYP for theirs, and Dan Satterfield our weather hero. There are so many others who have helped it's hard to know where to start but these people were our source for information. Particularly true for WDRM and WZYP, as my weather radio was my only source for info when AT & T cell phone coverage went down almost completely, as well as my AT & T land line. Can't thank these guys enough. Also a huge thank you to Publix on the corner of Whitesburg and Airport Road. Those guys stayed open pretty much the whole time, with hours of sleep lost and many many difficult hours on the job. We had what we needed, thanks to the good folks there.

I heart Joni

2011-03-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

http://www.kcrw.com/media-player/mediaPlayer2.html?type=audio&id=mb941025joni_mitchellThis is a little something I caught from Joni's twitter. Listening to it right now. The performances are great and the interview is so charming. Ah, Joni...

Posts from the facebook music page...

2011-02-20T22:34:00.001-08:00

Blake Nix Getting my mind blown by Joni Mitchell. This has changed a lot. Wow. It's a whole new way to see the guitar.

From today....

An amazing day for musical DNA. Traced roots and examined branches. Thrilling. Discovered Davey Graham, and rediscovered a guitar tuning. I have to post about Davey. He is critically important to many many guitar players. We'll talk more. This is where my music has been heading...

Julia Fischer - Grieg Piano Concerto, Mov.1-1

2011-02-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

Really impressive. She is amazing. High class. Great violinist and pianist. Makes me feel kind of dumb!

Ah Joni...

2011-01-02T01:02:00.001-08:00

Studying Joni Mitchell and those crazy tunings. It's like a different instrument but her work is stunning. Listening to Hejira has opened doors, creatively speaking. It sounds and feels familiar and yet foreign. Jaco's bass lines were as ethereal as Joni's playing and singing, wandering and weaving. Joni on her first album and on Court and Spark set a standard for singer songwriters. Even when she was just playing guitar and singing with no other accompaniment the sound was breathtaking. Ah, Joni...

Townes continued...

2010-12-23T21:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a reprint from Wikipedia on the Townes 'Live at The Old Quarter, Houston Texas'

Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas is a double live album by Texas singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt. The recording captures Van Zandt in a series of July 1973 performances in an intimate venue early in his career. The Old Quarter was a small venue (18 by 38 feet) operated by Rex "Wrecks" Bell ^[9] and Dale Soffar that could comfortably accommodate 60 patrons. More than 100 jammed into the room on the night of these recordings.^[10]

The recording was first released in 1977 by Tomato Records and has frequently gone in and out of print under various labels (see below). There is a strong critical consensus that this recording is among the most exemplary of Van Zandt's career. Since the singer's death in 1997, live recordings have become an important part of his catalog, and Live at the Old Quarter has become the meter against which similar recordings are compared.^[11]

The liner notes describe the recording as the "Rosetta Stone" of Texas music. One can hear Van Zandt's influences in covers by artist like Bo Diddley, Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins, and country picker Merle Travis. One can also hear Van Zandt's most famous works, songs like "If I Needed You" and "Pancho and Lefty" played to an audience not already familiar with these songs.

The album is also noted for the intimacy of the performance. Van Zandt takes the stage alone and accompanies himself on guitar as he did thousands of times during his career.

Stuff we like: Townes Van Zandt

2010-12-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

Listening to Townes again. I'm loving the stories and the way he can turn a phrase. Once again I'm struck by both the things he says and the things he leaves out. Sometimes what he doesn't say in a song says a lot. Great stuff. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_the_Old_Quarter,_Houston,_Texas

Joni Mitchell

2010-11-22T14:31:00.001-08:00

Wow, Joni Mitchell's album Hejira has been introduced to my world and that album is quite a piece of work. Give yourself some listens. Try the title track that I posted but really that album is stunning on a vinyl record player, which is how I've been hearing. Sit in a quiet place and just take it all in. Candles are good too. You'll be glad you did.

Joni Mitchell - Hejira (with lyrics)

2010-11-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

Stuff we like: Sam and Dave

2010-11-08T00:25:00.000-08:00

I could only hope to be as good live as this

Hanging with Marge

2010-11-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Getting some sit ins around town. Dropping in on Marge Loveday every now and then. Marge is a local singer/songwriter who plays piano and keyboards and we have a good time playing together. Last night it was at her open mic at Bandito South. Bobby Blount, another Huntsville singer songwriter, also stopped by to play some tunes. Good time. Marge and I were in Shine together. Although I've know her for a while that was really the first time we played music together. Had a really good time doing some tunes with her and Katy D. I'd love to see (and hear) that happen again.

Sugarloaf Maine after the Oct NY trip

2010-10-24T00:37:00.000-07:00

This was the view from Sugarloaf Maine. We took a trip to Maine after the October 2 gig to see the Northeast again. Gail and Glen were very gracious hosts and showed us this small ski resort town in Maine about the same latitude as the Canadian border. It was a week before the skiers got there so the place was pretty much deserted. It was cool but not cold.

mitch hedberg standup

2010-10-14T22:26:00.000-07:00

Love this guy! RIP Mitch

NYC! Oct 6

2010-10-06T18:21:00.000-07:00

Sticky Fingers played Saturday night in New York. Well, Queens to be specific. I'm told that's not the same. We played at the hotel Ravel. I should say on the hotel Ravel. We played on the roof with the Manhattan skyline in the background. It was a wedding for a couple of Stones fanatics who loved the show and were very good to us. It was a good show I felt. Very good Scotch at the bar, A Balvenie 17 year was the highlight but the Macallen 12 was also good. We added and opened the show with Rocks Off, these two were big Exile On Main Street Fans. It was a 16 hour drive through Virginia and Pennsylavania with Gitano whom I picked up in Nashville. There are some more details on facebook and Twitter if you are interested. After the show we crashed at the Best Western in Queens and got up the next day to meet up with my cousin Jay who has a place in NYC now. Wade Hachler (drums) and I crashed with Jay Sunday night. We did the town Sunday. Bears game was on at the Lincoln Park bar and grill and after that Times Square was magnificent, if cold and wet. Absolutely amazing for a first timer. Ended up at Arthur's Tavern where we caught up with old Sticky bandmember Pete Conway, who was there playing with Ripped Van Wrinkle, his blues band. Pete sounded great as always and as always had some of my favorite quotes about the Sticky Fingers experience.

We got in around 5 am and moved the car to the garage then retired to Jay's place. Next day we met Jay for lunch and headed north to Gail's place in Brunswick Maine, where we met up with Gail and Glen. That is where I sit now and type. We are spending the evening in after a night and day in Sugarloaf, about 2 hrs ride north. Nice little ski lodge village and a very pretty drive. I have enjoyed this part of the country, and Gail and Glen have been very hospitable. Hope to see it again soon but tomorrow we head back. More pics soon. Check out Twitter for the most up to date updates and facebook for some more pics. See ya soon.

And away we go

2010-09-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

I am on the first leg of this New York trip. We are playing a wedding after party at a hotel. It's a secret so don't tell anyone. I'm hoping the hotel will be nice. http://www.ravelhotel.com/default.aspx?pg=gallery&rp=home I'm relaxing and about to say good night from Brentwood TN, (a Nashville suburb) where I'm staying with family. My Aunt Gail is one of the movers and shakers of the American Lung Association of the Midland States. They are good people doing good things. http://www.lungusa.org/associations/charters/midland-states/. I will definitely be talking about that more, but do check out the site.

Looking forward to the gig. Added Rocks Off, which is one I've always wanted to do with Sticky Fingers. Whole set list looks like a good time. The drive should be pretty too. I find Virginia beautiful, and we'll see a lot of it tomorrow. During the fall that drive up I81 can be almost painfully pretty. Pennsylvania is still somewhat new to me. I always hear Billy Joel playing in my head when we see Allentown on the map. Maybe a little scenery after Saturday, who knows.
Night all.

Great band I just heard. The Steeldrivers - You Put The Hurt On Me

2010-09-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

From the Vault: Girl From the North Country Bob Dylan cover 2009 at Sam and Greg's in Huntsville, AL

2010-09-17T23:10:00.000-07:00

Otis Redding - Glory of Love

2010-09-09T03:04:00.000-07:00

This is a tribute

2010-09-05T18:06:00.000-07:00

Who or what is Sticky Fingers? One of the out of town bands I work with is called Sticky Fingers. Sticky Fingers is a Rolling Stones themed "tribute" band. We wear period appropriate stage clothes and perform the music of the Rolling Stones. It's a lot of fun and keeps me on my toes musically. Sticky has been around 20 plus years and the current singer Glen Carroll has run the show for 15 plus years. I have been to central America (Panama City, Panama) and both coasts several times with Sticky. They are an internationally known act who have played in China, Indonesia, The Netherlands, and Russia. It's been a pleasure to study the music of the Stones. Lately I have been playing Keith Richards parts onstage. Studying the music of the Stones this closely is like going to rock and roll school. The Stones have taught me new things about rhythm guitar, two guitar interplay, and the importance of a solid rhythm section. There is much more to the music of the Stones and to good rock and roll than I knew before. I still learn more every time I study the set list. What we do is a respectful and affectionate tribute to the band. It's also a wild high energy tribute to rock n roll, that spirit is important to try and capture every time we hit the stage. The band has become another important influence on me in their approach and eclecticism. Here's the web site if you are interested in seeing more. www.stickyfingersband.com

Montauk with Sticky Fingers

2010-08-26T00:59:00.000-07:00

We (Sticky Fingers) played the gig August 14 on the property of a guy who knows the Stones, Anson Beard. His aunt is currently Keith's manager, and Mick was on the guest list. We were told Mick was a long shot to get there as he was in Europe. Our dressing room on gig night was in a renovated burned out windmill. We dressed right next to a hollowed out but (very nicely) redecorated hot tub that once bathed Mick and Bianca. I didn't see them but some of the guys mentioned spotting Paul Simon, Gwyneth Paltrow and her hubby Chris Martin. Wade is pretty sure he saw Iggy Pop, which put the guest list a step or two closer to the surreal. Interesting party, and an absolutely gorgeous night. Pics going up soon...

Damien Rice feat Ray LaMontagne - To Love Somebody

2010-08-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

Sticky Fingers on the boat to Montauk August 13, 2010

2010-08-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

On the ferry to Montauk pt 1

2010-08-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

Impressions from Montauk.

2010-08-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

That was a wild reckless night, typical Sticky Fingers. I believe a good time was had by all. Our host Anson sent a complimentary email to our new manager and den mother Gail Mason. Gail turned out to be very well suited for the job and a very gracious host as well as a good friend. We dressed in the renovated and redecorated remains of a windmill burned down (accidentally) by the very Stones we were paying tribute to. The weather spoiled us mercilessly, it was cool and dry all week with not even a hint of rain until the drive back. The rehearsals were productive and enjoyable. I don't mind the driving so much, it was good to see that part of the country. There were several Ferrari sightings in Long Island, also Maseratis, countless BMWs and Mercedes, 60s Mustangs (and later of course) and one memorable Lamborghini. I'm not a car guy but I was impressed. I'll be posting some pictures on my facebook profile as well as here. Do drop by.

Travelin'

2010-08-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

On the road now. In case you haven't been catching my tweets, I am in Maine with Sticky Fingers. We've been rehearsing and enjoying Maine and are looking forward to the show on the cliffs in Montauk New York on Saturday. We have eaten well and sampled the local microbrews. They do brew good beer up here. The weather is cool and dry, unlike the upper 90s they are having back home in Alabama. The drive was long but the scenery was nice. I am almost caught up on my sleep, the early wake up tomorrow will put me behind again of course. Tomorrow we head to Portland to catch a ferry to Montauk. This is my first New York gig, a private party. The guest list is very VIP, should be some interesting stories. You are probably reading this on my web site, if so hit the twtter button and follow along for details. See you all soon!

Off the music topics for just a sec...

2010-06-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

Healthy stuff! These are pretty much the basics these days. You can find this info most everywhere these days, in articles geared for men or women. Good luck with it...

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/sip-your-way-flat-belly

http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slideshow/30-healthy-foods-arent?cm_mmc=Yahoo-_-ETNT-_-Easy_WL-_-Health_Foods_That_Arent

News from Nashville, American Lung Association of the Midland States

2010-05-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is a message from my Aunt, who works with the group. I asked her how they were doing in Nashville and this is her reply:

Hey..Things did not go real well or as planned. The morning of the Walk was also the morning of the storm and it hit us with a vengence, destroying 5 of our tents and forcing us to cancel the event. WE stayed until 10:30 collecting any donations people wanted to bring by. Now I am busy trying to chase down pledges. I'm doing ok, but it is critical that I make goal this year so I need all the help I can get. You can link folks straight to our website at www.midlandlung.org/walk. Any help you can give would be appreciated. Money raised will also help those with mold and air quality get the answers they need as they try to move back into their homes. Our office lost it's roof the night of the storm so we have a great deal of water damage and have not been able to go back yet. I'm running things from my dining room right now.
Our house did ok and did not have any damage. Blake this town is just mind boggling...never expected to ever see anything like this. It just blows your mind.

Cancelations in April

2010-03-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

I won't be doing the Station 2 in April as previously scheduled. Got canceled last Monday last minute. Can't be doing that these days, too much going on, too many places I need to be. Hope to see you all soon. Back to work.

Station gig is canceled.

2010-03-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

I was just informed that the Station is closing for an impromptu training session, so the gig there today is canceled.

Carson's gig is canceled

2010-03-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

The gig this evening at Carson's in Hampton Cove was canceled, by Carson's, at 10:45 this morning. I hope everyone got this message in time via facebook.

Looking at another local show this weekend...

2010-03-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Doing my thing at Carson's in Hampton Cove this weekend. Trying out some new covers, new arrangements and some more of the more rocking material. A couple days after that I will be at the Station 2 at Bridge Street again. That is looking like a good match for my local peeps. Good food, nice family place and the hours (5:30-9:30) seem to catch folks at a good time. That night's set list will be a little more laid back. Hope to see you there.

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2010-03-17T15:00:00.001-07:00

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Solo at the Station 2 at Bridge Street Wednesday March 10

2010-03-09T22:02:00.000-08:00

Come on out! check out the web site www.thestation.net. As you head towards the Monaco (the movie theater at Bridge Street) it is on the right past the bridge. Up here (second floor-you take an elevator to get there) there is a restaurant, bowling alley, VIP room, air hockey, pool tables and more. Nice place, I will be playing solo acoustic guitar mostly but may have some of my talented pals from some of my other projects stopping by. I'm sure you'll hear the Beatles, The Stones, Tom Petty, Townes Van Zandt, John Prine and more.

Sunny day

2010-02-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

Had a quiet little gig with Jerry at the Copper Top last night. Had some laughs and shot some video, which I will post here soon. At the Station 2 at Bridge Street tomorrow (Monday) for a happy hour gig, with any luck some of my pals will stop by and sing a few with me. The calender has some new dates up so please check em out. There are solo dates up and some duo stuff with Jerry and the rest of Shine. More in the works too, doing some stuff with our friend Marge Loveday and looking forward to working with Matt Ross, a bass player I have listened to and respected for years. Both of these folks are very talented and have a stout resume. Also, if you haven't bought yours there are still copies of Mr Adams' Blues available and several places to hear samples of the tunes. I hope you like them as much as I liked making them. Catch you soon!

Wild Horses and Ben

2010-02-16T21:38:00.000-08:00

That was an amazing time Sunday. I'm not good with words these days, can't seem to find the right way to communicate exactly what I want to say. Can't quite say what being at that benefit made me feel. I just wanted to go and listen and hear what all these other people had to say about our friend Ben Trussell. I learned a lot. The Huntsville music scene has some great talent and some great love. Ben wrote some great songs. I believe these songs are going to be heard again. It was such a privilege to be there. Jerry arrived late and we eventually got on stage and played Soulshine, by the Allman Brothers and Government Mule, Steal My Kisses by Ben Harper. With us were Marge, Bill, Matt Ross, Ryan Tillery on drums and whoever else was left on stage! It was a mass of musicians who wanted to be in on the fun. The crowd was giving it back. Pictures of Ben to our right on the screen. Going to remember this one for a while. If anything, I wish I had played Wild Horses, it was the last song Ben and I played together at my gig at Voodoo Lounge that he sat in on. There will be time to play that one and remember. In the mean time I'm just glad I could soak Sunday up. Really glad to be a part of that, very thankful to be able to share. I don't think anyone will forget this anytime soon.

Ben Trussell

2010-02-09T21:03:00.000-08:00

We lost Ben Trussell this weekend. Ben was a talented singer songwriter from the area, and way too young to be lost. There are a lot of people here hurting right now. We all knew him, every musician I know has partied, played and laughed with Ben. We jammed on some Stones at the Voodoo Lounge the last time I saw him and then he took my guitar, retuned it and played Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' in that tuning he was using. He sounded great, I hadn't heard it that way before. It will be a tough week. There's pain here now, but there are also a lot of people remembering how much they loved his music and his spirit.

Shine this week at Humphrey's

2010-02-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

Looks like we won't be doing that battle of the bands at Crossoads this time around. Instead, the first full band appearance of Shine will be at Humphrey's on Saturday the 13th. Shine features my pals from around town Jerry Pearson-guitar and vocals, Marge Loveday (Marge at Large)-keyboard guitar and vocals, and my pal from Nashville drummer Wade Hachler (Rosie Flores, Sticky Fingers and others) . Shine will start at 9 and play until 1 or so.

A little coffee shop for ya

2010-02-06T23:59:00.000-08:00

One of my fave people to make music with. The lovely Katy Dunn helping me out with Things I Can't Say.

Stuff we like. More Humble Pie

2010-02-06T23:13:00.000-08:00

Here ya go. This was the guy that so many of the great bands wish they had. Steve Mariott with Humble Pie.

Flying around...

2010-02-05T01:12:00.000-08:00

Busy busy busy with new events. Rehearsing Shine for the upcoming gigs at Humphrey's on the 13th of February and the battle of the bands at the Crossroads on the 11th, and beyond. We'll be playing all original music at the battle of the bands. Haven't been in one of those in years. Jerry's the mover and signer upper there. I'm just looking forward to playing a little music with some pals. So much to do, adding songs to the set like a mad man and watching some my students make the transition to live performance. I'm also changing the solo set around a bit. I have Chris Smither to thank for inspiration. What an amazing artist, a great player and a great songwriter. His finger style arrangements are so smooth, and his lyrics so clever. I'll post some video for you guys to see but trust me, you want to see and hear him. So much to listen to and so little time... See ya

yawn... Goofy can help

2010-01-29T00:31:00.000-08:00

This is a classic. Up late, Goofy to the rescue. These cartoons are priceless and available on amazon. I've bought some for myself and given some as gifts. Old school Disney, they just don't make them like this any more...

What am I up to? Shine, for one thing.

2010-01-24T23:59:00.001-08:00

This is a duo performance here with my pal Jerry Pearson at a local club called the Copper Top. Shine is the name of the band we are putting together, featuring Jerry on lead vocals and guitar and me on guitar and backing vocals with an occasional lead vocal. Shine will be doing a lot of the tunes Jerry and I play together when we do the duo thing, like Jack Johnson, Ben Harper and many others but also feature some of the arrangements of some of our favorite Stones tunes, and other tunes we've reworked. Shine will also feature Wade Hachler (from Sticky Fingers, and Nashville's Rosie Flores and Cosmic America) on drums, Bill Hovik on keys and Katy Dunn on vocals when she's not off doing rocket science. Some of our other pals will likely be joining us as availability allows. Should be a fun collaboration and I'm looking forward to seeing how the music develops.

It's a twister!

2010-01-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

On a non musical note, there was a tornado in town this past Thursday. I happened to be teaching some lessons at a local music store called the Fret Shop when I'm guessing it went right over us. I hear the tornado made the national news. There's lots of youtube video of this as well. This was taken right around 5:25. This was the first time I have ever seen one in person, and I was very impressed...

From Mr Adams' Blues...

2009-12-17T23:09:00.000-08:00

Here is Coming Clean, the first track that was actually finished for Mr Adams' Blues. Patrick Saik posted this on youtube for me.

Songs we like: She Caught the Katy

2009-11-18T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Blues Brothers. From the soundtrack. Memphis meets New York. Stax records meets Saturday Night Live.

You can get the album on Amazon, among other places. Yes it's that good...

http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Brothers-Original-Soundtrack-Recording/dp/B000002J5K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1258613929&sr=1-1

Songs we like: She Caught the Katy

2009-11-18T22:53:00.000-08:00

She caught the Katy, and left me a mule to ride
She caught the Katy, and left me a mule to ride
My baby caught the Katy, left me a mule to ride
The train pulled out, and I swung on behind
I'm crazy 'bout her, that hardheaded woman of mine

Man my baby's long, great god she's mighty, she's tall
You know my baby's long, great god she's mighty, my baby she's tall Well my baby shes' long, my baby she's tall
She sleeps with her head in the kitchen and her big feet out in the hall And I'm still crazy 'bout her, that hardheaded woman of mine

Well I love my baby, she's so fine
I wish she'd come and see me some time
If you don't believe I love her, look what a hole I'm in
If you don't believe I'm sinking, look what a shape I'm in

She caught the Katy, and left me a mule to ride
She caught the Katy, and left me a mule to ride
Well my baby caught the Katy, left me a mule to ride
The train pulled out, and I swung on behind
I'm crazy 'bout her, that hardheaded woman, hardheaded woman of mine

Henry Saint Clair Fredericks (born May 17, 1942), who goes by the stage name Taj Mahal, is an internationally recognized blues musician with two Grammy Awards to date who folds various forms of world music into his offerings. A self-taught singer-songwriter and film composer who plays the guitar, banjo and harmonica (among many other instruments), Mahal has done much to reshape the definition and scope of blues music during his 40+ year career by fusing it with nontraditional forms, including sounds from the Caribbean, Africa and the South Pacific.

There are bands who create entire albums out of covers, often performing the songs in a genre completely unlike the original songs. For example, The Blues Brothers covered blues, R&B, soul, country and rock'n'roll songs, but with their own particular, fresh and raw style of interpretation, a successful blend of the Memphis Stax sound provided by MGs band members Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn, and the New York City sound from the horn section (Alan Rubin and Lou Marini, for example). The outcome sometimes gave a new life to songs. Some became even more popular after the Blues Brothers had played them, than before. The best example is "Soul Man", more remembered as a hit by The Blues Brothers rather than by the original singers, Sam & Dave. The same can be said of She Caught the Katy (originally created by Taj Mahal) and Jailhouse Rock (sung by Elvis Presley) or Sweet Home Chicago (Robert Johnson), acknowledging the fact that covers can become even more famous than original performances.

What is "The Katy?"

The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (reporting mark MKT) was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy".
The Katy was the first railroad to enter Texas from the north. Eventually the Katy's core system would grow to link Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco, Temple, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Galveston, Texas.
Congress had passed acts promising land grants to the first railroad to reach the Kansas border via the Neosho Valley and the part of the Katy had been the Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch was in a heated competition for the prize. On June 6, 1870, Katy workers laid the first rails across the Kansas border winning the race. Ironically the promised land grants never materialized; the courts overturned the grants promised by Congress because the land was in Indian Territory and was the property of the Indian tribes.

Still, the Katy continued its push southward, laying track and acquiring other small railroads, extending its reach to Dallas in 1886, Waco in 1888, Houston in April 1893 and to San Antonio 1901.
When the railroad reached Houston, joint ownership of the Galveston, Houston and Henderson Railroad gave the Katy immediate access to the Port of Galveston, and access to ocean-going traffic on the Gulf of Mexico.

In 1896, as a publicity stunt set up by William George Crush, the Katy crashed two locomotives, pulling heavily loaded trains, at a site that came to be known thereafter as Crush, Texas. The collision occurred before over 40 thousand spectators, three of whom died (and there were several injuries) when the exploding boilers sent debris flying. Ragtime composer Scott Joplin, who was performing in the area at the time, commemorated the event in "The Great Crush Collision March" (which he dedicated to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway).

Another early blues song, "Bad luck blues", written by Blind Lemon Jefferson refers to the railroad:

Sugar, you catch the Katy, I'll catch that Santa Fe,
doggone my bad luck soul,
Sugar, you catch that Katy and I'll catch that Santa Fe;
I mean the Santy, speakin' about Fe,
When you get in Denver, pretty mama, look around for me.

Modern guitar players: Tommy Emmanuel

2009-11-12T21:24:00.000-08:00

This guy came up again in lessons this week. Tommy is a superb Australian guitar player who some of you might not know about. I first saw him a while back at one of the Nashville music trade shows and he was a pretty laid back fella. Great player and fun to watch. Go check out his albums!

The Great Sam Cooke: You Send Me

2009-11-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

'Nuff said...

Influences: Cream's Crossroads

2009-11-08T17:52:00.001-08:00

Speaking of Van Halen, Eddie claims he learned the studio version of this song note for note and that his playing was full of licks he learned from Eric Clapton. This is a live version from 1968.

Reality Check: Contract Riders

2009-11-08T16:31:00.000-08:00

Remove the green/brown M&M's! Remember all those funny things you hear about in contracts? Spoiled rock stars or sensible management making sure the venue and/or promoter fulfills its obligations? Here is Van Halen's side of it, from Wikipedia.

Contract riders

Van Halen had a notable effect on the modern rock music tour with their use of the concert technical contract rider. They were one of the first bands to use contract riders to specify a "wish list", a practice now used throughout the music industry. As one of the first major bands with a traveling stage show, Van Halen had extensive requirements including power availability and stage construction details. The band's demands were not limited to technical issues; their now-infamous rider specified that a bowl of M&M candies, with all of the brown M&M's removed, was to be placed in their dressing room. According to David Lee Roth, this was listed in the technical portion of the contract not because the band wanted to make capricious demands of the venue, but rather as a test of whether the promoter actually read the contract, as it contained other requirements involving legitimate safety concerns.^[49] On an early tour, a member of Van Halen's road crew was nearly killed by shoddy workmanship on the part of a local venue, and which ended up causing approximately $85,000 in equipment damage. Because of this incident, the band developed the M&M's demand as a means of checking whether the venue was properly honoring all of the contract. Subsequently, if the bowl was missing, or if there were brown M&M's present, they had reason to suspect that the venue may not have honored legitimate technical and safety concerns within the contract. As a result, the band would be within their rights to inspect the technical side of the performance prior to going on stage.^[50]

The classics: Sam Cooke

2009-11-06T23:23:00.000-08:00

Samuel "Sam" Cook (January 22, 1931 - December 11, 1964) was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music.

"Considered by many to be the definitive soul singer, Sam Cooke blended sensuality and spirituality, sophistication and soul, movie-idol looks and gospel-singer poise. His warm, confessional voice won him a devoted gospel following as lead singer for the Soul Stirrers and sent “You Send Me,” one of his earliest secular recordings, to the top of the pop and R&B charts in 1957. It was the first of 29 Top Forty hits for the Chicago-raised singer, who was one of eight sons born to a Baptist minister.

Cooke’s career was defined by his early embrace of gospel and his subsequent move into the world of pop music and rhythm & blues. Joining the Soul Stirrers at age fifteen, he served as lead vocalist from 1950-56. He recorded his first pop song, “Lovable,” as Dale Cook, choosing the pseudonym so as not to jeopardize his standing within the gospel community. Nonetheless, he’d crossed a line that made it impossible for him to carry on with the Soul Stirrers. Cooke’s first solo successes came on the Keen label, for which he recorded “You Send Me,” “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons” and “Wonderful World,” among others. In 1960 Cooke signed with RCA, where his hits included “Chain Gang,” “Cupid,” “Another Saturday Night” and “Twistin’ the Night Away.” A versatile singer who never really settled on a style, Cooke tackled everything from sophisticated balladry and lighthearted pop to finger-popping rock and roll and raw, raspy rhythm & blues.

In addition to being a performer, Cooke established himself as a successful and even groundbreaking black entrepreneur operating within the mainstream music industry. Cooke produced records for other singers, founded his own publishing company (Kags Music) and launched a record label (Sar/Derby). He also helped such fellow artists as Bobby Womack, Johnnie Taylor, Billy Preston and Lou Rawls make the transition from gospel to pop. Tragically, Cooke was shot to death at a Los Angeles motel on December 11th, 1964, under mysterious circumstances. RCA posthumously issued “Shake” b/w “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Regarded as one of the greatest singles of the modern era, it matched a hard-hitting R&B number (later cut by Otis Redding) with a haunting song about faith and reckoning that returned Cooke’s voice to its familiar gospel home.” (rockhall.com)

His influences can be heard in the work of artists as varied as Michael Jackson and the Heptones, but is most profoundly felt in the singing of Otis Redding, Rod Stewart, and Al Green. The 1994 compilation Sam Cooke's SAR Records Story 1959-1964 suggests that his impact as a producer, though less widely recognized, was no less important.(history of rock.com)

Sam Cooke was a true superstar in his lifetime. After his death, his legend became even larger. His influence can be heard in the precise phrasing of Smokey Robinson, in the conscientious songwriting of Marvin Gaye, in the raw emotion of Lou Rawls and in Aretha Franklin's controlled passion.

Like most R&B artists of his time, Cooke focused on singles; in all he had twenty-nine top-40 hits on the pop charts, and more on the R&B charts. In spite of this, he released a well received blues-inflected LP in 1963, Night Beat, and his most critically acclaimed studio album Ain't That Good News, which featured five singles, in 1964.

Cooke died at the age of thirty-three on December 11, 1964, at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California. Bertha Franklin, manager of the motel, told police that she shot and killed Cooke in self-defense because he had threatened her. Police found Cooke's body in Franklin's apartment-office, clad only in a sports jacket and shoes, but no shirt, pants or underwear with penis out. The shooting was ultimately ruled a justifiable homicide, however, some of Cooke's family and supporters believe that there was a conspiracy to murder Cooke and that the murder took place in some manner entirely different from Franklin's, official account. In her autobiography, Rage to Survive, singer Etta James claimed that she viewed Cooke's body in the funeral home and that the injuries she observed were well beyond what could be explained by the official account of Franklin alone having fought with Cooke. James described Cooke as having been so badly beaten that his head was nearly separated from his shoulders, his hands were broken and crushed, and his nose was mangled. Nevertheless, no solid, reviewable evidence supporting a conspiracy theory has been presented to date. The details of the case involving Cooke's death are still in dispute.

* Shortly following his passing, Motown Records released We Remember Sam Cooke, a collection of Cooke covers recorded by The Supremes.
* In 1986, Cooke was inducted as a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
* In 1999, Cooke was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2004 Rolling Stone ranked him #16 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".
* In 2008, Cooke was named the fourth "Greatest Singer of All Time" by Rolling Stone.

--from Wikipedia

The great Otis Redding

2009-10-31T01:13:00.000-07:00

Chills often. Often more.

Otis!

2009-10-31T01:05:00.000-07:00

The great Otis Redding. And that backing band!

Otis Redding

2009-10-30T22:26:00.000-07:00

Otis Ray Redding, Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American soul singer. Often called the "King of Soul", he is renowned for an ability to convey strong emotion through his voice. According to the website of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where he was inducted in 1989), Redding's name is "synonymous with the term soul, music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm and blues into a form of funky, secular testifying.

Bob Rolontz wrote the following within his sleeve notes accompanying the 1966 Volt album “Otis Blue - Otis Redding Sings Soul”: ‘Soul is a word that has many meanings. In the pop-R&B world of today it usually means an intensely dramatic performance by a singer, projected with such feeling that it reaches out and visibly moves the listener. It means that the singer is saying something, sometimes more than the lyrics themselves might normally convey. Soul is not something that can be feigned - you either have it or you don’t. Otis Redding has it, to a degree almost unrivalled by any other young singer in sight.’

Rolontz continued: ‘The moving style of Otis Redding is a fusion of blues, pop and gospel. It comes as naturally and normally to him as crying to a baby. His sound is real. It is also personal and individual, and at the same time it is universal. Anyone who listens to Otis Redding understands his message. That, perhaps, is the true meaning of soul.’

Rolontz concluded: ‘It is part of the quality of Otis Redding’s dramatic and highly personalized style that he makes every song he sings completely his own, even when the material has previously been recorded by another outstanding singer. He does it here [on this album] too, and that perhaps is another meaning of soul, or the Otis Redding version of it.’

Redding sang in the choir at church, and as a teenager won the talent show at the Douglass Theatre for 15 weeks in a row. His earliest influence was Little Richad. Redding said, "If it hadn't been for Little Richard, I would not be here. I entered the music business because of Richard - he is my inspiration. I used to sing like Little Richard, his Rock 'n' Roll stuff, you know. Richard has soul, too. My present music has a lot of him in it."

In 1960, Redding began touring the South with Johnny Jenkins and The Pinetoppers. In addition to singing, Redding also served as Jenkins' driver since the bandleader did not possess a driver's license. That same year he made his first recordings, "Fat Gal" and "Shout Bamalama" with this group under the name "Otis Redding and The Pinetoppers"

In 1962, Redding made his first real mark in the music business during a Johnny Jenkins session when, during studio time left over, he recorded "These Arms of Mine", a ballad that he had written. The song became a minor hit on Volt Records, a subsidiary of the renowned Southern soul label Stax, based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Redding built his fan base by extensively touring a live show with support from fellow Stax artists Sam & Dave. Further hits between 1964 and 1966 included "Mr. Pitiful", "I Can't Turn You Loose" (which was to become The Blues Brothers entrance theme music), "Try a Little Tenderness" (a remake of the 1930s standard by Harry Woods, Jimmy Campbell, and Reg Connelly, later featured in John Hughes' film Pretty in Pink), "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones), and "Respect" (later a smash hit for Aretha Franklin).

Redding wrote many of his own songs, which was unusual for the time, often with Steve Cropper (of the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, who usually served as Otis's backing band in the studio). Soul singer Jerry Butler co-wrote another hit, "I've Been Loving You Too Long". One of Redding's few songs with a significant mainstream following was "Tramp," (1967) a duet with Carla Thomas.

"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was recorded only three days before Redding's death. According to Nashid Munyan, curator of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Redding considered the song unfinished, having whistled the tune of one verse for which he intended to compose lyrics later. The song was released (with the place-holding whistling intact) in January 1968 and became Redding's only number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, and the first posthumous single in U.S. chart history. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" was a significant stylistic departure from the bulk of his previous work, and might have presaged a change in direction for the singer.

On December 9, 1967, Redding and his backup band, The Bar-Kays, made an appearance in Cleveland, Ohio on the local "Upbeat" television show. The next afternoon, Redding, his manager, the pilot, and four members of The Bar-Kays were killed when his Beechcraft 18 airplane crashed into Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, on December 10, 1967
Redding's body was recovered the next day when the lake bed was searched. He was entombed on his private ranch in Round Oak, Georgia, 23 miles (37 km) north of Macon. The cause of the crash was never precisely determined.

Otis is survived by his wife, mother and father, his sons Dexter and Otis III and his daughter Karla.

-From Wikipedia

Old Wives Tales

2009-10-22T22:05:00.000-07:00

So we were all standing our brooms up the other night (lol) and this topic came up. Enjoy!

http://everymagicalday.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/what-old-wives-know-or-think-they-know/

Those Were the Nights, video by Patrick Saik

2009-10-20T00:52:00.000-07:00

Patrick is one of my guitar students.

Who is James Jamerson?

2009-10-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 - August 2, 1983) was an American bassist. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases until 1971), and he has become regarded as one of the most influential bassists & the father of modern bass guitar players in modern music history. Starting in 1959 he found steady work at Berry Gordy's Hitsville U.S.A. studio, home of the Motown record label. There he became a member of a core of studio musicians who informally called themselves The Funk Brothers. This small, close-knit group of musicians performed on the vast majority of Motown recordings during most of the 1960s.

According to fellow Funk Brothers in the 2002 documentary Standing in the Shadows of Motown, Marvin Gaye was desperate to have Jamerson play on "What's Going On", and went to several bars to find the bassist. When he did, he brought Jamerson to the studio, who then played the classic line while lying flat on his back. He is reported to have played on some 95% of Motown recordings between 1962 and 1968. He eventually performed on nearly 30 No. 1 pop hits -- surpassing the record commonly attributed to The Beatles. On the R&B charts, nearly 70 of his performances went to the top. James Jamerson (as is the case with the other Funk Brothers) received little formal recognition for his lifetime contributions. In fact, it wasn't until 1971, when he was acknowledged as "the incomparable James Jamerson" on the sleeve of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, that his name even showed up on a major Motown release.

Jamerson's discography at Motown reads as a catalog of soul hits of the 1960s and 1970s. His work includes Motown hits such as, among hundreds of others, "Shotgun" by Jr. Walker & the All Stars, "For Once in My Life", "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder, "Going to a Go-Go" by The Miracles, "My Girl" by The Temptations, "Dancing in the Street" by Martha and the Vandellas, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" by Gladys Knight and the Pips, and later by Marvin Gaye, and most of the album What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, "Reach Out I'll Be There" and "Bernadette" by The Four Tops, and "You Can't Hurry Love" by The Supremes.

His relationship with Motown officially ended in 1973. He went on to perform on such 1970s hits as "Rock the Boat" (Hues Corporation), "Boogie Fever" (The Sylvers), and "You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)" (Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr.). But as other musicians went on to use high-tech amps, round-wound strings, and simpler, more repetitive bass lines incorporating new techniques like thumb slapping, Jamerson's style fell out of favor with local producers and he found himself reluctant to try new things. By the 1980s he was unable to get any serious gigs working as a session musician.

Jamerson is noted for expanding the role of the bass in popular music, which until that time largely consisted of root notes, fifths and simple repetitive patterns. By contrast, many of Jamerson's bass lines for Motown were more melodic, more syncopated, and more improvisational than had been heard before. His bass playing was considered an integral part of the "Motown Sound". He transcended the standard "bass line" and created a duet with the singer. Prominent bassists who have claimed Jamerson as a primary influence include James Brown's Bernard Odum, Rick Danko, Anthony Jackson, Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, Bernard Edwards, Jaco Pastorius, John Patitucci, John Paul Jones, Robert DeLeo, Mike Watt, Billy Sheehan, Geddy Lee, Victor Wooten, Paul McCartney, and Matt Rubano

Original Jim Zielinski article from Huntsville's Valley Planet www.valleyplanet.com

2009-10-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Spotlighting the Arts AND the Artistes (published in Issue #117 on date: 2009-05-21)

Huntsville’s Blake Nix is a singer/songwriter/guitarist who, for over twenty years, has performed across the country and internationally in bands such as the New York-based Sticky Fingers band, a Rolling Stones tribute band, and Hells Bells, an AC/DC tribute group from Nashville. He’s played clubs, coffee shops, frat houses, choirs, and has appeared in local theater productions and on festival stages nation wide.

Recently, Blake completed an album entitled Mr. Adams’ Blues, recorded at Riverland Recording Studio in nearby Valhermoso Springs. It is a full-band nod to some of his favorite artists, “the product of years of life, love, longing and heartbreak…as recorded on cassette tapes, reams of notebook paper, and a veritable grocery aisle of restaurant napkins,” per the songsmith.

Adds he, “…I try to soak up the lyrical approaches of the great songwriters whom I admire, but use the arranging techniques of the rock bands that I recognize as primary influences.” As a result, his album recalls The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, a touch of AC/DC, and the acoustic side of Led Zeppelin. The songs, guitar, bass playing, and singing are all Blake, while the drums are the work of local pal and multi-instrumentalist James Irvin and Nashville’s Tom Drennan.

“The songs,” he continues, “are products of love, longing, and regret, as well as a need to share stories—but with a good beat. I find Jack Kerouac another influence in the desire to experience life and to share the experience with as much honesty as possible. I’ve been around the world (and hope to travel and experience more) and believe a song should be created from real life, not vice-versa. I often rearrange and reinvent my own songs and the works of those that inspire me, much like the unplugged artists of the 90’s and 00’s…and sometimes on the fly. This keeps the shows fresh and fun.”

Mr. Adams’ is a diverse debut—folksy and “poppish” at times and, at others, edgy and rocking. The lyrics are delivered in a tenor that’s drawn favorable comparisons to the Violent Femmes, among others. Blake’s music résumé encompasses a variety of genres: church choir, acoustic folk, classical guitar, heavy metal, and rock and roll, topped with orchestral and onstage forays in musical theatre. Check out www.blakenix.com for more info!

Blake has taught music privately for years, currently teaching students out of his home and at the Fret Shop, a renowned local music store. As instructor, he emphasizes variety and an open-minded approach to the learning process; sound music fundamentals are taught (and the importance of music in enriching each student’s life is addressed), but in a context that reflects the student’s background, interests, and goals.

In addition to juggling several ongoing projects, Blake keeps busy promoting both album and band. You can catch him hosting Wednesday’s “Open Mike Night” at Sam and Greg’s Gelateria/Pizzeria on the Square. Don’t be timid…he won’t hurt you. Just fuel yourself with some java and step on up!

The Beatles

2009-10-07T01:25:00.000-07:00

Hard to make music and not draw on the Beatles (together or solo) for an influence. My personal opinion is that you shouldn't avoid the Beatles when you make music! Seriously though, they sold lots of records for the right reasons: they shared what is to be human and alive. They didn't degrade us, they elevated us. They made happy music without being stupid. Great example to draw from. I think anyone who makes music should at least consider that. Best wishes, all.

Humble Pie-Black Coffee (1973)

2009-09-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's not the Hokey Pokey folks. THIS is what it's all about. Humble Pie's Black Coffee, from 1973.

Movies! first installment

2009-09-02T12:24:00.000-07:00

New favorite music movie of the week. There are more but we'll start with this one. This list has movies that either captured something honest about people or music, or just was very compelling. This one is called Bandwagon and was released in 1996. Very low budget but had such a great heart and spirit and captured a real band vibe. Very funny, too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandwagon_%28film%29 Check it out, we'll discuss!

1969-1974 first installment

2009-09-01T23:00:00.001-07:00

Some say the era 1969-1974 was a golden era for rock and roll. Let's talk about why later. Here are some of my arguments for, which have been on the record player the last few weeks. Those of you who have paid attention to my facebook status have read about these. First, how about planet Sabbath? My faves 'Volume 4' (1972) and 'Master of Reality' (1971) found the needle a couple of weeks ago. Aerosmith's 'Get Your Wings' from 1974 and Toys In the Attic (1975), the latter in the shotgun blast scatter shot period just after the peak years. The Rolling Stones 'Sticky Fingers' (1971) was next on a Sunday afternoon followed by Humble Pie's 'As Safe as Yesterday Is' and 'Town and Country', both released in 1969 and 'Rock On' from 1971. Classic bands, each with more albums from this amazing time. We may talk about why later but no doubt that this was a special time for rock and roll. These albums laid the groundwork for much of what came later in rock and were maybe a last gasp before commercialization and formula made true sincere passion more of an arguable rarity on music made for the masses.

Vinyl today

2009-08-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

Are You Experienced? The Jimi Hendrix Experience's first album (1967) all hype aside, amazing. If you don't have it go and get it. Stunning. Earth shaking. For the record though, Buddy Guy was headed in this direction 10 years earlier and Leonard Chess (Chess records) wouldn't let him record this kind of stuff. Buddy was playing with his feet, with drumsticks, volume, feedback you name it. Leonard called it noise and had him record much tamer stuff. Chess realized his mistake when Cream and The Jimi Hendrix Experience released their albums in the late 60s and apologized to Buddy. Jimi and Eric made great records of course, but lets not ever forget the master, and the ambassador, Buddy Guy.

Just heard the news...

2009-08-14T01:28:00.000-07:00

If we like music, any kind, we need to know who this guy is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Paul

Update...

2009-08-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

No Hells/Bells for me this weekend. One gig good, one iffy then not at all and then a reschedule of the first. That's rock n roll, I suppose. More time to write and scheme for the next album, not to mention work with the students. Tinkering with new additions to the set. There will be things to do...

Influences on Mr Adams' Blues

2009-08-04T14:46:00.000-07:00

Many of you know about the big ones. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Simon and Garfunkel are represented but you may be surprised by some of the others and by what songs and albums I drew from, consciously and unconsciously. Listening later, I am as well sometimes! What's more, I'm finding out each day as memories come back that this album has bits and pieces of many places, people and things although the story has it's main drivers. Hard to say where the lyrics come from, I don't know if we can every really know for sure but I am student of Paul Simon, John Lennon, and anyone else who can turn a phrase. I'll blog more about this music later, I love discussing songwriting, recording, arranging and the whole process. When it comes to the actual inspiration though, that can be almost unconscious. More on that later...

What's the deal with vinyl records? First installment.

2009-07-31T19:20:00.000-07:00

If you have enjoyed them as well, it doesn't necessarily even peg you at a certain age group. It might peg you as a bit of a maverick these days though. There is a devoted following to the big black slabs and there is a lot of online support for them I have found out recently. There are several reasons why vinyl records are special to me. The first music I heard came from a record. The ceremony of sliding the album out of it's sleeve, placing it on the turntable, moving the tonearm to place the stylus in position, that first crackle as the needle hit the record and the first moments of music (particularly with a new record) are still an indelible part of the experience, especially once I began choosing my own records. I swear that the sound is warmer, although my techie friends tell me this isn't so and that's the mind playing tricks. Maybe it's that the music that we listened to on those records was recorded so very differently, before computers got into the act. I do know that a significant amount of music that influences me to this day seems to have release dates around some chronological hot spots. 1969 and 1974, and to a lesser extent the years preceding and following them, were good years for classic albums. There were other good years but I will post my evidence here and on facebook/twitter for those who follow that. Of course, the arguments for and against will make for terrific discussions late into the night, probably while listening to music and maybe even while listening to records, which is part of the point.

Furniture Factory this weekend

2009-07-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

Hope to see you guys Saturday, I will be playing a solo gig at the Furniture Factory Bar and Grill, 619 Meridian street Huntsville, 35801. Subbing for Rob Aldridge. This is a nice place, good food and a nice patio out back which is where I will be. Gig starts at 7 and I will be playing till 11. See you soon!

Vinyl records. Ah...

2009-07-23T23:48:00.000-07:00

Paul Simon's first solo record, from 1972. Songs like Mother and Child Reunion, Duncan, Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard and others. It's a very special record to me, one of the ones I listened to in my mother and fathers record room while doing my homework back in elementary school. Simon and Garfunkel records became common passengers on that old record player. The songs were etched into my memory and Paul's music-his songs and his arrangements-remain to me a gold standard for making records. The warm sound of the vinyl as it spins on my new (old) turntable reminds me of when my love for records and music began. I have my folks to thank for a lot of this early influence. They didn't pick these records for me, I discovered my favorites on my own, picked from the record cabinet that the turntable sat on. This music was so important in our family. They listened to Simon and Garfunkel and others while they were dating. I may very well be around because of Paul Simon! This album and the late period S & G records right before it were so precise in their production, the vocals so smooth and harmonies so tight. When I was recording 'Mr Adams Blues' that sound and the need for such precision almost made recording more difficult. Such a mountain to climb! Of course, all we can do is try. I am doing what I do in large part because of my love for music and albums recorded during this period. The early 70s had some good ones. More on that later...

What's Up?

2009-07-08T22:32:00.000-07:00

These days it's a bit of this and that. Writing, (always) rehearsing material for the students, and rehearsing material for the next album. It is tentatively intended to be all or mostly acoustic, and will reflect the current live shows. I'm thinking I will be doing some of the tunes off 'Mr Adams Blues' with their solo arrangements. There are three of these on the student site www.blakenix.org. These are tunes I recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound in January of 08. Adding a couple more like this and likely some stripped down arrangements of songs that will be heard on the next full band project. I may even remix or rerecord some of the material left off of MAB, a couple of instrumentals and perhaps a third song intended for the middle of the album. Last weekend I was in Cape Cod for a gig with Sticky Fingers. Should be posting some pics soon. Just not from the camera I used to possess. Nuts! Got a call from Evan and it looks like I will pick up a Hells/Bells weekeend in Ohio in August. More on that later. Also doing a gig with Jerry and Katy at the Copper Top in Huntsville this Saturday, July 11. Summer is whizzing by, hope you guys are having as good a time as I am! See you soon.

Pancho and Lefty

2009-06-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

My grandfather Nix loved Louis L'Amour's books about the wild west and Clint Eastwood's Western themed movies. He also talked about how he liked to listen to "lonesome music". That he liked Townes Van Zandt's 'Pancho and Lefty' just seems right. I remember he and Dad discovering that song one summer after Willie Nelson released his version with Merle Haggard on the 'Pancho and Lefty' album. Must have been around 83. I almost always include this song in my set although I play something closer to Townes' version. I like that version, I'm not much of a country music guy, it's more about the song than that style, although I did pick up a taste for Willie's stuff and some other older country music tunes from my grandfather Nix. I think 'Pancho and Lefty' is a song that Louis L might have liked as well, it almost makes you taste the dust that must have been in the air. I liked that Townes never really came clean on the specifics of who Pancho and Lefty were. He implied but a lot is left to the listener. This is a Townes version of Pancho and Lefty, from 1993.

Girl From the North Country

2009-06-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is my version of one of my favorite Bob Dylan songs. My father turned me on to this one when he sat in with me one night at a local (Huntsville) coffee shop. This wasn't the only song from their record collection to be a big influence on me but I somehow missed this one until Dad played it 5 or so years ago. He said it fit being an romantic, angst filled teenager well. I don't doubt it, as Bob wrote it when he was a young man, but hearing it a lifetime later it the longing and regret seems more poignant. I think it fits in with some of the themes of 'Mr Adams' Blues' in that regard. When Bob got hold of a pitch he liked, he hit it out of the park. I believe when you can write or hear a song that sums up a feeling so well, you have shared what it means to be alive. Sometimes just saying how you remember her is the best thing you can say.

Review in Indie-music.com

2009-05-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

Reviews: Blake Nix ~ Mr. Adams' Blues
Posted on Sunday, May 03, 2009 @ 12:08:22 PDT

Topic: Reviews
Artist: Blake Nix
CD: Mr. Adams' Blues
Home: Huntsville, Alabama
Style: Folk/Rock

Quote: "Nix's songs have a timeless quality to them, with a sentiment and structure that pays tribute to the classics while remaining relevant."

By Beeb Ashcroft

The twangy folk-rock melodies of Mr. Adams' Blues are at once ear-catching and finely executed. Nix's songwriting is classic and memorable, and he proves himself to be an equally good storyteller. Listening to this album, you feel more like you're sitting on his porch than in front of a CD player. The songs are personal and real, and guide you through tales of love and loss.

A rumination on the passing of time, "History" is a retrospective ballad of days gone by, with the vocals capturing a warm sound with a rich, almost nostalgic quality. In a similar vein is "Long Gone," which talks remorsefully about the departure of a lover over a catchy folk rhythm. But it's not all heartbreak - "Louisiana" is a fun, upbeat cut with a catchy hook. "Straight But True," one of my favorites on the album, features some stellar riffs and playing.

Nix continues to show his prowess on the guitar on standout acoustic instrumental, "Sitting Here." I also enjoyed the acoustic version of "Things I Can't Say" and the A&D mix of "Bringing It Home" - this stripped-down version has a raw, intimate feeling to it. Perhaps he should release a Blake Nix: Unplugged album.

Nix's songs have a timeless quality to them, with a sentiment and structure that pays tribute to the classics while remaining relevant. His instrumentation is spot-on, and makes this album a pleasure to listen to - Mr. Adams' Blues is a keeper.

Beeb Ashcroft - Indie-Music.com

Video! Youtubage!

2009-05-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

There is a youtube page now with the latest videos from around town. Some of this is solo, some with my friends Katy Dunn and Jerry Pearson. Check it out at www.youtube.com/blakedawg76