Flatpicking folk musician Doc Watson is being remembered today for his amazing flatpicking guitar style that influenced many, and intimidated others. And his smooth baritone voice was nothing to sneeze at either.
Blind since the age of one, Watson first learned how to play the harmonica at age 6, and learned banjo at 11, on a guitar his father made with the skin of the family cat who had died at age 16. (Creepy, or cool?) He learned to play guitar at a school for the blind in Raleigh N.C. on a Stella guitar his dad bought him for $12.
Hey, my first guitar was a Stella too...his must have had some magic in it for him to learn to play that well. Or he practiced, one of the two.
A lot of folks first heard Doc Watson's music on the amazing Will the Circle Be Unbroken album, a three album set that came out in 1972. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band got together all these old country and bluegrass performers and basically let them go..with most songs recorded on the first or second take, with delightful stage banter included.
So many of those performers have passed on (Earl Scruggs, Mother Maybelle Carter, Merle Travis, Roy Acuff), perhaps they're having a big old jam on the other side!
I'm lucky enough to have seen Doc Watson play the Madison Civic Center in the 1990s, and I was impressed at his ability. And I have to thank my boyfriend Mike for exposing me to his music. Mike said that Will the Circle Be Unbroken album was the one present he asked for in 1973, and he listened to it over and over again. Had I never met Mike I may have missed out on that music entirely.
As a Beatles fan, I like to think I'm pretty well-versed in Beatles history.
So I was a bit puzzled when I saw something on twitter that had been re-tweeted by Paul McCartney. It was from some one named Percy Thrillington who wrote: "Percy Thrillington Esq. wishes to engage the service of a Butler for his country residence – must like large wild animals."
Who is this Percy Thrillington, Esquire? Some socialite friend of Sir Paul's? Seemed unlikely, since the wild animal reference seems to be something that Paul would not advocate.
A quick internet search led me to the story. Percy Thrillington was a fellow dreamed up by McCartney about the same time he was recording the 1971 album RAM with his wife Linda. "Thrillington" was also the name of an instrumental version of the RAM album which was recorded about the same time, but was not released until 1977, with no mention of Paul (except as author of the songs).
The album was not well received at the time, but went up in value when Paul admitted his involvement years later.
So why is this Percy Thrillington suddenly tweeting? Why, to coincide with the re-release of RAM, remastered with bonus tracks, etc. And guess what? When you buy the deluxe edition, you get the jazzy Thrillington album as well.
You can find out more about Percy Thrillington here.
It's probably not a big surprise to any one who knows me, but I was never a big disco fan. I never even owned a copy of "Saturday Night Fever."
But I did enjoy some early Bee Gees songs including "New York Mining Disaster 1941" and "Massachusetts."
Perusing youtube to find some early videos of the Brothers Gibb, I was excited to find out that the Bee Gees did a love song dedicated to me! Mind you I was only a kindergartener at the time, but I was quite adorable.
And I also thought you might enjoy a small dose of Bee Gee's trippiness:
With the big Norwegian appreciation festival, Syttende Mai, going on this weekend in Stoughton, you might be wondering, what's all the fuss about?
The thought crossed my mind. Because I'm one quarter Swedish, I don't really know a lot about Norwegians. Oh I've heard a lot about lutefisk and fjords, but apparently there's more to this Scandinavian country than meets the eye.
Luckily, some Norse expert has compiled everything you need to know into this awesome video.
When it was announced that bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn died over the weekend, Dan Aykroyd (aka Elwood Blues) issued this statement: "(He) was the backbone of the Stax/Volt era. He was and will remain universally loved by all that knew him. His talent, knowledge and warmth, and especially his humor will be greatly missed."
His longtime collaborator, guitar player Steve Cropper wrote on Facebook: "Today I lost my best friend, the world has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live."
Now I knew that Dunn had quite the resume, with a discography that's a mile long. "Duck" Dunn (no relation, of course) played with Booker T. and the MG's and Otis Redding, and of course the Blues Brothers, and was in the Blues Brothers movie in 1980.
I had the opportunity to see Cropper and Dunn when they played with Crosby Stills Nash and Young a decade or so ago. But that short list is just the start. Check out his official website and you'll see the list also includes playing on albums by Elvis Presley, Albert King, Leon Russell, Rod Stewart, John Prine, Joan Baez, Tom Petty, Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Mavis Staples, and even Leo Sayer. (Leo Sayer, really?)
Dunn started playing in bands with Steve Cropper in high school, and died just hours after appearing on stage with him in Tokyo. He passed away in his sleep at age 70.
Check out Dunn's serious groove in this classic from Booker T. and The MG's.
I had a lot of fun this week with our little Mother's Day game we played on the air, using the awesome book 1003 Household Hints and Worksavers that I picked up at a thrift store in Lodi.
As a public service, I thought I'd share some of those tips in this space again. Please print them out and attach to your refrigerator or bulletin board for easy reference.
Although I may be paraphrasing, I am not making any of these up. They're all from the booklet that has an original copyright of 1947.
1) To assure food freshness, cover everything in your refrigerator, except for raw meat and eggs.
2)Eliminate garbage odors by installing a shall home sized incinerator.
3)Silence squeaking shoes by piercing the sole with three or four small holes, in the back of the ball of the foot.
4)Make sour milk seet again by adding a pinch of baking soda.
5)Keep a piece of charcoal in your toolbox to prevent rust.
6)Deodorize jars and bottles by pouring a solution of water and dry mustard into them. Let stand for several hours.
7)Before broiling meat, take out of the refrigerator several hours ahead of time. The meat will cook faster.
8)To keep cheese fresh, wrap in cloth soaked in vinegar. Store in a cool place, but not the refrigerator.
9)Waterproof your shoes with a mixture of two parts beeswax to one part mutton fat.
10)Make short work of pinfeathers by removing them from fowl with an ordinary strawberry huller or tweezers.*
*This one might also be used for quick and easy eyebrow plucking! If you try it, let me know how it works out.
Since today is BIlly's Joel's 63rd birthday, I thought it would be a good time to make a confession.
I have a love/hate relationship with this guy. When I was a teenager, I listened to "The Stranger" over and over and over.
I really enjoyed his next album, "52nd Street," and back catalog albums before that.
But I started to lose it on "Glass Houses," hated the one with "Uptown Girl" on it..and aside from "The Bridge" hated everything else. He just got too darn perky!
I think a lot of other folks used to like Billy Joel and changed their minds. Because even before everyone dumped all their albums for CD's, you would ALWAYS find 2-3 Joel albums at every thrift store in America.
But there's one person with a relationship to Joel that took it a step farther. He can't stand him, yet he's forcing himself to listen to every single song he's recorded and blog about them. (Check it out here).
I've got to admire the guy. I'm not sure I could listen to every song by Leo Sayer or even Richard (McArthur Park) Harris to get in touch with my feelings of disgust. You're not going to get me to do that with the angst ridden songs of Alanis Morrisette either.
However, this idea could work in another way. Maybe I'll try to get up to date with music the kids today are listening to, by exploring music I can't stand and writing about it. Anybody have a copy of Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" I can borrow?
Have you heard about the HUGE stage that will be unveiled at Summerfest this year?
It's kind of like a second Marcus Amphitheatre.
The BMO Harris Pavillion will have room for up to 10,000 fans. It will feature about 5,000 seats covered by an overhang, similar to the current Marcus Amphitheater, as well as room for another 5,000 patrons in an uncovered, standing room only area.
If you want to get a good seat for any of the performances at that stage, you have to get them in advance.
The advance tickets, or Blue CIrcle passes, are free if you get them at the Summerfest box office. You can also get them through Ticketmaster for a $3 "convenience fee" per ticket. Your pass will be for a specific seat in the Blue Circle area.
* Blue Circle Passes for the following headlining Summerfest performances will be released as follows:
Steve Miller Band (June 27) Monday, May 7 Ben Folds Five (June 28) Tuesday, May 8 TBD (June 29) Wednesday, May 9 Scorpions (June 30) Thursday, May 10 Chicago (July 1) Friday, May 11 Gavin Degraw (July 3) Saturday, May 12 David Gray (July 4) Monday, May 14 The Avett Brothers (July 5) Tuesday, May 15 Dennis DeYoung (July 6) Wednesday, May 16 Anthony Hamilton (July 7) Thursday, May 17 B-52s (July 8) Friday, May 18
Cinco de Mayo is upon us..and that makes me hungry for Mexican food, thirsty for tequila..and ready to party!
My favorite Tex-Mex band is Billy Bacon and the Forbidden Pigs..they hailed from San Diego and used to play the Harmony Bar all the time.
I don't even think the band is together any more, so I'll have to be happy with my CD's and some videos on youtube.
I found this great video of the band...featuring a song about what happens when you're in a bar in Mexico and the only Spanish you know is "una mas cerveza."
Madison's Craft Beer Week looks like it will be ten days filled with frothy fun.
Bars, liquor stores, and even a grocery store or two are getting in on the action, with lots of great beer tasting events happening May 4th-13th.
I went through the list of activities, and picked out some that I think will definitely be worth checking out.
Friday 5/4
Tipsy Cow (downtown Madison). 7pm-close.Guess the mystery tap beer, and you may win fabulous prizes. They will also have beers available from Central Waters Brewery, and a rep from this central Wisconsin brewery will be on hand to answer questions. All the beers I've tried from this brewery, located in Amherst, have been delicious!
Saturday 5/5
7:30am-1pm Stalzy's Deli on Atwood Avenue will be serving up a 3-course beer breakfast. Beer from Tyranena in Lake Mills. Beer. It's what's for breakfast.
Sunday 5/6
11am-close. Founders Brewery will take over 8 to 10 taps at Dexters. I'm sure I've tried beers from this Grand Rapids brewery at the Great Taste, but I just might need a refresher course.
Monday 5/7
7-10pm Old Chicago on the west side will have their taps taken over by Port Huron Brewery. This is a new brewery in Wisconsin Dells. I haven't tried any of their beers yet, but this looks like a good opportunity. While you're there, get on the World Beer Tour. You get cool prizes just for trying different beers.
Tuesday 5/8
5pm-10pm Dark Fiery and Sensual, A Night of Dark Beer Delights. Make a trip to the dark side and try some porters, stouts, and the like. One that sounds interesting: Ommegang Seduction, a Belgian style chocolate ale with cherry notes.
Wednesday 5/9
4-11pm A free shuttle bus will take you to and from 7 different downtown and eastside bars.
Thursday 5/10
7pm-close Head over to Sprecher Restaurant and Brewery for $3. Sprecher President Jeff Hamilton will be guest bartender.
Friday 5/11
5-8pm Head to Maduro for Tall Grass-Gail Ambrosius Chocolate Night. Try beers from Tall Grass Brewery in Kansas paired with yummy local chocolate.
Saturday 5/12
2pm-close. Bells Circus. Dexters will have beer from Bells Brewery flowing from 15 taps, plus a circus outside with game and a dunk tank. If you want the carousel, you'll have to walk a few blocks over to Ella's.
Sunday 5/13
2-6pm at Demetral Park across from Oscar Mayer, it's the Brewer's Olympics with a beer server obstacle course, grain sack races and more. Bring your own craft beer and watch the entertainment.
I think I know what went through Bob Dylan's head when it was announced that President Obama is going to award him the nation's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom.
"I'm gonna need a bigger shelf."
Bob Dylan is no stranger to awards. In fact, he's got a pretty amazing batting average. He's been nominated for 12 Grammy awards, and won eleven of them! His only loss was in 1963 when his debut self-titled album lost to Peter Paul & Mary's "If I Had a Hammer" for best folk recording.
Not only is he in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he's in the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, has an honorary doctorate of music from Princeton, as well as one of those from St. Andrews University in Scotland.
Add to that Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and a freakin' Pulitzer!
It appears the only thing left is the Nobel Peace Prize. And if I were a betting woman, I'd bet on Bob.
Dylan will be awarded the Medal of Freedom, along with others including Madeleine Albright and John Glenn, later this spring at the White House.
The Broadway musical Wicked has flown back into town, thrilling fans at the Overture Center now through June 9th.
I got a chance to see the production for the 2nd time last night, and once again was blown away. Even though I saw Wicked in 2010, I had...
Today we traveled back to 1975 for a Rendezvous with The Hudson Brothers. This song didn't make it to high on the charts, but Kitty enjoyed it. Her favorite brother was Brett. She also loved their television show. We've included a skit from...
I'm not sure why Pete Yorn decided to name his new music project after a European cave dwelling aquatic salamander, but if he stops by to play us some songs in Studio M, we'll have to ask him.
The Olms is a collaboration between Pete Yorn and...
Today's song was written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. It was inspired by the 1957 novel Doctor Zhivago. No one was inspired by the song this morning. It was rejected by almost all the listeners.
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
The Broadway musical Wicked has flown back into town, thrilling fans at the Overture Center now through June 9th.
I got a chance to see the production for the 2nd time last night, and once again was blown away. Even though I saw Wicked in 2010, I had...
Today we traveled back to 1975 for a Rendezvous with The Hudson Brothers. This song didn't make it to high on the charts, but Kitty enjoyed it. Her favorite brother was Brett. She also loved their television show. We've included a skit from...
I'm not sure why Pete Yorn decided to name his new music project after a European cave dwelling aquatic salamander, but if he stops by to play us some songs in Studio M, we'll have to ask him.
The Olms is a collaboration between Pete Yorn and...
Today's song was written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. It was inspired by the 1957 novel Doctor Zhivago. No one was inspired by the song this morning. It was rejected by almost all the listeners.
Today is World Goth Day, a day to celebrate the post-punk, anti-establishment, dark clothes-wearing subculture.
I'm pretty sure I was a Goth for at least for little while, for two reasons.
1) I almost hardly ever wear pastels.
2) I used to...
Hello to all from Nfusion. Another round of challenges has moved beyond us all. Congrats to those of us lucky enough to have survived to this point. Sad to see the others eliminated as they were all very creative and talented. Good Bye to our new friends...
This morning it seemed like just about everyone was in the mood for some Funky Cold Medina...except Kitty. This ridiculous song made it all the way to number 3 in 1989. Jonathan says any song that references advertising dogs from the 80's has got...
Madison's summer music festival season kicks off this weekend with Brat Fest at Willow Island, where there are more bands than you can shake a bratwurst at! Check out the Brat Fest website to plan your itinerary.
Next up is the Marquette...
