R.I.P. Singer/songwriter Chip Taylor, 1940-2026

Sadly singer/songwriter and professional gambler Chip Taylor has passed away at the age of 86. He'll be greatly missed. 

LINKS
Chip Taylor Obituary

Remembering producer Tom Wilson on his birthday

Remembering important but unjustly overlooked producer Tom Wilson with a discussion of his work, some Sun Ra outtakes from 1956 and more. 

Writes Irwin Chusid...

Tom Wilson was a legendary record producer in the '50s and '60s. He produced four Dylan albums, and the first Simon & Garfunkel, which was a commercial failure. So Wilson added a rock backing track to the duo's acoustic recording "Sounds of Silence," and helped invent folk-rock. 

He signed and produced the first two albums by the Mothers of Invention and the Velvet Underground. A decade earlier, after graduating  Harvard in 1955, he founded Transition Records and produced the first albums by Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, and Donald Byrd. He later produced Nico's first, and co-produced the Soft Machine's debut. In 1978, at age 47, he died of a heart attack. 

In 1967 and '68 the charismatic Wilson hosted a free-form radio program called "The Music Factory," sponsored by MGM-Verve. The debut episode of that series, gone from radio since 1967, will be aired on my WFMU program... listen here: http://wfmu.org/playlists/shows/68065 

More info about Wilson at ProducerTomWilson.com. 

Listen to a Tom Wilson Jazz Sampler put together by Marshall Crenshaw who, despite setbacks due to the pandemic of 2020 and the passing of director Sacha Jenkins last May, is continuing work on his Tom Wilson documentary – right here. Watch a discussion of Tom Wilson's work with Richie Unterberger, an Rock's Back Pages interview with Marshall Crenshaw talking about his Tom Wilson research, followed by some Transition-era Sun Ra studio outtakes and a couple of 1967 clips from Tom Wilson's short-lived radio show The Music Factory. Read the Tom Wilson feature "The Man Who Put Electricity Into Dylan" by Michael Watts (Melody Maker, January 31, 1976) right here. 

Before They Were Famous: Andrew Hill, Malachi Favors, Pat Patrick, Von Freeman

Before signing to Blue Note, Andrew Hill cut a record with his Chicago pals Pat Patrick, Malachi Favors & Von Freeman in 1956. 

Listen to Carol Kaye's "Picking Up On The E-String" album

Since legendary session bassist Carol Kaye is celebrating her 91st birthday, here's her 1995 album and a tribute from Laura Veirs.

Gary Numan @ The Concert Hall, Tuesday

Watch a few Gary Numan interviews and performances in advance of his sold out Toronto return on Tuesday.  

Remembering Holger Czukay on his birthday

Raising a glass to Holger Czukay on his birthday with a few early CAN performances you may have missed. 

Tokyo's 5.6.7.8's announce new album "Run Run Run" on the way

Great news that The 5.6.7.8's have a new album done! Check out their version of "Come See Me"  here and "Roadrunner" below.