100 Years Ago Today in Toronto: The Edison Shop

Back on August 31, 1922, you could get your favourite Edison "Re-creations" aka recordings over on 12 Queen St. East in Toronto.

The Blasters featured in Country Music Hall of Fame's 'Western Edge' exhibit

Dave Alvin's beat-up Fender Mustang will be part of the Country Music Hall of Fame's Western Edge exhibit opening Sept. 30th. 

Writes Dave Alvin....

In the fall of 1988, after being dropped by CBS Records, I attempted to be a professional Nashville songwriter. I failed miserably.

During that odd, rough time of my life, I lived in a second floor apartment (in the dark back building barely visible behind the two well lit front ones) on 17th Ave South. My roommate was a fine jazz guitarist named Chris Page. Neither Chris nor I had any money to properly furnish the place but we did find two metal folding chairs and a metal folding card table that cost us about 20 bucks total at a local store. I slept on the living room floor on a one person air mattress. I really had nothing going on with my career but, on the bright side, I did have an acoustic guitar, a cassette player/AM-FM radio boombox, some clothes in a suitcase, an ashtray, some pens and stacks of notebooks full of questionable lyrics for half-written songs. 

I also had some intense hangovers, met some wonderful folks, met a few jerks, wrote with some excellent (if struggling same as I was) songwriters, had a few memorable experiences with a couple successful tunesmiths and, seeing how I had no car or credit cards back then, I spent a lot of time exploring the lovely streets of Nashville on foot when I wasn't scribbling verses in "the writer's room" at the Bug Music offices on 16th Ave. When no big Nashville stars cut any of the songs I'd been co-writing and the weather got too damn cold in December, I tucked my tail between my legs and limped back to California.

I'm telling you this old tale because September 30th, 2022 will be the opening night at Nashville's highly respected Country Music Hall of Fame for it's newest landmark exhibit, "Western Edge: The Roots And Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock" and I am proud beyond words to be included in it. This comprehensive exhibit covers the early 60s to the early 90s, from The Dillards, Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Burrito Brothers to Emmy Lou Harris and Linda Ronstadt through to The Blasters and Knitters then on to Lone Justice, Los Lobos, Rosie Flores and finally Dwight Yoakam. 

I'm sincerely honored that my beat up old Blaster era Fender Mustang guitar will be on display in the exhibit, along with my also beat up old Blaster era leather jacket, my now fragile, lucky red bandanna that I wore on every Blasters album cover and my ragged but right, folk art guitar case that traveled the world with me during those wild years. There is also a big opening night concert at the museum that I'll be performing at which also features many legendary musicians from the exhibit like Chris Hillman (The Byrds/Burrito Brothers), Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield/Poco),  Maria McKee, Rosie Flores, The Watkins Twins and many more. 

Yeah, I'm nervous and a touch scared to be part of this shindig. I know I'm really just a rock and rolling folk/blues guitar basher and not a "country" artist but the influence of country music on my songwriting is undeniable. I'm proud and thrilled The Blasters will be recognized by the Country Music Hall of Fame for the hard work we did and the influence we had. Of course, the down and out guy that was me in 1988, sleeping on the floor in a small Nashville apartment with little money and no prospects, would not believe for one damn second that any of this could possibly be happening. I'm positive, though, that he feels as deeply honored as I do.    – Dave Alvin

For more info, visit the Country Music Hall Of Fame site right here. 

R.I.P. soul singer Inez Foxx, 1942-2022

Sadly, soul singer Inez Foxx – part of a dynamic duo with her brother Charlie – has passed away at the age of 79. She'll be missed.

Midweek Mixdown: Finders Keepers' "Making Global Sound Local"

Check out a delightful hour-long "Making Global Sound Local" mix for Verdant Brewing Co. by following the link below. 

Here's the scoop...

An intoxicating concoction of obscure vintage tracks taken from the global Finders Keepers Records catalogue. Compiled in collaboration with Verdant Brewing Co.

Spanning three decades as the UK’s most dedicated outernational reissue label, with a wide discography encompassing multiple generations of uncharted genres and global origins, Andy Votel and Doug Shipton’s Finders Keepers Records inevitable collaboration with like-minded maverick brewers Verdant Brewing Co. finally comes to fruition. Making Global Sounds Local takes inquisitive minds on an intrepid psychedelic pop pilgrimage guided by the labels widely celebrated musical map, showcasing some of its very best and well-loved discoveries unifying fans of psychedelic funk, punk, hard rock, jazz, disco and cinematic pop made by free souls who defy pigeon holes.

Specially blended for those adventurous palettes, Verdant and Finders Keepers have combined their passions and skills in this, one-time communicative exchange resulting an intense experimental concoction of music and beer… A mixtape in both sonic and liquid form. Comprising an exclusive multifarious one hour download music collage paired exclusively with cans of the haziest premium strength triple hopped IPA, the Making Global Sounds Local project also boasts a limited physical tape cassette (available to buy with packs of beer Verdant) and digital compilation including ingredients sampled by the likes of Jay Z, Action Bronson, Killing Eve and Chanel alongside killer tracks cherrypicked from the tallest Finders Keepers Records branches.

For those who refuse to be bottle-fed their music and beer, then let your taste buds traverse as Verdant and Finders Keepers Records reschedule your journey. Check out the Finders Keepers' "Making Global Sound Local" mix right here. 

Happy Birthday Robert Crumb!

Cheers to the legendary Robert Crumb on his birthday. Here's an excerpt of chat about records (below). More here  and there there.  

LINKS

NOW Magazine Robert Crumb: Cult Comix King Driven By Demons (1992) by Deirdre Hanna 

Celebrate Patsy's 90th at Toronto's annual Patsy Cline Birthday Bash

After a two year hiatus, Heather Morgan brings back her Patsy Cline Birthday Salute with an all-star cast of Toronto artists Sept. 8th

Here's the scoop...

After a two-year break, one of Toronto’s longest-running music events — the annual tribute to singer Patsy Cline — is returning to Lula Lounge on Thursday September 8. 

Hosted and curated by Heather Morgan, this will be the 15th time that the event’s been held to commemorate Cline’s legacy; the all-star concert is being held on what would have been Cline’s 90th birthday.

Only 30 when she died in a plane crash in 1963, Cline’s influence on generations of singers is as strong as ever. One of the best remembered artists from country music's golden age, the songs she was associated with are interpreted today by artists in many different genres.

Artists at the Lula Lounge concert include jazz singers Julie Michels and Sophia Perlman, blues-based artists Ginger St. James and Danny Marks, the Daniel-Raum trio led by classical violinist Erica Raum, trombonist-singer Charlotte McAfee-Brunner, cabaret singers Sonya Jezebel Coté and Samantha Windover as well as roots country artist Russell deCarle, Kathryn Rose and Helen Stewart. (see full list below).

The 15th annual celebration of the music of country singer Patsy Cline

featuring 13 local artists performing their favourite Patsy Cline songs

at Toronto's Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West)

on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022

Showtime: Doors at 7:00 p.m.; show 8:30 p.m. sharp (note early start)

Tickets: $25 advance, $35 at the door available here. 

Dinner reservations guarantee seating: call (416) 588-0307, or visit online @ www.lulalounge.ca/

More details @ Facebook page right here

 

Performers for this year's show

Sonya Jezebel Coté (chanteuse, actor, author)

Russell deCarle (now solo; once lead singer with Prairie Oyster)

Kathryn Rose (singer-songwriter, international road warrior)

Laura Hubert (formerly with the late-lamented Leslie Spit Trio)

Danny Marks (blues guitarist/singer, busiest player in  town))

Charlotte McAfee-Brunner (old-school jazz trombonist and singer)

Julie Michels (Toronto-based jazz singer)

Heather Morgan (founder of the annual Patsy Cline events)

Sophia Perlman (jazz singer with soul)

Ginger St James (Hamilton-based blues rocker)

Helen Stewart (veteran old-school country singer)

The Daniel-Raum Trio (a classical group’s take on Patsy Cline)

Samantha Windover (a regular at this show since she was 14)

The artists will be accompanied by a band led by guitarist Steve Briggs including Dennis Pendrith (bass), Teddy Hawkins (drums/harmony vocals), and Dennis Keldie (keys, accordion) and Burke Carroll (pedal steel).

Happy 80th Birthday Melvin Davis!

Celebrating the 80th birthday of Detroit's Soul Ambassador Melvin Davis with two WDIV-TV appearances and a couple of classics. 

LINKS 

Metro Times Melvin Davis: Agent Double-O-Soul

Metro Times Soul singer Melvin Davis covers Death's "Politicians In My Eyes"

Jane Weaver releases expanded digital version of Flock album

The Deluxe Digital Version of Jane Weaver's Flock album comes with two club-ready reworks of her rollerskating jam "Solarised." 

Here's the scoop...

A brand-new digital deluxe edition of Jane Weaver’s album Flock was just issued by Fire Records. Complete with unreleased extras and remixes from the Flock studio sessions, this new release shines another light on one of last year's most celebrated albums. Get it right here. Check out the extended rework of "Solarised" following the tracklist below.

“A psych-pop album with a difference, influenced by years of listening to under-the-radar records and music from all over the world - Lebanon, Russia and Australia (and Prince). Of course, the cosmic prog elements she has become known for are there too.” Norman Records

Jane Weaver will also be touring Flock in the US with her band for the first time in just a few months. They'll be joined by The Chills, Unwed Sailor and Air Waves on select dates. Unfortunately, Jane Weaver won't be with The Chills for their triumphant return to Toronto at The Horseshoe on October 18th.  

Jane Weaver – Flock (Deluxe Digital Version)

1. Heartlow 04:11

2. The Revolution Of Super Visions 05:01

3. Stages Of Phases 05:00

4. Lux 01:28

5. Modern Reputation 05:59

6. Flock 03:25

7. Sunset Dreams 04:27

8. All The Things You Do 04:24

9. Pyramid Schemes 05:07

10. Solarised 05:21 video

11. Lux Part II 

12. Don’t Tell Me I’m Wrong

13. Circles Of privacy

14. Citrine

15. The Revolution Of Super Visions (See Thru Hands Remix)

16. Lux Low

17. The Lexical Distance

18. Solarised (W.H. Lung Remix)

19. Solarised (Extended Rework)

Whaddya mean you don't know The Porch Ghouls

Memphis ruckus-raisers Porch Ghouls put out a couple of records in the early 2000s which most folks outside of Bluff City slept on. 

Margo Price launches Runaway Horses podcast w/Emmylou Harris

Margo Price has a new podcast called Runaway Horses. a new single, "Been To The Mountain" and a memoir on the way.

Here's the scoop...

Margo Price is proud to announce her own Sonos Radio podcast, Runaway Horses. Beginning with an inspiring interview from Emmylou Harris, the series will see Price host raw, cathartic conversations with artists who aren’t afraid to break the mold and follow their own path. All six of the episodes in this first season are about the search for freedom through music and the shared human experience, featuring influences, heroes and contemporaries like Amythyst Kiah, Swamp Dogg, Bob Weir, Bettye LaVette and Lucius. New instalments of Runaway Horses will be released weekly for the next five Thursdays, and are available on Sonos Radio in the Sonos app, the Sonos Radio website and all major podcast platforms. Listen to Runaway Horses, and see a special on-camera, in-studio edition of the first episode with Emmylou Harris right here.

On the launch of Runaway Horses, which evolved out of an internet radio program she started live-streaming in the earliest days of the COVID-19 lockdown, Margo Price says, “The thing about runaway horses is that you can really never truly break them. They are incredibly unpredictable. You never know what they’re going to do next. I'm calling this show ‘Runaway Horses’ because wild freedom is exactly what I crave from music — I just want a complete and total release. I hope that the conversations on this show help you feel a sense of freedom, too.”

With the release of new single and video, "Been To The Mountain," Margo Price takes both a hard look at the past and a firm step into the future. She has been a lover, a queen and a drifter; a cowboy devil, a bride and a boxer; a child, mother and even a number. Over a flurry of fuzzed-out guitar, she belts about being on food stamps, rolling in dirty dollars and standing in the welfare line. But across five and half minutes of the song’s unflappable groove, underlined by organ, harpsichord, and a soul-stirring, spoken-word breakdown in the bridge, Price previews another stronger, freer side of herself that will soon be seen.

"Been To The Mountain" was produced by Jonathan Wilson (Angel Olsen, Father John Misty), written by Margo Price and Jeremey Ivey, and recorded during a blissful week they spent at Fivestar Studios in California’s Topanga Canyon. With a scorching sound that expands upon the rock n roll roots Price showcased on 2020’s widely acclaimed, That’s How Rumors Get Started, the song is accompanied by a mind-altering, mushroom trip of a music video directed by Courtney Hoffman and shot in Los Angeles.

Explains Margo, “Been To The Mountain is part one of an introspective trip into our subconscious. It is the perfect continuation of my search for freedom in my art and freedom in the modern age,” says Margo Price. “I have a lot of high hopes for this next chapter and truly believe this is the most exciting music I’ve ever made in the studio with my band. We have all grown so much, we operate like one single organism - it’s telepathic. Courtney Hoffman brought my wild visions to life with the help of an incredible cast and crew in the music video. I wanted the story’s hypothetical 8 to 12-hour window to feel like a mini-lifetime. We also wanted to portray how an intense psychedelic experience has the potential to become a spiritual experience, and how that can change your perception of the world around you.”

Check out the video for "Been To The Mountain" below. 

In the coming months, Margo Price will continue a busy year of touring with performances at Sacred Rose, Born and Raised and other festival appearances, plus Red Rocks with Wilco, and Farm Aid, where she recently became the first-ever female artist elected to the Board of Directors. She will also embark on a national book tour throughout October and November, in support of her forthcoming, debut memoir, Maybe We’ll Make It. Out October 4 on University of Texas Press, it tells a story of loyalty, loss, grief and forgiveness, from moving to Nashville with $57, to losing one of her newborn twin boys, pawning her wedding ring and facing rejection by almost every record label in town, to eventually reclaiming her power, freeing herself from substance abuse, and fighting for the opportunity to be herself in the music business. “Margo’s book hits you right in the gut – and the heart – just like her songs,” says Willie Nelson.

MARGO PRICE ON TOUR:

8/26 - Bridgeview, IL - Sacred Rose Festival

9/4 - Weston, CO - Caveman Music Festival

9/8 - Park City, UT - Park City Song Summit

9/14 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre w/ Wilco

 9/17 - Pryor Creek, OK - Born and Raised

9/23 - Lewisburg, WV - Healing Appalachia

9/24 - Raleigh, NC - Farm Aid

10/4 - Nashville, TN - Grimey’s* 

10/5 - New York, NY - P&T Knitwear*

10/6 - Brooklyn, NY - Greenlight Bookstore*

10/7 - York, PA - White Rose Music Festival

10/15-16 - Nashville, TN - Southern Festival of Books*

10/17 - Lexington, KY - Joseph Beth Booksellers*

10/18 - Louisville, KY - Carmichael’s Bookstore*

10/20 - Traverse City, MI - National Writer’s Series*

10/22 - Iowa City, IA - Prairie Lights*

10/23 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Humanities Festival*

10/24 - Winnetka, IL - The Book Stall*

10/27 - Live Oak, FL - Suwannee Hulaween

11/1 - San Francisco, CA - Green Apple Books on the Park*

11/2 - Santa Cruz, CA - Bookshop Santa Cruz*

11/3 - Los Angeles, CA - Vroman’s*

11/5 - Austin, TX - Texas Book Festival*

11/6 - Dallas, TX - Interbang Books*

11/16 - Nashville, TN - Parnassus Books*

12/2 - Lake Wales, FL - Orange Blossom Revue

*Maybe We’ll Make It Book Tour

Happy Birthday Ronnie Splinter!

Remembering Outsiders guitarist/songwriter Ronnie Splinter (left) with a Nederbeat classic and a Dutch TV doc from 1997.

Southern soul great William Bell previews new album with "One Day Closer To Home"

Stax survivor William Bell conspired with Bo-Keys pal Scott Bomar for the Hi-style groover "One Day Closer To Home" 

Nardwuar gets a shout-out from MSNBC's Ari Melber

Nardwuar's deep digging style of celebrity interviews recently got an unexpected on-air salute from MSNBC fan Ari Melber. 

Chesterfield Kings' mainman Greg Prevost tells his story in new book

Greg Prevost, frontman of Rochester garage rock rebels The Chesterfield Kings, details his life in music for Misty Lane Books. 

Here's the scoop from editor Massimo del Pozzo...

This incredible labor of love was several years in the making. Prevost has dug out from his infinite personal collection anything that a true Rock’n’Roll fan might want to see. Vintage pics, flyers, articles, and historical info about venues, record shops, record labels, concerts, happenings, and previously unheard “garage tales” will make this book essential reading. What makes this even more exciting is the accurate, year-by-year, month-by-month, and occasionally day-by-day report of his personal timeline, as well as his musical growth inside and outside of the Chesterfield Kings.

This book covers in detail the life of a kid born in the fifties who witnessed the many changes in the music scene, all reported with a super-fun and cool attitude. Greg Prevost is not only a collector, writer, musician, and expert about the '60-'70s genuine Rock’n’Roll expression, he has gathered it all together to shape his attitude to become the purest and most honest storyteller. You’ll learn so much about true Rock’n’Roll that your eyes will bleed from looking at the 40 pages of unbelievably cool pictures Prevost has collected since the mid '50s.

Greg Prevost's autobiography On The Street I Met A Dog will be out in a couple of weeks but you can pre-order it from Misty Lane right here.

Jaymz Bee seeks crowd-funding support for film project

Toronto music personality Jaymz Bee could use your help finishing his 20-minute short film called Wild Music. Read all about it.

Here's the scoop from Jaymz Bee...

"I've wanted to make a movie for a long time, and now it looks like it's about to become a reality! 

"'Wild Music' is a short film about a man who gets a second chance in the music business and makes rock stars out of Senior Citizens.  The soundtrack is audacious, and the 20-minute film will be hilarious. You can bet on that. My buddy, Captain Paul (www.barbourfinanical.com) suggested I do a movie about a guy who makes bizarre music popular. The concept is loosely based on my radio show, "Jazz Gone Wild", another endeavour Paul championed. My patron, Michele, understood the concept in a zoom meeting and agreed to become involved. Then many others came on board. I'm so excited to make this movie this summer. 

"Maybe this idea will be a feature one day, but it will work brilliantly as a short, and no doubt hit the festival circuit. If you can donate towards making this dream a reality, I'd be most grateful." – Jaymz

Those interested in contributing to Jaymz Bee's "Wild Music" film project should visit his GoFundMe page right here.  

One For The Weekend: Badge Époque Ensemble

Check out "All Same 2 Each, Each Same 2 All" off the Badge Époque Ensemble's new album, Clouds Of Joy out September 9th.

Here's the scoop...

Toronto's Badge Époque Ensemble just shared "All Same 2 Each, Each Same 2 All", the final advance track to be lifted from their highly anticipated new album, Clouds of Joy which is set for release via Telephone Explosion Records on September 9 marking the label's 100th release. Featuring three vocal-led compositions, three instrumentals and three choral arrangements, this new album presents the Ensemble’s most ambitious, mature and engaging material to date. Clouds of Joy represents a shift from the group’s previous sonic excursions – the worlds of vintage soundtrack grooves and early electric jazz – into a more era-ambiguous, complex and all-encompassing approach to arrangement and production. 

The album-closing track, "All Same 2 Each, Each Same 2 All" features a baroque AM-radio style vocal arrangement, melding multi-dimensional harmonies with flurries of gentle saxophone and off-kilter percussion. It's another fine example of the Badge Époque Ensemble's ability to weave tremendous vocal performances and choral arrangements into a dense tapestry of sound, with "All Same 2 Each, Each Same 2 All" acting as a breezy curtain-call on Clouds of Joy. Have a listen below. Pre-order Clouds Of Joy via Telephone Explosion right here. 

Happy Birthday Keith Tippett

Remembering pianist/composer Keith Tippett with a 1970 TV appearance with King Crimson and a few stellar performances.

LINKS
The Wire An Encounter With Keith Tippett

The Guardian Keith Tippett: The jazz great who saw music as a source of goodness

Pre-order a vinyl copy of the Keith Tippett Group's How Long This Time? Live 1970 2LP right here. 

Peter Case's Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John getting vinyl release!

It took 15 years but Yep Roc has finally decided to issue Peter Case's Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John album on vinyl. 

"This is one of the best records that I’ve made, and I’m proud of the fact it was nominated for a Grammy. Richard Thompson and I start the album off with a rollicking guitar and vocal duet on Every Twenty-Four Hours, and the song Ain’t Gonna Worry No More continues to be one of the most popular songs in my live sets. I’m so happy this one is coming out on vinyl." – Peter Case

Here's the scoop...

Singer-songwriter Peter Case challenges listeners to be more attuned to the world through his politically-fueled lyricism and intricate finger-style acoustic guitar in Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John. The record showcases his abilities as a solo artist and folk singer-songwriter beyond his power-pop and rock n’ roll songwriting and performance during his time in The Plimsouls and The Nerves.

This Grammy-nominated album includes a collection of original songs from Case and a cover of the traditional blues tune “Get Away Blues.” The album features guest musicians Richard Thompson, Duane Jarvis, Carlos Guitarlos, and Norm Hamlet.

For the album’s 15th anniversary, Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John is now being released on vinyl for the first time. Pre-order a copy right here. Listen to "Get Away Blues," "That Soul Twist" and a Folk Alley performance of "Ain't Gonna Worry No More" from 2012 below. 

R.I.P. Creed Taylor, 1929-2022

Sadly, legendary music producer Creed Taylor behind numerous classic Verve, Impulse! and CTI recordings, has passed away. 

LINKS

udiscovermusic.com Creed Taylor, jazz giant and Impulse! founder has passed away at 93

Creed Taylor Produced Creed Taylor has left the studio

Dollar Bin Delights: Bunny O'Hare OST

Session ace Billy Strange was behind the fuzz-enhanced 1971 soundtrack for the Bette Davis/Ernest Borgnine flick "Bunny O'Hare" 

R.I.P. Jerry Allison of The Crickets, 1939-2022

Sadly, Crickets influential drummer Jerry Allison – who cut "Real Wild Child" as Ivan – has passed away at the age of 82. 

The Cookers Quintet is bolstered by Bernie Senensky on The Path

Toronto jazz scene stallwart Bernie Senensky fits in nicely with the hard bop concept of the Cookers' new album The Path. 

Here's the scoop...

The Cookers Quintet aka TCQ is a Canadian jazz group, with a sound firmly rooted in the ‘60s hard bop movement. The core members each bring their own unique qualities to the band’s sound. Saxophonist Ryan Oliver’s fat, full tenor tone might bring to mind heavyweight Dexter Gordon, but it’s blended with sophistication and subtlety. Oliver shares the front line with Tim Hamel, a trumpet player that can bring a hot, uptempo number to a boil and then carry a ballad with lyricism and beauty minutes later. The rock solid foundation of all of this is bassist Alex Coleman, who’s clearly grounded in the Ray Brown/Paul Chambers school of keeping the bass steady and swinging. 

During the fall of 2021, while on tour in the west coast of Canada with Bernie Senensky (piano), and Joe Poole (drums), the group performed a brand new set of original compositions to live audiences which subsequently became the 8-track studio album, ‘The Path’. From Oliver’s opening blues, “Undisputed”, to Hamel’s Wayne Shorter-inspired album title track, the group has produced another exciting offering of original Canadian jazz steeped in the tradition. “With our fourth record we wanted to create something that maintained the group’s original voice and sensibilities while reflecting inspiration from some of our 60s jazz heros.” says Oliver. 

Canadian jazz legend, Bernie Senensky has performed with the greats including Art Blakey and the Jazz messengers, Elvin Jones, and Pharoah Sanders. His deep harmonic sense and captivating improvisational style brought an edge to the record that could only be provided by a musician of Senensky‘s stature. With a degree in Jazz Performance under the guidance of Oscar Peterson, drummer Joe Poole has gradually gained an international reputation. His tasteful playing, sense of groove, and rhythmic fluidity have led him to accompany an impressive list of top musicians including Ernestine Anderson, Curtis Fuller, and Marcus Belgrave. 

Get a copy of The Cookers Quintet's new album The Path via Bandcamp right here. Check out a couple of tracks followed by a recent livestream performance below. 

Your Tune, My Classic: The Stanley Brothers

The Stanley Brothers made "Little Maggie" a signature song but they learned it from a 1937 Wade Mainer & Steve Ledford 78.

R.I.P. Rolf Kühn, 1929-2022

Sadly jazz clarinetist Rolf Kühn has passed away at the age of 92. Check out a few memorable performances below. 

Happy Birthday Roscoe Shelton!

Remembering southern soul belter Roscoe Shelton with his appearance on The !!!! Beat from February, 1966. 

Whaddya mean you don't know Dr. Tree

Dr. Tree was a NZ jazz rock combo with Frank Gibson (drums), Andy Brown (bass), Martin Winch (guitars) & Tuhi Tumoti (keys).

Happy Birthday Art Farmer!

Remembering trumpeter Art Farmer with an early gem featuring saxophonist Benny Golson and a young McCoy Tyner. 

Young Marble Giant Stuart Moxham gets his guitars back

After 36 years, Stuart Moxham has been reunited with the Rickenbaker 425 on which he wrote all his Young Marble Giants songs. 

Writes Stuart...

My previous post obviously left a lot to be desired in terms of clarity.

Anyway, the big deal was that I have bought back my beloved Rickenbacker 425, which I was obliged to sell in 1983, from a kind gentleman who lives near Chester, hence the two-day journey from Dorset.

When I sold this instrument, on which I wrote, recorded and played all the Young Marble Giants and early The G!st material, I was so despondent - but I painted my name under the truss rod cover, just in case I ever saw it again. (They are extremely rare here.)

It turns out that in the year I finally left Cardiff, 1986, it was bought by the man who reunited me  with it today - for a good price - because he felt it would be a poetic act.

Ok, so it seems like I have my two essential geetars now: the prodigal Rickenbacker electric and the Martin acoustic which was gifted me by my old best mate Kenneth Brake shortly before he went back to the other place.

My unreleased back catalogue is close to being properly and fully available too - on the burgeoning Tiny Global Productions label - so hopefully, all things being equal, I am now in the position of writing the next album! Oof, that only took forty years.

Erie painters get the spotlight in Tom Weber's film "A Few Things About Artists"

Watch Tom Weber's fascinating hour-long look at the stylistically diverse group of visual artists working in Erie, Pennsylvania.  

Here's the scoop...

"A Few Things About Artists" is an hour-long documentary by Erie, Pennsylvania filmmaker Tom Weber that explores the lives and works of many of the area's leading visual artists, namely Susan Kemenyffy, Fran Schanz, Kris Risto, Shelle Barron, Karen Dodson, Tom Ferraro, Brad Lethaby, Suzanne Proulx, John Bavaro, Jeff Kuntz, Evan Everhart and Bob Jensen.

Weber's previous films aired on WQLN include "1000," a collaboration with poet/activist Abdullah Washington about Erie people striving for excellence, and "The Trouble With Poets" (2014), which examines Erie's community of performing poets such as Sean Thomas Dougherty, Monica Igras and Chuck Joy.

"I have a deep and abiding interest in artists of all kinds," says Weber is a former newspaper reporter who has taught filmmaking at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, Point Park University and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. "Artists take ideas and emotions and express them in tangible ways through their work. Their stories need to be heard."

Two beautiful places created by artists are featured in the documentary, which is accompanied by an original musical score created by Erie guitarist Joseph Allen Popp.

Time-lapse sequences filmed in metal artist Evan Everhart's Millcreek sculpture garden -- which includes both real trees and fantastic metal replicas standing side-by-side -- are seen at the beginning of the film. 

"Raku Place," the expansive Japanese-inspired garden in McKean Township built by Susan Kemenyffy and her husband Steven, is the subject of an extended montage that ends the film. Raku Place is listed in the Smithsonian Institution's Archive of American Gardens.

A number of the artists discuss how their need to create art helped them through life-threatening events.

John Bavaro, interviewed together with his wife Suzanne Proulx, recounts how he struggled to recover from a debilitating stroke by exploring new digital painting techniques. We see actual CAT scans of Bavaro's brain, which he converted to digital images of fantastical "brain trees" made up of veins and capillaries.

Jeff Kuntz, an impressionistic painter who is recovering from heroin addiction, openly discusses his struggle and the importance of making art to his recovery. Kuntz is a graduate of Edinboro University's art program who studied with several of the other featured artists, and offers some candid observations about the need for art education in schools.

Other artists talk about how they use art to understand themselves and their lives, what they do when inspiration isn't flowing, and how they sustain their work while making a living.

Weber, a one-man crew who shoots and edits all his own footage, has been producing independent documentaries and concert videos since 2002. These include "Troubadour Blues" (2011) a film about hard-traveling folksingers like Peter Case, Mary Gauthier and Chris Smither, and "Over The Pavement" (2015), a concert video with some of the world's best improvisational musicians filmed in Detroit.

Happy Birthday Robert Plant!

Cheers to Robert Plant on his 74th birthday! Here's Robert reprising some old faves with Buddy Miller and Alison Krauss. 

Catl rocks the Upper Deck @ Toronto Island Marina, Saturday

Head over to Toronto Island Marina for Catl's annual blow-out at the Upper Deck tonight from 9pm to 11pm. 

Watch CCR play "Fortunate Son" at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1970

CCR's performance at Royal Albert Hall in London is being released on Sept 16. Check out "Fortunate Son" below. 

Here's the scoop...

Recently, Craft Recordings announced the forthcoming release of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s legendary long-lost recording of their 1970 show at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which will be available for the first time ever in multiple formats as Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall. The 12-track live album is set for release on September 16 and is available now for pre-order right here.

Ahead of the album release, CCR shared the full live performance of their major hit, "Fortunate Son" which you can view below. The video captures bandmates, John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook, fully engrossed in the high-energy performance for one of their most beloved tracks, a song that’s been covered far and wide by artists including Pearl Jam, Rise Against, U2, Foo Fighters, and more, as well as being recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time – number 99 on the list for those keeping score at home.    

Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall will be available September 16 on 180-gram vinyl, CD, and cassette, while select retailers will offer a variety of exclusive colour variants, including Walmart (Tombstone Shadow vinyl) and Target (Green River vinyl). Additionally, the album will be available across digital platforms, including in hi-res and Dolby ATMOS® immersive audio formats. A limited Super Deluxe Edition Box Set will follow later in the year. 

After spending roughly 50 years in storage, the original multi-track tapes were meticulously restored and mixed by the Grammy Award-winning team of producer, Giles Martin, and engineer, Sam Okell, who have helmed countless acclaimed projects together, including the Beatles’ 50th-anniversary editions of Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, as well as audio for the Elton John biopic, Rocketman, and Peter Jackson’s The Beatles: Get Back series. The LP was mastered by the celebrated engineer Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios using half-speed technology.

Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall will be released concurrently with the documentary concert feature film, Travelin’ Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall. Directed by two-time Grammy Award winner, Bob Smeaton (The Beatles Anthology and Jimi Hendrix Band of Gypsies), and narrated by Academy Award-winning actor, Jeff Bridges, the film takes viewers from the band’s earliest years together in El Cerrito, CA through their meteoric rise to fame. Featuring a wealth of unseen footage, Travelin’ Band culminates with the band’s show at the Royal Albert Hall—marking the only concert footage of the original CCR lineup to be released in its entirety. The film will rollout internationally on September 16—more details coming soon.

On November 14, both the album and the film will be presented in a Super Deluxe Edition Box Set, available exclusively via CraftRecordings.com. The 2-LP/2-CD/1-Blu-ray collection includes Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall on two 45-RPM 180-gram vinyl LPs as well as on CD. A second CD features music from the film, including formative recordings from the band’s earliest incarnations (including Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets and the Golliwogs), while the Blu-ray offers the complete Travelin’ Band:  Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall film, plus the digital album in hi-res and Dolby ATMOS® immersive audio. Limited to 5,000 copies worldwide, each individually numbered set is housed in a 12” x 12” box, with embossed gold foil detail, and includes a reproduction of the original 1970 tour program, a 17” x 24” poster, and a 16-page booklet, featuring an excerpt from Bridges’ voice-over script, which offers background on the band’s incredible path to the London show. 

When Creedence Clearwater Revival stepped onto the Royal Albert Hall’s stage on April 14, 1970—just days after the Beatles announced their breakup—the California rockers had arguably just become the biggest band in the world. Leading up to the show, CCR had enjoyed an unprecedented “magical year,” as Jeff Bridges narrates in the film. “In only 12 months the band had achieved five Top 10 singles and three Top 10 albums [Bayou Country, Green River, Willy and the Poor Boys] on the American charts, outselling the Beatles. They had appeared on the legendary Ed Sullivan Show and played to over a million people across America, including the hundreds of thousands gathered at Woodstock. John, Tom, Stu, and Doug may not have had the familiar ring to it of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, but Creedence were challenging the Beatles for the title of the biggest group in the world.” During their two-night sold-out residency at the iconic venue, CCR not only followed in the footsteps of acts like the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Beatles, but they proved they were equals.

While Creedence Clearwater Revival would go their separate ways just two years later, speculation around a live recording of that legendary concert began to permeate their fanbase in 1980. That same year, Fantasy Records had released a live album by the band, mistakenly titled The Royal Albert Hall Concert. It was quickly discovered that the audio was, in fact, from the Oakland Coliseum show, captured months earlier. While the label rushed to sticker the album with correctional information—and properly re-named the January 1970 performance as The Concert for later production runs—actual footage from the Royal Albert Hall remained the stuff of rock ’n’ roll lore…until now. 

For more info, check out the Craft Recordings site right here. Watch CCR's performance of "Fortunate Son" below.