Toronto Jazz Fest: DJ Nico @ U of T's OLG Lounge, Sunday

DJ Nico spins a free set at the OLG Lounge (91 Charles St. W) at 8 pm. Check out her all-Canuck mix for Canada Day right here. 

For more info, visit the Toronto Jazz Festival site right here. 

Steve Wynn releasing new album Make It Right and memoir in August

Steve Wynn's new memoir "I Wouldn't Say It If It Wasn't True" and his "Make It Right" solo LP are out August 30. 

Here's the scoop from Steve...

"A photo from a desk somewhere in the offices of Fire Records in London. The first sighting of the physical copies of my new album and book. Eagerly awaiting for the postman to arrive with mine and…oh wait, it’s Sunday. August 30th is the official release date for “Make It Right” and “I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True” —pre-orders via Fire Records, Jawbone Press and my own Bandcamp page."

Here's a pre-order link for "Make It Right": https://stevewynn.lnk.to/makeitrightID 

Check out the "Make It Right" preview clip below. 

I WOULDN’T SAY IT IF IT WASN’T TRUE

A MEMOIR OF LIFE, MUSIC, AND THE DREAM SYNDICATE

I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True is a tale of writing songs and playing in bands as a conduit to a world its author could once have barely imagined—a world of major labels, luxury tour buses, and sold-out theaters, but also one of alcohol, drugs, and a low-level rock’n’roll Babylon.

Beginning with Wynn’s childhood in California in the 60s and 70s, the book builds to a crescendo with the formation of the first incarnation of The Dream Syndicate in 1981 as an antidote to the prepackaged pop music of the era. It charts the highs and lows of the band’s early years at the forefront of the Paisley Underground scene alongside Green On Red, Rain Parade, and The Bangles; the seismic impact of their debut album, The Days Of Wine And Roses; the spiraling chaos of the sessions for the follow-up, Medicine Show; the dissolution of the band’s first line-up and the launch of a second phase of The Dream Syndicate with Out Of The Grey and Ghost Stories; and more, culminating with the release of the landmark live album Live At Raji’s.

This is Wynn’s story, but it also features some of the biggest and most colourful characters of the period, offering a detailed field guide to the music business that manages to both glorify and demystify in equal measure. And, ultimately, it’s a tale of redemption, with music as a vehicle for artistic and personal transformation and transcendence. Here's an excerpt...

Summer 1984. I’ve got the back lounge of this tour bus all to myself, partly because I’m the lead singer but more likely because it means the rest of the band won’t have to deal with me for the rest of the day.

Just two years earlier I was flunking out at UCLA, working the day shift in a record store, living out of my father’s basement. Now I’m living the million-to-one reality of touring the country with my band, The Dream Syndicate, opening for up-and-coming rock darlings REM, and making a big-budget sophomore album for A&M Records. I’m also untethered and unbound, drinking a fifth of Jim Beam every day, barely speaking to my best friend and guitarist, and looking for trouble in all the wrong places.

How did I get from there to here? And how do I get out? Stick around and find out. I’ll be here, dreaming my dream . . .

–––––––––––––––––

Steve Wynn is a founding member of The Dream Syndicate, whose debut album, The Days Of Wine And Roses, is widely regarded as a cornerstone of the indie/alternative rock scene of the 1980s. He has also enjoyed a prolific solo career, touring the world on a regular basis and performing and recording in groups such as Danny & Dusty, Gutterball, and The Baseball Project (also featuring REM founders Mike Mills and Peter Buck). He scored two Norwegian hit TV shows, Dag and Exit, and his songs have been covered by Luna, Yo La Tengo, and Concrete Blonde, among others. I Wouldn’t Say It If It Wasn’t True is his first book. He lives in New York City.

Remembering jazz pianist/composer Andrew Hill on his birthday

Check out the Andrew Hill's brilliant recordings rescued from the Blue Note vaults by Michael Cuscuna for "One For One." 

H.P. Lovecraft vs. Terry Callier

Chicago psych crew H.P. Lovecraft were clearly huge fans of Terry Callier judging by their numerous covers of his tunes.  

Happy Birthday Telecaster Titan Bill Kirchen!

Celebrating the 76th birthday of guitar slinger deluxe Bill Kirchen with a few performances and two interviews. 

Os Mutantes, Shadow Show @ The Great Hall, July 5

Brazilian tropicalia legends Os Mutantes make a rare Toronto appearance at the Great Hall on Friday, July 5th with Shadow Show. 

Get tickets for the Os Mutantes show at The Great Hall on July 5th right here. 

R.I.P. Martin Mull, 1943-2024

Sadly, comedian Martin Mull – host "Barth Gimble" of Fernwood 2 Night – has passed away at 80. He'll be greatly missed. 

https://youtu.be/

Watch Robert Plant & Alison Krauss tear it up at Wolf Trap

Here's the entire performance of Alison Krauss & Robert Plant at Wolf Trap in Fairfax County, Virginia recently. 

Redd Kross shares 80s throwback video for "The Main Attraction"

SCTV's Jerry Todd would be impressed with Sean McGuirk's video FX in his clip for "The Main Attraction" by Redd Kross.

The Toronto screening of Born Innocent, scheduled for The Revue Cinema on July 28th, is still on thanks to a court injunction. 

Guided By Voices' new Strut of Kings album out today – check out "Serene King"

You can get a copy of GBVs' Strut of Kings via your platform of choice right here. Watch 'em perform "Serene King" in Pittsburgh.

Damian Marley joins forces with Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 for "Dey"

The Afrobeat stormer "Dey" is off Seun Kuti & Egypt 80s forthcoming Heavier Yet album. Catch Seun Kuti in Toronto July 17th. 

Here's the scoop from Record Kicks...

Seun Kuti unveils dynamic collaboration with Damian Marley in latest single ‘Dey’, out now on all digital platforms. ‘Dey’ is the first single from Seun Kuti & Egypt 80’s upcoming album ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ out October 4th. Kuti and Marley for the first time on a record together: an historic moment. 

 

Grammy-nominated Nigerian musician Seun Kuti has once again set the music scene ablaze with the announcement of his electrifying new single, ‘Dey’ featuring reggae icon and 4 Grammy Awards winner Damian Marley, which is available today on all major streaming platforms via independent Milan label Record Kicks. This much-anticipated collaboration combines the raw energy of Afrobeat with the rhythmic vibes of Reggae, creating a bridge between Nigeria and Jamaica that is sure to captivate audiences worldwide. ‘Dey’ is the first single from the much-awaited new album by Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, ‘Heavier Yet (Lays The Crownless Head)’ that will hit the streets on October 4th and that is now available for pre-order directly from Record Kicks right here. 

 

Seun Kuti expressed his deep sentiment about the new single ‘Dey’ featuring Damian Marley, emphasizing its special significance. He sees it as a historic moment for African unity, art, and brotherhood, emphasizing the significance of collaborating with Damian Marley, marking the first time Kuti and Marley have been on a record together, symbolizing the rebuilding of a bridge.

 

He says, “I’m very honoured to have Damian on this track; it’s a historic moment. This is the first time that Kutis and Marleys have recorded together. We are two performers, both from the dynasty of Africa, with a huge continental divide, singing about similar struggles. To have the legacies of these great movements that represent African people is an amazing thing. It shows the similarities between the experiences of black people all over the world. I think this collaboration is an affirmation of the righteousness of our messages.”

“The song depicts African unity and African art,” Seun continues. “It doesn’t matter where we are positioned in this world, very few African people receive notability; we are for the most part seen as the underdog. Therefore, this song is all about embracing and championing who we are. It is about human beings not having to be special, to be special. As African people, one thing that I hate about the way the world relates to us is that only special Africans are human. We can't just be humans. That is removed from the black African experience. So, this song is about how we are special and how we should not feel the need to constantly prove ourselves to anybody.”

Produced by a collaborative dream team of top-tier producers that includes superstar Lenny Kravitz (executive producer) and Fela Kuti and Egypt 80’s original producer Sodi Marciszewer (artistic producer), ‘Dey’ delivers a timeless fusion of sounds that pays homage to the rich musical traditions of both Nigeria and Jamaica while pushing the boundaries of contemporary music.

 

With its pulsating rhythms and infectious melodies, ‘Dey’ is set to become a timeless anthem that transcends borders and resonates with listeners from all walks of life. Seun Kuti and Damian Marley's collaboration is a celebration of cultural fusion and musical innovation, showcasing the rich tapestry of sounds that define contemporary African and Caribbean music.

 

Seun Kuti is a Nigerian musician, singer, and songwriter renowned for his captivating performances and socially conscious music. He is the youngest son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun has spent most of his life preserving and extending his father's political and musical legacy as the leader of his father's former band Egypt 80. As a developing saxophonist and percussionist, he entered the formal ranks of the band before he was 12. In 1997 when Fela passed, in fulfilment of his father's wishes, Seun assumed the mantle as head of Egypt 80 and he has run it ever since.

 

Based in Lagos, where with Egypt 80 he rehearses at Kalakuta Museum aka Fela Kuti’s former home in Allen Avenue, Seun has also made his mark as an active voice of the people and a politically conscious activist. He has been in the Nigerian scene, voicing out when he should, primarily via his pages on social media platforms. He was an active participant in two of the biggest mass unrests in Nigeria in recent times: #OccupyNigeria and #EndSARS protests. Significantly, he’s revived the Movement of the People (M.O.P.), the political party his father set up in 1979, which was quashed by the military government not long after Fela’s failed presidential bid.

 

During his career, Seun Kuti released 4 albums with Egypt 80: ‘Many Things’ (2008),  ‘From Africa with Fury: Rise for Knitting Factory Records’ (2011), coproduced by Brian Eno and John Reynolds, ‘A Long Way Beginning’ (2014) and the Grammy nominated ‘Black Times’ (2018) that included a feature from Carlos Santana. They also released numerous EPs. Seun has played for enthusiastically receptive audiences globally and collaborated with many great artists. In 2022, he joined forces with Roots frontman and MC extraordinaire Black Thought in the EP ‘African Dreams’. In 2023, Seun collaborated on Janelle Monae's ‘The Age of Pleasure’ (Grammy nominee for Album Of The Year) with the two singles 'Float' and 'Knows Better', teamed up with Talib Kweli and MadLib for their album ‘Liberation 2’ on the song ‘Nat Turner’ featuring Cassper Nyovest and released a new version of the single ‘Bad Man Lighter’ with Black Thought, featuring Vic Mensa. 

Listen to "Dey" below. And check out Seun Kuti & Egypt 80s upcoming tour dates including a Toronto show with Red Hot Chili Peppers at Budweiser Stage on July 17th. Get tickets via Live Nation right here. 

 

Catch Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 on tour in July! Get tickets right here. 

Happy Birthday Lloyd Maines!

Raising a glass to steel guitar ace Lloyd Maines on his birthday with a performance accompanying Joe Ely on Austin City Limits.

One For The Weekend: Muriel Grossmann

Check out the whumpin' "Absolute Truth" off saxophonist Muriel Grossmann's latest album Devotion.

From the Devotion liner notes penned by Thom Jurek...

The word "Devotion," the title of saxophonist/composer Muriel Grossmann's new album, is defined by Websters as "religious fervor, piety," or "an act of prayer or private worship." Further, it carries "the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity; the fact or state of being ardently dedicated and loyal." Grossmann's music richly illustrates both shades of the word's meaning. Devotion is a dedicated aural engagement with extremely talented musicians. It reflects a deep spirituality in composition, expression discovery through kaleidoscopic, 21st century jazz. 

Grossmann was born in Paris, raised in Austria, and began classical flute studies at five. She didn't begin playing the saxophone until she was 21, and for years, only the alto and soprano. She taught herself by playing along with records by Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderley and Gerry Mulligan. After picking up the tenor years later she immersed herself into the music of Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Stanley Turrentine and Illinois Jacquet, all of whom influenced the soul jazz era. She embodied those influences as signifiers for one of the most identifying aspects of Grossmann's sound: The reliance on groove. After completing formal music studies, she played and toured with various funk, R&B, world music, and jazz groups. Grossmann moved to Spain in 2002, and began leading her own bands. 

Two years later she relocated to Ibiza, her base ever since. The atmosphere of the tropical island locale and its multivalent culture influenced her journey as an artist. Her debut as a leader in 2008 with the record Quartet appeared on her own Dreamlandrecords. Then, as now, Grossmann's deeply committed DIY aesthetic supervises every aspect of recording, production and presentation including painting her record covers. She cut it with a quartet that included Belgrade-born guitarist Radomir Milojkovic, her constant collaborator ever since and the rhythm section composed of Marko Jelaca on drums and David Marroquin on bass. An exercise in crystalline, swinging post bop, it drew positive notice from the European music press and resulted in her playing more gigs. 2010's Birth of the Mystery moved outside musically, without sacrificing the trademark welcoming harmonic sensibility. 2016's Natural Time with Milojkovic, double bassist Gina Schwarz and drummer Uros Stamenkovic, offered an airy, open, engagement with drones and endlessly circular rhythms. 2017's Momentum, with its flourishes of spiritual soul jazz, bluesy guitars and extended compositions, was regarded by some critics as a modern jazz masterpiece. 

2018's Golden Rule reached a new watermark. Grossmann played tenor and soprano saxophone; its music was dedicated to the influences of John Coltrane – check the stunning soprano vehicle, "Traneing In." Several critics remarked on her ability to make seriously sophisticated jazz sound fun. Her quartet's disciplined collaboration resulted from playing in front of very diverse audiences, especially at home. They offered audiences a testifying, polyrhythmic, and dramatically explosive brand of spiritual jazz. 2019's album Reverence added Hammond B-3 organist Lorenç Barcelo to excellent effect. The bubbling grooves generated by guitar and organ were employed with layers of percussion and droning basslines, updating the astral jazz of Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane. She continued reconsidering her earlier music with this approach too. 2020's Quiet Earth included four long compositions, two of which were substantially revisioned versions of tunes that originally appeared on the 2013 album Awakening. 2021's Union – sans Schwarz – offered more substantially reworked versions of earlier compositions that had evolved from having been performed live for years. 2022's Universal Code, found Schwarz rejoining the group for three tracks. Throughout the band seamlessly wed spiritual and modal modern jazz explorations to deep, often blues-tinged, airy grooves. 

Devotion, Grossmann's debut for Jack White's U.S.-based Third Man Records label, continues her musical evolution, arriving at a sound that wears inspirations transparently, but in practice, is markedly original holistic work. It is titled after Grossmann's experience of a natural sense of devotion that arose from her Buddhist meditation practice. She says, "noticing that sounds are dissolving into the vast empty space, the true nature of reality. Just as thoughts are always dissolving into the stillness of our mind, we slowly realize that the essence of our mind is clarity . . . This realization puts us on the path to confidence; it and trust are the basis of devotion." 

Musically, these works represent a new sonic and aesthetic outpost for Grossmann's quartet, now introducing Abel Boquera on Hammond B-3 as a new member of the Muriel Grossmann Quartet. Totaling over 90 minutes, these seven works are long and investigative. Opener "Absolute Truth,” spends the first two of its nearly 22 minutes with abstract slide guitar, hovering B-3 ellipses, and a pulse of softly generated, pulsing rimshots. When Grossmann enters on tenor, she is playing a hard bop vamp that resembles a late 1950s Blue Note date. Boquera lays down a supporting pattern that Milojkovic appends empathetically. The drums begin driving, as the band emerges with a circular groove that touches on rock, modal and soul jazz formalism, with advanced rhythmic syncopation. Its various stages find the saxophonist and her bandmates – particularly Milojkovic – soloing with abandon, even as they reinforce a trance-inducing groove. "Calm" is introduced in quiet abstraction from guitar and organic percussion before Boquera, Milojkovic, and Grossmann assert a dynamic vamp. An edgy blues-tinged rock guitar riff prods organ and tenor sax in a slowly unfurling meditation on soulful funk. "Care" is organ-fueled soul jazz, an excellent showcase for Boquera's advanced playing as Stamenkovic's slippery, fluid, snare and hi-hat breaks urge him on. When Grossmann joins to solo, she moves across the R&B of her early influences, Sonny Rollins assertive, raw lyricism, and her own post bop vocabulary. 

"Knowledge and Wisdom" is kissed by psychedelia, Indian music (Grossmann plays tamboura and drones). Opening with spectral percussion, B-3 and fingerpicked electric guitars, its bluesy rock frame breathes its pulse as Grossmann's lithe flute and soprano horn find and elucidate a contemplative lyrical progression. In "All Heart" Latin and African polyrhythms collide, swirl and combine in forceful, righteously funky, hard swinging post bop. The title track's flute, martial snare, and organic hand percussion recall the Rising Stars Fife and Drum Ensemble (originally led by early blues innovator Otha Turner, and currently by granddaughter Sharde Thomas) in evoking the spirit of field hollers that evolved into the Delta blues. Milojkovic honors the tradition with a winding slide blues investigation buoyed by Stamenkovic's punchy drums and Boquera's edgy B-3. Grossmann's alto wanders across terrain combining modal jazz, funk, and soul jazz, as the quartet begin to open the mode and journey with her – check Milojkovic's spacey slide runs before Grossmann returns to the jaunty theme before fading it out. 

Closer "Mother of All" is introduced by the group's modal crescendo led by the tenor. Grossmann is a devoted mother, and her vocation has certainly influenced her music. In Buddhist thought, because of reincarnation, we have all been mothers to virtually every being across limitless time, and consequently been mothered by them too. The lyric line, carried by sax and organ is framed in illustrative chord voicings from Milojkovic and almost constantly rolling drums that never lose the rhythmic thread. Milojkovic solos first, offering knotty arpeggios in a punchy run that accents the changes – one can hear the influences of Grant Green and Pat Martino in his playing. Grossmann's adventurous tenor solo weds forceful yet intricate post bop with modal Eastern jazz and mutant hard bop – ala Sonny Rollins – while the band swings like mad around her. 

Devotion is the sound of this group's seemingly limitless brand of sonic inquiry through Grossmann’s compositions. This album simultaneously offers the sound of an ensemble that has perfected the collaborative process. They chart initially amorphous sonic terrains to establish a union between the process of creative inquiry and discovery to deliver transcendence across the universe of music itself. – Thom Jurek (senior writer/editor All-Music Guide)

R.I.P. Kinky Friedman, 1944-2024

Sadly, singer/songwriter, author and humourist Kinky Friedman has passed away. His wit and wisdom will  be greatly missed. 

LINKS

New York Times Kinky Friedman, musician and humourist who slew sacred cows, dead at 79

Rolling Stone Kinky Friedman, proudly eccentric  Texas singer-songwriter, dead at 79

Rick McGinnis: Some Old Pictures I Took Kinky Friedman session

Remembering Jeffrey Lee Pierce on his birthday

Raising a glass to Jeffrey Lee Pierce of The Gun Club with a few interviews, performances and a couple of documentaries.

Willy Deville doc "Heaven Stood Still" screens at Paradise Theatre, July 4

Better grab your tickets quick for this rare Toronto screening of Heaven Stood Still: The Incarnations of Willy DeVille!

Here's the scoop...

There was no one like the American singer Willy DeVille. From CBGB’s Latin punk to New Orleans soul singer to the premiere voice of American roots music on the continent of Europe for three decades, he was arguably the most original, most romantic artist of his time, writing and performing the Academy Award-nominated theme to the movie The Princess Bride. No one inhabited as many musical styles and personas, and everything about him was a work of art.

DeVille sold over a million records and was deeply respected by his peers, from Ben E. King to Bob Dylan, for peerless playing and songs that were anthems to the heartbroken and the downtrodden. Yet almost no one knows anything about him, where he came from or who he loved. How could he fly under the radar for 35 years yet leave so much we do know in his path? That is the mystery of Willy DeVille.

Get tickets for Heaven Stood Still: The Incarnations of Willy DeVille at the Paradise Theatre (1006c Bloor St. West) on July 4 at 8 pm (doors at 7:15 pm) right here. Watch the trailer below. 

Sharde Thomas and her Rising Stars Fife & Drum Band "Let It In"

Check out "Let It In" by Sharde Thomas and her Rising Stars after a short documentary and "Take Me To The River"  

Gene Clark rarities collection Back Street Mirror: Revisited out digitally July 19

Back Street Mirror: Revisited adds five additional Gene Clark studio outtakes to the original BSM six-song EP from 2018.

Here's the scoop from Liberation Hall...

Beyond his achievements as a founding member of the Byrds, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gene Clark was one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the rock era. After his passing in 1991, fans began lobbying for the release of known studio recordings that had been locked away for decades. They eventually got their wish with the release of The Lost Studio Sessions: 1964-1982, a collection of rarities from the personal archives of the Byrds’ first manager, Jim Dickson. This title was released in several limited-edition formats in 2016 by Sierra Records. Mining this same cache of treasures, a six-song EP entitled Back Street Mirror followed in 2018 for Record Store Day. 

This year, Liberation Hall has made most of this material available again. The Lost Studio Sessions: 1964-1982 was reissued on CD and double LP (both featuring 24 tracks) on April 20. The next title up for expansion is Back Street Mirror, now renamed Back Street Mirror: Revisited. The original six-song EP will be joined by five additional tracks, one from 1964, and four from the pre-White Light period in 1970. These five tracks previously appeared on CD as part of the limited-edition The Lost Studio Sessions campaign from 2016. Back Street Mirror: Revisited is a digital-only release that will arrive July 19 from Liberation Hall. All songs were written by Clark and the download will include discographic notes by Gene Clark archivist Tom Sandford. Pre-order Back Street Mirror: Revisited via Bandcamp right here.

Clark’s “Yesterday, Am I Right” is from an August 1967 session produced by legendary South African horn player, Hugh Masekela. This baroque-pop gem sits nicely alongside contemporaneous offerings from the Byrds and the Doors, who were both experimenting with horns and strings. It is the first digital single from Back Street Mirror: Revisited and is available here.

GENE CLARK – Back Street Mirror: Revisited

TRACKLIST: 1. Back Street Mirror (January 1967 session) | 2. Don’t Let It Fall Through (January 1967 session) | 3. Yesterday, Am I Right (August 1967 session) | 4. She Told Me (1966 demo) | 5. If I Hang Around (1966 demo) | 6. That’s What You Want (1965 demo) | 7 Why Can’t I Have Her Back Again (1964 session) | 8. One In a Hundred (1970 session) | 9. 1975 (1970 session) | 10. She’s the Kind of Girl (1970 session) | 11. The Virgin (1970 session) 

Tracks 1-6 previously released as Back Street Mirror vinyl 12” EP, issued in 2018 by Entrée Records.

Track 7 previously released on The Folk Den promotional CD as part of The Lost Studio Sessions: 1964-1982,issued by Sierra Records in 2016.

Tracks 8-11 previously released as The Lost Studio Sessions Bonus Acoustic CD, issued by Sierra Records in 2016. 

Trippy "Lady Dub" by Summer Records' boss Keith "Jerry" Brown getting recirculated

Malton's Keith "Jerry" Brown originally issued "Dreadlock Lady" b/w "Lady Dub" on his Summer Records label back in 1978. 

Here's the scoop from Shella Records...

Our next reissue project is a slice of Deep etherial roots and dub from Summer Records label boss Keith "Jerry" Brown circa 1978. 

Hailing from Trenchtown Jerry was an original member of the Rocksteady group "The Jamaicans" before migrating to Toronto. He set up Summer Records in the basement of his suburban home in Malton near the airport, a subterranean music sanctuary for the likes of Prince Jammys, Jackie Mittoo, Johnny Osbourne and Willi Williams.

Dreadlock Lady features Jerry's yearning falsetto over a hazy instrumental courtesy of the Ishan band and features horns-man Fitty's transcendent flute and Sax solos. The Dub enters even more surreal territory with Jerry at the controls putting the tape machine through its Dub paces, reminiscent of wilder outings at Wackies Studio. Have a listen below. Pre-order it now at www.shellarecords.com. 

Happy Birthday Georgie Fame!

Cheers to Hammond hero Georgie Fame on his 81st birthday! Here's a rip through "Sidewinder" with Eddie "Tan-Tan" Thornton.

LA LOM, Ichi Bons rock Longboat Hall, Friday

LA LOM join Toronto's own Ichi-Bons for a trio throwdown at Longboat Hall on Friday night which is now sold out!

Andre Ethier opening for Myriam Gendron @ Collective Arts Tap Room, Thursday

If you're going to see Montreal's Myriam Gendron, be sure to catch the opening set with Andre Ethier of Deadly Snakes fame. 

Watch Jiminy Glick grill Bill Hader and Bill Maher

While subbing for Jimmy Kimmel, Martin Short enlisted Jiminy Glick to interview Bill Hader... he also grilled Bill Maher. 

Happy Birthday Eddie Floyd!

Cheers to soul singer/songwriter and guitarist Eddie Floyd on his 87th birthday. Here are a few performances you may have missed.

Dave Alvin getting Americana "Lifetime Achievement" honours

Singer/songwriter Dave Alvin – who just released TexiCali album with Jimmie Dale Gilmore – will be fêted at the Ryman Sept. 18

Writes Dave Alvin...

“I’m shocked and honored by this news today. At the Ash Grove,  I saw one of Rev. Gary Davis’ last performances when I was 15 years old, and I can’t believe I’m being mentioned in the same sentence as him.“ – Dave Alvin

Thank you, Americana Music Association for all your support! 

AMA Announces 2024 Lifetime Achievement Honorees

The Americana Music Association has just announced this year’s Lifetime Achievement Honorees for its 23rd Annual Americana Honors & Awards show on Wednesday, September 18. This group of top-honor recipients includes Dave Alvin, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Dwight Yoakam and Don Was. This year’s honorees will be celebrated during the prestigious ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium.

Dave Alvin. From the kinetic fury of The Blasters with his brother Phil to a decades-long solo career replete with songs from the moving to the mystical, Dave Alvin has made good on his claim that he makes “both kinds of folk music – quiet and loud.” As a songwriter, poet, and producer, Alvin helped the West Coast roots and country music scene of the 1980s and 1990s become legendary. His leather jacket and famous red neck bandana tell that story as part of a major exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The Downey, California, native won a Grammy for his 2000 traditional folk album, Public Domain: Songs From the Wild Land. Dave Alvin's new TexiCali album recorded with Jimmie Dale Gilmore is out now. Get a copy right here. Check out the video for "We're Still Here" below.  

The Blind Boys of Alabama revolutionized Black gospel music in the 1940s and 1950s with an ecstatic performance style, charismatic audience engagement, and a break from the a cappella tradition – a grooving rhythm section. Established in Talladega, Alabama, in 1939, the group adapted to their times while never crossing over into pop. Several generations of singers and leaders inspired and preserved their approach, chiefly Clarence Fountain, George Scott, Sam Butler, and Jimmy Carter. They were signed by Peter Gabriel and produced by Booker T. Jones. They toured with Tom Petty and recorded with Lou Reed. They’ve won five Grammy Awards, performed at the White House three times, and earned numerous other honours.

Rev. Gary Davis was a pioneer of the Piedmont blues tradition, singing both sacred and secular songs with a ragtime feeling and intricate guitar counterpoint. He left his South Carolina home to  entertain working people in the tobacco markets of Durham, North Carolina. Later in New York, his career blossomed again as a fixture in the folk revival of the 1960s. His songs and interpretations influenced the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, John Sebastian, Jorma Kaukonen and legions of others. Davis is the recipient of the Legacy Award presented in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM).

Shelby Lynne has steered a fiercely independent path to become one of the most respected singers and songwriting artists in American music, through her immaculate reconception of country soul. The Alabama native was working with producer Billy Sherrill and recording for Epic Records by age 21. Her breakout album I Am Shelby Lynne helped secure a Best New Artist Grammy in 2001, and her Dusty Springfield homage Just A Little Lovin’ is regarded as a classic. Her many collaborations have included timeless recordings and performances with her younger sister, Allison Moorer.

Dwight Yoakam‘s electrifying songwriting, impeccable style, and singular voice have made him one of the most revolutionary and influential country recording artists of all time. Rooted in Eastern Kentucky bluegrass and old-time music, Yoakam moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. What followed was a string of historic albums in the 1980s and ’90s that revitalized and expanded the Bakersfield and honky-tonk country traditions, earning him multiple GRAMMY Awards. His cowpunk cool blended traditional country with a modern rock sensibility, and his broad appeal transcended the core country audience, paving the way for the alt-country movement that would later evolve into Americana.

Don Was has been the longstanding bass player in the Americana Honors and Awards house band, but of course he is so much more. Indeed his career stretches the words eclectic and accomplishedinto new territory. He grew up in Detroit on blues, rock and jazz and established the pop/rock band Was (Not Was) in the 1980s. As a producer, he went supernova with major collaborations with Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Brian Wilson and more. Since 2012 he’s been president of the historic jazz label Blue Note Records. He’s earned five Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year.

The Americana Honors & Awards ceremony serves as the hallmark event of the association’s annual AMERICANAFEST, taking place September 17-21 in Nashville.

“This year’s Lifetime Achievement honourees represent multiple facets of American roots music. It is a privilege to recognize and celebrate the incredible careers of these artists. We look forward to another exceptional night at the Ryman Auditorium,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association and Foundation.

In addition to these Lifetime Achievement Awards, the association will honour distinguished members of the music community with six member-voted awards. View this year’s nominees here. 

For more than two decades, the prestigious ceremony has celebrated pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers while featuring unforgettable moments in musical history, including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash’s last live performance together, as well as offering show-stopping appearances by k.d. lang, Van Morrison, Mavis Staples, Bob Weir, Buddy Guy, George Strait, Don Henley, the late John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes, Solomon Burke, Rosanne Cash, the late Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Irma Thomas, Levon Helm, Robert Plant and many more.

Tickets to the Americana Honors & Awards will go on sale to Silver Passholders on June 26, and association members, Festival Passholders, and the general public at a later date. AMERICANAFEST passes are on sale here. For more information on the association and AMERICANAFEST, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

Artist excerpts provided by Craig Havighurst.

Kurt Vile & The Violators, Myriam Gendron @ Danforth Music Hall, Friday

Check out Kurt Vile's performances of "Mount Airy Hill" & "Loading Zones" from a recent show in Wilmington, Delaware.  

Cheers to Chicago on 25/6/24!

Watch Chicago perform a rippin' version of  their classic "25 or 6 to 4" at Tanglewood in Lenox, MA on July 21, 1970. 

90s Nostalgia: The Subsonics live at WRAS-FM, Atlanta

Here's The Subsonics featuring Rockin' Clay Reed, Buffi Aguero and Christy Montero performing "Frankestein" back in 1998. 

Remembering sound scientist Harry Partch on his birthday

Celebrating the birthday of outsider Harry Partch with the 1972 film "The Dreamer That Remains" and the BBC doc "The Outsider"

LINKS

Daily Bandcamp There will never be another Harry Partch

That time Stevie Wonder got on the drums with Formula 3 in Italy

Here's Stevie Wonder jamming with Formula 3's Alberto Radius and Gabriele Lorenzi for Italian television back in 1970. 

Montreal's Myriam Gendron, Andre Ethier @ Collective Arts Tap Room, Thursday

Myriam Gendron gets geared up for her Danforth Music Hall event with Kurt Vile on Friday with a more intimate show Thursday.

Here's the scoop on her latest album Mayday...

Mayday is the third LP by Montreal-based artist, Myriam Gendron. It follows her earlier, critically acclaimed albums, Not So Deep As A Well (2014) and Ma délire –Songs of love, lost & found (2021). Prior to her debut album, Myriam's primary musical focus was busking in Paris Metro stations, performing the songs of Leonard Cohen and others, accompanying herself on guitar. 

Through her day job, working at a bookstore, Myriam discovered the poems of American writer, Dorothy Parker, who was better known for her cutting wit than her verse. Inspired by Parker's words, Myriam wrote music to accompany a suite of them, then recorded the results in her bedroom. These very recordings were issued as her debut LP, and continue to delight listeners who discover them, with their freshness, clarity and humor. Writing in Uncut, Tyler Wilcox described Not So Deep As A Well as, “one of those out-of-nowhere LPs that was so captivating, you couldn’t help raving about it to anyone who would listen.” 

After a hiatus, during which she became a mother, Myriam began exploring the complex folk traditions of Quebec, and recorded the 2LP, Ma délire. This project was begun while she was on a sponsored creative retreat in rural Quebec with her young daughter. Myriam had been inspired by the ways in which traditional songs from disparate cultures embrace parallel archetypes. The resulting album (part of which was actually recorded on the fly during this retreat) combines traditional and original lyrics (largely in French) with arrangements that make space for avant-garde musical interludes by such players as guitarist Bill Nace (Body/Head) and percussionist Chris Corsano. Like her debut, Ma délire has been received rhapsodically. In his review for Foxy Digitalis, Brad Rose writes the album, “is a complete and total triumph. There aren’t many artists who understand and can harness the immortal spirit that flows through traditional music like Myriam Gendron. For all her talents as a songwriter, guitarist, and singer, this is her greatest gift.” 

Mayday presents an even more syncretic fusion of the elements Myriam uses to create her sound. Most of the songs are original, sung in both English and French, and they blend traditional and avant elements with abandon. She is often accompanied on this album by the guitarist Marisa Anderson and drummer Jim White (Dirty Three), whose work provides a quietly aggressive sort of free-rock base. Additional players this time include Montreal bassist Cédric Dind-Lavoie (a fellow fan of trad/avant dynamism), Bill Nace and saxophonist Zoh Amba (whose horn actually gets the final “word”.). Mayday is a thoroughly thrilling effort that manages to create new vistas of sound while maintaining a feel that is both intimate and familiar. 

Myriam has privately described the mood of Mayday as dark, in part due to the fact it was assembled after her mother’s passing, but she is always capable of balancing and blending emotional content in a way that makes it ultimately hopeful. The music here certainly possesses a richly serious tone, but Myriam Gendron (like Leonard Cohen) is able to infuse her darkness with a subtle, powerful light that reminds us that even the most pitch-black night is but a transitional state. Beautiful work. 

Get a copy of Myriam Gendron's Mayday album right here. Tickets for Myriam's show on with Andre Ethier at the Collective Arts Tap Room on June 27th are available here. Check out "Long Way Home" and the spooky lullaby "Terres brûlées" followed by a 2022 Sycamore Session and a more recent chat with Vish Khanna on his Kreative Kontrol podcast below.