Whaddya mean you don't know Porky Freeman

Innovative Missouri-born guitarists/bandleader put out "Porky's Boogie Woogie On Strings" at The Rhythm Boys in 1944.

Midweek Mixdown: Danny Fitzgerald's Calypso Cruise 10

Check out a swingin' mix of rare gems by Young Growler, Lord Invader, Duke of Iron, etc from Danny's own stash right here.

That time Lord Invader sang "Rum and Coca-Cola" in New York

Here's Lord Invatder's performance of his calypso classic "Rum and Coca-Cola" at The Town Hall in 1946, hosted by Alan Lomax. 

Smithsonian Folkways reissuing Lord Invader's Calypso Travels January 31

Calypso fans will be delighted to hear that Lord Invader's album Calypso Travels is being reissued on vinyl from the original master tapes on January 31.  

Here's the scoop... Lord Invader was one of the most iconic and well-regarded calypso musicians of the mid-20th century. Coming from humble beginnings in the musical hotbed of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Invader gained notoriety for his unique voice and lyrical prowess. Calypso Travels, his final album released just before his death, was produced in New York in 1960 by Folkways founder Moses Asch. 
The album showcases Lord Invader’s talent for biting lyrics that reference contemporary happenings, such as the rise of Fidel Castro (listen below), his experience at the 1956 World Fair in Belgium, the arrival of the Little Rock Nine in 1957 desegregating the public schools in the United States, and his touring experiences in Europe in the 1950s. An icon of Caribbean music, and one of the major forces exporting it to the world, Lord Invader epitomizes the spirit of calypso – boisterous, acerbic, and joyful.
This reissue – remastered from the original 1960s master tapes, packaged in classic Folkways-style tip-on jackets with original liner notes – is part of the Smithsonian Folkways Vinyl Reissue Series, bringing to light hidden gems from the extensive collection and revisiting some of the most iconic and influential albums released by the label.

Whaddya mean you don't know Lord Invader

Where White went wrong with Wanda

Whoa, what a disappointment. Considering the exemplary job Jack White did producing Loretta Lynn's Grammy-grabbing comeback album Van Lear Rose (Interscope) back in 2004, it seemed like his pairing with the still wiry septuagenarian rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson was a can't-miss proposition but The Party Ain't Over (Third Man/Nonesuch) is a complete mess.
The big difference between the projects is that Jackson is an interpretive stylist rather than a singer-songwriter like her country counterpart, and also, Jackson was never anywhere near as hands-on in the studio as Loretta Lynn. Consequently White had to do more than simply assemble the band and serve as a quality control expert, he also had to choose the appropriate repertoire for Jackson and come up with suitable arrangements. Evidently White wasn't up to the task as his head-scratching song choices and the oddball arrangements ultimately set Jackson up for failure. It's now painfully apparent that he was unsure of whether to aim for the retro rock 'n' roll crowd, the old-school country holdouts or forget the nostalgia factor entirely and try reaching a new audience by remaking some contemporary tunes in a Wanda Jackson style. So instead of choosing a concept and seeing it through, White takes a scattershot approach, turning each song into a unique experiment in hopes that something might connect. Unfortunately nothing here really works.

The album opens with an effects-laden blast through Johnny Kid and The Pirates' Shakin' All Over and an equally over-egged version Little Richard's Rip It Up but things start to go pear-shaped with an off-kilter romp through Harlan Howard's Busted followed by a reggae-esque stab at Rum and Coca-Cola that's just plain goofy. Why anyone would think that Lord Invader's bawdy calypso about wartime prostitution in Trinidad popularized by the Andrews Sisters back in 1945 is due for an update in 2011 is beyond me (for the whole crazy story behind Rum & Coca-Cola see LINKS below). Sure Billy Childish once recorded a lame version of Rum and Coca-Cola back in 1988 but would White actually risk embarrassing Jackson by having her take a crack at the kooky novelty number in faux island patois just to one-up his former idol turned nemesis? Anything is possible I guess but whatever the reason, it's a terrible song choice for Jackson horribly realized.
Doing a song by Amy Winehouse isn't such a bad idea in itself but for 73-year old Jackson – who has been happily married to the same man for the last five decades – trying to sing convincingly about the sort of relationship detailed in You Know I'm No Good is more than a bit of a stretch. It also makes for an awkward transition into the holier than thou admonishments of Dust On The Bible. The Bailes Brothers' number made famous by Kitty Wells is one of the album's few selections the God-fearing Christian probably thought she could really get down with, at least until White decided that the country gospel classic needed to be retrofit with a booty-bumpin' funk groove. That doesn't come off any better than White's notion of revising Jimmie Rogers' classic Blue Yodel No. 6 (She Left Me This Mornin') with a clumsy gender flip or playing up the kitch value of Dinah Washington's Teach Me Tonight then tossing in an incongruously nasty guitar break as an afterthought. Why? Because he can.
Perhaps if White spent half as much time gathering appropriate material for the project as he did thinking up clever gimmicks to help sell the finished product – the limited fuscia-coloured vinyl version is being released with a special Greeting Card Gatefold™ sleeve design (see promotional clip below) – The Party Ain't Over might not have turned out to be such a laughable disaster. To find out just how awful it is, check out the fantastic 30-track Wanda Jackson compilation Queen Of Rockabilly – The Very Best Of The Rock 'n' Roll Years (Ace) which collects her most righteously raucous recordings for Capitol cut during the late 50s and early 60s.
Wanda Jackson will be appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight (Thursday, January 20) and on Conan Tuesday (January 25) accompanied by Jack White and the Third Man House Band.

 

Third Man Records promotional clip





Thunder On The Mountain by Wanda Jackson



LINKS
Third Man Records http://www.thirdmanrecords.com/

The intriguing tale of Rum & Coca-Cola