"Qualified" (Jessie Hill- Mac Rebennack) Dr. John and the Rampart Street Symphony Orchestra, 11/6/1973 LISTEN In November 2005 , I featured the incredible 1973 studio version of this tune; and although there is a different cast of players here on this live version from November of that same year, I want to testify that this one cooks very nearly as much. You can go back and read what I [...]
"Cool Turkey" (D. Malone) James Booker, Peacock 1697, 1960 LISTEN It being Thanksgiving Day, I thought I'd dish out this James Booker song with a foodish title (turkey is the meal of choice on this US holiday - deep fried whole sometimes in Louisiana - or for the vegetarians, tofurkey. Rather than referencing leftovers, when he chose this title, Booker, an incredibly complex trickster and keyboard virtuoso with a [...]
This week my old PC (piece o'crap), that I've been threatening to replace for years, finally crashed, necessitating that I make good on the threat. Meanwhile, I'm using my wife's more up to date model on a time-sharing agreement, until my new one arrives. So, life and blogging can go on (hey, it's a credit economy); and I'm back with a couple of songs and artists Mac Rebennack/Dr. John was involved with during the mid to late 1960s, when he was based in Los Angeles. Because many first rate New Orleans players (Plas Johnson, and Earl Palmer, to [...]
Here it is a week into November, already. I've been so busy, not only did I miss posting some Halloween-related music this year, but I almost forgot that I'm now entering my fourth year of blog-consciousness, having started HOTG in October, 2004. Amazing. I'm posting less than I'd like to these days, but feeling lucky to be posting at all. As some consolation, my tech-savvy and generous friend and cyber-guru, Jockomo, created the HOTG webcast this year, still streaming along at hotg.org . I add to that playlist frequently. So far, it's [...]
"Soul Train" (W. Quegergue & E. King) Curley Moore, Hot Line 901, ca 1965 LISTEN After a long search, I picked up this single a while back on auction for a very reasonable price (it can happen!). Although several earlier and later songs (and a TV show) had the same title, this is the original New Orleans "Soul Train", as sung by Curley Moore , and having nothing to do with Don Cornelius. [...]
Not exactly a household name, Denise Keeble was one of numerous artists that Wardell Quezergue's team at Pelican Productions worked with at the beginning of the 1970s. I have written about this period before, when Quezergue was doing virtually all of his studio work at Malaco Studios in Jackson, MS, while the basic nuts and bolts of pre-production -songwriting, arranging, rehearsal, and the like - were still being done at Joe Broussard's home in New Orleans, which served as the office for Pelican Productions. Some of the resulting recordings, mainly by New Orleans artists, came out on Malaco's own Chimneyville [...]
To me, one of the real perks of the blog has been connecting with serious fans of the music, some of whom are top notch players, too. That's how I originally got to know the drummer for Afroskull, Jason (a/k/a the Reaper), keeper of the Funk Files . We would make comments on each other's posts, email about dis 'n dat, and eventually met one day when were were both in New Orleans for some beer and conversation. About a year ago, he linked me up to some of the band's impressive [...]
I thought we needed something completely different to follow Willie Tee; so, I've pulled out four instrumentals from other parts of Louisiana, at least one of which is a mystery record. As always, if you have any information to add about these tracks at any time, feel free to put it in the comments or email me. "Rooty Tooty" (West-Webster-Prevost) Lonel Torrence, Zynn 1023, ca 1959 LISTEN [...]
After Atlantic's interest in Willie Tee faded with his record sales around 1965, he made a few more records for Nola and related labels * (Hot Line and Bonatemp) that achieved almost instantaneous obscurity. His inability conjure hits certainly wasn't due lack of talent, but I think had to do with his jazz influenced, more musically sophisticated style of soul that was somewhat ahead of its time. Added to that, the poor distribution of his releases and scant promotion did not help maintain his profile with record buyers and radio. The marketplace at the time was much more friendly [...]
"You Beter Say Yes" (Johnson) Willie Tee, Atlantic 2302, 1965 LISTEN This is the B-side of Willie Tee's final Atlantic single in 1965. I posted the other side, "I Want Somebody (To Show Me The Way Back Home)" on May 16. 2005 and have the audio link back in action there for a while. While I prefer that side for its funkier leanings, probably courtesy of drummer Smokey Johnson, [...]
As Red Kelly mentions in his new post at the 'A' Side on one of Willie Tee's collaborations with the Wild Magnolias, he and I stood in Lafayette Square in downtown New Orleans this past May during Jazzfest week and heard Willie Tee do a hip, relaxed set with members of Galactic backing him. Big Chief Bo Dollis, apparently not in good health at the time, joined him for some numbers, too. Although there were some technical difficulties with the keyboards and mics, Tee was in great form; and it was a pleasure to [...]
I learned today that Willie Tee passed away this morning, succumbing quickly to colon cancer that had spread to other organs. He was 63. People, please get a colon screening, if you are over 50. I'll link to an obituary that does Tee some kind of justice as soon as I find one online. From what I've experienced of his music over a long career, and learned of him from those who knew him, this man was a class act all the way. I am working up the first of a series of tribute posts on this truly [...]
Having to convey sad, tragic news about a New Orleans artist. But I want you to know so that you can send your best good energy, thoughts, and prayers to Willie Tee, Wilson Turbinton , who is currently hospitalized in New Orleans diagnosed with a rapidly advancing terminal illness. You may recall that Tee just laid his brother, Earl, to rest about a month ago; and I featured several songs in a tribute post about Earl that you can still access by scrolling down. So this is indeed a shock. A few days [...]
"Humpin To Please" (James Canes) Jean Knight, Ola 1-102, ca 1977 LISTEN For those of you who don't know or recall the reference in the title to this song, there was a large, national trucking company back in the 1960s and 1970s called Campbell 66 Express that had their slogan, "Humpin' To Please", along with a running cartoon camel, painted onto their trailers, as pictured below. You'd always see them out on the road. I'm pretty sure that's where the inspiration [...]
Well, here we are at the second anniversary of Katrina's Gulf Coast landfall; and the aftermath for New Orleans continues. Reading the news, there's plenty to damn and praise about the slow motion recovery, which should have been, and still maybe can be, a renewal and renaissance for the city and region. But, I'm not here to editorialize - just do what I do and play a couple of songs that struck me as somehow fitting for the day. I don't want to read too much into them and try to make them mean more than they do. But, as [...]
You know you're getting waaaay behind on your blogging when your wife starts telling you to get another post up. Let's just say some of my many projects are starting to sprout projects! It's getting harder to keep up. Somehow I manage to hold down a day job amidst it all. The Ms wanted me to put up something funky (that's my girl!); and, looking over my running list of prime candidates, I noticed two sides with nothing in common really other than they give good groove and sport some strange lyrics. Since I loves me some novelty tunes, I [...]
As promised, I've got a couple of examples of the late Earl Turbinton's alto and soprano saxophone work to offer in honor of his recent passing. For general details on his life, read the Times-Picayune obituary by Keth Spera. I'll just add a few more specifics as we go along. I am fortunate to have see Earl perform at JazzFest several times, including, I believe, his 2002 appearance shortly before his stroke. Onstage, he was an amazing presence in colorful African attire whose musical statements were profound and spellbinding. A [...]
While the recently departed Oliver Morgan was certainly a respected and, well-loved entertainer in his hometown, in terms of a recording career, there wasn't much of one. He made just a handful of singles, plus a couple of albums later in life, and was definitely a one-hit wonder - pretty much just a local one, at that. The song he is best remembered for is, of course, Who Shot The LaLa , which I featured almost exactly two years ago, just a few [...]
You read it right. We've got a big new webcast going on until further notice at our new HOTG station . Some months back, a good friend of mine, who is a fan of the blog, of his own accord set up a streaming internet test site featuring the some of the songs that had appeared on HOTG in the past few years and displaying my associated posts from the archives. He performed this amazing (at least to me) feat to encourage me to make the songs I've covered here [...]
Many of you may have heard already of the passing of Oliver Morgan, one of New Orleans's unique singers and entertainers. I'm off to New Orleans this weekend. You can read his obit here . I plan on doing another post on Oliver coming up. Feel free to search the archives for my previous one 'til then. Just put his name in the search blog box above. Also, I just heard last night that master jazz saxophonist Earl Turbinton, brother of Willie Tee, passed away yesterday after a long illness. I plan [...]
Home of the Groove
Bison - Quill
Neutral Milk Hotel- Aeroplane Over the Sea
Shinichi Osawa – Big Beach Mix 2012
Mr Fogg - Eleven
