A Tribute to Alex Chilton

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While I l love a great deal of the music of Alex Chilton, I find it difficult to talk about it with any sense of authority. I even got to meet Alex a few times (unwittingly), but that experience did nothing to help clarify my thoughts, or to provide any sense of perspective. I guess I just ought to let it be said that Alex Chilton provided some of the musical high points of my life, while remaining one of the most mercurial – and often frustrating – musicians of his era. I was saddened to hear that he had passed away suddenly on March 17, 2010, but Heidy took it personally, as she knew Alex socially. This show is dedicated to a few highlights from his career, including;

1) The Letter – The Box Tops

2) Cry Like a Baby – The Box Tops

3) The Ballad of El Goodo – Big Star

4) Thirteen – Big Star

5) O My Soul – Big Star

6) Back of a Car – Big Star

7) September Gurls – Big Star

8) I’m In Love with a Girl – Big Star

9) Thank You Friends – Big Star

10) Holocaust – Big Sar

11) Make a Little Love – Big Star

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 13-19 – THE MUSICAL GENIUS OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG, PART 19

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When we started this series dedicated to the musical genius of Louis Armstrong, I’d bet that you figured the show would taper off toward the end, and we’d either rush through his later years, or the show might suffer from a lack of worthy material. This show belies any such opinion. I will go so far as to say that virtually every track featured in today’s program is the definitive version of that song, by ANY artist, in ANY era. The music is just that good.

I will admit that I did not foresee the likelihood of more than twenty episodes when we began. Now that I am digging deeply through Louis’ catalog, each era opens up before me to display hidden works of genius that defy my ability to comprehend how one man could stay so active for so long, while his artistry never ceases to amaze.

For shear diversity alone, Louis Armstrong is something of a miracle. His ribald and energetic early work stands in a class all its own. Today’s show also proves that he could also be sublime, when the situation allowed. There’s truly beautiful music in here, including;

NOTE – All tracks are credited to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, Unless indicated otherwise;

1) Isn’t This a Lovely Day

2) Moonlight in Vermont

3) Can’t We Be Friends

4) They Can’t Take That Away from Me

5) The Nearness of You

6) Intro / Gully Low Blues (Louis Armstrong)

7) Intro / I Can’t Give You Anything But Love (Louis Armstrong)

8) Autumn in New York

EVEN MORE ALBUM TRACKS FROM EARLY 1970

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This is our third and final show dedicated to album tracks from the first two months of 1970. Previous shows covered nine albums between them, so we wrap things up by making it an even dozen, focusing on another three albums from this extraordinarily rich musical era that have grown into classics.

Albums (and songs) include;

1) Cecelia – Simon and Garfunkel (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”)

2) Baby Driver - “

3) The Only Living Boy in New York - “

4) Roadhouse Blues – The Doors (“Morrison Hotel/Hard Rock Café”)

5) Waiting for the Sun - “

6) Peace Frog - “

7) And It Stoned Me – Van Morrison (“Moondance”)

8) Caravan - “

9) Into the Mystic - “

10) Come Running - “

11) Glad Tidings -

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 13-18 – THE LEGACY OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG, part 18

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For our 18^th episode covering the legendary life and music of Louis Armstrong, I allow renowned journalist Edward R. Murrow do most of the narration for me. This is an era when Louis Armstrong’s artistic and social relevance begins to become common knowledge, and his status as a demi-god in the world of jazz history starts to solidify. There’s plenty of information here, and plenty of great music to support the accolades.

Tracks include:

1) High Society Calypso

2) Edward R. Murrow Narration

3) (Back Home in) Indiana

4) Narration

5) Royal Garden Blues

6) Paris Interview

7) Narration

8) Louis on King George VI

9) Sly Mongoose- Louis in Africa

10) (What Did I Do to Be So) Black and Blue

11) Narration

12) St. Louis Blues (Concerto Grosso)

13) Narration

14) Louis Giving Advice

15) Now You Has Jazz

Low Rollers, Last Hombres and Other Characters – An Interview with Paul Schmitz

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Few musicians have the resume of Paul Schmitz; singer songwriter, bandleader with two successful bands, including a stint that boasted legend Levon Helm on drums. Back when Tower Records still existed (!!), I remember seeing the album cover for Paul’s band the Last Hombres in the shop window for months, and it intrigued me enough to buy a copy. That album was full of great songwriting and intelligent arrangements, and his new project, called the Low Rollers, is the logical extension of that project.

Today, we interview Paul about his development in the local and national music scene, his influences, etc. Best of all, we play a few of his tunes. Hope you enjoy the show. You can contact Paul and obtain his music by following this link - http://www.myspace.com/nud99

HOW MUSIC CHANGED, PART 13-17 – THE LEGACY OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG, part 17

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In the mid-fifties, Louis Armstrong was fighting for relevance with the music cognoscenti, and ultimately, he won. At first, it looked like Louis may become a footnote during the 1950s, but by 1955, he released one of the decade’s most essential LP albums, and even coaxed a hit single out of a dark German Music Hall number. Time tried to march on without Louis, but he simply did not let it happen that way.

Songs from today’s show include:

1) Otchi-Tchor-Ni-Ya

2) The Dummy Song

3) The Whippenpoof Song (or ‘The Boppenpoof Song’)

4) The Gypsy

5) St. Louis Blues

6) Beale Street Blues

7) Honeysuckle Rose

8) Mack the Knife

9) Tin Roof Blues