Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 31 May 2009

1		Steve Martin			61
2		Grizzly Bear			21
3		Gerry Mulligan Quartet			9
4		Kurt Vile			8
5		Chet Baker			6
6		Al Green			4
6		The Raconteurs			4
6		Antony and the Johnsons			4
6		Alex Chilton			4
10		Guido Möbius			3
10		Bob Dylan			3

Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 26 April 2009

1		Clara Rockmore		32
2		The Vaselines		19
3		Ben Harper		11
4		Robyn Hitchcock		10
5		Elvis Costello		9
5		Seu Jorge		9
5		Belle and Sebastian		9

5 Things About Clara Rockmore

1. Clara Rockmore (nee Reisenberg) started her music career as a violinist in Vilnius, Lithuania.  She studies at the Imperial Conservatory of Music at St. Petersburg.

2. She met Leon Theremin in New York in the late 1920s and she became his protege

3. She stood much closer to the instrument than any other thereminist-- which is impressive when you consider that you have to stand reeaally still to even play theremin.  Any fidgeting or flapping about creates "noise."  Clara could change pitch by moving her pinkie finger.

4. Clara declined to do the music for Hitchcock's Spellbound.  She and Theremin were both anxious to cement the Thermin as a classical instrument.  Neither one wanted to do anything that seemed faddish or "pop."  In later years she said, yeah,  maybe she should have done Spellbound.
 

5. You can also download your very own pdf of Clara Rockmore Method for Theremin In English, Spanish and Italian. 

Hey look!  It's Leon Theremin's patent for METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE GENERATION OF SOUND.

Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 22 March 2009

1		Nick Lowe		26
2		Seu Jorge		25
3		The Vaselines		13
4		Mose Allison		9
5		Antony and the Johnsons		8
5		Grace Jones		8
5		Martin Denny		8
8		Wanda Jackson		5
9		Todd Rundgren		3
9		Kate Rusby		3
9		LCD Soundsystem		3

Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 25 January 2009

1		U2		19
2		Paul Kelly and The Messengers		14
3		Ben Vaughn		10
4		The Soft Boys		8
4		Lloyd Cole and the Commotions		8
6		Antony and the Johnsons		7
7		Elvis Costello		4
7		Loretta Lynn		4
7		Sigur Rós		4
10		Ute Lemper/John Mauceri/RIAS Berlin Orchestra		3
10		William Bell		3

It was an emotional week.  I can't help being relieved and hopeful but I've also been trying to NOT be a big mimsy sap. 

Monday, while watching the “We Are One" concert I got big lump in my throat during "Pride (In The Name Of Love)."  So Tuesday I dug out some U2.  Grazing through all their years I was reminded why I just can't hate them.   When it should be so easy for me.  Bono has a big head, stupid glasses, and a line of designer jeans.  And he's preachy.  He's always been preachy, but when he was young and had a horrid haircut it was interesting.  Here was a guy that was our age who had read books and pondered intangibes and managed to craft a cohesive message within his art form. Now he seems like another well-fed old guy with glasses.

Then I listen to "I Will Follow" or "Where The Streets Have No Name" and all is forgiven.

Top Artists for the week ending

Sunday January 11, 2009

1		The Stooges		33
2		John Cale		29
3		The Magnetic Fields		13
4		Cloud Cult		9
4		Paul Kelly and The Messengers		9
4		Warren Zevon		9
4		Ween		9
8		Ben Folds		7
9		Bob Dylan & Johnny Cash		6
10		Johnny Cash		5

Unique Artists:	89
Total Tracks:	199
Total Plays:	230

Ronald Franklin Asheton July 17, 1948 - January 6, 2009

We are shocked and shaken by the news of Ron’s death. He was a great friend, brother, musician, trooper. Irreplaceable. He will be missed.

For all that knew him behind the façade of Mr Cool & Quirky, he was a kind-hearted, genuine, warm person who always believed that people meant well even if they did not.

As a musician Ron was The Guitar God, idol to follow and inspire others. That is how he will be remembered by people who had a great pleasure to work with him, learn from him and share good and bad times with him.

Iggy, Scott, Steve, Mike and Crew

-----------------------------------------

I am in shock. He was my best friend.

Iggy Pop

Top Artists for the week ending

Sunday 4 January 2009

1		The Magnetic Fields		23
2		Cloud Cult		16
3		Elton John		14
4		The Secret History		10
5		Big Audio Dynamite		9
6		Elvis Costello & The Imposters		7
6		Ben Vaughn		7
8		Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra		6
8		Robyn Hitchcock and the Eqyptians		6
10		The Smiths		4

Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 23 November 2008

1		Reverend Gary Davis		34
2		Keb' Mo'		25
3		Blind Gary Davis		24
4		Bill Withers		22
5		Charlie Parker		17
6		Cal Tjader		9
7		The Raconteurs		7
7		Celia Cruz		7
9		The Beatles		4
10		The Decemberists		3

At numbers 1 and 3 this week:  Blind Gary Davis, a.k.a. Reverend Gary Davis.

It had to suck to be a poor, partially-blind, black kid in Laurens, South Carolina in 1886.   But that's how Blind Gary Davis came into the world. When he first heard a guitar he said it sounded like a "brass band" to his ears.  He started playing at six.  It sounds like he was always in the Baptist church somewhere.  In 1940 Davis and his second wife moved to Harlem to a house where they stayed for the next 18 years.  Davis became a minister of Missionary Baptist Connection Church, where he also taught guitar. I can't say exactly when he went from being known as "Blind Gary Davis" to "Reverend Gary Davis."  If anybody knows, maybe you can help me out.

Besides being a blues and spiritual singer, Davis is know for finger-picking on his big-ass six-string Gibson. I lack the verbal facility to explain what's going on technically with the guitar, but the effect is that he's playing the melody AND the accompaniment.  With the folk-revival of the 60s Davis came to the attention to a whole new generation of white folks and he enjoyed accolades until his death in 1972.  His style has been an influence of a raft of blues guitarists:  Jerrry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ry Cooder, Dave Van Ronk, Bob Dylan, David Bromberg, Taj Mahal, etc. 

"Your forefinger and your thumb -- that's the striking hand, and your left hand is your leading hand. Your left hand tells your right hand what strings to touch, what changes to make. That's the greatest help! You see, one hand can't do without the other."

Enjoy a great example of Davis' style in the instrumental "Buck Dance' below.

Buck Dance

Reverend Gary Davis

Reverend Gary Davis, Miss Gibson, & a banjo

Thanks to Raleigh for bringing Reverend Gary Davis to my attention and The Irate Pirate at Wrath of the Grapevine for fleshing out my Rev. Gary collection.

And won't you be an outlaw for my love?

Top Artists for the week ending Sunday 9 November 2008

1		Big Star		32
2		Scissor Sisters		18
3		Professor Longhair		17
4		Bigg Robb		13
5		Ma Rainey		9
5		Big Audio Dynamite		9
7		David Bowie		8
8		Alex Chilton		7
9		Gogol Bordello		4
9		Professor Longhair & His Blues Scholars		4

Top Artists for the week ending Sunday

 2 November 2008

1		Professor Longhair		23
2		Dave Van Ronk		13
3		Cal Tjader		12
4		Big Audio Dynamite		11
4		Antony and the Johnsons		11
4		Big Joe Williams		11
7		Charles Wilson		7
8		Reverend Gary Davis		6
9		Professor Longhair & His Blues Scholars		5
10		David Bowie		4
10		Gogol Bordello		4

Henry Roeland Byrd (aka Professor Longhair, Bald Head, and Fess) was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana in 1918.  He began his musical career in New Orleans in the 1940s as a piano player and singer.  Though he was quite

popular in the New Orleans jazz scene his jazzy carribean mambo rumba style never attained widespread fame.  After moderate success in the 40s and 50s his career tanked in the 60s and he left music to work as a janitor.  He finally gained the notice of white audiences when the New Orleans Jazz Festival was estabished in 1970.  From that time until his death in 1980 he enjoyed the reputation of The Father of New Orleans Rythym and Blues.  Allen Toussaint, no slouch himself, called the Professor the "Bach of rock."  Producer Jerry Wexler said Longhair was the creator of the New Orleans piano sound. Professor Longhair paved the way for other great New Orleans pianist/singers like Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, and Fats Domino.