...to the Sublime

RIP, Gil Scott-Heron

The summer before starting college, I had an internship with the City of San Antonio Planning Department, where I worked with a guy named Andrew Cameron--the first New Yorker I'd ever met. Drew nicknamed me "Schoolboy" and teased relentlessly, but he also was a mentor and introduced me to the music of Gil Scott-Heron, who launched his career in NYC. That fall, Scott-Heron performed at the legendary Armadillo World Headquarters and Drew, perennially homesick, came up to Austin for the show. That's how music comes into your life--through friends and memories that remain vivid 35 years later.

Gil Scott-Heron died today at the age of 62. Thanks, Drew, wherever you are.

Download 07 Winter In America

I Couldn't Resist...

Hey everybody, guess where I am? It's really peaceful up here and there's a great wireless connection! And guess what? Open bar! (But can't find the bartender, so, right now it's more like hell.) And there's a jukebox, but it only plays this one song. Go figure...

Download 2 Heaven

 

Soul Brother #1*

The organization I work for is housed at NPR West, so there's the occasional celebrity sighting. I recently missed the Beastie Boys and Bootsy Collins--on the same day! (I also once found myself, uh, standing next to James Cameron...in the men's room.) And just the other day I walked out the front door and there was Raphael Saadiq, who I've admired going back to his days with Tony! Toni! Toné! ("If I Had No Loot"). I shook his hand, told him I was a big fan, and I've been playing his new album ever since. (Buy it now.) The highlight for me is "Just Don't," in which he channels Stevie Wonder. (I'd love to hear him cover "I Was Made to Love Her.") The song also features a guest vocal from another fave, Yukimi Nakano of Little Dragon. There's an asterisk on the headline only because Aloe Blacc also deserves to be considered the current Soul Brother #1. Either way, it's great to have both these fine artists on the scene.

 

Download 08 Just Don't

 

Happy Birthday, Bobby D!

Bob Dylan turned 70 today! But let's turn this post into Six Degrees of Leon Russell: Aside from playing bass behind Dylan at the Concert for Bangladesh (above), Leon also co-produced and played piano on Dylan's "Watching the River Flow." That was news to me until recently, but listening anew, that's unmistakably Leon's honky tonk style. And he also played piano on Badfinger's "Day After Day," which was produced by George Harrison. So, there. Rock 'n' roll class adjourned.

Download 1-01 Watching the River Flow

Still the Master of Space and Time

A few weeks ago, I noticed an ad for Leon Russell performing at the cozy El Rey Theatre here in L.A. quickly e-mailed a music-lovin' pal and we immediately bought tickets. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. Russell's piano playing on his recent album with Elton John was good, but his voice was just OK and in every televised appearance, he didn't say much. I was worried that the brain surgery he had last year had taken its toll.

And then, as the show approached, the ads were changed to read: "Featuring Booker T. Jones." I thought: Well, at least there's a great opening act. And, sure enough, as the lights went down, the legendary organist walked onstage first, followed by a few musicians, and then out from the corner shuffled in Leon in his trademark white hat, flowing white beard and aviator sunglasses. Booker T. wasn't playing before Leon, he was playing with him!

I couldn't expect to see the same Leon Russell who was such a force in the early '70s, when I saw him at least a couple of times, including as the opening act for Joe Cocker, post-"Mad Dogs & Englishmen." But his keyboard playing was great (albeit on an electric piano), and his voice was just fine. And he was engaging, telling a story about coming to L.A. in the early '60s hoping to break into advertising before he became a member of the fabled Wrecking Crew studio band. He talked about Gram Parsons giving him the top hat that he wore on the "Mad Dogs" tour. And he introduced his old friend and guest by saying he was fulfilling Booker T.'s wish to someday play with "a hillbilly band." 

Leon played many of his great, old songs, but the highlights were Booker T.'s exquisite solos on "Georgia On My Mind" and "A Song For You." But it was great to see Leon still rockin' and, of course, I've been playing all his old CDs ever since.

And get this: on 1975's "Will O' the Wisp," the backing band on a few of the songs includes drummer Al Jackson, guitarist Steve Cropper, and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn---Booker T.'s MGs! Here they are on a classic Leon pop masterpiece.

Download 07 Back To The Island