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Get past the odd name of Portland band Y La Bamba and you'll find a cool outfit fronted by Luz Elena Mendoza, a bilingual singer who's the daughter of a Mexican immigrant. In English she sounds a little like Sinead O'Connor; in Spanish, like a sweeter-voiced Lila Downs. Their new album, "Court the Storm," was produced by fellow Portlander Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. And it's all good. Portlandia, indeed.
This long-in-the-works biography of James Brown has finally arrived--and it was worth the wait. Written by my friend, the much-respected journalist RJ Smith, "The One" is a deeply-researched and beautifully written book. It perfectly captures the complex, thievin', deceivin', walkin', talkin', contradictory genius that was James Brown. He went through musicians almost at the same rate as he went through women. One of my favorite chapters details the time when Brown's original band walked out on him while on tour. They were tired of the constant abuse, the low pay, and not getting proper credit for the songs they created together in the studio. (Brown could neither read nor write music and often came to the studio with just a riff or a rhythm in mind.) Knowing this day was coming, Brown sent an airplane to CIncinnati to pick up a band of young musicians who had been hanging around King Studios, where Brown recorded. That band was anchored by two siblings: the guitarist Catfish Collins, and his brother William--a bassist who later came to be known as Bootsy. And this was one of the first songs they recorded:
It was through the compilations of Brazilian music on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label that I first heard Caetano Veloso and I was immediately hooked on the beauty of his voice. Nonesuch Records started releasing Veloso's albums in the U.S., and every one has been a gem. Back in 2004, Veloso did a multi-night residency at Carnegie Hall and invited Byrne to join him for one night. It's unclear what took so long for the recording to be released (Byrne says it was "record business nonsense"), but nevertheless it has finally arrived and it's fantastic. Here's a tease:
I first learned about this young singer-songwriter from a recent New York Times album review. And then he happened to be perfoming last week at a nearby club, where I picked up his CD. And ever since it's been on heavy rotation here at Sublime HQ. For several days I wracked my brain trying to think of who this fantastic blend of folk-country-blues reminded me of, but no one immediately came to mind. And then it finally hit me: Ted Hawkins. Never mind that Bhiman is still in his 20s(!), or that his twang is a bit of an affectation (he grew up in St. Louis as the son of Sri Lankan immigrants!!), his clever, literate lyrics and great guitar-playing make him a true troubadour. This is my favorite song from the album. Love the tempo changes and the way he quotes Don Gibson's "I Can't Stop Loving You," which was made famous by Ray Charles, whose classic C&W albums I suspect Bhiman has been listening to. Anyway, buy this album. Now. It's great, beginning-to-end. Money back guaranteed.
A week ago, I had the privilege of attending the memorial service and concert for the great bandleader and musician Johnny Otis. After the service and a parade of speakers reminiscing about Otis (including singer Billy Vera and Etta James' son, Donto), the band started to set up. I didn't see anyone who looked like Otis' guitar wizard son, Shuggie. Of course, I wasn't sure what he looks like these days. My memories are of photos when he was a teen or in his 20s, sportin' a big Afro. I took a walk outside the Musicians' Union building in Hollywood and saw a familiar-looking thin man being greeted by several people. He was nattily dressed, all in black. He looked like a gunslinger. And then I noticed the guitar case at his feet. It was him. The legendary Shuggie Otis--now 58 years old. I could only stay at the concert for a couple of songs and left before Shuggie took the stage. Assuming he ever did. Word is that he is somewhat mercurial. But when I left he was sitting in the front row next to his mother, smiling as one of his sons, Lucky, led the band and played Johnny Otis' vibes. There have long been rumors of a Shuggie album in the works--he hasn't released one since the critically-acclaimed "Inspiration Information" in 1974. (His previous album included "Strawberry Letter 23," which he wrote and later became a huge hit for The Brothers Johnson.) But I just came across this single he released in 2010. Perhaps it's a peek at what's to come.