Greg Brown's ``Blue Car" keeps going and going and going...
``Blue Car" has Legs
Some Befuddled History: The first year
I find it difficult to believe I opened my Typepad account in December 2004. Much has happened since.
I opened my Typepad blog, when I learned of my early ``retirement". (I have a swell engraved silver platter around here somewhere.)
Initially, I only planned to blog for a few months. You know, hone my writing skills, then begin work on that elusive Great American novel.
The early befuddled days were fun. If I awoke with an idea, I would spend the day writing. If no idea was forthcoming, I would do some other house or yard work.
The first year was fun for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly because I did not care if anyone read what I wrote, and I wrote for my own pleasure.
During this early period I had a feature called ``Great Song".
My Eddie Tadross mini-review on 27 DEC 2005 marks the beginning of Tim's Befuddled Universe's middle period. Perhaps I will talk about that period on another occasion.
If I knew then what I know now, I would have started that novel on 3 DEC 2005, but then I wouldn't be where I am today. Time only moves in one direction, so there is no point in speculating on what might have happened, if I had made different decisions back in December 2005.
If'n I be somewheres else'n, I reckon it be bushels worser.
Greg Brown's ``Blue Car"
The popularity of this Greg Brown posting must have everything to do with Greg Brown, and nothing to do with me. First, as the British say, I was too clever by half. Second, my writing was muss-mouthed. Third, the write up is just a series of digressions. Where is the thesis? The write up seems fatally flawed to me.
So if my write was so bad, why has it had such good legs? How come so many Befuddled readers stop by to give it a view? Well, your guess is as good as mine, but I would say it is because people love Greg Brown, and people love the ``Blue Car" song", and even after all this time folks apparently still want to read about Greg Brown's great old ``Blue Car" song.
``Blue Car" Etc.
``Blue Car" is on Greg Brown's Covenant album (Red House Records). In addition to ``Blue Car", there are two other songs on the Covenant album that remain on my daily playlist: ``Pretty One More Time" and ``Blues Go Walking". (If you like mysteries, check out ``Rexroth's Daughter". Also, check out the version of ``Rexroth's Daughter" by Joan Baez. Her version is dark and deeply moving. See her Dark Chords on a Big Guitar album. On that album Baez also does a great cover of Greg Brown's song ``Sleeper".)
``Better Days"
I'm not complaining, but I'm looking forward to some better days ahead. With that thought in mind, I am closing this write up with a video of Greg Brown singing ``Better Days" from his Yellow Dog album (2007).
Be sure to see the episode that will first be shown on 28 SEP 2008*. This episode will feature a song written by a very good friend of Tim's Befuddled Universe, Jeff Laine, ``Jack Me Up".
``Jack Me Up" has been performed by both Jeff Laine and Solomon King and The Chosen. (You can see a performance of ``Jack Me Up" here.)
*This is Episode 4, titled Escape from The Dragon House. The scene: Sookie hears Hoyt thinking about how he misses Dawn and how scared he is to talk to her.
On 25 JUL 2008, a little birdie sent me early versions of the following King Solomon songs: ``Jack Me Up" (by Jeff Laine),``Who's Lovin' You Now" (written by Jeff Laine & Carl Hauser), and ``Love & Happiness" (an Al Green song).
The Little Birdie said the final mastered versions of these three songs would be slightly shorter than the versions I received.
Pie Pan
Weeks have passed since I received these songs, so you might be asking why has it taken me so long to mention them on these pages? I ask in return: Have you ever been asked to judge the quality of a pie?
My daughter is frequently asked to cook pies for picnics, potlucks, reunions, and other such gathers. My daughter is a dedicated dessert cook, so naturally she tests recipes. And she cannot complete the test of a recipe without the help of taste testers. As her father, I am conscripted into this arduous service time and again. There is no escape.
As a taste tester of pies, I have learned some key lessons. You cannot judge a pie by its smell alone. You cannot even judge a pie by eating one slice. The judgment of a pie is never complete until the pie pan is licked clean.
I can't say I've licked these three King Solomon songs clean, but I can say they're sweet and smooth with a nice crunch here and there, and I've lived with them long enough to know you will never experience that unfortunate aftertaste that some groups give you. Much like double-chocolate fudge with caramel and nuts, these songs prove that nothing is sexier than quality blues with double entendres.
Players
The players for the recording session were:
Solomon King — guitar/vocals
Drums — Ollie Brown
Guitar — Ray Parker Jr.
Bass — Reginald (Reggie) McBride
Album Release
I also hear tell that King Solomon and The Chosen is planning a little get together on 9 OCT 2008 at Whiskey to celebrate the release of their album.
What happens on Broadway doesn't always stay on Broadway; for example, ``Little Girl Blue"
BEFUDDLED HISTORY
Snappy Skedaddle Sacrament
I openly admit that I manage to make every category of error and sin imaginable. Whether they be transgressions of omission or commission, at some point I will find the way and will. The only offenses against man, nature, and social convention that I fail to commit are crimes that send chills of fear up and down my spin. I am a devout coward who knows no shame in the face of danger. When facing fear, I order an ardent and snappy sacrament of skedaddle.
It would be nice to have an assistant. Besides the issue of having adult company, it would be useful to have someone who could bop me over the head with a folded newspaper, and stick my head in it, before I sent poop out for public consumption.
But I didn't call you together today to complain (will maybe a little).
The purpose of this little gathering is to discuss the song ``Little Girl Blue".
My interest in ``Little Girl Blue" was recently renewed, when it was brought to my attention that I had not identified the composers of ``Little Girl Blue" in the Andrea Schroeder write-up. Not identifying the composers of the song was an egregious error on my part, and for that error (and others) I apologize.
``Little Girl Blue" refused to remain a ``show tune". Since 1935 the song has continued to be performed by singers of almost every genre. Among others, the song has been performed by Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, The Carpenters, Sam Cooke, Louis Armstrong, The Supremes, and Diana Krall. And, as I mentioned in my Andrea Schroeder write up, the song has been recently recorded by Tina Schlieske.
VIDEOS
Below there are two videos. The first is a video of Ella Fitzgerald performing ``Little Girl Blue" on Berlin TV in 1976. The second is a segment from a recording of a 1969 TV show called This is Tom Jones. In both cases, the taped television segment has been converted to digital allowing us to see Ella Fitzgerald and Janis Joplin sing ``Little Girl Blue".
In her version of the song, Janis Joplin does not use the original Lorenz Hart lyrics. I do not know if she modified the lyrics herself, or if she used lyrics modified by another blues artist. [18 DEC Update:] If I understand a Wikipedia article correctly, Janis Joplin used a 1958 Nina Simone version of the song, however Joplin did ``rearrange" some of the lyrics. I do not know if the information provided in the Wikipedia article is accurate, and the article is written in a convoluted style, so I am not certain if my interpretation is correct. I recommend you read the article yourself.
Ella Fitzgerald sings ``Little Girl Blue" on Berlin TV in 1976 with Joe Pass
Janis Joplin performs ``Little Girl Blue" from This is Tom Jones, 1969
Last Sunday, normally reliable, handsome, and charming sources reported to Tim's Befuddled Universe that Solomon King and The Chosen went into the studio on the evening of Monday, June 30, 2008 to begin a recording session ``with an all Detroit/Motown rhythm section produced by Sylvester Rivers".
Solomon King and The Chosen are scheduled to record the following songs:
``Jack Me Up"; a song that is also available on Jeff Laine's Long Way to Go album.
``Who's Lovin' You Now" (written by Jeff Laine and Carl Hauser; formerly titled "Who's Fucking You Now".)
``Addicted to Love"; a Robert Palmer tune.
``Love & Happiness"; an Al Green song.
The players for the recording session are:
Solomon King — guitar/vocals
Drums — Ollie Brown
Guitar — Ray Parker Jr.
Bass — Reginald (Reggie) McBride
Videos
For your pleasure, we have posted some Solomon King and The Chosen videos below.
The players on the videos are:
Solomon King — guitar/vocals
Drums — Mike Bray
Guitar — Johann Frank
Bass — Michael B Holden
``Cocaine Blues" by Solomon King and The Chosen
``Frankie & Johnnie" by Solomon King and The Chosen
Andrea Schroeder is... multitalented, charming, and beautiful.
Andrea Schroeder
Photo Credit: Markus Jäger
The Back Story
The Gist
Andrea Schroeder is irresistible. She combines amazing talent with a disarming charm.
Music, art, beauty, intelligence, and a bewitching magnetism, Andrea Schroeder has so many enchantments. With Andrea I was subtly disarmed, quickly beguiled; totally enslaved. I expect you might have a similar experience.
Counting Fingers
The story begins with a little tale about how I was introduced to Andrea Schroeder's charming personality.
The story begins. Per my recollection, I was introduced to Andrea's music, when I happened upon Andrea's Myspace page in October of 2007. (I'm not certain, but I believe Andrea had written a comment on someone's profile page that intrigued me, so I clicked on her icon.)
The story continues. Myspace has what they call "status statements" at the top of each profile page. These status statements are an easy way to either let people know what you are doing, or tell them about your current mood. You know, one can write things like "Tim is working", "Tim is sad", "Tim is Happy", or "Tim is eating a King Size Exxtra Grezzy Pizza".
But, wait! I decided I would be cute! (Attempt it anyway.)
How would I do this stupendous feat of cuteness, you ask?
In Tina Schlieske's song "Little Girl Blue" there is a repeating line that says, "Sit there and count your fingers".
Here comes the cuteness part. I thought it would be "ha, ha, funny" cute, if I changed my status statement to say, "Tim is counting his fingers", but I would wait to add the Tina Schlieske song to my player for a day or so. That way absolutely no one would know what the frak the comment meant. Real funny, right?
(Folks, I aint making this up. Nobody could invent stuff this stupid.)
Well, when I awoke the next morning, I discovered a most delightful comment on my Myspace profile page.
The comment contained the following message and image from Andrea Schroeder:
just a little help ;)
Andrea was generously offering me some help counting my fingers, and I immediately fell in love with Andrea Schroeder. (Photo credit: unknown.)
Photo Credit: Serap Demiryuerek
Andrea's Music
Andrea Schroeder's music is dramatic. As you can see from the label above, Andrea lists herself as a ``Folk-blues-world music singer & songwriter", but labels seem so meaningless. A local Bay Area reviewer said Andrea was ``earthy, evocative..." He could just as easily, as accurately, said she was ``urbane, ruminative..."
What I am suggesting is that Andrea brings a diverse range of influences to her music. Her fans, as well, come from a diverse group of musical genres; that is, folk, rock, jazz, gospel, blues, classical, etc. And they all are able to find their special nook of familiarity within Andrea's music. Thus the subtle seduction begins. She disarms you, beguiles you, then totally enslaves you. (At least, that was my experience.)
Everyone has a unique experience with Andrea Schröeder's music, because everyone brings unique experiences with them, when they come to listen to Andrea's music.
You need to listen to her music for yourself.
I recommend that you (a) click on the banner above, and visit Andrea Schröeder's Myspace page to listen to Andrea's music, and (b) watch and listen to the video below. Experience Andrea Schröeder's music for yourself!
Andrea Schroeder's Photography/Art
In addition to her music, Andrea Schroeder is a brilliant photographer. (Unless otherwise indicated, the photos used in this write up were taken by Andrea Schroeder.)
Andrea also has created fantastic artwork from her photos. Below is an example of one her creations. It is called ``Broken Wing". I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
STROKE FOUNDATION RELEASING COMPILATION CD TO RAISE AWARENESS: CD Both Entertains and Educates
San Marcos, CA, June 11, 2008 — Catherine J. Snow Stroke Foundation brought nine brilliant musicians together to sing for stroke awareness, and the result "Musicians For Stroke Awareness," is by far more than the sum of its parts. Each performer contributed an original song for this unique compilation CD, whose proceeds go to the foundation for stroke awareness and prevention. Release date for the CD is June 12, 2008.
"This project has been a long time in the making and a dream come true, to educate people about stroke in an interesting and fun way with original music", Cathy's Foundation Executive Director and Co-Founder Rebecca Snow said, adding "Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability, yet up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable. Music speaks to everyone and it's a great mainstream way for a small organization like ours to reach the widest audience."
The CD digipak includes a 24-page color booklet with stroke information and the song lyrics. A refrigerator magnet with the warning signs of stroke is also included. The CD will be available online for $20 from CD Baby at cdbaby.com and from Cathy's Foundation at cathysfoundation.org.
The two founders of Cathy's Foundation have a personal connection to stroke and a passion to make a difference. Rebecca Snow, who lost her mom, Cathy Snow, to a massive stroke in 2004 and close family friend, Rose Cancro, who survived a stroke in 2007, after co-founding the foundation.
Two of the artists on the CD also have a very personal connection to stroke. Gypsy Dave (David Washousky) and Alfred James both have parents who are stroke survivors.
Washousky's 57-year-old mother, Marcia Washousky, survived a massive stroke after doctors said she wouldn't live through the night. Now she walks two miles a day, has returned to teaching art and creates pottery in her spare time. The CD release date, June 12, 2008, was chosen to honor what will be the second anniversary of the day she survived her stroke.
Alfred James' dad, Dr. Edward Goodrich, was a surgeon at the time of his massive stroke at the age of 55. Now, at 82, he's healthy, volunteers as a patient advocate at a local hospital and the only sign of his stroke is a slight limp.
The idea for the compilation was originally inspired by Angela Ortiz, who produced and recorded her first CD entirely in her Brooklyn apartment. Her music and entrepreneurial spirit caught the attention of Co-Founder Snow. Snow contacted Ortiz with the idea and Ortiz immediately offered one of her songs and helped get the project off the ground.
Another artist featured on the compilation, Luthea Salom, spent many hours volunteering her time to design the packaging and booklet. Salom also helped the foundation co-founders navigate through the music world.
"We are grateful to all of the artists on the compilation, for genuinely caring so much about this cause and for the generous contribution of their talent and help in making this important project a reality", said Snow. Cancro added, "Throughout the production of this CD all of the artists have been supportive and have consistently offered their time and assistance. The artists on this compilation were chosen for their talent as well as for the passion they have for making a difference in the world."
If you'd like more information, or to schedule an interview with Rebecca Snow or Rose Cancro, please call Catherine J. Snow Stroke Foundation at 760-471-2769 or e-mail Rebecca Snow at rebecca@cathysfoundation.org.
The title above is mine, not Angela's. Perhaps you should ask Angela Ortiz, if she believes the big record labels are dead? Or maybe you could just buy her CD instead.
Today's blog originally appeared in the Angela Ortiz Myspace blog on 04 MAR 2008 with the title, ``It's a Simple Story, Really". Angela's blog (or essay, if you prefer) will be republished below, with permission, under its original title. I changed the title in my own byline to, oh, spice things up a bit.
Angela Ortiz
Photo credit: unknown
It's a Simple Story, Really
by Angela Ortiz
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Warning: Long post: New traditions
Check this out.
I
became a NIN [Editor: Nine Inch Nails] listener about 2 weeks ago (yes, I realize I am a bit
behind the times here). The discovery was totally random, and mostly
because of Johnny Cash. I happened upon his cover of 'Hurt', and knew
somehow (instinctively remembering a high school boyfriend who idolized
Trent Reznor) that it was a NIN song, so I downloaded that song. Then I
downloaded every NIN album I could find and waded through it all.
As
a musician within the culture of file-sharing and peer to peer
networks, I am faced with the challenge of distributing my music in
ways that help me eat and generally stay alive, and that don't place
the lion's share of what people pay into the hands of corporate
entities that truthfully have no interest in what I do (except in that
they can make money off it), or what people really want (except in that
they can make money off it).
Enter the new NIN album, released Monday, apparently out of nowhere.
NIN
has made it easy for everyone to get what they want. They've offered
the first 9 songs (the album is lengthy, totalling 36 songs) for free
on torrent sites (which, predictably, a mere 2 hours after the release
of the album, were offering the remaining 27 for free as well), and
asking for $5 more to download the entire album, which you can get on
Amazon.com (via TuneCore). This option includes a 40 page PDF file of
visuals to accompany the music, as well as wallpapers, icons, and other
graphics, etc.
But it doesn't end there, you can pay $10 and
have the 2 disc set sent to you, plus the ability to download the
album, while you wait for the physical copy (and the aforementioned
extras). Or, you can pay $75 for the physical CD, the extras, the
ability to download it while you wait, a special DVD, and fancy
packaging (for mega fans). OR, pay $300 (!) for a limited edition copy
including the best quality physical CDs, the extras, the ability to
download, the DVD, vinyl copies, other visuals, files for remixing, all
signed and numbered by Mr. Reznor himself (for extremely unbelievably
die hard fans, or the professional eBay seller).
You can also eventually buy just the vinyl, or just the CD in April in old-fashioned retail stores (via Red Distribution).
Blah
blah blah, I sound like a commercial. Why did I just go into all that
detail? Because I think it's important to know. I've been thinking
about this a lot lately, and I believe the key to getting out there
(and consequently increasing your demand), is to make your music
available in as many places as possible, in as many formats as possible
- variety digitally and variety physically. Don't want to pay for it?
Fine, here's a freebie. Like it? How 'bout paying a minimal amount for
some more, plus some extras. Really like it? How 'bout paying a little
more, for even more extras, better sound files, fancy packaging, and so
on and so forth. This method lets the fan decide how much they want to
pay, but it's better than the "pay what you want" scheme in that there
are definite amounts set, for definite amounts of music/music related
extras. Everybody can get what they want, at the level they want it.
There is no, "Here's the CD, here's how much. Like it or leave it." (Or
steal it...)
How cool is this idea?
Notice there is also
no record label present to syphon off funds that should be going to the
artist and her/his creative team. :-)
I wanted to point all this
out because I hear a lot grumbling about the music industry today, how
it is dying, how people don't place a value (at least a cash one) on
music anymore, stories about Minnesota moms being sued by the RIAA for
copyright infringement (to the tune of $222,000 - pun intended), and so
on. Things aren't decaying, the rules are just changing. Now it's up to
the artist (and their fans) to decide how they want to get their work
out there, and what method will work best for them, financially and
otherwise.
Everyone is saying how the old system doesn't work
anymore, and waiting for a new traditions to take shape and steer them
into some divinely conceived way of making money again.
Well, don't wait. I say create your own paradigm, be your own method.
I'm interested to see what's going to happen next, aren't you?
