Pimp C, 1973-2007

I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Pimp C earlier today. Underground Kingz is among my favorite albums of 2007. "Like Houston in July, it's sprawling, steamy and imbued with a nasty funk," I wrote in my year-end recap. Rather than posting an MP3, as I ordinarily would, I'm embedding this YouTube version of "Living This Life." The curious may also want to view this set of promotional videos. Pimp C makes refreshingly candid statements at the 3:53 and the 9:10 marks. I suspect he lived his life with the same candor.

Willie Dixon- Don't Let That Music Die

Dead.

Oh, how I'll be mocked! I submitted my Top Ten Albums of 2007 list to the Star yesterday. It includes a blues release that is certain to cause guffaws of disbelief from hipsters and purists. But it's actually an exceptional document that serves as the last hurrah of several elder statesman. Against all odds, it doesn't contain a single Blues Hammer moment (relevant footage from :20-1:05). It's immensely encouraging that- even at this late date- the blues can still surprise. Before the blues was ossified into predictable formula, Willie Dixon's band recorded a couple dozen free-ranging sides that might seem totally foreign to contemporary fans of "the blooze." They include the delightfully hokey "Don't Let That Music Die" from 1949. It's found only on this exemplary out-of-print compilation, but Dixon's Poet of the Blues looks like it's almost as good.

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This set of Darkness On the Edge of Town songs by Patterson Hood significantly improves the quality of my life. The Drive-By Trucker gets deep inside Bruce's anthems. I imagine the jerks ignoring this brilliance as they blab at the bar were waiting for the Sonic Youth tribute act on the same bill. (Found via Aquarium Drunkard.)

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I wax nostalgic over one of my old haunts at Plastic Sax.

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Kansas City Click: Dead Rock West and The Knitters are at Davey's tonight. The last time I saw Exene perform in a venue this small was at a poetry reading.

Exclusive Interview with Frank Lee Drennen of Dead Rock West

There Stands the Glass conducted an email interview with Frank Lee Drennen of Dead Rock West last week. The California-based band's Honey and Salt is arguably the best roots-oriented rock album of 2007.

The band is currently on tour with John Doe, Exene and the rest of the The Knitters. (The tour stops at Davey's in Kansas City on Tuesday.) Dead Rock West travels to Great Britain in January.

Drennen seems annoyed by the tone of a couple of my questions. But what's the fun of an interview without a little tension? I put Drennen's best quotes in bold.


There Stands The Glass: I listened to the new release before I knew anything about your band. I was initially put off. It seemed too polished... Is there something to be said for young-and-dumb primitive rock'n'roll, or is
the music always better when performed by knowledgeable and experienced professionals?

Frank Lee Drennen: Rock and Roll to me means doing what the fuck you want to do when the fuck you want to do it.  If it's from the heart and honest in the moment you're in, it's rock and roll to me.  Some folks would disagree and want to discuss production values or the age of the performers, what they wear, how they move, if it sounds "raw" or "polished."  I don't make music to please others.  Mind you, I want to connect with people, but if I second guess myself and write or record something that is not actually coming from me but out of need for approval, I'm fucked and might as well get a job with health insurance and a pension.
 
This record was made with love.  We labored hard to make a record that
would be timeless, not flavor of the week.  Honey and Salt is not a
Pro Tools-manipuated, beat-detected, auto pitch-corrected Frankenstein
creation made "in the box."  These recordings were made by our own hands
and mouths.   We recorded it on analogue  2"  24-track-tape and mixed it
to half-inch tape using all mechanical effects. The songs came from
heartache and doubt and a determined hope for a better day.  This is
the very best we could do in the moment.  This record is meant to come
on slowly (if you give it a chance) and stay with you, in the mind and
heart.

TSTG: Out of the hundreds of live performances I saw this year, a few of the best came from veteran musicians. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think those artists are still on the road because it's in their blood, not because they need to pick up a check. I sense that Dead Rock West shares that sensibility.

FLD: Listen, we all gotta eat, but for me if the fire is gone.... I'm out; I'll
go be a carpenter.  Music is just another form of artistic expression.  If
passion and determination to express an ever changing personal view of the
world is non-existent, why do it?

TSTG: Cindy Wasserman's duet with John Doe on "The Golden State" is incredible...

FLD: Cindy has recorded on records for Rickie Lee Jones, Grant Lee Phillips and Mark Olson among others and I constantly get this question.  She is the best harmony singer I have ever met.  She has a born ability to meld exactly with who she's singing with, yet sound like herself.  She is amazing to me.

TSTG: What's your goal for Dead Rock West? What level of popularity to
you hope to achieve?

FLD: World domination, of course. :)   We write songs to connect with people
and want to do that with as many people as possible.  That said, we are
committed to being ourselves and not making apologies.
















TSTG: My favorite Dead Rock West song is "Pretty Disaster." I love... the way it recalls other great bands while simultaneously sounding brand new...

FLD: Thank you.  That is what I want to do, honor the past while making a mark uniquely our own.  We are all music fans and listen to many types of music. We never sat down and wrote a mission statement for the band, except for maybe two singers singing great songs.

TSTG: What's it like touring with X and the Knitters? Do their audiences automatically take to you?

FLD: Our first gig with them is tomorrow night, but I can tell you that touring
this summer with John Doe was a wonderful experience.  I was impressed
with how generous and open minded his fans are.  They are the best, loyal
and willing to go along for the ride as the artist changes.

TSTG: I find your decision to include a cover of X's "Burning House of Love" surprising. It seems like you're making the comparison to X too easy for guys like me.

FLD: The X comparison is obvious as we are a guy/girl duo like them, but we are decidedly more folk and country.  Know that I am a huge Byrds, R.E.M., U2 and Waterboys fan.  In my mind covering "Burning House Of Love" is not obvious.  But that is just my perspective.

TSTG: It seems like honest, no-frills roots rock bands like Dead Rock
West are out of style. Do you expect that to change?

FLD: don't understand.  Do you mean out of style with the charts?  I am a
music fan first and I can tell you the popularity of a style or band has
never never never influenced me to listen or to not listen.  Good music,
that is want I want.  It is what the world is screaming for.  I think
there are way too many bands that sound like a Pepsi comercial. That's bullshit.




















There Stands the Glass thanks Drennen, Alex Steininger and this photographer.

Clyde McPhatter- Three Thirty Three

Zero.

"You get a chance to mix with everybody/Nobody seems to care... Good times/Cheap wine/Young chicks/So fine... All shapes and sizes of women/Pulling on your sleeve...You'll get juiced/You'll have fun/Doing things you've never done." Now that's what I call a great lyric! Toss in the brilliant voice of Clyde McPhatter, a honking solo by an anonymous saxophonist and perfect backing harmony vocals and it becomes one of the greatest pop songs ever. The 1954 date was actually released under the Drifters name. It can be found on the marvelous The Forgotten Angel compilation.

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Snoop, I realize that the quality of your musical output has never been consistent, but I feel obligated to let you know that I was deeply embarrassed for you when I heard "Sensual Seduction" on the radio last night. Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss" is no longer the worst song of 2007. I will admit, however, that the video is awe-inspiring.

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Kansas City Click: Paddy Keenan plays pipes tonight at the Irish Museum in Union Station. You just know that'll be a blast.

The triple bill of Electric Six, Willowz and We Are the Fury promises to be one of the best rock shows of the year. It's Saturday at the Record Bar.

I'm still haunted by memories of the stunning Trio Mediaeval concert I saw last year. They return to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Sunday.

Dumptruck- Hung Out On a Line

Dried up.

Back To Rockville tipped me off about the forthcoming Big Dipper reunion. For guys of a certain age (ahem), this far more exciting than news about a reunion of the Police or Soundgarden. One of the bands in the Big Dipper constellation is Dumptruck. Their third album, 1987's For the Country, combines the familiar jangle of that era with accomplished roots rock. It's enough to bring a nostalgic tear to the eye of a geezer.

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Does anyone else remember the moment when it looked like Vinx was going to be the biggest Kansas City export since Charlie Parker? I guess Vinx was a little ahead of the curve with his jam-band tendencies. Instead of becoming a popular attraction on today's jam-band circuit, he's now living in LA and doing a slick cosmopolitan jazz thing.

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Kansas City Click: I'm always startled by how well Max Groove goes over with his audience. Some people genuinely love the smooth jazz thing. He plays tonight at the space currently named the Embassy Bistro.

Art Pepper- Darn That Dream

The dream is over.

I'm enthralled with the film memoir footage Laurie Pepper has posted at YouTube. As she told NPR, Art Pepper's widow has embarked on a unique approach to documenting the altoist's life. Even if you hate jazz, I implore you to watch this 30-second segment. Roots hero James Intveld plays Art. The altoist died less than three months after this out-of-print 1982 session with George Cables, John Dentz and Tony Dumas. The title track contains some mighty pretty playing.

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Don't let me or anyone else fool you. This video of Cash Money performing their regional hit "In My Chevy" is what's really happening in Kansas City.

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Even in the anything-goes world of music blogs, I feel totally isolated. Thanks to Largehearted Boy's best-of link-fest, I'm finding that my forthcoming best-of lists are distressingly unique.

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Kansas City Click: The biker rock of Frank Bang isn't really my thing, but I can wholeheartedly recommend his gig tonight at Knuckleheads to the thousands of Kansas Citians who live on a steady diet of straightforward boogie.

Big B- How It Sounds

Silence.
Beaten.

I prefer Budweiser to Heineken. A ticket to a Rob Zombie concert would make me happier than being guest-listed for a Cat Power show. And I know that Puddle of Mudd is a much better live act the Arctic Monkeys. While I dig folk singers from Cape Verde and noise out of New York's downtown jazz scene, I also embrace music enjoyed by my neighbors and co-workers. And it doesn't get more honest than the artist roster of Suburban Noize Records.

Big B's "How It Sounds," from 2006's Random Stuff, is a near-perfect pop gem about appreciating lyrics. If the deck wasn't stacked against self-proclaimed white trash like Big B, it probably would have been a hit. The video for "Hooligan" is an ideal summation of Big B's ethos. "One hundred percent natural born loser," Big B confesses. "But I've never sold out- not even once." I believe him. And so do the thousands of fans who are showing up to see Big B and the Kottonmouth Kings on their current tour.

The venues won't be packed with trendy kids or elitist music bloggers. The audience cultivated by Big B and the Kottonmouth Kings doesn't need anyone's permission to appreciate material like "Hit That," an unrepentant ode to getting wasted. It's on Hidden Stash III.

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Talk about random... The Donna Lee Saxophone Quartet consists of four post-bop jazz cats based in Croatia. And they're excellent.

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Kansas City Click: Vader, Abigail Williams, Malevolent Creation and Cattle Decapitation are just a few of the acts on Death By Decibels, the black metal tour of the year. If the surburban police department doesn't panic, the show will start at 6 p.m. tonight at the Mission Theater.

Cesaria Evora- Homem Na Meio Di Homem

Too much beauty.

Since I mangled my left knee on Thanksgiving afternoon, seemingly simple tasks like replacing a disc in a CD player have become a major challenge. So after about five consecutive plays of the new Jay-Z, I finally convinced someone to grab Sao Vicente for me. It's no substitute for Vicodin, but the music of Cesaria Evora can help ease the worst of pains. Elements of Portugese fado, Brazilian MPB, African rhythms and Italian pop inform Evora's sublime beauty.

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Until this morning, Taylor Swift was a shoe-in as my least favorite artist of the year. The kid's calculated insincerity really irks me. But then I heard NPR's interview with soprano Measha Brueggergosman on Morning Edition. "I think that music without drama or character is uninteresting and that's what I kind of like about this repertoire," she said of contemporary art songs. "It feels like it's an extension of who I am anyway." Ugh.

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Here are a few pictures I took of Millie Jackson, Floyd Taylor and Johnnie Taylor, Jr., at the Thanksgiving dance in Kansas City, Kansas. My pal Jason has his own take.

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Kansas City Click: I can't attend tonight's early show at The Record Bar. Because I prefer listening to noise bands in ten minute bursts, I might not suffer through The Locust 's entire set anyway. But I'd love to catch openers The Beautiful Bodies, Sleeping People and Yip Yip.

Millie Jackson & Isaac Hayes- If You Had Your Way

No way.

The annual Thanksgiving breakfast concert is one of Kansas City's best traditions. It usually features soul-blues artists like Z.Z. Hill, Clarence Carter, Marvin Sease and Bobby Rush. This year we get Millie Jackson, along with two of Johnnie Taylor's sons. I'm giddy. Every Jackson album contains wacky moments, and perhaps none is odder than Royal Rappin's. The 1979 collaboration with Isaac Hayes features a cover of Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time." It mostly concerns faltering relationships and the politics of sex, common Jackson themes. "If You Had Your Way" is a prime example. Hayes' exhortations are both amusing and convincing. Jackson is infamous for her vulgarity, but it's intelligent material like this that makes her an extraordinary talent.

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I wasn't tempted to buy Keith Urban's new hit collection yesterday. But when I listened to an e-card for Rhonda Vincent's January release this morning, I was struck by her wonderfully sympathetic duet partner on "The Water Is Wide." I was startled to discover it was Urban.

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My favorite rock star is Brandon Phillips of the Architects. So it's no surprise that I'm amused by his little conceit at Jason Harper's blog.

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Kansas City Click: Will anyone be at the VooDoo Lounge tonight for the John Butler Trio? (It blows my mind that this video is approaching two million views.) There Stands the Glass favorite Brett Dennen opens.

As noted above, Millie Jackson, Floyd Taylor and Johnnie Taylor, Jr. are at the National Guard Armory in Kansas City, KS, on Thursday. BYOB.

Kansas Joe McCoy- My Wash Woman's Gone

Dirty.

In the rare instance anyone thinks of Kansas Joe McCoy, it's probably either in reference to his wife Memphis Minnie or their 1929 recording of "When the Levee Breaks." Both are notable achievements. One In a Hundred, a collection of McCoy's dates, is packed with 24 additional reasons he should be more clearly remembered. This 1931 session with Memphis Minnie (I don't know why he calls her "Miss Sheila" on the recording; maybe he's saying "mis-treater." And for that matter, why does he pronounce "deaf" as deef"?) is so enthralling that it's somewhat surprising that a blues revival band like Led Zeppelin didn't cover it. Maybe it's just too dirty and too odd.

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Although I love pure pop music (regular readers already know about my weakness for Beyonce and Ashley Tisdale) the first 55 minutes of last night's American Music Awards was excruciating. After painfully pitiful performances by Fergie, Will.I.Am, Nicole from the Pussycat Dolls and Rascal Flatts, the Jonas Brothers seemed brilliant. That's when I turned off my TV.

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I enjoyed a Chris Cornell/Earl Greyhound concert over the weekend. My review is here.

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Kansas City Click: I called Jerry Hahn "an angry Jim Hall" at Plastic Sax. See why here. The Wichita-based guitarist is featured at the Blue Room tonight.

Ralph Stanley- Little Mathie Grove

Murdered.

I didn't hesitate to pay an exorbitant twenty dollars for Ralph Stanley's self-titled CD. It was the price of entry to a roped-off merch area where I had the honor of shaking the great man's hand. Along with artists including Alison Krauss & Union Station, Emmylou Harris, Ricky Skaggs and Del McCoury, Stanley was part of the 2002 version of the tour. The eighty-year-old visits a roadhouse in my town Saturday night. The ancient "Little Mathie Grove" is about a terrifying battle that concludes with a spiteful decapitation.

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I don't care about Hanson one way or another, but I'm very impressed by their charitable shoe walk campaign. It's a cool idea for the artist, their fans, an apparel company and the charity's recipients.

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Here's a damning confession- until I picked up Mothership earlier this week, I didn't own a single Led Zeppelin CD. I just never felt the need to replace my vinyl. I feel like a drooling 17-year-old miscreant again.

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Kansas City Click: Vanessa Rubin's elegant crooning comes to the Blue Room Friday.

It doesn't get much cooler than Ralph Stanley performing at Knuckleheads Saturday.

The People's Liberation Big Band gets anarchic at The Pistol Sunday.

Patti Austin- It Might Be You

Or maybe not.

I share Bob Dylan's infatuation with Alicia Keys. It's not (just) that she's pretty; she's the obvious people's choice to inherit the traditional R&B crown. Even so, I bought As I Am with minimal expectations. I'm not a big fan of the first single, even though I look forward to her next tour when I can sing along to the bit at 3:27 in the video. After a spinning it a couple times, As I Am sounds like a near miss. With a few minor tweaks it could have been in the same league as good-but-not-great albums by Stevie and Aretha. She'll get there. And while I'm sure Keys would object to the assertion, I believe she's already surpassed the fine career of Patti Austin. Big ballads like "It Might Be You" are even better when delivered by Keys. But if she hasn't already absorbed this recording, Keys would do well to study Austin's caustic spoken word routines on 1992's Live. Austin is a remarkably gifted comedian.

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My friend Corky recently posted a stunning set of photos of Billy Joe Shaver.

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Kansas City Click: Eric Bachman picks and grins at the Record Bar tonight.

Buddy Guy- The Dollar Done Fell

Deflated.

A few years before he was reconfigured into his current incarnation as a legendary "bloozeman," Buddy Guy made several tough recordings for the British JSP label. They're not life-chaning documents on the level of Hoodoo Man Blues, but they're essential for anyone wanting to know the man's whole story. This set, which includes the harrowing live 1979 session featured here, is the handiest way to go.

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The triple bill of The Hold Steady, Art Brut and 1990s is surely one of the most inspired I've witnessed. My review of last night's event is here.

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New local post-screamo supergroup Paper Cities sounds stupefying. I can't wait to see them.

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Kansas City Click: Try requesting "The Dollar Done Fell" at Buddy Guy's show tonight at the Voodoo.

Conjunto Agua Azul- Las Isabeles

Dried up.

Let's hear it for perseverance. With their twelfth album, Conjunto Agua Azul finally has a national hit on the norteno circuit with "El Diccionario". I love the chaotic celebration of their 2002 En Vivo. It's exactly how all live albums should sound.

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I'll admit that Regina Spektor buckled my knees a couple times last night. My review is here.

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I know at least of couple of There Stands the Glass readers plan on driving from Kansas City to Lawrence tomorrow night for the Hold Steady/Art Brut show. Since I'm not drinking, let me know if you'd like me to be your driver. I could pick you up at a nearby bar, or if you're planning on a truly massive night, just park at my home and crash in my basement after the show. You derelicts know who you are.

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Kansas City Click: MmmBop! Hanson is at the Beaumont tonight.

Zuzu Bollin- Rebecca

Farewell, Marchel.

At the pinnacle of the last great blues revival, Zuzu Bollin's Texas Bluesman was my favorite album. The core band on the 1989 session was the Juke Jumpers, an incredible bar band popular on the I-35 circuit from San Antonio to Minneapolis. But the final CD version also featured roots music stars like Duke Robillard, Doug Sahm and David "Fathead" Newman alongside Texas favorites including Doyle Bramhall, Hash Brown and Marchel Ivery. Ivery, a talented but largely overlooked Texas tenor, died eleven days ago. He was 69. (News tip to my friend BGO.) The Dallas Blues Society produced a fine documentary on Bollin. An Ivery solo begins at the 3:10 mark in this 2005 video.

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I watched much of the Latin Grammys last night. While I'm not his biggest fan, the night's best performance was by Pepe Aguilar. It's not up on YouTube yet, but the audience's response was not unlike the frenzied reaction in this insane footage. Forget what I said last week about Bobby Rush; this might be the best live music video ever. Aguilar just owns it.

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Have you physically handled Garth Brooks' new product? Ultimate Hits is really impressive. Its two CDs and DVD are contained spool-style in a single jewel case. It can be easily had for well under $20.00. The music industry as we know it would survive if more superstar artists followed his lead.

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Kansas City Click: Mary McCaslin plays a house concert Friday.

Chiara Quartet dares to enter the Brick on Saturday.

Come Sunday, Regina Spektor graduates to the Uptown.

Hank Thompson, 1925-2007

Farewell, Hank.

One of my pet theories is that the most genuine musicians- the ones who place music above all else- tour right until the bitter end. It doesn't matter if they're filling arenas or are reduced to playing in the dingiest saloons. They simply must keep performing. Hank Thompson was one of those. The 82-year-old honky tonk and Western swing star died Tuesday. "The New Green Light," an excellent kiss-off hit from 1954, is typical Thompson. The song is captured from an odd camera angle in this television appearance. Thompson's Vintage Collection is superlative.

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I intended to watch the CMA Awards last night, but I was distracted by Gardner-Webb's amazing victory over Kentucky. I did catch Taylor Swift accepting the best new artist award. The teenager really bugs me.

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The Star reports that the body of Dan Billings, the drummer for Missouri, was discovered last week. Missouri enjoyed significant regional success in the late '70s.

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Kansas City Click: Will Hoge brings his dramatic roots rock to the Grand Emporium tonight.

Edgar Winter- Treacherous Love

The danger has passed.

My previous post was the 500th entry at There Stands the Glass. Since the site's inception 24 months ago, I've never featured the same artist twice (excepting Porter Wagoner, who I spotlighted in a duet with Dolly Parton in June 2006 and upon news of his death last week). My self-imposed rule of never using material among Amazon's top 20,000 sellers has been broken only at the explicit request of labels and artists and when James Brown passed away. I've almost always written about music that I consider excellent. Until today. In acknowledgment of my dubious achievement, I'll willfully feature something truly wretched. I respect Edgar Winter. I even went to see him perform this summer. But man, Mission Earth is surely one of the worst albums ever released by a significant rock artist. The 1986 "collaboration" with the late L. Ron Hubbard is a fascinating case study in awfulness. "Treacherous Love" is the rock opera's best song, and everything about it is horrifying. Bonus points for the absurd album cover.

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I've never been much of a Jay-Z guy, so I bought American Gangster with low expectations. I can't believe I'm writing this: it's great.

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Jazz Times reports that trumpeter Donald Ayler, Albert's younger brother, died in October.

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Kansas City Click: I'm considering subjecting myself to what's arguably the best heavy rock tour of the year tonight- Otep, Hellyeah and Blood Simple are at the Uptown.

The Love Unlimited Orchestra- Always Thinking of You

Thoughtless.

As I stood in line waiting to enter Isaac Hayes' Friday night show, I noticed that a woman resembling "Mama" was engaged in an intense conversation with Bobby Rush's dopppelganger. (Best video ever, by the way.) I had to listen in. The woman had been comped her ticket, but she had no idea who Hayes was, and she was starting to get a little nervous about the composition of the audience. "Well," the Bobby Rush guy explained, "Isaac Hayes is kind of like Barry White." That didn't help "Mama," and I don't know if she liked the show. I did; my review is here. And as much as I also love Barry White's hits, orchestral soul doesn't get much better than White Gold, the 1974 release by his primary side project.

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Back when Kansas City had a handful of outstanding record stores, Saul Tucker was one of the characters who made them great. I hadn't seen him for well over a year, but he popped up ESPN on Saturday.

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Kansas City Click: Mr. Garth Brooks begins his extended run at the Sprint Center tonight.

Warren Zevon- Heartache Spoken Here

No more words.

I was disappointed the only time I saw Warren Zevon perform. The man seemed halfhearted and combative during the 1990 club show. The following year he released Mr. Bad Example. I wasn't especially impressed with it, either, but it does contain this fine slice of honky tonk. The guest vocalist is instantly recognizable.

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Crazy Horse. The Band. Billy Preston. Bonnie Raitt. It's almost impossible not to toss out comparisons when discussing Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. I caught their live show for the first time last night. Their opening set for Gov't Mule was so soulful that not a single Warren Haynes guitar geek threw a bottle at them. Even though Potter and her band are shamelessly derivative, they somehow manage to find new ways to make 1971 sound fresh and invigorating.

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"My Drank N My 2 Step" is on repeat inside my noggin. Please send help.

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Kansas City Click: Isaac Hayes is at the VooDoo tonight.

The Pitch has a nice piece about the Colt 45 reunion show Saturday at Knuckleheads.

Jay Reatard and the Pink Socks get sloppy at the Record Bar Sunday.

Peter Green- Honeymoon Blues

Peter Green- The Honeymoon Is Over

A great deal of publicity accompanied the publication of Eric Clapton's autobiography last month. Not to diminish any of Clapton's accomplishments or personal tragedies, but the saga of another British blues guitarist is even more harrowing. Peter Green's brilliant rock star days and recent happy resurgence are encapsulated by two videos. Get past Hefner's idiocy at the Playboy Mansion to see the cracks in Green's psyche becoming visible. And lately Green is playing impressive but somewhat unspectacular trad blues. His 1998 tribute to Robert Johnson is typical.

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I don't know why the cool kid music bloggers aren't losing their minds for Fourth of July. The Lawrence, KS, band offer outstanding post-Pavement melodic jangle and impeccable hipster cred. They can be sweet and goofy. Tim Finn wrote a profile of band member Adrianne Verhoeven for today's Star.

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Kansas City Click: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals open for Gov't Mule tonight at the VooDoo.

Grayson & Whitter- Ommie Wise

Killed.

I'd always loved Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "I Put a Spell On You." But when I heard it blaring through an upscale shopping center yesterday, I knew that its ubiquitous use as a Halloween novelty song had finally spoiled it for me. Here's something that continues to scare me- Grayson & Whitter's 1927 version of the ancient murder ballad "Ommie Wise." Its matter-of-fact telling and lack of a just resolution make it exceptionally chilling. Most of the songs on The Recordings of Grayson & Whitter: 1928-1930) are similarly spooky. It's the essence of OWA. If you can't get past the scratchy fidelity of the original recording, try Elvis Costello and the McGarrigle's version. Typically, Costello couldn't resist adding a coda. I can't really recommend it. Far more effective is this genuinely disturbing video set to Grayson & Whitter's original.

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A friend asked me to download a song from Amazon and burn it to CD a couple days ago. Amazon's system was seamless. It's no different than an MP3 blog, except for the credit card thing.

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Kansas City Click: My favorite night of music on Halloween was They Might Be Giants and Poi Dog Pondering at the Grand Emporium in 1988. It's not quite the same, but Shiny Toy Guns should make for a decent Halloween party tonight at America's Pub.

Porter Wagoner, 1927-2007

Farewell.

"My, we didn't know what lonesome was..." Porter Wagoner is in full Luke the Drifter mode on "Tomorrow We'll Retire," a song I interpret as a pathetic parental guilt trip. It's from A Rare Slice of Country, a collection of pre-fame radio shots. Sixteen months ago I wrote that "Wagoner gives me the creeps" and mentioned that I'd seen him at the Opry. Since I posted those unkind words I've invested more time in Wagoner classics like "Rubber Room" and "Sorrow On the Rocks." I have a new appreciation for Wagoner's musical contribution, even if, well, you know... Wagoner died yesterday.

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Here are my notes and photos from Joshua Redman's show Friday night.

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I don't know what to make of this odd clip of Elvis Costello singing "Happy Birthday" to Hilary Clinton. It came to my attention via C-SPAN, where I caught Hil waxing poetic over the friendship she and Bill enjoy with E.C. and Diana Krall. At this moment, the clip has only 530 YouTube views, but I expect that number will skyrocket as it becomes a controversial lightning rod for people of all political stripes.

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Kansas City Click: It'll take a certain state of mind to get up for tonight's event at the Beaumont. It's a Halfway To Hazard concert hosted by Chiefs star Jared Allen.

Joshua Redman- Count Me Out

Out.

I'm planning on catching Joshua Redman's show tonight. I pin a disproportionate amount of my hopes for the future of jazz on guys like Redman, Roy Hargrove and Christian McBride. If the music is to survive in a meaningful way, it's on the shoulders of open-minded musicians who know the tradition but who are also aware that hip hop exists. That sensibility is heard on Live At the Village Vanguard from 1995. I hear echoes of Coltrane, Jimmy Forrest and the Wu-Tang Clan in "Count Me Out."

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I finally listened to Prog last night as I watched Schilling defeat Jimenez. The Bad Plus' latest manages a very rare feat- it successfully brings big rock attitude to trad jazz. I try hard not to impose my jazz inclinations on others, but now I know what I'm getting my rock-ist buddies for Christmas.

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Kansas City Click: Joshua Redman walks a tight rope at the Folly tonight.

The Cult, Stone Sour and the mighty Drowning Pool join the freaks at the annual Freaker's Ball Saturday at the T-Bones stadium.

BB's Lawnside BBQ serves a double helping of the blues Sunday.

Steve Wariner- A Six Pack Ago

Empty.

When he ruled the country roost in the '80s, Steve Wariner wowed both country music diehards and unsuspecting pop music audiences with his strong vocals and prowess as a guitarist. Today, it's routine for country stars like Brad Paisley to play lead guitar while prancing about like Mick Jagger. It's a far cry from the statue-like stage personas of Haggard, Wiliams, Nelson and Jones. In this post-Garth Brooks era, of course, it's practically mandatory for Nashville cats to do it all. And Wariner did it all first. This mighty fine barroom weeper is from his 1998 Burnin' the Roadhouse Down comeback album.

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While in a retail environment for a couple hours earlier this week, I heard the usual innocuous pop music pumped through the store's Muzak-supplied system- The Supremes, Huey Lewis, Lifehouse, Destiny's Child and the like. I didn't mind; I often catch myself singing along. Then something unexpected happened. Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" popped up in the mix. Even though I've heard the song hundreds of times, it completely devastated me in this unexpected context. As I teared up, I couldn't decide if the music programmer should be fired or given a raise.

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Kansas City Click: Try The Kelihans at the Gaf tonight.

Lalo Schifrin-Magic Carousel

The ride is over.

Even at 75, the great film composer Lalo Schifrin continues to tour. He's responsible for dozens of melodies and musical gimmicks known to every Western consumer of movies and television over the age of thirty. The laughably groovy "Magic Carousel" is a crate digger's dream. It's from the outstanding score to Rollercoaster. Additional themes can be heard in this film clip from the 1977 thriller. Uh oh- I'm starting to get a little nostalgic for the '70s.

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I offer a list of the Ten Best Kansas City Jazz Recordings on my jazz blog.

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Kansas City Click: When checking ticket availability for tonight's Porcupine Tree show at the Uptown, Ticketmaster offered me a seat in the front row. It's $45, but I'm still tempted...

Cornelius Brothers- I"m So Glad (To Be Loved By You)

Glad No More

"Treat Her Like a Lady" and "Too Late To Turn Back Now" are familiar relics of the early '70s for listeners of "dusty groove" radio programs. Like so much soul music of that era, it's aging beautifully. The original song "I'm So Glad (To Be Loved By You)" is not particularly ambitious, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable today. In fact, it speaks to the quality of the group's output that such a strong song was released as a b-side in 1972. It manages to draw on both Curtis Mayfield and James Taylor. The Florida group's sturdy Classic Masters collection is loaded with similar throwback jams.

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As a music consumer hoping that the physical representation of music limps along for at least a couple more years, I'm mad at Coheed & Cambria today. The regular version of their new release is packaged in a cruddy paper sleeve- and it's a $13.98 list price! To acquire something that doesn't look like it was duped by your roommate, you have to pony up for a "Deluxe Edition". Jerks.

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Kansas City Click: American Catastrophe, Olympic Size and new act The Caves form a fine triple bill at the Hurricane tonight.

Noble Sissle's Swingsters- Characteristic Blues

No character.

Recorded in New York seventy years ago, "Characteristic Blues" is surely one of the oddest documents of the previous century. Between Sidney Bechet's showy introduction and manic closing solo three minutes later are unintelligible guttural shouting, weird vocal harmonies, apocalyptic lyrics about a bedbug and a bald head and- believe it or not- yodeling. The 1937 session is one of two dozen essential tracks on Bechet's Centenary Celebration. And if you're under the impression that jazz was never a cultural force, you simply must watch the bacchanalian freak show masquerading as his 1951 wedding party. I especially like the "long-haired existentialists from Paris" at the 25-second mark. I'd remark on the footage's elaborate romanticism, but this marriage didn't last long.

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I actually watched much of Next Great American Band over the weekend. The premise is promising, but the show was foiled by a lack of talent. I presume that "real" bands simply refused to audition for the show. It's too bad. In my town alone there are several mainstream acts- bands like Pomeroy- that wouldn't have lost any of their fans by participating. And they probably would have won.

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Paul Fox of the Ruts has died. Here's the video for "Babylon's Burning," their best known song. Paul Raven of Killing Joke also died.

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Kansas City Click: Joel Kraft and Emily Tummons get caffeinated at the Roasterie in Brookside tonight.

Lucky Dube, 1964-2007

Farewell.

I never saw Bob Marley perform, but I did catch Lucky Dube a couple times. The hard-touring South African was often compared to Marley. And he deserved it. His conscious roots-based music recalled Marley's positive spirit and his live shows were obvious tributes to Marley's legacy. Lucky Dube was murdered yesterday. "My Brother, My Enemy" is found on Trinity, a 1995 release issued in the United States by a Motown subsidiary.

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Kansas City Click: It'd be a really weird to see scrappy post-punk kids Flee the Seen at the swanky VooDoo Lounge tonight.

Iron your fancy pants- Miguel DeLeon's excellent salsa band is at the Madrid on Saturday. I'm not sold on the Police cover, though.

Seventy-four-year-old Lazy Lester visits the retro lounge inside Knuckleheads on Sunday.

Jack Wilson- Autumn Sunset

Night.

It's not difficult to imagine nascent rock'n'rollers, R&B and honky tonk musicians becoming increasingly agitated as they viewed Teresa Brewer's television performance in 1950. Heck, fifty-seven years later, it makes me want to break something. It's probably horribly unfair to Brewer to characterize her as the antithesis of Little Richard, Etta James and Chuck Berry, but what else can one make of this or this? Brewer died yesterday.
Jack Wilson, a sophisticated pianist who frequently backed female vocalists including Little Esther and Dinah Washington, died earlier this month. While there's minimal information provided in this budget compilation, Wilson's "Autumn Sunset" seems to be the title track of a 1977 solo album. It's soulful, immediately accessible cocktail jazz, sort of the middle ground between George Shearing and Ramsey Lewis.

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Deborah Kerr died Tuesday. In spite of my comments above about Brewer, I adore her in The King and I.

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I thoroughly enjoyed last night's broadcast of the Hip Hop Awards on BET. Even though I'm a Common fan, BET's point of pushing him front and center at every opportunity seemed odd and forced. To his credit, Common looked uncomfortable in the designated role of "not T.I."

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Kansas City Click: I associate the Static Bar with extreme metal, but Madina Lake and Powerspace are among the poppy bands performing there tonight.

Don Reno- Lady Hamlet

She left.

Don Reno's "Lady Hamlet" is another strong contender for the theme song to my next imaginary podcast. In addition to being an astounding example of expert pickin' an' grinnin', it's loaded with a sense of joyful anticipation. The instrumental is from an unusual project in which Reno's sons added posthumous backing tracks to a 1972 session. Keep in mind that the guitar wasn't even Reno's primary instrument. This clip from a 1962 television program is just one of many priceless Reno videos on YouTube.

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"Pound That Beer"! There's no doubt I'll loathe this new Mac Lethal song by the end of the year- it's an instant anthem here in KC- but right now I can't get enough. (Tip via JH.)

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While it lacks the element of surprise that made their previous effort especially welcome, Grace Potter & the Nocturnal's This Is Somewhere is still a fine listen. I dig the Blonde On Blonde vibe captured in the video for "Ain't No Time." Potter and company are currently touring with Gov't Mule.

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Kansas City Click: The benefit performance for Megan Birdsall's forthcoming medical procedure is tonight at Jardine's.

Close Lobsters- I Kiss the Flower In Bloom

Dried up.

I sometimes wear pink shirts. I also listen to Close Lobsters. So there. The Scottish band's jingle jangle speaks directly to the part of me that still remembers the thrill of holding hands with my first crush. "I Kiss the Flowers In Bloom" perfectly captures the wistful sense of romantic optimism that life stamps out of most people by the time they're 25. It's on their wondrous 1987 recording Foxheads Stalk This Land. Here's more twee goodness.

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Even though I'm not really a fan of Thrice, I wanted to buy their new release today. The handsome packaging is irresistible.

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Um...

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Kansas City Click: Oh my dear Lord. Anything But Joey are back. I don't know if I should celebrate or cry. I'm seriously considering going to see their show at Spivey's in Lenexa tonight to do a little of both.

Oumou Sangare- Nawo Nawo

No more.

Roy Hargrove, Charlie Louvin and Drowning Pool need to step aside. My new show of the year is Friday night's performance by Dee Dee Bridgewater and her group of jazz and traditional African musicians. I praise the show to the rafters in my review. Bridgewater is touring in support of the Malian-inspired Red Earth. It features Mali's star vocalist and songwriter Oumou Sangare. This song is from Sangare's 1993 recording Ko Sira. Bridgewater's new sound is more "Western" than Sangare's, but her performance still featured extended solos for the traditional instruments heard here. This rough fan footage from Europe more closely reflects Friday's concert than the polished footage available from her record label. Sangare joins Alicia Keys on "Fallin'" here, while this brief documentary clip offers insights into Sangare's connection to Malian culture.

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I don't have Vic Chesnutt's latest release yet, but my latest song obsession is "Band Camp" from 2003.

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Kansas City Click: Saxophonist Eric Person is at the Blue Room tonight.

Helen Merrill- Street of Dreams

Dead end.

I discovered Jazz Times's interactive "Before and After" page this week. My favorite feature of Downbeat magazine was their blindfold test, in which musicians were asked to identify and discuss music. Now the rest of us can play along with Jazz Times' version. Two things struck me in discovering that Karrin Allyson didn't recognize Helen Merrill- the 77-year-old jazz vocalist is far too obscure and that I'm also guilty of neglecting my stash of Merrill recordings. This wordly standard from 1996's You and the Night and the Music features Masabumi Kikuchi on piano, Charlie Haden on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Caution- it's not recommended for listeners on the brink of depression.

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I attended my second Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers' gig of the year last night. It's increasingly painful witnessing the charismatic star playing his incredible catalog to diminishing crowds. It wouldn't hurt so much if he wasn't so incredible.

The Alternate Routes opened. Their roots rock was quite good, although most of the Clyne clique seemed indifferent,

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I also caught Lori McKenna's charming in-store at a local Borders store today. It was a real treat. Here's a fuzzy photo. Hardcore troubadour fans will recognize that she was accompanied Mark Erelli.

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Kansas City Click: Friday: Davey's Uptown offers a solid triple bill of local acts tonight- Lights & Siren, It's Over (if you haven't downloaded "Hallelujah" yet, do so this very instant) and Whiskey Boots.

Saturday: "Hey kids, shake it loose together." Elton John breaks in the Sprint Center.

Sunday: The City Light Orchestra reunites for a jazz brunch.

Universal Congress Of- Stovetop

Adjourned.

Universal Congress Of's limited sense of funk was part of their appeal. It's as if Bootsy Collins was given only a week to prepare a hardcore band for a showcase gig opening for James Brown. When vocals don't interfere with their stilted groove, they evoke the soundtrack of an imaginary punk rock murder mystery. Perhaps it's perverse, but I continue to appreciate UCO and many of their '80s No Wave, pseudo-jazz counterparts. "Stovetop" is from the out-of-print SST release Prosperous and Qualified.

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Kristie Stremel finally has a song worthy of her sincere rock'n'roll heart. "Best Kiss" is posted here, as is a fine interview. Equal parts "Crimson and Clover" and "Even the Losers," "Best Kiss" is an immediately satisfying meat-and-potatoes gem.

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Kansas City Click: It's no secret that I love Roger Clyne, although "D-Backs Swing," a new baseball song streaming at his MySpace page, is entirely unacceptable. Clyne and the Peacemakers are at Knuckleheads tonight.

McCoy Tyner- Darn That Dream

Awakened.

Because I'm so infatuated with Robert Glasper's In My Element, I've been listening to a great deal of piano trio recordings. I want to confirm that Glasper really is all that. McCoy Tyner is associated with a far more ferocious style than Glasper's. But his playing is achingly gorgeous on this solo showcase from the 1991 recording Solar: Live At Sweet Basil. Tyner, who turns 70 next year, has a new album out on his own label.

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Unless you consider "stripper music" a category, this deeply disturbing promotional video for a local "gentleman's club" has nothing to do with music. But you have to see it. It's been years since I've been in one of these places; this video reminds me of what I've been missing. Ugh. (Link via Tony.)

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Kansas City Click: Interpol and Liars visit the Uptown.

Joe Grushecky- Love To Blame

Faded.

Of course I hold Bruce Springsteen to a higher standard. When a guy salvages your troubled teenage life with songs like "Adam Raised a Cain," you expect him to produce deeply meaningful music forever. Alas, that's just not the case with Magic. It's like a high school reunion afterparty with a few of your oldest friends. It's good to be with the guys again, but no matter how much you laugh that night you know that you'll never have as much fun with them as you did when you were seventeen. Here's the thing- if Magic was the new release by Bruce associates Gary U.S. Bonds, Southside Johnny, Garland Jeffreys or recent Bruce descendants Roger Clyne or Mike Ness, I'd reserve a place for it in my year-end top ten. After all, Magic sounds like the best record Joe Grushecky ever made. "Love To Blame is from 1992's End of the Century. Joe and Bruce team up here.

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I failed to mention Garth Brooks' amazing achievement yesterday. He sold 140,000 tickets to nine Kansas City shows on Saturday. Furthermore, he made a strong effort to work around secondary ticket vendors.

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Kansas City Click: I don't trust Nick Baker's list of influences, but the MP3s posted at his MySpace page exude a lovely Gary Burton-on-sedatives vibe. He's performing with the UMKC Wind Ensemble at White Recital Hall tonight.

Tennessee Ernie Ford- Milk 'Em In the Mornin' Blues

Soured.

Outsiders will no doubt find it hysterical that provincial in-fighting dominates the state of Kansas. Nearly every resident of the state identifies with either the University of Kansas or Kansas State University. KU is perceived as a snobbish home for the city folk of eastern Kansas, while K-State is derided as an agricultural school. Both generalizations are based in reality. I have KU blood in my veins, but I listened to the Jayhawk's heroic football upset on KSU's radio network Saturday. I can't bear the smug KU announcers, but I also laugh at KSU's cattle insemination and boll weevil pesticide sponsors. So here's a song my sad KSU friends can relate to- Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Milk 'Em In the Morning Blues." The 1949 recording is contained on Ford's excellent Vintage Collection. If Wildcat fans seek further consolation, they might try this Ford and Odetta duet.

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Do I dare go on one of my periodic metal binges? If I discover more bands like High On Fire, the descent into darkness will be worth the pain.

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Kansas City Click: Loren Pickford plays jazz at Jardine's tonight.