A live performance from the 2022 "International Boogie Nights" festival in Uster, Switzerland. Worthy of a video.
Ladyva is a Swiss pianist, specializing in boogie-woogie, jazz, and blues. Born in 1988, she's quite popular on her own Youtube channel - with over 120 million views.
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Insect Trust - "Declaration Of Independence" 1968
Today's selection was inspired by several of Jean's poems.
A New York band of sorts, the core of the band to be left for San Francisco in '66, singing for gas and food along the way as the Solip Singers. They gave up heading west, the Solip Singers broke up, and returned to Memphis. The Insect Trust congealed in 1966 in Memphis and bounced back and forth between Memphis and Hoboken. During their "success" time, they fronted for bands such as Santana and the doors but eventually, personnel problems - drugs and business didn't mix well - led to the final breakup in Hoboken.
This cut is from their first, self-titled album. As one critic put it: "The album did nothing, sales-wise ... But what was really remarkable was that, somehow or other, the Insect Trust got a second chance a year later with "Hoboken Saturday Night. After the 2nd release, the band quietly fell apart bit by bit."
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Ragdolls - "Dusty" - 1964
The Ragdolls were formed as a "female Four Seasons" in New York by the producer of the Four Seasons. Dusty was their second release but their first (and only) chart breaker (Billboard #55). At a time when 4-track recorders were standard, this song was recorded on the second 8-track recorder in existence at the time; the other being at Motown. The group was a corporate entity; performers varied depending on circumstances.
I admit to having a taste for the "girl groups" of the early 60s; this was among my first 45s bought as soon as old enough to do so.
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: Jane - "Jane Session" - 1974
German "kraut rock". Jane was formed in 1970. This cut is off their third album, Jane III - "a scorching guitar blowout"
Wiki describes Jane as "Playing a melodious synthesis of symphonic hard rock, that has occasionally been compared to Pink Floyd"
Not sure I agree with that description, particularly "compared to Pink Floyd" but I like a fair amount of their stuff. This cut is a dual-guitar instrumental.
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection(s): Albert Farrington "Long Way To Tipperary" - 1915 Murray Johnson "Pack Up Your Troubles" - 1916
The guns fell silent at 11:00AM, November 11, 1918. Until 10:59AM, the battle raged on. The Meuse–Argonne battle was the primary involvement of US troops in the war, lasting from Sept 1918 to 10:59, Nov 11.
All their weary marches done, all their battles fought and won.
Long Way To Tipperary
Written for English music halls in 1912, it was adopted as a British marching song during WWI.
It's a long way to Tipperary, It's a long way to go. It's a long way to Tipperary, To the sweetest girl I know! Goodbye, Piccadilly, Farewell, Leicester Square! It's a long long way to Tipperary, But my heart's right there.
Pack Up Your Troubles
The song was written in 1915 by George Powell under the pseudonym George Asaf. It was written as a morale booster, encouraging recruitment. Its popularity was such that it became a favored marching song for British troops in WWI.
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag And smile, smile, smile. While you've a lucifer to light your fag Smile boys, that's the style What's the use of worrying It never was worth while So, pack up your troubles in your old kit bag And smile, smile, smile.
Both songs are strongly identified with WWI although the popularity of both went well beyond the war and into the 21st century.
A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today's selection: James McMurtry "Vague Directions" - 1990
James McMurtry (1962 - ) is the son of the author of Lonesome Dove.
This place you say you're looking for That's a place I used to know Don't know the number of the road But I can tell you how to go
Head on down 'till the pavement ends Used to go back there now and then I used to know it like the back of my hand When I was just a boy
This place you say you're looking for It's a good ways off the track It'd take a quarter tank of Firechief Just getting there and back
And of course there wasn't no pavement then Once you got yourself around that bend There wasn't nothing but the whistling wind When I was just a boy
And the light shines long ago On the cold December snow And the river runs on through the (golden) past I can see it in the bottom of the (whiskey) glass
Ain't seen you around here before You kin to someone I know What was your mama's name Before she moved away
Did she tell you about that place up there Did she show you how to curl that hair A grown man would have never dared When I was just a boy
This place you say you're looking for Might have washed out with the rain It might not be there anymore It might not be the same
But if you find it won't you let me know If I weren't so poorly I'd surely go Don't you know I used to love it so When I was just a boy
It's not a road anymore, just a path through the woods that have taken over. The old bridge is washed out near where we used to park and ... Even the abutments are gone.
For that matter, so's the bar with the whiskey glass.
And so is she ... and her name gone with her. From when I was just a boy.
A sample of some obscure – and some maybe not obscure – tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.
Today’s selection: T Bone Burnett "Shut It Tight" 1983
T Bone (Joseph Henry) Burnett was a guitar player for Dylan in the '70s, worked on several movie soundtracks, and produced the Alison Krauss/Robert Plant collaboration on "Raising Sand". Along with all the other work he has done: more producer than performer.
Shut It Tight is off the album "Proof Through The Night"
I don't like to win but then again I hate to lose And in between is something I can't stand I don't care what you think and I hope that you approve I am just an ordinary man
Sometimes I want to stop and crawl back into the womb And sometimes I cannot tell wrong from right But I ain't gonna quit until I'm laid in my tomb And even then they better shut it tight
