Thursday, April 20, 2006

What's Playin'

My strictly passing familiarity with Buck Owens' music sprang from two sources: Beatles' note-for-note rendition of Buck's "Act Naturally" and CCR's hippy-trippy "Looking Out My Back Door" (which - a terrible mondegreen - I first heard as "listenin' to Beethoven". Ludwig, Buck, forgive me.)

Lately, I've been catching up with his music and I now understand why Beatles and CCR were attracted to it. The lyrics, the melodies and that guitar sound are all so fresh and distinctive.

Salon.com featured him in their "Brilliant Careers" series, calling him the "Baron of Bakersfield".

It's kinda late, but RIP, Mr. Owens.
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A popular jazz compilation titled "The Best of Blue Note". Like the fishmonger and the "fresh fish sold here" story, the words "the best of" are superfluous. Blakey, Rollins, Coltrane, Hancock, Ellington, Basie....can it be anything but the "best of"?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah Blue Note. Lovely memories. Been there?

km said...

I *distinctly* remember straining to hear a solo pianist at the Blue Note one night many years ago, after we had spent 3 hours listening to a loud funk-rock band, from the front row, in a little place in the Village. It was like watching television on mute.

GhostOfTomJoad said...

Hey KM! Hell, I didn't even know that he had passed away...

wildflower seed said...

The Blue Note releases are absolute gems. I fondly recall listening to the Jazz Messengers with the trailblazing Lee Morgan on trumpet. Some of the best music I have ever heard. Happy listening!

km said...

Tom Joad: yeah, Buck's joined the great gig in the sky. Haven't seen you in a while. How have you been, man?

wildflower seed said...

Oh, by the way, Jack at Pound For Pound is uploading some Django Reinhardt tracks -

here :
http://poundforpound.blogspot.com/2006/04/django-reinhardt-paris-1939-1940.html

here :
http://poundforpound.blogspot.com/2006/04/django-reinhardt.html

here :
http://poundforpound.blogspot.com/2006/04/django-reinhardt-paris-london-1940.html

km said...

VB, need I say you just made my weekend? I have a 300 mile drive this weekend and Mr. Reinhardt is just what the doctor ordered. Thanks, pardner.

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