Category Archives: Rock and Roll

Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison

General Categories, Rock and Roll, , , , , ,

Simply one of the best love songs ever written, Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey is in a class by itself.

Van starts off saying; “You can take all the tea in China, put in a big brown bag for me…”

This live recording done in Montreaux, Switzerland features a killer sax solo by Peewee Ellis.

According to Wikipedia:

Ellis played with the James Brown Revue from 1965 to 1969. While with Brown he arranged and co-wrote hits like “Cold Sweat” and “Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud“. In 1969 he returned to New York City. He worked as an arranger and musical director for CTI Records‘ Kudu label, collaborating with artists like George Benson, Hank Crawford and Esther Phillips. In the late 1970s he moved to San Francisco and formed a band with former Miles Davis sideman David Liebman.[3] Between 1979 and 1986 he worked with Van Morrison‘s band as an arranger and musical director and then again from 1995 through 1999.

I’ve seen Van Morrison in concert and he is energetic and passionate. His music is like no other.

There is a certain amount of soulfulness that Van Morrison exudes. His music is magnetic and moving.

I happened to meet David Hayes,  who plays bass in this video in a bar once. He was playing in Jesse Colin Young‘s Band. He was friendly and open. as a matter of fact he explained he testified in court during Van’s divorce to Janet Planet.

Check out, Van’s greatest: Still on Top: The Greatest Hits
ikoni

The Beatles First Appearance on Ed Sullivan

Rock and Roll, rock and roll, , , , ,

iTunes & App Store

The Beatles on Ed Sullivan was a defining moment in Rock and Roll Hisotry.

Certainly Elvis, defined the 50’s. His appearance was very controversial.

The Beatles defined the 60’s. American music was never the same. And Ed Sullivan woud forever be linked with showcasing some of the most important musical acts of that decade.

But the Beatles were the first and they started everything that was to follow.

It was Sunday, February 9, 1964. First presentation of the Beatles in the USA. The Beatles were seen by 73 million American viewers. It was the highest rated show on the history at that time and remains one of the largest audience of all time. So that in the documentary The Beatles Antology tells how many streets were deserted and how the crime rate fell during the 60 minutes which ran the program.

You can discover incredible Beatles music, here:

iTunes & App Store
The Beatles. The band that changed everything, now on iTunes!

Or get all their magical music,

The Beatles Stereo Box SetBritish Invasion Rock Music CDs)

 

Summer Savings! $7.49 .com

Stop That Train…

Rock and Roll, rock and roll, , ,

I’ve been very fortunate to see some of the finest musicians on the planet.

Some of the shows have been memorable and unforgettable.

I was lucky enough to see the The Best of Peter Tosh. He was a fantastic artist.

Watching him give his all in concert was a true joy. He gave his all whenever he toured.

Here is one of my favorite tunes he played:

 

 

 

 

And it was always nice to see Jerry Garcia. You can listen to; The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 2: Let It RockRock Music CDs) to get a true sense of his music. Jerry paid hommage to reggae in many of his shows. Here is a great rendition of "Jerry doing Stop That Train".

 

 

Ah Rock and Roll memories!

 

Remembering Janis Joplin…

People, Rock and Roll, , , ,

Certainly one of the most amazing voices to come out of the sixties was Janis Joplin.

“Janis Joplin was born in 1943 and, by her death in 1970 she had really made her mark as one of the greatest artists of all time.” Rolling Stone

Janis was the driving force behind Big Brother and the Holding Company. Later she would form the Kozmic Blues Band and later, Full Tilt Boogie. Her voice was unmistakable. The power and force that came out Janis was simply incredible.

Janis won people over with her presence, her music and her soulful presentation.

Here is Janis preforming in Germany in 1969. What an incredible power.

Janis Joplin passed away at the age of 27, in October, 1970.

She truly was an original.

You can claim some of Janis’s music right here:


Подаръци

Greg Allman Interview

Rock and Roll, rock and roll, , , ,

I was fortunate to have seen the Allman Brothers Band early on in their career. The sweet guitas of Duane Allaman and Dickey Betts was something to behold. With Gregg on vocals and a killer rhythm section Allman Brothers Band
rocked.

Over the years I saw the band a number of times. as a matter of fact the first time I saw the Grateful Dead
, the Allman Brothers came out and jammed on the Dead’s 3rd set.

Astounding….in the heart of my soul I can still hear the strains of “Not Fadaway >>> Goin Down the Road Feeling Bad”. What a show.

Here is a great interview with Greg Allman:

Of all the Allman Brother Albums, without a doubt, this is my favorite:

Here is what the the Allman Brothers sounded like in their prime At Fillmore East
:

Little Feat and The Neville Brothers…Hey Pocky Way

Rock and Roll, , , , , , , , ,

Two bands that I have seen a number of times are the Neveille Brothers and Little Feat. Each time has been a memorable event. All members of these bands give their all in concert. Night after night. From city to city all accross the USA and the world.

While both groups have received a fair share publicity, they are both well out of the mainstream. If you are not familiar with them, I urge you to check out their music. You will be pleasantly surprised. And while their recorded music is good, they really shine when playing live.

Their music is spicy and complex. They share a certain brotherhood of the beat.

They both have incredible sounds and much of their music is based on complicated rhythms. They have it down. And when you listen to them you just can’t keep from moving and grooving. Little Feat’s rhythm section is bolstered by Sam Clayton on congas, Kenny Gradney on bass and Richie Hayward playing the drums. Little Feat is one mean rhythm machine.

The following video is from a concert in Montreux, Switzerland July, 8, 1990. The Nevilles were in town and decide to sit in.

The Nevilles spread the gospel of New Orleans music. And indeed each o their shows has a Mardi Gras spice to it. The Neville’s have been around for a long time and the core of the band is made up of brother’s Art, Aaron, Cyril and Charles. As a amtter of fact each time I have seen the Neville’s it seems there are other members of the family who join in and add to the musical gumbo.

You can visit their website and get more tastes of the Neveille Brothers, here. The sweet voice of Aaron is also a great feature of this band. But they do rely on the backbone rhythm in their music.

What can I say about Little Feat? One of the best Rock and Roll bands in the world. I did get a chance to meet the entire band during a concert at Virginia Tech in the late 70’s. But that story is for another time.
Grab some Little Feat music, here and Neville Brothers music at this link.

Here is a great DVD the legendary Neville Brothers are joined by an extraordinary group of musical guests for an exciting, once in a lifetime musical event filmed live at the famed Storyville Jazz Hall in New Orleans.

Discover some Little Feat at with this tid bit. One of my favorites. Waiting for Columbus:

Rock on,

albert

The Band and Eric Clapton, Further On Up the Road

General Categories, Rock and Roll, , , , , , , , , , ,

Certainly one of my favorite rock and roll movies of all time has to be: The Last Waltz.

The film chronicles the official last performance with The Band with Robbie Robertson on lead guitar. (The Band would continue for over two decades longer without Robertson, but that’s another story).

This was the last time the original Band members would play together.

The film was made on Thanksgiving Day /Evening by film legend Martin Scorsese. The concert itself was produced by long time band supporter, Bill Graham. Although Graham is given little credit for putting the whole event together. This party featured a Thanksgiving feast as well…

The list of rock luminaries performing was staggering. Many, if not all of the performers are now honored in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The format was for the Band to open and play a set. Then other featured performers would play with the Band.

This particular video features Eric Clapton,, with Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and Richard Manuel.

So let’s go “Further on Up the Road.” Note the blistering guitar solos by Roberson and Clapton. Simply outstanding…

You can grab you own copy of The Last Waltz right here:

Rock on…
albert grande
What You Think Becomes Reality

Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir Go All Night Long

General Categories, Rock and Roll, , , , ,

“We gonna pitch a Wang Dang Doodle all night long…”

I had heard the song a number of times, but I had no idea what it meant. One night at Hunt’s in Burlington, Vermont I got my answer.

Koko Taylor, had just finished a smoking set at Hunt’s closing with “Wang Dang Doodle”. Her band was heading outside for a quick break. As the drummer passed me, I asked him, What was a “wang dang doodle”.

“A fight” he answered. “It’s when a bunch of guys mix it up and start swinging.”

That song was one of Koko’s signature tunes. Now you know.

Here’s a great version with Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir on acoustic guitars. Bob Wasserman plays bass. Neil Young is playing harp.

The following was part of Neil Youngs annual fundraiser for the Bridge School.

 

enjoy,
albert

Got Your Mojo Working?

General Categories, Rock and Roll

Hey everybody has mojo, but not everybody is working their mojo…

Your mojo is who you are. It is the essence of you. It is your heart and soul. It defines you.

To really be in touch with your mojo you need to be true to yourself. You need to be real.

Your mojo comes through in your day to day activities with everyone you come in contact with.

Your mojo is your own personal power. It can move mountains and change lives.

But you need to get in touch with that mojo. Once you get your mojo working you will be unstoppable. Unbeatable. An irresitible force.

I got my mojo working. Get your own mojo working. Yes you can.

Let me share with you a little gem I discovered on YouTube. It’s the original mojo man himself: Muddy Waters.

I was fortunate to see Muddy play several times. Each performance was memorable and packed with energy. Each time I saw him, he was playing in small bars and venues. His presence was still incredible. you might have though he was palying for 10,000 people. Muddy oozed the blues. Muddy lived in the House of Blues. Muddy was the blues.

This is one of the most moving clips I have ever seen, recorded at the Newport
Jazz Festival, Newport, Rhode Island in 1960. Muddy comes out and does the tune. The second part of the clip is when he comes back for an encore…incredible!

One of my favorite performances was Muddy singing: I’m A Man, for the Last Waltz. The last waltz was an eclectic collection of musicians put together by The Band on Thanksgiving, 1976. The entire festivities was put together by Bill Graham and filmed by Martin Scorsese.

Respectfully submitted,
Albert Grande
Mojo Man in Training
How to Remodel your Kitchen
How to Make Pizza, Eat Pizza, Love Pizza
All of Hawaii’s Secrets

Eva Cassidy: The Most Incredible Singer You Never Heard

Observations, Rock and Roll

What can I say about Eva Cassidy?

Eva lived an all to brief life. She was a singer who was just starting to come out to national and International recognition when she tragically died at the tender age of 33 in 1996.

She did a few tours but mostly she played the folk club circuit in her home area near Washington, D.C.

Eva may have faded into obscurity if it were not for an English DJ who happened to hear one of her albums. He began to play her stirring rendition of “Over the Rainbow”, and immediately listeners began to respond. Eva was famous two years after her death, in England.

I first heard of her through Ted Koppel, when he featured the story of her posthumous success on “Nightline”.  That was around 2001. 

She is someone who deserves recognition. She has a sweet, voice. An angelic delivery. An amazing presence.

You can listen to some of her music, right here. Check out Eva Cassidy:

Regards,
Albert
http://pizzatherapy.com
http://pastatherapy.com
http://grandepublishing.com