Stephen Yerkey on Fog Town

The great Stephen Yerkey-a guy I met in SF who is the unknown Dylan-absolutely amazing and heartbreakingly deep shit.......why isn't he more well known and where is he?????? If anybody knows how he is tell him to get in touch

Mississippi Fred McDowell in 1969

This is a great University of Mississippi archive-really fantastic!

The Residents and Conway Twitty!

Indeed this is perhaps one of the weirdest pairings ever! From David Sandborn's great Late Night music show it's.......

Relearning math!

This is fun!

Teacher that understands how to create moments

This kind of interaction and explosion of fun and creativity is just the beginning. Web 2.0 savvy teachers and kids are not only using the tools to learn but learning the tools as they evolve to become more valuable members of the generation that gets to decide what to do with our aging asses!

Fun project and I bet thousands if not millions of classes are in the middle of a similar project as we speak.

Hip hop fractions

I really dig this and love the site www.teachertube.com. The tip of the web 2.0 iceberg in helping kids learn when they need it know more than ever.

Moving Sidewalks "Joe Blues"

This clip is of Billy Gibbons pre-ZZ Top band the Moving Sidewalks in 1968. Even then you could hear Billy's incredible tone and great choices of notes. When I saw this band at a Texas City High School CYO dance Billy did a couple of magic tricks and covered some Jethro Tull tunes!

Bill Lawrence at NAMM

The amazing Bill Lawrence in great form fooling around at his NAMM both. Leo Fender's early partner and a pioneer in pickups still active in products as well as a monster guitarist with a classic style I find close in many ways to Robert Jr Lockwood. I have used his products in one form or another for decades-the guitar I play live now is a "Bill Lawrence" style strat. I have no idea how old Bill is but he's spunky as hell-I saw him last year at the Blue Dog and he was incredible-really great.

Sonny Terry Hootin'!

The great Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee with Pete Seeger. On of a kind folk blues-the real deal.

The Egner! Chemistry for nails!

Great little video from some kids for their chemistry class. The "Egner"-funny to me since it's my real last name!

Google Maps is Evil!

Great satire of google maps by some young folks-really excellent!

Surprise Candidate for President!

Young Jimmy Rosenberg

As a child this guy was unbelievable........now only 28 hopefully he controls his demons and has the career he deserves-this is from his "comeback" CD-brilliant.....

Sonny Boy Williamson Bye Bye Bird

Stunning solo performance by Sonny Boy Williamson II (Alec Miller) in 1963. Great noir b and w film stock and Sonny Boy does his inimitable thing.

The Real McCoy's

This is the intro to a series on when I was a kid. The great Walter Brennan mugging his way through his golden years!

Peg Leg Sam Jackson

This footage is the only known of the last of the medicine show performers Sam "Peg Leg" Jackson. Performing with Chief Thundercloud this legend performed until 1972 selling "snake oil"-a practice that largely stopped in the late 40's. I rreplaceable footage!

The Shaggs! My pal Foot Foot

A high point in the avant garde or the low point of Western civilization? This is the Shaggs weaving their very strange magic.......

Richard Thompson "Beeswing"

My hero doing what he does best and no one else can do!

Cast Iron Stomach of Pepper Gomez

The late great Pepper Gomez was one of the first Latino stars of pro wrestling. He was a main event man at the Cow Palace and had many classic matches with Ray "the Crippler" Stevens. I got to know him after he retired and was the maitre de at Scom's on Fisherman's Warf-we used to gig at nearby Lou's. His main shtick was laying out below a ladder and letting guys jump on his stomach-ouch! From the 60's.....

Bill Hicks-oh hell yes!

The great Bill Hicks telling it like it is....

Peter Green at his finest!

The original Fleetwood Mac was a great showcase for Peter Green-in my mind a far better English bluesman than Clapton, Beck, page, etc. Sad his career and life were derailed for so very long-glad he's back although not the powerhouse he was as a young man. Perhaps his best number is this Duster Bennett classic "Jumping at Shadows"-check out his tone, phrasing, singing, etc. Greenie was the man in his day!

The originator of I'm So Glad-Skip James

As a kid I lived Cream and they did an epic rocked up version of I'm So Glad. He's a version by the great Skip James-on of the most unique and fantastic of all blues musicians. While Robert Johnson, Muddy, Wolf, etc. had imitators, Skip was so unusual that there is really no "school" of Skip James style playing. Dig this!

Big Joe Williams 1963

This is the blues-the great Big Joe Williams playing the real thing-mercy!

Joe Paquin and Jon Parry

My favorite songwriter Joe Paquin in a duo with the great Jon Parry at a Veterans benefit concert. How Joe is not as well known as John Prine or Townes van Zandt is a mystery to me-he' simply the most prolific and finest writer I've ever known or heard. Joe, John and I had a few bands together in the 70's, 80', and 90's and every gig was a thrill. Genius here.

Daddy Treetops

Dear pal Daddy Treetops doing his damn fine thing live in Seattle. I've known this raascal for over 30 years and he's the real deal!

Goofy cat stuff

This one has made it around the block but funny stuff for cat lovers......

Tad Robinson and Alex Shultz

A great live version of "Payback" by the Tad Robinson band featuring Alex Shultz. Alex is one of my very favorite guitarists and Tab among the very best blue eyed soul men around. Also on bass is pal Harlan Terson-I met him years ago in Chicago via Steve Freund. Great stuff here!

Is Italy a blues underground?

Dig this! Sonny Baby and her fellow Italians are very much catching the vibe from the early T Birds-cool stuff. The world is shrinking!

Commander Cody in Hollywood Boulevard

The Commander and his great crew including Billy C Farlow, Andy Klein, Bill Kirchen and Bruce Barlow do an update of Smokey Woods "Everybody's Truckin'" for 70's low budget click "Hollywood Boulevard". Classic!

Wicked Witch gets in a zinger!

Remember Margaret Hamilton? Sure you do-she was the wicked witch of the West in the Wizard of Oz. Here's a hilarious outtake from an appearance she made on Gunsmoke starring James Arness. Funny stuff!

Fireball XL5 Supermarionation!

The opening clips from 1962's kids chow Fireball VX5-filmed in "supermarionation"-marionettes in action. Dig the groovy soundtrack. Captain Kirk has nothing on these favorites! I can recall being glued to the set watching this as a new series back in the day.......yikes!

Alex Shultz and Bill Stuve

Dear pal Bill walking amean bass behind Alex during their tenure with Rod Piazza. Smokin' West Coast Swing!

Son House with Buddy Guy

A short but classic clip of an aging Son House performing with a young Buddy Guy. Wish there was more footage of this great event!

New Roy Gaines-smokin'!

One of my heroes is the great Roy Gaines. Here he is recently doing a great number with a band that includes my old pal Robbie Bean on drums. Robbie and I broke in the 21st century together at a gig in Jackson Hole, Wyoming! The great Bobby Welsh on piano as well!

Boo Boo Davis explains his name!

Fun live audio session on a European tour with James Boo Boo Davis who is a classic bluesman of the old school-a group whose numbers are shrinking rapidly sad to say.

Leon Russell and Glen Campbell -way back when!

Dig this 1964 footage of Leon Russell making like Johnny Depp and featuring Glen Campbell on banjo. Go Leon Go!

Joe Pass /NHOP duo-holy crap!

Joe Pass and Niels Henning Orsted Petterson playing a little Donna Lee........yowza!

Sugar Pie-Mercy!!!!

Not much needs to be said about this blues Queen-the great Sugar Pie DeSanto at a recent SF street fair. Her work on the blanket on an asphalt street defies her age which is uncertain but she had hits in the 50's........THIS is the blues-also some nice work on guitar by old pal Steve Gannon-this is really amazing!

Mr Cleanhead-Eddie Vinson sings and plays

The late, great Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson was a master of the intersection of blues and jazz. Here's a classic sample of his magical talents. He's the one who gave me the nickname Dick Deluxe when I backed him once!

Scotty Anderson-guitar genius!!!!!

The great Scotty Anderson having fun in the studio. If you don't know Scotty hang on-he's really the best!

Willie the Lion in the UK!

The fantastic Will "the Lion" Smith doing the Fats Waller classic Carolina Shout on a UK TV show in the 60's. The history of American jazz piano in 2 minutes-astonishing!

Snooks Eaglin-oh hell yeah!!!!!!!

The great Snooks Eaglin-one of my absolute favorite artists of all time ripping up the New Orleans classic Red Beans . George Porter Jr. of the Meters on bass, Kenneth Blevins on drums and Bonnie Raitt's pianist Jon Cleary. Dig Snooks' guitar technique-especially his right hand-incredible. One of the most underrated bluesmen of all time.

Ike Turner before Tina in 1959!

I suspect there's master's degree thesis in this clip featuring young Ike Turner and his Rhythm Kings on local St Louis TV in 1959. Note how Ike and the other black musicians are referred to as "boys". Note the whites only dancing in the studio. The hilarious kicker though is Jimmy Thomas doing Splish Splash and instead of getting out of a tub he gets out of washing machine-low budget! Has America changed much in 50 years-I think so.....

Ernie Borgnine on getting old!!!!!!!!!!

Priceless, instant YouTube classic! The great actor on how he's looks 65 at 91-go Ernie!!!

Doug Sahm in Cisco Pike

The late great Doug Sahm in the Kris Kristofferson vehicle Cisco Pike. Sort of playing himself.......the movie's kind of a stinker but this is the best part!

Dive bars in Las Vegas

Sick of blowing all the dough on fancy clubs you feel you are being put down in? Here's some of the Vegas I love! I play at the Double Down on Wednesday nights when I'm in Vegas and it's even dimmer than it appears here!

Ask a Chola!

This is some very funny stuff from the emerging underground phenomenon "Ask a Chola". Boy howdy!

Sean Costello covers Robert Ward

The late Sean Costello was an incredible talent who died way too young. This video is a performance of "Love is Amzing" by the legendary Robert Ward. Simply great.

Freddie Blassie twisting with Dick van Dyke!

A great gag from a 1962 Dick van Dyke episode. The great Freddie Blassie in his prime guesting on the sitcom and having some fun with the "twist craze" sweeping the country at the time.

Johnny Valentine in 1962!

When I was kid fixated on wrestling my biggest hero was the late Johnny Valentine. This time last year virtually no footage of him was on YouTube but seemingly the pile grows every day.

This is him from 1962 in St Louis and among the curios included in this otherwise desultory match is the crowd sitting around picnic tables (!!!!) and the inclusion of moonlighting baseball player Joe Garagiola announcing-poorly IHMO. Garagiola who later went to the Today show and became a national announcing icon also had another weird role in my life. When my grandfather died in St Louis I was wandering around the Kutis funeral home while my Dad made arrangements. I happened into a room and saw the first dead person I'd ever seen-Joe's Mom who was in an open casket......

Victor the Bear versus the Destroyer

A classic gimmick match between Dick Beyer (the Destroyer) and Victor the Wrestling Bear. It was taped in the 60's at LA's famed Olympic Auditorium and is narrated by Mr. Beyer rather hilariously. Even Vince McMahon doesn't attempt to book animals anymore!

Jorma's Fur Peace Ranch

I found this promo for the Fur Peace Ranch. My old pal John Hurlbutt was running a very cool record store in Columbus when I met him around 1994. He told me about Jorma Kaukonen from Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane fame opening a music school on a ranch in rural Meggs county. It's been going for many years now and happy to say John is managing the ranch and all are in good health. Looks like a great time!

Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins burning!

If you think of Jerry Reed only as a comedian don't forget he's one of the world's greatest guitar players. Here he and Chet Atkins do a little number and notice the great right hand technique used by Jerry-badass!

Robert Nighthawk on MAxwell Street 1964

The amazing Robert Nighthawk singing and ripping on slide on Chicago's Maxwell Street in the early 60's. The singing and slide playing are everything great blues is about-simply stunning. The dancing and the scene are long gone but the influence of this music lives on.

Otis Rush-THIS is slow blues......

Introduced by the great Roosevelt Sykes, a young and pompadoured Otis Rush kills on "I Can't Quit You Baby" later covered by Led Zeppelin. I love Zep but I doubt Plant or Page could ever come up with anything this deep-this is truly incredible. The great Dave Myers on bass, Fred Below on drums and wow.........

Percy Mayfield at home

Blues pianist Mark Naftalin produced a great documentary of his friend and mentor Percy Mayfield and this scene is priceless. In addition to a casual run through of his hit for Ray Charles "Hit the Road Jack", Percy slips into the kitchen for a little "milk"! Great stuff from the poet of the blues!

JB Lenoir in Chicago 1965!

Part of an amazing documentary by the great Swedish artists Steve and Ronnag Seaburg on blues great JB Lenoir. JB is clearly amused by the translation for the Swedish audience being done by Ronnag who has become a noted avant garde poet as well as filmmaker. Thanks to their relationship with JB and further films including trips to Sweden their is great archival footage of this mostly forgotten blues great.

Joe Sullivan-the stride piano king!

Here's the great Joe Sullivan the great stride jazz pianist playing and chatting with Ralph Gleason the esteemed SF critic and TV host. Some fantastic playing and few funny stories.

Mr Excitement-Jackie Wilson!!!!!!!!!!!

Hank Ballard told me that one thing to be sure to avoid when on a package show was to go after Jackie Wilson. When Hank and James Brown would tour together during their years on Federal/King records, they always studied Jackie's every move. Here's "Mr Excitement" on the old Shindig show.........think Michael Jackson did a little studying as well?

Coltrane on paper!

Somebody went to a lot of work to sync this transcription to the music-fun stuff! The great Coltrane composition and recording of Giant Steps!

The Genuis of Jaco and Toots!!! Wow!

The late Jaco Pastorius and the Belgian guitar/harmonica wizard Toots Theilemans had a magical friendship and together an amazing musical bond. This clip features Jaco on piano in a duet with Toots on Jaco's beautiful "Three Views From a Secret".

Note to all "harmonica owners" and players-this is the potential of your instrument! And you should hear the man play guitar.......

Lonnie Johnson-the real deal blues!

The late Lonnie Johnson remains one of my all time favorites and this clip is a particularly great example of the master in his later years. Notice Willie Dixon on bass backing him up! As good as it gets!

Happy 90th Hank Jones!! The jazz piano master!

A happy 90th to Hank Jones, the classy jazz master from Detroit and surviving member of the incredible Jones clan (Elvin, Thad......wow!). Here is a sublime duo with the great Joe Lovano.....

AquaHo-short film by Jim Swanson

This short film includes among others, your truly in a cameo as a crooked politician. My pal Jim Swanson-best known as one of the founders of the Critical Mass movement-wrote and directed this scathing vignette on the water rights issue.

We trekked to Happy Camp, California (Big Foot country near the Oregon border-"off the grid") for the shoot and had a great time. I hooked Jim up with my pal Richard Marriott for the main soundtrack and I played a guitar track for a folk tune that's also in this short.

Might be the last time I climbed into a suit!

The Genius of Phineas Newborn Jr.

Lush Life and some ravel thrown in for good measure by the great Phineas Newborn Jr.-my favorite pianist.

Eva Cassidy phenomenon on Nightline

I first heard of Eva Cassidy via my pal Mac Cridlin who played with her in the D.C. area where she spent her career. She was a genius vocalist and song interpretor whose genuine humility and beauty shine through in each performance.

Tragically she died a virtual unknown at age 33. Several years after her death she began gaining recognition in England and these clips tell the story. I can't recommend her music too highly.

Freddie King plays the Travis county Jail!

The great Freddie King in a rare instance playing an acoustic guitar plays for the prisoners in the county jail during and Austin visit in the 1970's. As always Freddie rips!

Johnny Cash and Opie in a stinker!

This trailer is from Johnny Cash's acting debut............ouch. Careful he's not just a singer he's a Door to Door Maniac!

A Hot Dog makes her lose control.....Patty Duke

Somebody recently bet me I was wrong when I claimed that the line "Patty likes to rock and roll, a hot dog makes her lose control" was part of the intro to her 60's series. Thanks to the bottomless pit of trivia now available I can collect!

Lucha VaVoom!!!!!! Wrestling meets burlesque!

A craze in recent years on the West Coast has been the hybrid of lucha libre style pro wrestling mixed with burlesque and punk rock/hip hop music.

In Sf they called it Incredibly Strange Wrestling and the promoters ingeniously thought of passing out tortillas to ticket holders to throw at the participants and each other. Here in LA there is the fantastic troupe Lucha VaVoom and it's wildly entertaining. Here's a sample!

Howlin' Wolf sums it all up!

The great Howlin' Wolf explains the blues in a short clip from the early 60's!

Buddy Rich vs Animal-epic drum battle!

The great drummer Buddy Rich in an epic duel with the Muppets' Animal! Oh yeah!

Texas City Disaster of 1947............

I had a nomadic childhood ranging from Ashland, Wisconsin, to Miami, Florida, to Morganton, North Carolina to Texas City, Texas. I went to High School and Junior College in Texas City and it was such a pivotal time in my life I still consider myself a Texan despite living over 25 years in California.

The ultimate blue collar town, Texas City has some of the hottest and most humid weather imaginable and at least when I was there among the fewest aesthetics of any sort of anywhere I've ever been.

There was a pretty large explosion I witnessed in 9th grade in which both of my parents suffered minor injuries. But that was nothing compared to the big daddy of all American industrial accidents.

Stan Freberg-Geno's Pizza Rolls Commercials

One of the very best things about YouTube is nearly everything I can recall that w3as on TV as a kid has a snippet posted. I got to thinking about the old Geno's Pizza Rolls commercials by funnyman Stan Freberg and sure enough.......

Etta Baker at home (at 91)

The great Piedmont guitarist Etta Baker is featured here in a clip from a Kenny Wayne Sheppard DVD. The setting is her home in Morganton, North Carolina and begins by showcasing her beloved garden. When I was in 6th grade we moved from Miami to outside of Morganton where my Dad taught for several years at Western Piedmont Community College. I recall seeing Ms Baker perform at the college on a program that also featured my Dad's jazz group-this must have been about 1968.

Etta passed not too long after this segment was filmed and her passing signaled perhaps the last of the original Piedmont blues practitioners. Kenny is kind of stepping on her in the video so I would recommend a google search of her to listen to the real deal. My favorite release is her "One Dime Blues".

Captain Beefheart Interview...grainy!

Not sure the year but must be early 70's era Beefheart. I was initially aware of Beefheart via Trout Mask Replica and his live record with Zappa (he is credited with playing "shopping bags" on it!).

My main interest in this is the bass player Eric Drew Feldman with whom I played in Clubfoot Orchestra and a couple of Snakefinger side projects. Eric's a great guy and has gone on to work with Frank Black, Polly Harvey and many others.

I think Beefheart is always putting people on and I don't think of him as a blues artist, but he does a great job of shaking up the status quo and his fans think him a major figure in music and art.

Cowboy Louis Jordan! Only in the USA.......

Here's a little clip of the great Louis Jordan doing "Early in the Morning" in one the late 40's "blacksploitation" film featuring shoot 'em up Western with all back casts.

????????? I suppose with the success of singing cowboy's like Tom Mix, Tex Ritter and Roy Rogers, it seemed natural for Hollywood to create copycat movies during those segregated times. In addition to Louis, the great Herb Jeffries was also a black singing cowboy.

I suspect there's a phD thesis in the implications of this in post-war America but for now.........

The June Taylor Dancers-rip it up!

When I was kid in Miami my Dad moonlighted in the Jackie Gleason pit orchestra. Among the many great memories of this era were watching the June Taylor Dancers doing their great pieces of choreography.

If you are old enough to recall the show, Jackie always gave a bow to "Sammy Spear" who always wore an outlandish jacket. While Gleason himself refused to rehearse, no so with the June Taylor troupe who spent hours putting these pieces together.

And somewhere in the mix is the old man on sax and clarinet!

Richard Feynman on "Social Science"

One of the greatest minds f the 20th century was the late physicist Richard Fenyman. This hilarious clip is a small example of the great perspective he brought to his views-backed by very deep "real" science experience. Sadly the clowns on Fox TV and elsewhere who are too happy to blather opinions based on no more than their blowhard prejudices don't have a shred of his integrity or intelligence.

Fenyman also brought throat singing from Mongolia to the attention of the Western world but I digress..........

Gorgeous George gets wet!!!!!!!!!!!

This pro wrestling comedy classic is from Seattle in the 1950's. The great showman Gorgeous George takes on a masked palooka in a ring surrounded by water!!!!! The Gorgeous one revolutionized wrestling with his pseudo gay persona, "marcelled" hair and bringing a "second" into the ring spraying perfume.

In later years Muhammad Ali credited Gorgeous George with the idea behind his outlandish stunts to help sell tickets and create interest in his bouts. Apparently as a kid in Louisville, Ali was glued to the set each week for wrestling and was never the same after seeing George "cut promos" on his opponents. Ali later had an unfortunate and deadly dull match in Japan against wrestler Antonio Anoki and was once body slammed by Gorilla Monsoon!

Art Tatum-pianist for the ages

This rare footage is a kinescope of a performance by Art Tatum on the Spike Jones in 1954. This version of Yesterdays by Jerome Kern is a breathtaking example of the bridge between the "stride" piano of the 20's and 30's and the emerging bebop style of the day.

However, Art Tatum was genius of the highest order who truly transcended all styles. This blind artist was so incredible he wasn't "influential" in the same sense as others such as Bud Powell or Bill Evans-his protean technique was so overwhelming few attempted to copy him.

Joe Maphis-King of the Strings

An amazing archival clip of the great Joe Maphis smoking every instrument they hand him! The great Tex Ritter (john's father BTW) is the host of Ranch Party and Joe was the band leader. Next time someboy gets too cocky about their pickin' show them this!!!

The Golden Age of Advertising!!!!!!!!!!!

This gem from the 1950's is simply hard to imagine-testing cold cream using radiation and a gieger counter to measure it's efficacy! One hopes the model in question didn't meet an untimely end!

The Genius of Lenny Breau

My all time guitar hero is the late Canadian master Lenny Breau. A complex man with myriad drug problems, the only time I saw Lenny he collapsed on-stage during the first tune and we got our money refunded. I was crushed as he was such an idol-to me the Mozart of contemporary jazz.

His daughter released a documentary appropriately entitled "The Genius of Lenny Breau" and here's a short excerpt. If you don't know Lenny "google" him for his incredible music and tragic life story.

RIP Wendy O Williams...REAL punk!

I saw Wendy and the Plasmatics in SF and helped set up the stage with the car they blew up. I even had to make a quick run to the hardware store for some electrical tape that Wendy used to cover-however briefly-her nipples.

I'm surprised there isn't a bigger cult for Wendy-she died before age 50 of a self inflicted gunshot wound. At any rate she's the real deal punk metal shock rock!

Stairway to Gilligan's Island

My old pal Roger Clark put this together in the 1970's and it became an instant Dr Demento classic. Sadly, the Zeppelin mafia wasn't amused and it was prevented from ever being distributed. Not sure who did the video editing but a nice job and if you heaven't seen or heard this get ready for a real belly laugh!

The birth of the Muhammed Ali legend in 1964

Remember where you were in February of 1964????? I have vivid memories of it as I was fortunate to attend one of Sonny Liston's training session about 4 days before the fight. Joe Louis, Archie Moore and many others were in Liston's camp at the fancy Fountainbleau Hotel while then Cassius Clay was training at the ghetto 5th street gym.

Here's a pic of yours truly and my older brother Chuck (in glasses) taken after Liston's workout. We were informed in no uncertain terms NOT to ask for an autograph-Liston was illiterate-plus a very scary guy!

Here's a BBC clip of the famous weigh in where Ali got so wild they fined him $2500 and a brief post-fight celebration where the legendary phrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" was immortalized.

Technology in the kitchen!

Ham and Egg omelet courtesy of a robot????????

Clifton Chenier-King of Zydeco down home!

The opening night of Antone's famed blues club in Austin, Texas featured the great Clifton Chenier. The Louisiana accordion master was a master showman, bluesman extraordinarie, and also the brother in law of Lightnin' Hopkins!

I was fortunate to see and hear Clifton many times and he always put on a great show-sometimes playing dance sets lasting 2 hours without a break. Here's some down home footage capped by his accompanying himself with a water pump handle!

Bertrand Russell at 90!

My late father Robert Egner was an editor for Bertrand Russell's Best and the Basic Writings of Bertrand Russell. I can recall as a child great excitement on the occasions they would speak by phone-international calls in the early 60's being rare and very expensive. Here's a classic interview conducted in 1959 for the BBC. A look into one of history's most influential minds.

The Steve Allen Show featuring.....Frank Zappa 1963!

One of my favorite clips ever-the amazing Frank Zappa long before he became a famous rock icon appearing on the Steve Allen Show in 1963. Yet another reason to hold Mr Z in high regard as combines the avant garde with great humor to stir up middle America prior to the shit really hitting the fan!

Herb Jeffries rappin at 96!!!!!!!!!!!

Amazingly not only is Herb Jeffries alive, healthy and active-he's rapping! For a small recap this is the same Herb Jeffries who is the only surviving member of Duke Ellington's original orchestra-almost impossible to imagine! Dig this clip from the 40's.......



Fans may also recall his singing cowboy days in additionto his huge hit Flamingo. Done before he "retired" over 50 years ago! Herb lives in Idlewlyd not too far from Palm Springs and continues to entertain at senior centers and in the area. My blues pal Glenn Patrik has known and played with Herb for many years and at last report Herb is doing great! 96 years old-wow!

Wayne Cochran, Joe Namath, Ann-Margaret!!

The great Wayne Cochran and the CC Riders working it on "Can't Turn You Loose" while Joe Namath and Ann-Margaret get giggy on the dance floor. The best three minutes from the movie CC and Company which mostly features them on a motorcycle and lots of Joe's rather wooden dramatic stylings! Hit it!

Clutch Cargo -recall the Pulp Fiction scene?

As a kid I watched a lot of Clutch Cargo and even then I marveled at the incredible cheesiness. The lip technique is the long abandoned (except by Conon O'Brian for laughs) technique called Synchro-Vox. One of the most low budget cartoons ever, Clutch Cargo somehow has remained stuck in my mind these many years and now and again the theme song haunts me!

You may recall Clutch Cargo on the TV in the great "watch" scene starring Christopher Walken in Pulp Fiction.

Moe, Larry, Curly and Bob Wills?????

This is a favorite "mashup" of mine from the bottomless pit of YouTube videos. A 1973 remake of "Stay All Night" by Bob Wills and the Playboys is happily welded to a classic Three Stooges clip from "Disorder in the Court". A great example of how content is getting "repurposed" by clever folks who have the gear and imagination to combine fun stuff! Great stuff!

Soviet Silent Film-new score by Beth Custer!

My former colleague in Clubfoot Orchestra, clarinetist and composer Beth Custer has built a career based on her brilliant playing and composing. This trailer from her production of "Moya Babuska" (My Grandmother) features her score to the long forbidden film. Incredible imagery and her score is filled with delightful surprises throughout.

In her post-Clubfoot career Beth has fronted trip hop groups, clarinet ensembles, improvised solo and traveled the world as one of the premier musicians of her era. You go girl!

Bill Hicks-advice for musicians!

The late great Bill Hicks as usual pulling no punches. This really speaks for itself!

Blaze Foley Live at a Wedding!

The late singer-songwriter Blaze Foley was a Texas legend noted for-among other things-an obsession with duct tape. Often homeless and doubtless suffering from some sort of bi-polar disease, Blaze was one of the last of the real troubadours. This clip of him performing at a backyard wedding reveals the depth of his artistry on a song recorded by Merle Haggard after Foley's untimely shooting death.

My old pal Wrecks Bell-at whose Galveston club the Old Quarter Foley's driver license is duct taped to the wall-tells a great story of Blaze claiming the BFI initials found on dumpsters referred to "Blaze Foley Inside!".

Dig this beautiful and deeply moving performance.

Madison Time -in French!

Anyone recall the dance craze Madison time????? The great jazz pianist Ray Bryant scored a big hit and got a nice payday for this early 60's dance. It was later reprised in the John Waters film "Hairspray" but long before that the French film "Band of Outsiders" had this hip version. Anna Karina, Sami Frey and Dannielle Girard do the honors in this finger snapping snippet.

Sun Ra leaves the planet!

I was very fortunate to see, hear and meet the great Sun Ra several times. In addition to see the Arkestra live in a variety of settings I also by chance got to listen to Sun Ra play solo piano in the parlor of a bed and breakfast in Garberville one morning-unforgettable!

Perhaps there is no great manifestation of the frustration and pain of growing up in segregated Alabama than Sun Ra's alter ego and his desire to colonize another planet to get away from this Earth's troubles. REALLY the blues!

Herewith..............

Maniac Mark Lewin-the best nutjob ever!

I'm what's known in pro wrestling circles as a "mark". Ever since I was kid I've loved the wacky world of pro wrestling-especially the old school pre WWE variety. I worked briefly for promoter Paul Boesch in Houston in the early 70's and even had a column "Texas Rasslin' Roundup" in the Wrestler magazine at age 15!

This clip is a comedy classic featuring the incredible "Maniac" Mark Lewin. After a rather bland "face" promo by a very young Kevin Sullivan, manager the Great Mephisto speaks and Mark Lewin gets completely wacky! In subsequent years Sullivan copped many of Mark's shticks but nobody could see crazy like the great Mark Lewin.

Enjoy!

Long, Strange Trip Indeed! Roky lives!

Welcome to my World!

Dick Deluxe here-on the job! Welcome to my new blog venture. Here I plan to create a view into my world-an independent musical artist attempting to make it in an increasingly harsh environment.

Folks like me are literally a dying breed and it may be as simple as our role society no longer being relevant. However, unlike many of my contemporaries who avoid new technology and often blame it on their career demise I embrace and encourage everyone to exploit it.

So I'll be enthusing, ranting and raving and hopefully painting a picture of the realities of life in the 21st century for someone in a marginalized vocation. Expect to see hidden gems from YouTube, insider tips on the best live music I know of and my 2 cents on the great variety of whack that is life in Southern California.

Enjoy and drop me a note!