Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Monday, August 28, 2017
Friday, August 25, 2017
SUSAN CATTANEO EARNING EARLY PLAUDITS FROM MOJO, POP MATTERS, & BEYOND FOR AMBITIOUS DOUBLE ALBUM ‘THE HAMMER & THE HEART,’ OUT THIS WEEK ON JERSEY GIRL MUSIC
CATTANEO TO PERFORM ON JOHN PLATT’S WFUV ON YOUR RADAR CONCERT
SEPTEMBER 12 AT ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL, STAGE 3 IN NYC
Susan Cattaneo’s ambitious double album ‘The Hammer & The Heart’ comes
out this Friday to plaudits from outlets as varied as MOJO and Pop
Matters. The Berklee College of Music songwriting professor stretches
out artistically on an album that spans honky tonk, Americana, rock &
roll, and folk music and features special guests The Bottle Rockets,
Bill Kirchen, Mark Erelli, Duke Levine, and The Boxcar Lillies (with
whom Susan also plays).
Susan will perform as part of WFUV’s On Your Radar series via John
Platt at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 3 on September 12, 2017.
"In the Grooves" music video (OK to share): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYWN4MxqXLU
Here’s what we’re reading:
“Country rocking celebration.”
- MOJO, September, 2017
“Riveting.”
- Jonathan Frahm, Pop Matters, July 31, 2017
“Truly spectacular… 5 stars… She nails it – and how… an excellent
double album and could even become a beacon of inspiration for future
country rock artists should they choose to make the bold step… the
album soon mesermizes you with its slick compositions, relentless
grooves, and brilliant story-telling… this is certainly one for the
collection.”
- Christian Brown, Maverick Magazine (UK), September, 2017
"Cattaneo has previously been nominated for a number of awards in the
independent music category and it would come as no surprise if she
actually snags one with this top-notch offering... one thing shines
clearly: her purposeful, colorful lyrical strength coupled with a
percussive, driving rhythmic style and delivery."
- Iain Patience, Elmore Magazine, August 21, 2017
"Special... powerful vocals and her vivid lyrical storytelling...
Cattaneo is an authority when it comes to songwriting... her most
important musical endeavor to date... this is an album that truly
captures the full spectrum of Cattaneo’s talent. The music itself is
at times reminiscent of her peers such as Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffin,
Carole King and Emmylou Harris... Cattaneo is truly an artist’s
artist."
- Glide Magazine, August 10, 2017
“A strong dose of twang… everything from barn-burning rockers to heart
wrenching ballads.”
- Susan Hubbard, Mother Church Pew, August 21, 2017
SEPTEMBER 12 AT ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL, STAGE 3 IN NYC
Susan Cattaneo’s ambitious double album ‘The Hammer & The Heart’ comes
out this Friday to plaudits from outlets as varied as MOJO and Pop
Matters. The Berklee College of Music songwriting professor stretches
out artistically on an album that spans honky tonk, Americana, rock &
roll, and folk music and features special guests The Bottle Rockets,
Bill Kirchen, Mark Erelli, Duke Levine, and The Boxcar Lillies (with
whom Susan also plays).
Susan will perform as part of WFUV’s On Your Radar series via John
Platt at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 3 on September 12, 2017.
"In the Grooves" music video (OK to share): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYWN4MxqXLU
Here’s what we’re reading:
“Country rocking celebration.”
- MOJO, September, 2017
“Riveting.”
- Jonathan Frahm, Pop Matters, July 31, 2017
“Truly spectacular… 5 stars… She nails it – and how… an excellent
double album and could even become a beacon of inspiration for future
country rock artists should they choose to make the bold step… the
album soon mesermizes you with its slick compositions, relentless
grooves, and brilliant story-telling… this is certainly one for the
collection.”
- Christian Brown, Maverick Magazine (UK), September, 2017
"Cattaneo has previously been nominated for a number of awards in the
independent music category and it would come as no surprise if she
actually snags one with this top-notch offering... one thing shines
clearly: her purposeful, colorful lyrical strength coupled with a
percussive, driving rhythmic style and delivery."
- Iain Patience, Elmore Magazine, August 21, 2017
"Special... powerful vocals and her vivid lyrical storytelling...
Cattaneo is an authority when it comes to songwriting... her most
important musical endeavor to date... this is an album that truly
captures the full spectrum of Cattaneo’s talent. The music itself is
at times reminiscent of her peers such as Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffin,
Carole King and Emmylou Harris... Cattaneo is truly an artist’s
artist."
- Glide Magazine, August 10, 2017
“A strong dose of twang… everything from barn-burning rockers to heart
wrenching ballads.”
- Susan Hubbard, Mother Church Pew, August 21, 2017
Thursday, August 24, 2017
OKAY PLAYER PREMIERES KRYSTLE WARREN’S “STIRRING” NEW ALBUM ‘THREE THE HARD WAY’: http://www.okayplayer.com/music/krystle-warren-three-the-hard-way-album-stream-premiere.html
KCRW, OTHERS RAVE AS 1ST US SHOWS SET IN NY, LA
Krystle Warren – the artist who Rufus Wainwrights calls “one of the greatest living singers” – released her album ‘Three The Hard Way’ this past Friday on Parlour Door Music. An eclectic, "stirring" (Okay Player) work, it sees Warren playing all of the instruments and co-producing with Ben Kane (D’Angelo, Emily King, PJ Morton). The album includes a number of powerful moments, foremost among them “Red Clay,” a stripped down song about the aftermath of a KKK attack on an Oklahoma community in the 1921, not far from where Krystle’s grandmother grew up.
On September 20, she will join with previously announced artists Billy Bragg, Esperanza Spalding, Frank Turner, Frightened Rabbit, Gregory Porter, Joan As Policewoman, Julien Baker, KT Tunstall, The Magic Numbers, The National, and others, each of whom will play Sofar Sounds concerts in partnership with Amnesty International as part of the Give a Home benefit concert series. More info on that series: https://www.amnesty.org/en/
Upcoming spotlights are due in Downbeat and Sheen Magazines. Here’s the buzz thus far:
“Evocative storytelling.”
- Audie Cornish, NPR All Things Considered, May 25, 2017
“I highly doubt it will leave my top 5 of best albums of 2017… A must have… Captivating… I absolutely love Krystle Warren. To say she is a phenomenal talent would be an understatement and I’m not one to dabble in hyperbole.”
- Aaron Byrd, KCRW, August 18, 2017
“Beautiful… stirring.”
- ZO, Okay Player, August 18, 2017
“Haunting.”
- Chris Steffen, All Music, August 4, 2017
"Sublime... organic experience that is full of life and feeling... Warren works with inspired expressions & rhythms that strips down conventional R&B to find new points of meaning & purpose that frames hopes for the future while still holding remembrances of the past in heart & mind."
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose, July 21, 2017
Krystle Warren Tour Dates
September 18 – The Bridge (KCPT) taping – Kansas City, MO
October 3 – Zebulon – Los Angeles, CA
Warren has earned prior praise from T Magazine, The Guardian, Consequence of Sound, and the LA Times and counts kd lang and Joe Boyd among her high profile fans.
Krystle Warren – the artist who Rufus Wainwrights calls “one of the greatest living singers” – released her album ‘Three The Hard Way’ this past Friday on Parlour Door Music. An eclectic, "stirring" (Okay Player) work, it sees Warren playing all of the instruments and co-producing with Ben Kane (D’Angelo, Emily King, PJ Morton). The album includes a number of powerful moments, foremost among them “Red Clay,” a stripped down song about the aftermath of a KKK attack on an Oklahoma community in the 1921, not far from where Krystle’s grandmother grew up.
On September 20, she will join with previously announced artists Billy Bragg, Esperanza Spalding, Frank Turner, Frightened Rabbit, Gregory Porter, Joan As Policewoman, Julien Baker, KT Tunstall, The Magic Numbers, The National, and others, each of whom will play Sofar Sounds concerts in partnership with Amnesty International as part of the Give a Home benefit concert series. More info on that series: https://www.amnesty.org/en/
Upcoming spotlights are due in Downbeat and Sheen Magazines. Here’s the buzz thus far:
“Evocative storytelling.”
- Audie Cornish, NPR All Things Considered, May 25, 2017
“I highly doubt it will leave my top 5 of best albums of 2017… A must have… Captivating… I absolutely love Krystle Warren. To say she is a phenomenal talent would be an understatement and I’m not one to dabble in hyperbole.”
- Aaron Byrd, KCRW, August 18, 2017
“Beautiful… stirring.”
- ZO, Okay Player, August 18, 2017
“Haunting.”
- Chris Steffen, All Music, August 4, 2017
"Sublime... organic experience that is full of life and feeling... Warren works with inspired expressions & rhythms that strips down conventional R&B to find new points of meaning & purpose that frames hopes for the future while still holding remembrances of the past in heart & mind."
- Sjimon Gompers, Impose, July 21, 2017
Krystle Warren Tour Dates
September 18 – The Bridge (KCPT) taping – Kansas City, MO
October 3 – Zebulon – Los Angeles, CA
Warren has earned prior praise from T Magazine, The Guardian, Consequence of Sound, and the LA Times and counts kd lang and Joe Boyd among her high profile fans.
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
NEW ORLEANS PONDEROSA STOMP ADDS SOUL AND R&B LEGENDS DON BRYANT, CARLA THOMAS AND CHARLES CONNOR PERFORMANCES
MUSIC HISTORY CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED WITH INTERVIEWS, PANELS, ORAL HISTORIES & MORE
The Ponderosa Stomp has added “legend” (NPR) and Queen of Memphis Soul Carla Thomas; Fat Possum and recording artist Don Bryant, who released a “marvelous” (Rolling Stone) new album ‘Don’t Give Up On Love;’ Thomas has been back in the spotlight with her hit song “B-A-B-Y” prominently featured in the film Baby Driver, but rarely known to make public performances. Bryant, songwriter for Solomon Burke, Albert King and wife Ann Peebles’ hit “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” saw his new album “Don’t Give Up On Love” earn praise from the likes of NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Paste, Uncut, MOJO, and more. Thomas and Bryant join already announced headliners Gary U.S. Bonds, Roky Erickson playing 13th Floor Elevators songs, The Mummies, Barbara Lynn, Roy Head, and Doug Kershaw, among others at the two-night concert October 6 and 7 at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, LA.
Spotify playlist of Ponderosa Stomp performers, including new additions: https://play.spotify.com/user/
Ponderosa Stomp 2017 teaser video (OK to share): https://vimeo.com/226954586
The Ponderosa Stomp Music History Conference has been finalized October 5th and 6th at Ace Hotel New Orleans. It includes in-depth interviews with Carla Thomas and her sister Vaneese, “Tighten Up” soulman Archie Bell, Louisiana Cajun rock & roller Doug Kershaw, “Quarter to 3” hitmaker Gary U.S. Bonds, and a tribute to Norton Records’ late Billy Miller. It will also delve deeply into the untold stories behind records by Little Richard, Ray Charles, Allen Toussaint, Rufus Thomas, Presley, and other greats.
Also recently added to perform at the Stomp concert are Vaneese Thomas, sister of Carla and daughter of rock & roll DJ and rhythm & blues player Rufus Thomas; Charles Connor, original drummer for Little Richard and creator of the “Choo Choo Train” stick style.
Bios on all Stomp performers: http://www.ponderosastomp.com/
Tickets and more information are available at http://PonderosaStomp.com
2017 Ponderosa Stomp Music History Conference Schedule
THURSDAY OCTOBER 5TH
10:00 - 10:45 am
Bourbon Street Parade: A Look at Bourbon Street Clubs in the 60s
Featuring “Wacko” Wade, George Porter, Jr. and Moderator David Kunian
Bourbon Street’s musical past is easy to lose in the glare of neon lights and fluorescent drinks. A
close look reveals that the tourist attraction was a vital source of work and a training ground for
the Crescent City’s rhythm and blues artists. From his drum kit behind Freddie Fender and others,
“Wacko” Wade Wright saw the strip transform from District Attorney Jim Garrison’s vice raids
through the passage of civil rights legislation in the 1960s. The incomparable bassist George
Porter, Jr. played in the house band at the Ivanhoe six nights a week in the early years of
desegregation on Bourbon. When Allen Toussaint heard the group he brought them into the studio
and introduced the world to The Meters, who went on to become one of New Orleans’ most
celebrated acts. David Kunian, Curator of Music at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, leads the
conversation.
To explore this subject further, go to the “Bourbon Street Parade” tour on ACloserWalkNola.com ,
the interactive map of New Orleans music history. You can follow it on a desktop or on a mobile
device as you walk through the area.
11:00 - 11:45 am
The Gospel Truth of Rosemont Records
Featuring Al Taylor, James Williams, Andrew Jackson and Moderator Brice White
This panel will examine the history and importance of Rosemont Records, which released gospel
and rhythm & blues records in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as one of the first New Orleans hip
hop records. Rosemont owner and engineer Al Taylor will be joined by James Williams, guitarist
and leader of The Electrifying Crown Seekers, and Andrew Jackson, leader of The Famous Rocks of
Harmony. Panel will be moderated by music historian, record producer, writer, and DJ, Brice White.
12:45 - 1:45 pm
South Rampart Street Stroll: The Music and Geography of South Rampart Street
Featuring Bruce Raeburn, Deacon John Moore, Richard Campanella and Moderator Jordan Hirsch
The office towers and parking lots on South Rampart Street in New Orleans today obscure its
remarkable history. Once brimming with honky tonks, dance halls, and shops, this strip was vital
both to the birth of jazz and the development of New Orleans R&B -- the neighborhood was home
to Louis Armstrong and, later, Professor Longhair. The story of “back o’ town” New Orleans, from
Black Storyville to Chitlin Circuit dances to barroom gigs by the likes of Roy Brown, traces the
emergence of the “New Orleans sound” in R&B. The sound would fill the nation’s radio waves and
jukeboxes after World War II, even while much of the neighborhood was bulldozed. Deacon John
Moore, bandleader of nearly fifty years and President of the New Orleans Musicians’ Union, will
share Rampart Street lore and discuss with Richard Campanella, author and geographer at the
Tulane School of Architecture and Dr. Bruce Raeburn, author and Director of Special Collections
and Curator of the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University. Writer and advocate Jordan Hirsch
moderates.
To explore this subject further, go to the “South Rampart Street Stroll” tour on
ACloserWalkNola.com , the interactive map of New Orleans music history. You can follow it on a
desktop or on a mobile device as you walk through the area.
2:00 - 2:45 pm
I’ve Got Reasons: The Return of Mary Jane Hooper
Featuring Mary Jane Hooper and Moderator Neil Pellegrin
Mary Jane Hooper, née Sena Fletcher, is a favorite of record collectors. Called the "Queen of New
Orleans Funk" by some, she performed and recorded with such greats as Allen Toussaint, Eddie Bo,
Lee Dorsey, Wardell Quezergue, Willie Tee and the great James Black as her drummer. Although
most of her recordings were done at Cosimo Matassa's studio, she also recorded at other facilities
like Studio in the Country and Sea-Saint Recording studio. She recorded under the Scram, Power,
Power-Pac, and World Pacific labels and was part of the famed Triple Souls background singers
made up of herself, Inez Cheatham and Mercedes Morris who did background for such artists as
Johnny Adams, Lee Dorsey and others. Wanting to expand her musical wings, she toured with a
well-known rock and roll band called the "Q" in the 1970's. After leaving the music business, she
became a well-known and respected newscaster on WTIX-AM radio, Vice President of a local
advertising agency and a Senior Marketing Consultant for a nationwide telecommunications
company. She will be interviewed by WWOZ disc jockey and vinyl aficionado Neil Pellegrin.
3:00 - 3:45 pm
Willie Knows How: An Oral History with Willie West
Featuring Willie West and Moderator John Broven
Willie West has been making music for over 50 years. After putting together his first band, the
Sharks, as a teenager in Raceland, Louisiana, Willie recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s studio, worked
with such greats as Wardell Quezergue and Allen Toussaint, and released records on a number of
labels, including Rustone, Frisco, Deesu, Josie and Warner Bros. And all of this was before he was
lead vocalist for The Meters when they performed on Saturday Night Live. Willie will be interviewed
by the venerable John Broven , author of South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous and
Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans.
4:00 - 4:45 pm
It Came from Philly
Featuring Archie Bell and Winfield Parker, with Moderator Jason Hanley
Though Archie Bell was born in Texas and Winfield Parker is from Maryland, both artists are
celebrated exponents of the Philadelphia sound. While touring in support of “Tighten Up,” a number
one hit on both the pop and R&B charts, Archie & the Drells met Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff,
Philadelphia's leading songwriting and production team. Their partnership would produce classics
such as "I Can't Stop Dancing" and "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown," which was later
re-invented by the New York Dolls. Winfield Parker was the flagship artists for Baltimore’s Ru-Jac
label before hooking up with Jimmy Bishop of Philadelphia’s soul station WDAS. From there, he
collaborated with Barbara Mason and charted with “S.O.S. (Stop Her On Site).” In his over 50-year
career he has worked alongside such greats as Little Richard, Otis Redding, and Ike and Tina
Turner. Moderating the discussion will be Dr. Jason Hanley , the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum’s Vice President of Education and Visitor Engagement.
5:00 - 5:45 pm
The RAM Records Story
Featuring Margaret Lewis, Alton Warwick, Roy “Boogie Boy” Perkins, V.J. Boulet and Moderator
Michael Hurtt
This panel shines a spotlight on the Shreveport label RAM Records. Alton Warwick, the co-owner
of RAM who built the label’s studio, will be joined by Margaret Lewis, a RAM recording artist,
producer, and award-winning songwriter; Swamp-pop pioneer Ernie Suarez , otherwise known as
Roy “Boogie Boy” Perkins ; and V.J. Boulet of Bobby & The Riff Raffs. Musician and musicologist
Michael Hurtt , who is currently at work on a book about Detroit’s Fortune Records, will moderate.
6:00 - 6:45 pm
Tales of A Louisiana Man: An Oral History with Doug Kershaw
Featuring Doug Kershaw and Moderators Deke Dickerson and Dave Stuckey
Doug Kershaw, the singer, songwriter and master fiddler known as the Ragin’ Cajun, has had an
extraordinary career. He was a regular on the Louisiana Hayride and a member of the Grand Ole
Opry before recording hits “Diggy Liggy Lo” and “Louisiana Man” – the latter being the first song
broadcast back to Earth from the moon by the Apollo 12 astronauts. His appearances on television
shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show , The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, and The Johnny
Cash Show brought Cajun music to a national audience. He will be interviewed by musicians Dave
Stuckey and Deke Dickerson.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 6TH
10:00 - 10:45 am
The Man Behind the Montel & Michelle Labels: An Oral History with Sam Montalbano
Featuring Moderator John Broven
Sam Montalbano, known in the music business as Sam Montel, has done it all. He ran Deep South
Studio in Baton Rouge and worked with artists such as The Boogie Kinds, Sugar Boy Crawford, and
Slim Harpo. He owned the Montel and Michelle record labels, putting out regional and national hits
such as Dale & Grace’s No. 1 “I’m Leaving It Up To You.” As a concert promoter, he brought national and international acts to Baton Rouge, including Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, and The Who. Montalbano will discuss his record labels and the South Louisiana music industry with John Broven , author of South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous and Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans.
10:55 - 11:50 am
Last Train from Kicksville: A Tribute to Billy Miller of Norton Records
Featuring Miriam Linna, Todd Abramson, James Marshall, Deke Dickerson and Moderator Michael
Hurtt
This panel will honor the late Billy Miller, described by David Fricke as “a collector and scholar of the raw, fundamental and unapologetic in rockabilly, R&B and garage punk who shared his knowledge and passions with the exuberant, addicting force of a true fan.” Miller, with Miriam Linna, founded Norton Records, which has been releasing important and often forgotten music for over 25 years, and was a heavy influence on the Ponderosa Stomp. Linna was the first drummer for the Cramps and later played with Miller in a band called the A-Bones. She is joined on the panel by James Marshall, a former New York Times critic and former owner of Lakeside Lounge in New York and Circle Bar in New Orleans; Todd Abramson, WFMU DJ and the former talent booker at Maxwell’s, the famed Hoboken, New Jersey nightclub; and Deke Dickerson, a musician, writer, and music historian. Musician and musicologist Michael Hurtt will moderate.
12:35 - 1:20 pm
Evie Sands Oral History
Featuring Moderator Sheryl Farber
Evie Sands made some of the finest blue-eyed soul singles of the '60s. A cult figure of vintage pop,
Sands was born in Brooklyn but came of age in Los Angeles, recording “Take Me For a Little While”
and “Angel of the Morning” before they became hits. She retired from performing in 1979 to
concentrate on writing and producing, but waged a triumphant comeback in the late '90s and has
been at it ever since. Sands will be interviewed by the Grammy-nominated producer, writer and
editor Sheryl Farber.
1:30 - 2:15 pm
Make it Sound Like a Train: An Oral History with Charles Connor
Featuring Moderator David Kunian
As the drummer in Little Richard’s band the Upsetters, Charles "Keep A Knockin’" Connor is
credited with introducing the hugely influential "Choo Choo Train" style – successive eighth notes
with a loud back beat – into the rock ‘n’ roll lexicon. He went on to drum behind legends such as
Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and James Brown, who credited Connor with being “the first to put the
funk in the rhythm.” Fittingly, his drumsticks are on display at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Museum. Connor, a New Orleans native, was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in
2010. He will be interviewed by David Kunian, the Curator of Music at the New Orleans Jazz
Museum.
2:25 - 3:10 pm
Forever Young: An Oral History with Reggie Young
Featuring Moderator red kelly
You may not know his name, but you know his music: Reggie Young has appeared on over 100
chart hits, in multiple genres, in a career spanning more than 60 years. A guitar great, he appeared
on the Louisiana Hayride before moving to Memphis and recording with Hi Records’ Willie Mitchell.
In 1964, when the Beatles tapped Bill Black as an opener on their U.S. tour, Young, who was
Black’s guitarist, left the studio for the road. He went on to became a top session man in Memphis
and then Nashville, playing on hits for Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, and Dusty
Springfield, among many others. Music archaeologist and blogger red kelly will talk to Young about
his extraordinary and influential life in music.
3:20 - 4:05 pm
Walking the Dog: Growing Up with the “World’s Oldest Teenager” Rufus Thomas
Featuring Carla and Vaneese Thomas and Moderator Andria Lisle
Carla and Vaneese Thomas, stars in their own right, will discuss growing up with their father,
Memphis R&B and funk pioneer Rufus Thomas, “the World’s Oldest Teenager.” The elder Thomas
had hits with “Walking the Dog” and “Bear Cat,” both recorded with Sam Phillips, as well as hits on
Stax Records such as “The Funky Chicken.” Carla Thomas, whose first duet partner was her late
father, has been hailed as the Queen of Memphis Soul since 1961, when her sweet, yearning ballad
“Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)” became a pop and R&B smash. One of the first essential signings at
Stax, she served up a string of hits throughout the ‘60s including “Let Me Be Good To You” and
“B-A-B-Y.” Vaneese Thomas cut two sizable R&B hits of her own in 1987, “Let’s Talk It Over” and
“(I Wanna Get) Close To You).” Her 2016 album “The Long Journey Home” was widely acclaimed.
Writer, curator, and musicologist Andria Lisle moderates.
4:15 - 5:00 pm
I Wanna Holler: An Oral History with Gary U.S. Bonds
Featuring Moderator Todd Abramson
Gary Anderson, better known as Gary U.S. Bonds, will look back at his storied and pioneering
career. In 1960 he recorded his first single “New Orleans,” which became a national hit. He followed
up with the even bigger hit “Quarter To Three,” which inspired Dion and the Belmonts’ “Runaround
Sue.” After years of touring with artists like B.B. King and recording additional albums, Gary left his
record label but continued to perform. A chance meeting in New Jersey led him back into the studio
in 1981 to record the successful “Dedication” album with Bruce Springsteen & Steven Van Zandt.
The record included the hit "This Little Girl," a song Springsteen wrote for Bonds, which brought
him back into the spotlight. Bonds will be interviewed by WFMU DJ Todd Abramson , the former
talent booker at Maxwell’s, the famed Hoboken, New Jersey nightclub.
The Ponderosa Stomp has added “legend” (NPR) and Queen of Memphis Soul Carla Thomas; Fat Possum and recording artist Don Bryant, who released a “marvelous” (Rolling Stone) new album ‘Don’t Give Up On Love;’ Thomas has been back in the spotlight with her hit song “B-A-B-Y” prominently featured in the film Baby Driver, but rarely known to make public performances. Bryant, songwriter for Solomon Burke, Albert King and wife Ann Peebles’ hit “I Can’t Stand the Rain,” saw his new album “Don’t Give Up On Love” earn praise from the likes of NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Paste, Uncut, MOJO, and more. Thomas and Bryant join already announced headliners Gary U.S. Bonds, Roky Erickson playing 13th Floor Elevators songs, The Mummies, Barbara Lynn, Roy Head, and Doug Kershaw, among others at the two-night concert October 6 and 7 at the Orpheum Theater in New Orleans, LA.
Spotify playlist of Ponderosa Stomp performers, including new additions: https://play.spotify.com/user/
Ponderosa Stomp 2017 teaser video (OK to share): https://vimeo.com/226954586
The Ponderosa Stomp Music History Conference has been finalized October 5th and 6th at Ace Hotel New Orleans. It includes in-depth interviews with Carla Thomas and her sister Vaneese, “Tighten Up” soulman Archie Bell, Louisiana Cajun rock & roller Doug Kershaw, “Quarter to 3” hitmaker Gary U.S. Bonds, and a tribute to Norton Records’ late Billy Miller. It will also delve deeply into the untold stories behind records by Little Richard, Ray Charles, Allen Toussaint, Rufus Thomas, Presley, and other greats.
Also recently added to perform at the Stomp concert are Vaneese Thomas, sister of Carla and daughter of rock & roll DJ and rhythm & blues player Rufus Thomas; Charles Connor, original drummer for Little Richard and creator of the “Choo Choo Train” stick style.
Bios on all Stomp performers: http://www.ponderosastomp.com/
Tickets and more information are available at http://PonderosaStomp.com
2017 Ponderosa Stomp Music History Conference Schedule
THURSDAY OCTOBER 5TH
10:00 - 10:45 am
Bourbon Street Parade: A Look at Bourbon Street Clubs in the 60s
Featuring “Wacko” Wade, George Porter, Jr. and Moderator David Kunian
Bourbon Street’s musical past is easy to lose in the glare of neon lights and fluorescent drinks. A
close look reveals that the tourist attraction was a vital source of work and a training ground for
the Crescent City’s rhythm and blues artists. From his drum kit behind Freddie Fender and others,
“Wacko” Wade Wright saw the strip transform from District Attorney Jim Garrison’s vice raids
through the passage of civil rights legislation in the 1960s. The incomparable bassist George
Porter, Jr. played in the house band at the Ivanhoe six nights a week in the early years of
desegregation on Bourbon. When Allen Toussaint heard the group he brought them into the studio
and introduced the world to The Meters, who went on to become one of New Orleans’ most
celebrated acts. David Kunian, Curator of Music at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, leads the
conversation.
To explore this subject further, go to the “Bourbon Street Parade” tour on ACloserWalkNola.com ,
the interactive map of New Orleans music history. You can follow it on a desktop or on a mobile
device as you walk through the area.
11:00 - 11:45 am
The Gospel Truth of Rosemont Records
Featuring Al Taylor, James Williams, Andrew Jackson and Moderator Brice White
This panel will examine the history and importance of Rosemont Records, which released gospel
and rhythm & blues records in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as one of the first New Orleans hip
hop records. Rosemont owner and engineer Al Taylor will be joined by James Williams, guitarist
and leader of The Electrifying Crown Seekers, and Andrew Jackson, leader of The Famous Rocks of
Harmony. Panel will be moderated by music historian, record producer, writer, and DJ, Brice White.
12:45 - 1:45 pm
South Rampart Street Stroll: The Music and Geography of South Rampart Street
Featuring Bruce Raeburn, Deacon John Moore, Richard Campanella and Moderator Jordan Hirsch
The office towers and parking lots on South Rampart Street in New Orleans today obscure its
remarkable history. Once brimming with honky tonks, dance halls, and shops, this strip was vital
both to the birth of jazz and the development of New Orleans R&B -- the neighborhood was home
to Louis Armstrong and, later, Professor Longhair. The story of “back o’ town” New Orleans, from
Black Storyville to Chitlin Circuit dances to barroom gigs by the likes of Roy Brown, traces the
emergence of the “New Orleans sound” in R&B. The sound would fill the nation’s radio waves and
jukeboxes after World War II, even while much of the neighborhood was bulldozed. Deacon John
Moore, bandleader of nearly fifty years and President of the New Orleans Musicians’ Union, will
share Rampart Street lore and discuss with Richard Campanella, author and geographer at the
Tulane School of Architecture and Dr. Bruce Raeburn, author and Director of Special Collections
and Curator of the Hogan Jazz Archive at Tulane University. Writer and advocate Jordan Hirsch
moderates.
To explore this subject further, go to the “South Rampart Street Stroll” tour on
ACloserWalkNola.com , the interactive map of New Orleans music history. You can follow it on a
desktop or on a mobile device as you walk through the area.
2:00 - 2:45 pm
I’ve Got Reasons: The Return of Mary Jane Hooper
Featuring Mary Jane Hooper and Moderator Neil Pellegrin
Mary Jane Hooper, née Sena Fletcher, is a favorite of record collectors. Called the "Queen of New
Orleans Funk" by some, she performed and recorded with such greats as Allen Toussaint, Eddie Bo,
Lee Dorsey, Wardell Quezergue, Willie Tee and the great James Black as her drummer. Although
most of her recordings were done at Cosimo Matassa's studio, she also recorded at other facilities
like Studio in the Country and Sea-Saint Recording studio. She recorded under the Scram, Power,
Power-Pac, and World Pacific labels and was part of the famed Triple Souls background singers
made up of herself, Inez Cheatham and Mercedes Morris who did background for such artists as
Johnny Adams, Lee Dorsey and others. Wanting to expand her musical wings, she toured with a
well-known rock and roll band called the "Q" in the 1970's. After leaving the music business, she
became a well-known and respected newscaster on WTIX-AM radio, Vice President of a local
advertising agency and a Senior Marketing Consultant for a nationwide telecommunications
company. She will be interviewed by WWOZ disc jockey and vinyl aficionado Neil Pellegrin.
3:00 - 3:45 pm
Willie Knows How: An Oral History with Willie West
Featuring Willie West and Moderator John Broven
Willie West has been making music for over 50 years. After putting together his first band, the
Sharks, as a teenager in Raceland, Louisiana, Willie recorded at Cosimo Matassa’s studio, worked
with such greats as Wardell Quezergue and Allen Toussaint, and released records on a number of
labels, including Rustone, Frisco, Deesu, Josie and Warner Bros. And all of this was before he was
lead vocalist for The Meters when they performed on Saturday Night Live. Willie will be interviewed
by the venerable John Broven , author of South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous and
Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans.
4:00 - 4:45 pm
It Came from Philly
Featuring Archie Bell and Winfield Parker, with Moderator Jason Hanley
Though Archie Bell was born in Texas and Winfield Parker is from Maryland, both artists are
celebrated exponents of the Philadelphia sound. While touring in support of “Tighten Up,” a number
one hit on both the pop and R&B charts, Archie & the Drells met Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff,
Philadelphia's leading songwriting and production team. Their partnership would produce classics
such as "I Can't Stop Dancing" and "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown," which was later
re-invented by the New York Dolls. Winfield Parker was the flagship artists for Baltimore’s Ru-Jac
label before hooking up with Jimmy Bishop of Philadelphia’s soul station WDAS. From there, he
collaborated with Barbara Mason and charted with “S.O.S. (Stop Her On Site).” In his over 50-year
career he has worked alongside such greats as Little Richard, Otis Redding, and Ike and Tina
Turner. Moderating the discussion will be Dr. Jason Hanley , the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
Museum’s Vice President of Education and Visitor Engagement.
5:00 - 5:45 pm
The RAM Records Story
Featuring Margaret Lewis, Alton Warwick, Roy “Boogie Boy” Perkins, V.J. Boulet and Moderator
Michael Hurtt
This panel shines a spotlight on the Shreveport label RAM Records. Alton Warwick, the co-owner
of RAM who built the label’s studio, will be joined by Margaret Lewis, a RAM recording artist,
producer, and award-winning songwriter; Swamp-pop pioneer Ernie Suarez , otherwise known as
Roy “Boogie Boy” Perkins ; and V.J. Boulet of Bobby & The Riff Raffs. Musician and musicologist
Michael Hurtt , who is currently at work on a book about Detroit’s Fortune Records, will moderate.
6:00 - 6:45 pm
Tales of A Louisiana Man: An Oral History with Doug Kershaw
Featuring Doug Kershaw and Moderators Deke Dickerson and Dave Stuckey
Doug Kershaw, the singer, songwriter and master fiddler known as the Ragin’ Cajun, has had an
extraordinary career. He was a regular on the Louisiana Hayride and a member of the Grand Ole
Opry before recording hits “Diggy Liggy Lo” and “Louisiana Man” – the latter being the first song
broadcast back to Earth from the moon by the Apollo 12 astronauts. His appearances on television
shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show , The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, and The Johnny
Cash Show brought Cajun music to a national audience. He will be interviewed by musicians Dave
Stuckey and Deke Dickerson.
FRIDAY OCTOBER 6TH
10:00 - 10:45 am
The Man Behind the Montel & Michelle Labels: An Oral History with Sam Montalbano
Featuring Moderator John Broven
Sam Montalbano, known in the music business as Sam Montel, has done it all. He ran Deep South
Studio in Baton Rouge and worked with artists such as The Boogie Kinds, Sugar Boy Crawford, and
Slim Harpo. He owned the Montel and Michelle record labels, putting out regional and national hits
such as Dale & Grace’s No. 1 “I’m Leaving It Up To You.” As a concert promoter, he brought national and international acts to Baton Rouge, including Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, and The Who. Montalbano will discuss his record labels and the South Louisiana music industry with John Broven , author of South to Louisiana: The Music of the Cajun Bayous and Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans.
10:55 - 11:50 am
Last Train from Kicksville: A Tribute to Billy Miller of Norton Records
Featuring Miriam Linna, Todd Abramson, James Marshall, Deke Dickerson and Moderator Michael
Hurtt
This panel will honor the late Billy Miller, described by David Fricke as “a collector and scholar of the raw, fundamental and unapologetic in rockabilly, R&B and garage punk who shared his knowledge and passions with the exuberant, addicting force of a true fan.” Miller, with Miriam Linna, founded Norton Records, which has been releasing important and often forgotten music for over 25 years, and was a heavy influence on the Ponderosa Stomp. Linna was the first drummer for the Cramps and later played with Miller in a band called the A-Bones. She is joined on the panel by James Marshall, a former New York Times critic and former owner of Lakeside Lounge in New York and Circle Bar in New Orleans; Todd Abramson, WFMU DJ and the former talent booker at Maxwell’s, the famed Hoboken, New Jersey nightclub; and Deke Dickerson, a musician, writer, and music historian. Musician and musicologist Michael Hurtt will moderate.
12:35 - 1:20 pm
Evie Sands Oral History
Featuring Moderator Sheryl Farber
Evie Sands made some of the finest blue-eyed soul singles of the '60s. A cult figure of vintage pop,
Sands was born in Brooklyn but came of age in Los Angeles, recording “Take Me For a Little While”
and “Angel of the Morning” before they became hits. She retired from performing in 1979 to
concentrate on writing and producing, but waged a triumphant comeback in the late '90s and has
been at it ever since. Sands will be interviewed by the Grammy-nominated producer, writer and
editor Sheryl Farber.
1:30 - 2:15 pm
Make it Sound Like a Train: An Oral History with Charles Connor
Featuring Moderator David Kunian
As the drummer in Little Richard’s band the Upsetters, Charles "Keep A Knockin’" Connor is
credited with introducing the hugely influential "Choo Choo Train" style – successive eighth notes
with a loud back beat – into the rock ‘n’ roll lexicon. He went on to drum behind legends such as
Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, and James Brown, who credited Connor with being “the first to put the
funk in the rhythm.” Fittingly, his drumsticks are on display at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame
Museum. Connor, a New Orleans native, was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in
2010. He will be interviewed by David Kunian, the Curator of Music at the New Orleans Jazz
Museum.
2:25 - 3:10 pm
Forever Young: An Oral History with Reggie Young
Featuring Moderator red kelly
You may not know his name, but you know his music: Reggie Young has appeared on over 100
chart hits, in multiple genres, in a career spanning more than 60 years. A guitar great, he appeared
on the Louisiana Hayride before moving to Memphis and recording with Hi Records’ Willie Mitchell.
In 1964, when the Beatles tapped Bill Black as an opener on their U.S. tour, Young, who was
Black’s guitarist, left the studio for the road. He went on to became a top session man in Memphis
and then Nashville, playing on hits for Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, and Dusty
Springfield, among many others. Music archaeologist and blogger red kelly will talk to Young about
his extraordinary and influential life in music.
3:20 - 4:05 pm
Walking the Dog: Growing Up with the “World’s Oldest Teenager” Rufus Thomas
Featuring Carla and Vaneese Thomas and Moderator Andria Lisle
Carla and Vaneese Thomas, stars in their own right, will discuss growing up with their father,
Memphis R&B and funk pioneer Rufus Thomas, “the World’s Oldest Teenager.” The elder Thomas
had hits with “Walking the Dog” and “Bear Cat,” both recorded with Sam Phillips, as well as hits on
Stax Records such as “The Funky Chicken.” Carla Thomas, whose first duet partner was her late
father, has been hailed as the Queen of Memphis Soul since 1961, when her sweet, yearning ballad
“Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes)” became a pop and R&B smash. One of the first essential signings at
Stax, she served up a string of hits throughout the ‘60s including “Let Me Be Good To You” and
“B-A-B-Y.” Vaneese Thomas cut two sizable R&B hits of her own in 1987, “Let’s Talk It Over” and
“(I Wanna Get) Close To You).” Her 2016 album “The Long Journey Home” was widely acclaimed.
Writer, curator, and musicologist Andria Lisle moderates.
4:15 - 5:00 pm
I Wanna Holler: An Oral History with Gary U.S. Bonds
Featuring Moderator Todd Abramson
Gary Anderson, better known as Gary U.S. Bonds, will look back at his storied and pioneering
career. In 1960 he recorded his first single “New Orleans,” which became a national hit. He followed
up with the even bigger hit “Quarter To Three,” which inspired Dion and the Belmonts’ “Runaround
Sue.” After years of touring with artists like B.B. King and recording additional albums, Gary left his
record label but continued to perform. A chance meeting in New Jersey led him back into the studio
in 1981 to record the successful “Dedication” album with Bruce Springsteen & Steven Van Zandt.
The record included the hit "This Little Girl," a song Springsteen wrote for Bonds, which brought
him back into the spotlight. Bonds will be interviewed by WFMU DJ Todd Abramson , the former
talent booker at Maxwell’s, the famed Hoboken, New Jersey nightclub.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
FRESH FROM STANDING OVATION AT LINCOLN CENTER OUT OF DOORS, “MARVELOUS” (ROLLING STONE) SOUL SURVIVOR & FAT POSSUM ARTIST DON BRYANT ADDS AMERICANA FEST, EUROPEAN TOUR, PONDEROSA STOMP APPEARANCE, TAKE ME TO THE RIVER TOUR
Fresh from a packed house, standing ovation performance at Lincoln
Center Out of Doors with Lincoln Center’s Jill Sternheimer calling him
“incredible,” Fat Possum soul man Don Bryant will perform at a series of
concerts, including as part of Americana Fest, the Ponderosa Stomp, the
Take Me to the River tour, and a headlining European tour.
September 16 – 12th & Porter – Nashville, TN (Americana Fest, 9pm)
October 7 – Orpheum Theater – New Orleans, LA (Ponderosa Stomp)
January 25 – Carolina Theatre – Durham, NC (Take Me to the River tour)
January 26 – Jefferson Center – Roanoke, VA (Take Me to the River tour)
January 27 – Harbison Theatre – Irmo, SC (Take Me to the River tour)
January 29 – University of Florida Phillips Center – Gainesville, FL (Take Me to the River tour)
January 30 – Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, FL (Take Me to the River tour)
February 3 – Parker Playhouse – Fort Lauderdale, FL (Take Me to the River tour)
Watch his video for "How Do I Get There?" shot in the Clayborn Temple, a landmark of the civil rights movement via NPR: http://n.pr/2loxNon
Backed by The Bo-Keys and produced by Scott Bomar and Bruce Watson, the new album ‘Don’t Give Up On Love’ (Fat Possum) has seen the “I Can’t Stand the Rain” songwriter earning reams of love:
“A formidable soul singer…inspired in every sense of the term.”
— NPR Music
“His voice remains marvelous…canonical, finely tuned Southern soul.”
— Rolling Stone
“’Don’t Give Up On Love’ is a joyous miracle. Whatever Don Bryant’s been taking, we could all use a dose.”
— Paste (8.7 / 10)
“A lively and supremely compelling singer.”
— Uncut (Four Stars ****)
“Bryant's vocal is rich and full on songs that are framed in exclamatory horns and soothing organ”
— MOJO (Four Stars ****)
“One pleasant and pleasing surprise.”
— AllMusic
September 16 – 12th & Porter – Nashville, TN (Americana Fest, 9pm)
October 7 – Orpheum Theater – New Orleans, LA (Ponderosa Stomp)
January 25 – Carolina Theatre – Durham, NC (Take Me to the River tour)
January 26 – Jefferson Center – Roanoke, VA (Take Me to the River tour)
January 27 – Harbison Theatre – Irmo, SC (Take Me to the River tour)
January 29 – University of Florida Phillips Center – Gainesville, FL (Take Me to the River tour)
January 30 – Florida Theatre – Jacksonville, FL (Take Me to the River tour)
February 3 – Parker Playhouse – Fort Lauderdale, FL (Take Me to the River tour)
Watch his video for "How Do I Get There?" shot in the Clayborn Temple, a landmark of the civil rights movement via NPR: http://n.pr/2loxNon
Backed by The Bo-Keys and produced by Scott Bomar and Bruce Watson, the new album ‘Don’t Give Up On Love’ (Fat Possum) has seen the “I Can’t Stand the Rain” songwriter earning reams of love:
“A formidable soul singer…inspired in every sense of the term.”
— NPR Music
“His voice remains marvelous…canonical, finely tuned Southern soul.”
— Rolling Stone
“’Don’t Give Up On Love’ is a joyous miracle. Whatever Don Bryant’s been taking, we could all use a dose.”
— Paste (8.7 / 10)
“A lively and supremely compelling singer.”
— Uncut (Four Stars ****)
“Bryant's vocal is rich and full on songs that are framed in exclamatory horns and soothing organ”
— MOJO (Four Stars ****)
“One pleasant and pleasing surprise.”
— AllMusic
Friday, August 11, 2017
Don Bryant bio
Don Bryant
Age. Some things do get better with age. Like the slow grind.
Kids are always in a hurry—not enough time in the day, not enough
minutes in the hour, too many things to do and places to be. Age makes
us appreciate the depth in experiences, the range of senses in a single
moment, a single touch. Instead of trying to fill 60 different seconds,
age opens up the fullness of a single minute. Less becomes so much more.
Oh, the slow grind. Don Bryant gets inside it, slows it further, fills every little crevice with sensuous feeling, with yearning, with pain and love. You know that old song that O. V. Wright did so well in 1971 that no one can ever do the song again (as much as everyone tries)—“Nickel and a Nail”? O. V. Wright has held tight to that song and rightfully so. But not no mo. Don has slowed it, made it a richer and deeper experience. Not to take anything from O.V.—he made it possible for others to try, for Don to succeed. But O. V., after nearly half a century, now you gotta step aside. Don Bryant is here.
Though it ain’t like he just showed up. The roots of this record are in the Memphis church. That’s where Don Bryant began singing when he was 5. He joined his father’s family vocal group, then formed a gospel quartet for a high school radio gig. Broadcasting broadened the audience and they went secular, singing pop at WLOK on Dick “Cane” Cole’s popular show. Kids walking to school every morning listened to Don and the Four Canes. After parting with the DJ, they took a very real step toward careers when, as the Four Kings, they began fronting Willie Mitchell’s band.
Willie Mitchell led the swingingest, groovin’est band in the Memphis-Mississippi-Arkansas area—the American music floodplain. (He would later discover Al Green and make him—and keep him—a star.) Willie’s band was known for instrumental records, but when they’d play at Danny’s in West Memphis. Don’s group fronted them, the voices that pulled dancers onto the floor. But the group broke up, as groups will do, and Willie, who was touring concert venues and dance halls, needed a vocalist who could play with his supple, slinky funky beats. The Four Kings were deposed, but Willie anointed Don Bryant. Don could stand in front of Willie’s orchestra and lead.
Don could also write songs. He was still in his teens when, in 1960, Willie was producing the so-great 5 Royales and Don handed him “I Got To Know.” The 5 Royales put it on wax. Don was hot in the spotlight and in the writer’s room.
As Willie Mitchell carved out his place at Hi Records—first as an artist, then as a songwriter, then a producer and co-owner—Don was close by. Don cut songs at Hi under the Four Kings moniker (dig “That Driving Beat”) and as a solo artist (“Don’t Turn Your Back On Me”). He wrote material for other Hi artists, including Janet & the Jays and Norman West. In 1969, still in the age of 7” singles, Don was popular enough to release an album. But the big hit that would put his name in every household proved elusive.
Around 1970, Willie put Don with the Hi label’s newest act, a petite chanteuse from St. Louis with commanding pipes. Ann Peebles burst on the scene with “Part Time Love.” Don looked at this slight young lady and penned “99 Lbs” for her: “You wouldn't know what I'm talking 'bout/ If you never had a love like this/… 99 lbs of natural born goodness/99 lbs of soul.” The relationship warmed, they co-wrote the hit “I Can’t Stand the Rain” in 1973 and were married the following year. Ann’s performing career continued, as did Don’s writing, and they began raising a family. Between then and now, Don returned to the microphone periodically, sometimes dueting with his wife, sometimes releasing gospel material. Always, he continued to write songs.
And all the while, that voice was maturing, mellowing, until these recordings that find him, at age 74, in peak form and taking O. V.’s song. The band is a mix of lifelong cohorts and upstart stalwarts. They understand where he’s been and where he wants to go, and they take him there, making his song “How Do I Get There,” a rhetorical question, because they have clearly found the way. Again it’s so much about the pacing—restrained and slow to allow the nuance in his voice to ooze and soothe. The organ and keyboard interplay of Charles Hodges and Hubby Mitchell, both from the Hi Rhythm Section, set us firmly in church firmament. Don’s song moves steady and deliberately, like a gang of chained slaves seeking hope, like a doleful band of earthbound angels. The yearning is the thing—spiritual, sensual, and from the heart.
Willie Mitchell died in 2010, but Don makes his presence palpable on “Don’t Give Up On Love,” a song Don co-wrote with bassist Scott Bomar. The strings leap out like a classic Hi record and the mood never breaks. The same team evokes the feel of Willie’s band crowding the Danny’s Club dance floor in West Memphis with “Something About You,” the killer guitar is played by young man/old soul Joe Restivo. And their “What Kind of Love” keeps us at Danny’s Club til much later, when the beats are harder and the moves more angular. “First You Cry,” a contemporary cover, is built on the simplicity of solid soul through the decades; it’s wise, witty, and true.
A few of these songs come from Don’s past. He reprises the 5 Royales’ version of his own “I Got To Know.” Despite its age, it’s fresh as a New Orleans hurricane, and just as tasty. Don’s “It Was Jealousy” has become a soul music standard, familiar to Northern Soul fans as an Otis Clay recording and to southern soul fans by Ann Peebles’ treatment. Today he puts a pop patina atop it, the smooth horns giving it an extra shine.
His new version of “Can’t Hide the Hurt” hits the sweet spot that all contemporary soul music strives for: It’s yesterday’s now music today. Like the whole album, it’s completely new but with an old soul. Do you grab your boogie shoes or a handkerchief to wipe away the tears?
“One Ain’t Enough” is a new track written by some of “the kids” who play on this album. It draws from all the right influences to sound like a fossil that’s been cleaned, polished and robustly reanimated.
I was lucky and popped by the end of the recording sessions. They’d just cut “One Ain’t Enough” and were listening to playback. Veteran drummer Howard Grimes, also of Willie Mitchell’s tutelage and the drummer on many of Don’s Hi sessions—he couldn’t keep from keeping the beat and he stepped to the middle of the control room floor. The Soul Train line formed.
Howard’s arms came up and his feet went down. His eyes took a distant look and he was transported beyond the slow grind. His backbone slipped, he began to dip, everyone shouted and clapped. This kind of music moved audiences then and it moves them now. Even the music makers can’t stand still. Soul survivors, young and old—nothing holds them back.
--Robert Gordon, Memphis, 2017
Robert Gordon is the author of Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion, among other books and films.
Oh, the slow grind. Don Bryant gets inside it, slows it further, fills every little crevice with sensuous feeling, with yearning, with pain and love. You know that old song that O. V. Wright did so well in 1971 that no one can ever do the song again (as much as everyone tries)—“Nickel and a Nail”? O. V. Wright has held tight to that song and rightfully so. But not no mo. Don has slowed it, made it a richer and deeper experience. Not to take anything from O.V.—he made it possible for others to try, for Don to succeed. But O. V., after nearly half a century, now you gotta step aside. Don Bryant is here.
Though it ain’t like he just showed up. The roots of this record are in the Memphis church. That’s where Don Bryant began singing when he was 5. He joined his father’s family vocal group, then formed a gospel quartet for a high school radio gig. Broadcasting broadened the audience and they went secular, singing pop at WLOK on Dick “Cane” Cole’s popular show. Kids walking to school every morning listened to Don and the Four Canes. After parting with the DJ, they took a very real step toward careers when, as the Four Kings, they began fronting Willie Mitchell’s band.
Willie Mitchell led the swingingest, groovin’est band in the Memphis-Mississippi-Arkansas area—the American music floodplain. (He would later discover Al Green and make him—and keep him—a star.) Willie’s band was known for instrumental records, but when they’d play at Danny’s in West Memphis. Don’s group fronted them, the voices that pulled dancers onto the floor. But the group broke up, as groups will do, and Willie, who was touring concert venues and dance halls, needed a vocalist who could play with his supple, slinky funky beats. The Four Kings were deposed, but Willie anointed Don Bryant. Don could stand in front of Willie’s orchestra and lead.
Don could also write songs. He was still in his teens when, in 1960, Willie was producing the so-great 5 Royales and Don handed him “I Got To Know.” The 5 Royales put it on wax. Don was hot in the spotlight and in the writer’s room.
As Willie Mitchell carved out his place at Hi Records—first as an artist, then as a songwriter, then a producer and co-owner—Don was close by. Don cut songs at Hi under the Four Kings moniker (dig “That Driving Beat”) and as a solo artist (“Don’t Turn Your Back On Me”). He wrote material for other Hi artists, including Janet & the Jays and Norman West. In 1969, still in the age of 7” singles, Don was popular enough to release an album. But the big hit that would put his name in every household proved elusive.
Around 1970, Willie put Don with the Hi label’s newest act, a petite chanteuse from St. Louis with commanding pipes. Ann Peebles burst on the scene with “Part Time Love.” Don looked at this slight young lady and penned “99 Lbs” for her: “You wouldn't know what I'm talking 'bout/ If you never had a love like this/… 99 lbs of natural born goodness/99 lbs of soul.” The relationship warmed, they co-wrote the hit “I Can’t Stand the Rain” in 1973 and were married the following year. Ann’s performing career continued, as did Don’s writing, and they began raising a family. Between then and now, Don returned to the microphone periodically, sometimes dueting with his wife, sometimes releasing gospel material. Always, he continued to write songs.
And all the while, that voice was maturing, mellowing, until these recordings that find him, at age 74, in peak form and taking O. V.’s song. The band is a mix of lifelong cohorts and upstart stalwarts. They understand where he’s been and where he wants to go, and they take him there, making his song “How Do I Get There,” a rhetorical question, because they have clearly found the way. Again it’s so much about the pacing—restrained and slow to allow the nuance in his voice to ooze and soothe. The organ and keyboard interplay of Charles Hodges and Hubby Mitchell, both from the Hi Rhythm Section, set us firmly in church firmament. Don’s song moves steady and deliberately, like a gang of chained slaves seeking hope, like a doleful band of earthbound angels. The yearning is the thing—spiritual, sensual, and from the heart.
Willie Mitchell died in 2010, but Don makes his presence palpable on “Don’t Give Up On Love,” a song Don co-wrote with bassist Scott Bomar. The strings leap out like a classic Hi record and the mood never breaks. The same team evokes the feel of Willie’s band crowding the Danny’s Club dance floor in West Memphis with “Something About You,” the killer guitar is played by young man/old soul Joe Restivo. And their “What Kind of Love” keeps us at Danny’s Club til much later, when the beats are harder and the moves more angular. “First You Cry,” a contemporary cover, is built on the simplicity of solid soul through the decades; it’s wise, witty, and true.
A few of these songs come from Don’s past. He reprises the 5 Royales’ version of his own “I Got To Know.” Despite its age, it’s fresh as a New Orleans hurricane, and just as tasty. Don’s “It Was Jealousy” has become a soul music standard, familiar to Northern Soul fans as an Otis Clay recording and to southern soul fans by Ann Peebles’ treatment. Today he puts a pop patina atop it, the smooth horns giving it an extra shine.
His new version of “Can’t Hide the Hurt” hits the sweet spot that all contemporary soul music strives for: It’s yesterday’s now music today. Like the whole album, it’s completely new but with an old soul. Do you grab your boogie shoes or a handkerchief to wipe away the tears?
“One Ain’t Enough” is a new track written by some of “the kids” who play on this album. It draws from all the right influences to sound like a fossil that’s been cleaned, polished and robustly reanimated.
I was lucky and popped by the end of the recording sessions. They’d just cut “One Ain’t Enough” and were listening to playback. Veteran drummer Howard Grimes, also of Willie Mitchell’s tutelage and the drummer on many of Don’s Hi sessions—he couldn’t keep from keeping the beat and he stepped to the middle of the control room floor. The Soul Train line formed.
Howard’s arms came up and his feet went down. His eyes took a distant look and he was transported beyond the slow grind. His backbone slipped, he began to dip, everyone shouted and clapped. This kind of music moved audiences then and it moves them now. Even the music makers can’t stand still. Soul survivors, young and old—nothing holds them back.
--Robert Gordon, Memphis, 2017
Robert Gordon is the author of Respect Yourself: Stax Records and the Soul Explosion, among other books and films.
Thursday, August 10, 2017
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Kris Delmhorst 'The Wild' bio
I burned my eyes on the moon last night
I was looking for a reason to shine
Reaching out past my second body
Reaching out past my mind
Into the darkness, into the darkness
Into the darkness of what we don’t know
Into the place behind the place we never go
I was looking for a reason to shine
Reaching out past my second body
Reaching out past my mind
Into the darkness, into the darkness
Into the darkness of what we don’t know
Into the place behind the place we never go
* * * * * * *
THE WILD – the moving,
emotionally charged new album from Kris Delmhorst – comes to terms with what
Greg Brown memorably called “All this terror and grace.” The stakes rise as we
go along. Our babies arrive and disappear into children, friends die or get
weird, our parents distill. We lose the path – to our story, our partner, to
the muse – and must reckon the way back.
And The Wild, where has it
gone?
Kris Delmhorst locates it
here, in twelve songs “Of life getting long / And the music of the way things
are:” inside as much as outside, vital in both places, whether or not you
intend to visit.
The blurred growl of a
bottleneck slide is abruptly broken by four sharp floor-tom shots to announce
‘All the Way Around,’ the opening song in which Delmhorst traces the arc of
life lost and found in a confiding alto that hovers above ominous washes of
pedal steel and electric guitar tremolo, singing, “I burned my eyes on the moon
last night / I was looking for a reason to shine.” The hushed, eerie title
track locates the ever-beating animal heart just beneath the surface of our
well-mannered, modern lives. “Do you remember what you do it for? / When you
get done the prize is more / You’re the horse and the cart, the pimp and the
whore / Can you even find your way anymore / To The Wild?” From the
country-tinged R&B of ‘Color of the Sky’ to the Faces-inflected ‘Rules to Games,’
THE WILD gestures towards genre without ever inhabiting it, moving confidently
beyond imitation or nostalgia to deliver a record that sets out its own terms,
and fulfills them.
Like the moon rising, THE
WILD reveals itself by degrees, slowly baring a remarkable depth of soul.
Panoramic sonic landscapes frame elegantly turned, incisive phrases to paint
scenes of wonder, discord, and joy. The album shows Delmhorst in the fullness
of her powers, with restraint and maturity in equal measure, a songwriter of
range and clarity who can imbue the day-to-day struggle of ordinary living with
visceral immediacy. Twenty years into a career, thirteen into a marriage, nine
years into motherhood, Delmhorst has gained access to new floors in the tower
of song. Far up the winding stair from kids writing journal entries about
trying out love, she takes aim at the bones of life, our connection to each
other and to the world.
The result, while a deeply
personal album, looks upon universal human situations with unflinching
compassion. “Did you shake like a mountain?” Delmhorst asks, in ‘Temporary
Existence,’ “Did you lie like a lamb? Did you cry like a fountain? Fail like a
man? If you tell me your story, I’ll tell you my story too.”
Unwilling to choose between
a life and a career, Kris Delmhorst has pursued both at once, a winding path
that’s put her eclecticism and wanderlust at the forefront of each. Raised in
Brooklyn, NY, Delmhorst studied classical cello and the 80’s FM dial before
decamping to rural Maine to work as an organic farmer. Laid up with a broken
ankle with no electricity in the dead of winter, she taught herself to play
fiddle, and later guitar, eventually writing her own songs. The chance decision
to play an open mic became the inflection point that would eventually take her
across the country and overseas in the course of a critically-lauded, musically
versatile career.
Hailed as “Bold and
brilliant” by the Boston Globe and “Captivating” by Allmusic, Kris Delmhorst
has released six full-length records on respected indie label Signature Sounds,
albums that range from intimate and acoustic to rock quartet; from found-sound
home recordings to classic poetry refigured and set to music, as well as a variety
of EPs and side projects and a sky-larking album of acoustic covers of new-wave
masters The Cars. A constant collaborator and consummate musician, Delmhorst
has appeared on upward of 75 albums, contributing vocals, cello, fiddle, and
bass to the work of artists as various as Anais Mitchell, Lori McKenna, Peter
Wolf, Mary Gauthier, and Chris Smither. THE WILD finds her once again in good
company, creating and inhabiting the stillness at the center of the storm,
illuminating her own humanity, and ours.
Although married since 2004,
Delmhorst and her husband, fellow songwriter Jeffrey Foucault (“Contemporary
and timeless” - NY Times) have run their careers largely along separate lines,
maintaining domestic privacy and raising a daughter while trading home and
away. THE WILD represents their first foray into the studio together, with
Foucault co-producing and contributing guitars and vocals. The rest of the players
weave together multiple threads of the two artists’ careers: drummer Billy
Conway (Morphine, Treat Her Right) played on and produced Delmhorst’s early
records and has performed with Foucault for the past decade, while bassist
Jeremy Moses Curtis (Booker T) began working live and in the studio with
Foucault after having known Delmhorst from their early years in the Boston
music scene. Pedal steel guitarist Alex McCollough has been the mastering
engineer on records for both artists, in addition to playing with Foucault in
the band Cold Satellite. The deep and comfortable familiarity of the players is
apparent in the patience of the performances, and the companionable silence
around which the best music is made. Nothing is pushed, everything revealed.
They say that in show
business you get one shot for being young and one for being good. Early chances
flower up like fireworks and fade as quickly, and then the long work of
craftsmanship begins, separating the dabblers from the disciples. The second
shot may never come, but the best find that it doesn’t matter. They go about
their work, in The Wild.
Monday, August 7, 2017
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
FIRST GREAT EASTERN MUSIC FESTIVAL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 AT HISTORIC MONTAUK LIGHTHOUSE
MONTAUK HISTORICAL SOCIETY TO HOST GRAMMY WINNER SARAH JAROSZ, “GREAT
BAND” (ROLLING STONE) THE DUSTBOWL REVIVAL, AND BLUEGRASS LEGENDS SELDOM
SCENE
Saturday, September 16, 2017 will mark the first Great Eastern Music Festival, presented by The Montauk Historical Society at The Montauk Lighthouse, located at the easternmost tip of Long Island. The Americana, roots, and bluegrass festival will be headlined by GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz “best live band in Los Angeles” (LA Weekly) The Dustbowl Revival, “rising country star” (Rolling Stone) Sam Outlaw; and “timeless” (CMT) 45-year veterans and Smithsonian Folkways artists Seldom Scene.
The idyllic setting provides 360 degree views of Block Island, the Atlantic Ocean and beyond. Proceeds from the event will fund ongoing maintenance of the Lighthouse and the maintenance of the retaining wall on the ocean side.
Also featured will be “banjo wiz” (Brooklyn Vegan) Tall Tall Trees Miles to Dayton, and Long Island bluegrass favorites, Eastbound Freight, and Buddy Merriam & Back Roads. The Save the Oceans Stage will feature performances by Gravity Jazz Quartet, Gene Casey, M2D Trio, Pluck & Rail, Bill Scorzari, He-Bird, She-Bird, Kirsten Maxwell, and Hank Stone as well as an ocean water quality display and lectures from the Montauk Oceans Institute.
“It’s been a long time dream of board member, Greg Donohue and The Montauk Historical Society to present a concert on the Lighthouse grounds,” said event manager and spokesperson, Bill Ayasse. “The natural amphitheater on its North side make it a perfect location. They would like to make it an annual event.”
Tickets are $65 for general admission, $25 for children ages 6 – 12, and free for kids ages 0 – 5. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.
For on-site sponsorship opportunities, please call John Brisotti, 516-527-6849.
The Montauk Lighthouse was built from 1792-1796 and commissioned by George Washington in 1797. The Lighthouse Committee of the Montauk Historical Society is dedicated to the protection, preservation, and educational development of this national historic site. Through programs, exhibits, publications, and special events, the story of this site will be conveyed to the public.
Saturday, September 16, 2017 will mark the first Great Eastern Music Festival, presented by The Montauk Historical Society at The Montauk Lighthouse, located at the easternmost tip of Long Island. The Americana, roots, and bluegrass festival will be headlined by GRAMMY Award winning singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz “best live band in Los Angeles” (LA Weekly) The Dustbowl Revival, “rising country star” (Rolling Stone) Sam Outlaw; and “timeless” (CMT) 45-year veterans and Smithsonian Folkways artists Seldom Scene.
The idyllic setting provides 360 degree views of Block Island, the Atlantic Ocean and beyond. Proceeds from the event will fund ongoing maintenance of the Lighthouse and the maintenance of the retaining wall on the ocean side.
Also featured will be “banjo wiz” (Brooklyn Vegan) Tall Tall Trees Miles to Dayton, and Long Island bluegrass favorites, Eastbound Freight, and Buddy Merriam & Back Roads. The Save the Oceans Stage will feature performances by Gravity Jazz Quartet, Gene Casey, M2D Trio, Pluck & Rail, Bill Scorzari, He-Bird, She-Bird, Kirsten Maxwell, and Hank Stone as well as an ocean water quality display and lectures from the Montauk Oceans Institute.
“It’s been a long time dream of board member, Greg Donohue and The Montauk Historical Society to present a concert on the Lighthouse grounds,” said event manager and spokesperson, Bill Ayasse. “The natural amphitheater on its North side make it a perfect location. They would like to make it an annual event.”
Tickets are $65 for general admission, $25 for children ages 6 – 12, and free for kids ages 0 – 5. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.
For on-site sponsorship opportunities, please call John Brisotti, 516-527-6849.
The Montauk Lighthouse was built from 1792-1796 and commissioned by George Washington in 1797. The Lighthouse Committee of the Montauk Historical Society is dedicated to the protection, preservation, and educational development of this national historic site. Through programs, exhibits, publications, and special events, the story of this site will be conveyed to the public.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
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