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December 25, 2007: To Live Is To Fly
I didn't play play Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "We Free Kings"-- one of the best tunes ever-- but I did play something by Kirk at the end. I played something from an interesting album I just stumbled onto: "Cubanismo in New Orleans" (plus, of course, other Gulf Coast music). And, as we approach another anniversary of the death of Townes Van Zandt (who, along with Hank Williams) died on January 1, I am compelled to remember this amazing songwriter and all-around wild man.
Townes told clever dry jokes at his concerts. But the best ones were about him. This story is from John Kruth's book on Townes, "To Live's to Fly: The Ballad of the Late, Great Townes Van Zandt". Once Townes got pulled over on the highway between Houston and Austin, by two cops--a blue-eyed cop with a blonde crew cut and the other, a Mexican cop. What is it that you do for a living? He told them he was a songwriter, that he wrote the song Pancho & Lefty and gave it to Willie. They looked at him incredulously but when he sang the first few lines ("Livin on the road my friend was gonna keep you free and clean"), they said they'd let him go. Townes thanked the officers for letting him off and, despite knowing that once a cop lets you go, you keep your mouth shut and split before you stir up any more trouble. Instead he asks why they dropped the charges. It turned out that their radio code names were Pancho and Lefty. "Well, that sure is nice," Townes said, grinning as he walked away. But just before he reaches his car, he turns and ask: "Which one of y'all is Pancho?"
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| Artist | Track | Comments | Approx. start time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Guitars from Texas | Holiday for Hoss | Holiday for everyone | 0:00:00 (Real) |
| Popa Chubby | Take Off-A! | Blues guitar instrumental to get us started; from "The Hungry Years" (Blind Pig, 2003) | 0:05:34 (Real) |
| Leni Stern | Keita | Jazz guitarist goes to Senegal-- and the result is wonderful. I haven't looked yet but the album-- simply called "Africa"-- can be found, along with more info, at lenistern.com | 0:08:36 (Real) |
| Winard Harper | The Believers | With George Cables on piano, Abdou Mboup on percussion and others, drummer-- a Jersey City resident-- Harper knows how to play. This is from a 1999 CD on Savant. | 0:15:14 (Real) |
| Grupo Oba-Ilu | Yuka | From a CD called "Afro-Cuba: Afro Cuban Music From the Roots" on Soul Jazz | 0:20:28 (Real) |
| Lopez Walker | Fly Away | Rough Guide just put out a nice sampler of world music ("World Party") but this song can also be found on Lopez Walker's "Children of Jah" CD | 0:22:30 (Real) |
| Winard Harper | The Believers: Intro | Works better for me as an outro | 0:28:17 (Real) |
| Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures | Walking the Curve | Look for this CD ("Dream Garden") soon-- and live gigs in NYC from this fine ensemble, which includes Kenny Wessel, Graham Haynes, Hamid Drake, Ned Rothenberg, Steve Gorn and others | |
| David Malone | Raunchy Stuff | A Junior Kimbrough tune, from David Malone & the Sugar Bears great 1994 Fat Possum CD, "I Got the Dog in Me" | 0:39:51 (Real) |
| Quicksilver Messenger Service | Smokestack Light | Live and previously unreleased cover of Howling Wolf; sit back & groove: "Lost Gold & Silver" on Collector's Choice | 0:45:51 (Real) |
| Walter Wolfman Washington | Feel So Bad | I saw WWW in NO about 20 years ago; he and the Roadmasters are still there, playing weekly gigs at local bars. Check them out. | 1:00:50 (Real) |
| The Meters | Stay Away | This cut leads off CD #2 from the Rhino box of Meters stuff, labeled "Reprise/Warner Brothers Years" | 1:03:52 (Real) |
| Allen Toussaint | What Do You Want the Girl to Do | A CD re-issue of 1975 "Southern Nights" album | |
| Rebirth Brass Band | Pie Pt. 2 | These guys are still around, although Kermit Ruffin stepped out on his own; this CD is from 1992, when many of the players were still teenagers! Note "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" & "Cisco Kid" quotes in the middle of the song | 1:13:41 (Real) |
| Los Hombres Calientes | Digidall | I love this band; how come they don't travel up here and/or send us their CDs? No Marsalis anymore but Irvin Mayfield and Bill Summers sure can play | 1:18:41 (Real) |
| Cubanismo | It Do Me Good | 1:21:57 (Real) | |
| Frankie Ford | What's Going On | With help from Huey Piano Smith & the Clowns | 1:27:49 (Real) |
| Steve Riley & Mamou Playboys | Church Point Breakdown | Talkover music, hope I didn't ruin it for you | 1:36:54 (Real) |
| Steve Riley & Mamou Playboys | Parley-vous a boire | A big hit here, makes up for me talking during most of the last tune. | 1:37:13 (Real) |
| Giant Sand | Wayfaring Stranger/Fly Me to the Moon | I found this on a MOJO magazine Johnny Cash tribute album; is it on a Giant Sand album? | 1:39:37 (Real) |
| Yo La Tengo | Fourth Time Around | Didja see "I'm Not There" yet? I loved it! A little long and filled with obscure eccentric Dylanisms but clever and fascinating. Great camera work, wonderful acting, amazing soundtrack | 1:44:30 (Real) |
| Roger McGuinn & Calexico | One More Cup of Coffee | For a couple of hours, it was a treat to enter that Dylan world of whimsy and words, with Billy the Kid and hobos on the train and the Beatles and one more cup of coffee | 1:50:06 (Real) |
| Townes Van Zandt | Our Mother the Mountain | Remembering Townes and the beautiful words he left behind for us. | 2:00:22 (Real) |
| Ramblin' Jack Elliot w/ Emmylou Harris & Nanci Griffith | Rex's Blues | Townes wrote this | 2:04:31 (Real) |
| Robert Plant & Alison Krause | Nothin' | Townes wrote this. On the excellent "Raising Sand" album (Rounder, 2007) | 2:07:16 (Real) |
| Townes Van Zandt | If I Needed You | Townes wrote this | 2:12:59 (Real) |
| Mary Lee's Corvette | No Place to Fall | Townes wrote this. From "700 Miles" on Bar None, produced by Eric "Roscoe" Ambel | 2:16:32 (Real) |
| Guy Clark | Don't You Take It Too Bad | Townes wrote this | 2:21:02 (Real) |
| Townes Van Zandt | A Joke | Joke plus some cool songs (Ballad of KKK, Talking Thunderbird Wine, Ballad of Ira Hayes) were recorded live at-- ready for this?!-- Carnegie Hall in 1969. Now on a Dualtone CD | 2:24:16 (Real) |
| Townes Van Zandt | To Live is To Fly | Townes wrote this | 2:28:27 (Real) |
| Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Mudhoney | Buckskin Stallion | Townes wrote this. This version is on an Elektra EP but was a single for Mudhoney on Sub Pop. Jimmie also does "White Freight Liner Blues"-- on one of his albums and with the Flatlanders | 2:32:48 (Real) |
| Robert Earl Keen | Snowin' on Raton | Townes wrote this. From "Gravitational Forces" (Lost Highway, 2001) | 2:37:38 (Real) |
| Townes Van Zandt | No Deal | Townes wrote this. | 2:45:44 (Real) |
| Cowboy Junkies | Blue Eyed Saviour | These guys toured with Townes before he died; this is from their most recent album: "at the end of paths taken" (Latent/Zoe Records, 2007) | 2:49:19 (Real) |
| Karen Dalton | In the Evening | Recorded in a coffeehouse in Boulder in early 60s, now on CD on Megaphone | 2:53:01 (Real) |
| Roland Kirk | Hip Chops | Next time I am on the air I promise to play more Rahsaan! |
Tue. 12/25/07 9:31am
From:
SmokinJ
Merry Christmas Steve! Good to hear you!
Tue. 12/25/07 9:32am
From:
Mr T
Yo, Stevie, Im listening when I can. Opening prezzies... Turn it up!
Tue. 12/25/07 9:35am
From:
Billy Jam
sounding good Steve! thanks for the soundtrack to this Xmas day ....aka James Brown Day - who passed exactly a year ago...Let's drink to his honor, peace on earth, and to the gift that is WFMU
Tue. 12/25/07 9:58am
From:
SmokinJ
Just 'respond' with more beautiful tunes bro'!
Tue. 12/25/07 10:06am
From:
Kenzowie
for you to add a comment you need to open the acuplaylist page as listeners see it (not where you are inputing) and just type into the "post your comment to this playlist" part
Tue. 12/25/07 10:07am
From:
Chip
Good to hear a familiar voice far from home on Christmas Day.
Tue. 12/25/07 10:08am
From:
SmokinJ
Brother Ken to the rescue! Atta' boy!
Tue. 12/25/07 10:10am
From:
steve
Hey, that's not so hard. Thanks for all the comments. Music talk encouraged.
Tue. 12/25/07 10:16am
From:
steve
What song is Rebirth quoting here? I hear it but can't place it.
Tue. 12/25/07 10:18am
From:
mark from pottersville
cisco kid, war. nice to hear you again, steve. peace.
Tue. 12/25/07 10:31am
From:
batia
GO DADDY!!!
Tue. 12/25/07 10:32am
From:
SmokinJ
Frankie Ford's vocal style reminds me of the great John Fred's..
Tue. 12/25/07 10:34am
From:
laurenn
HI STEVE, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Tue. 12/25/07 10:40am
From:
Ken
Hi Steve, Hi Batia, Billy! Happy Holidays everybody!
Tue. 12/25/07 11:00am
From:
batia
happy holidays !
daddy i like your show the music is very YOU
Tue. 12/25/07 11:32am
From:
steve
Wow. The comments ended as soon as I put on Townes. I'm just enthralled by this guy's stuff. Dylan covered him recently at Bonaroo. I could play his stuff all day.
Tue. 12/25/07 11:45am
From:
bob in austin
Thanks for all the great country tunes!
Tue. 12/25/07 12:00pm
From:
batia
i know this song (no deal) lol
Tue. 12/25/07 12:11pm
From:
steve
The show ended too soon: sorry if phone problems prevented some of you from getting tickets. If you want me to email you next time I'm on, let me know. Ho Ho Ho.
Sat. 4/26/08 6:17am
From:
Dev B
This is awesome - Debashish Bhattacharaya, you should play some WM Bhatt afterwards. best wishes - Dev
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