General Comments for all Naweedna Compilations

 Will Moyle’s Jazz Alive, a locally produced master collection of classic jazz. The Will Moyle stuff is the best collection of jazz I’ve ever heard. I taped it in the 80s from WXXI broadcasts.

 FFUSA: Folk Festival USA, a nationally distributed collection of excerpts recorded live at various folk festivals around the country – varying from traditional country to purely ethnic, to socio-political (one lesbian festival, in fact). FFUSA is eclectic, and the live recordings often catch a lot of crowd noise as well as bad microphone placement. Originally taped from WXXI in the 80s.

 GTWG: The Glory That Was Grease, another locally produced broadcast that featured the formative years of Rock and Roll from the 50s and 60s – my youth. The “Grease” may have been “Greece”, the Rochester suburb where the program originated. The GTWG is marginal but good for reminding my generation of their teenage years – if that can be considered a good thing. Originally taped from WXXI in the 80s.

 BBGR: Big Band Go Round, yet another local program featuring … Big Band, but also including most anything recorded from the 20s to 50s. The BBGR is so broad that it is unlikely to be duplicated anywhere. However, you have to have a fondness for the crackle of scratchy old 78’s and an appetite for schmaltz to fully appreciate it. Originally taped in the 80s.

 PHC & PHC-D: Prairie Home Companion – the middle years. I didn’t get started with PHC until the 80s, so I missed the early period, and I stopped taping when Garrison retired – for the first time. Remember the unfortunate guy who took over the time slot from Garrison? Me, neither. AS IF anyone could do that – a classic no-win situation. When Garrison un-retired (like Michael Jordan), the second version of the show was based in NYC, and I didn’t care for it that much, so I didn’t tape it. A few years later I discovered that he had gone back to the old format and was broadcasting from St Paul MN again. I’ve been digitizing those programs in real time ever since, and they are designated as PHC-D. The PHC stuff contains the essence of American music – in my not-so-humble opinion. The only nationally broadcast show that ever came close to matching PHC for quality and variety was the TV show, Northern Exposure – go figure. I have two Northern CDs; if there are more, I would like to know about them ASAP.

 WRUR: Bob “Music Man” Mahoney has been telling me about two WRUR broadcasts for years. I’ve finally started recording them in September 2011. They are: 1) Mystery Train - Mark Grube (88.5, Wed 6-8) and 2) Gumbo Variations - Rick Simpson (88.5, Th 6-8). The Music Man was right of course. If you believe that these two syndicated radio shows are to be respected, then I have to believe that they validate my feelings about music.

 Recording & Release Dates: The parenthetical numbers appended at the end of track titles represent the release date of the album or CD source. These dates are as accurate as I can obtain. The dates for some tracks from compilations reflect the release date of the compilation. Format: (xx, yy) where xx = last two digits of recording date; yy = last two digits of release date.

As usual, my comments are in blue. The other information comes from www.allmusic.com and various lyrics sources. Additions and corrections are welcome … encouraged, in fact.

In Memoriam … 2012:  Cesaria Evora Obituary  Doc Watson Obituary  Donald “Duck” Dunn Obituary  Doug Dillard Obituary  Earl Scruggs Obituary  Etta James Obituary  Herb Reed Obituary (The Platters Bass Singer & Founder)  Kitty Wells Obituary  Levon Helm Obituary  Lionel Batiste Obituary Some Preliminary Comments … As you can tell from the cover art and In Memoriam list, we lost a lot of heavy hitters this year – and that’s a partial listing. The artists that provided the sound track of our lives are aging along with us. Thus, the numbers of In Memoriam will likely increase each year and approach the point of overwhelming the collection – if it hasn’t already. Clearly, we may need to exercise more selectivity in the future representations of the past by confining ourselves to those who have had the greatest influence on our musical lives. Of course, a better solution would be for the artists to continue to be extant, but we don’t seem to have much control over that … other than suggest they all read Younger Next Year ;-)

Picking a single track to commemorate a favorite artist is difficult. For example, we have 266 Doc Watson tracks and 130 Etta James … how do you pick just one? Okay, how about doing multiple tracks with emphasis on variation? Hmmm, that leads to a time problem. How about editing and blending several tracks? I experimented with this concept a bit, and we both agreed that it worked pretty well. A few days later, I had Homage Blends for Etta James, Doc Watson & The Platters.

As many of you know, when I’m playing music, I can’t seem to play all of a particular track. Once the part I like has played, I’m ready for the next track. For me those snippets are the “hooks” that link the track to my emotional reaction to it. Your “hooks” may differ. Anyway, the blends are an experiment, and I hope you let me know how you like ‘em. If I get positive feedback, I may very well end up with an offering of just “hooks” gleaned from the collection. It’s in your hands; let us know what you think. Yay … Nay … vote … it seems to be the thing to do this year ;-)

With that said, here is your playlist for this, the twelfth year of the twenty-first century.

The Playlist and Notes for Naweedna 2012

01 John Boutté - Treme Song Jambalaya (2008)

Yet another example of how Bob “Music Man” Mahoney keeps us up with current happenings. A year or so ago, Bob asked if we were watching HBO’s Treme series. Um, no, we don’t get HBO. Then he proceeded to describe the offering and it sounded like something we should be experiencing. Janie then ordered the first season’s shows from Netflix and we proceeded to get caught up. Wow … a lot of really great music. Here’s what Wikipedia says about it … in case you don’t go to the link above to get all the information:

“Treme ( /trəˈmeɪ/ trə-may) is an American television drama series created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer that premiered on April 11, 2010 on HBO. It takes its name from Tremé, a neighborhood of New Orleans. The series begins three months after Hurricane Katrina as the residents of New Orleans, including musicians, chefs, Mardi Gras Indians, and other New Orleanians try to rebuild their lives, their homes and their unique culture in the aftermath of the 2005 hurricane.

The series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on September 23, 2012. On September 22, 2012, HBO renewed Treme for a shortened fourth and final season.”

So now we are echoing Bob’s endorsement to you: If you haven’t seen Treme … get on the stick and check it out. The DVDs have an option for overdubbing the dialog with a description of the music, artists and significance. We found it very informative. Anyway, this is the Treme theme song as performed by John Boutte. We got it from AK Bob who got it from a fellow named Harter who got it on a Bose Demonstration CD. Whew, a lot of connectivity. My research suggests that the track comes from Boutte’s Jambalaya (2008) CD … I think. Of course we could have just bought the Treme soundtrack, but wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun. Oh yeah, John really is a male New Orleans performer … we saw him on a couple of the Treme episodes, so there you go.

Biography: John Boutté

CD Review: Jambalaya (2008)

Lyrics: Treme Song 02 Mary Gauthier – Mercy Now Mercy Now (2005)

I got this one from Rick Simpson via his WRUR Gumbo Variations broadcast (2011.10.27). It’s one of those tracks that we just fall for on first hearing. Subsequent sampling cements the decision-making process. The song was written by the performer … and it seems all the more significant after this last election cycle.

Biography: Mary Gauthier

CD Review: Mercy Now (2005)

Lyrics: Mercy Now

03 Babatunde Olatunji – Oya (Primitive Fire) Drums Of Passfion (1959)

I’ve been going to include an Olatunji track from the very beginning of this endeavor. Well, here it is year twelve and I finally got one in the playlist. This is from a 1959 vinyl I bought back in the early 60s – very early 60s … probably like 1961. There are several tracks on the album that are notable, but this is the only one that’s fully instrumental ... some of the vocalization is a bit rough. You should check out the bio link below if you don’t know about Babatunde Olatunji. A couple other tracks that are in the queue are: Odun De! (Happy New Year) & Oyin Mmo Ado (Sweet As Honey). No matter what Olatunji track you listen to, you should pay close attention to the rhythms and try to imagine dancers keeping each one going on a different part of their body. I really like the cow bells on this track …

Biography: Babatunde Olatunji

CD Review: Drums Of Passion (1959)

Lyrics: Instrumental

04 Homage To The Platters (1955-1958)

I grew up with The Platters and their Anthology was one of the first CDs we bought. Amazingly, Janie, who is seven years my junior, actually likes ‘em better than I do. I recall coming home from w-w-w-w-work to find her bounding around the house with the anthology blaring away on the stereo. This is a blended homage consisting of a slightly edited He’s Mine and Only You – two of my favorites – and you get ‘em both for only 3:17 running time. The odd-track-out is The Great Pretender – it sits in the queue for a future Naweedna compilation. Ah, the Platters … they bring back a lot of memories …

Biography: The Platters Obituary (The Platters Bass Singer & Founder)

He’s Mine CD Review: Anthology (1955-1958) Lyrics: He’s Mine

Only You (And You Alone) CD Review: Anthology (1955-1958) Lyrics: Only You (And You Alone)

05 The Band – Ophelia Northern Lights Southern Cross (1975)

My favorite Levon Helm track was included on Naweedna 2011: Got Me A Woman (Dirt Farmer, 2007). If I’d known he was going to up and die in 2012, I would have waited. Ah, but unfortunately fate had its way, so I needed another commemorative track. Hmmm, already have one from a 2007 release; how about something from his early years? I ran some possibilities by Jason who reacted very favorably to Ophelia. Well now, that happens to be one of my favorites also. It was decided. This particular version was provided by Bob “Music Man” Mahoney. Take a moment to listen and remember. The creativity and voice have gone silent but the canon lives on.

Biography: Levon Helm Obituary

CD Review: Northern Lights Southern Cross (1975)

Lyrics: Ophelia

06 Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs – Foggy Mountain Chimes Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’ (1950-55, 1992)

OMG, what to pick for Earl Scruggs? I sorted through the 244 tracks in the library, came up with a few candidates, and had a playoff. Foggy Mountain Chimes was the winner because I felt it embodied a lot of what I attribute to Earl Scruggs … and it fit nicely into the playlist time slot. Thanks to Brian Tomaszewski for providing it for the collection.

Biography: Earl Scruggs Obituary

CD Review: Don’t Get Above Your Raisin’ (1950-55, 1992)

Lyrics: Instrumental

07 Toni Price - Funky Sol Power (1997)

Toni Price is one of my favorite artists – two of her tracks have already graced a Naweedna compilation: Too Much Coffee (NWN-2002A) & The Right Kind Of Man (NWN-2002B). This track that she lists as Funky is actually Everything I Do Gon' Be Funky (From Now On). Whatever you call it, it truly is funky. There’s a bit of a back story behind the decision to include Funky this year. We were at Bob Mahoney’s one evening with Sue, Eric & their kids. At one point, I looked Meghan sternly in the eye and said, “Remember this: From Now On Everything I Do Gon’ Be Funky.” She giggled and started repeating it with special emphasis on FUN-key. The memory lingers and is commemorated here. The track comes from a bunch of downloads from before it was technically illegal.

Biography: Toni Price

CD Review: Sol Power (1997)

Lyrics: Funky (Everything I Do Gon' Be Funky From Now On)

08 Dillard & Clark - Lyin' Down the Middle The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark/Through The Morning, Through The Night (1989)

I have a lot of The Dillards wherein Doug Dillard not only displays his musical chops but also comes off as a very funny standup-comedian – generally at brother Rodney’s expense. I still laugh at some of his monologues. One evening we were listening to Rick Simpson’s Gumbo Variations (WRUR, 21012.04.26) when he played Lyin’ Down the Middle”. I liked it and was shocked to learn the artists were Dillard & Clark. I looked it up and it truly is Doug Dillard doing an entirely different type of music. Okay, I have my tribute to Doug Dillard thanks to Rick.

Biography: Doug Dillard Obituary

CD Review: The Fantastic Expedition Of Dillard & Clark/Through The Morning, Through The Night (1989)

Lyrics: Lyin' Down the Middle 09 Homage To Etta James (1954-2004)

So what do you do when one of your favorite artists dies? Well, you try to pick a commutative track to put in your compilation. What track? We have 130 Etta James tracks; nearly all are rated Very Good or higher. Of course, you could confine yourself to the “signature” track, and for Etta that would be At Last. Although great, just about everybody has a copy of that.

Okay, pick another track … maybe two or three (yeah, she’s that important). Suddenly an idea starts to congeal in the mind. How about doing it in chronological order to show the development of the style … and the maturing of the voice? Now we need to pick some representative tracks.

The very first Etta track I ever heard was The Wallflower AKA Roll With Me Henry (or Rock With Me Henry – once Rock & Roll became acceptable nomenclature). I still remember hearing the 45 played in Barb Lahrmer’s basement back in the 50s. Barb had recently moved to Lancaster from a more musically sophisticated city and brought her record collection with her. I had no idea who Etta James was or what Roll With Me Henry was about, but what I did know was I liked it … and wanted more.

Roll With Me Henry was recorded when Etta was a member of The Peaches back in 1954. Another track with Etta in The Peaches is Good Rockin’ Daddy. That would make a nice couplet of Etta’s early efforts. At last came along a bit later in 1961. I definitely remember At Last track when it first came out. I was a senior in high school and Ed & I were the Friday DJs at the Y. We went up to the local record shop every week to buy new records for the hop. When we tried to buy an Etta 45, we were told we couldn’t because it was a “race record”. Yeah, I’m that old and Lancaster OH was that backward. Somehow we managed to get it anyway … the rest is musical history ;-)

Etta reached her peak in the 60s, and we’ve chosen to represent these productive years with two tracks: I’d Rather Go Blind & Tell Mama. Here’s why: “Etta James' comeback single from the mid-'60s, Tell Mama, is one of her true signature songs, standing tall right beside such classics as At Last. … and … The B-side of the Top Ten hit Tell Mama, I'd Rather Go Blind is of such great quality that it makes that release one of the great double-sided singles of the period for sheer artistic moxie.” Etta was BACK and in singularly impressive form.

Having established herself as a legendary practitioner of the musical arts, Etta continued on into the 2000s. So we fast forward some 35 years and find Etta still rockin’ in true R&B matriarch-style. The voice has aged and she’s no longer capable of the high, soaring notes of her youth, but the soul is still there and the music is every bit as good. As testament to the aging voice, the first time I heard Hush Hush on Mystery Train (Mark Grube, WRUR, 2011.09.21), I thought it was Jimmy Reed. The track comes from Etta’s Blues To The Bone (04). Just a year before, Etta commemorated 9/11 with Let’s Roll, which we bought. I picked The Blues Is My Business as the second recent Etta selection. I especially like the “Yeah” at the end. Oh, and if you listen to it a few times, it will become a part of you.

So there you have it. An Etta sandwich of six choice picks blended between the beginning and end of her classic At Last. You will notice that there’s been a little editing and shortening … hope that works for you. If you want the complete tracks, just let me know. It can be provided …

The ending snippet of At Last begins with “… and here we are in heaven …” seems appropriate.

Biography: Etta James Obituary

At Last CD Review: At Last (1961) Lyrics: At Last

The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry) CD Review: The Rock 'N' Roll Era: 1954-1955 Lyrics: The Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry AKA Rock With Me Henry)

Good Rockin' Daddy (54) CD Review: R&B Dynamite (1987) Lyrics: Good Rockin' Daddy

I'd Rather Go Blind Song Review: I'd Rather Go Blind CD Review: Tell Mama [Chess] (1968) Lyrics: I'd Rather Go Blind

Tell Mama Song Review: Tell Mama CD Review: Tell Mama [Chess] (1968) Lyrics: Tell Mama

Hush Hush CD Review: Blues to the Bone (2004) Lyrics: Hush Hush

The Blues Is My Business CD Review: Let's Roll (2003) Lyrics: The Blues Is My Business

10 Mar-Keys – Last Night The Rock 'N' Roll Era: 1961 - Still Rockin'

This is my homage to Donald “Duck” Dunn. Of course when I first heard this track back in 1961, I had no idea who Donald “Duck” Dunn was. Nonetheless, I remember the track and have had it in the Naweedna queue for some time. Once I learned that Donald “Duck” Dunn was a member of the Mar-Keys, well, the deal was done and Last Night settled right into #10 on the Naweedna 2012 playlist. I pulled the track from our 1961 Still Rockin’ CD.

Biography: Mar-Keys Obituary Donald “Duck” Dunn

CD Review: The Rock 'N' Roll Era: 1961 - Still Rockin'

Lyrics: Instrumental or … “O, Last Night” and “Yeah”

11 Ry Cooder - John Lee Hooker for President Pull Up Some Dust & Sit Down (2011)

You may have heard that 2012 was an election year. If not, it was and it’s over – at least for a month or two before we start posturing for the next one. Apparently Ry is as fed up with the whole thing as we are, so much so that he wrote this little ditty offering us John Lee Hooker for President. How could you not vote for that – forget the fact that John Lee is dead – several dead people have been elected to public office, right? Ry channels John Lee and, through him, explains how to reinvent that thing we call the government. The name dropping is mesmerizing. This track also came from Rick Simpson’s Gumbo Variations (WRUR, 2012.03.15). Get down with Ry and … Boogie Chillen …

Biography: Ry Cooder

CD Review: Pull Up Some Dust & Sit Down (2011)

Lyrics: John Lee Hooker for President

12 The Three Keys - Somebody Loses Somebody Wins 1932-1933

Well, after any election Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins – except maybe in Florida – did they ever get the votes counted? This track comes from my 1980s BBGR taping. I tracked it down to the album tersely entitled 1932-1933. Thus, I guess we know the release date plus or minus a year. This is a track we’ve had labeled for a Naweedna selection for some time. As you know, each year we strive to span as wide a swath of musical history as possible. Including this track on Naweedna 2012 gives us a nearly 80-year span.

The lead vocal and piano work is George “Bon Bon” Tunnell working with the other two of The Three Keys: Slim Furness & Bob Pease. Kind of a catchy tune … hard to believe they were this cool way back in 1932- 33. Hmmm, wonder if our current music will be as noteworthy in … 2092?

Biography: The Three Keys

CD Review: 1932-1933

Lyrics: Can’t find lyrics for this version of Somebody Loses Somebody Wins

13 Kitty Wells - Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On (Live) FFUSA (1980s)

Yikes, we have 127 Kitty Wells tracks. Known as the Queen of Country Music, Kitty was born Muriel Deason in 1918 and started recording in the early 40s. What a career. We put a few selections in a playlist and Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On won the playoff. We have other versions of the track, but this one from a live FFUSA broadcast I recorded back in the 1980s was more up-tempo and sounded better. Bam, track #13 was put in place ... next.

Biography: Kitty Wells Obituary

Lyrics: Whose Shoulder Will You Cry On

14 Cesária Évora - Sorte Cafe Atlantico

I learned about Cesária Évora from Putumayo’s Cape Verde (99). Later she showed up on Rick Simpson’s Gumbo Variations (WRUR, 2011.12.22). I started liking those tracks and proceeded to Amazon to download a couple of Cesária’s top-rated CDs. As with many of the others, we put some favorite selections in a playlist and Sorte won the playoff. Hope you like it as much as we do.

Biography: Cesária Évora Obituary

CD Review: Cafe Atlantico

Lyrics: Sorte

15 Homage To Doc Watson

Oh boy, we lost a good one this time. How good? Well, we have 266 Doc tracks in the library … that may be the most of any artist or group. We decided to make an homage-blend of what we hope are four representative tracks. And, as it turns out, Garrison Keillor also offered up a commemorative Doc Watson Tribute Medley on PHC (2012.06.02). I clipped Garrison’s intro and tacked it onto Doc’s intro to Ramblin’ Hobo. Then I blended in Tennessee Stud, which, although well known, is a particular favorite of mine because it is a Jimmie Driftwood tune. You Don’t Know My Mind is another of my favorites, so that had to be included as well. And then there’s Deep River Blues, which as we were told by the young man we came across playing it in Trempealeau NWR is “quintessential Doc”.

We have several versions of Doc doing Deep River Blues. We chose this live version with Tony Rice. There are two guitar sections on the track: the first one by Tony and the second is “quintessential Doc”. I actually tried to cut the Tony Rice passage out, but it just wasn’t possible to do seamlessly. The primary reason for choosing the Doc & Tony version of Deep River Blues was the ending where Doc says: “… and now I’m going to say goodbye … think they’ll just let me die …” Seems like a fitting end to a long and storied career. Thanks, Doc … and goodbye … although your voice is silenced, your musical offerings will continue to inspire us.

Biography: Doc Watson Obituary

Garrison Keillor Biography taken from PHC broadcast (2012.06.02)

Ramblin’ Hobo CD Review: The Watson Family (1977) Lyrics: Instrumental

Tennessee Stud CD Review: Will The Circle Be Unbroken (1972) Lyrics: Tennessee Stud

You Don't Know My Mind CD Review: Memories (1975) Lyrics: You Don't Know My Mind Blues

Deep River Blues CD Review: Live Recording with Tony Rice Lyrics: Deep River Blues

16 Mira Billotte – As I Went Out One Morning I'm Not There [Original Soundtrack] (2007)

This track comes from Mark Grube’s Mystery Train (WRUR, 2011.09.21) and almost made it on last year’s Naweedna compilation. Thus, it was high on the list for this year and the decision was made when I discovered that its length just about filled up the CD (15 seconds left over … damn). I’ve liked this track from the very beginning, but Janie has reservations because it’s too dark and Dylan’s words are enigmatic. But that’s our Bobby, right? Anyway, here it is … hope you enjoy the offering.

Biography: Mira Billotte

CD Review: I'm Not There [Original Soundtrack] (2007)

Lyrics: As I Went Out One Morning

17 Treme Brass Band - Treme Second Line (Blow Da Whistle) Treme Traditions (2011)

Well, the story goes something like this … There’s this Treme thing Bob “Music Man” Mahoney put us onto (see Track #1, Treme Song). We liked the show it a lot so I went to Amazon and downloaded the Treme Brass Band’s Treme Traditions on which I found Treme Second Line (Blow Da Whistle). Ah, I really like this. A bit later I learned that Lionel Batiste died this year. Wait, that name sounds familiar. Yep, been on HBO’s Treme show … and … as it turns out was a central member of the Treme Brass Band. People in New Orleans lovingly referred to him as “Uncle Lionel” and it seems he was the drumming soul of many New Orleans bands. Well, Uncle Lionel, thank you for your efforts and we hope this track is a suitable tribute for you … and a good way to end a compilation: Treme to Treme … seems appropriate.

Biography: Treme Brass Band Obituary Lionel Batiste

CD Review: Treme Traditions (2011)

Lyrics: Can’t find Lyrics for Treme Second Line (Blow Da Whistle)