Thursday, April 30th
basement jukebox
Sonny Boy Williamson II (aka Alex [or Aleck] Miller, 1912-1965, vocals, harmonica), “Help Me” (S. Williamson, et al.), 1963
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
music clip of the day
jazz/blues/rock/classical/gospel/more
Category: blues
2020
Sunday, March 29th
sounds of New York
Reverend Gary Davis (1896-1972), “Death Don’t Have No Mercy,” live
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
*****
reading table
Clear skies ring with the honk of wild geese
On deserted hills, leaves whirl in the wind
Twilight on a smoky village road
Carrying an empty begging bowl and walking home alone—Ryōkan (1758-1831), translated from classical Chinese by Ryūichi Abé and Peter Haskel
2020
Friday, March 6th
sounds of Chicago
Junior Wells (1934-1998, vocals, harmonica), Buddy Guy (1936-, guitar), et al., “Cryin’ Shame” (AKA “Country Girl”), live, Chicago, c. 1970
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
All day long, singing,
yet the day’s not long enough
for the skylark’s song—Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), translated from Japanese by Sam Hamill
2020
Friday, February 28th
sounds of Chicago
Buddy Guy (1936-), “First Time I Met the Blues,” live, Chicago, c. 1970
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Oak Park, Ill.
2020
Friday, January 10th
tonight in Chicago
He’s playing at Buddy Guy’s club, opening for Buddy himself.
Kingfish (AKA Christone Ingram, 1999-), “Hey Joe,” live, Tupelo, Miss., 2017
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langiappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
*****
reading table
a lovely night lit
with oil lamps . . .
croaking frogs—Kobayashi Issa (1763-1827), translated from Japanese by David G. Lanoue
*****
radio
Today WKCR (Columbia University) is celebrating the birthday of jazz drummer Max Roach (1924-2007), playing his music all day.
2019
Wednesday, December 25th
Merry Christmas
Blind Lemon Jefferson (1893-1929), “Christmas Eve Blues,” 1928
*****
Victoria Spivey (1906-1976) with Lonnie Johnson (guitar), “Christmas Morning Blues,” 1928
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Bessie Smith (1894-1937) with Joe Smith (cornet), Charlie Green (trombone), Fletcher Henderson (piano), “At the Christmas Ball,” 1925,
*****
Leroy Carr (1905-1935), “Christmas in Jail—Ain’t That a Pain,” 1929
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Johnny Moore’s Three Blazers with Charles Brown (1922-1999, vocals, keyboards), “Merry Christmas, Baby,” 1947
*****
Lowell Fulson (1921-1999), “Lonesome Christmas (I & II),” 1950
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Sonny Boy Williamson II (AKA Alex or Aleck Miller, 1912-1965), “Sonny Boy’s Christmas Blues,” 1951
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John Lee Hooker (1917-2001), “Blues for Christmas,” 1959
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
2019
Friday, December 6th
basement jukebox
Doctor Ross (AKA Charles Isaiah Ross, 1925-1993), “Chicago Breakdown” (DR, vocals, harmonica, guitar, composition; Reuben Martin, washboard; Sam Phillips, producer), 1953
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
2019
Wednesday, December 3rd
sounds of Chicago
Big Maceo (AKA Major Merriweather, Big Maceo Merriweather, 1905-1953, piano), “Chicago Breakdown” (M. Merriweather), 1945
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lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
2019
Tuesday, November 5th
sounds of Chicago
Howlin’ Wolf (AKA Chester Burnett, 1910-1976) with Hubert Sumlin (1931-2011, guitar), et al., live, Chicago, 1971
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
2019
Saturday, October 26th
basement jukebox
Fenton Robinson (1935-1997), “Somebody (Loan Me a Dime)” (F. Robinson), 1967
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lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
*****
reading table
I go,
you stay;
two autumns.—Yosa Buson, 1716-1783 (translated from Japanese by Robert Hass)
music clip of the day 