Friday, December 17th
what’s new
Robert Plant and Alison Krause, live (studio: “Can’t Let Go,” “Searching for My Love,” “Trouble With My Lover”), Nashville, published 12/13/21
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago (Columbus Park)
music clip of the day
jazz/blues/rock/classical/gospel/more
Category: country
2020
Friday, August 7th
what’s new
Lucinda Williams, “Bad News Blues,” “Big Black Train,” “You Can’t Rule Me,” “Man Without A Soul,” live, Nashville, published 7/27/20
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
2020
Tuesday, May 12th
sounds of Austin
Blaze Foley (aka Michael David Fuller, 1949-1989), “If I Could Only Fly” (B. Foley), live (Duct Tape Messiah, 2011)
*****
Another take.
Merle Haggard, live (TV show, performance starts at 1:15), 1986
*****
What makes this song work? As is often the case, it comes down to small sonic details. Listen, for instance, to the first line of the hook (also the title): “If I could only fly . . .” Repeated f’s (“If,” “fly”), echoing vowels (“I,” “fly”): so much repetition in so few words, yet it sounds so natural. Listen, too, to the small step up, melodically, from the first to the second syllable of “only,” enacting what it would have felt like to fly—”if . . . only.”
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Chicago (Columbus Park)
2020
Friday, April 10th
more
Bonnie Raitt (1949-), John Prine (1946-2020), “Angel From Montgomery” (J. Prine), live, Nashville, 2019
**********
lagniappe
random sights
yesterday, Oak Park, Ill.
2020
Friday, March 27th
sounds of Nashville
Marty Stuart (1958-, vocals, mandolin, guitar), Vince Gill (1957-, vocals, guitar), Brad Paisley (1972-, vocals, guitar), live, Nashville (Grand Ole Opry), 3/21/20
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, outside Chicago (Prairie Path, Bellwood)
*****
reading table
That’s being lonely. Lying here. Head and feet not knowing where they’ve come to.
—Eimear McBride (1976-), A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing
2020
Thursday, February 6th
sounds of Austin
Terry Allen, “Bottom of the World” (T. Allen), live (studio), Austin, 2013
**********
lagniappe
random sights
other day, Chicago
2019
Wednesday, June 19th
what’s new
Rosanne Cash and Ry Cooder (with John Leventhal [guitar], Joachim Cooder [drums], et al.), live, last night, Chicago (Chicago Theatre)
“Long Black Veil” (Danny Dill, Marijohn Wilkin)
***
“Ring of Fire” (June Carter Cash, Merle Kilgore)
2016
Monday, July 4th
Happy Fourth!
Let’s celebrate by remembering three giants.
Ralph Stanley, singer, banjo player, February 25, 1927-June 23, 2016
“Little Maggie,” live (TV show), Austin, Tx., 1980
*****
Bernie Worrell, keyboard player, April 19, 1944-June 24, 2016
Live (with George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic), Switzerland (Montreux Jazz Festival), 2004
*****
Scotty Moore, guitar player, December 27, 1931-June 28, 2016
“Blue Suede Shoes” (with Elvis Presley), live, 1956
**********
lagniappe
radio
Today, Louis Armstrong’s adopted birthday, it’s all Louis all day at WKCR (Columbia University).
2016
Thursday, April 7th
passings
Merle Haggard, singer, songwriter, guitarist, fiddler, April 6, 1937-April 6, 2016
Today, remembering him, we revisit a few favorites.
“I’m a Lonesome Fugitive” (L. Anderson, C. Anderson), live (TV show), 1966
***
“Working Man Blues” (M. Haggard), live (TV show), 1978
***
“Today I Started Loving You Again” (M. Haggard, B. Owens), with Tammy Wynette, live, England (Wemberly), 1988
2015
Thursday, April 2nd
More of Buddy M.
Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale, The Lone Bellow (27:50-), Rosanne Cash (1:08:05-), live, New York, 8/9/14
**********
lagniappe
random sights
Tuesday, Columbus Park, Chicago
music clip of the day 